Now it can take Zambrano anywhere from 5 to 7 hours to run a marathon in his gear, even after rigorous preparation. He trains twice a day: in the morning he runs 3 to 6 miles without gear, and in the afternoon her runs another 3 to 6 miles in gear. He also now knows what to expect throughout the race, from the physical wear and tear his body takes from the suit, to the heat of the suit, to the increasing weight of the suit itself.
“Even if it’s nice and 55 degrees outside or 60 degrees outside,” he explains, “inside [the suit] it’s like an oven.” That scorching heat makes Zambrano sweat immensely, and all that moisture then seeps into the gear, weighing him down even more with each passing mile. By the end of the race, the gear gains from 10 to 12 pounds all in “sweat, water, tears, and pain,” Zambrano jokes. When he crosses the finish line, the gear weighs about 55 pounds.