LOL: to laugh out loud. LOLathon: a marathon of laughing
Collaboration with Ilana Mitchell/Wunderbar
The Mining Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne
A live event of collective forced laughter for 26.2 minutes. It was promoted in the manner of a sporting event, mimicking the promotion of the Great North Run which occurs annually in Newcastle. People who signed up for the LOLathon were emailed a training schedule beforehand. On the night, I briefly introduced the piece before the clock started, and we commenced laughing. Laughter stopped abruptly when the clock marked 26.2 minutes. Everyone who completed the LOLathon received a commemorative badge.
Below is the text of the training manual (cribbed from marathon training advice) that was emailed out to participants beforehand
LOLathon Training for Beginners
Are you a beginning LOLer? Already a LOLathoner? Haven’t LOL-ed in a long time? Either way, you can finish a LOLathon. Learning some of the basics will help you get started.
Motivation: Building mental stamina is essential. It’s one thing to be motivated to begin training. It’s another to maintain your focus daily. Staying motivated and developing the proper mindset is key to enjoying training and reaching the finishing bell with a smile on your face.
Nutrition: Eating a healthy balanced diet can also help you to improve your LOLing performance by maximising energy stores and ensuring you get enough vitamins and minerals which are vital for certain processes that occur during exercise.
Carbohydrates provide the fuel LOLers need. During LOLathon training, 65% of your total calories should come from carbohydrates, particularly complex carbohydrates. 10% should come from protein and 20-25% of your total calories should come from unsaturated fats. Be sure to get the nutrition you need to keep you strong and allow for adequate recovery.
Recovery: Obviously, it is important to laugh as LOLathon training, but recovery is equally important. You should not LOL every day. Your body needs to rest between LOLs so it can recover from one LOL to the next, getting stronger between each LOL. Nutrition and eating the right foods at the right time also play a vital role in recovery. Take recovery days equally as serious as your LOLing days.
Hydration: On LOLs of 15 minutes or more, carry fluids with you and consume 1-2 oz. every 5 minutes. During pre-training and LOLathon training, ensure you rehydrate within the first hour after LOLing .
Avoiding Injury: Use your non-LOLing days to rest and recover. Ice down any soreness, particularly in the mouth, jaw or abdomen (most common), four times per day for 15-20 minutes. Injuries often sneak up without warning. Doing all the right things will minimise your chances of injury.
Pre-Training: Before you begin LOLathon training, you should be able to laugh for at least 0.8 of a second without stopping. Duration is not important right now. You just need to get your body used to LOLing.
Training Schedule:
WEEK 1 Combinations of smirks and grunts are recommended in week 1 because they ease your body into the exercise and minimise the risk of experiencing a LOLing injury.
- Monday: 10 seconds continous LOLing
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: 30 Seconds
- Thursday: 45 seconds
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 1 minute
- Sunday: Rest
WEEK 2 Increase your LOLing repetoire to include sniggers, snorts and tee hees. Gradually increase your times to ensure good stamina build up.
- Monday: 2 minutes
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: 2 sets of 2 minutes (rest for 2 hours in between)
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: 5 minutes continuous
- Saturday: 10 minutes. This will be a challenging leap, but will set you up well for week 3
- Sunday: Rest
WEEK 3 This week take the opportunity to experiment with a full range of LOLing techniques such as chortles, hoots, whoops, shrieks, guffaws and bellylaughs.
Rememer all LOLers are unique. It is important that you find the style that suits you most.
Gradually increase your times, with your longest LOLing sesssion lasting 15-18 minutes. (Having an 18-minute LOL under your belt will give you a major psychological advantage on LOLATHON day)
Taper your training in the final days before the Great Forced LOLATHON to help your body recover and be strong for your big day.
Your final training session should be at least 3 days in advance of the Great Forced LOLathon.
- Monday: 12 minutes
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: 15-18 minutes
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: 8 minutes
- Saturday: 2×2 minutes with an hours rest in between
- Sunday: Rest
WEEK 4 – it’s LOLathon Week!
Monday: Make sure to rest today in preparation for your big day tomorrow! In the evening eat a meal that is high in carbohydrate with a little bit of protein, e.g. pasta with salmon. This meal is important for maximising your muscles energy stores.
LOLathon Day: On the day of the LOLathon eat well balanced meals regualry to maintain your energy levels. Make sure drink enough water and maybe several cups of tea or coffee.
Given the atmosphere at most LOLathons, you will likely feel full of adrenaline after hearing the starting bell. Remember though, LOLATHONS are about endurance and pace is critical. Maintain pace to save everything you have left for your big finish!
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