Let's Run A Marathon
To watch our video from the big race race click the button below.
The Friday before the race unfortunately turned out to be my school's sports day. In order to avoid injury, I opted not to participate in the basketball game. However, I couldn't resist giving some coaching advice during the warm-up. It seems my students, whether due to China's collectivist culture or not, have always had difficulty understanding the concept of "boxing out." During a layup drill, I recommended that the students practice this skill for better rebounding. After giving them the slip several times and engaging in some smack talk, the students became more dedicated to getting in front of me. One particularly strong but uncoordinated student accidentally elbowed me in the ribcage during the practice. While I felt a slight bit of pain, I didn't pay much attention until the following day where I felt strong discomfort getting out of bed, lifting things, and taking deep breaths. Though I was concerned about how this might affect my running, I was determined not to let it stop me.
After Eight days of discomfort, I decided it was time to see a doctor. Following a CT scan, the doctor informed me that I had a rib fracture and advised against any physical exercise for the next two months.
On Saturday, our Hope in Motion team secured a booth at the Chengdu running expo where the runners go to pick up their bibs. Lionel had a pottery class with the Children's Low-Eye Vision group, so I went to the booth early in the morning. It took me about 15 minutes to remember how to fold the stroller properly. On the way there, I started seeing signs for the Chengdu marathon and realized we were driving the exact route I would be running the following day. I had a sudden premonition of Lionel and me crossing the finish line. It choked me up, and I decided then and there that no matter what, I was going to finish the race.
The running expo was great but exhausting. My best friend John was enthusiastically promoting our cause, and word eventually reached the Sichuan International News Organization. John, Lionel, Xiao Hong, and I were all interviewed. The interviewer was very professional, but even she got emotional at times and had to do several retakes. The day was a success in spreading the word, but it was tiring, and I likely spent too much time on my feet hawking Hope in Motion merch.
Click on the link below to watch our SICC news interview.
Night, sleep tight, don't let the jitterbugs bite
For the night before the race, Xiao Hong booked a hotel nearby. I had my fifth meal of spaghetti of the week and began to visualize the race the next day. As I layed down a whirlwind of emotions swept through me, excitement, restlessness, and fatigue. I could feel my heart pounding through my chest. Although the bed was soft and comfortable, I tossed and turned for hours before falling into a fitful sleep where I dreamed that I had missed the marathon. This was not a short dream, I vividly remember screaming at everyone for not setting their alarms and punching a hole through a lamp. I even began to write a blog post comparing my marathon experience to the Seinfeld episode where Jean-Paul fails to wake up for the New York City Marathon. I woke up with sweat running down my brow and anxiously checked my phone, and it was 2:14 am, a false alarm.
I ended up waking at 5:15, fifteen minutes before my alarm. Lionel heard me and woke up too. As I mentally listed all the things I had to do in the next hour - eat breakfast, use the bathroom, pack everything - Lionel immediately climbed into the stroller and declared it was time to go. In the stroller, I had prepared four waters, a blue Gatorade, five energy gels (three triple espressos and two mandarin oranges), two bananas, and a protein bar. We hit the streets by 6:30 and began our walk to the race.
Our hotel was 2.1 km away, and since most of the roads were closed, we decided to walk there. On the way, all we saw were runners heading to the race. When we arrived, Xiao Hong and I had a heated argument. She wanted me to take a picture with the low-eye vision group running the half-marathon, which was 800 meters in the opposite direction of where the full marathon was starting. An additional mile of walking prerace. I was also concerned about making the 7:30 check-in time and possibly missing the race all together, I don’t have a background in business, but I have a basic understanding of a cost-benefit analysis. But, seeing as how marriage is more important than the race, we ended up running to get to the spot to take the picture only to find one person there. I grumbled a few choice words – and internally thought of a few more as we headed back.
Our little side trip turned out to be essential as we met up with Terence Ma, who was on his way to take the same picture. Terence Ma used to work at my former school and he decided he wanted to help the Hope in Motion running team. He said he would accompany John and I to the race in case of any complications as he is a bit of a soothsayer. When we reached the security checkpoint, the first security guards immediately denied us entry saying there was no way I would be able to run with Lionel. Terence, who was prepped and ready for just the occasion, skated over and explained that we were approved runners for charity and encouraged him to call his boss. The security guard did that, and things got even more complicated as the police got involved. Rather than asking questions based on stamina or equipment safety, the line of questioning began focusing on our work, visas, and actual purpose for being in China. Terence, throughout the entire line of questioning remained calm and explained everything until we finally got the green light, however they did confiscate my blue Gatorade and one of my bottled waters. After making through, I finally let out a deep breathe.
Then my school's marketing team called, wanting to take a picture pre-race. I said absolutely not, I’m not going through the bib check and the "no child" policy again, I tried to tell them to find a spot 10 km into the race. While I was midsentence, I turned around to find the entire group of 20 people from my school somehow breeze through security. In China there are million rules, and a billion ways to finesse them. Lionel got to take a pre-race picture with all his classmates and the kids got to sign the stroller just as the race gun was fired.
There were 35,000 marathon runners, including John, who was originally registered for a half-marathon but had joined the full marathon, and Terrence, who decided to jog the first kilometer with us. To avoid getting caught in the crowd, we deliberately stayed at the back of the pack and were among the last 100 people to start the race. As we crossed the starting line, the foreign announcer enthusiastically acknowledged our presence, and we were greeted with a huge round of applause. Both John and I began the race cautiously, allowing the other runners to surge ahead. The starting area was extremely crowded, and I had to be extremely careful not to accidentally bump into any runners with the front of the running stroller, reminding me of Mad-Eye Moody's "constant vigilance." For the first 5 kilometers, we maintained a slower pace because there was simply no room to maneuver with the stroller.
About 15 minutes into the race, the half-marathoners joined the fray. For the next ten minutes – it was Lion Kingesque. The half-marathoners stampeded their way through the crowd, partly running, mostly swimming their way through the crowd as they vied for a top 100 finish which came with cash incentives. John and I tried to stick to the railing, but it was already crowding with runners gasping gasping for breath and stopping.
Despite not running at our preferred pace, the first 5 km were a blast. The crowd was electrifying, snapping pictures, and roaring us on. I didn't even bother looking at the distance signs; I was just relishing the moment.
Between the 5 and 10-kilometer mark, the road began to widen. We discussed whether to take the wider routes to run faster, but John wisely suggested sticking with the main group to conserve energy. This part of the course was enjoyable as it passed by familiar landmarks like People's Park, the Sichuan Museum, and Tianfu Square, all places I had visited with my family before. However, I didn't particularly like the sections where we had to run a kilometer south from the city square and then turn back in a tight U-turn, which was challenging to navigate with the stroller. John, knowing he was running the half-marathon, offered to push the stroller and provided encouragement to me and other runners. On the way back up toward the city square, he high-fived everyone going in the opposite direction. Returning to the square, we turned left toward the Sichuan Museum and passed by the statue of Mao Zedong, which inspired me to give a playful wink. This part of the race was truly enjoyable.
Between the 11th and 15th kilometers, there were moments when I ran ahead of John and entered a meditative state, focusing solely on my breathing and nothing else. I used this time to mentally prepare for the remainder of the race. I had a triple espresso energy gel at the 10-kilometer mark and a protein bar at the 13-kilometer mark. Even though I don't typically eat while running, I had learned that it's better to consume something earlier in the race because the stomach has difficulty digesting food later on. During these kilometers, I enjoyed my time alongside John and the overall experience was fantastic. The energy from the crowd continued to be invigorating. We passed through several tunnels where all the runners would sing chants together, which only heightened our feel-good spirits.
Between the 16th and 20th kilometers, I realized that my time with John was coming to an end, and I mentally prepared for the remaining 21 kilometers. The roads were still crowded with runners, and we passed a group of dancers performing to what I considered the best Chinese song I had ever heard. I wanted to use Shazam to identify it but had to keep running. Because I was running low on water and Gatorade, I had to stop at the water stations to rehydrate while John pushed the stroller. At one point, as I was making my way to the water station, I thought I heard someone call my name. I turned my head to look, but in the process, I accidentally stepped on a discarded water bottle, nearly twisting my ankle. It was a reminder to stay vigilant – "Constant Vigilance!"
At the 20-kilometer mark, John and I had to go our separate ways because his race concluded at Sichuan University. Just before we parted, two members from my school's marketing team surprised me with some treats. I took over pushing the stroller from John, and I couldn't have been happier – I felt like I was on cloud nine.
Between the 21st and 25th kilometers, I had expected the roads to become less crowded, but they remained quite congested. Nevertheless, I was tired of constantly being passed by other runners, so I decided to start overtaking them, and I managed to pass around 5,000 people during this stretch. The next 5 kilometers felt amazing; my stride was strong, and I was in a great rhythm with the stroller.
I have almost no recollection of kilometers 25 to 30. I passed by the home of a girl I usually take Lionel to every weekend and waved to them. A kilometer and a half later, I ran under the Guixi Park bridge. On top of the bridge, I saw the elite runners, who were just 800 meters from the finish line, while I still had to run an additional 6 kilometers past the finish line, turn around, and run another 6 kilometers back. Surprisingly, I wasn't experiencing any physical pain, and my spirits remained high. I consumed my third energy gel, containing 40 milligrams of caffeine, and kept smiling for all the videos that other runners wanted to take with me.
Between the 30th and 35th kilometers, I encountered three consecutive tunnels, each about half a kilometer apart. While the tunnels in the first half of the race had a lively atmosphere, these tunnels felt more like the ones from the original Willy Wonka movie, perhaps my magical city tour high was about to crash.
At kilometer 33, I reached the farthest distance I had ever run, and I had only 9 kilometers left to complete the race. However, at kilometer 34, the wheels feel off (figuratively). This is the point where the body begins to "bonk," as it is essentially depleted of glycogen, which is like fuel for the body. I found myself running on empty, and I looked around to see a scene that resembled a post-apocalyptic wasteland. People were stumbling, stopping, and appeared completely drained. There were no cheering crowds; instead, the road was filled with discarded cups and groaning zambies (the Chinglish pronunciation of zombies).
I continued to move forward, but there was no external energy to draw strength from. My running playlist, set to random, played a cheerful tune that didn't seem to match the grim reality around me, creating a surreal feeling reminiscent of a Tarantino film. During this demoralizing stretch, I was running in the wrong direction, heading toward the southern part of town. I saw runners stretching out as far as the eye could see, but the turning point remained elusive. On the other side of the road, I saw runners coming back up, and although they appeared to be only 30 yards away, they were actually miles ahead of me.
At the 35th km, the song "Take Me Out" came on, and I decided to go faster instead of slowing down. I found my second wind and I get a boost when I reach the turning point and knew I was headed in the right direction.
Between kilometers 36-38 I got a bit iron-legged and I kept telling myself the race would end at 40 km. However, I started getting side stitches and had to take energy gels by the third, holding them in my mouth. At the 39th km, Lionel popped his head up to ask if it was time for a snack. I tried to open his crackers with my sweaty, shaky hands as I hunched over the stroller on my elbows. What must have been three minutes later, he finally had his snack.
Between the 40th and 42.195th kilometers, I entered Guixi Park, a place where I've played disc golf for the past three years. The path was narrow and got somewhat congested, making navigation a bit challenging. To motivate myself, I pretended I was running to play disc golf and had to hurry to tee off. While crossing the arch-shaped bridge, I got cut off several times by some staggering runners which disrupted the momentum of my stroller. The second time I had to stop, I felt a cramp shoot up my inner right thigh, and I started to wobble. To ensure I was okay, I decided to walk the final ten steps uphill. Once I reached the top, I resumed running downhill. Now, I was over the bridge and running past my stomping ground. I spotted my disc golf friends Brian and Tyler on the hill near hole 10. They had set up a tailgate with a barbecue and a supportive sign.
After passing the pals, I only had one kilometer left. Some people around me started sprinting towards the finish line. Back at kilometer 30, I had contemplated doing the same, but I decided it wasn't worth it given the pain I was already experiencing. I had also considered crossing the finish line with Lionel running beside me, but the finish area was still quite crowded, and I wasn't sure if I had the strength to lift him out of the stroller. With 100 meters to go, the street transitioned to a blue carpet, and I could see the finish line ahead. A reporter from SICC was waiting and recorded me pushing the stroller past the finish line. She attempted to interview me, but my mind was quite blank at the moment. I looked for my wife and others from my school but learned that they were waiting to cheer me on about 5 kilometers back.
While I finished my goal, I’m unsure how to finish this blog. I stare at the cursor jogging in place, as though stuck at a red light. If I were typing this on a word document circa 2002, the little paper clip would be tapping his foot impatiently, yawning, and tapping at the screen to see if I were still there. Sorry paperclip guy, you might know a thing or two about formatting, but you don’t know anything about love, determination, or friendship so don't try to offer me any advice. I’ll leave with a modified quote from Lionel’s favorite story.
"We made it to end in our Rattletrap Car and we did go fast and we did go far!"
- The Rattletrap Car
Thanks to everyone for your continued support throughout this journey! The legs are finished for now, but the hope remains in motion. Let's see what the next adventure brings!
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