I am not usually much of a charity runner. Races like Comrades and Boston, well, I have just qualified for rather than raise money to buy a spot. Maybe it was COVID and the thought of people suffering made me want to give back. Maybe it was COVID, and a lack of racing opportunities had me yearning for an event. Either way, COVID was to blame and when my local watering hole, The Happy Monk, sent out a notice to run to raise money for Homeless Love, a charity organization that makes and delivers meals to the homeless, I was in. There was just one problem.
I wasn't running. Hmmm. In my younger and more vulnerable years, a 2-month notice for a marathon would have been extreme. Hell, I could run a marathon in the past on two days' notice. But this year, the heat and humidity of China limited my training in the spring (not to mention a total lack of anything to train for). When we were not able to go home for summer, we traveled China, and weeks went by between lacing up the shoes. I coached cross-country, but the few days a week of 3 miles at 10 min/mile were hardly going to count as training. I needed to do more.
People do not understand, but it's hot here in Guangzhou. That's an understatement. It's hot here like ghost peppers are spicy. But the humidity is the killer. All summer and fall, it has been ungodly. After the summer break, a 3-mile run left me near death. Literally. I felt as if I ran another mile, I would end up on the ground. Slowly I got used to running in the heat of the day and even extended my distance a bit, toying with double-digit runs (something I hadn't seen since December's marathon straight out of quarantine). Sarah supported me strongly, growing her long run to join mine and then jumping on a bike to support and grab drinks from stores while I added mileage. I supplemented my running with biking on Zwift to avoid the heat (but was sweating no less). I dabbled with morning runs to add mileage to my relatively short and slower runs during XC practice. I became acclimated to the humidity (somewhat) and started feeling like maybe, just maybe, I would run this thing. Then the other shoe dropped.
Tibet has always been on my to-visit list. When I lived in China 13 years ago, we wanted to go, but political unrest shut it down to foreigners. It stayed that way for a while. COVID did nothing to help, keeping it closed since the onset of the pandemic, and my attempt to secure a permit in the summer failed. With haste, I applied again in the fall but with no real indication, it would happen. With less than two weeks before travel, my permit was approved and we were off to the roof of the world.
The problem is, we couldn't run. You are not free to roam about in Tibet, not to mention the fact that you spend your week between 12,000-15,000 ft. elevation. Regarding my training, when Sarah asked me what I would do if we got to go to Tibet right before the marathon, I said, "Acclimate." I brought my running shoes just in case. After 5 days off, I went for a two-mile jog, so slow and breathing so hard it hurt. I snuck in a 2 miler and 3 miler on the last two days of the break to make for a whomping 7 miles in 8 days! So after a week in Tibet we returned to the flatlands with 8 days before the marathon (this is sounding familiar...)
I pitched up to the race with little expectations other than it was going to hurt. Thankfully, the heat was down and the humidity was replaced by a stiff breeze, the best day of weather from March till early November! The race started at 8am in the Happy Monk - yep, IN the bar - that was a first. We jogged out and down the trail. I knew I was looking good since most people would be in the half marathon and no one was making a bid for it. The first loop was relatively uneventful despite the fact that there were supposed to be three water stops and there were none. Also, we were so "fast," there was no one to guide/marshal the course so, at a crucial turn, I was pleased I watched the video tour in advance. Others weren't so lucky...
I ran much of the first 10k with a small group of Brits, then on ahead with a Chinese guy, but by 10 miles, I was alone. I crossed the half marathon point ahead of all of the half marathon runners, but I still had a lap to go. The good news was I felt fantastic. My longest run in a year was 13.1 miles. My attempt to go 15 ended in a dehydrated, crumpled heap on the ground weeks ago. I have run a lot of races but this was a long way on my own. It wasn't until 15 miles that I found Sarah waiting on a bike and this provided the first water I had all race. It would prove to be a limiting factor. Just then I was stopped by the traffic police for about 3 minutes. The pain rushed to my legs and the momentum died. Once released, I started up the stairs to the steep bridge and things started to go backward. I sacrificed a slow mile to get over the bridge and then got it back on track, but that was the last I "kept pace." The final 8 miles were a bit of a slog, and the pain really set in by the end. Also, this was a Sunday morning in China, so people were all over the bike trail, constantly stepping in front of me. I was not at my best and may have shouted at children and old people.
But like all things, it soon ends, and I crossed the line a good 20 minutes ahead of the next guy for my 6th marathon win (2nd in China). This marks my 81st marathon and my first since December 2020. This wasn't a race about time or place though. It was about getting back out there, hurting a little, and remembering that not everyone has had it as easy as I have.
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| Finishing strong despite a rough last 10k |
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| Pretty glad to be done. It was getting hot. |
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| 81st marathon; 6th win |
The Happy Monk Marathon raised 57,500 yuan, not bad for 50 or so runners! That will provide about 11,500 meals to the homeless, which is a win in any book!
