age wise i m a veteran running wise i m a newbie

I always thought I was still young, able to eat, sleep, and play, but unexpectedly, I had already entered the 'veteran' category.

Although I am a veteran, I am a novice runner, belonging to the beginner level.

Before November 4, 2018, I had never participated in a running event. At 56, I had the opportunity to participate in the Hangzhou Half Marathon for the first time in my life. Although I ran very slowly and felt very tired, when I crossed the finish line arch, my heart was filled with happiness.

Participating in the Hangzhou Marathon was a first in my 56 years of life. I didn't know how to run; I just followed my own pace through the crowd. Seeing others overtake me from behind didn't stir much emotion in me. I told myself—'I run, I am happy. I am happy, so I run.'

Running is a pure sport, without any ulterior motives. I run, the road knows, the wind knows, and the sweat knows. A week later, when I downloaded my results, I found out I was classified in the 'veteran group.'

Out of 8,907 participants in the half marathon, I ranked 1,715th; among the 6,090 male participants, I ranked 1,474th; and among the 574 participants in the over-50 veteran group, I ranked 165th. My gun time was 02:04:45, and my net time was 01:57:00. The results were satisfactory, but the process was very fulfilling.

On November 11, after running the city marathon, I participated in the Qianjiangyuan Kaihua Half Marathon. Running on the picturesque country roads, there was none of the crowding of the Hangzhou Marathon. After 2 kilometers, the road became empty. You could even hear the heavy breathing of fellow runners and the crisp sound of footsteps rubbing against the road. When I crossed the finish line arch, the time showed 01:53:52, which was 10 minutes faster than my Hangzhou time. An inexplicable joy filled my heart.

I don't know why I like running, why I like self-torture. It's just that the comfort I feel after sweating profusely and returning home makes me happy, so I came to like running.

In fact, before the age of 50, I didn't like, pay attention to, or care about running. Running seemed to have nothing to do with my life. I remember from elementary school to high school, I was always poor in sports, especially running. I always played the role of 'vice class monitor,' and I barely passed sports thanks to the teacher's leniency. Later, after starting a family and career, I had to work hard for a living and for my job, busy with writing all day long. Often, while deep in thought, I would light a cigarette, watch the smoke fill the air, take a few deep puffs, and then continue working. By night, a pack of cigarettes would be gone. I would drag my tired body home, try to relieve my fatigue with some liquor, then fall asleep, snoring loudly, and wake up from nightmares in the middle of the night.

Living like this day after day, health didn't come, but illness did. From head to toe, there was no place without pain. Carotid atherosclerosis with plaque formation, multiple gallbladder polyps, fatty liver, slight lung fibrosis, prostate calcification, and blood test indicators either rising or falling—all indicated my deteriorating health.

The worst was being hospitalized for pneumonia in August 2012, and in 2013, I had the 'honor' of taking an ambulance ride at night. From 2012 to 2015, I was hospitalized once a year.

The formation of a habit may not necessarily stem from a hobby. Running, for me, did not start from liking it. After quitting smoking at the end of 2012, various physical discomforts followed. First, my weight increased from 65 kg in August to 75 kg, and I frequently fell ill. So, following a friend's advice, I started walking in the evenings around June 2013. After four months of walking, I began jogging in the neighborhood. From 2013 to 2014, I ran intermittently for 800 kilometers, with a pace of 8 minutes per kilometer. By 2015, my pace improved to 7 minutes per kilometer, and I ran 800 kilometers that year. Although I was slow, I felt the joy of running. In 2016, a friend from Zhejiang University invited me to sign up for the Hangzhou Marathon. At first, I thought it was a joke; running a marathon seemed unattainable for me. Although I couldn't run a marathon, running had fully integrated into my life.

I have run in cities and in the countryside. I have run in parks in Beijing and Shanghai, on trails in Wuyi Mountain, on streets in Guangzhou, and on campuses in Hefei. I run, sometimes under the sun, sometimes under the stars and moon, sometimes against the wind and rain. I feel the comfort of life in my sweat. In the morning, I run around West Lake. I pass through Huanglong, cross Baoshi, go by Xiling, cross the Broken Bridge, tread on Su Causeway, and pass through Huagang, bathing in the morning light of West Lake and enjoying life in the breeze. I listen to my inner voice, not happy with external things, not sad for myself. At night, I run in Xixi, along Zijing, through Tianmu, over Fudi, under the stars and moon, smelling the fragrance of the countryside. I run, I am happy. In running, I forget myself, forget the world, and see only the road ahead.

Running is an attitude, an aspiration, a choice. Running makes life fulfilling and teaches me peace, simplicity, and perseverance.

In 2018, after running alone for five years, I signed up for the Hangzhou Half Marathon, and then for the Kaihua and Songyang Half Marathons. I didn't participate to compete but to enjoy the joy of running, the joy of running on the road with others, where the road is yours, and the scenery is yours.

In terms of age, I am a veteran, but in reality, I am a novice among veterans. I will continue to run. As long as there is a road ahead, I will firmly lift my feet and move forward.

The road is ahead.

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