closing the door what i was thinking after finishing 2018

Entering 2019, I still feel the same overwhelming emotion that made me want to cry after finishing my first marathon in Xiamen in 2015.

After three years of running, I haven't become a speed champion or a legend, but I know that being alive is wonderful.

No, it's the persistence in running that makes me feel great.

*Running fills me with collagen.

To the main point,

In 2018,

Shenzhen Dapeng New Year Marathon,

Shenzhen Nanshan Half Marathon,

Shenzhen International Marathon,

Shenzhen Bao'an International Marathon,

I closed all of them, hahaha!!!

Successfully became the first person to close all marathon races in Shenzhen for a whole year.

Friends who know me have also seen my race logs on the Codoon app. Even though my writing isn't great, I still eagerly share after each race. Thank you to those who still like me; you give me hope even when I'm disappointed.

Thank you!

*I'm afraid there will be too many New Year's greetings on New Year's Eve, so I'm wishing everyone an early Happy New Year here.

*Shenzhen Dapeng

2018 Dapeng New Year Marathon / 6-hour pacer

*Qingyuan, Guangdong

2018 Qingyuan Marathon / 6-hour pacer

*Wuxi, Jiangsu

2018 Wuxi Marathon / 6-hour 15-minute pacer

*Yangling, Shaanxi     

2018 Yangling Agricultural Science City International Marathon / 6-hour pacer

*Dayu, Jiangxi

2018 Dayu Mountain Half Marathon / 3-hour pacer

*Sanmenxia, Henan

2018 Sanmenxia Yellow River Marathon / 6-hour 15-minute pacer

*Chang'an, Xi'an

2018 Xi'an Women's Half Marathon / 3-hour pacer

*Lanzhou, Gansu

2018 Lanzhou Marathon

*Beijing, the capital

2018 Beijing Marathon

*Xi'an, Shaanxi

2018 Xi'an Marathon / 6-hour pacer

*Maoming, Guangdong

2018 Maoming Marathon / 6-hour 15-minute pacer

*Guilin, Guangxi

2018 Guilin Marathon / 6-hour pacer

*Shaoguan, Guangdong

2018 Shaoguan Half Marathon / 3-hour pacer

*Nanshan, Shenzhen

2018 Shenzhen Nanshan Half Marathon / 3-hour pacer

*Guangzhou, Guangdong

2018 Guangzhou Marathon / 6-hour 15-minute pacer

*Shenzhen, Guangdong

2018 Shenzhen International Marathon / 6-hour pacer

*Bao'an, Shenzhen

2018 Shenzhen Bao'an International Marathon / 6-hour pacer

A total of 13 full marathons and 4 half marathons in 2018.

You might not believe it, but I had five consecutive weeks of rainy marathons.

You might not believe it again, but after four consecutive weeks of marathons, I went back to work until 11 PM.

Here's a deep interview from the running community.

Curious runner: Does your family own a mine?

Broke runner: No.

Curious runner: Then why do you run so many marathons in a year?

Broke runner: Because I like it.

Curious runner: What did you say? The wind is too strong, I can't hear you.

Broke runner: I'm off to move bricks!!!

*Ask me again and I'll smack you.

Now it's time for a quiz with prizes!

Question: Which race was the most memorable for you in 2018?

Answer: The back-to-back races on October 20 in Xi'an and October 21 in Maoming.

Question: Why was it memorable?

Answer: Because it was so tough that it's unforgettable, hahaha.

On October 20, I finished the Xi'an Marathon at 1:30 PM, collected my race materials, took photos, retrieved my luggage, and navigated through the crowd to catch a Didi ride to Xianyang Airport for a 4 PM flight to Guangzhou. I landed at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport at 6:50 PM, ran to the North Airport Metro Station, transferred once for a total of 26 stops to Guangzhou South Station, and then ran again to catch the 8:30 PM high-speed train to Maoming.

When I arrived at Maoming train station, it was already 11 PM. At that moment, I was just a crazy person who had just finished a marathon, hadn't eaten a bite, and had traveled 2,000 kilometers to prepare for the next marathon.

*Hard-earned medals

In the Maoming Marathon, humorously dubbed the 'new most torturous course in Asia,' despite the complaints and grumbles from fellow runners along the way and after the race, I successfully completed the grueling 6-hour 15-minute pacer task (the physical challenge was more real than the negative emotions).

*Among the marathon pacers

Because my pacing data is reliable within the running community, I was invited to join the 'Among the Marathon Pacers' group. The experts in the group are all very nice, have great personalities, and speak well. As the slowest runner in the group, I often remind everyone to drink more hot water.

A marathon race is not only a world for runners but also for volunteers, security forces, course photographers, and the organizing committee who all work hard to create and contribute. At the end of each race, I always bow and thank everyone involved in the event.

You can see that the running atmosphere in China is getting better and better.

On December 30, 2018, I finished the coldest marathon of my life. What I never expected was that this 'coldest in history' marathon was run in Shenzhen, and even more unexpectedly, I ran it in a down jacket.

A southern kid frozen like a dog in the south.

So I decided that whoever warms my body, I'll give them blessings.

Every new year, I have the same unchanging wish, such as:

Grandma: Are you bringing a girlfriend home for New Year?

Me: No.

Grandma: Why not?

Me: There are too many, I don't know which one to bring.

Grandma: Then don't come back.

Me: I can come back by myself.

Grandma: Why are you coming back?

Me: For the New Year!

Grandma: How can you have the nerve to celebrate New Year without a girlfriend?

Me: ..........

For example:

Goodbye, 2018,

Hello, 2019!

I want to meet you and take photos together.

​

Maybe you want to learn more through other means

about the interesting soul of a 100-plus-pound me in running, life, travel, or moments of confusion and still-life photography?

WeChat public account: Bjorn Bear and the Closing Guide

Sina Weibo: Chen Mu Dao

'A marathon is not about distance, it's about time.'