a professional screenwriter relieves stress by running the advanced road of a foolish runner
The title of 'Fool' began to awaken at the 2018 Guangzhou Marathon, evolved at the 2019 Wuxi Marathon, and ascended to a lifelong honorary title at the 2019 Heze Marathon. The entire process took only four months, completed in one go without any delay.
I am a professional screenwriter, a profession that has nothing to do with running. Yet, I became obsessed with marathons and trail running. I've been running for five years, and I've turned myself into a 'fool' through running.
At the beginning of 2015, I quit my first job, lost my source of income, and didn't want to take a desk job. I lived off credit cards, accumulating over a hundred thousand yuan in debt in six months.
When you're poor, friends and family scatter. Friends and brothers who I thought were close avoided me like the plague, possibly fearing they'd catch my bad luck. In six months, the only friend left was my high school roommate.
He had just started working and would lend me most of his salary, keeping only a little for himself. Thanks to him, I could maintain my so-called lofty ideals of a poor writer, waiting for a windfall to improve my dire situation. He was the only light in those dark days.
For six months, I had no income. Every day, I received countless calls from banks demanding repayment. My pillow was covered with hair due to stress and anxiety. I was utterly depressed. One day, while browsing social media, I saw someone post about running to relieve stress and improve sleep. I hadn't slept well for over two months.
With a try-it-and-see attitude, I finally stepped out of my house. It took me nearly two hours to run less than ten kilometers. My chest felt like it had been punched, I was out of breath, seeing stars, and every nerve in my body protested. I thought running wasn't for me, and the social media post was nonsense. Surprisingly, I slept soundly that night, something I hadn't done in over two months.
So, I ran a second time, a third time, a fourth time. The distance gradually increased from ten kilometers to fifteen, then twenty. I started running more frequently and for longer distances, and I fell in love with running, unexpectedly joining the running community.
At that time, I lived near Happy Valley in the East Fourth Ring. Every day, I would run from the East Fourth Ring, pass through Huagong Road and Nanmofang Road to the East Third Ring, turn back at the Agricultural Exhibition Center, and run home via Dawang Road, completing a half marathon. After each run, I ate well, slept soundly, and my mental state improved significantly. Although I was still in debt, I no longer felt hopeless and instead saw a promising future.
Two months later, I ran my first marathon, the 2015 Tianjin Wuqing Marathon, finishing in five hours and seven minutes. I knew nothing about marathons then. I didn't dare eat the roadside supplies when hungry, nor did I let the medical staff spray my aching legs with Yunnan Baiyao, fearing they would charge me. Only after finishing did I realize those things were free. The 'fool' trait was already showing.
Running became inseparable from my life. Besides writing scripts, I would run along the road, whether ten or fifteen kilometers, then visit the market to study and replicate various regional delicacies and desserts.
In the winter of 2015, I finally got my first job after quitting. I spent a whole month writing a five-episode anti-Japanese war drama script. Normally, I could write an episode in two days, but this job was crucial, so I was meticulous with every word, fearing any mistakes.
By the time I finished the last episode, my hair had stopped falling out, my debts were paid off, and life seemed more hopeful. Running had transformed me into the person I wanted to be, completely changing my life.
Because I coveted the food and scenery of Guizhou, I foolishly signed up for the Huan Leigong Mountain Ultra 100 race. I thought the organizers were silly for offering food, accommodation, and free tours of Kaili, Leigong Mountain, and Zhenyuan for a thousand yuan registration fee. It seemed like a great deal for me.
On race day, I realized I was the foolish one, not the organizers. In three days, I ran two full marathons and one half marathon, questioning my life choices. My knees and legs hurt so much that I could barely bend them, making walking and even using the toilet difficult.
Perhaps my 'foolishness' is innate, just suppressed over the years. Otherwise, who would run a 105-kilometer ultra marathon as their second marathon?
However, the combination of mental joy and physical pain was so fascinating that I became addicted to this experience.
The Huan Leigong Mountain Ultra 100 didn't make me give up running. Instead, it gave me a philosophy: marathons are extreme sports, and finishing is a victory regardless of the time. So, I ran in casual shoes, skate shoes, and even basketball shoes. I didn't care about race attire either, wearing cotton sportswear, vests, and T-shirts. For three years, I didn't care about PB or PW, not even knowing what these 'pinyin' meant.
It wasn't until I joined a running group and met more running friends that I learned about the need for regular supplies, daily training, wearing professional running shoes, which shoes suit which pace, the best quality and breathable quick-dry clothes, warming up before running, and stretching afterward. These were things I had never considered, but they filled my already limited brain space like bamboo spilling beans.
For a long time, I only half-understood these things. When others talked about pace, salt pills, and energy gels, I could only respond with 'uh-huh,' 'yeah,' and 'oh.' I thought this might be a sign that my 'fool' gene was breaking free and preparing to awaken.
The 2018 Xi'an Marathon was a turning point in my running journey. I finished in three hours and fifty-three minutes, which I thought was a great time. However, many in the running group finished in under three and a half hours, and some even under three hours. This frustrated me and sparked my competitive spirit. I might be foolish, but I can run, and running doesn't require much brainpower.
It turns out I was wrong; running does require brainpower.
At the 2018 Guangzhou Marathon, with perfect weather, course, pace, and physical condition, I miscalculated the time and chose to give up at the 30-kilometer mark, walking the rest of the way while eating supplies, missing the 3:30 mark and finishing in 3:53.
My 'fool' gene fully awakened and became increasingly uncontrollable.
I always thought my math was good, but since my gene awakened, I couldn't get it right. I miscalculated the pace for a 3:30 marathon finish, forgot to include myself in a group meal payment, and my 'fool' traits developed at lightning speed.
If I can't get it right, so be it. I run not for the results but to eat better and sleep soundly!
Until a challenge letter changed my attitude towards running. I signed it during a post-run group meal. The challenge was whether Sun Yunfei could finish under 3:30 by March 31, 2019. Six people participated, half supporting and half opposing, with one witness and me as the subject. It even had red handprints, making it quite formal.
Though a 'fool,' I have my pride. To prove I could do it, I started training intentionally. I adjusted my heart rate, pace, increased mileage, and stride length. I ran to and from work every day, fifteen kilometers each way, wearing a down jacket, thermal underwear, and woolen pants. I believed that once I switched to short sleeves and shorts, I would run faster.
Winter passed, and spring came. I welcomed my first race of 2019, the Seoul Marathon. As I wished, I not only finished under 3:30 but also shocked everyone by achieving a personal best of 3:13. The challenge was a success, but the 'fool' title remained. When I landed back home and checked my phone, I realized they called me 'fool' not because I couldn't finish under 3:30 but because I miscalculated the time. I might indeed be a 'fool,' and a persistently foolish one at that.
The night before the Wuxi Marathon, I ate a bowl of stinky tofu out of greed. The next day, I had stomach issues as soon as I hit the course. From the 11-kilometer mark, I was looking for toilets all the way, and I could clearly point out where each toilet was along the course.
Unexpectedly, on the beautiful cherry blossom course, I completed my 'fool' evolution.
Even a 'fool' knows to learn from mistakes. For the Heze Marathon, I didn't overeat and went to bed early, adjusting my physical state to the best. Everything pointed to a PB, and I even planned how to brag and post on social media afterward.
However, the brain is indeed a good thing. I forgot to put band-aids on my chest, which is prone to chafing. After the halfway mark, my chest chafed and bled, making every step feel like torture. At the 30-kilometer mark, I experienced my first running collapse, dropping from a 4:30 pace to 5:30 instantly, collapsing step by step to the finish line. I gave up the race in the last 300 meters, walking to the finish with a time of 3:25, placing 108th and missing the prize money.
On the way back, a friend reminded me that I could have run shirtless, but I didn't think of it at the time. Another 'surprise,' and in the hometown of peonies, the 'fool' label ascended to my lifelong honorary title!
This title was solidified in the drizzle of the Wuhan Marathon, began to be passed on in the wind and sand of the Yinchuan Marathon, and was deeply engraved in my bones along the Yellow River at the Lanzhou Marathon.
Now, I've jumped into the big pit of trail running, participating in the Love Jiangshan 50km night race and the 2019 Chongli 168 trail race.
'Why don't you stick to road running and switch to trail running?' a friend asked.
'Isn't it because he's a fool!' another friend answered.
See, I can't escape being associated with 'fool.' In five years, I've run myself into a 'fool,' and because of this 'foolishness,' I've had good luck, learned persistence, and become more grateful. To me, being a 'fool' is a blessing!