december 22nd danzhou marathon my first half marathon

When the registration for Codoon Marathon started, I was hesitant and a bit scared. Do you know why? It's because I had heard about the infamous Heartbreak Hill. It's not just any hill; it's a hill that makes you question your life choices. Naturally, I had all sorts of worries and found various excuses to justify my hesitation. But after some encouragement from two elder sisters, I finally took the brave first step and registered.

Here are some pictures as proof.

Successfully registering didn't require waiting for a lottery draw like some major events, which can make people anxious and uneasy.

After registering, it was time to train hard! Unexpectedly, my mileage in November increased to 200 kilometers, a personal record, compared to my usual 130-150 kilometers.

When I received the official text message with my race number, I felt an inexplicable joy and thought to myself, 'I can try running a half marathon too.'

As the race day approached, my anxiety started to kick in, worrying about this and that. Sure enough, a week before the race, I caught a cold and had a runny nose. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, my period started right after I recovered from the cold. It was one setback after another! With the race day looming, I wondered if my first half marathon would be ruined. After all the hard training, was I really going to give up so easily? I was unwilling to let go and wanted to prove that I could do it!

In the company of three, there is always something to learn.

Left: Sister Hongjie Luo, Center: Sister Wang, Right: Me

It was Sister Wang who got us into this, but I digress.

In the days leading up to the race, the two elder sisters patiently comforted me, telling me to relax and that everything would work out. They advised me not to worry and to take it easy, suggesting that I could run slowly if needed.

I've rambled on quite a bit, but let's get back to the main topic! If you're still reading, it means you have a lot of patience! Kudos to you. Thank you for your patience, and please forgive my lengthy first story.

Let's talk about Codoon Marathon! This year marks the tenth anniversary of Codoon Marathon, a prestigious event with a great reputation. The services before, during, and after the race were excellent and commendable!

We chose Codoon Marathon for our first race because of its good reputation. On December 21st, the day before the race, we arranged for childcare and left Haikou at 2:30 PM, driving to Danzhou. Two hours later, we arrived and went to the Cultural Square to pick up our race packets. The quality of the race packets was good, though the supplies were a bit limited. This didn't affect our mood; we strolled around, took some photos, and then headed to our hotel. Notably, the hotel booked by Sister Wang's company was fantastic! It was just a five-minute walk from the starting point and very clean!

After dinner, we returned to the hotel early. After washing up, I tried to sleep before ten, but I couldn't fall asleep. My phone suddenly rang; it was my mom asking if I would come home for the Winter Solstice the next day. I simply replied that I wouldn't. In fact, I hadn't told my family about running the marathon in Danzhou; I planned to tell them after I finished, a classic case of 'acting first and reporting later.' Hehe...

On the morning of the 22nd, the weather was nice with a light drizzle and suitable temperature. We were ready to embrace our race! The atmosphere at the venue was lively as athletes gradually entered. Haha! Let's take another group photo.

The race was about to start. 3, 2, 1! With the sound of the gun, the runners began.

After running just 1 or 2 kilometers, I felt a bit tired. After all, I hadn't run for almost a week, so I decided to take it easy and run at my own pace. When I reached 6 or 7 kilometers, I saw the foreign runners on the opposite side already heading back. Haha...

The people of Danzhou were incredibly enthusiastic, cheering us on from the sides of the road. The student cheerleaders were especially hard to resist; they reached out for high-fives, but I didn't want to waste energy, so I responded with gestures. They were also working hard, cheering us on early in the morning.

The most challenging Heartbreak Hill appeared. From a distance, it looked long and steep, a vast red expanse. Everyone was climbing the hill, exhausted beyond words. Some were already walking, but I kept taking small steps, not wanting to stop and walk, fearing I wouldn't be able to run again. So, I kept going, and it was fine!

The Codoon Marathon course felt like an endless cycle of uphill and downhill. My goal was to finish safely within two and a half hours, and I did just that. After receiving my race certificate and medal, I cherished the moment.

The post-race refreshments included dumplings, as the race day coincided with the Winter Solstice.

The finisher's package contained a finisher's shirt, a bottle of mineral water, a sports drink, bottled coffee, an apple, a banana, a pack of tissues, a pair of slippers, a pack of dried fruit, a cup with a sports towel inside, and two packs of wet wipes. It was so much that it was hard to carry!

Seeing the generous finisher's package, are you tempted? Do you dare to challenge Heartbreak Hill? We're waiting for you at the 2020 Codoon Marathon!

This year, I achieved my small goal of running an offline marathon. Have you achieved your goals? If not, hurry up and set your goals for the coming year! Let's work hard to achieve them! ✊

I am Cby Cheng. If you see me running on the road, feel free to tap me on the shoulder!