even with one eye i must keep running

Editor's Note:The protagonist of this story felt he was living an uneventful and ordinary life before the age of 30, heading towards the end of his life along this path. However, a spontaneous decision in September 2012 changed the trajectory of his life. This article is the second chapter of his memoirs...

Recalling the Green Years, Lamenting the Passage of Time

Born in Guangzhou in 1982, my father taught me to swim when I was 4 years old. At 13, during my first year of middle school, I encountered the 400-meter track for the first time. Running a lap felt like torture to me. To pass the 1000-meter test in PE class, I forced myself to practice. From then on, my attitude towards running gradually shifted from passive to active, and long-distance running (1000 meters) became a consistent way to earn points.From middle school through university, I would run a few laps on my own initiative. This self-discipline might be related to the satisfaction I got from good test results in middle school. More importantly, I had come to appreciate the sense of fulfillment after running. This is why, even after gaining weight and not exercising for a long time, I still had a deep affection for running when I decided to get active again. I also understood why some people reject running—they have never experienced that feeling.

Although I had developed a habit of running and could achieve good results in long-distance tests, I found myself struggling in school sports competitions. I participated in the 1500 meters in middle school and the 3000 meters in university. In both cases, I started off passively, running at a pace faster than my ability, and eventually slowed down completely, painfully enduring to the finish line. These experiences led me to prefer stress-free jogging in my later running career.

Disordered Lifestyle, Growing Belly

From 2004 to 2012, my busy work schedule often kept me at my desk for over 10 hours at a time. I neglected my health, playing games late into the night after work. The combination of work stress, irregular routines, and inconsistent meals meant that occasional exercise couldn't counteract my unhealthy habits. My body gradually changed, and the few photos from that time show a 'lifebuoy' around my waist, flabby muscles, and a 'pancake face.' When I recently looked at those photos, I was shocked, 'Is that really me?'

I got married in 2010. In the months leading up to the wedding, I started running more to get in better shape. I remember being completely sleepless the night before picking up my bride, and going for a run along the Pearl River the next morning. However, frequent overtime and a lack of consistent exercise habits meant that my weight continued to rise after the wedding. I fit the typical pattern of many men: gaining weight and developing a protruding belly after marriage, moving closer to the appearance of a middle-aged man.

After gaining weight, I consciously started to exercise more, but an unexpected setback cast a shadow over my fitness journey.

In November 2011, I experienced a major setback in life. My right eye started seeing things in a fragmented way. A visit to the ophthalmologist revealed a detached retina, requiring surgery. The doctor said I couldn't exercise for three months post-surgery and had to avoid strenuous activities and heavy lifting thereafter, as the retina could detach again at any time. The world suddenly turned gray. The more unattainable something is, the more I wanted it. Before the surgery, I bought a stopwatch and ran 10 laps on the track. I couldn't predict what would happen after the surgery, but my passion for running was unprecedented. Even if I could only see half the track in the future, I was determined to keep running, even if I became blind. I would have my wife guide me with a rope. I refused to succumb to fate.

A Fortuitous Encounter with a Grand Event, A Decade-Long Bond

In September 2012, I accidentally learned online about the first Guangzhou Marathon. I was ecstatic. With over a decade of passion for running, participating in a race with 20,000 people, and being the inaugural event, was incredibly appealing. The race had mini-marathon (5 km), 10 km, half-marathon, and full-marathon categories. Given my recent running level of only 1-2 km, I ruled out the half and full marathons. The mini-marathon seemed too trivial, so I chose the 10 km. Although 5 km was already two to three times my usual distance, let alone 10 km, it was a significant challenge. Upgrading from 10 km to a half-marathon, and from a half-marathon to a full marathon, was even more difficult.

One morning (I checked my records and it was September 24, 2012), after much hesitation, I clicked the payment button, officially pushing myself onto a path that seemed like a whim at the time but turned out to be incredibly rewarding three years later. If I had waited one more day, the spots would have been filled, and my life story would have been entirely different.

(To be continued... This article is an original work by a Codoon user. For reprints, please contact the Codoon editor.)