Guangzhou marathon

An item that was on my bucket list many years ago that I discarded was running a marathon.

In training for one I ignored all the pain signals and now have a lasting hamstring injury. I could still run half marathons but I routinely would reinjure it and have to take time rehabilitating. I didn’t think I would be able to train.

I really couldn’t train fully. But I worked with the athletic trainer that helped me in the last injury and decided that limiting training to 35km per week might be a plan. That is barely enough for a half marathon training but running the half marathon the week before on Dec. 5th was plenty.

Picking up the race packets the day before with Carolyn and a new teacher Justin.

For covid-19 precautions we had to sign a health declaration, have a negative covid-19 test 5 days before, and fill out online temperature checks two weeks before. The day of the race they had put 1 meter apart dots we were to follow and separate. No one did.

Race day December 13th

I went into the race feeling the best I have in awhile but it was brutal. The first half was fine but the third 10 km was rough and my quads were really tired in the end.

My goal was just to finish even if I had to walk. I was able to finish in 4 hours and 46 minutes. I could have shaved twenty minutes off, but it is that thinking that always leads me to an injury. And this time I walked away injury free.

At the end of the marathon, my friends were waiting for me. Such good friends.

Going to the local mexican restaurant for food was next on the list.

And the medal was the coolest. Purely Chinese with the lion.