take along children run towards malaysias blue seas and skies

"Take" the kids and head towards the azure sea and blue sky of Malaysia.

Is the meaning of life in traveling or running? I haven't figured it out yet, but it's definitely not in complaining. Every time I visit a city, after measuring it with my footsteps, all that remains are beautiful memories. Otherwise, I would only trap myself and add to my regrets. Therefore, I choose to run a marathon in every city I visit and travel along the way. Of course, the order of these two can be swapped. So far, I have run in 11 provinces and cities. It's my habit to only run once in each province or city because life is short, and I don't know if I can run through all 34 provinces and cities in my lifetime, but having this dream is always good.

As a native southerner, the Dalian Marathon is the northernmost marathon I've participated in, coincidentally the same age as me. 30 years, 30 years old, running with my little one in my own way!

Dalian is my twelfth full marathon event, but it is the only event in the first half of this year where I can achieve a valid result (Chongqing Marathon, the upcoming Lanzhou Marathon are both as a pacer, and the Tianjin Marathon was too hot and I couldn't finish). Before the race, I did some homework and found that the weather on the day of the Dalian Marathon was very suitable for long-distance running, but the course had too many ups and downs, making it difficult to achieve a personal best. So, I brought my camera and immersed myself in the azure sea and blue sky of Dalian, starting with a tour of Lushun.

    Lushun is more than 50 kilometers away from downtown Dalian. Although this port is not large, it has left a significant mark in China's history. Starting from May 1st, Lushun launched comprehensive tourism development, and previously ticketed attractions like Baiyu Mountain Scenic Area and the Naval Port Park are now free.

After climbing 500 stone steps, I saw the Baiyu Mountain Tower. For marathon runners, 500 steps are nothing. The Baiyu Mountain Tower was originally named the Loyalty Tower, built by the Japanese army to show their loyalty to the emperor, with all the stones transported from Japan and the United States. As a military stronghold, Lushun's souvenirs are mainly made from bullet shells, including airplanes, warships, and howitzers. I bought an airplane as a gift for my child, but it was confiscated during security check.

At the foot of Baiyu Mountain is the Naval Port Park. The free-to-visit areas include the fort and seagulls, while the areas near the naval port are off-limits for photography and sightseeing.

Of course, you must visit the legendary most beautiful train station: Lushun Train Station. Although it is now abandoned.

When you come to Lushun, you must try the seafood here. The seafood is fresh and not expensive. For about 100 yuan per person, you can enjoy various grilled seafood, along with free fruits. Additionally, strawberries and cherries here are also very cheap.

After spending a quiet night at the naval port in Lushun, I returned to downtown Dalian the next day to pick up my race packet. It's worth mentioning that the route from Dalian to Lushun by car takes the northern line, which has ordinary scenery. The return route from Lushun to Dalian takes the southern line, which has much better scenery.

I arrived at the Dalian Mass Fitness Center to pick up my race packet at 11 o'clock, just missing the morning rush. I got my packet within 5 minutes and then took the subway to the reserved apartment.

The starting point of this Dalian Marathon is set at the Donggang International Conference Center, located in the development zone with incomplete supporting facilities. Fortunately, I booked a nearby seaview apartment at the Greenland Center (only 400 meters from the starting point). The price of 300 yuan per night is considered cheap for a seaview room, and the view is also good.

After putting away my luggage, it was already noon. There were almost no restaurants around the development zone, and even convenience stores were 2 kilometers away. After briefly checking the route, I prepared to walk to Xinghai Square and bungee jump at Xinghai Park along the way. (Since the Dalian Marathon has many slopes, I decided to just enjoy myself and play as I like.)

Xinghai Square, the largest square in Asia, would take about 3 to 4 hours to walk through completely. When we arrived, the central music fountain was under maintenance, so we headed straight to the seaside.

There are far more seagulls here than in Donggang and Lushun, and there are many tourists. The deep blue sea, the majestic cross-sea bridge, and the seagulls flying by all showcase the charm of this coastal city. Due to the large size of the square, many people choose to rent electric cars for sightseeing.

One side of the square is the beach, and the other side has entertainment facilities like high-altitude yo-yos and human blenders. After taking some photos with my DSLR, I headed to Xinghai Park on the other side, which has the highest bungee jumping platform in Asia and was one of my plans for the Dalian trip.

On the way, I passed by the Ocean Park. Personally, I feel that Ocean Parks are similar everywhere, so I didn't go in.

Walking from Xinghai Square to Xinghai Park is about 2 to 3 kilometers. The sea bungee jump is the signature attraction of Xinghai Park, but it is not suitable for everyone. The bungee jump costs 250 yuan (including a certificate), and photos and videos are extra. After handing all my belongings to my wife, I took the elevator to the sea jumping platform.

For bungee jumping, I'm still a beginner, so I didn't pose and just jumped in a flying posture. After standing still, I initially wanted to jump by myself, but in the end, the coach gave me a push. The thrill of free fall was fully experienced during the descent, and the wind whistling past my ears made my glasses hurt. But if you close your eyes during bungee jumping, you lose the whole experience. To truly feel the sensation of flying, you must keep your eyes wide open. What would it be like to dive into the deep sea and become a giant wave on the surface?

In my opinion, the most challenging part of bungee jumping is the feeling of the first rebound. You feel like someone is pulling you back to the platform, and then you fall again, each time slower than the last. Your mood gradually calms down during this process.

From jumping off the platform to finally getting on the boat, it only takes a few seconds, but it feels as thrilling as running a full marathon. After returning to the ground, I noticed red marks on my ankles from the harness, which is normal for bungee jumping but might affect my marathon the next day.

I found my wife who was taking photos from a distance and asked how my jump was. She replied: "Very straight, very standard." That's good.

After all the excitement, we returned to the apartment by evening. They say you should rest well before a race, but I still walked nearly 30,000 steps. I can't help it; every time I plan to rest more before a race, but when you arrive in a new place, curiosity drives you to explore and learn as much as possible because our time in each city is limited. This is what I mentioned earlier, can traveling and running marathons really be combined? The premise is limited time.

On race day, it was colder than I expected, so I hid in the crowd. When the starting gun fired, I followed the main group and soon caught up with the 3:30 pacer, staying by their side. Although the Dalian Marathon has many slopes, they are not too steep. As I ran, I unexpectedly found that I was quite good at running uphill. Every time I encountered an uphill section, I would run ahead of the pacer, and on the downhill, the pacer would catch up again. This cycle repeated.

The first 10 kilometers were quite easy, and the girls holding signs at each kilometer made it feel very friendly (I didn't take photos, but there are many online). The downhill sections that followed made me a bit uncomfortable as I wasn't used to changing speeds.

With the "child" on my chest, I ran with great focus. Around the 20-kilometer mark, a steep downhill made my right foot slightly uncomfortable, but I didn't pay much attention. At this point, I needed to refuel with a gel, but found that the organizers only provided bananas and energy bars.

Maintaining a pace of around 4:55 per kilometer, I reached 30 kilometers and returned to Donggang. Although the roads in the development zone were flat, the direct sunlight caused a significant loss of energy. At 35 kilometers, my legs suddenly became unresponsive, forcing me to slow down. Only then did I realize that the excessive downhill in the first half had caused my right toe to break through my shoe, with blood seeping out.

For marathon runners, it's not about forcing a personal best, but also not giving up easily. When my watch indicated I had completed the full distance, there were still 800 meters to the actual finish line. So, I turned off my watch and dragged my injured foot, running with my son to the finish line.

After reaching the finish line, I walked about 200 meters to receive my finisher's medal. My first reaction was that the Dalian Marathon really is a hilly marathon, even the medal has two hills. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the cross-sea bridge. Looking at my blood-stained shoe and glancing at the medical staff, I thought everyone had a hard time, so I decided to walk back to the hotel to deal with it myself (actually, I thought I might go out again in the afternoon, and if my foot was bandaged, it would be inconvenient)..

To summarize my experience of the Dalian Marathon: as deep and blue as the ocean, it exudes a sense of seriousness and dedication. There are no extra supply points, no dazzling array of supplies, yet it showcases its unique charm. The runners I admire are also like this, not flashy, not arrogant, overcoming difficulties, and moving forward humbly.

After a short rest and treating my wound with iodine, I dragged my tired legs to see the tram in the afternoon because Dalian is currently the only city that still preserves traditional trams. This city coexists with modernity and tradition, marked by this feature.

The last task is to bring back souvenirs and specialties for the family, which is an essential part of every trip. As the sun sets, it's time for us to go home.

END

This article won the first prize in Codoon's "Codoon Travelogue" marathon essay contest and has been authorized by the author.

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