meizhou marathon: a runners journey for food
Preface
With reverence in our hearts and our feet on the ground, each departure is to meet a better version of ourselves; with eternal gratitude, we cherish every encounter, and each return is to harvest unique experiences. Then we regroup, looking forward to the next journey!
One
First of all, as a runner with very few miles, I did prepare seriously. My monthly mileage has been just over 100km for the past two years, but in September it soared to 274km. Although I didn't run long distances often, I rarely skipped short, fast interval runs, naively thinking that a monthly mileage of 200km could help me break three hours in a full marathon.
To emphasize my seriousness, I secretly made a plan and gave it a super impressive name—'The Road to Mastery: Break Three Action Plan.'
Alright, I've never been a runner who chases after records, but I am someone who has high expectations for myself.
Most of my runs this month were executed according to this plan. I basically met the planned intensity and mileage. So, a few days before the race, I was confident I could break three hours in the Meizhou Marathon. I thought if I increased my long-distance runs in November, breaking 2:50 in the River Horse Marathon wouldn't be a problem. After all, one must have dreams.
Overconfidence often leads to disappointment, as reality can be harsh. It seemed like I was being given a way out.
Three days before the race, I stumbled, so I quickly changed my strategy. After all, as long as there's life, there's hope. I stopped fantasizing about breaking three hours and adjusted my goal to 3:30, which I thankfully achieved.
Yes, if I didn't break 3:30, I would blame my feet, blame my feet, blame my feet.
Two
Indeed, all efforts are not in vain; they all leave traces. Reflecting on the marathon results, I summarized the reasons as follows, ranked in order:
1. Insufficient mileage; long distances were too strenuous;
2. The first half was too fast;
3. The scientific basis of the plan needs further scrutiny;
4. Foot issues, poor physical condition.
To achieve a good result, one must lay a solid foundation, progress step by step, and accumulate strength for a breakthrough.
By now, everyone should ignore the 'Road to Mastery' and 'Break Three Action Plan.' This marathon journey was essentially a foodie's journey...
Three
Early in the morning on Planet Six, five villagers from Foodie Village gathered.
We sped along, with Tao Xiao Tao squinting while driving, Bai Xiao Du telling jokes to keep everyone entertained, Qing Xiao Tian eating and playing the straight man to Bai Xiao Du, Pian Xiao Ran acting cute, and I was responsible for sleeping. Everyone had their role, and we were all very happy.
We arrived in Meizhou by noon and settled into the hotel. Our small team, staying true to our original intention, immediately took action. We had already agreed in the car that our first meal here would be the nationally famous Meixian pickled noodles.
Heading towards People's Square, we finally found a pickled noodle shop. The storefront looked very authentic, so we decided to eat there. (It's like buying vegetables: if there are many people, just buy it regardless of how it looks.)
Five people, starving, gathered around a round table. Ten eyes stared, waiting for the bowls of noodles and soup to be served, just to strike a pose and take a photo.
A large bowl of steaming pork offal soup, with a few goji leaves mixed in, was served. The portion was so generous! Watching but not being able to eat felt like running a marathon and seeing people slowly overtake you at the 30-kilometer mark while you can do nothing but watch them go.
Finally, after posing, Qing Tian gave the order, 'Let's eat,' and everyone dared to start eating.
This shop's soup tasted very similar to Heyuan's Ba Dao Soup, which I really liked. I had never tried pickled noodles before; they had a strong lard flavor, rich but not greasy. A sip of soup, a bite of noodles. I loved the down-to-earth, smoky flavor, delicious and filling.
After eating the pickled noodles, we leisurely went to pick up our race kits, not forgetting to complain about Shan Lang along the way (he's been the target of complaints these past two days, not easy for him).
The hotel was a full three kilometers from the starting point, and it took us half an hour to walk there. By noon, the sun was scorching. Fortunately, there weren't many people at the pickup point, and it was very orderly, so we finished quickly. However, there was nothing edible in the race kit, not even soap, which was unacceptable for foodies like us. Having participated in many marathons, this was quite rare.
Of course, we later realized we had wronged the organizers. As the hospitable people of Meizhou, the World Hakka Capital, they wouldn't let us down. The supplies during and after the race exceeded our expectations.
Four
In the evening, we attended a dinner event with the Longchuan Running Group and Heyuan Le Run, where we met many running legends. For example, the dedicated leader of the Longchuan Running Group, Lao Mao; the trail running legend, Wild Wolf; the fastest runner in Longchuan, Uncle Xiao Li; and the most flamboyant runner in Longchuan, Sao Hui...
Of course, the most important thing was that the food was really delicious.
Just thinking about it makes me hungry again...
Five
The race started!!!
Handsome pre-race photos:
Handsome trio:
Hotel three-kilometer buddies (Heyuan Longchuan Running Group):
Longchuan Sao Hui:
Heyuan Le Run Group:
Six
On race day, I woke up at five in the morning.
Everyone sang the national anthem together, which created a great atmosphere and made me feel very excited! I think it was because I hadn't raced in a long time.
Finally, the race started.
I kept emphasizing to start as slowly as possible.
When Iran the first kilometer at a 5:30 pace, my foot felt very uncomfortable. Due to a previous sprain, I had been tensing it, causing my right foot to hurt. I thought, 'Oh no, it's just the beginning, and it's already like this. If this continues, finishing the race will be a problem.'
So, I quickly tried to relax my foot completely while running. Surprisingly, after a few dozen meters of pain, it gradually eased, so I sped up. When my phone reported a recent pace of 3:45, I realized I was running too fast.
But at the 3-kilometer mark, a goddess caught up with me, running at a steady pace of about 3:53. I had planned to slow down, but I can't stand having a girl run ahead of me. So, from 3 kilometers to about 12 kilometers, I ran with her, or rather, she ran with me.
Moreover, wherever the goddess appeared, the spectators were particularly enthusiastic, shouting, 'Go, beauty!' 'Go, sister!' in various dialects. In such an atmosphere, running didn't feel tiring at all.
At a supply station, I slowed down to drink some water and then heard a rhythmic sound of footsteps. It was the goddess again, accompanied by four or five people with identical strides and frequencies, escorting her. So, I decided to join their group and ran to the 12-kilometer mark at a comfortable pace of 3:55.
As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss,A goddess who could run a full marathon in 3:40 three or four years ago must be even more formidable now.
Around the 13-kilometer mark, I left the goddess's group but didn't slow down. I kept moving forward.
Before the 24-kilometer mark, there were no signs of cramping. I intentionally kept my pace around 4:30.
Around the 26-kilometer mark, I finally cramped. The rest of the way, I alternated between running and walking, with a pace of about 6 minutes per kilometer. At that point, the result no longer mattered; I was more focused on enjoying the race. At the supply stations, I no longer grabbed and went but stopped to walk slowly and eat slowly. I greeted the cute volunteers, telling them I couldn't run anymore, which was true.
This was the first time I experienced cramping in my hands while running. At each supply station, I ate and drank what the volunteers handed me, chewing slowly and walking leisurely past the station. The volunteers seemed very interested in the words on my back and the stickers on my face.I chatted with them as I walked, thanking them for their encouragement.
I didn't miss a single medical station, relying on spray to get through the latter part of the race. I even asked the volunteers to massage my legs several times, something I had never done before.Thank you for your hard work..
Finally, I crossed the finish line!
After enduring countless hardships, a long journey, back pain, and cramps, I finally saw the finish line, a place bustling with people. Everyone was clapping, cheering, and applauding. I limped across the finish line with a calm expression, neither happy nor sad.
A smiling volunteer walked up to me and solemnly placed the hard-earned medal around my neck, softly saying, 'Congratulations on finishing safely.' I knew it was all worth it!
Seven
Finally, let the pictures speak for themselves. Look at the post-race supplies. Forgive me for eating four bowls of meatball soup because it was really delicious!
The foodie's journey was very satisfying. The marathon journey is to be continued...
See you at the next race!