Decided to run without earphones just before the start line.
Listened to each draw of my breath, each fall of my footsteps, the girls next to me chatting and cheering each other on.
Every kilometer felt so precious.
Running is such magic. And sharing the road with girls is so empowering.
I couldn’t ask for a better night out. ❤️🔥
#NikeAfterDarkTour2025
Growing up I was never an athletic kid. In fact I had bad asthma, was always ill, was scared of P.E and barely did any sports.
Running only came into my life in my late 20s. In the beginning it was only a habit I forced on myself to be healthy with a sit-all-day job. The feeling of accomplishing a run was especially rewarding for me as someone who had never embraced sports.
And then it did become part of my life. I run when I’m happy, when I’m down, when I’m proud, and when I’m lost. Running is my therapy.
I never ran for any achievements, let alone considered a marathon. The Wuhan marathon was a special lottery I won on a random occasion 8 weeks ago. It’s one of the most popular marathons in China and the acceptance rate is lower than 10%. I just couldn’t say No.
I only then started to become a serious runner (if I can call myself one now), despite every AI trainer telling me 7-weeks for a first time marathoner is extremely short time and could be very dangerous. In short, I decided to threw myself into hell and trained the shit out of me. Five days a week, with a long distance run on the weekend. Not a day skipped.
The race day was one of the most memorable days in my life. It was the first time I had to swallow a pain killer while running to numb the huge pain in my legs after 30km. But it was also one of the best moments in my life when I saw @albert.c.yen with the most wholesome banner and the brightest smile cheering for me by the roadside. My heart was so full.
My only goal for this marathon was to finish it. And I finished my first 42.195km in 4:55:21.
I couldn’t ask for more from running. Crossing that line was such a meaningful moment, but every single run has given me just as much.
So I guess I will just keep running, and give it all I have.
Still believe the dimension of time is different in those villages. Even the birds flap their wings as if the wind is sending them to a different space. The air smells like dirt, woodsmoke, and cinnamon. And you wonder, what does it mean to possess. Because I never felt so content - just with the sun on my face, the starry sky stretching over our rooftop, and the apple pie in that sleepy afternoon.
