So I am sitting there thinking to myself…believe it or not I think on the rare occasion! It is one in the morning and I have to leave at 3:30 a.m. to catch the shuttle bus to the starting line. Finally, I give up and take a sleeping pill. I get my two hours of sleep and rush off to the bus. Busloads of us really crazy people take the hour ride to Yangmingshan National Park…come on who gets up on Saturday to inflict mass amounts of pain upon themselves? As the bus nears its destination, you start to think about the incline of the road; I was about to embark on a 21km run through these mountains. We arrive to join thousands of others who for some foolish reason felt the need to share the pain.
At 6 a.m. a gunshot pierces the air, here comes that damn Taiwanese shuffle again. Thousands of us shuffle uphill and finally I break into a decent stride about ten minutes after the start. This road takes me on a steady upwards climb for the first 3.7 miles! Pain! What goes up must come down. The following 3 miles were straight down and that downhill pace can really hurt the legs. As I hit the halfway watering station, I realize I have to return and conquer the same path I had just battled. PAIN! I struggled back up the hill.
This is when I met the man with the pink hat! It was more of a challenge of manhood, such a sad thing to witness. This man passed me as I struggled to put one foot in front of the other. He looked back at me and gave me the look that has caused men to wage wars and start family feuds. He accompanied his look of disdain with what one might call a little shit talking. In a race? I watched my nemesis disappear into the distance as I struggled with my pace and ego! You don’t lose to the guy with the pink hat! The shame!
I reached the final peak of the race wondering if my legs could handle the rest of the race. I opened my stride and started to pick up the pace. I felt pretty good. Had my ipod blasting, surrounded by beautiful mountains, and the pace was looking good. Then with about two kilometers left I saw a sight for sore eyes. It was him! I would bring much honor to my family. The man with the pink hat was mine! I blasted past my rival with nothing more than a sarcastic smile and a wave. Why does it feel so good to win these minor battles!
I finished the last kilometer with a nice Taiwanese guy who really pushed me to finish strong. Felt good to finish with a high five from a fellow runner.
To the man in pink…until next time I wish you happy trails!
841 to go!
Ready to run!
Starting line! My Taiwanese shufflers!
A little glimpse of the mountains and fellow maniacs before we start the ramble!
Blue bandana beats pink hat! Sounds like a victory for manhood!
Glad to see you keeping up the blog & you even updated your mileage counter on your own! Strong Work! Shouldn’t you also have a kilometer conversion too, being the international guy you are:)
I’m almost up to 1500 bike miles since May 22 & down 50 lbs now! Scary part is I still have a few more I can lose (man I let myself get fat!)
Thinking of running again, found another ipod shuffle on craigslist (in case my sweat shorts one out again).
How is running with the camelback? I’m thinking it might bounce too much?
Tom
Congrats on your half marathon! I am sorry about the guy in the pink hat. I am sure that if he would of seen you prancing around in your pink tutu you owned at one point he would of scurried to the end of the race!!!!!! 想念你