[The 60 second version]           

My first 100 miler:  27 hr 37 min 38 sec.

313 runners.  237 men.  77 women.  The youngest was 21 years old and the oldest, 66.   Of the 313 runners, 254 finished within a time limit of 30 hours.  The top woman was also the first to cross the finish overall?.  Of the top ten finishers, half were women.  This is insane and some pretty awesome sauce!

Through ultra trail running, I have carved out a new space or rather a retreat in life.  And it is in this very tiny compartment that I find belonging and support, where I am offered a place to confront adversity, discomfort, pain, fear and anxiety and exit with self confidence, validation, humility and achievement in equal measure. 

Goal:  Finish my first 100 mile without cramping between 28-30 hours

Training:  C

Race:  B

Weather:  A+ (53°F at 4am; 85°F high)

Crew:  A+

Organizers & Volunteers:  A+

[The five minute version]

A Race That Was Years in Making.  

In 2021 I logged my first trail running race at the Breakneck Marathon.  26.4 miles, ~8,600ft vertical gain.  The course was wet and technical.  There was no medal and no fanfare.  And I loved it.  The simplicity and camaraderie yield a strong sense of community that suits a workhorse like me.  That very month, I also logged my first road marathon that qualified me for the Boston Marathon.  I had thought I was near my limits.  

Since then, I gradually stretched for longer distances:  50km to 50 miles to 100km to 70 miles.  The 100km mark came last year at Canyon Endurance near Sacramento, CA  where a small part of the race overlapped with the Western States 100, a mythical trail race akin to the Boston Marathon.  As I crossed the finish at Canyon, happy tears rushed down my face.  That was 66 miles and 10K ft of vert and it blew my mind that I was able to complete it and still able to walk the next day.  The goal was to finish before the cut off so I could earn 6 stones (lottery tickets) for a chance to race in an alphabetic soup of grandiose races called the UTMB World Series in Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps.  After the race, I found out that my time at Canyon would qualify me to enter into the lottery for the Western States 100 as well and for the first time, I thought I should prepare for that possibility and opportunity.  UTMB is pretty cool but Western States 100 is well Western States.

I had zero knowledge or intention to run a 100 mile race prior to that, specially after a personal account of a close friend of his 100 mile endeavor and how he would rather run shorter distances.  What makes Western States 100 special is that the race only grants 375 entries each June with only ~270 entries available to the race lottery.  Last year, there were 7,169 entrants in the lottery.  According to one report, the expected number of years to get into the Western States 100 is 6.8 years.  Well, it’s a long shot but it’s a free option to me post Canyon.  Free sounds pretty awesome.

Fast forward one year, I started from scratch and hoped to build up to a 100 miler.  Lucky me, I won the lottery to Vermont 100, a historic and iconic race that first started as a horse race (apparent there was a time when 100 miles were only deemed possible if the subject is literally in beast mode) and is the ONLY race that holds a concurrent 100 miler horse race.  Vermont within hours from home and in an area that I frequented and many fond memories were weaved there.  So, here I came, Vermont 100.

Since 100 miles seemed like a big jump from 100k (37 miles more), I staggered runs ahead of the race to train and calm my nerves.  Each race felt like an additional rung on the ladder to VT 100.  There was also an 8 hour volunteer requirement for the VT 100 so my friends and I took an aid station at the NYC Trail Fest in May.

• April:  Shore to Shore 100K to qualify for VT 100
• May:  Bear Mountain 50K to stay race ready
• June:  Laurel Highlands 70 as a dress rehearsal for VT 100 

Shore2Shore 100K (April 13)

Bear Mountain Trail Challenge 50K (May 4)

Laurel Highlands Ultra (June 8)

NYC Trail Fest Aid Station (May 31)

100 miles and 27+ hours created a lot of memories and details but if they ever faded, these are three things I will always remember from VT 100

1. The shared experience with my friends, other runners, pacers and everyone who was present that day
2. The preparation and dedication of the organizers, volunteers, spectators and people of Vermont
3. The beauty of the VT farmlands, meadows and rolling hills 

[The Full Account…]

I.  Pre Race

1.  The 100 Course 

    The stats:  

• Officially?  100 miles with 68 miles of rolling dirt roads, 30 miles of horse trails, and 2 miles of pavement.  
• 17,000 ft elevation gain (as a point of reference, the Empire State Building from base to antenna is 1,454ft so 11.7x of them)
• 9 towns and countless private properties courtesy of 70+ landowners.  

The course is a three loop cloverleaf:  

1. Start – Mile 47
2. Mile 47 – 69.5
3. Mile 69.5 to 100

No notable long or steep climbs.  Just relentless rolling hills that call upon a Forrest-Grump-sorta-tenacity.  I studied the route and marked all the ascents over 400ft to visualize these climbs and compared them to training runs of similar profile in anticipation of the gradients and effort.  The one thing that I could not simulate was the fatigue and situations arisen after 60, 70, 80, 90 and 99 miles of running under whatever weather circumstances on race day.

Hotter conditions favor me so heat management wasn’t a primary concern.  Nonetheless I prepared ziplock bags to carry ice in my neck cooler.  That said, mother nature could not have been kinder on this summer day.  I am easily irritated by bugs and to prevent previous experiences with horseflies, gnats, mosquitoes, etc…, I got myself a net to loop over my head which was not needed this time.  

After I learned that my friends would crew for me, I realized I couldn’t just go with the flow.  So guestimated my arrival time at each crew station and hoped that 1) they would never not want to crew again, 2) they would not be feeding themselves to the mosquitoes while waiting and 3) my crew would fine tune as we go.  

2.  When Labeling Is Very Appropriate

I had planned to run solo at first which meant that I had to plan the drop bags (bags that are given to the race staff pre-race to be delivered to designated aid stations) very carefully.  I would had to estimate the arrival time to assess when and where items such as headlamps, extra socks, change of clothes, shoes, energy, Vaseline, etc would be needed….Then the angels came.  A few weeks prior to the race, my trail running friends from Bergen Runners surprised me by informing me that they would crew for me.  

Running solo in the dark was unimaginable before Laurel Highlands 70.  Since then, the fear for the monsters in the woods in the dark had faded some.  I had also practiced drop bag strategies at Laurel Highlands to familiarize myself with the details and considerations for drop bags.  VT 100 doesn’t allow for runners with a crew to drop bag so I had to switch to a crew mode.  

None of us had officially crewed in a 100 miler which meant expectation for a learning curve needed to be high.  I also need a system that would be easy for my crew to find and lay out the items so I devised a three compartment system:  Fueling, Medical and Attire/Socks/Shoes.

I carefully labeled everything like I used to when sending things with my toddlers to pre-school but still prepared myself for curve balls.  And the curve ball delivered itself at T minus 6 hours: all three of my hydration vests did not make it to VT.  I had planned to rotate them to avoid chaffing.  My pacer, Eileen, without skipping a beat, and made me an offer I could not refuse: “Take mine.”  Phew….

3.  The Cool-headed Crew

“This sport [trail running] as basically a tool to make memories with people and in places.”  C. Dauwalter.

Crewing is equal part science and art, built upon observation, trial and error, trust and chemistry.  I was still in disbelief that my first 100 miler would be supported by incredible friends and trail runners, Eileen, Wei, Hui (王爺) and Pan Yan, who have been on the other side and could helped me with this checklist:

• Refill the flasks
• Transport food and drinks that I like and not offered at the aid stations
• Help me keep the feet dry and blister free 
• Swap out any garbage and switch in new flasks (my original plan to swap vests)
• Refill the ice under the hat and in the neck cooler
• Have folks check in on me, specially if my head isn’t working 
• Be more efficient at aid stations

Working with the crew was a new experience for me.  Chemistry and gentle candor matter but I was worried that fatigue and the race would deplete my energy to be on good behavior.  Everyone hits a low point on a 100 miler and I figured if anyone is going to see me in my worst form, they’d be folks I was comfortable with seeing my fly down or with a piece of vegetable stuck between my teeth.  Someone who won’t lose their cool when I lose mine.

I didn’t think too much about the advantage of having a crew ahead of the race, after all I raced in Laurel Highlands solo and learned running through the night by myself.  As the race drew closer I was so glad that I didn’t have to think about packing 8 drop bags and what a luxury it was to have endless fueling options.  I also didn’t fully appreciate the time advantage of having the crew take care of the refilling and replenishment at these stations or their moral (and medical) support.  

The race understandably did not share the GPS to the crew station to minimize overcrowding and encroaching onto the residents in the area.  As such, the crew could only go by paper directions and Amazing-Raced from one station to another.  I didn’t think I need support until further into the race so we agreed for the crew to start at Mile 30.5 at Crew Station #2.  The crew decided to see me, the runners and the horses off then explore the area.  They ended up logging 8 miles and 2,800 ft of vert.

We agreed to meet at 6 of the 8 crew aid stations.  

Eileen was to pace me starting Mile 70.  I was skittish about her pacing me, specially after a dreadful  finish at the Shore to Shore 100k.  My training had been sporadic and inadequate with a hectic schedule off the trails and some physical issues that I had been dealing with.  I was really torn about taking her on another death march.  She was persistent in assuring me that my concerns are overblown and made me another offer that I couldn’t resist.  I think the common theme is Eileen makes irresistible offers.

4.  The Loosey-goosey Strategy  

• Break the course down into 3 loops.  
• Walk on ascents, shuffle on the flats and roll down the hills.
• Grab and go.  Don’t get comfortable at aid stations.
• Do what feels sustainable at the moment.
• Just get to the next aid station (Ripped from Eileen’s playbook).
• Solve one puzzle at a time.
• Motto of the day:

Right foot.  Left foot. 

Right foot.  Left foot. 

Right foot.  Left foot. 

Right foot.  Left foot. 

Right foot.  Left foot. 

Right foot.  Left foot. 

Right foot.  Left foot. 

Right foot.  Left foot. 

• Look good.  Have fun.  Look good.

5.  T’was the Day and Night Before.

T minus ~12 hours at Silver Hill Meadow.  Silver Hill Meadow is 5 min from Ascutney, 30 min from Okemo and 20 min from Woodstock, VT.  Soon as the car door popped open, the large grass field invited all our senses.  We grabbed my bib, the pacer bib and the crew tag. 

Met Chase the Summit who is as nice in person as he seems virtually (and Wei scored a complimentary T-Shirt from a lucky wheel spin), a report and fellow Chinese runners from Boston and CA.  I make a point now to acknowledge and reach out to BIPOC runners as a way to support and encourage them and myself.  If I wish to be seen, I must first see.  

Boston Burn 犇 Runners (L to R) 1. YB Zhang, M6 100K 2. BH Zhang, W5 100K 3. XL He, VT100M Finisher

The energy was electric.  Family, friends, horses, riders, carriages, VT plates, out of state plates, seasoned runners, first timers, Grand-slammers, Western States 100 finishers, 2023 deferrers, earthly mix of runner types from string beans to pears (that’s me), lumberjacks to Ironman and everything in between, reporters, staff, volunteers, organizers, etc…The party was on!

Getting a good night of sleep the night before a race just doesn’t happen for me.  Instead of getting anxious and nervous, I just accepted it.  We headed back to the house and I started my ritual:  lay out all the gear, get into my race kit, tape my toes, lube my under arms, inner thighs, waistline, scribble all major climbs and aid stations onto the bib, etc…By the time I was done, it was nearly 11pm and time to hit the bed.

6.  In the Vest.

What to carry between aid stations is a personal choice.  Too little, I’d be underprepared.  Too much, I’d be carrying extra weights.  I tried the handheld option and just don’t like carrying my fluid on my hand. This is an evolving list but I went with these in my vest this time:   

• 2-500ml hydrapak flasks
• Packs of vaseline
• Salt tablets
• Advils
• Chargels, Murten and SIS gels
• Compressed towel tablets
• A pair of socks
• A net for the hat

I have a lot of experience with the Salomon Sense Pro vest but still learning to pare down.  The pack is light and have a lot of pockets but chaffing around the collarbone usually starts around 50 miles so the plan was to vaseline the hell out of myself throughout the race.   

III.  The Race

Loop 1

Section 1: It Wasn’t A Pretty Start 

Start to Pretty House (Mile 0-21)

2:30am alarm.  3:15am the pre-race rituals continued: eat, drink, empty the bowel, take a deep breath and depart from the house.  Arrived a tad later than I like to the start and the tent was already full at this point.  The check in is pretty manual.  No tracking.  No chip.  Gun time for all. 

4am.  No music.  No fanfare.  No gunshot.  No speech.  Just some low volume convo’s and just like that 3, 2, 1 and the headlamps and light bubbles bounced off.  I stayed with the back of the pack and took it really easy.  Only needed the headlamps for about a couple of hours.  This stretch was mostly packed dirt road.  I hadn’t had to navigate much as I never ran alone during this stretch.  The yellow plate marking was unique and visible, though some were placed a bit high for runners.

After surveying runners who had raced in this course (verdict was split) and having watched clips of races, I decided to start with road shoes.  It will be 30.5 miles before I would see my crew for a shoe swap but I heard the back half was more technical so I took a chance.  

I was a bit oozy and muted during this stretch.  For some reason the early miles weren’t easy which freaked me a bit with 80-90 miles plus ahead.  I felt sleepy and the legs were heavy.  Then we came to Taftsville and folks were sitting on their lawn cheering.  That woke me up a bit.  Passed by the first riders and horses at Mile 15 at the Taftsville Bridge.  Stoked by this familiar and much-anticipated landmark.  It’s one good looking bridge.  I didn’t expect to see a manned aid station but there was one shortly after the bridge.  It was like hitting a mini jackpot.  I chomped down 4 slices of the palest, albeit surprisingly sweet watermelons I had seen in my life, refilled my bottles and started climbing.  

At the top of this ~900 ft climb was the first crew station at Mile 21 where there were many pretty houses but I only remember the sight and sounds of the cowbells and loud cheers.

Section 2: The 1st Reunion with the Crew 

Pretty House to Stage Road (Mile 21 – 30.5)

8:30am at Pretty House.  Race Time:  4:30.  Bacon, the only time I don’t feel guilty for eating them!!!  Refilled my bottles and eavesdropped on a pair bickering sisters who argued over who should man the grill.  They reminded me of my preteen girls and that warmed my heart and brought a smile to my face.  They girls should be on their way to church.  I thanked the family and hurried off.  

We were off dirt road in this section and onto single track and around mile 28-29 we came out the woods onto this grassy mountaintop with a panoramic view of the Green Mountains.  Holy Moly.  Everyone paused to soak in this Sound-of-Music scenery and I later found out this highest point of the race is indeed called the Sound-of Music hill.  The road shoes that worked previously met their challenge on the more rugged, steep singletrack downhill.  I wish I had my trail shoes for this long descent.  Bugger.  You win some, you lose some. 

The sun started to rise and so did the temperature.  I took the compressed towel that Wei gave me and soaked it at every water station to keep myself cool.  I don’t know if it was the bacon, the scenery or the prospect of seeing my crew in a couple of miles but my strides and strength returned.  And for the next 60-70 miles I was cruising.  

Section 3: Cruising Through the Last of the 1st Loop

Stage Road to Camp 10 Bear (Mile 30.5 – 47)

10:55am at Stage Road.   Race time:  6:55.  I saw Hui (王爺) first.  Mentally stuck in solo mode, I stayed longer at the race station to refill my bottle and got ice instead of running to my crew right away.  It took me a couple of minutes to realize Hui was there to lead me to my crew.  They already had a table, chair and everything else set up.  Without skipping a beat, Wei, Eileen and Yan went to work like the Formula One crew.  Their hands multi-tasked like the tentacles of a octopus.  Eileen focused on my pack; Wei and Yan helped with my sock and shoe changes while I devoured on an iced congee (八寶粥).  It’s started to feel hot now.  I switched to the toe socks, trail shoes and put on the ice cap.  I gave the girls a hug knowing it was another 17+ miles before I would see them again. 

I was energized as I left the station, only to find myself following runners going the wrong way.  Thankfully it was only for ¼ mile before race staff/volunteers turned us around.  The ski slope climb out of the station (formerly known as Suicide Six) was brutal but I was in great spirit and started chatting with other runners at this point.  I met a fellow runner from NJ and a Chinese runner from the west coast.  Sharing the miles with them made this stretch easier and the climbs bearable.  

It was getting really hot and I was indulging on the little surprises along the non-crew aid stations:

• Host with the hose (Mile 33.5? Rte 12):  you kept my fingers cool and lessened the swell.  For the rest of the race I tried to grab onto as much ice as possible with my hands to keep the fingers from swelling.
• Iced popsicle (Mile 38?  Lincoln Covered Bridge)
• Frozen pickle juice pop (Mile 44? Lillians)!  Seriously, how freaking awesome!  Mixed with more pickle juice and served up a double pickle cocktail.

I also started to connect with other runners.  The first runner I chatted with was T from NJ!!  Woohoo.  We had just left Mile 44 aid station and the sun on right above us.  We were on a stretch of paved county road and he was behind me.  He had this incredibly soothing voice that reminded me of Matt Damon from a scene out of Good Will Hunting opposite Robin Williams in his office.  It was just calming.  We chatted about the challenge of being a parent and making time for ourselves on the trail.  Then I bummed into V, a Chinese runner from the west coast, who told me he was running this solo so I invited him to meet my crew at Camp 10.  He was far more experienced than I was at 100 milers and I felt great to be in his mix.

Loop 2

Section 4:  Feelin’ Groovy At Half Way

Camp 10 Bear #1 to Margaritaville (Mile 47 – 59)

3:25pm.  Race time:  11:25.  I was so excited to hit this almost-half-way mark that I literally sprinted into the station.  The energy was through the roof at Camp Ten as this was a key aid station that doubled as a crew station for Mile 69.  We would go out on a 20’ish mile loop and come back here at Mile 69 where we could start picking up our pacer.

The crew went to work right away with a similar routine: Hui (王爺) led me to the crew area (this time I remembered not to go to the official station) and the crew worked on the ice, flasks, etc…  They told me that I looked good.  I echoed their assessment but noted that I was getting overheated and Yan applied bio freeze on my body.  I have never used it as a cooling tool and it worked like magic!!!  I had another iced congee (八寶粥) and that felt amazing.  Swapped into a clean shirt but my feet felt great so kept the shoes and socks.  I forgot to lube my collarbones at the last station and made a point to plaster wherever it was needed and took some with me on the road.  

I looked at my watch.  Wow 14’ish min/mile pace and feeling fantastic.  I started to think 24 handle was a possibility (very wishful thinking).  My goal was 28-30 hours coming into the race.  I hadn’t shared this with my crew because pace wasn’t a priority up to this point and the possibility wasn’t a consideration until then.  

Then I arrived at the foot of Trace Brook for a ~750ft climb at Mile 56  and it chiseled at my goal and spirit.  I was leapfrogging, getting passed on the climbs, passing on the downs and chatting with runners whenever.  Whenever I was solo, I went back to counting hills.  7 notable uphills done.  9 to go. 

Section 5:  Twelve Hours Had Passed

Margaritaville to Camp 10 Bear (Mile 59 to 69)

~6:25pm.  Race time:  14:25.  I arrived before the crew did at Margaritaville.  The poor reception meant we couldn’t exchange our whereabouts but I gave one more try before heading out of the station.  Thankfully we connected and they were just pulling into the station.  I was worried that they would worry about not seeing me.  And I knew the feeling was reciprocated.

I saw more families and crew waiting for their runners at this station and wondered if the heat slowed down others as well.  This had been a brutal loop so far with more direct sun exposures and rolling climbs.   

I had chomped down on potatoes, chips and other snacks at the official station so I didn’t have another iced congee.  Just drank the rest of watermelon juice that my dad had prepared for me and that nourished my spirit to feel his presence on the race.  In hindsight, I should also take down a can of congee as the energy level started to recede as the daylight began to cede.   

The long descent into Camp 10 Bear was exhilarating.  Since I was a slow climber, I relied heavily my little legs and lower center of gravity on aggressive assaults on the descents to offset the climbs.  

Loop 3

Section 6:  The Sun Sets on the Final Loop and the Energy Dropped

Camp 10 Bear #2 to Spirit of 76 (Mile 69 to 76.5)

9:05pm.  Race Time:  17:05.  I was done with the second loop.  69 miles in the bag.  I felt relieved knowing there are “only” 31 miles left.  And I had company for the rest of the way.  Eileen was ready with her full armor of gear and I felt assured.  I gulped down some ramen which felt like a 5 course feast at this point.  I looked at my watch and was on target for 24hr handle finish so was eager to keep moving.   I felt confident I would finish the race which provided some mental relief.

I was venturing into a new distance that I had never done before, pushing the limits of body and spirit.  I hurriedly changed into another shirt and wished I had a pack to switch into because my pack was just soaked at this point.  Too late now.  Grab my headlamp and waistlamp.  Gotta go.  This section of the course started to get more technical.  I was pleasantly surprised that I was moving well and still able to hustle on the downs.  In previous races, I would have started to run/walk around mile 60-65.  We passed many runners at this point which made me happy and nervous at once.

Section 7:  Darkness With A Little Less Than A Marathon Remaining

Spirit of 76 to Bill’s (Mile 76.5 to 88)

11:30pm at Spirit of 76.  Race Time 19:30.  I found out later that my crew had trouble finding this station but when I saw they didn’t share any of these details to free me from concerns.  Things started to quiet down in this station as darkness descended on the course.  The more jubilee mood from earlier stations was replaced by more sullen vibes.  My fatigue also started to creep in but I was still passing many in the last stretch.  

The only thing that troubled me was the growing tunnel vision in both eyes.  I mentioned in passing to my crew that I could not see from the corner of my eyes.  More worrisome for me was that black area was growing.  Hui (王爺) pointed out my eyes are puffy and my face is swollen.  He immediately asked if I had passed urine earlier and I said I had not since mid-morning and he asked about my liquid intake.  Up to that point I had strictly been taking electrolyte fluids.  He said I need to switch to water as the electrolytes and sodium levels were likely out of balance.  I stared at him with a mix of hesitation, fear and anxiety and asked if he was sure. To that, he said he was a doctor and to lighten my mood, I jokingly responded with “A doctor of what, pets?”  He assured me that he was a urologist in his previous life and we broke into laughs.  

Shortly after we left, we went off course a couple of time.  The darkness tempered with our visibility.  No biggie.  Just part of trail races.  Eileen immediately routed us back on course.  

When we arrived at Cowshed aid station, my stomach didn’t agree with me anymore.  I was still running but I knew the rough was about to get going.  Fatigue definitely impaired judgment which might have been the reason, I opted not to eat so I could keep going.  In hindsight, I wonder if there is also a correlation between fatigue and loss of appetite.  

Section 8:  Pain Cave Through Less Than a Half Marathon

Bill’s to Polly’s (Mile 88 to 94.5)

3:15am at Bill’s.  Race Time:  23:13.  What appeared to be benign looking climbs and descents started to feel like Mt. Everet and I started to slow down significantly between the darkness, exhaustion and rolling hills.  I wished it wasn’t so dark so I could rely on the scenery to distract me. 

Arriving at Bill’s, I knew this would be the last time I see my crew.  I saw runners who took refuge in the barn.  The crew told me about runners who were taking naps on the stretchers.  The aid station felt more like an infirmary.  And I hit my low:  burning quads, gassy stomach, foggy mind, persisting tunnel visions, etc…

Just then, Yan reminded me of my toothbrush that I packed as a joke.  I had thought when i hit my low, I would channel the spirit of Courtney Dauwalter and brush my teeth.  And who knew a set of clean teeth would be so satisfying.  Yan reminded me to add flossing next time for the full experience.

My mouth and stomach both didn’t feel like any intake would stay down at this point but in hindsight, that was a poor decision.  At the minimum I should have taken some caffeine.  I was naive to think I could naturally stay up for another 5-6 hours.  

And with that, I limped out of the “Last Aid Station”.  Those first steps were brutal.  My legs were locked from sitting and became numb.  I jumped up and down to get some feelings back.  The first mile was crazy as we hit an incline that pitched at >20°.  Just three significant climbs remaining, so I kept telling myself.  At this point, I was running whenever I could but I could no longer run the downs.  The light from the glow stick was slowly and eerily replaced by slighter of sunlights as the sun slowly creeped up.  The woods, dirt roads and grassy fields became one mushy memory.  

Section 9:  The Shinto Temple

Sleep Stretch – Polly’s to Finish (Mile 94.5 to Finish) 

5:30am at Polly’s.  Race time: 25.30.  I had underestimated the number of hills in the final stretch of the race.  There were no major climbs but we were still averaging close to ~200ft/mile.  My legs did not cramp but started to twitch and I could feel the pressure on my rib cage with each breath.  Dryness started to take reign in my throat and I started coughing more.  I was cranky and miserable and poor Eileen just let me be.  “How on earth did this girl run for 40+ hours?“

At about mile 98, we got to the base of the final climb and we entered into wooded area again.  And hallucination and I found each other for the first time in my life.  I can now boast the power of the psychedelics during a run.  The woods became an enchanted forest with a shinto shrine with silent monks roaming around me.  I kept asking myself where and what was I doing.  And I wasn’t hiking up straight so I picked up a couple of branches  to help anchor my footing.  Minutes passed before I snapped back into reality and pulled myself up for more than two endless miles before we finally arrived at the chute to the finish.  I mustered all my strength and ran the final stretch.  I was so happy to see the RD, Amy Rusiecki, who welcomed every runner at the finish line and handed me my first 100 miler buckle.  Canyon 100k belt has found a buckle.  

I turned around and saw Eileen behind me.  I grabbed her hand and searched for the crew.  The job was done.  Roughly 4 out of 5 runners who started with me finished, and I was among the lucky ones.  

Takeaways

• Shoes:  Road shoes would work well until the 1st aid stations.  Thereafter, I would go with trail shoes.  The non-technical sections were waterlogged and uneven from hoofs.  
• Blister Management:  Taping, shoe and sock changes, I am finally on track of solving blisters issues.  Still learning and improving.  Adding baby powder to the toolbox next time.
• Fueling:  Prior to VT100, I have only had run up to mile 70.  New distance, new issues.  I was never one to be so precise with my energy intake to the dot.  Approximation was good for 70 miles.  Not good for 100 miles.
• Fluids:  Instead of focusing on fluid intake, I need to be more mindful of releases as well.
• Crew:  Be specific with the crew.  Be kind.  Be honest.  Be grateful.  Your chemistry matters.  I would prepare a checklist of things to do or ask me at every station.  It is easy to get zero’ed into checking in with the runners and forget the tasks at hand
  • Bug spray
  • Lube
  • Trash
  • Specific energy intake
  • Ice 
  • Hydration
  • Sock, shoe and attire change
• Silver Lining:  It matters that I could run for 90 miles but it sucks when I couldn’t run the last 10 miles.  Go back to the drawing board and make that happen for the next one. 

Gear 

• Road Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS (Mile 0-30.5)
• Trail Shoes:  Hoka Tecton (Mile 30.5 – Finish)
• Gaiter:  Altra Trail Gaiter
• Socks:  Balega Hidden Comfort & Injinji Ultra Run Crew
• Singlet: New Balance Achieve Short Sleeves & Rabbit Runtee
• Shorts: T8 Sherpa & Commando
• Sports Bra: Nike Dri-FIT Indy Light-Support V-Neck
• Hat:  Adidas & Nathan RunCool Ice Run Hat
• Sunglasses:  Goodr Not a Phase, a Transformation 
• Vest:  Salomon Sense Pro 10
• Watch:  Garmin Fenix 7S
• Headlamp:  Black Diamond Revolt 350
• Waistlamp:  Ultraspire 600 3.0

• Results:  https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=359356
• Strava:  https://www.strava.com/activities/11952350046
• Next Race:  UTMB CCC (Courmayeur Champex Chamonix 100k)

Vermont 100 越野赛自1989年开始出圈，是因为同时举行的长距离赛马，赛道相比较而言比较友好，有足够的坡，还有一部分是paved可以开车的路穿插其间，也是美国Western100的报名资格指定赛事之一，且是唯一位于历史悠久风景独特的美东赛事。比赛很抢手，需要更短距离赛事的成绩加抽签。Amy是在从50k，100k升级打怪般完成一系列赛事后才获得抽签资格，很幸运一抽即中。

大约是在今年四月份波马后，Chief Crew Eileen拉Wei去给Amy做crew，Wei觉得至少可以去开开眼，就答应了。四月底那次在Beacon刷坡，看到有人戴着 Vermont 100 的帽子，她们谈起来就顺便问我要不要一起去？我随口说可以啊，然后就把这事给忘了。

某一天她们组了群，又拉了Pan Yan计划赛前准备，几个女人一台戏，她们都是身经百战的老运动员，把行程安排得明明白白，我一个小白，本着不给大家添乱的原则，在群里只说：我都可以，没问题！

报到

定好7月20日周五早上8:30，Wei开着她18岁的CRV 一路带上我和Eileen去Amy家与PanYan集合。9:30上路，下午3点左右，经过一条颠簸的碎石路，一路尘土飞扬地来到一片开阔的草地Silver Hill Meadow。

草地上已经搭起很多白色的尖顶帐篷，停车场很大，因为是人马比赛同时进行，其中人的比赛总共有450名参赛者，分100公里和100英里两个距离，而马则分25，50，75和100英里四个距离，共有65匹赛马参加。大部分长距离参赛者都会有家属或朋友做crew，因此偌大的草坪上人看上去很多，其中一部分草坪是作为载马厢车的营地，人来马往的很特别，很新奇。

赛前须知大会后，组委会提供一餐晚饭，沙拉，烟熏味的火鸡肉，意大利通心粉，西瓜，味道很好，感觉这是到目前为止，所有比赛能吃到的最好的一顿。是啊，报名费要$375，荒山野岭的比赛居然与纽马波马的报名费差不多，不给顿好吃的说不过去。Eileen今天在路上报名做晚餐的志愿者，Pan Yan则多要了两块cookies，仔细包好了带回去，说是宵夜，哪知没人搭理她，放在袋子里，最后连她自己都很疑惑那是个什么东西，就这么个cookies她笑了她自己好几回。笑点低，在任何时候都可以算是个优秀的品质。

晚上回到20分钟车程外的Airbnb，大家一起详细规划了明天的工作安排，Amy给出她到达各个补给站的大致时间，和需要的物品，大约11点各自休息，我是无事一身轻，很快入睡。

出发

早上三点，起床，吃饭，上车，黑暗中驱车前往起点。Silver Hill Meadow已经铺满了人，尽管满场头灯点点，但这点光污染，压不住Wei用手机记录下那满天星河。

可以感觉到Amy有某种程度的紧张或兴奋，回放视频里她的表情常常会表现出一种不连贯的笑意，感觉她一直沉浸在自己的内心活动之中，在感觉到我的拍摄之后，会礼貌性地挣扎着从自己的思绪里跳出来给个笑脸，互动一下。是啊，这毕竟是她的第一个有着17,000英尺爬升的100迈。而她是个大忙人，赛前的训练不规律，按Eileen的标准：约等于没有！所以，面对未知，紧张或兴奋是身体的一种正常的应激反应，也可以算是在warm up。

准4点，只听得大家发一声喊，人群就像一群发着光的椋鸟，变幻着形状，嘈嘈杂杂地涌过起点线，右转，再左转，消失在黑暗的丛林深处……。有点意外的是，开跑前没有常规的唱国歌的程序，政治如此地不正确，嗯，可能是Vermont的人国家观念淡薄，毕竟Vermont独立建国的声音从来就没有消失过，那是题外话。

5点天亮后，各种膘肥体壮的赛马在一片欢呼声中驮着主人，向着朝霞映忖的山峦，出发，骑手们神情悠闲就像去郊游，赛马们则明显的不知所以地兴奋着，它们没有里程焦虑，没有100迈处终点线的概念，跟着主人跑就好，主人就是我的起点，也是我的终点。

第二站 Stage Road（30.5miles）

5:35我们先去附近的Windsor爬一个3迈连续爬坡2500英尺，几乎没有平地的那种山，但路况还好，一行人都是老江湖，3个多小时的trail run恰到好处。下得山来，10:30赶到30.5迈补给站。

站点在trail与一条公路的转角处，靠路边有官方的补给帐篷，后面则用带子隔开一排排私补的位置，大家摆好毯子椅子以及各种补给零碎，象集贸市场的小摊贩一样，只是他们等待的是他们唯一的顾客。

她们停好车就开始摆桌子，拿出所有Amy提前准备好的各种奇奇怪怪的补给，要换的鞋子衣服，冰袋，准备电解质水……。我则去路口等Amy出现。

尽管她在给我们的计划表上注明预计到达的时间是在10:30-11:30之间，但随着时间一点点流逝，看着跑者一个个地出现，因为是在山里，手机没有信号，站着站着，有时会怀疑我们是不是错过了她，万一她状态神勇，超常发挥呢？就这样心神不定地看人来人往，看马不停蹄….

突然那个红色的百骏队服在路边的那排邮箱上面一上一下地浮现，身边大嗓门的Eileen炸雷似地叫了一声：Amy！Amy高举双手笑容满面地向我们跑来，三位crew一字排开，鼓掌欢呼，招呼着坐下，Amy就开始吃八宝粥，喝西瓜汁，同时伸出腿，三位crew成员就围着她团团转：扒鞋换袜，抹凡士林，换水袋……场景请参照小红书里前一阵向付昭在美国Western States 100补给站的情景。

我挿不上手，就全程拍照录像，看她们一边叽叽喳喳地嘘渴问热，一边手脚不停地忙上忙下，亲密无间，娴熟老到，一切都是最好的安排。

第三站 Camp 10 #1（47.5miles）

送走Amy，我们收拾停当，准备去地图上方圆几十迈唯一的一个像样的小镇吃午饭。但在半路上看到一个Farm Market，也就是十来个摊位，进去逛逛，一如既往地没有惊喜。还好居然有一个卖泰国餐的摊子，会用粤语从一数到十的老板娘，见到老乡似地热络，很高兴地帮我们的把餐盒里的炒面，炒饭，塞得满满的，还免费送上一根油炸春卷。既然买到食物，就省了下馆子的时间，直接回Airbnb，抓紧时间打个盹，毕竟昨晚睡得少，而今晚明显的也不会有足够睡觉的时间。

大约2:30左右赶到Camp10补给站。这个补给点是在一个丁字路口，沿路有高高的树，将下午斜照的阳光遮挡着，留下足够的树荫让大家能沿路边摆好摊子，大家都表情放松各自安静地等待着，给所有路过的跑者鼓掌加油，走在路上，整个场景给我一种说不出的安详和宁静，那种沁入内心的宁静，就像到了小时候出了高邮县城往西去的某个镇路口的小集市。

我对我自己说我要去拍个录像把整个场景带回去慢慢看。

这时，就看见Amy步履轻盈，神情轻松地跑了过来，一路笑着与对她欢呼的人打招呼。我连忙跟过去，她甫一坐定，就对我说，后面有一个xx大哥，你去把他带过来，他没有crew。我赶紧跑回去，看到一个穿红衣的中国大哥，引他过来，他很客气，或者他是个诚实的Solo，只吃了点西瓜，就匆匆离开先走了。

这边几个照例一套大保健伺候，Amy精神抖擞地又出发了。

第四站 Margaritaville （58.7miles）

因为前两次我们都压着预定时间的前沿去的，但都在那里等待了有半个小时多，想着越到后面应该延迟的越厉害，就不紧不慢的在5:30才出发，一路开过去是一路接一路连续的大下坡，几乎是沿着山沟往下，路边的树很高大，向左可以看郁郁葱葱的山谷 ，很深，很远，路比较宽，是那种碎石子路，开过去会一路尘土飞扬，迎面可以不断地看到三三两两艰难爬坡的跑者，人人都是步履沉重，垂头丧气的样子。我们见到前面有人时会尽量减慢车速，以免激起地面的尘土，这样也方便打开车窗，对他们鼓掌打招呼。

快到补给站时，电话响了，Amy在问：你们在哪里？她已经到了，Surprise！明明上两次见到的比她快半个多小时的那个中国人刚刚过去，她居然已经赶上这么多了。远远地看到她跑过来，赶紧就路边找了个空车位停车准备，Amy表情轻松地说：我已经在官方补给站那里待了一会儿了，我这段时间超了很多人，感觉可以争取24小时完赛！哇，振奋人心！Amy永远会给人意外的惊喜。

第五站 Camp 10 #2（69.4miles）

Eileen因为要在下一个站点后作为pacer陪Amy跑完夜间的最后三十迈，可以明显的感觉到她还是有点心思上头，更确切地说是进入战斗模式，表情凝重，对于Pan Yan挑逗性的跑两圈的建议不予理睬，赶紧回去上楼抓紧时间睡一觉，好在她是那种说睡就能睡着的人。

这回不敢迟到了，8点多到达第二站的同一个地点，天已经开始变暗，官方补给站的灯亮了起来，地上放着一溜五颜六色的荧光棒，指引着方向。站在路口望去，远处，不时有由远而近的跑者的头灯在闪烁，象黑夜中孤独的萤火虫，在旁观者的眼中，可能是浪漫的，一种英雄主义的浪漫，而对跑者而言，则是一种温暖，一种陪伴，有光就有陪伴，就不孤独，就有不灭的斗志，赶上去或者盯紧就是胜利！

Amy的状况好像不是象前一站那么乐观，疲态开始显露。而装备整齐的Eileen神态严肃，可能是头灯出了点小问题，对细节要求很苛刻的她感觉不能忍，赛前焦虑症一触即发。我说，万一路上出意外，你可以用我的头灯，她说：我还有备用的！Wei后来说，Eileen在装备等赛前准备上要求很高，她对任何的事都会有备案，甚至有备案的备案。是啊，再看看Amy一手提箱的各种见都没见过的补给用品，深深地被教育了，这才是一个professional runner的基本素质和修养。不过，这次也看到有个跑者，浑身上下啥批挂都没有，手拿个水瓶，近乎裸奔。

我一直以为这种大型比赛的组织者们应该会很科学地设置补给站，足够保证跑者安全跑完。当然谁也不知道意外和未来哪个先到，详细的赛前准备有百益而无一害。

第六站 Sprit of 76（76.5miles）

送走Amy和Eileen，因为下一站离我们住的地方更远，不要来回折腾，干脆直接去下一站。

此时天已全黑，一路过去，尘土融于无尽的夜，但我们知道它仍然在车后舞动扩散，笼罩一切，所以尽量小心翼翼地在颠簸的碎石路上慢慢行驶，沿途车灯下时不时闪现的跑者疲惫的身影，和貌似不知疲倦的赛马，机械地，默默地，却不知为何地向前。

为了尽量减少对马的惊扰，我们看到迎面过来的马基本上都是停下车让它走过我们再继续开，尽管这些马既然能来参加如此长距离的比赛，应该是久经灯扰，车这种在黑暗中睁着双亮闪闪的大眼，呼啸着急驶而过的物体，可能已经是它们所认知的世界里与人，鹿，狗，鸡等一样的“动物”。

我们一开始盯着前面的车，想当然地认为半夜三更在这种地方开车的应该是和我们一样找下一站的人，可是开着开着，发现不对劲，地图上显示的目的地已经过了，前面的车还没有停下来的意思，在地图和前车之间，我们应该更相信地图。

回去，来到一个不起眼的路口，看有车拐过来，就顺道进去，有个停车场，静悄悄的停满了车，偶尔有人上下，但全然没有一个官方补给站应该有的样子，问人，说，补给站在下面，走过去3-4分钟的路程。

哦，放心了，离预定的时间还有一个多小时，睡一会儿吧，放下车椅，用帽子盖住眼睛，阻挡一下路过的车灯。但睡眠如Amy心中的终点线，遥不可及。掏出手机，想写点什么，思绪却如车后的尘土，朦胧不可聚。想着手机的光亮，可能会干扰到Wei和Pan Yan的休息，又怕如Eileen早上在车里抱怨的：象老鼠一样窸窸窣窣，搅人清梦。只好逼着自己躺着，尽量手脚不动假装睡觉，可意识在黑暗中张着大眼四处游走，走不出束缚它的躯干，却感受着躺不平的身体在狭窄的空间里的各种不适。

时间是经不起折腾的，与睡眠极限拉扯了几个回合，一个小时很快就过去了，是时候动身去补给站了。三个人顺着栏杆围着的一个马场向下走，栏杆里一只长着黑色斑点的白马看到我们过来，伸出头似乎要跟我们打招呼，或者以为我们会给它一点夜草，见我们只有一些莫名其妙的惊喜表情，就在栏杆的里面跟着我们往前走，然后又受惊一样突然跑开，站定，远远回望着我们走向那灯火阑珊处…..。Sorry for disturbing you！

大约11:30 Amy和Eileen艰难地来到站点，Amy说，她感觉不好，感觉体内很热，眼睛视力有些问题，看她脸部有浮肿，眼泡变得很大。

因为我注意到每次她们给Amy的水袋换的都是含有电解质的运动饮料。作为一个前赤脚医生，职业本能泛起：你的小便量怎么样？她说，前30迈都正常，但后来就一点尿意也没有了。嗯，你应该是过多地补充了电解质，血液的渗透压过高，导致水钠储留，出现尿少和浮肿，让她们把水袋的水换成白水，稀释血液，增加尿量，会对减轻心脏负担有帮助。

这时，我内心里有些担心，她的症状如果不能及时改善，她有可能会坚持不下去，最终弃赛。

第七站 Bills （88.2miles）

送走她们，我们继续在黑暗的小路上，赶往下一站。

上路后沿着并不复杂的道路往前开，一路上沿途也都可以看见艰难 跋涉的跑者，但想象中的灯火通明和人来人往的站点都没有看到。越开越远，终于看到有个没有多余停车场的站点，一问，这是最后一个94miles的站点。

往回去吧，一路上驾驶员Wei完全没有了那种一脑多用，指东指西，招人拍照，叫人看景的闲情，连强势的back driver Pan Yan也很茫然且迟疑地东张西望。

突然发现一个有一堆指示牌的黑黢黢的路口，路口的树上挂有绿茵茵的light glowing stick，但往里看因为坡度的关系，不见半点光亮，反正来都来了，开进去看看吧，在一个很陡的下坡的底部，车灯下看见有Crew Parking的牌子，这里就是补给站，得来只废一脚油。

停好车，又要开始进入睡觉模式。后座的Pan Yan几乎在一分钟之内就开始在我放倒的座椅下打起了呼噜，就声音本身来说，不很大，甚至可以说是很淑女，无奈离耳朵太近，象那次乘从苏州去杭州的夜航船，枕着马达声一夜无眠到天亮。

睡不着，也没有睡意，就干脆起来去看看补给站吧。这个补给站是设在一个私人的领地里。Vermont作为欧洲移民最早的新英格兰地区的一部分，大部分土地是很早就私有化了的，所以Vermont100的路线要通过70多个私人的领地，这也是赛前举办者不公布路线，且不容许预跑的原因。好在大家都很配合，愿意在比赛日开放，共襄盛举。

补给站是在一个巨大的barn里，barn的背后在明亮的月光下可见连绵的山的轮廓，清冷静谧，barn里面挂着各种工具，来来往往的人就像早起的人在做劳作前的准备。从黑暗的外面看过去，透着光亮的barn象一幅镶着黑色镜框的油画。我想，这个画面一定会给在黑暗中挣扎的跑者以生动而温暖的视觉印象， 会记得一辈子，至少我是这样的。barn的外面空地上，有三三两两的摊点，有人裹着毯子在带点凉意的初夏的夜空下沉睡，一只猫在我的镜头前闪过……

大约3点，比预期的晚了半小时，Amy和Eileen出现了，Amy一如上一站的疲惫，很艰难地坐下，开始用手按摩她的腿，尽管吃不下什么东西，但她坚持要刷个牙，这是个有预案的戏码，说是copy或者是致敬越野大姐大Courtney Dauwalter，腿可断，血可流，好口味不可丢！

刷完牙，在大家的帮助下从椅子的站起来，却发现肌肉僵硬得再也挪不动半步，狠人Amy，开始原地直上直下地蹦哒，强行启动，迈着小步，跟着Eileen一前一后，远远的跑去，头上的灯象两朵橘黄色的花，摇曳着，消失在黑暗中……

终点

大约4点回到RB&B，上床就着，睡到6:30，7:00赶过去到终点站，时间不长，就看见Amy和Eileen跑过来，Amy的精神状态看上去要比之前好很多，感觉她还可以跑！100迈/27:37，一个伟大的里程碑，感觉重塑了一个灵魂，100迈心理上的坎是迈过了，下一步？

药不能停！

终点处还遇到一个小姑娘，名叫Lila Gaudrault，她说这也是她的第一个100迈，却位列女子组第三名，但看她一脸神清气爽轻松自如，根本不象刚跑了个100英里的样子，说是个小孩来看她爸爸妈妈比赛的还差不多。既然谈得那么开心，就让Amy与她合了个影。回来一查，女子第三名（也是overall第七名）Lila Gaudrault，21岁，成绩17:46:49，比第一名相差27:04，比第二名只相差一秒钟，但她是Solo，而前两名都是crewed，一般情况下，有crew的要比solo的快一个小时多，也就是说，她如果有人能在8个补给站点帮她打点，可以省很多时间，妥妥的第一名。再去网上搜一下，不得了，这是个长跑天才，她是缅因州UNE大学护士专业三年级的学生，尽管是从小就喜欢跑步，中学也参加cross country，但三年前才正式参加长距离跑步比赛，而在2022年缅因州马拉松比赛（她的第三个马拉松）就破了三，然后就开了挂似地参加各种长距离越野赛，三年总共参加了25个比赛，成绩排名都很好。实在是前途无量！

Amy说，I will post this picture when she gets big!!

出处不如聚处， 只要你愿意，你可以在这种特殊的时间地点见识很多不一样的人生。

入群不久，群主就精心设计公布了从A到D的训练计划 – 从提速到跑走结合，总有一款适合您。 还设计了九月初跑5K的目标。翻看了一下群主的计划，发现不是高不可攀。于是贪心的选了A，准备试试看。正好在加州出差，时差加上凉爽的天气，给了我每天早上跑步的时间。一周回来，执行的不错，对自己也有了一点儿信心。群里还公布了群跑前热身和跑后拉伸的小视频，也跟着做起来。后面的三周是孩子的早训和夏令营。正好每天早上六点有一个多小时等孩子训练的时间。避开了暑热，跑步也坚持了下来。三周之后，已经喜欢上了每天早上的跑步时间。自己的进步也可以从心率和跑量上看出来。就是减肥的目标还没达到。 因为时间有限，于是试着提高了一点儿配速。感觉确实消耗多了一点儿。但前一天的酸痛，好像第二天不能完全恢复了。这时候，跑群及时成立了MFA小群。抱着好奇的心态，进了群。这群好学术呀！来了就是三个Ted Talk，加上好厚的一本经典读物。虽然还没读完，但从Sam的截屏里终于知道了，当初王爷建议的130 心率是从哪里来的。也了解了如何用步频来控制速度和心率。把MFA的概念加到每周的relax和long run 跑里，很快心率曲线从原来的大起大落变得就更平稳了，自己的感觉也舒服多了。有时间的周末，也可以轻松的跑个6迈（10K）了。这样到了八月中下旬，连续跑出第一次和第二次30分以内的5K，得到王爷和队长的鼓励，信心大涨。很期待九月初的比赛。赛前十天，在群主的建议下，去赛道试了一下。其实我2016年和孩子跑过这个5K。当时是学校的一位小朋友得了白血病，镇里的5K改成了集资项目。孩子们都参加了。这次试跑，我发现路线比我印象中的起伏多，有两个大坡，一个在1迈前，一个在3迈左右。但有了前几周的基础，只要控制速度，还是可以坚持不走的。以后的训练看样子不能完全跑平地了。之后出去玩了五天，家人支持，我也一直没敢懈怠。 没想到，玩回来就感冒生病了。托口罩的福，好久没生病了。虽然不是COVID， 但赛前一天居然还发了烧，犹豫着要不要去。早上起来，吃了DayQuil (不知道这能不能通过药检），暂时不发烧了。抱着完赛就行的目的出发了。本来很想和“从未谋面”的群友见见面，又很怕传染给大家，特地晚去了几分钟，错过了合影。一进场就看到队长穿着拖鞋，带着受伤的脚趾去车里给大家拿饮品，很感动。赛前一天，Anna和队长给大家拿了衣服和Bib， 队长发了停车场Google地图链接，还两次亲自到镇里研究路线和加油站地址。赛前还叮嘱大家，7点半前吃早饭。真是把我们镇小小的5K办出了纽马的档次。200多个报名者中，百骏的跑者占了10%。镇长估计都在偷着乐。红色的百骏大旗，在赛场各处迎风飘扬。摄影师们各种尽职的扫描拍，蹲拍。我终于知道了每周那漂亮视频是怎么来的。跑步还有顺带学摄影技巧的福利。

九点开始的Kid Run，小朋友们认真可爱的表情和家长们不惜余力的加油声，把现场的气氛推向了高潮。九点半，正式比赛要开始了，大家都摩拳擦掌。集合的时候，还遇到了的镇里的一位大爷，他得70有余了，前一天还跑了Dumont 5K。他自豪的告诉我，他跑了30年了，从没缺席，真是佩服。也许是肾上腺素的作用，我的鼻子好像也没那么堵了。跟着人潮冲了出去，拐弯后的上坡前，就看到了百骏的加油站和挥手的百骏队友。半迈的时候Strava 提示的配速只有8分钟多一点儿，吓了一跳，生怕后面没法完赛。压住步子，跟上一个不算太猛的小哥儿，一路到半程。小哥在第二个小上坡掉速比较厉害。我自己居然觉得还不错，也许是因为赛前生病，期望值低。越跑越有信心了。超过他以后，前面是位打扮很专业的大姐，跟着她一直到了完赛前的最后一个上坡前。惊喜的看到“王爷”举着他那饱经风霜的宝贝手机，很敬业的拍拍拍。熟悉的苏北口音，“哟！是你呀？！”。 禁不住，笑着挥挥手。笑的太不矜持了，不上相，那是后话。一分神就到了路障，这三迈处的小坡居然没什么感觉，后面就都是下坡了。大姐开始冲刺了，我也大步流星的跟上她，在最后的200米超过了她。抬头看了一眼计时器，29：02 比我在家门口的平地上跑的PR还好。有点后悔，没早点冲，也许可以破29分。留点儿遗憾，还可以有下一次。后来看成绩单，发现大姐是60-69岁年龄组女生的第一名。希望我六十的时候，还能这样跑。

会后队长和队友们拿出了准备的饮品，蛋糕，生煎包，和各种好吃的。最惊讶的是，还有小白训练营的结业仪式。每个队员都拿到了奖牌和印有名字的奖狀，连我这个只参加线上活动，没有能参加群跑的“旷课生”也有一份。这真是我学校体育生涯结束后，20几年来第一次拿到奖牌和奖状。仪式感满满！着实是兴奋了一阵。队长还不不忘嘱咐我注意休息。肾上腺素退去以后，回来发烧另说。不鼓励大家带病比赛！不过第一次现场看到百骏的阵营还是很值的！也终于见到了网上常看到的大侠-Sam, Chris, Bonnie， 十分感谢队长和队友们的热心，耐心，无私，专业的鼓励和指导。两个月的时间，让跑步变成了我生活中的一部分，虽然减肥大业还茫茫无期，但睡眠质量已经有了明显提高。更重要的是心情放松了很多，也从自己的进步中看到希望，增强了信心。谢谢百骏的朋友们!  希望能和大家一起健康快乐阳光的跑下去！以后争取多出勤！少旷课！

2020年由于新冠疫情，对大部分人来说都是很痛苦的一年，除非你是卖口罩或疫苗的。疫情对我们医疗行业冲击特别的大，可以说每天都生活在生死线上，所以说精神压力特别大，跑步呢就可以缓解一下压力，所以呢，2020年我就慢慢地在家里地下室的跑步机上从一迈开始，渐渐地跑一迈半，两迈，三迈。。。这样整个一年下来，到最后能够一口气跑到六迈。自己也很受鼓舞，所以就勇敢地报了2021年3月份纽约半程马拉松的线上比赛。很幸运的是自己竟然坚持跑下来了，虽然没跑到两小时内，自己还是很受鼓舞的。

虽然我加入了百骏的跑群，可是由于工作的原因，周末经常加班，所以就不能参加周末早上的群跑，于是就经常下夜班休息几个小时后一个人去附近的Saddle River county park 长跑。一个人锻炼总是很枯燥的，而且容易有起伏。跑完了二零二一年的半程马拉松之后，由于缺乏新目标，也没人督促鼓劲，我的跑步生涯就慢了下来，甚至变得有点懒散，训练也变得不太正常，常常是三天打鱼两天晒网。我在百骏的跑群里也不太活跃，渐渐地我的账户变成了僵尸账户。直到有一天，百骏跑群的群主说要清理僵尸账户，我一下子如醍醐灌顶。虽然我加入了很多微信群，但百骏跑群是我很喜欢的一个群，这里既专业又轻松，大家相处很愉快。我觉得如果不想被清理出门户的话，可能需要再重新跑起来了。正好这时候队长发起了一个小白的跑群。虽然我有跑步的经历，可是我的经历非常的业余，而且当时也是处于有一搭无一搭的状态，所以我就厚着脸皮加入了百骏的小白跑群。加入以后，有了群友们的陪伴，我自己又重新有了动力，又跑起来了！因为有之前两三年的底子在那里，所以我的成绩在小白群里算是不错的。从这个意义上来说，我是伪小白。但是从另一个方面来说，我自己跑步都是一个人摸索，虽然我喜欢跑步，喜欢田径，比如经常观看田径比赛，对著名的田径运动员了解很多，对从100米到马拉松世界纪录都了如指掌，但是我自己从来没有接触过专业训练，所以也不懂练前怎样热身，练后怎样恢复，还有怎样避免受伤，各种跑姿，还有什么匀速跑间歇跑等等，我都不懂。感谢小白群里的队长和教练给我们提供了非常基础的非常专业的训练计划。

我感觉加入小白群以后自己水平提高很快，自己也千方百计的挤出时间来参加晚上的群跑。但是由于工作的原因，周末经常不能参加群跑。所以就一个人制定了训练计划，自己监督自己训练的进展。好在功夫不负有心人，感觉按照队长公布的计划训练，每周都有进步，所以很开心。在上个星期五早晨我决定进行赛前的最后一次摸底跑，跑了八分十几秒的配速，自己挺满意的，就希望正式比赛的时候能跑出这个配速就好。唯一的变量是，比赛前的这个周六我要值夜班。根据以往的经验，有时夜班事件并不多，所以值夜班也能得到休息，我就幻想着这一次值班病人也别太多，自己也能得到一定的休息。没想到人算不如天算，可能是因为临近中秋节了，月圆之夜，纽约街头的Lunatics明显增多，所以我们精神科急诊忙的不可开交。既有街头纵火的，又有醉酒吸毒的，还有夫妻打架割伤自己的，还有孩子跟父母顶嘴威胁要自杀的，等等等等，所以你能想到想不到的各种狗血剧情，我昨晚都遇到了，所以一晚上一点休息也没有。在早晨8点多交完班以后赶往赛场的路上，虽然开着车也能感觉到两条腿跟灌了铅似的沉重。当时就说这一次比赛能完成就好了，不要想什么成绩了。但是到了赛场以后看到了熟悉的伙伴，看到熟悉的场地和熟悉的队旗，心里又涌起了激动，肾上腺素分泌也增加了不少，觉得就豁出去了，跑个痛快！感谢队长提醒要排在队伍的前面出发，可以节省几米距离，所以我就初生牛犊不怕虎地厚着脸皮排在了最前面。没想到参加比赛的高手太多，刚一出发领先的人就一溜烟的不见影了。为了避免被高手带乱了节奏，我就提醒自己坚持自己的节奏，鼓励自己，只要完赛就是胜利，不要追求成绩。好在现场比赛确实是能够激动人心，能够调动人的情绪，能够刺激人的潜能，做出平常做不出来的事情，跑出平常跑不出来的成绩，感谢我们百骏的三个加油站，每个设置都恰到好处，一路上给我们加油鼓劲。也感谢前辈在最后一段路上带我跑，所以跑出了我自己的最好成绩。我本来希望能确保26分，冲击25分，没想到能触及24分，可以说是喜出望外。赛后百骏跑群安排的美味小吃和小白跑群的毕业典礼，更是锦上添花。感谢队长，教练，前辈，跑友和我们的后勤啦啦队，没有你们，就没有我们今天的成绩！借谐星冯巩的一句话，“爱死你们了！”。希望能一起一直跑下去，跑向纽马，跑向波马。Go, Bergen Runners!

从健身到跑步

我的运动生涯是从小开始，虽然一直是田径队里跑400米的，但对长跑一点不喜欢，平时训练最触头的是长距离跑。来美后紧张的生活让我选择了健身房，工作占用了大部分时间，每天加班是家常便饭，儿子小的时候更需要陪伴，但我仍要一周抽出至少1天去健身房锻炼。当自己过了40岁的时候突然想要去公园跑步，家门口的Overpeck Park是最佳选择。Overpeck跑一大圈1.25迈。每次都会跑一个大圈加一小。一共近2迈。每次跑到接近拐弯终点处就感觉再也跑不动了，这样跑了近6年。2017年好友Qi拉我进了Bergen Runners。让我接触到了真正热爱跑步的伙伴们，也真正体会到和大家一起跑的快乐和收获，从2迈到5K，10K都是在不经意中完成了，也开始对自己有了信心。2018年开始报了几个local 5K比赛，还拿了Woodcliff Lake 女子年龄组第一名。小的比赛不仅让自己对跑步有了信心，也拿到一些参赛经验。即使周围的伙伴们开始了纽马训练，自己对跑马感觉还有一定距离，望不可及。从跑群结交了一些有共同爱好的伙伴们，让生活充满了色彩和欢乐，无数次的群跑活动，太多的美好回忆。大家互相鼓劲进步，慢慢发现跑个半马也不是很难的事了。

不经意的马

本来打算2020年开始做9+1，2021年跑纽马，这样儿子上了大学后有自由时间做跑马训练, 不料2020年的新冠疫情改变了一切。做了2个9+1后所有比赛都被取消，跑马也变得遥遥不及。 疫情的不确定也让我暂时放弃了跑马的意念。但和伙伴的群跑没有停下来，生活还是要继续，和大家一起跑步的时光缓解了疫情带来的压抑和沮丧。2020年队长组织了Rockland Lake Virtual 纽马活动，自己还报了跑18迈的pacer，纯脆是和大家一起开心的想法。 当天和队长，一两个伙伴一起有说有笑的绕湖跑了6圈，完全没有感觉距离那么遥远。Eileen，跑群的超马女神，随便讲了一句，既然都跑了18，干嘛不跑个马？感觉说的也对，18迈后感觉良好，继续坚持了一圈。跑过马的都知道最后6迈是毅力和信念的考验，对我这个还没尝到马滋味的也不例外，果然21迈后就感觉一切的不适，腿要抽筋，腿没力气，心跳加快，跑速慢了下来，这时已不是我做pacer，跑群的伙伴们开始当了我的pacer，四宝妈（听名字就可以想象到是个不简单的，真正认识了解的是在那妩媚外表和声音后的一个能量巨大的跑神和超有想法的事业女神），教官 （一直暖心的赤脚大仙，从他身上学了不少跑步的知识）都在我最后几迈帮我度过了最艰难的一段。 我知道这个马如果自己独跑肯定是不会坚持下去的。伙伴的鼓励和陪伴是群跑的核心力量。It’s powerful！

纽马从天而降

冬去春来迎来了2021. 本来2020年的50th 纽马推移到了2021. 当感觉自己已和这个特殊马没有缘分的时候，06/01/2021，承百骏队的厚爱，更要感谢美丽善良又被大家喜爱的美女队长Renny，让我这个菜鸟有机会和50th纽马重结因缘。

离纽马还有5个月的时间，虽然之前有在跑但跑量完全不够. 很多伙伴推荐不同training program。知道自己最主要的是先让自己适应周跑量达到30-35。热天跑步不是我的preference，随着时间推移，天气越来越热，跑起来感觉越跑越没劲。有时跑上3-4迈就不得不停下来，速度也多是在10-11之间。亲近的几个小伙伴们开始约跑，为避免酷热温度，选择早上太阳还未升起时。在她们的带领下距离开始加长，体力开始有长进，也慢慢适应了热天跑步。8月的到来，我的生活有了巨大的转变，和我生活了18年的儿子终于要离家开始他的大学生活。Time flies，2021纽马，一晃现实就在眼前了。帮儿子搬进校园后的第一天我的大叔 Steve带我去了一直梦寐以求的地方-Italy。10天的完美行程让我在Arno River 河边 （Florence） 和 美丽的Lake Como湖边打卡，完全不同的感受和经历，让这个玈程更加难忘。

备战纽马

9月是我空巢生活的开始，和Steve一起的时间自由了，在他家周围跑的路线也越来越长越多。和Overpeck不同，这边多树荫多坡，环境优美，非常适合跑马训练，周跑量尽量达到35，几次经历了runners‘ high（哈哈），速度开始有提升，连之前最大的坡让我每次都要停下来喘口气的也再也不感觉那么可怕了。为了测试自己的能力和速度，报了9月底的Bronx 10mile和10月初的TCS 18Mile training run。跑Bronx10时信心满满，跑了8:47配速。 training 18M run 跑了9:19配速，虽然对两个都很满意，但自己知道18M跑到最后已经感到没有多少能量完成全马。离纽马还有一个月，知道自己欠缺长距离训练，18M比赛后马上和朋友约了硬石湖跑20。小伙伴们当天的速度比我想象的快多了，到了10迈感觉左脚踝开始发紧，有隐痛，看着她们越跑越快，我只好放慢脚步，这样又坚持了2-3迈，左边的痛越来越强烈，感觉到右边的腿在承受很大的压力。考虑到不想在纽马前有受伤，只好在14迈停下。虽然没有伤筋动骨但左脚踝加左后腰已经开始有酸痛。回来后大叔建议我去做PT，周跑量也只好降低。咨询了群里的跑神张哥看是否还有时间在纽马前跑个20。虽然没有跟任何计划但知道比赛前应该至少跑1-2个20。这时离纽马还有不到4个星期，应该是减量的时候。纽马前两周，跑友Mandy和Christine要在硬石湖挑战她们的首马，我也来给她们助兴，本想冲个18-20，但跑到半马处脚踝又开始作怪，只好作罢。看来纽马前跑20的目标是可望不可及了。

纽马2021

11/07/2021，纽马的日子在不敲不响中来到。虽然没有一年前的忐忑不安，心里还是没有底，毕竟没有达到想要的训练目标。跑到20应该没问题，但后6迈是最艰难的，自己的耐力还没练到位。大叔鼓励我 “走下来你也是最棒的！只要不受伤”。早上5点半钟起床，因为大叔送我去出发点，有充裕的时间准备，还可以顺路接上好友Ann和Julie。起跑时间10:40AM，大叔在离camp最近的地方把我们drop off。 天公做美，没有风，温度不高也不低，简直是跑马的最佳天气。因为疫情的原因，今年参赛人数从2019年的5万降到3万。第一次参赛，不知道以前等待期如何，感觉主办方已尽心尽力做了很多，上厕所不需要排队，非常干净，每个起跑赛区都标明的清清楚楚，有秩序，无混乱。等待期还有大屏幕看到已在赛道上精英们的进展。进了起跑点碰到了跑群的超马女神Eileen，大家互相鼓劲，照相。和上万人一起参加这个特殊赛事的兴奋超过了顾及自己是否能安全完赛的紧张。随着大队人马跨过起跑线，上了Verrazano Bridge, 看到3:55 pacer 就在不远处，被一帮跑者簇拥着。因为不喜欢和其他跑者太近，头几迈都是跳跃式的找赛道上的空间。和Eileen一起跑了几迈就再也看不到她了，知道女神肯定是跑在前面的。本来穿的长袖上衣到3迈已经脱掉了。头14迈状态都很好，速度也超出我的意料，355 pacer早被抛在后面。虽然知道开始不能跑的太快，其实跑起来也都按自己的能力去跑，以不太累为准，没有追速。这次跑群像以往一样组织了最嗨的百骏啦啦队，在不同地点设立队伍，每个点都配备摄影师和呐喊助威队员。跑前已记住了“左左右，左左右” 信号。当然在14迈处远远从助威人海里看到红色的百骏大旗，那么醒目耀眼，好比大海里的导航灯，然后听到教娘Michelle，跑神Lynn喊我的名字，加上铜锣大鼓，真的好比吃了振奋gel。知道我在后面的路程里会继续看到百骏，心里踏实了很多。在上了Queensboro Bridge时，虽然爬升不高但感觉大腿的肌肉有开始抽动，速度也随着降下来，看到有些人停下来了。Queensboro 不是很难但在跑过多半的距离后开始第一阶段的撞墙。大叔嘱咐几遍会在我下桥的转弯处等我。转弯后第一眼看到的还是我们百骏的大旗，这次不是飘在空中，而是挂在围栏上，在黑灰的围观群里不容易错过。向着熟悉的大摄影师AL挥手微笑，但可惜错过了大叔和他女儿，助威的人山人海，从远处很难寻找（tip #1: 如果家人来做啦啦，一定要选直赛道，而且尽量避免和太多其他的人涌在一起，搞清楚在赛道的哪一边）。接下来的10迈算是我和毅力的抗衡，之前跑纽马的嗨也被腿要抽筋的担忧压过。跑过Willis Bridge 和 Madison Bridge时几次不得已停下来在赛道边拉伸一下，担心抽筋会让后面的路程更煎熬，以坚持安全完赛为目标。到了21迈水站，也是跑过纽马人说的另一个撞墙区，我在这里做过几次纽马义工，也看到过太多精英跑者在这个时候开始broken，心里暗自告诉自己It’s almost there。第一个看到熟悉的面孔是穿着醒目orange 雨衣的疏影，然后听到Overpeck美女群里经常做啦啦的洁妮子和其他义工们给我的加油声，心里默默感激她们的无私奉献。后面漫长的5迈不知道自己是如何坚持跑下的，再次看到了百骏的啦啦和摇旗呐喊，再次错过大叔的身影，脑海中只有一个想法 – 一定跑过终点，no matter what！最后800米耳边听到大家直呼“Go Steve”，才注意到旁边和我一起冲刺的大爷，背后（和前面）写着清晰的名字 （tip #2: 如果想要助威人帮你打气，可以把自己的名字写清楚，贴在身上，容易让围观者看到）。在给Steve的助威声中我也决定发力冲刺撞向终点 （后来才知道百骏啦啦队在我冲刺时给我加油打气，当时耳机的声音太大，完全没有听到）（tip#3：后面几迈冲向终点尽量不要开耳机）。很开心给我发奖牌的是队里的“黑马”，“小虾米”碧霞。奖牌是金色的，很重，是我喜欢的Metal color。尽管腿有点不听使唤，有精疲力尽的感觉，但冲过终点的成就感压过了一切疼痛和不适。回想过去5个月的艰苦训练，没有跟任何训练计划，5个月打卡近700迈，不是很多，也没有跑到预期的几个长距离，但看到首马成绩（4:07）心里还是满意的，比自己预料的时间还好一点。

赛前，和大叔讲这个马是我人生的一个小目标，以后还有其他目标要去做。赛后，感觉如果赛前做好长距离的训练，应该有能力和空间破4。如果问我以后是否还会跑纽马？我的回答是-Yes。人生短暂，怎样活出价值和精彩？是选择舒适和自满，还是不断挑战各种impossible，我选择后者。It’s never too late and you are never too old to become better! 挑战自我挑战极限，享受成功后的喜悦和骄傲，让我们每个人都活出最美的自我！

另外一个跑纽马最大的感受是感恩自己属于一个有正能量的跑群，有一群正能量的跑友。百骏的凝聚力在比赛时尤其突出，这次比赛百骏有10位大摄影师，拍了海量的照片和videos。风爷和队长一起做的纽马录像让所有观看人心血沸腾。自己也是在赛路上一直盼着看到百骏的大旗，好像儿找娘（哈哈）。在你最需要被激励的时候，熟悉的面孔和声音真的是最好的振奋剂。感恩2021在家人，朋友的支持下完成了一个人生小目标。期盼2022更多的精彩！

感謝神! 我又一次平安完賽2021紐約馬拉松，并且在我四年跑馬的路上拿到最好成績。現在兴奮的心境平復下來，內心滿滿的只有感恩。感謝神恩賜我奔跑的能力，感激一路跑來從小伙伴那里吸取的能量和溫暖, 這些會激勵我一直跑下去的。我最愛的一句話 “If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run together”. To me, I can’t run marathon without you guys. You guys are a must! 我感激所有义工的付出, 每次賽后翻過海量照片，我也願意分享這樣的天使鏡頭，”Gasping for air” moment 和”懷疑人生”的時刻：綠色丅的分是 2019 年波馬快終點時，那时候周邊的跑者大部分都在走，我机械地跑過終點甚至也不知道是終點，心里對旁邊都在走的人埋怨「走快點呀，別挡路呀」。。。百駿紅丅是2021紐馬23 邁水站時，第一次經历小腿肌肉不斷跳動的困擾事后才確認那個「肌肉跳舞」是抽筋，23 邁水站做義工的小麥大声叫我都沒反應的「神游」囧態。可是我想腳步不停，”When it is hard, you try harder”，這是每一個馬拉松跑者「陽光總在風雨後」的追求吧。

我開始跑步是2013 年搬家到新澤西，新入住宅區內有自行車道。為鼓勵兒子運動騎車，我就跟在自行車后面跑。2014 年支持儿子中學Turkey Drive 5K Running, 跑出女人成年組第二名，次年春天又一次 小鎮5k fund raising, 跑出成人女子組第一名，這樣的結果很讓我很意外開心。從這以後因為跑步我認識了鎮上熱愛跑步的小伙伴們，經常周末一起跑步。漸漸地，跑完步的愉悅讓我很留戀，和伙伴們在跑步中互相鼓勵陪伴給我很多正能量，不僅收獲友誼，也舒緩生活中的很多壓力。當然也是因為小伙伴的“撺掇”，特別是我們的一姐Lynn Huang的不斷打氣，從2017 秋季參加了第一個半馬比賽以後就「奔跑不停」歇了。2018 參加了新澤西馬拉松，那次成績讓我合格了2019年波松和紐松。既使已經跑了幾次比賽，我沒有覺得下一次比賽就會容易一點。今年的備賽訓練十月份的芝加哥馬拉松比賽之前大半年的腰背疼痛很干擾訓練，我一邊看醫生做康復一邊禱告求上帝醫治，同時堅持做核心練習和跑後拉伸，很欣喜的是芝馬前一個多月腰痛明顯減輕好轉，最後八周的賽前訓練一點也是不懈怠地完成了。

當跑步由最初的健身需求也變成真正的熱愛，也悄悄影響到我小孩的選擇。18 年夏季后兒子進入高中，加入越野跑運動，整個高中生活中跑步健身是我能夠看到的他的最大的Passion。談論和跑步有关的話題也成為平息一個青春期反叛少年和媽媽爭戰的法宝。去年看到兒子寫的大學申請文書中我才了解到媽媽對跑步的熱忱和堅持對他的鼓舞。2020 Pandemic 期間在家，和兒子經常一起 跑步訓練也成為緊張難熬的大學申請季中最美好的時光。記得有一次天氣闷熱下雨?️，又對申請學校和兒子爭吵，倍感焦慮，几番掙扎之后，咬牙跑出門。結果跑著跑著雨逐漸停下來，一抬頭，忽見小道盡頭的天空一道彩虹?，心中頓時大喜「It is God’s promise ! ，」，跑完回家笑嘻嘻地的模樣讓儿子很驚訝”媽你的臭臉跑掉了麼”。

跑步讓我心胸變得更豁达， 不再對生活報怨self pity. 因為熱愛跑步相知的朋友更易相處相交，這樣的互動單純又有力量，我很感恩珍惜。參加跑馬是幫助我self discipline的一個工具, 我要維持已經獲得的力量和自信。很多時候一個人枯燥的長跑訓練也是我和我的信仰互動的時候，我會路上聽Joe Osteen 的Podcast, 經歷四季的风景變化讓我很感嘆Nature wonder神的作為，在比賽中到20 邁以後跑者可能出現「撞墻」的極限時候時，我就開始心中和神禱告，真的感謝神對我每次安全完賽的保護。我會一直跑下去，because it keeps me grounded, moves me high, and inspired by you guys, my fellow runners.

Grateful, Hui

借着疫情一个月内跑了三个大马，最后的纽马没有创造奇迹，究其原因还是训练不够。这两年的全马赛场都是选择赛道平坡少的，所以纽马的赛道不是我想训练的，最初报纽马是为了一次欢乐跑，无奈最后被逼硬拼但没有拼出来，成绩3:19:44没有P R（半马1:35:02），但比两年前的纽马快了十分多，在大马中BQ，也算是一个安慰吧。

总体来说比赛状况大致在预料之中，只是在12迈刚过小腿肌肉就出现了跳动，这个来得有点早，我期望是16迈以后才出现，这也许是因为近来身体恢复得不够好。20迈之后小腿跳动频次增加是不详征兆，所以速度只能压着跑，直到24迈后才开始尝试冲刺，结果小腿肚跳动不停下坏了，只好放弃最后的冲刺，提心吊胆地跑过了终点。

过了终点拿到奖牌，在最后披上保暖斗篷时左小腿突然爆发-抽筋了，紧接着右腿也抽筋，给我斗篷的女志愿者扶住我，当时痛苦不堪抱着她，如果旁边有个树干扶一下也就没事了，只是辛苦了那位女志愿者（她太倒霉了）。他们叫来轮椅，我艰难地坐上被推倒医疗站。到了医疗站那里竟然没有bio freeze，问我要不要冰。我把我随身带的一包bio freeze 给了他们，他们给我抹到腿上（可惜一包不够）。后来躺到床上，周围有六七个志愿者看护着（应该是医学院的学生），两位女生一边一个按摩腿，旁边的人也是问寒问暖，真是VIP的待遇啊。事后想想我这个抽筋真是恰到好处，正确的时间正确的地点抽的，羡慕吧？ 我通常都是赛后不停走动最后再抹上bio freeze，纽马跑完，人群挤在一起，走动还不够多也是抽筋的一个原因。

与芝麻相比，芝麻因为天热最后感觉是身体虚脱了，腿也许还有力气但大脑和身体不想跑了。而纽马近一千尺的爬坡是真的体力疲劳，脑袋还想跑但腿不行了。波马是所以马赛跑得最愉快的，希望下次纽马跑出欢乐。

对于演技派来说，最关心的是摄影师在哪里。这次大纽约地区几大华人跑团联手设立了六个啦啦/补给/摄影站，邀请了数名职业摄影师参加。早上出门前我已经把这六个站点的位置仔仔细细地写在手背上，并注明是在赛道的左侧还是右侧。

第一个啦啦站在上皇后区大桥前的14.25英里处。过了14迈的官方水站之后，我便开始张望，搜寻队旗。刚看到飘扬的队旗，亲人们就已经小跑着迎了上来。

要喝什么? 嘉得乐? 矿泉水? 还是酸黄瓜汁?
来一瓶二锅头! 哦，没有!  那就矿泉水吧。

一枝花体操队队长Wei今天改行做旗手，把队旗舞得花枝招展上下翻飞。

熟悉的笑脸，激昂的鼓声，贴心细致的服务，打了这一剂续命的鸡血，我低头含胸，一路小跑就上了桥。

都说20英里之后是马拉松真正的开始。过了20英里处的威利斯大道桥，人基本上就进入了zombie 状态，双腿变成自主的机械运动，只是随着摩擦力，开始缓慢减速。

跑上第五大道之后，道路变得很宽，下午一点多顶头的太阳毫无遮掩，晃得人越发疲惫。我跟在两个大汉后面，低头闷跑，了无生趣。只见他俩突然停下脚步与路边的友人寒暄。由于跟得很近，我已来不及躲避，双腿也停不下来。说时迟那时快，我以迅雷不及掩耳之势伸出双臂，插入他俩之间的空隙，以四两拨千斤之力，将他俩轻轻弹开一条狭缝，侧身而过，扬长而去。只听身后传来惊恐的叫声。

踩点时，领队说第五大道的一英里的长缓坡会要人命。从23英里处起始的这个坡让我开始怀疑人生。双腿像灌了铅一样重。周围不少人在走，我也好想停下来走。老司机的谆谆教诲萦绕在耳畔，马上就要到了~~ 24迈的标志好遥远。这一迈比前面多花了近一分钟，所以确实比之前累得多。隐约记得25迈和25.25迈都有摄影师，可我已经累得六亲不认。

过了25迈很快就转向59街哥伦布圈，赛道两边是铺天盖地的观众，仿佛听到有人喊我的名字，我四顾茫然，没戴眼镜啊!  (后来知道是亲爱的白玉老师)

老司机的声音又在耳边响起，快到了~~ 24迈吃的最后一个能量胶起作用了，脚下开始加速，而且越加越有劲。忘记了中央公园著名的夺命坡，忽略了赛道边热情的啦啦队，撒腿狂奔，居然在最后一迈跑出7:46，全程最快的配速!

冲过终点线，低头，按表，3:51:44，难以置信!

三年前第一次跑完新州半马，知道成绩后，我涕泪横流，糊了队友一肩膀。这次进步了，我仰天长啸，拼命喊了一嗓子。

这是我第二次跨过纽马终点线。

在终点做义工的小伙伴们涌了过来，Kai，wei，还有陛下。赛前我跟负责颁奖牌的wei说，一定要等我! 不记得是谁给我挂上的奖牌，只记得把他们都紧紧地拥抱。

和已经下班的wei一起慢慢地走出完赛区，走向不远处麦当劳门口喧腾的肉包子，可口的热茶，以及我可爱的队友们。

纽约是一个神奇的城市，每个人都能在这里找到自己的位置。纽约马拉松也像诞生它的这座城市一样包容，无论你跑得多慢，需要多长时间去完成这26.2英里，只要你有梦想，只要你还在赛道上，就有人在终点等你，给你颁奖，为你鼓掌。就像我的队友瑞秋说的，波马是你向世界证明自己，纽马是世界向你表白。

纽约欢迎你，无论你来自哪里。

–谨以此献给无私奉献的志愿者们，没有你们，就没有这场欢乐的世纪大趴。

纽约欢迎你 无论你来自哪里 –纽约马拉松50周年赛记 (上)
纽约欢迎你 无论你来自哪里 –纽约马拉松50周年赛记 (中)
纽约欢迎你 无论你来自哪里 –纽约马拉松50周年赛记 (下)

早上八点多，韦拉札诺大桥下的运动员村里散落着三三两两穿着各色衣服的人群。这些御寒的外衣都将在赛前被脱下放进回收箱里，捐给慈善机构Goodwill，所以大家通常都会穿可以丢弃的衣服。而我们睡衣派对组穿的都是好姐妹拿来的崭新的样衣，还可以挑选自己可心的款式。

运动员村里有Dunkin Donuts提供的免费咖啡，bagel，和保暖的小绒帽。大屏幕上播放着早已出发的轮椅参赛者和精英跑者的实况，我们席地而坐，喝着咖啡，啃着面包圈，秋日暖阳照在身上，真要忘记今夕是何年了。

纽马赛道跨越纽约五大区，从史丹顿岛的韦拉札诺海峡大桥出发，经布鲁克林区，皇后区，曼哈顿岛，布朗克斯区，再折回到曼哈顿，沿着笔直的第五大道一路向南，24迈后进入中央公园，跑过公园南路后，再次进入中央公园冲刺。

今年的纽马分五波出发，按照以往在NYRR比赛的成绩来分，我们睡衣派对组都是第一次跑马拉松，都在第三波，10:40出发，但是在不同的颜色分组，因此出发点不同，有的在桥上层，有的在桥下层。

十点钟大喇叭里通知第三波可以进入出发区了。我们随着人流往前走，人可真多啊。我在蓝色组，从桥上层出发。老司机赛前告诉我，出发时尽量站到分区的前面，这样开跑之后不用一路闪人。坐在蓝色分区的马路牙子上磕着瓜子，看着眼前几位跃跃欲试的年轻姑娘们谈论她们的计划，她们都来自不同的地方，具体哪里我也不记得了。这个分区的预计完成时间是3:55到4小时。

随着一声炮响，对，是cannon炮，不是枪，人群像打开的水龙头一样从大桥的上下两层分别涌出，迅速铺满桥面。蓝蓝的天，平静的海，奔跑在宽阔的大桥上，仿佛可以忘我地跑到天边。

纽马赛道经过五座大桥，每过一座桥，就进入了另一个区。这也是纽马被认为是六大马拉松里赛道最虐的原因之一。全程最大的坡是一开始的3/4英里上桥，前2英里是大上坡接着大下坡。这个坡虽然又高又长，但并不难跑，因为开始时大家都攒足了劲儿。老司机教导说，第二迈下坡不要使劲冲，别一下子就把腿跑残了。第一迈我用了9:15，第二迈用了8分钟。

进入布鲁克林，拐了几个小弯，之后基本上就是一马平川了。村上春树把他跑步时的胡思乱想写成了畅销书，可见跑步是一件多么费时又无聊的事情。我平常跑步时听书，今天比赛没带手机，没的听了，只能让思绪放飞。

赛前预计4小时完赛，如果不出任何状况，比如抽筋撞墙什么。那么应该跑9:09的配速，第一迈多用了6秒，第二迈找回来了，还有69-6=63秒的富裕。第三迈配速8:30，63+39=102，就有了近2分钟的富裕。这样算下去会把脑子搞坏的，于是我决定用9分配速来计量，可是我并不记得9分速的完赛时间是多少，但是可以用4小时完赛来推算。每英里少用9秒，26英里就是26×9~240=4分钟。所以如果保持9分配速，3小时56分能完成，比 BQ慢一分钟。跑完第三迈，基本上完成了这个推算过程。

26.2英里才过去10%多一点，后面还有3个多小时，怎么打发呢

左顾右盼想找pacer，可是一个举牌的人也没有，看到身边每一个跑得稳健轻松的人，都想去问一下他们是不是pacer，难道今年的pacer不举牌了

荟住在布鲁克林，她说会带着娃娃来看热闹，可这时已经过了十一点，她们应该已经离开了。
前面出现一对高大健美的情侣，在起跑区时见过他俩，穿着柠檬?黄的某年某4M比赛的赛服。他俩跑得很稳很轻松，时不时侧过脸说句话，虽然我听不到他们说什么。就把他俩当pacer吧，跟在后面，享受一下基普乔格的待遇。基普乔格破二时，也有几个人跑在他前面为他挡风。

这一段的布鲁克林我不熟悉，实际上布鲁克林我也没来过几次。李蜜住在威廉斯堡，她说要来给我和芳芳加油。突然听到有人喊我，回头一看，竟然在茫茫人海中看到了李蜜的笑脸和她穿的浅米色的外套!

威廉斯堡在10迈左右，起跑时拿在手上的一小瓶水已经喝完了，pacer也被我跑丢了。一直以8分多的配速跟着感觉跑，上坡慢一点，下坡快一点，没有刻意控制速度。手腕上的4小时配速手环也没用了，心里知道后半程应该有好几分钟富裕的时间可以挥霍。

(先来几张带水印的照片，以示正宗，我真的跑了纽?)

纽约欢迎你 无论你来自哪里 –纽约马拉松50周年赛记 (上)
纽约欢迎你 无论你来自哪里 –纽约马拉松50周年赛记 (中)
纽约欢迎你 无论你来自哪里 –纽约马拉松50周年赛记 (下)

2017年因为妹妹跑纽马，我去做了义工，在21英里水站倒茶送水。早上六点多天还没有大亮，义工们就在水站集合了。义工穿统一的雨衣戴统一的帽子，那年是绿色。无论下雨还是天晴，义工都要穿雨衣，因为给跑者递水杯时，水会溅到身上，如果没有雨衣，几个小时下来，就成落汤鸡了。那件雨衣我还留着，今年去走勃朗峰还救了个急。

那天我是早班，从早上6:30到下午1:30。下班之后，和并肩作战的小伙伴林合一起沿着赛道往终点走。因为穿着绿雨披，也没人拦我们。途中遇到一位撞墙的跑者，小伙子从深圳来。走到25英里水站时，铁梅姑娘加入了我们(她叫宇梅，擅长打铁，所以我叫她铁梅)。纽马赛道的最后3英里在中央公园里面，赛道两边站满了热情的观众，人声鼎沸。我们三个大摇大摆地走过纽马终点线。这是我第一次跨过纽马终点线。

我们站在终点线后面急切地向赛道上张望，这时有位工作人员过来质问，你们怎么在这里?! 原来终点区的志愿者夹克是宝蓝色，我们三件绿雨披显得特别突兀。我立刻陈情，我妹正在向终点跑来，马上就要到了。工作人员说，你们不能待在这里，请尽快离开。话语间妹妹就跑了过来。一阵熊抱/眼眶里充盈着胜利的喜悦/激动的泪水。小伙伴们簇拥着走过奖牌区，志愿者顺便也给了我一块奖牌。后来听说奖牌不够发了，原来不止我一个蹭牌的。

走在激动人心的赛道上，一个念头一闪而过，如果有一天我也能来这里跑步，应该是一件很酷的事情。

时间快进到2018年底，当时刚从尼泊尔爬山回来，听说2020年是纽马50周年，NYRR将会有特别隆重的庆祝活动。生活需要仪式感，现代马拉松原本就是一件极具仪式感的事情，把50周年的纽马做为首马应该不错。

世界六大马拉松报名都有门槛，纽马是相对来说大众一点的，虽然它的达标成绩严苛，普通群众除了抽签，还可以参加NYRR的9+1项目，只要在一年内完成9场NYRR的比赛，无论距离长短，加上一次义工，便自动获得次年的参赛资格。对于住在纽约附近的跑者来说，这是一个福利。说干就干，2019年NYRR的第一场比赛，1月5日的Joe Kleinerman 10K，便是我的9+1之首赛。

时间再快进到2020年初，武汉传出新冠疫情。虽然华人社区因为与国内千丝万缕的联系而开始紧张关注，地球的这一边太阳照常升起，比赛依然进行。二月初顺利拿到纽马报名资格，报了名，脚踝伤也基本痊愈，立春之后开始春训。

2020年的春天是个不祥的季节，三月份疫情开始肆虐全球，生活被按下了暂停键。3月15日的纽约半马在赛前不到一周被取消，春波(马)变成了秋波(马)。秋季到来，疫情丝毫没有减退的迹象，各大马纷纷改为虚拟马，也开启了马拉松赛事的另一种参与方式。

时间到了2021年，随着疫苗的普及，暂停键慢慢松开，十八周的马拉松训练计划被提上了议事日程，偏偏这时左脚筋膜炎发作，从此开始了与之几个月的艰苦抗战。足底按摩，同时减少跑量，从隔天跑改成一周一跑，可是疼痛并没有好转。到六月几乎停跑。尝试了各种手段，咨询了各路大神小仙，最后发现每天两次长时间的小腿肌肉拉伸+KT tape有所帮助。对完全恢复的期望一推再推，直到有一天，听到一位职业铁三选手说，足底筋膜炎伴随了他十几年。既然打不败它，就学着与它共存吧。

九月上旬索性破罐子破摔，决定去环勃朗峰徒步。十一天高强度的跋山涉水，风里来雨里去，每天傍晚到达住处时，脚趾头就像被小锤子挨个砸了一遍，脚后跟痛得不想着地，迫不及待地要换上拖鞋。所幸每天早上起来都能满血复活，各种不适烟消云散。更加意外的是，回来之后，筋膜炎的疼痛好了许多，基本上不影响跑步了。大概是这些天上山下乡，锻炼了不同的腿部肌肉，歪打正着了。

回家一周之后，体力差不多恢复了，离纽马还有五周时间，必须好好跑步了。倒计时第四周的周跑量达到空前绝后的50英里，并去纽马赛道后半程踩了点，后来才知道这个踩点有多重要。倒数第三周开始减少跑量，密切关注天气预报，准备赛服。

跑群有个传统，赛前上定装照，以便啦啦队和摄影师们捕捉跑者们赛道上的英姿。这里先剧透一下，我们虽然不是纽马赛道上最亮的星，但我们一定是运动员村最拉风的组。

纽约欢迎你 无论你来自哪里 –纽约马拉松50周年赛记 (上)
纽约欢迎你 无论你来自哪里 –纽约马拉松50周年赛记 (中)
纽约欢迎你 无论你来自哪里 –纽约马拉松50周年赛记 (下)