Wuhan / Wuxi. In March, running met cherry blossoms: East Lake, Lihu Lake, and three races became one honest set of notes.
The beauty of Luo Ying lies in its drift,
The beauty of life lies in blooming.
In March, running and encountering cherry blossoms unexpectedly,
On the shore of East Lake and Lihu Lake, cherry blossoms are like a dream.
But…
No matter how prosperous the flowers are, they will fade away easily.
No matter how beautiful your years are, you will never be able to get them back.
In his twenties,
I should have the freedom and strength of my twenties,
But there are so many things worth thinking about that I can’t even see who I am.
Just make it simple then.
Change your perspective, change your identity, change your mood,
Why compare, why catch up, why bother,
Let the wind and clouds surge in the distance, no matter how you love,
This time, I just want to ride on the horse in the name of a runner.
After the corruption of the Spring Festival, coupled with the baptism of the Northeast's meaty wind, I finally succeeded in gaining ten pounds without restraint. Facing the "handsome(pang)gasm(pang)(pang)" of myself in the mirror, I couldn't help but sigh: "Hey, I have become strong again!" But then I thought about the upcoming horse racing peak period, and thought again It was unbearable to have to be tortured by such strong and powerful footsteps on the soft path, so for the sake of the road of socialism, for the infrastructure of the motherland and the people, and for the development of Chinese characteristics in the new era of Xi Jinping... (in short, I thought a lot), finally, I decided to implement the horse racing instructions and vigorously develop the cause of weight loss.
So, when I returned to school, I started running again. Speaking of running, I have to praise Wuhan University. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with Luojia Mountain in front and Wuhan East Lake, the largest urban lake in the country, in the back. No matter the pace, any distance, as long as you want, there is always a route that suits you, and the scenery is so beautiful!
It is said that "Luojia has the most beautiful weather in March. Jiangcheng is mountainous and Luojia is unique." In March, this place has become my first choice for running places.
However, I don’t agree with the above sentence at all. What do you mean by “the most beautiful March in Luojia?” It’s clear that November and December are quite beautiful, but after I came here I realized that there are more than just cherry blossoms here. Every season at Wuhan University is a painting, and some of the photos come from my excellent roommate Tong Ge.
March is indeed the best time for running. After all, "If you don't lose weight in March, you will become fat like Zhang Huimei" is not nonsense (if you don't believe it, please look at Zhang Huimei).
Coupled with the embellishment of Wudalo Cherry Blossoms, being able to run a lap here is a pleasure for running enthusiasts both inside and outside.
Morning or night jogging on Luojia Mountain has become a required course for me every week. My favorite route is naturally: Ministry of Industry Dormitory → Luojia Mountain → General Map → Wanlin Museum → Cherry Blossom Avenue → Ministry of Industry Dormitory. Some people say that running in Luojia Mountain means paying homage to the Goddess of Luo. The occasional encounter with a little fox also makes running full of unexpected surprises.
On weekends, as long as I have free time, I will brush the East Lake Greenway. East Lake is closer than Luojia Mountain. It is unbearable. The dormitory is right by the lake. Do you think it is irritating? East Lake’s world-class greenway is the core of the second half of the Han Marathon. Last year, CCTV’s live broadcast specifically praised East Lake. How could you not love running while studying at the unique Wuhan University?
The marathon is here after running. I look at the two pounds that I lost in the past half a month with great satisfaction and set off on the journey...
The East Lake Greenway Cherry Blossom Half Marathon is scheduled for March 18. It is the first well-organized marathon event since the opening of the greenway. It is organized by Lairunba. The promotional pictures are very beautiful and the medals are also very attractive. Especially during the cherry blossom season in Wuhan, plus passing through the East Lake landmark cherry blossom garden, it can be said that it is a half marathon worth running. But since the Wuxi Marathon a week later has been made up, this race is not in the plan.
By chance, on the train home for the Chinese New Year, I saw the Cherry Blossom Horse Rabbit Selection posted by a friend on Moments. I thought about horse racing from a different perspective (MianFei) and all kinds of official benefits. It was so exciting. However, since I have little experience with rabbits, I can only sign up tentatively and leave it to chance.
In early March, I was on the treadmill and saw that I had hit 215 rabbits. I was so happy that I almost fell over. Thinking of a large group of people following me during a horse race, I felt inexplicably excited. However, like the Changsha Marathon, due to irresistible factors, the Sakura Marathon was forced to be postponed from the 18th to the 24th, back-to-back with the Wuxi Marathon on the 25th.
However, although I am full of expectations for Xima, I still don’t want to miss this magical experience of rabbits, so the Buddhist running method of Wuxi Wansai has become my first choice.
Before the race, Brother Hao gave all our rabbits a big easter egg. We rode a fat bike at night on the East Lake Greenway and Sakura Garden to familiarize ourselves with the track (the usual admission to the Sakura Garden is 60 yuan). The Sakura Garden at night was so beautiful. It was the first time to meet all the Sakura Rabbits, and I made a lot of friends. It was a great experience.
The next day, accompanied by the cool morning light, I arrived at the East Lake Liyuan very early, but the organizing committee and volunteers did not know how long they had been busy.
Before the race, Aiyundong and Paowei took a lot of photos of the Yingtu children (Laipao actually invited Paowei and iyun, Social Society).
The person who did 215 Rabbit with me was Sister Ning, who is often gray and round. We are running at the same pace, and we are also from the ice city of Harbin (Oh my god, I am a fellow countryman, so muddy and dirty?).
After starting the race, Sister Ning and I have been keeping a steady pace of 623. As I ran, I compared Garmin's virtual rabbit. There would be runners following behind me. I would also tell them how to run from time to time, adhering to the horse's entertainment spirit of eating well and drinking well, leading everyone to play the race. After 1.5 kilometers, we entered the Huzhong Road. The weather was neither cold nor hot, and the lake and green shade complemented each other perfectly. Although I have run this road countless times, this experience is really the most special.
At 7 kilometers, entering the cherry blossom garden, enthusiastic spectators on the roadside will shout cheers and high-five the passing runners. They found that this place was a completely different world, and all the runners were amazed, it was so beautiful. There were beauties in Chinese costumes cheering in front. It can be said that the essence of the entire Sakura Horse is condensed here. It really did not disappoint everyone. The beautiful photos captured the moment of running under the cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms will fall, but I think the running figure will definitely stay in the hearts of every runner.
After leaving the Sakura Garden, passing through Chucheng, turning back, and entering the country road, the wind came from the side, and Sister Ning's 215 balloon flew into the sky. I also changed from dragging the balloon to running with the balloon. I also controlled the pace steadily in the second half of the race. Occasionally, some runners would say, "If I hadn't followed you, I probably wouldn't have been able to run so fast."
At 17 kilometers, I had a big supply and adjusted my pace. I thought I could cross the line on time at 215, but from 20 to 21 kilometers I found that the distance was obviously much shorter. I had no choice but to cross the finish line at a little more than 214. This was my first rabbit trip, and it was a successful completion of the mission. What I was particularly happy about was that I got to know many great rabbits in the circle, and fellow countryman Daning.
Posting photos after the race, everyone praised this sister for her kindness, and I proudly replied: "No, we Northeastern Bankers are all lively Lei Feng." Sister Ning is indeed very enthusiastic. She has also introduced me to my girlfriend these days. She is really nice.
In addition, I would like to give a big thumbs up to the Sakura Horse Organizing Committee. Although the Sakura Horse is held for the first time, no matter whether it is the pre-race organization, in-race supplies, track setting, or post-race medal distribution, they all appear to be very sophisticated. The pre-race publicity is also very effective, and it is obvious that they are veterans in the horse racing industry. The route setting of Lake Light Overture, Lake Middle Road, Cherry Garden, Chucheng, Suburban Road... connects the most beautiful scenery of East Lake. It can be said that it is very careful. It is especially rare to get the resources of Cherry Garden. I hope that East Lake Cherry Blossom Horse can become the new IP of Wuhan Marathon after Han Horse.
After Sakurama ended, I didn’t have time to take photos with everyone, so I hurried back to school, picked up the equipment and went straight to Wuxi. Although I was in a hurry, the timing was just right. I arrived in Wuxi at 7pm, picked up the equipment at 8pm, arrived at the youth hostel at 9pm, and went to bed at 10pm.
I have a special mission when I come to Wuxi this time, which is to take the sweet orange kid (actually she is a senior) to run the full marathon. The little girl is not tall, but she is full of energy. We met at an event of a running group last year, and I asked her: "School girl, which university do you go to?"
Last year, my first marathon was the Yuan'an Half Marathon, and she went directly to the Shuangyi Marathon on the same day to run the full marathon. For me, who was new to marathons at that time, I couldn't help but exclaim: "How inhumane!" Even after that, she went to Singapore to run the Standard Chartered, which can be said to be very cool.
Now, a year later, after more than a dozen marathons, I am no longer what I used to be and have become a seasoned horse racing driver. But she has gradually contracted a "work-related injury" during her internship in the workplace, and her strength has declined, so out of humanitarian concern (ok, I admit that I am a little tired after just finishing the Sakura Marathon) ), I decided to finish the tin horse with Sweet Orange, so as a player in Area B (the great master), I retreated to Area E and set off with Sweet Orange. This time, I am willing to be a green leaf, but the fans can’t hold it, so I just wear green. It just so happens that the big St. Cony T I got from the last Love Burning submission can come in handy.
On the day of the competition, I got up early and rode my bicycle across the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and rushed to the starting point of the Wuxi New Sports Center. After depositing my bags, Tiancheng and I made an appointment to meet in Area E. There was a huge crowd of fans. Fortunately, my hat was bright enough. I could easily lock the coordinates by waving it out and the meeting went smoothly.
Sure enough, I could clearly see that Tiancheng’s strength was declining before we started (don’t ask me how I could tell). There was no starting gun here. I only knew that the crowd started to squirm, and we followed suit. We passed the gantry at the starting point of Area E, and then DCBA. After about 20 minutes, we finally entered the track.
The weather for this year's Xima is particularly good. It's not like the previous years where it was rainy. Although rain is easy to PB, the sunshine is a perfect opportunity to see the beautiful scenery of Xima. Moreover, there is no pressure to run PB this time. It's just a good time to enjoy the wind, look at the scenery and take photos. Taking pictures and running became an accessory. After the race, I also handed in a satisfactory answer sheet: 1 bag of rice cakes, 2 egg tarts, 2 green dumplings, 6 energy gels, 8 bananas, N cups of water, N+1 cups of drinks, and 593 photos.
As the jewel in the eye of Taihu Lake, Wuxi can be said to have brought the elegance and beauty of Jiangnan to the extreme, and Yuantouzhu is the best spokesperson for this wonderful IP. Guo Moruo once said, "The best place in Taihu Lake is in Yuantou after all." I heard that Wuxi Yuantouzhu is the place with the most cherry blossoms in China and one of the three top cherry blossom viewing spots in the world.
Shili Fangjing is the main road at the gate of Yuantouzhu Scenic Area. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the scenery changes for ten miles. There are pink willows in spring, fragrant lotus ponds in summer, colorful red leaves in mid-autumn, and white snow in winter. It can be said that the beautiful scenery is continuous throughout the four seasons and is pleasing to the eye everywhere. The weather is just right today, so running here must be an excellent experience that runners have been asking for all these years. Tiancheng and I moved very slowly and never missed a supply station. The beauty of the small bridge and running water at the exit of the scenic spot added a bit of tenderness to this section of the track.
While running through the cherry blossom section of Shilifang Trail, I suddenly thought of a sentence: "If the cherry blossoms fall at a speed of 5 centimeters per second, then what speed should I use to meet you?" After running through Yuantouzhu, I realized that slowing down is the answer.
The next highlight was Jiangnan University half a year ago. I remember coming to Wuxi after graduating from high school. At that time, I regretted why I didn’t enroll in Jiangnan University. Now, when I run across Jiangda, I pass by this place again. I have never stopped, and there is no need to stay. I suddenly realize that life is just like this. As long as I run forward, there is no need to look back.
A marathon actually passes through a university, which is probably unique on the marathon map in China. The road at Jiangnan University is really wide, and the scenery of Xiaoli Lake and Qushui Bridge is also extremely beautiful. One university carries a nearly three-kilometer stage, but the enthusiasm of Jiangnan University students extends far beyond these three kilometers. The flags of various colleges are flying, and cheers are continuous. The young and beautiful Jiangnan University students have become the most beautiful scenery here.
Jiangda Stadium is the boundary between the full marathon and the half marathon, and our full-course runners exited the east gate of Jiangda, stepped on Wudu Road and headed straight for Shangxian Bridge. To be honest, there were not many highlights in the second half of the stage, as it seemed to be at the junction of urban and rural areas. But the process is not boring, such as the three-level heads popping up on the track, the trio of superheroes, the 81-year-old old man in a turban, and the Vietnam War veteran wearing a national flag. Some are hilarious and some are heartwarming.
But the most beautiful scenery should be the little pink flowers on the roadside. The cute volunteers are holding signs to cheer up or delivering supplies with enthusiasm. These all relieve the fatigue of runners time and time again. In particular, one volunteer saw the graffiti of "Wuda" on my arm and shouted: "Wu, handsome, come on!". At that moment, my blood really surged, not to mention how warm it was. Give her a thumbs up and move on...
They are really great, and aren’t those cute smiling faces the most beautiful sunshine in March?
Although Tiancheng was exhausted in the second half of the race, he was still able to trot to finish the race and pass the finish line. The time was fixed at five hours and ten minutes. At this moment, the results had lost their meaning. After running through Wuxi, thinking back to the scenery along the way and the beautiful smiling faces, the whole person seemed to have received an unprecedented release.
After the race, I took Tiancheng Zhi to pick up my race bag. Coincidentally, we both drove from Wuxi East in the evening. She went to Beijing to continue her internship, while I had to rush back to school overnight. We still have to admit that some things are more important than horse racing, such as papers and experiments. I stayed in Wuxi for less than 24 hours and had to leave. I missed the Three Kingdoms City and Water Margin when I first came to Wuxi and regretted it for six years. I still miss it now, but I added Sauce Spare Ribs, Wuxi Xiaolongbao, and Little Chaos to this missed list. Although I missed more, I can still imagine what kind of sweetness Wuxi is, just like this Xi Ma, even if it ends, it is still sweet in my heart.
From Harbin Marathon to Xima, Huipao's events have always had a good reputation. I heard that Huipao was originally founded by a group of running enthusiasts. It may be because of this that the organizers know what runners really need and understand runners best.
East Lake is indeed a geomantic treasure. It just held the Cherry Blossom Horse last week, and this week it will usher in China's first college student marathon. The event is run by Colorful Sports. The registration fee of 60 yuan is very affordable. The event is divided into half marathon and 6 kilometers for everyone.
Many students in our Luojia Running Group have signed up. The Luojia Running Group was mainly established by Brother Feng and I last year. The group is mainly composed of postgraduate students from Wuhan University who love running. Regular running appointments also give students the opportunity to release their energy.
As a small running group at Wuhan University, our image is youthful and energetic, and the unique proximity to the East Lake makes this place our first choice for running. Therefore, I drew such a big flag. The flowing LJ_Run is wandering in the spring breeze of East Lake. We are the clear stream of Luojia on the bank of East Lake, and we are the Luojia Running Group.
Last week’s Cherry Blossom Horse Troupe also had students participating. Some seniors who had graduated many years ago took the initiative to take a photo when they saw the flags. However, there were very few students participating this time.
In East Lake Malaysia, the enthusiasm of the students is unprecedentedly high, so this is really the first expedition for the Luojia Runners. I didn’t have too many expectations for the first Malaysia, but I was really surprised when I picked up the equipment. The organizing committee’s inspection of participating college students was very strict. Anti-substitute bracelets, student ID tests, physical examination certificates, strict agency collection, and the high execution ability of the volunteers and very distinctive volunteer clothing were all eye-catching. After getting the competition package, the competition uniforms were very similar to last year's Han Horse. The yellow robes were added to the body, which was very beautiful. This was in line with the youthful, enthusiastic and lively personality of the university students.
There is a very popular thing in the football circle recently. After watching the National Football Team's China Cup training, several senior leaders in their 80s suddenly said: "The ball is not played well, there are a lot of tattoos!" Therefore, leaders at all levels issued a ban in response to the call of the old leaders: "Those who have tattoos, take them on the bench or go home!" As a tattoo subculture, graffiti has always been the endorsement of bad boys, at least in China. In order to respond to the call of the Party Central Committee, we actively displayed the image of contemporary college students (Am I Very Red). This time "NO darkness, NO graffiti."
On March 31st, the East Lake Marathon arrived as scheduled, and the group photo before the race was very impressive. However, the half marathon and six kilometers were separated, and too many short-distance runners were missed. I originally planned to take my juniors to PB this time, but when I passed through the crowd before the race, they disappeared. I had to curse in my heart: "Don't blame me for not taking you, why can't you keep up with me?"
I ran the Buddhist race twice, and now I think about it a little more seriously, but why can't I pick up the pace after reaching 430? Then I thought about the ten pounds of meat stuck to my body during the New Year, but I felt calm, and the pace of 430 throughout the whole process was not difficult. The supplies during the race surprised me again. They were really rich, including yogurt, cream cake, War Horse Red Bull, Gatorade, and Xiao Ming classmates. Not only were they abundant, but the intervals were very short. There would be a medical staff every 100 meters, which fully ensured the safety of every runner.
The participation of professional photographers from Paowei and Aiyundong captured precious moments for everyone. Every time I passed a photographer or volunteer, I would applaud them to express my gratitude. After the race, I purchased genuine photos for the first time and removed the watermarks. I would like to thank the photographers for their hard work.
However, I still have to say that the whole marathon was run at a slow pace. I really don’t like running in the half marathon. I passed the finish line in a little more than 1 hour and 33 minutes. The 66 college students were acceptable. There was no PB (you still want PB!). After the race, everyone was waiting for everyone to return to the team in the finishing area. The students in the group were all looking for an organization after the race. At the end, they hung their medals and took a group photo with the students who found the organization. It was obvious that everyone was very happy running.
The medal is very beautiful and full of youthful vitality, which is great for students.
While walking to find the car, I heard some classmates talking. "Eighteen kilometers, I felt my eyes darken, my legs felt weak, and then I lay down until the finish line." Listening to such a conversation, I still feel scared. Indeed, as a group of college students who lack exercise, it is indeed dangerous to run a horse blindly. I still have to say that you need to be cautious when running a horse and don't compare.
Another paragraph goes like this: "It's so fun to run, so full to eat, and the girl is so good-looking. It's worth the 60 yuan!" I thought about his words very seriously, and my evaluation was indeed very objective, especially the analysis of the third sentence was very accurate.
In short, the first college student marathon hosted by Colorful Sports can really be described as amazing. It is really not easy to get such high praise from college runners who have always been demanding. After the race, there will be dedicated volunteers to ask everyone to fill in a questionnaire, hoping to continue to improve. Compared with some arrogant organizers, such a humble attitude should at least give a big thumbs up, and there will be stretching volunteers to help everyone recover. All the guarantees I can think of are available. Malaysia is really good and worth running again!
Finally, if I were asked to evaluate what I wrote, it would definitely not be considered a good competition review because it contains too many subjective emotions and stories around me. But I think that if we can look at these three races from the perspective of ordinary running enthusiasts, they will feel very real, and they will appear more objective because they are subjective.
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Words | Arsenan
Photos | Arsenan
Design | Arsenan