Skip to main content

Ha Long Bay 42km Marathon

 
#abetterversionofme2018
As many already know, back in January, I was absolutely devastated when I got sick and was forced to withdraw from the HCMC Marathon. I really wasn't willing to wait a whole year to get another shot at running a marathon, therefore I kept my eyes and ears open waiting for another opportunity to pop up. Eventually, one day, I came across a post on Facebook advertising for a new race in Ha Long Bay, a part of the country I had yet to visit. I felt like this would be the perfect opportunity for me to run my "yearly" marathon and to visit another part of Vietnam, which people often rave about.

After registering for the race, I chose not to talk about it much as I feared things wouldn't go as I'd hoped again. Deep down, I knew that, for several reasons, I was not going to be, mentally nor physically, at the exact same place I was in January. Nonetheless, I was still looking forward to the challenge.
Last Wednesday night training session with runclub.vn before race day
So, this past Thursday night, I flew from HCMC to Hai Phong. I stayed the night in Hai Phong, had a brief workout, a wonderful breakfast and a stroll around the streets the next day, then made my 2-hour journey to Ha Long Bay. After checking in at my beachside resort hotel in Ha Long Bay, I picked up my race kit and attended the carb-loading dinner put on by the organizers. Then, on Saturday, I chose to rest for most of the day.
View at the back of my resort hotel in Ha Long Bay
After a good nights rest, I woke up Sunday around 3:45am and got ready for the race. My hotel was situated near the finish line of the race and I had to take a taxi to get to the starting point in Ha Long City. I already couldn't believe I was going to have to run that entire distance to make my way back! 
Map of the route
The area where the race began was absolutely beautiful. Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes. It was pretty amazing to run the first stretch while admiring this unique landscape. Unfortunately, the stunning views disappeared too quickly and suddenly I was running up a winding steep hill, towards a very long bridge, then on to a long stretch through the city filled with buses and trucks. For the first 21 kms, I was doing great. My pacing was on point and for some time, I thought maybe my January goal was a possibility. But...between 23-24kms, something happened. My legs started to feel sore and my mind began to wonder. I began walking at every water station. Eventually, I made it to the entrance of the island where I would soon go pass my hotel and the finish line. However, a quick look at my watch informed me that I still had approximately 12 kms to go. Here I was, running past the finish line, going further and further and further away. That was really tough to accept. The last 12kms were absolutely horrendous. I seriously wanted to take a seat on the curb and start crying, as I didn't think this run was fun anymore. Instead though, I paused, took a deep breath, had a quick look at the view and told myself to just chip away and keep going one step at a time. 
Running along with stunning views
It really wasn't easy, and I'm definitely not happy with my performance, mostly in the second half of the run. I keep thinking of all the reasons why things didn't go well - small number of participants, very few bystanders cheering, chafing under arms, pain in ankles, knees and hips, lack of long distance training over the last 2 months, 5 weeks participating in the Crossfit Open...BUT, as many have reminded me, in the end, I still made it, I still ran another 42km full marathon, which is an accomplishment in itself.

Even with the extreme struggle, I still managed to complete the race in 4:23:30 (a little less than 1 minute faster than my previous PB), to finish 3rd of 5 females and 23rd of 54 runners overall. 
Top 3 female finishers
Awards presentation

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I can do much better than this and hopefully one day I'll be able to prove it. One thing is for sure though - I’ve truly learned my lesson and I know that I'll need to train much much much more if I want better results.

 Well, that's a wrap for my 2017-2018 road race season! 3 different distances, 3 different cities, 3 different podium finishes and 2 PBs. 

 I mean, I guess that's not too bad after all... ;) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mirror, Mirror

  “I could try to be just like you, but I wanna be like me - the girl in the mirror.” Have you ever looked at a picture of yourself and thought “YIKES!”? Of course you have! We all have! We can all get a little self-critical from time to time, can’t we? I’ll be honest, I don’t often love seeing pictures of myself, especially those really close up, like selfies. Every image seems to amplify my insecurities and highlight “ flaws ” that I wish would disappear. I’m a pretty simple girl—no make-up, no heels, just me as I am, and I find that the world often holds up a different standard of beauty for females, one that's heavily curated and polished. My negative thoughts can weigh heavily at times, and social media ( with all its’ filters ) only magnifies those feelings of self-doubt. Over the last year, I’ve taken a number of selfies or mirror pictures. Some were taken to capture moments during my solo trips, some were taken to track physical changes influenced by diet, training and r...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fly Away

  “Until you spread your wings, you’ll never know how far you can fly.” For as long as I can remember, there has been a relentless pull within me; a desire to fly away, to explore beyond the boundaries of familiarity, and to immerse myself in the cultural richness of our world. It all started over 15 years ago with a pivotal moment: my first international trip to the Dominican Republic for humanitarian purposes. Little did I know then that this remarkable trip ( *along with teaching in a challenging multicultural school ) would set the stage for a life defined by adventure, discovery, and personal growth. Since that transformative experience, my life has been a whirlwind of movement and exploration. I've been blessed with the opportunity to experience living and working abroad, both in the UAE and in Vietnam, and along the way, I've had the privilege to traverse more than 40 countries, each offering its own unique blend of culture, history, landscape and perspective. Looking ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The runner in me

“Mind over miles.” A few years back, I was all in. I was that person signing up for every race that came across my radar—10K’s, half-marathons, marathons—you name it. The thrill of crossing the finish line, the camaraderie at the starting line, the way the crowds cheered you on, it was all so energizing. I didn’t even need music to get through a run, even a whole 42km marathon, which, I know, sounds crazy to most people. But there I was, in my zone, taking it all in and doing something I enjoyed. I collected lots of medals and racked up plenty of podium finishes, but most importantly I had some memorable international races, and met tons of amazing people along the way. I discovered that running was a really accessible sport; all you needed was a pair of shoes and the will to go. I could literally show up to a race, put one foot in front of the other, and—boom—be part of a community of people all working toward the same goal. So, what happened? Why did I stop running? For me, it came d...
Post a Comment
Read more