We had a police car that steered away other traffic and led the way for us. What an honor! Running across the finishing line of Lidingöloppet Changchun was a fulfilling moment for myself, and not the least for Olof, although he has done this umpteen times before.
I clocked 41min25secs for 7.5km, while Olof clocked at an estimate of 33min (he did not check his results immediately at the finish line station).
*results are out! I am 20th place and Olof's 21st! If you are interested, check out the results listing here: http://www.nordicways.com/english/index.php/viewnews-582.html *
We have been training for this race since February. Initially, I underestimated the difficulty of this race because I thought, "Cheh, it's only 7.5km. Should be quite managable." But Olof told me otherwise. Why? The terrain. And indeed he was right.
Running 7.5km on flat surfaces is easily managable, but not on hilly terrains where the upslope can be as steep as 45 degrees. I seriously almost passed out climbing them. Yes, there was not one, but many such steep upslopes.
We were satisfied with our performances. But more significantly, the race brought Olof and I even closer (we were already quite inseparable to start with *grin*). It was akin to working as a team and achieving something together. The feeling was amazingly great. That's what building a family together is all about, isn't it?
Although the day was less than perfect with a bumpy flight back to Beijing, it ended with a quiet and tranquil dinner at a Thai retaurant. My beloved husband, as usual, mapped out our future plans on the back of his torn and tattered e-boarding pass during the flight and showed it to me over dinner. Big plans are usually hatched at the most unusual of times and inscribed on the most unusual of scripts.
Our big plans will slowly unravel themselves as we begin our year no.2 in Beijing and we believe it is going to be another exciting year ahead.
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