May 2013 China Update: Conquering the Great Wall at JinShanglin and living to tell about it!

Greetings all,
It's been awhile since I last wrote...things have been busy for us!  We moved to a new apartment here in Shenyang..no closer to work (bummer), but a newer apartment.  We're just now getting settled in with boxes everywhere.  The contract with our previous hotel expired on 30 April, so, if we were going to make a move, it needed to be effective 1 May.  As some of you know, we signed up to run the Great Wall Marathon on the 1st of May outside of Beijing, so we had to pack everything up from our old place by the 29th of April, put it in temporary storage in the new place, have our running gear for Beijing for the 1st, and be able to function in the new place (work clothes etc) on the 5th of May.  This was slightly complicated, but my dear husband, in true logistics fashion pulled it off!

The Great Wall marathon...what a challenge.  In case you are wondering, there are at least 2 of these races outside of Beijing...one is an 'adventure' marathon with nearly all of the race On the Great Wall...and not just any section of the Great Wall...a mostly un-restored portion...which is good that there are few people compared to Badaling (the main tourist spot outside of Beijing), but bad in that it's dangerous...really dangerous!  These races (5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon, full marathon) are not like any marathon...they are really a climbing marathon...steps..and not just 'normal' steps...big steps, broken off steps, missing steps, you name it...tough!  Multiple signs posted warning you not to run, or climb on the great wall!  But this is the venue and it's what we signed up for, so we attacked it!  I entered this race well trained...for a running marathon...I've been training for the past 6 months...doing running, doing steps, strength training...it did not prepare me for what I was about to endure!

The race was not so well organized... we were to leave at 5:00am sharp on 1st of May to go on a 2.5 hour bus ride to the Wall so that we could start the race no later than 8:00am (before it got too hot)...well, we left late and consequently got started late, which meant that we were running in more of the heat of the day.  Granted, to pull off a race like this, it took, many volunteers to tote water, bananas and signs to the wall...there is no easy way to get there...they had to trudge the same paths as we did carrying cases of water and fruit, so I guess I shouldn't complain!

Rod signedup for and completed the 10k in 4hrs, and I signedup for the full marathon and completed the 1/2 marathon...It took me 6 hours to do the 1/2 marathon and the time limit was 8 hours, so I knew there was no way I could do another 1/2 marathon in the 2 hours that was left...that and the fact that my legs were about to wobble off and I knew I would not be stable on my feet..and I didn't want to risk falling off the wall (and trust me, there were ample opportunity to fall off!) I learned later that over 90% of the people that signed up for the full marathon did not finish...misery loves company I guess!  I wore a pedometer that day, and it said I had done 18 miles (when a 1/2 marathon is 13.1miles) and I had climbed over 690 flights of steps (the equivalent of Mount Mitchell in the Smokey Mountains!)...It was my first "DNF (Did not Finish) ever in the life, but I am very proud of what I did...looking back at the pictures, I'm in awe of anyone finishing in the timelimit!
Here are just a few pictures of the Wall and Rod and Sarah on the Wall...5 days after the race, my muscles are still a bit sore!

Rod and Sarah before the big race!

Rod running 'down hill' on the wall...look behind him to see what he just came down!

Taking a break at Houchuan Pass (as in mountain pass!)

Just an example on a 'good section' of the Wall we had to come up (and down)

More of those steps!

Rod taking a break in one of the signal stations

Yep...up and down that big boy...2 full loops (2 times up and 2 times down) for the full marathon

Where is that step? 

Rod and Sarah meet on the wall...coming and going...and both breathing hard!

A picture after the Wall..after Rod had taken shower and Sarah got some energy back!

Rod at the staring point

Just another part of the challenging Wall

Yep, we're all climbing the wall...at the beginning...over 300 starters...not many finishers!

Yep, we did it all...2 times!

More Wall

The up hill was actually easier than the downhill for me!

What guard rail?

More Wall...and broken steps!

Rod and Sarah meet again on the Wall

A close up of part of the Wall 'running' surface

A picture of Sarah at the finish line...1/2 marathon on the Great Wall of China!

So, as you can see, this was not just any marathon...there's just no way to describe it!  I'm glad it's finished and don't plan on going back!  I said this was my last full marathon...I hate to end on a DNF...but I know I wont be signing up for a full marathon on this thing!
My goal was to have something to keep me focused and dedicated to running to keep in shape...well, it did that, and I'm in good shape...other than this stomach bug that attacked me yesterday!

If you are planning to come visit us here in China and you want to see the Great Wall...we'll probably accompany you to Badaling outside of Beijing, not sure we'll be climbing with you though!

Thanks so much for your continued prayers and emails!

Sarah & Rod