MarathonMad.com

Hsinchu Marathon.

What a fabulous day! A day of friendships and achievements, a day of sunshine and frolics, of humour and a fair dashing of pain. Thanks must go to Steve and Alex, the Hsinchu Massif, who organised a brilliant city marathon that boasted coastlines and beaches, paddy fields and country lanes and not a monstrosity of an Expressway in sight. Thanks also to all the people who helped direct the runners and give out water and run errands for McDonalds (?) and yoghurts and Supao and beer. I know full well that this is not an easy job, and giving up your Saturday to provide this invaluable help was immensely appreciated. Thanks also to Andy for writing a great account of the day, a runner’s perspective very refreshing indeed. And, most of all, congratulations to all those who ran, cycled, walked, wailed or swam. In particular to those who completed their first marathons: Steve, Steve, Andy and Colin. Well done! You really made the day unforgettable. (more…)

Lugang to Dajia.

Starting at 3pm, we hope it’s an early enough start to catch the train to Hsinchu tonight. The Hsinchu Marathon has been a source of great excitement for runner and lazybones alike, and is scheduled for tomorrow. It’s been organised meticulously by Alex and Steve and we hear there’ll be lots of runners and friends taking part. Luckily, we’re not too far behind schedule, but we certainly would rather take the train than ride the motorbike all the way there. Leaving Lugang, the road splits and we ponder whether to take the 61 or the 17. The hundreds of thundering trucks on the 17 seems reason enough to take the other. But road 61 is possibly the ugliest I’ve ever seen in my life. The elevated expressway roars ominously from above, towering down from massive concrete pillars and overshadowing the motorcycle route we are on below. The road’s lined with truck tyre shops, mechanics and the compulsory sprinkling of betel nut stores, the girls in raunchier outfits than usual and the only bit of ‘glamour’ along this polluted, industrialised stretch of hell road. But, it’s flat and even and Neil’s making great progress.

With the iPod uncharged today, Neil’s mind is springing into action and his philosophical mood is taking him on a mental journey thats theme seems to revolve around the nature/nurture arguments. Every six kilometres he updates me with his theorizing and insists I give my opinion so he can mull that over during the next part of his run. Later, we meet some drunk but harmless Taiwanese who are very concerned about why (more…)

Mialiao to Lugang.

Dave has taken it upon himself to fly the flag as he runs the first six kilometres with Neil today. The wind is still strong, though less strong thankfully than yesterday, and I hope he doesn’t fly away on a gust, especially after he managed to find lattes in desolated Mialiao and brought them to Neil and I this morning. We were sorry to leave our Motel, so homely and wholesome with parking and a privet bush outside.

In contrast to the east coast, for days we’ve passed immense open plains where just crop fields and large pools of water stretch out as far as the distant hills. The open spaces mean the wind is unobstructed and it’s chilly. Without noticing, we have crossed the Tropic of Cancer again, and I see how it acts as an invisible barrier to heat and good weather passing further north than that point.

Neil will, at today’s 34th kilometre point, reach the 1000th kilometre of his expedition. That is some achievement. Even, I think, by his standards. The boys run the first 12.5 kilometres together. I know Neil has enjoyed running with someone again, admiring with his compatriot (Dave’s English despite his Australian accent) the view where the leafless trees near the Jioushei River stretch below fog like an autumn day in England. Fair England! The wind today is “manageable” and at least better than yesterday’s relentless billowing from the north. It swirls around from side to side and towards our runner. Never behind him though. Never with him. Neil swears that never once in his entire athletic life has the wind been with him. (more…)

Somewhere East of Beigang to Mialiao.

Yesterday was certainly eventful. But even having learned to always be suspicious of what the marathon may hold, and not to take quiet days for granted, we were not expecting another possible disaster to arise again so soon. As usual, the day began harmoniously and without trial. The only possible hint at the challenges that lay before Neil this day could be found with hindsight in a little piece about hurricanes in that Al Gore climate change movie we were watching in the hotel last night. Of course, at that time, severe winds were as far from our minds as the melting ice caps. But isn’t that always the case?

Heading north on route 17, we laughed about the wind and told Dave about the typhoonish encounter Neil had had a few days before. Yet that had passed within an hour. These gales were to rule the whole day and night. Now, you may not be sure how a little bit of a weather system can be of of incidence in these kinds of scenarios. I suggest then that you go and find a feather, (a tall one that hasn’t been able to eat enough for the calories it’s been burning), and a hairdryer with an ultimate blow setting. Point the drier at the feather for a period of eight hours and see what happens. This should give you some idea of the task ahead of Neil. You will learn that it’s impossible. After six kilometres I don’t think I’d seen Neil so angry. Luckily, the anger was aimed at the wind and not at me. It was evident that we needed a plan. (more…)