Sun Moon Lake Marathon

Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan - 630am, 4C - On the coldest day in 44 years...一群神經病去報馬拉松。  還沒開始跑襪子已經濕了。  and in customary tradition, i didn't train for it and i'm probably fatter than i've ever been.  i packed shorts and a t shirt, sun screen, swimmers and sun glasses and hopped in the car before being sent back inside to get more stuff.  so i packed some tights and under armor and i was off.  i may have forgotten how cold taiwan could be in the winter or i over estimated the micro climate of taipei....or i'm just an idiot under preparing and under packing for everything because by the time i realized how cold 台中 was...it got even colder....and when the downpour joined us in the morning...i layered on everything i had...plus kens windbreaker and a pancho from 711...and steves extra winter beanie...and headed for the start line.

my socks were wet before the race even started.  the pancho was annoying to run with.  i felt blisters early on...i had to pee...i had to poop...everything was going wrong...yet i wasn't as nervous as previous races tho i had to walk after the third mile.  it's pretty embarrassing to have to walk so early in an endurance race.  (tho not as embarrassing as not being able to ride the loaner bike for a triathlon).   but my body is built like a truck.  and gets stronger as the race went on.  sun moon lake is double the elevation of taipei at 748m and the course was extremely hilly.  i walked all uphills and sprinted downhill....(whereas taiwanese people all slowly run uphill and slowly run downhill....terrible conservation of energy)...

when you're running around a lake...u kind of run out of excuses to quit.  because you somehow have to make it back to the start.  and before i knew it...i hit 26km.   so i called steve.  "in this rain...not worth it...just turn back"