Keep running

In the final 10 minutes before the cut-off time in a marathon race - watch runs out of battery, legs hurt, have no idea how far the checkpoint is - what would make you keep running?

In Tet holiday reflection mode, one of the questions I reached was: “What is one of the moments you remember the most throughout the year?”

That made me think of my first Trail Marathon Race - a 48km challenge.

It was around 08:45pm. I had been on the trail for nearly 15 hours, covering 34 km. My knees hurt so much that going downhill was impossible - I had to turn around and walk backward just to keep moving. The night was dark, and I was still deep in the middle of a bamboo forest, barely able to move.

According to the organizer’s map, we had two hours to cover 5.7km from Checkpoint 06 to Checkpoint 07. We had to reach it before 10:00 PM to avoid being cut off.

09:15, I asked someone near the road, “How far is it to the next checkpoint?”. “Only 1km”, they said.

09:45, after what felt like at least 3km, climbing up and down through the forest, I asked another runner, “How far is it to the next checkpoint?”. “About 1km”, they replied. That’s when my friend started to run.

But I was exhausted, breathless, freezing, and hungry.

"Where is the checkpoint?"
"Can I even make it?"
"Should I run? What’s the point of running if there’s a 99% chance I won’t make it on time?"

Then, just one question surfaced:

"Why did I suffer all the way here?"

Was it just to prove to my old self that I did it - that I didn’t stop until the last moment? Maybe.

If I still had something left to give, why would I stop now?

That was the moment I started to run. And I made it on time, 9:57, just three minutes before the cut-off.

I still don’t know how I managed to run at that moment but I do know this: I will always be proud that I kept running.

"No matter the reason, as long as it’s strong enough to shed light on you in the darkest times, it will help you reach the finish line."

A new year is here. My wish for everyone is that you find a reason - big or small - to keep running toward your own destination.

The journey is the reward. Take care of yourself.

✨ Happy Year of the Snake ✨

Hey there! If you drop a heart icon or leave a comment,
it would really inspire me to keep writing :d