Riding the other side of Earth: The ABCs of the GWM

*Disclaimer: These are the ABCs of the GWM (Great Wall (1/2) Marathon) according to ME and in no way reflect the experiences, attitudes, or opinions of all participants. Read on...

Here is our group from Dalian - lookin' good and ready to go! (I am kneeling in front wearing a blue hat)

A is for Adventure and Accomplishment

Coincidentally, I reached the one-year mark of living in China (adventurous!) while participating in a half-marathon held on the Great Wall in Beijing (accomplishment!). If you would have proposed either of these events - moving or marathoning - a few years ago, I would have laughed my boisterous laugh from my comfy cozy "white bread world". But now here I am, living a new and different kind of life that has afforded me opportunities beyond anything I could have imagined. Truly Amazing - another "A" word!

I left on Friday morning with several friends and headed to Beijing. We did some eating and some shopping but turned in early so we could catch the 3:30 am bus pick-up for our 2-hour ride out to the Wall. The 13.1 mile course involved an uphill paved road section, steps and more steps on the actual wall, a loooong walk along a road with traffic buzzing by and a rocky, hilly, tour through a local village. All along the course we were greeted by people from the village - they were smiling and waving and most likely thinking, "Fung le waiguoren!" (Translation: Crazy foreigners!). A few friends and I walked the course in about 4 hours. We enjoyed our surroundings, each others' company, and the challenge of the event overall. An adventure, an accomplishment, an amazing journey...

Warning: The following section involves a rather personal and possibly offensive topic...proceed to the "C" section if you'd prefer to read topics tasteful and enlightening in nature.

B is for Bowels and Bathrooms

Let's begin here...in the bathrooms at race headquarters...of course they are what we affectionately call "squatty potties". No surprises there. However, I had not experienced the short door squatty which added a whole new level of anxiety. You'll note the slight step up and the fact that the door goes all the way to the ground. So how does one know if a toilet is occupied? One looks OVER the door. Now, my hat is off and I bow (or squat, if you will) to anyone who can relax enough to...take care of business...while squatting AND trying to ignore the eyes peering over the door. I just couldn't do it!

I spent the next 12 or so miles trying to forget that, although I was unable to, I needed to...take care of business. Without going into much detail...it was a crappy experience. Why was I worried for only 12 miles? Well, that was because around mile 12, I was beginning to walk like a 90-year-old woman and it had nothing to do with my tired legs or aching back. I was forced to stop and ask a local where I could find a toilet. I will leave you with this: The restroom pictured above? FIVE STAR compared to where I ended up!

Let's change the subject shall we? B is also for Bloomin' Onion at the Outback. YUM!

C is for Commitment and Companionship

I believe that the most significant piece of my entire GWM experience (which began in January) has very little to do with physical endurance but rather strength of character. I joke that my workout group has the most well-toned jabber jaws in all the land but the jokes all stem from love and deep admiration. While the Great Wall is awesome and the pictures are a treasure, it is the memory of friendship that makes this event extra special. In training we encouraged each other and grew as friends while trudging through snow, slopping through rain, huffing up countless steps so that in the end we would be strong and prepared for race day (and so we wouldn't keel over in a heap from exertion). I cherish each woman who helped me train, gave me advice, made me climb that dreaded hill, and especially those that waited for me along the course while I...well, you know...finally took care of business. We were committed to the training and to each other...companions, comrades, confidants.

Next year's Great Wall Marathon will be held on May 21st and a there is already a group forming to go back next year. The weather will be beautiful, the shopping will be fruitful, and the bathrooms? Well...what can I say...make the trip anyway! You won't regret it :)

Here are a few other pictures...

It's hard to see, but there are people all along this section of the Wall. There were a couple of bottlenecks where we caught our breath and took some pictures.