When I first signed up for the marathon, I really wanted to train, and I would occasionally go for a run in the nearby park in the mornings. But as time went on, I gradually lost interest in it, and running became an occasional activity. Until recently, I only managed a short, last-minute run – just 7 kilometers.

My bib number was D7189, and I was assigned to the half marathon group 1. The marathon started at 7:45 AM, and I got up at 6:30 AM, went downstairs to McDonald's for breakfast. After eating, I waited on the street to enter the starting area. The street was full of people, all wearing different styles of sportswear, warming up. I looked a bit out of place – wearing casual trousers and the green T-shirt they provided. Later, I looked at the marathon photo album and didn't see anyone else running in casual trousers like me :).

At 7:45 AM, the crowd started moving, and I started my watch. When I saw the words "Starting Point", I realized that my previous location wasn't the starting line. But my watch had already been timing for about four minutes, so I didn't reset the timer and started running.

At first, I wasn't quite used to it. When I felt a bit tired and then saw the markers on the route, I was surprised to find I'd only run 3 kilometers. Well, I'll keep going. Around 9 kilometers, my lower back started to feel a little strange; this meant my muscles weren't used to long-distance running yet. I kept running, and the discomfort disappeared. Between 10 and 15 kilometers, there's an underwater tunnel, which is difficult to run through—the environment is stuffy and the air is thinner than outside. In this kind of environment, it's easy to get more excited and run faster. As I got more and more excited, I suddenly couldn't run anymore. I could only slow down and maintain a steady pace. The Hong Kong Marathon route has a very comprehensive terrain: uphill, downhill, slopes, and tunnels—you could say that if you can run the Hong Kong Marathon, a marathon on flat ground is indeed very easy.

When the markers indicated I had completed 18 kilometers, I realized the next 3 kilometers would be tough. Except for stopping at aid stations to drink water, I was running the entire way. I just kept persevering, running non-stop. My mind kept wandering: Why haven't I reached the finish line yet? When I finally reached it, I wasn't particularly excited; it felt rather bland. I took a picture of myself to compare with before the run. My complexion was a little pale, and my lips were dry, but overall, I felt okay.

While I was running, I was thinking:

1. It's okay to run alongside others
2. Don't stop, don't compare myself to others
3. Um, the scenery is nice
4. The shouts of the crowd are so noisy

The advantage of staying in a hotel is that I can shower after running. My pants had white crystals on the waist and knees; I looked it up and it said that this is what happens when sweat evaporates. I packed my bags and took the high-speed train back to Shenzhen.

The pain started as soon as I got home. My body wasn't used to the sudden increase in exercise, causing a lot of lactic acid to build up in my muscles. The symptoms were: muscle soreness. I was limping when I walked. Going up and down stairs was also difficult; going up was okay, but going down was painful. I could only go down one step at a time; if I went down too fast, I was afraid of falling.