Why I Run Beijing Marathon Under Toxic Air?

The 34^th Beijing international marathon kicks off Oct.20, despite the day’s hazardous air index which soars above 340 against 25-50 designed by the World Health Organization. As a runner, I not only participated, but completed the race in a little over four hours.

Why on earth would people run a marathon in such a toxic air?

Why on earth would I run the race?

I never forget the first physic education class at my university. According to requirement, we have to compete the run of 1,500 meter in a certain time. So a group of us, led by a strong and tall guy from an oilfield along the yellow river, started running the circle.

When we crossed the finish line, the person who felt mostly relieved is not one of us, but our strong and tall PE class representative. He bent down on this knees and throw up his gut out. That’s pretty much the beginning and the end of my distance run training.

After moving to Beijing more than two years ago, I have picked up running. The last year, I even run my first Beijing marathon, which happened to have strong wind blew away a blanket of smog I run to the end feeling thrilled.

So I already have a medal from Beijing marathon, the medal, although addictive, is not the motivation for this run.

Race fee could be another reason. After thinking thoroughly, the few hundred Chinese yuan is also neglectable, compared with unforeseeable immediate and long-term damages to the body and mind.

So, what exactly, is the reason for the race? I can think of three reasons:

1.      If the history is such that a marathon has to be held under toxic air, then as a runner I want to be the witness to the history

2.      I have never run wearing a mask, why don’t I experiment it on my own body? Does it work? Can one wear a mask and run to the finish line of a full marathon?

3.      Who are the runners so determined to run?

Even on the morning of the race day, I was not convinced to run. I wondered if there is a lasts-minute announcement from the Beijing organizing committee to cancel or suspend the race. There have been such cases. The most recent one is being New York City, which in 2013 cancelled the New York Marathon amid the aftermath of super storm Sandy.

So, can Beijing, for the health sake of tens of thousands runners and make the similar conclusion? I started searching for any news, no luck.

Sitting on the subway train to the starting point, I met several runners. One standing next to me is running his first half-marathon. He was dragged by one friend and entered a lottery for the half-marathon due to overwhelming applicants. His friend wasn’t chosen, but he was.

Beijing marathon became such popular, a sign of the strong social demand for health and fitness in Beijing.

I looked out of the train windows, searching for signs of Olympic Torch Tower, a landmark clearly seen miles away in a normal day or even lightly polluted day, but nowhere to be seen now.

Oddly, running in the bad air feels like running in high-attitude Mountains, and I constantly feel short of breath.

The mask proved to short-lasting. To improve air ventilation, I decided on a light-weight mask one filter opened.

While closed tightly via elastic bands, the mask trapped warm air inside it. While walking should not be an issue, running is a different story. The warm air quickly accumulated inside the mask, dampening it. By one hour mark, the mask started changing shape. Meanwhile, the moisture made the each breath heavier and harder.

One and half hours into running, I felt the mask has effectively stopped working. I took it off for quick seconds and put it back on, hoping to revitalize the only protection from the choky air.

The strategy worked, for another 20 minutes and the mask gave up. I took off and went on without it.

Less than two hours, that’s my experiment with mask in a marathon race.

Without any protection, I ran for another 2 hours and twenty minutes, before crossing the finish line.

And during the last few kilometers, there were literally no runners wearing masks.

During the last section leading to the finish line, the biggest topic for every runner is, where the finish is. After hours of running and exposing to the toxic air, every one is eager to put it behind them and just finish it, so they call it a day and can hide inside.

However, the pollution is so heavy that the red-colored finish gate is nowhere to be seen from hundreds of meters away, even the Bird’s Nest, the landmark next to the finish, only showing an obscured sketch.

The toughest section is around 37 kilometers, where I started feeling nausea. Despite fatigue, cramped legs and pain, nausea is something new to me, and I have never felt that way before. I felt a little panic attack, afraid of not being able to finish even coming this far.

I knew that I can’t throw up, which would take the remaining energy from my body. So I carried on, and stopped briefly at a drinking station, using fluids to force down the urge to throw up.

The nausea, however, remained with me to the next day. As to any mid-to long-term health impact, I have no idea.

Upon crossing the finish line, young volunteers customarily handed one white plastic bag to me. Inside is customarily a medal and some small-packaged snacks. This year, a large towel from the sport sponsors is been replaced by a light paper vest printed with Beijing Marathon logo.

Under a barely glowing sun light due to the smog, the paper vest provides shivering sweet-soaked runners with paper-like warmth.

The medal is about the same weight as the one from the last year.

Holding it, I can’t stop wondering, is the medal the proof of the completion of just another marathon race?

我为什么要在毒雾中跑马拉松?

第34届北京国际马拉松，尽管不遗余力地在纽约时代广场的电子大屏上作宣传，仍在国际指标达到毒害的空气中于2014年10月19日如期举行。

人们不禁要问，毒气中跑一个马拉松，为什么？

我也反复扪心，这样做究竟是为了什么?

如果说是为了一块完赛后的奖励，我已有北京马拉松的奖牌。托老天的福，此前的赛事前一天北风从天而降，蓝天白云中跑完全程。

还是为了那已交的报名费，是有可能但细想也无足轻重。相比污染物对身体造成的伤害以及短期和长期的影响，几百元真可谓不足挂齿。

其实，直到赛事当天清晨，在穿好跑步衫，系紧跑步鞋的瞬间，自己还在怀疑比赛是否会被停办或取消？重量级别的马拉松赛事不是没有被取消的先例，最近的一次是在2003年，纽约市就因超级飓风珊迪而在最后一分钟取消纽约马拉松。

如果说，纽约市让全世界辛辛苦苦起早贪黑整整准备了一年的几万名跑者伤心，那么不让上万名跑者在毒雾中狂奔因而免受身体及其他的伤害，也在情理之中。

可是，坐上通向出发点的地铁上，在翻阅各种微信信息之后，也找不到任何有取消或延期通知。看到的却是车上坐着同样看上去忐忑不安，如临人生最严峻大考的参赛者们。

一个坐在身旁的报名参加半程的比赛。他被好友一起拉了“打酱油”报名，没想到，好友没中签，他中了。就这样，他犹犹豫豫地来参赛。去年北马报名在13小时报满，今年的北马报名尤其是半程的还需抽签决定，可见社会大众对跑步增进健康的渴求和需要。

在车上，望着往常数十公里之外一眼就可看到的奥森公园的高塔，如今已在重重的浊尘中身影全无，不仅对比赛更减少了一份信心。

那么，是什么原因促使自己不仅跑了，而且跑完全程，在4个小时多一点的时间内？

先来看一看跑中的一些感受吧。

站在街旁拍照的年轻男女，带着严严实实的防PM25口罩，手持相机，脸上带着一种不可莫测的表情看着狂奔的我们这些跑者。他们在想什么？是怜悯，同情，是敬佩，疑惑不解，还是愤怒？或者就是在看一群疯子？

在最后的冲刺阶段，选手们不停地问，终点还有多远？还有多少公里？这是因为，由于污染太重，能见度太差，几百米外的红色的终点牌楼看不到，就连与终点相邻的标志建筑，国家体育馆鸟巢都被污染所吞噬遮盖。

回归主题，明知严重污染，我为什么要跑?

能想到的有三个原因：

1. 世界上有多少已举办了33年的国际级马拉松赛事是在空气污染指数高达341 的情况下举办的？如果是历史在上演，就做一个历史的见证人吧。
2. 从没戴口罩跑过马拉松，就那拿自己做一个实验吧，看究竟是怎样的体验？到底能不能一直跑下去直至终点?
3. 他的人为什么要跑，到底是些什么人？

首先，口罩能保护你一直跑完全程马拉松？

在通往终点的最后几公里，几乎没有一个跑者是带口罩的。

虽然在出发时，目测大约有百分之五的人带了各种各样的口罩，有的是普通棉纱黑口罩，更多的是3M白口罩，极少数戴的是赛车用双气阀黑塑料口罩。3M口罩价格不足8元，外面有一个气阀，为的是呼吸相对通畅。

由于没有有效的降温措施，呼吸的热气凝成水分，很快就开始将口罩打湿。我个人经历是在跑了1小时后就已经明显感到了大粒的水珠造成口罩变形，水分也阻塞了口罩气孔，使一张一弛的气囊因湿度过大而不再张弛有力，变得蔫塌塌的。

即使不大口呼吸，也于事无补。5-10公里之后通常是马拉松的加速跑阶段，随着时间推移，距离加大，口罩继续悲鸣着。 到一个半小时后， 我已明显感到口罩的沉重和呼吸的困难，此时的防护过滤器已感觉不在作用，更像一个敷在鼻口上面的打湿了的棉布。

到一小时五十分时，我只有把口罩摘掉，否则无法正常呼吸，更别说跑一个马拉松赛。

这就是我的马拉松口罩试验。

跑完后有什么不良反应？

由于摘掉口罩后，完全暴露在空气污染中以平均10公里一小时的速度连续奔跑2小时20分，我在最后的赛段中已感到恶心想吐，但想着一旦反胃，就很难再有力气跑下去，于是，一路跑下去。第二天恶心的症状也没有消失。

这只是随后即发的反应，中长期影响还不得而知。

赛后，志愿者照例义务性地塞给每位完赛选手一个白塑料袋，里面照例是一个完赛奖牌，然后是小袋补给。今年的袋子里少了体育用品制造商的大毛巾，取而代之的是一个一次性的印有北京马拉松的纸披风，金灿灿地在被尘霾遮盖的太阳光下发着惨惨的光，为被汗水浸透在深秋寒气中冻的发抖的选手提供薄纸的温暖。

只有那块奖牌，还是一样的重量。

掂在手里，感到心里说不出的沉重，谁能说这只是又一场马拉松完成后的证明呢？

Japan Readies for Cultural Export

Japan has come out stronger after the March 11 earthquake. This time, Tokyo said it wants the world to know more about its culture and entertainment.

For a long time, Japan is represented mainly to the rest of the world through the lens of Hollywood, The Last Samurai, Memoirs of a Geisha, Lost in Translation are household movie titles among others.

However, few people outside Japan know about its thriving domestic movie and TV series industry which has produced such big name directors, Akira Hirosawa, Juzo Itami and emerging Kazuaki Kiriya.

Feeling the heat from both traditional entertainment stronghold of Hollywood and newcomer Bollywood, Japan is eager to promote its cultural products for the consumption of the global audience. However, a long held history of Japanese language has deterred the efforts.

According to the news from African Executive, Japan has readied to introduce many copyrighted works from both corporations and individuals to the world, the target is mainly the U.S., but emerging African countries is another potential.

The newly created All Nippon Entertainment Works Company Ltd, a brainchild of more established Innovative Network Corp of Japan (INCJ), kicked off August 15th. With 6 billion yen investment, the goal is to "introducing copyright works of Japanese companies and individuals to international audience."

The list of companies include TBS, Fuji TV as well as Mitsubishi Corps, Densu, Toho-Towa among others.

Will Africans get to accept Japan beyond Ninja, Samurai to a mixed bag of contents?

Chinese Fan Cools Japanse Summer

Hit by the worst nuclear energy crisis, Japan will now face another natural disaster, sizzling summer and soaring heat stroke patients.

Due to the shutdown of nuclear power generators, the government has imposed a limit on energy use, the directly impacted will be millions of citizens who face a summer that has kicked into a high gear since early May and has not shown mercy. Kumagaya in Saitama recorded 39.8C on June 24, and Japan authorities reported the heat wave is the highest in 50 years.

The number of patients who suffer from heat stroke and had to be delivered to hospitals are increasing by several folds, around 3,000 had been rushed to hospitals nationwide last week.

One relief is electric fans that were made in China. As Japanese makers have shifted the production to China, this May has seen 3.21 million fans cleared Tokyo Customs. Even so, residents in some areas of Japan still find no fans left in their electronic store shelves.

From rare earth ban to toxic frozen gyoza (dumplings), who could have think electronic fan become another hot item on Sino-Japan trade list. However, this time is different: Japanese are eager to embrace for made-in-china goods, either with little or no choice.

(I will soon hit the road, mostly in Ghana for the next one month and half. After that, I will transition to Dhaka, Bangladesh. The posting therefore will be sporadic, if none at all during this transition period. I wish everyone a good summer. Stay cool!)

Just Ask, Regain the Art of Asking

Special piece for proud mothers, fathers, and anyone in between…

As a parent, have you ever wondered why your kids ask so much? They seem to have endless questions. And when they don’t get what they asked, they….cry, which is another way of asking. Grownups, however, forget the art of asking. So I am asking, why do you think there is a difference between kids and adults when comes to asking?

The reason, I think, lies in a fear of rejection. Adults, me included, have egos. And egos are like shoes, come in different sizes. When you start asking, you risk the consequence of being told, NO! So, most of the time, the fear overwhelms you, and you tell self No before even asking. You may very well get a no, anyway, so, why bother.

Kids, on the other hand, have very small sized (act out) egos. And trust me; they are well aware of that. When they desire for something, they don’t self-doubt themselves, they simply ask. Quite often, you will find these questions range anywhere from reasonable, to regrettable to ridicules.

Not only do they ask, they also ask multiple times, in various forms, in order to get what they desire. “Mom, Can I have this?” “No. How about that?” “I love you, Mom, but if you give me that, I will love you more” No matter what techniques they use, the message is loud and clear-- they are not afraid to ask for what they want.

I am not a behavior scientist, I am nevertheless keen on asking why some people are more successful than others, my answer is, they succeed because they not only ask, they ask more and they keep asking.

Don’t these people be considered as needy? You might ask. Fair enough, the difference, however, according to their individual definitions, needy people either have disasters and manmade reasons to have little means to support themselves, or have low or no self-confidence, so they rely on emotional and material support of others. While persistent people know the support they need is the wings to help them take off, so they only ask what exactly they need and when they need it.

When you ask, make sure don’t ask wrong questions. When you are stopped by a policeman, and he thought you are speeding, what’s the first thing he will ask you, “How fast had you been driving?” Do you think he will ever ask, how slow had you been driving?

Similarly, we want to get certain results, like a pay raise, bonus, promotion, etc, we need to ask the right questions. Something like, I have just saved million dollars for the organization, what should I do to have a bigger role to save the company even more?

The right questions open doors, and windows, encourage discussions, deepen relationships and create a learning environment. They are necessary in any relationship, be it at work or at home.

So next time, when you hear a kid keep asking, ask yourself, do I need to start asking as well? However, no one in this world gets what he or she wants, not even a fraction of that. Professor Randy Pausch, author of the Last Lecture, once said, experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.

The next time when you ask and get rejected, think like a kid. You won’t be asking, are there anything worse than the humiliation or embarrassment than the sound of a NO? Instead, do what a kid would do. They cry, they shrug off and they move on.

5 Tips to Gain Resilience and Bounce Back From Lows

Several years ago, I felt I was the anathema of the world: struck with a job that drained my energy like a vampire, day in and day out. Getting up becomes a chore. I woke up in the middle of a night, dreadful of repetitive tasks ahead. Like a boat drifting along a river without a direction, I had a low moment in life.

As humans, who hasn’t had such lows in life? Bad economy, sluggish job market, layoffs, uncertainties, life sometimes turns unexpectedly, whether we are prepared or not. Friends, familiar locations and comfortable surroundings give way to an unknown terrain, dark deep channels with no light in sight, crossroads waiting to choose, what should you do? Here are 5 tips for you:

1. You need to eat well and sleep 8 hours a night. It helps lift you up. Don’t let yourself down just because life shuts down on you. Better, get up at 4 and do some physical activities. If you forget nutritious meals and stay up at night, you will not only finish today poorly, but start off tomorrow on a wrong foot. No matter how tough the situation, remember to keep the priority, you, front and center.
2. Create value. Just because you are down, doesn’t mean you don’t have something of value to offer. Quite the opposite, since you have free time on hand; it could be the perfect time to be creative. Start from yourself, write down 10 ideas for your dream job, if you done that, treat self for a cake and come back to write 20 more. How about establishing a Facebook page for your friends’ shop, get 50 new connections through Linkedin?
3. Open up for all opportunities. Someone once said, there is never lack of chances, only lack of guided eyes. During the good times, we become so used to staying inside a comfort zone that we don’t always look for other opportunities. However, when you are low, chances are you need whatever available to get you out of the stinky swamp. Get out and show up at social events, speak up and seek help.
4. Give out for free. Offer your time and expertise to help others, mentor a youth, take care of your sister’s kids while she works, and make a speech to your middle school about the importance of education. Give and you will receive.
5. Read a lot, write a lot. Forget the “to do” list, Create an “I did” list. From time to time, you need to remind how much you have achieved. Forget the situation; forgive someone in your life. Who doesn’t like the feeling of completion and forgiveness?

To combat the life’s low, my action plan is: treat self well, Lift self up from the bad situation, keep moving, pay attention to knocks of Mr. Opportunities, make self valuable. Create things that people will need and like, give these things out for free. Finally, remember how much you have done, and keep doing the right things.

Years later, I quit that job, start writing stories and editing articles, I also found another one I am passionate about and jumping out the bed every morning. The boat I am sitting in is steadily moving forward, I can feel breeze blows my face, picturesque sceneries swaying by.

Are you on board? Share with me your tips by leaving a comment.

China Rapidly Becomes Another Japan

The first census in a decade shows that Chinese population is rapidly aging, people over the age of 60 now account for 13.3% of the population, up nearly 3% since 2000. Nearly one in six people in China is over 60 years old.

Although in terms of percentage of aging population, China is still far behind Japan, the pace of aging in China has been alarmingly similar to that of Japan.

Merely twenty years ago, only 11.6% of the population in Japan was 65 years or older. Now, the ratio stand at 21%, the highest proportion of elderly citizens in the world.

In China, the aging trend is accelerating, according to Ma Jiantang, head of the National Bureau of Statistics. The 3% increase in a decade could seen a significance booster from now on.

One the other hand, the proportion of mainland Chinese people aged 14 or younger was 16.6%, down by 6.29 percentage points from 2000.

The quickly aging trend could bring many issues, such as an increased demand for care facilities, care services and personnel, heavy burden on young workers, and anxiety over post-retirement care.