#'but snow thats like 3 hours long and its near bed time' listen i am on a mission. the only thing stopping me right now is the fact that

[elegyofthemoon]

wait actually this one post makes a good point i wish there was actually tags to separate between hsr and hi3 bronseele and on that note actually any of the overlapping characters alskdjfha but the search engine sucks ass on this website so you'll always have overlap either way i think :I

[anarchy-in-the-pre-k]

feel incredibly weird. took a nap after doing almost nothing that would cause me to be especially tired today. i mean, i woke up at 10:30, did 1 class, shoveled the 1 inch of snow off my driveway, then i slept for the next 4 hours. i dreamt i was sick (and maybe, i probably am now irl) and i was making music. maybe it was a weird time of day in my dream too. i remember feeling this same gross blend of maturity/infantile back-at-home existence/disgust at my own body that i feel every day irl. was i making a shitty skramz album in my dream? that would be funny. when i went back upstairs in my dream my dad was pissed at me. he accused me of faking being sick and yelled at me (like he does every time im sick irl) but my mom was still alive and she partially calmed him down. they asked me about my plans for the future and seemed weirdly loving for a second. i told them about the indentured-servant audio graduate program in georgia and they told me that it sounded like a good idea. my parents started reminiscing, although i guess it was my mom specifically, about some theater-house they used to go too. maybe it was something more explicit like opera, but in front of/part of the theater-house was a huge flock of incredibly creepy long-legged huge-beaked water birds. And birds like this i suppose are generally fairly gentle, even the meat-eating ones, but these birds were just so silent, and put off such a murderous mental vibe. i think that they were psychically broadcasting/inclining everyone near them towards hatred. they were very cold and hateful. in a flashback somehow, i saw somebody throw some kind of ceremonial fish/offering into the water where they were standing. there was a short, slow and silent soccer-like skirmish to get the fish, which was at last cornered in the pond by one bird, leaving the others to go back to other corners of the pond to mind their business. the bird stabbed it straight through with its long/thin beak. i guess this fish was still alive, it started bleeding out and flopping like crazy until it stopped thrashing and lay still a few moments later. the bird didnt even eat the fish. it killed it, stepped out of the pond, and lay down to rest right next to its dying body, only half-looking over its shoulder at it sometimes. i remember now, my parents called them “taipei” birds/herons i think. they were bright red and yellow and brown/black. im awake now, and i hate it here. i had such a horrible dream, teasing me with the eeriness of a still-alive mom, a somewhat loving family, the horrible psychic messages from the birds, but i hate being awake too. all of my friends have moved on without me, even the two bookish communists who have been my only real human connection besides my dad for the last 3 years. theyve unfollowed me on twitter, meet up all the time without me, i dont get invited to anything anymore. i dont even know what ive done wrong besides be boring/stupid in their eyes. and i do definitely feel boring/stupid. i felt horrible laying down to bed at 6PM, because whether online, irl, or in my dreams i feel like all i ever get are nonstop reminders that i am alone and the good times are over. i am writing this for nobody. i just feel so much dread, both for the world at large politically and for how i might turn out socially. ive felt my social skills deteriorating for a while before quarantine, and this might have been the final nail. i dont know what it fucking is. i spend my day as a flattened wojak listening to my dad be incredibly racist and homophobic, throwing tantrums about every little thing that his bar friends or somebody on facebook says to him, i even heard him refer to me as his therapist to someone over the phone this morning, then i go to sleep full of hatred for myself and wondering why i couldnt be good enough for the last few friends i had again, then i get a fucked up dream about my dead mom and murder birds doing horrible things and sending me horrible telepathic messages to just hate everyone and everything as much as i can, and now i wake up in a world thats just so horrible and confusing and lonely and shows no signs of getting better in the slightest. fuck you joe biden, the liberals are happy now, the public pressure is off, and im back in a fucking john carpenter “they live” scenario where i feel like only 1 of like 15 fucking people total who realize that everything is just as bad. i hate it here, i hate it irl, and i hate it in my own mind. fuck you joe biden, and your psychic bad-vibes herons.

tl;dr: things suck everywhere. reality sucks, the internet has been fully subsumed by reality at this point, it sucks in my mind, and art isnt even an escape anymore bc escapist art just bums me out with the constant implication that life needs escaping from, and good art is almost always just depression-affirming

[neewtmas]

100 questions

Thanks to @giraffingthetardis i sat here for 2 hours answer all this questions     (but don’t worry, it was fun^^) 

#1- does the darkness comfort you?   depends. in my room in my bed it’s ok, but at every other place i’m nearly dying of fear .  

#2-what brings you crashing to the floor? not much, actually i can’t think of anything right now                   

#3angels or demons? angels

#4- God or Satan? yes, i just said angels, but i’m more for satan

#5- would you sit on the moon and watch the universe twirl quietly, even       if you couldn’t breathe? yes! even it would be fun only for like 20 secs?

#6- what scares you most in the world? darkness and heights

#7- can we always be there for one another? of course

#8- I feel like I’m dying… Can I talk to you? yes! don’t hesitate, i’m here

#9- being blind or being deaf? idk, like i love music but i love reading more and it would be terrible for me to live in darkness forever so i would rather be deaf

#10- what song makes your heart pound the most? idk... just every song by ed sheeran

#11- do you wish on stars? do you mean shooting stars? bc i would,but i’ve never seen one :/

#12- what were you doing last night at 1:03 am? sleeping?

#13- the happiest, most golden moment of my life? tbh, i don’t know. like there are many happy moments, moments where i’m just thankful for everything i have (ik i’m a cheesy potato) but i can’t think of the most happy one? i guess i couldn’t do a patronus .-. 

#14- the worst, most positively crushing moment of my life? didn’t had one yet

#15- if you had to choose between your mother and your father, who would you choose? oh god. idk maybe my mother? 

#16- ask me anything ok random fact: i love eating pomegranates, but everytime i make one, the kitchen looks like i slaughtered a pig afterwards

#17- salt or sugar? sugar

#18- death by water or fire? idk i think fire bc you get unconscious by all the smoke first or later by the pain and won’t feel anything, also i hate the feeling of drowing

#19- if you could have a degree in anything, what would it be? idk

#20- black or white? ….assuming I don’t like grey both, but rather black?

#21- the thing/person I want to stay safe and happy and comforted in this world? everyone i like

#22- if you could have the superpower of flight, invisibility, or mind-reading, which would you choose? invisibility, i think it would be really interesting to see how people act when you’re not around

#23- is music something you could not live without? i love music... but i could live without it if it would really necessary

#24- favorite flower my dear? roses

#25- why dragons? why not?

#26- ice cream in winter? Or possibly hot chocolate in the summer? hot chocolate in summer, i’m not the biggest fan of ice cream

#27- what’s your sexuality? heterosexual

#28- do you dream in black and white or color? luckily in colour, i think dreams in black and white would be really scary

#29- nights full of nightmares? nope

#30- what was the voice in your head saying at 2 am? idk, i was sleeping #31- okay…. Why don’t you hate the thorns on a rose? idk, it’s a part of the rose i guess? also, i like this thought -beautiful, but hard to touch if you don’t treat it careful

#32- do you trust me? yes 

#33- most cared for song at the moment? kitchen sink by twenty one pilots,i just love the lyrics

#34- worst injury? one time i fell off a horse and it stepped accidentally on my right shin - nothing bad happened but it hurted very much

#35- bath or shower? shower

#36- color you love the most? blue, black and white

#37- anonymous question ok, another fun fact: plants hate me,like i just have tolook at them and they already die .-.

#38- another way to wish not using 11:11, dandelion blooms, or even the fairy you thought you saw…? nope

#39- do you ever stare at the sky and look for those weird shapes in the clouds? yes! all the time, especially when i’m sitting in class

#40- a really weird something I like to eat in a weird way ok it’s not a weird something, but at our school you can buy this chocolate crossiants with a little chocolate bar in the middle, and i always eat the dough at the outside first, then the yummy pastry on the inside and then the chocolate bar, instead of just eat the whole thing like evrey other normal human being

#41- Lamborghini or Corvette? ok, i had to google it, and for me it looks pretty much the same, but i think i like corvette more

#42- when did I have my first kiss? Boy or girl? i didn’t had my first kiss yet (and i’ll die lonely with 30 cats)

#43- most listened to genre?  idk what genre this is, but i mostly listen to twenty one pilots, Ed Sheeran and Fall out boy #44- Jack Frost or Iron Man? Jack Frost ( is it possible to have a a crush on an animated character??)

#45- are shorts and a tank-top an optional outfit for you today? nope, bc first, i’m fat and second, it’s freezing cold outside right know

#46- will you be speaking to anyone you hate today? i won’t be speaking to anyone today

#47- nachos or pizza??? pizza pizza piiiiizzza

#48- is my life what I thought it might be like nope, bc i’m the most lazy person on this planet, even if i don’t want to

#49- thing I am the most proud of accomplishing? idk, i don’t have accomplish many things by now

#50- ask me a question concerning intimacy i’ll just skip this question lol

#51- piano or guitar? piano

#52- tell me something about yourself, my follower, please :) ok another fun fact: i can’t sleep longer than 10 am

#53- rather a mad world? Or an insane universe? insane universe

#54- are you that girl that sits alone on her roof at night? no, bc i’m that girl that is too afraid of falling down to sit at her roof at night or any other time

#55- I wrote this question at 3:59 in the morning, listening to Mad World by Jasmine Thompson: do you like hummingbirds? yes! i even drew one for my phone case

#56- is 1 (one) a unit or a number? a number

#57- glorious fireworks on a dark beach with your thoughts? Or swimming in the rain with your lover? i would love swimming in the rain with my lover - only problem: i don’t have one

#58- tattoo? What would it be? i don’t have one, but i think of a little moon or stars on the inside of my right wrist

#59- natural shade of your hair?  dark brown

#60- color of your eyes? oh thats interesting. hazel, and when i’m standing in the shadow, they’r brown, in the sun green, with the sun directly in my eyes somewhat green, light brown and and a hint of gold and with normal light they look mostly like a duck had just shit in my eyes .-.

#61- the thing you regret the most? don’t have one

#62- would you break a heart if it helped someone else? depends on who it would help

#63- do you ever wish you hadn’t kissed a past friend/lover/acquaintance? i never kissed a past friend/lover/acquaintance

#64- the most violent/brutal/inhuman thing you’ve ever done? i never did something like this, i’m a walking sunshine :)

#65- would I hug again, my most recent lover? maybe

#66- would I kiss the lips of my last kiss? maybe not

#67- who was the last soul to see you cry idk that’s long ago, but i guess my best friend

#68- have you ever looked into the eyes of someone who was about to die… And you didn’t even know it? if so, i don’t know it today either

#69- do you ever wear your clothes in a uncomfortable fit, just to try and reshape the way your body looks?  all the time

#70- have you ever intentionally hurt someone? pysical not, but when i’m really angry at someone, i can get mean and say things i don’t mean but just say because i want to hurt that person

#71- if you could spend the night with anyone, anywhere you wanted, how would you end up? idk, probably one of my favourite fictional characters

#72- butterflies or dragonflies? butterflies

#73- do you enjoy cooking? yes, but i’m the worst cook ever

#74- given the rather unpleasant opportunity, would you wear white to a funeral? yes, if it would fit to the dead person,like if he/she was a hopeful person i would probably do it

#75- have you ever abused drugs/alcohol/people? no never, i’m a good girl

#76- have I ever lay down in a barren field in the middle of a lightning and thunder storm? no luckily not

#77- would you dear, eat a strangers heart? i would eat nobody’s heart, not even the heart of an animal

#78- take the chance to sing in front of 10,000 people, while its snowing? no, because i can’t sing

#79- if “New Zealand” was a French pastry dish, would you eat it? i would try

#80- if “Naples Italy” was a Korean Milkshake, would you drink it? i would try

#81- if “Cardiff Wales” was a star in the universe, do you think you would know that? probably not #82- what happened in your dream/s last night? i forgot it 

#83- tell me who doesn’t deserve the air they breathe? the only person who i can think of is Donald Trump, becuase he stands for everything i absolutely hate, and is basically an asshole

#84- do you speak any foreign languages? english

#85- do you experience anxiety attacks? nope #86- ABCDEFGHIJKPLMNOPQRSRTUVWYXYZ…. do you know the alphabet? yes. and that’s wrong. it’s ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRTUVWXYZ

#87- describe “nucleus” ...

#88- running through the woods at night? Or crawling in the snow at dusk? crawling in the snow

#89- have you ever had a one night stand? Do you regret it? nope, i never had one #90- ask me anything “music” related *skips the question while hearing Young Volcanoes by Fall out boy*

#91- smoke alone, by the water or on your roof in the dark? by the water, but without the smoking part

#92- have you ever kissed a flower, knowing it was someone else’s favorite? ...no?

#93- have you ever sat on a cold bridge… And just waited? nope

#94- when I said “I love you” last… Did I honestly, truthfully and wholly mean it? i never said ‘I love you’ before (at least not in a romantic way, otherwise: yes)

#95- have you ever had a near-death experience? /What happened? no

#96- what do I want more than anything else on the planet/in the world/in the universe? idk

#97- do you put others before yourself, even on bad days? no, i’m a bit selfish from time to time, but i guess that’s important sometimes

#98- what, to me, is an angel? idk, someone who helps you in a situation where you really need it?

#99- what’s the most passionate thing I’ve ever done? idk i can’t think of something

#100- this is not a question, but rather a statement. 

* I want everyone to do me a favor: smile. Find that piece, that glimmer, that twinkle that brings life to you breath. Hold it, love it, don’t let it go. Talk to that person you fell for so long ago… Laugh with them, cry with them. It doesn’t matter, just talk. Get it all off your chest. We all need this. Eat what you want. Fuck society, everyone is beautiful, shape/color/voice/culture/sexuality/habits/ love and hates included. Wear something comfortable. Listen to your favorite song until you’re shouting the lyrics at the world because it feels wonderful. Run outside in the night air and jump up and down in your pajamas like a crazy child because we are human and we are beautiful and we deserve the love no one ever gets. Because we are us, and that is more than okay.

#101- thanks guys 

[mac1ntosh420]

Bold Tag

aaa? ig?? i was tagged by @haechanti to do this?? and idk if i can tag anyone thats still alive on this site lol

Appearance:

I’m over 5’5 || I wear glasses/contacts || I have blonde hair || I wear sweatshirts a lot || I prefer loose clothing to tight clothing || I have one or more piercings || I have at least one tattoo || I have blue eyes || I have dyed or highlighted my hair || I have gotten plastic surgery || I have or had braces || I sunburn easily || I have freckles (i wish i did 😔) || I paint my nails || I typically wear makeup || I don’t often smile || I am pleased with how I look || I prefer Nike to Adidas || I wear baseball hats backwards

Hobbies and Talents:

I play a sport || I can play an instrument || I am artistic || I know more than one language (4 including english) || I have won a trophy in some sort of competition || I can cook or bake without a recipe || I know how to swim || I enjoy writing || I can do origami || I prefer movies to TV shows || I can execute perfect somersault || I enjoy singing || I could probably survive on my own in the wild || I have read a new book series this year || I enjoy spending time with friends || I travel during school or work breaks (sometimes) || I can do a handstand

Experiences:

I’ve had my first kiss (not... technically) || I have gotten drunk || I have told a crush I like them || I have travelled outside the country || I have flown on an airplane || I have stayed awake for more than 48 hours || I have had a near death experience || I have caught something on fire || I have performed in a talent show || I have shot a gun (i live in AK its like a right of passage) || I have been on TV || I have gone scuba diving || I have broken a bone || I have slow-danced || I have gone on a shopping-spree

Relationships:

I am in a relationship || I have been single for over a year || I have a crush || I have a best friend I have known for over 10 years || My parents are together || I have dated my best friend || I am adopted || My crush has confessed to me || I have had a long distance relationship || I am an only child || I give advice to my friends || I have made an online friend || I met up with someone I met online

Aesthetics:

I have heard the ocean in a conch shell || I have watched the sun rise (i have watched the sun set tho) || I enjoy rainy days || I have slept under the stars || I meditate outside || The sound of chirping calms me || I enjoy the smell of the beach || I know what snow tastes like (homemade snocone baby juice or soda poured on fresh snow) || I listen to music to fall asleep || I enjoy thunderstorms || I enjoy cloud watching || I have attended a bonfire || I pay close attention to colors || I find mystery in the ocean || I enjoy hiking on nature paths || Autumn is my favorite season

Miscellaneous:

I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle (not easily but i can) || I am the mum dad friend || I live by a certain quote || I like the smell of sharpies || I am involved in extracurricular activities (GSA) || I enjoy Mexican food || I can drive stick shift || I have memorized an entire song in a day || I belive in true love || I dream up scenarios to fall asleep || I sing in the shower || I wish I lived in a video game || I have a canopy above my bed || I am multi-racial || I am a red head || I own at least 3 dogs || I am LGBTQ+

[mytravelaffair]

Svalbard! Yes, is Svalbard. I have never heard of this place before.

This was going to be my third marathon. If not because of this marathon, I totally have no idea where Svalbard is. OMG — my geography is so bad!

Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Yes, it’s about 1,600km from the North Pole. One of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, it’s known for its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra sheltering polar bears, Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes. The Northern Lights are visible during winter. For most of the year, it’s cloaked in in darkness but during summer from June to August, it’s the total opposite and it’s sunlight 24 hours a day — the so-called “midnight sun” phenomenon.

Honestly, it did not come to my mind to research what kind of marathon it was going to be. I was like, “Ok, it’s another marathon in summer, so it’s going to be warm and there will be many runners. I just have to complete the race before the 6-hour cutoff time.” OK, onz! Let’s go.

The race fell on Saturday, 2 June 2018. Training schedule is drafted out, and we decide to start our training pretty early this time in January – 5 months instead of the usual 3 month ramp-up. Spitsbergen Marathon But this time it’s different, we are not aiming for any PB. The idea is to run “together” for the first 21km (so we can take photos together). I will be the one to lead.

Starting from January, my daily weekend routine is always a carbo dinner on Friday night with lots of pasta, after our run is lor mee and more lor mee.

Saturday will be a long run, Sunday I will go for a 2-hour yoga session of stretching and core training. This continued for 4 months and by the time May came around, I was getting physically and mentally exhausted. And with the weather getting hotter, it was making it even more harder to complete my long runs.

Even my DIY self treatment is also become more creative… wahahaha.

It came to a point where I felt so sick of training and I just don’t feel like running. Luckily my husband, sister and brother-in-law who run and train with me, encouraged and supported me. At least, I am not alone.

As race day inched closer, I checked what Svalbard weather was like as well as the running route. PDF for Spitsbergen Marathon Program. Program_spitsbergen_marathon_2018_9 Oh man, it’s less than 10 degrees in Svalbard even during summer time. Damn, I have never run in such cold weather before. Questions like “What is the right attire to wear?”, “How many layers do we need?”, “Do we run with gloves and beanie” started to surface at the back of my mind.

Adding to the pressure, there are only 140 runners and there are the only 6 Asians which include the four of us and 2 from Hong Kong. Ohhh, what a “big event” this is going to be.

Many of my friends asked me, “Why go to such a place to run, is there no other place to run anymore?” and “You must be mad?”. LOL. For many years, our overseas trips always revolved around running. So to me, this trip is just another running event.

After all the training and preparation, finally the day has come. We decide to reach Svalbard a few days earlier to allow us to acclimatise. We are well prepared and equipped — we completed our training schedule and look at the number of bags we carried!

Our first stop is Oslo, Norway and from there, it’s a domestic 1-hour flight to Svalbard and the town of Longyearbyen. The view during the descent is so spectacular — the whole archipelago as far as the eye could see is covered in white.

When we arrived the airport, we are greeted by a big polar bear. Wow! I am excited.

When I step out the airport, I immediately feel the cold, biting wind sting my face. Oh man, it’s c-o-l-d here.

From the airport, it was a short 10-minute bus ride to our Airbnb apartment, and when we entered, I was greeted by a majestic view of the ocean framed by the gorgeous backdrop of snow-capped mountains — all from the warmth and cosiness of our living room. It was so serene, so peaceful, so beautiful — I was blown away. The view of the mountains, the calmness of the sea and the quietness of the surrounding, it was so amazing. And the bonus — an outdoor porch with our own private area of beach and outdoor jacuzzi! We are going to stay for one week. Yippppppeee!

Before the race, we kept busy by visiting the abandoned Russian mining settlement of Pyramiden and we also decided to do a 6km warm-up run to make sure we had the right running attire for the coming race. Somehow, I enjoyed the cold air while running.

On the eve of the race, we walked 15-minutes from our apartment to collect our race pack at one and only sports centre in Longyearbyen (population of just 2,000) in the evening. It’s the first time we don’t need to queue to collect our race pack! And there is only one booth selling event merchandise, that’s it. Indeed a small scale event, but enough to the get the small town buzzing.

We head back to our apartment for our final carbo loading meal — pasta mixed with vegetables and a tray of baked potatoes and breadcrumbed chicken fillets.

Before I head to bed for an early rest, I laid out my running gear for the big race.

Next day, I wake up to a dark and gloomy morning, with not much sun. Luckily, the race starts at 1030am. Why at this hour? Because it will be warmer — mornings in Svalbard can be as low as zero degrees in the morning. (see the photo below)

Indeed, this marathon is a small scale event. We walk to the start point, where a small crowd of runners and their supporters had gathered. As the weather is too cold to stand outside and with only 140 participants, we wait indoors at a nearby sports hall — no need to fight to be in the first line after all. Wahahaha, thats happens if we running in Singapore? We need to be wiggle our way to the front to be as close to the start line as possible.

I can see all the runners are well prepared, most of them from European countries where they experience cold weather but for us, I predict it will be a big challenge.

I never experience running in such freezing conditions. I have to keep in my mind that i have to run slow and try not to stop (if possible) because it will be too cold to walk.

The race starts at 1030am sharp, and straight away, we come against a steep slope but all the “ang moh” runners didn’t even slow their pace, instead they start running faster. After just 500m, we find ourselves last and bringing up the rear. I do feel pressure as we are really far away from the rest even though the race just started. However, our plan is to stick together for the first 21km (to take photos). I make sure I maintain a constant and comfortable pace of 6:30 min/km.

Well, as usual my sister, Jennifer finds a good female “ang moh” pacer big enough to block the cold, biting wind (she is to replace me, so I can conserve my energy). Our group of four fall into a line behind the female pacer and we follow her for a good 5km or more.

Along the way, we take many nice photos. This is the most beautiful race I have ever run. We soon lose our pacer as we are too busy taking photos.

and we drop even further behind the main pack of runners. I thought as long as we are maintaining a good pace we will definitely able to catch up with the rest. I was wrong. They are so good. Maybe, what we all say “ang moh” are really good in running. Hahahaha….

This race is indeed a strange, lonely experience. There are no crowds to cheer me on (not like the previous year in Kagoshima, Japan where town folk line the streets of the entire 42-km course). Around 18km, we come back to the town of Longyearbyen and there are still no crowds to cheer me… hahahaha, indeed a quiet race from the beginning.

The route then leads us outside the main town area and soon, snow mountains appear right in front of me. WOW! what a view. The snow-capped mountains are so close and so beautiful.

This is the most scenic view ever. Running along such view is so therapeutic, so peaceful but however the 2km is quite a challenge too. I was running against the cold winds. It was strong. And there are less than 3 runners keeping me company during this lonely stretch of the race.

The marathon route consists of 2 21-km loops. At 21km, there is a drinking station so I decide to eat more banana and chocolate (the only food they provide during the race). I wanted to increase my pace to catch up with some runners at the U-turn bend but honestly, I can’t catch up with any of them. No one walk in this race! My GOD! They are really good.

I maintain a good pace for the next 10km. I make sure my breathing and my heart beat is constant. I don’t feel exhausted at this point but I start to notice a tightness in my upper right thigh. Near the 25km mark, I manage to overtake my brother-in-law after we took some photos together.

. Another 5km passed without incident but at the 30km mark, during the start of a few uphill slope as we re-enter the town area, I felt myself slowing down. The upward climb made my right hamstring burn unbearably and it was becoming worse and worse. I tell myself not to stop till the end of the slope, with the reward to allow myself to rest my legs before the final 8km. Yes, I stopped to rest, and immediately regretted it. My right upper thigh started to cramp and when I tried to run again, my legs just wouldn’t listen. I start limping as I tried to run. “Oh shit, not this time!”, I tell myself. At this time, Gee Sin (my brother-in-law) overtakes me. Damn, but he motivate me to increase my pace even through I am in pain. Unbelievably, the more I ran, the pain and cramp started to fade. But, in my mind, I was thinking how long can I sustain this? I try to focus on my breathing and try not to think of the pain, so I manage another good 5km along the coastline without stopping. I saw the final drinking station and stopped to hydrate. Regretted, that’s it! There goes the final 4km. I couldn’t get started again as my legs just totally wouldn’t listen. I walked/run the final 4km

. and from my vantage point, I saw the last five runners including Jeff. As I had stopped running, I started getting cold and started shivering. I was struggling. I kept double-checking my watch to make sure I would make the 6-hour cut-off time.

Finally, I reached the final kilometre and I forced myself to run for a good finish. Still there are no crowds to cheer me up except for a few runners who had completed the race and were heading back home or to their hotels. Finally, I see the familiar sight of the finishing line (it’s the same as the start point) and I cross the finishing line. I am so happy, I feel like crying. My sister, who had finished earlier, came to greet me with a hug and we take some photos together.

.

I am not the last and I take a look at my watch: 4.15pm, 15 minutes before the cutoff time. Jeff still nowhere in sight. We all waited. Most runners had already left and the organisers were starting to dismantle poles, banners and flags. I prayed to myself, “Jeff, please make it”. Finally, we heard his name over the PA system and we are so excited, we rush out to greet him.

We all make it! YIPPPPPPEEE …

This race will stay long in my memory. Compared to the previous 2 overseas marathons in Japan, this was a stark contrast. This race had many up slopes and even some trail terrain. It was cold but luckily there was no rain. And the most strangest part is there was no one along the street to cheer you on. It was you battling against the elements.

As we slowly walked back to our apartment, I could barely walk, similar to what I had faced after the Kagoshima marathon. Both legs were cramping up, I was shivering due to the biting cold and somehow, we eventually made it back to the warmth and cosiness of our apartment. At the end of the day, it made us stronger mentally and physically. After a hot shower and a quick noodle soup for dinner, we all turned in for an early night, exhausted and grateful for a warm, cosy bed.

Am done. But will never forget you.

Spitsbergen Marathon 2018: My best and coolest ever race Svalbard! Yes, is Svalbard. I have never heard of this place before. This was going to be my third marathon.