The Zen of Ultra Running

Thailand International Half Marathon is always on the 3rd week of December. Last year I ran the race for the first time. Actually, I was not quite impressed with the race and its organization but the timing and distance fit my schedule. This year I asked my extended family if anyone would be interested in running the half marathon (or any distance) with me at this race. One of my cousins has recently started running and done 2 half marathons this year. She wanted to run another one especially when she knew I was going to run with her. Another cousin decided to run her first half at this race. We also persuaded her brother to join us. I had always wanted to run with my family for AGES. Tried to persuade my sisters to start running but none of them was interested. When my cousins (who grew up with me) decided to run this race, I was very excited. We started a group chat called "Happy Running" and used it as our team name when we signed up for the race. Since this race was...

Some of you may already know from the race report last year that I am from Bangkok, Thailand. Every winter I go back to visit family and friends for 3-4 weeks (and also to escape the “mild” Ohio winter). For the past two years that I was in Bangkok, I signed up for 10K races. I only wanted to keep to a shorter distance because of the weather. It’s usually 85 degrees in December in Bangkok and I am not sure about my ability to deal with the heat coming from a single-digit weather. This year I was more confident in my ability to run longer distance. So, I stepped up to a half marathon this time. I found Thailand International Half marathon on the weekend that I would be in Bangkok. Running has become such a popular sport in Thailand that you could find a race any distance on every weekend. Thailand International Half marathon is a race that starts under the bridge. First, you run up the Rama VIII bridge (about 0.5 miles) and the whole race was on the bridge. The race started...

*This article was written for Medina County Road Runner Club newsletter* On December 17 th 2016, I had a chance to run a charity race in Bangkok, Thailand. I usually go back to Thailand once a year to visit family and friends. If you are interested in visiting Thailand, the best time of the year is from November to February because it is considered “winter” there. When I say winter, I mean 70-85 degrees. The hottest month will be April and the temperature could rise to 100 degrees. This year I signed up for a 10K at the Greenwave Oxygen Run that donated part of the profit to the National Institute of Child Health. The race was organized by a popular radio station and several “Thai celebrities” were running the race. There were two distances - a 5K (called micro marathon) and a 10K (called mini marathon). That might have answered my question why many people told me they run a “marathon”. The race started at 6am (yes, you read it correctly) to avoid the heat. It was about 70...