I don't know...but it's cool, right?
Erica's parents on Inspection Day.
Runners were here from all over the world.
It really is amazing.
Inspection Day for the Great Wall Marathon. Erica and her family had the chance to walk part of the course before race day. This is the start and the finish.
Our fate awaits...
Huff, puff...
Breathtaking, isn't it?
Little steps, lots and lots of little steps.
BIG steps. Lots and lots of big steps.
Lots and lots of steps in general.
A little tunnel. Erica's mom went exploring.
It's exhausing just looking at it.
It was amazing, nonetheless.
Single-file running is very annoying.
The countryside.
Horses...I don't know why.
Very high. Don't get too close to the edge...
You can imagine there wasn't a whole lot of running going on here.
That's the square and the little village at the beginning and the end of the run.
We've arrived! We met up with the rest of the group a day late, since we had to take a night train after a day of teaching. We got to explore Beijing again, this time in a little pedicab.
I'm not really sure what this building is called. It's in Tiananmen Square.
Mao.
Chinese soldiers.
Countdown for the Olympics!
Stretching the day before. Can never start too early...
On our way to go explore a little more...
Erica and Brendan
Exploring the Hutongs of Beijing
Erica practicing her Chinese...
Eating Chinese food with a bunch of Americans was a strange experience
Erica convinced the pedicab driver to let her have a try...
The gates to the Forbidden City.
Hahaha.
2:30 a.m., Race Day.
Very, very early morning on our way to the marathon site.
This is obviously pre-race since we all look so happy.
YEAH!
Marathon love!
A couple of the Chinese tour guides.
It was soooooooooo cold when we got there.
A podium to take pictures on.
More wall pictures...
Wow.
More stretching...
He wishes he could fly...running will have to do.
Getting ready....
The energy at this moment was incredible.
The finish line.
Erica's mom did the 10K with me. Since I was done before everyone else, I was the photographer for the day.
Yay, you finished!
Here comes Erica. She kicked the boys' asses in the marathon.
Brendan finishing...
“I hate running.”
Alix on his way in...
Whoo-hoo!
Alix is happy to not be running anymore. Happy, but not smiling.
Everyone's finished. Finally.
At the Runner's Gala the next evening, Erica and her parents.
Daughter and mother (can you believe it?!?!) running together in honor of a deceased friend.
Another friend we met along the way...
1200 runners enjoying some delicious food!
Watching the running video they put together...
Lion dancing show...
Aww, it was nice to have a mother around!
Brenda, Brendan, and I. Can you believe she's in her 40s?!
We're a good-looking group, aren't we?
Even better looking...
All of us with Kathy Loper, the tour coordinator...she was such a big help!
In the middle of the Gala we had to rush to the train station to head back to Qingdao, since we all had to work the next morning! Alix decided we needed some help sleeping...
Brendan and Erica met some new friends on the train...
In the morning, an hour before we had to be at school!
In the cab on the way to school, don't we look great? Believe it or not, we made it back JUST in time!
