Chapter 385 Marathon

The New Taipei Marathon is held annually, but it is not considered a high-level event in the sport of marathon.

In fact, it should be said that it is an amateur level competition.

Therefore, the public participation is quite good, and there are no performance requirements. Most participants regard "finishing the race" as their first priority.

The main goal of holding the New Taipei Marathon is to promote the effect of national sports.

In previous years, there were basically no high prize money offered, so it did not attract serious athletes.

Last year, they even had to pay some "famous players" to support the show.

Fortunately, this year, Yili Group is not short of money. Although it is unable to set high bonuses due to various requirements of the New Taipei Sports Bureau, the supporting facilities along the way are fully equipped.

The running experience must be great, so it attracts some athletes, even if it is just a training session.

As for amateur participants, some of them focus on the experience. They can even eat and drink while visiting the attractions, run a half marathon leisurely, get a commemorative medal and leave, which is also a wonderful thing.

The competition will be held on November 11th, which is the day after tomorrow.

The office of Future Technology is basically Li Yan’s “home” now. After his continuous micro-renovation, this fully-equipped office has become more comfortable than most star-rated hotels.

After all, if you make money, you still have to make yourself comfortable.

Li Yan returned to the office sweating and took a hot shower. The weather was gradually cooling down with a drizzle.

After taking a shower and sitting in front of the computer, Li Yan did not immediately get down to work, but was thinking about the marathon.

Wei Yunzhi is really decisive. The competition is on the 14th, and the registration is on the 12th...

Without even asking Li Yan whether she could run a marathon, she just signed up for it.

Is it a kind of trust?

But whether I can run it is really a question. 42 kilometers is no joke.

For those who have never run such a long distance in one breath, this is not a number that can be taken "seriously".

There is nothing wrong with going to the scene to experience it, running and walking, and then quitting the competition when you are exhausted.

But Li Yan wanted to use this opportunity to improve his "physical strength", so naturally he had to maintain a certain level to finish the race.

It's not just him who is worried about running the 42 kilometers, but also the marathon event itself.

Under normal circumstances, minors are not allowed to participate in marathons. However, amateur marathons like the New Taipei City Marathon do relax the requirements a bit.

After all, the New Taipei Marathon is a marathon only for a few capable professional athletes and outstanding amateur athletes. For most participants, it is just a more serious "fun run."

The mechanism of withdrawing from the race at any time and giving commemorative medals halfway through the race all show that it is not that dangerous.

Even so, the organizers require that full marathon participants must be over 20 years old, half marathon participants must be over 16 years old, and they must sign various agreements and meet certain health requirements, psychological qualities, and training foundations before they can participate.

李颜10年的农历生日是11月29日，不过身份证的10月24日已经过了，姑且算是15周岁。

Wei Yunzhi was stuck when she asked Li Yan to submit the information, but considering that this was the request of the daughter of the sponsor's big boss and the contestant was the godlike Li Yan, the organizer temporarily agreed, but said "there will be some restrictions at that time, please understand."

The first restriction came soon, as Li Yan expected:

He could only run half the distance, and would be forced to withdraw if he felt any discomfort during the race.

The half marathon, 21 kilometers, is not easy either.

Fortunately, the system improves the entire body. With the "neural recruitment", Li Yan can already control the body's output very efficiently.

It can be considered as a disguised way of increasing the upper limit of physical strength from the perspective of energy saving.

His current physical condition was basically at 60% progress, because the percentage of the system depended on the strength of "all mankind" - but it was not really based on "a few percent of the population". Only 30% had reached the average level of all mankind, so Li Yan had always had trouble judging the corresponding level of strength.

Since the scarcity of various skills is different, using "all mankind" as the sampling pool will also lead to differences in the strength of the progress representatives.

For example, when Li Yan's ability just exceeded 30%, the average level of sports with a wider audience and popular subjects was obviously relatively low. Li Yan was just at an average level at this time and could not be considered very strong.

It's just that I was still a child at that time, and the level of elementary school students is already at the bottom of most skills. Having the "average" level is already enough to stand out among the elementary school students.

It can be said that I have reaped the benefits of identity dislocation.

As for some unpopular fields with very low participation or high entry barriers, although they are only the "average", because they are the average of the elite group, the combat effectiveness they exhibit will also be very violent.

For example, economics, sociology, stage directing, etc.

At that time, Li Yan's stage director score was only in his thirties, which was more than enough to handle a cultural performance.

However, after reaching the average level of 30%, the difference becomes smaller and smaller as the level increases.

Regardless of whether it has a wide audience or a high entry threshold, the small group of people who reach the top of the mountain represent a high level.

60%, based on Li Yan's own experience, can be vaguely summarized as "an 'excellent' level among the relevant groups."

To be more specific, in terms of sports, it is basically at the level of a first-class athlete.

The level of strength is affected by the depth of understanding and the bonus of related skills. For example, with sufficient physical support and super reaction ability, the level of badminton is much higher than 60%.

But Li Yan himself doesn't have the confidence that he can run a marathon at the level of a first-class athlete.

The fourth-level skill of "running" definitely covers marathon, but marathon is different from normal running, and the requirements for cardiopulmonary function and endurance are much higher.

Perhaps Li Yan would only have the confidence if his "cardiopulmonary function", "muscle endurance" or more advanced "physical strength" could break through the 60% mark.

Li Yan smiled to himself when he thought of this. Cause and effect were reversed. His purpose in participating in this marathon was to achieve a breakthrough in improving these skills.

Originally he was even thinking about practicing first, but then he slapped his head and gave up.

I will never back down, so there is no option of warming up, unless I run once on Saturday, but there is no need for that.

"Are you still feeling a little stressed about this journey?"

Li Yan muttered to herself, shook her head and looked at the computer.

Isn’t this vast sea of ​​code a brain marathon?

You have to take it easy tomorrow and don't rush to overclock, otherwise you can only run a few dozen kilometers quietly another day.

Saturday was another busy day, but fortunately, as long as Li Yan didn't push herself to the limit, it was almost equivalent to no consumption.

In the evening he did some strength training, but it seemed pointless.

He doesn't need to warm up, so there's no point in exercising if the intensity isn't enough to get his body working out.

Now I don’t know to what extent muscle strength is considered improved. What if I train until my body is tired and there is no improvement? Wouldn’t that be like forcing the intensity of tomorrow’s marathon?

Li Yan was sorting out his thoughts until he went to bed at night.

His current physical condition cannot be understood by common sense.

Warming up and daily exercises are useless. He doesn't need to maintain his condition. He feels like a game character with the stamina bar just there.

Before any specific breakthrough, running around the map a few more times, rolling a few more times, or even draining your physical strength a little more, will not bring any improvement.

As I was thinking, I fell asleep.

At 11:14 in the morning on November , Li Yan arrived at the organizer's office at the starting point of the New Taipei Marathon as scheduled.

Because he is a minor, the organizer needs to do a physical test on him first, and then let him sign a voluntary agreement, a compulsory withdrawal agreement, etc. In theory, these agreements should be signed by Li Yan's guardian to be effective, but after all, this minor is a company boss, so special matters should be handled specially.

As soon as I walked into the office, reporters came to greet me.

"Hello Li Yan, we are..."

"Later." Li Yan just waved his hand.

The organizers were cautious enough to arrange for someone to monitor Li Yan's physical indicators in real time...

The advantage is that Li Yan can also obtain valuable data about his own body, which is helpful in judging his current level.

The downside is that data don't lie. After all, Li Yan is a systematic person. If some situations appear that are different from ordinary people or even beyond normal scientific understanding, it would still be a bit troublesome.

At worst, we can just say the data is wrong.

The deputy director of the New Taipei City Sports Bureau sat in the command room and expressed a warm welcome to Li Yan, then said a "safety promotion" that was ten times more than the welcome words.

Li Yan could feel the tense atmosphere in the room. On the one hand, they hoped that Li Yan's participation would be a bright spot, but on the other hand, they were really worried that Li Yan might get into trouble.

"If the data monitoring shows any dangerous signs, we will ask you to slow down and take a rest immediately. At the same time, a professional medical team will follow up. Please don't force yourself."

The deputy director of the Sports Bureau shook Li Yan's hand and said.

"I see. What this means is that if the data monitoring remains healthy, I can keep running, right?"

That's not what we meant!
The results of the physical examination and data testing surprised the professional sports medical team. Li Yan's physical fitness was far beyond their expectations.

Doctor Ding, the team leader, couldn't help but mutter to himself, "How can this be the body of a minor? It's no problem to say she's 20 years old."

Another female doctor also lamented, "It's on the same level as the professional athletes we've tested."

These words greatly eased the leaders' nervousness, and they gradually shifted their attention to "Why is Li Yan so amazing", and in just a few words it turned into gossip.

Ask about Li Yan’s company, Huada Excellence Class, and even the relationship with Yili Group, etc.

With so much chatter, Li Yan was not willing to respond. He had only one goal today: running.

"You shouldn't arrange a broadcast vehicle to face me, right?" Li Yan suddenly asked.

"Not really, but if you want, you can..."

"no no no."

"Yeah, there's a motorcycle following us anyway."

"Ah?" Li Yan was helpless. "I'm not a professional athlete, why bother?"

"But you are the first runner under the age of sixteen in the New Taipei City Marathon. In recent years, there have been no runners under the age of sixteen in marathon events, even in the ten-kilometer city race. And the follow-up footage is only given to us internally and will not be broadcast."

It seems to be due to safety considerations. After all, if the news of "participating in a marathon at the age of 15" gets out, it might be considered positive or negative news.

Seeing that the 8:30 preparation time was approaching, Li Yan confirmed that the monitoring equipment was functioning normally - in fact, they were just some electrode patches, mostly covered by clothes and not conspicuous - and walked towards the starting point of the marathon.

The TV station caught up with me again. "Hello, Li Yan. We are from New Taipei TV. Do you have time for a simple interview?"

"The race is about to start, finish it."

"Then may I ask why you came to participate in the New Taipei Marathon?"

"Come if you want."

The reporter wanted to continue asking questions, but saw Wei Yunzhi waving at Li Yan at the door, so he sighed, signaled the cameraman to turn around, and prepared for the formal interview of the event.

"Come on!" said the beautiful girl, holding an orange sports bracelet with two letters "YY" engraved on it. "This is a souvenir I saw at the YY bookstore before, so I bought it. I wore it for a while before, so I'm giving it to you."

Li Yan smiled, put the bracelet on her left hand, and waved: "See you at the finish line."

He quickly joined the contestants. Judging from their attire, age and body shape, most of them were just there for the fun.

That's good, as long as you don't run into problems without self-awareness. Everyone happily participating in long-distance running is indeed meaningful in promoting "national sports."

Most people had no pressure to achieve good results, or even to finish the race, so they seemed very excited – the same kind of excitement as a child taking part in an autumn outing.

They seemed to have no idea about the 42-kilometer journey and did not show any fear at all.

The more nervous the expression on one's face, the higher his level is.

They know what they are facing and are ready to challenge themselves.

Even one second faster is progress.

Li Yan's figure and the patches on her body aroused the curiosity of a dark-skinned young man.

Although this man is thin, the muscles in his legs are very distinct. He wears sunglasses, professional sportswear, and long-distance running shoes that cost more than 2,000 yuan a pair. He looks like an athlete no matter how you look at him.

"Brother, haven't we met before?" He took the initiative to greet.

“It’s my first time competing.”

"Sure. My name is Tao Yadong. I'm a marathon athlete for the New Taipei City Track and Field Team. I'm not very popular, and my level is average. I'm only a first-level athlete."

"My name is Li Yan."

"Huh?" Tao Yadong even took off his sunglasses. "The Li Yan who made the cell phone?"

Everyone used to say he was a young genius, but now “making mobile phones” is his first label?
"Uh... sort of. It should be the same as what you think."

"You actually came to run a marathon. Hey, you're not..." Tao Yadong leaned close to Li Yan and whispered, "Are you underage?"

"Well, so..." Li Yan showed the patch on the inside of her upper arm, "It needs to be monitored like this."

"What a treat!" Tao Yadong smiled. "Is this your first time running? But I heard you're good at sports."

"Not bad, I'll try to keep up with Brother Yadong's pace later."

"Okay, I'll guide you for a while."

The host over there talked a lot and finally the countdown began.

Li Yan finally did some symbolic stretching movements.

"Let's run!" With the sound of the starting gun, the New Taipei Marathon officially began.

Li Yan thought that everyone would start long-distance running slowly, but she saw Tao Yadong next to her push off the ground forcefully a few times and suddenly rushed out from the crowd.

What the hell? Is this the speed?
Li Yan also took a step and followed. In less than two minutes, they had left the main group behind.

"Rhythm, rhythm." Tao Yadong maintained a very stable running posture. "Don't push too hard. Keep a good rhythm."

It seems that this speed is not too stressful for him.

For now, Li Yan doesn't feel any pressure to keep up with him.

It’s obvious that Li Yan’s running posture is still being adjusted. He now feels like he is running a marathon as if he is running a 3,000-meter race.

Running 42 kilometers at this speed, no, even half of the 21 kilometers, seems to be an impossible task.

(End of this chapter)