Chapter 386 Physical Breakthrough
What is the concept of a world record for a marathon?
Running 100 meters in 17 seconds should not be a big deal for people who have some exercise habits.

But the distances kept increasing, 400 meters in 68 seconds, 1,000 meters in 2 minutes and 50 seconds.

Maintaining this speed, I ran 42.195 kilometers.

I believe that many people in their "physical peak" period in junior high and high school cannot even run 1,000 meters in 2 minutes and 50 seconds at full speed.

If the world record is too far away, it is the realm of God.

Then take a look at the guy who is running with Li Yan. He is a first-level athlete and his pace standard is three minutes and thirty-six seconds.

Friends who have run a thousand meters should know what this concept is.

Running 42 1000 meters at this speed is the bottom line for a first-level athlete.

This is probably the same pace as Tao Yadong who is running with Li Yan now.

"Where is the pacer?" Li Yan knew that such a person existed, but after running with Tao Yadong for a few minutes and not seeing him, she asked.

Tao Yadong maintained an even breathing and showed his remaining strength with a very steady answer: "Behind you, the pace is three hours, I can't see it at my speed."

Li Yan thought, then you are my pacemaker.

While running, he observed Tao Yadong's running posture, and combined with some marathon-related knowledge he learned yesterday, he quickly adjusted his own running posture.

It was indeed as Tao Yadong said, Li Yan tried too hard to adapt to the speed that was far beyond his expectations at the beginning.

Swing your arms and push off the ground with force, even pushing your center of gravity forward a little.

This resulted in him being faster than Tao Yadong after just a few steps, so he had to slow down intentionally, and once he slowed down he could not keep up with the pace.

After a few times, my breathing quickened.

Tao Yadong's arm swing is very small, and his whole body embodies stability and rhythm.

Li Yan also reduced the amplitude of his arm swing, adjusted his center of gravity appropriately, and silently recited the rhythm in his mind. The ability of "neural recruitment" adjusted the "usage state" of muscles throughout his body well, allowing him to quickly enter a relatively stable output rhythm.

This surprised Tao Yadong a little.

Judging from the start, what Li Yan said was true, he is probably indeed a newcomer.

At least I'm someone who has never run a marathon at a high pace.

After running for only about five minutes, he was able to stabilize the pace. Did he learn this from on-site observation?
Li Yan's mind was in a mess. He even thought that it was a pity that "running" already included "marathon". Otherwise, if he awakened a "marathon" skill, he would be able to understand the progress of his ability in real time.

At this stage, Tao Yadong is clearly at ease, and even has time to joke:

"Is this motorcycle for taking pictures of me and you?"

"I'm afraid I'll die here." Li Yan's words were concise and to the point. It took him a while to adjust his breathing while he said this.

Tao Yadong smiled and said, "Don't talk anymore. Keep running at this pace for a while and see if you can run 10 kilometers. If you can't hold on any longer, slow down or rest at a supply point."

He spoke these words intermittently, which gave Li Yan the opportunity to further grasp his breathing rhythm.

It seems that in his eyes, Li Yan's speed of ten kilometers is considered to be the limit.

At this time, the medical team in the command room was also closely monitoring Li Yan's physical indicators.

"His heart rate soared when he just started running, but now it has stabilized. There is no need to worry for the time being. With his physical fitness, he should have no problem running a few kilometers at least. Stay tuned." Dr. Ding said, looking at the screen.

Li Yan's breathing in the picture is gradually stabilizing. He is not as anxious to breathe in as at the beginning. He can feel his body gradually adapting to the current output rhythm. His breathing, steps, and arm swings are all in the same rhythm.

Of course, I’ve only been running for a while, so I’m far from understanding the sport.

Marathon is an extreme sport. It is not a simple accumulation of running one thousand meters each time. After ten or twenty kilometers, the difficulty curve increases sharply.

Running a few kilometers is not a big problem for most people who have some basic exercise habits.

But if a novice tries to run a full marathon to show off his ability, the pain after hitting the physical wall will be terrible.

Almost every cell in your body and every nerve in your brain is telling you not to run anymore, or you will be broken into pieces.

Every year in the marathon, there are always some runners who try to show off their abilities. Some try to speed up so hard that they pass out after a certain point. Some insist on speeding up when they encounter an uphill section after 20 kilometers, and end up foaming at the mouth. Even worse, some try to hold on even when their bodies have already sounded the alarm, and end up suffering from rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure, hemolysis, and a trip to the ICU.

The organizers are no strangers to this kind of brave guy, and their skillful first aid measures are heartbreaking.

That's why when they learned that Li Yan would participate in the competition, they immediately came up with such a complete monitoring plan.

If Li Yan wants to truly challenge herself, she must at least wait until the first wall-hitting period comes.

When the glycogen in the body is exhausted, the body begins to frantically send out messages of resistance to exercise, and you have to rely on willpower and habit to persevere.

Li Yan did not have the habit of taking steps developed from long-distance running, so she could only rely on willpower.

Fortunately, Li Yan's willpower has already exceeded 60% of the progress, so he should have no problem passing this level if he grits his teeth.

Not to mention there are supply points.

When Li Yan was in good condition and could still maintain his speed, he passed by some supply points.

However, these were obviously not prepared for athlete-level players. Tao Yadong only took warm water from one of them to rinse his mouth, and then took a small sip from a bottle of sports drink.

Li Yan also took the drink, but took several sips.

At this time, the two of them had already run eight kilometers. Tao Yadong was surprised that Li Yan could keep her breathing steady until this point, so he had to remind her:
"Just moisten your throat with water and drink in small sips."

Li Yan just nodded, saying that she had no energy to spare.

Of course he knows that you can't drink too much water, as it will make your stomach bloated, and running a few more steps will make you collapse.

The problem is... Mr. Li possesses the magical skill of "nutrition", coupled with the blessing of "speed", these mouthfuls of water will not stay in his stomach for too long.

Eh? Will his physical fitness hit the wall later because of this?

If he continues to replenish energy gels, will he simply not come?

He thought so, but he is not a superman. Although his digestive ability is strong and he absorbs nutrients quickly, he cannot withstand the intense consumption in the later stage.

For Li Yan, the most critical point is how to maintain a stable state.

Seeing the ten-kilometer sign right in front of him, Tao Yadong looked at Li Yan, who had been following closely beside him, with new eyes.

I thought Li Yan would reach the top after running 10 kilometers at this pace, but I didn't expect that judging from his body posture, breathing rhythm, and facial expression, he was still in good condition.

"What's your heart rate?" Tao Yadong asked when passing the ten-kilometer sign.

Li Yan stretched out her hand and gestured the number "150".

Tao Yadong nodded.

"The index is still rising," said Doctor Ding in the command room. "It should be due to accumulated fatigue. After all, running at this speed for ten kilometers, the load on muscles and joints cannot be ignored."

But it can be adjusted through neural recruitment.

To be honest, it was only at this point that Li Yan finally felt that he was taking on an extraordinary challenge.

I usually run ten kilometers, and then it's time to rest.

It can just relieve the fatigue coming from the top.

Oh my god, now my legs and feet are starting to feel numb and painful, my mouth is starting to feel dry, my breathing is becoming heavy, and the feeling of "tiredness" is eroding my brain.

There were still 32 kilometers ahead...

It is also a great test of one's psychological quality.

By the time they reached the 15-kilometer sign, Li Yan was already beginning to feel that he was having trouble controlling his body rhythm.

Tao Yadong also lost his calm demeanor and seemed to be in a state of concentration. Li Yan's arm swing began to become difficult to tighten, and she even wanted to rely on the power of her upper arms to swing her body.

This feeling was very similar to the feeling of exhaustion when he ran a 1,000-meter race in the school sports meet, the so-called "extreme point".

Distract your attention and start targeting various small landmarks on the road. Little by little, you will get positive feedback by achieving one small goal after another and get through the extreme point.

This method was used by Li Yan during the school sports meet and is not applicable now.

Because the information that the finish line is more than 20 kilometers away cannot be ignored.

Tao Yadong drank two sips of water from the supply point and noticed out of the corner of his eye that Li Yan was eating energy gel.

He wanted to say something, but gave up.

After all, Tao Yadong has his own specially configured supply bottle, and Li Yan certainly does not have such preparation for his first competition.

Now Li Yan's physical consumption must be much greater than his, so she should eat the energy gel. As for whether Li Yan can get used to the taste and take a small sip and swallow it with water... it all depends on fate.

"Why eat two?"

When he saw Li Yan opened another pack, he couldn't hold it back anymore.

Li Yan just made an OK gesture.

Forget it, this kid is a mess, let’s see if he can finish the half marathon.

"You have to take the intake in advance." Li Yan advised himself in his heart that he should wait until he was physically exhausted before replenishing the energy. Even if he absorbed the nutrients quickly, it would be too late.

As for eating two, it was simply because they tasted like peach and he liked them.

My mouth is a little sticky because of the sugar, just drink some water.

While running, Li Yan suddenly heard some "ding dong" sounds coming from outside the track, which made him think he was hallucinating.

Later I found out that an hour had passed since the start of the race.

I ran for an hour!
Li Yan's nerves, which had just gradually become numb, became excited again. In his previous life, it would have been a fantasy to say that he could maintain this speed for an hour.

He was actually exhausted.

My breathing was very heavy and I couldn't keep a rhythm. My body started to become stiff, my steps were not as powerful as before and my arm swings became uncoordinated.

Although my body is not yet to the point of crazy resistance to running, I can't help but have some thoughts like "I want to rest at the finish line."

The finish line that everyone set for him was indeed not far away - the half marathon commemorative medal collection point.

"Adjust, adjust!" Li Yan encouraged herself in her heart, "Don't think of relying on physical strength to get through this difficult time!"

He couldn't help but look at Tao Yadong, who had opened up a gap of more than a body length between him and the other person. How come he was no different from the beginning after running for an hour?

This is definitely not just the influence of physical fitness and willpower.

Li Yan was thinking while running, and for a moment he gradually forgot his physical fatigue, and his movements became simpler unintentionally.

"Do you need to get used to your output rhythm? Just like intermittent acceleration and deceleration running is more strenuous than running at a constant speed, just like when you don't master the rhythm at the beginning, you will be out of breath after a few ups and downs?"

To achieve this level, maintaining relatively low energy consumption is the key.

You shouldn't think too much, don't do anything like "distracting your attention", and don't magnify the various sensations of your body.

The road is right under your feet, just like completing a task, moving the progress bar forward little by little.

Use the most labor-saving way to supplement when necessary and output when necessary. Simple is the best way.

Don’t think about improving your skills. Just finish this trip and you will definitely surpass your limits, and improving your skills will be a natural result.

There are no new concepts, no new insights, the main feature is the powerful flying of bricks.

Getting rid of the unnecessary brain consumption, Li Yan also completely focused his sights on the "front".

His footsteps will soon reach the front, the front that he will inevitably reach.

Tao Yadong was surprised to find that Li Yan, who had been unable to hold on just now, suddenly recovered. His breathing gradually became steady and his movements became simpler.

It’s like entering a “flow” state where your mind is completely focused.

This is the state that many runners most hope to enter when running long distances, and it is also the source of their pleasure in challenging their limits.

Doctor Ding frowned. "Every time the heart rate goes up, it goes back down after a while... This Li Yan is quite interesting."

The female doctor next to him smiled and said, "I told you a long time ago that every aspect of him is unconventional and cannot be understood by common sense."

The finish line of the half marathon is a small square without a finishing line. In previous years, many people would choose to finish here and receive a half marathon commemorative medal.

Several media outlets have gathered here, as well as the deputy director of the New Taipei City Sports Bureau.

The slightly plump deputy director held the commemorative medal with his name just engraved on it in his hand, ready to give it to Li Yan.

The cameraman also pointed the camera in the direction of the person coming.

“I never thought that Li Yan could keep running at this pace and is about to finish the half marathon.”

"The best result for a minor, right?"

“Of course, there were not many minors over the age of 16 who participated in the half marathon. It was a miracle that he finished the half marathon with Tao Yadong at the age of 15.”

"Director Liu, after all, the contestant is 15 years old. Would this news report be inappropriate?"

"If you don't finish the race, it's not suitable. Who cares if you can finish it at this level?"

As they were discussing, they saw Tao Yadong and Li Yan in the distance.

The cameras were all aimed at Li Yan. Doctor Ding in the command room was nervously observing Li Yan's physical indicators. Director Tian was smiling and holding the commemorative medal in his hand. Everyone was ready to go.

Then they just watched the two people run past like a gust of wind.

Everyone was stunned.

Someone in the command room urgently contacted Li Yan via the headset: "Li Yan, Li Yan, you have passed the half marathon finish line. You can rest now."

Li Yan just raised her hand towards the motorcycle in front of her, waved it first, then pointed at herself, and then made an "OK" gesture.

Everyone finally understood that Li Yan was really going to run a full marathon!
The mood that had just relaxed became tense again. Director Liu sighed and made a request to the command room through the intercom: "Follow the indicators well. If the heart rate is about to reach a dangerous level or if you see that something is wrong, notify Li Yan. After two notifications, he will be forced to suspend the game."

Unexpectedly, after only a few minutes, Li Yan began to feel unable to bear it anymore.

Even though he replenished a lot of energy, he still hit the physical wall early.

In fact, Li Yan had never done a serious long-distance run before. He completely relied on the values ​​given by the system. Now he had been running for more than an hour and twenty minutes, and it was foreseeable that his energy would be exhausted.

It arrived much later than Tao Yadong expected.

Doctor Ding looked at Li Yan's physical indicators, which were gradually approaching the danger line, and issued the first suspension request:
"Li Yan, you're not in good condition right now, don't force yourself..."

Before he could finish his words, Li Yan's various indicators suddenly recovered rapidly, and the curve made the entire medical team tremble with fear.

It’s like my heart rate suddenly dropped to zero!

"It's okay, Dr. Ding. I'm in good condition."

Li Yan responded.

Dr. Ding, who suspected that there was something wrong with the machine, stared at the screen. He was dumbfounded to see Li Yan's expression, which was a little breathless, suddenly become calm and composed.

"This... is he acting?"

(End of this chapter)