The grind of China is unrelenting. It is strange to me that the more time I
spend in China the more I learn I don’t know anything of significance about
Chinese culture. Even after 8 years the
only thing familiar is the unfamiliarity of it all. The people.
The culture. The food. The bathrooms (holy crap, the
bathrooms). And even without the warm
comfort familiarity brings I still enjoy visiting China. Today, I will write about what I know and,
more importantly, what I have yet to learn.
“This is China”. A
quote I hear all too often. Usually
after something indescribable happens.
Something that is so different that is evident to not only me that I
will never understand. As an example;
Once, probably my first trip, my colleagues and I were
picked up at the hotel to start our work day.
On the way out we passed through a toll station. We passed that station every morning of the
week prior. There was nothing remarkable
about this toll booth. Pretty standard,
even in US standards. But this morning
was different. This morning, on our way
through I noticed a man dressed in camouflage holding a turtle over his
head. Like a waiter with a tray. Using one arm. My interest piqued, I inquired as to why
this gentleman was holding a turtle. Not
only did I not get an explanation, my comments weren’t even acknowledged.
Stranger still, on the way back to the hotel that night he was still
there. And again, even with a different
group of folks in the car, my question literally went unanswered.
My guess is that this was something that I would never
understand so my hosts didn’t even know how to tell me that I wouldn’t ever
understand. And that is what precisely
strikes me the most. In all my travels
in China, anywhere and with anyone, there seems to be a secret the Chinese
know. They not only understand that I
will never get some things but they also understand precisely why I will never
understand.
There is another world I live in, the world of
ultra-running. Much like the culture in
China, I still don’t yet understand all the intricacies of this world. Even though I am up to my eyeballs in
it. And just as quickly as the Chinese
understand they can’t explain the unexplainable to me, I know I don’t need to
know why the culture is so wonderful as it is.
I know I can just be a part of it.
Very recently I crewed my friends and paced Trevor at the
Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Endurance run. I
have never visited Tahoe before and I was very excited to finally get to see
this beautiful place. And I did. I’m thankful I could experience Tahoe in a
way that is pretty unique. As
advertised, Tahoe is a beautiful area.
It is rugged and somehow still soft.
A quiet beauty that creates a lasting boom to your senses. Up in the high country it even smells
different. I couldn’t help myself from
feeling inspired.
We all arrived in Carson City on Thursday. The meeting of the Catawba Ridge Runners had
actually started the night prior in a Charlotte, NC when Chris drove from
Boone, NC to meet Trevor and I at a Courtyard Marriott so we could fly out
early Thursday morning. It was great to
see him and I know Trevor was excited to get the show on the road. Chris had been hand-picked early by Trevor as
crew/pacer after getting into the TRT100.
Mainly because Chris is not only a talented runner and amazing crew
member but also because he is a solid person who understands the unspoken as
well as the spoken.
Not long after everyone got into Carson City and settled in
we moved on over to do some grocery shopping.
Each of the little groups went around grabbing food, snacks and last-minute
race needs. It was actually a sweet
moment to watch. Everyone working
together. Talking. Listening.
It was so touching to see these old friends freely share not only what
they were buying but why. Trading
information about the purchases but also little insights about themselves. Momentary snapshots into their everyday. Their real selves. I think it is a great way
to get to know someone. Right there, in
unfamiliar Carson City, NV we were all getting familiar items to help us feel a
little more at home.
The morning before the race we woke up early so we could
drive over and see the start/finish of the TRT100. It was a pretty straight shot from the
hotel. Which was nice. I get lost easy. It was also a beautiful morning. I was feeling excited about getting to see
this place. My nerves were also starting to settle. Being part of the crew and pacing for Trevor
is a responsibility that I take very seriously. As we walked around that Friday I felt a
sense of community that once again made this unfamiliar place feel like
home. Several of my friends came up to
me and told me that I was going to do great.
At this point, the runners outnumbered the pacers. These men who were about to go out into the
wilderness for 100 miles of running were telling me that I was going to do
great. That’s community, that’s family.
I’d be remiss to not mention that we met the RD near the
start finish and got a small course preview.
George Ruiz is a pretty down to earth guy and even gave me some intel on
the new GoPro 5 (which I’ve had my eye on).
All the guys really ate up the information he was giving them and I know
it was an unexpected treat to get some time with the RD.
After checking out the course we ran over to the packet
pickup. There Andy, Chris, Michelle and
I all signed the necessary paperwork and picked up our pacer bibs. It was starting to settle in that this was
real and I was getting excited. Trevor
even got us a little something for coming out to crew him. Totally unnecessary and totally appreciated. When
we left there, we headed into town for a last-minute gear run and then back to
the hotel. Andy, Chris and I decided to
go for a run to shake out any last-minute pacer nerves and when we got back we
ordered some pizza. Dominos to be
exact. Avoid the Noid. Ate our pizza and then all of us headed off
to bed early. Morning was approaching
quick and with it glory. Sorry, I’ve
always wanted to say something like that in a blog post.
Race morning started early.
3 to be exact. I volunteered to
drive most of the racers to the start so that the balance of the crew could get
a few extra hours of sleep. Having said
that, I know they didn’t. Too much
excitement. Too much anticipation. Kristen drove Jordan, Matt and Josh Starner
to the start and we met up with the almost by happenstance at the start
line. Group pictures, hugs, high fives
and “go get ‘em!”s… then they were off.
I got a little emotional, but I’m an emotional dude.
The crew at the start. From Left to right: Jordan Chang, Josh Starner, Brett Sherfy, Josh Hamiliton, Trevor Stewar and Torey McBadass (I never got her last name). |
At the first aid station we met up with Ginger, Lois and
PT. ALWAYS A PLUS! As the runners came in we got pictures and
videos. After some message exchanges
with Soon, we finally met up with him at this aid station. He fit right in, right away! We also found
our crew groove. Everyone working around
the runners, helping. Getting them ready
to get back out there. It happened
almost seamlessly. Once again, in this
unfamiliar place this amazing group of people found solidarity. Magic.
The race was tough.
For the runners, it was really tough.
For the crew, it was logistically easy but crewing itself is never easy.
The Tahoe Rim Trail is beautiful and
slyly unrelenting. The gentle sweeping
of the trail surface lulls your mind into thinking you can run forever. The abrupt and lengthy climbs remind you that
you shouldn’t. As a point of
reference, I only ran the last 20ish miles of the course as a pacer. Those last miles began on a double black
diamond ski slope. A hill I have named
“bag of dicks”. I was fresh and it made
me a little frustrated. If I was 80
miles in I think I would have been wholly infuriated. Yet, to his credit, Trevor attacked that hill
like he does everything. Focused
determination with a sprinkle of humble optimism.
Sunrise at Tahoe |
We had some good times on the trail. Good conversation between each other. With Shannon, who I hope finds us on
Facebook. We talked about a lot of
things. We had stretches of
silence. I won’t get into a full race
report, that is the glory for Trevor and the folks who ran the race to report. But I will write this last bit about watching
someone achieve a goal. Watching someone
fight up climbs and run when it was the last thing he wanted to do. Someone who talked with fervor all the way up
a lengthy climb about being a father, a husband. How he loves it and loves his family. Giving advice to a soon to be new father
(Shannon, not me 😊).
Being there among the beautiful suffering of burning the last
matches. I wouldn’t have traded those moments
for anything.
Epic Trevor looking all epic |
I’ll wrap this up with this.
Unfamiliarity can look like many things.
A new place. A new
situation. A new person. What is important is that we remember those
moments because we learn from them. It
has been famously said many times that you can’t grow if you stay comfortable. Stretching our boundaries, stretches
ourselves. I would never be as bold as
to say the only way to find out who are is to run a ridiculous amount of miles,
but I will say it is a good way to do it.
Having said that I do think
community is important. Even the earliest
explorers went in groups. And that is
what we did in Tahoe. We explored who we
were in a foreign place, together. Faced
the unfamiliar with family. Lost and
found ourselves, with each other, among
a collection of ups and downs that can never be explained and only experienced.
Lake Tahoe, Sunday after the race |
Love this! Embracing unfamiliarity is one of the ways we live life, and we all are lucky to have the opportunity to continue to explore it. To your point, some people mistake happiness with comfort and comfort with happiness. Have fun in China! Get lost sometime!
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