Today, I successfully finished the ‘Hong Kong MTR Run’ challenge. It is the greatest achievement to me as a runner and I am totally overjoyed at this moment!
The ‘Hong Kong MTR Run’ challenge includes running the routes of all ten MTR lines. Participants are allowed to finish the 250 km at their own pace and schedule. When I heard about the challenge, I had started running for six months. I took it as an opportunity to test my limits and see how far I could go. Therefore, I told a few friends who were also running enthusiasts about the challenge and we enrolled in it together.
At first, we decided to run the Tseung Kwan O line in one go, thinking that we had the ability to do so. However, we definitely over-estimated the stamina we had to sustain through as running newbies. We had to stop halfway since we were extremely tired and exhausted, almost seeing stars. Our legs were sore for five days after the run!
One week later we had learned from the painful experience and agreed that we should aim at a shorter distance which suited our ability better. We planned to run the distance of six stations in the East Rail Line, reasonable but not too easy. This time, with some effort and cheering each other on, we managed to finish the planned route. A sense of accomplishment filled our hearts and afterwards we were more determined to complete the challenge.
Bit by bit we increased the distance of our run and eventually, we were able to run half of the route of Kwun Tong Line in one go (it was the longest MTR Line). This was a great improvement for all of us.
Finally, we wrapped the challenge up by finishing it by running the route of Disneyland Line today. We did it! We finished the challenge with nine months of hard work and we were absolutely proud of ourselves. Completing the challenge had us all on cloud nine!
Participating in the challenge has made me realize that we should do everything step-by-step, not pushing ourselves too hard at a time. Or else, it is likely to result in failure and slowly you will lose faith in yourself. We should set our target a little bit higher each time and eventually you will surely see improvements in yourself.
Also, I have realized the importance of having companions. Without my friends, I think I may have given up in the middle. We cheered each other up whenever one of us lacked motivation during this long journey. I am lucky and grateful to have such nice buddies and I will treasure them with all my heart.
Most importantly, our finishing the challenge has proved that ‘if you don’t give up, you will succeed.’ I am sure that I will be much more persistent in what I do and stick to my goals and plans in the future.