When my NBHIS colleague asked me to join the Huamao 45th anniversary race I thought, “Why not?” But when she said she hoped I could run the 18km race, I hesitated. Only two months to train the goal could only be completing the race – I certainly couldn’t compete with the more prepared participants who were likely to join. But when I thought about the benefits – a charitable donation from Huamao, a chance to inspire my students, and a lot of much-needed exercise – I realized I had more reasons to say “yes” than “no.”
On the day of the event the weather was ideal for racing, and the course along Dongqian Lake promised beautiful views throughout the event to lift tired spirits. After Mr. Xu addressed the assembled runners, the race commenced with the athletes leaping across the starting line. Policemen, medical staff, race organizers and local residents all lined the course and offered encouragement throughout the race, which was ever more welcome as the distance increased. Many participants finished at 4.5km while others continued on until the 9km mark. But in my event reaching 9km simply meant it was time to turn around and head back to the start. From that time on my mind was focused on nothing but finishing, even as the pain in my feet, knees, and chest demanded that I stop.
As we neared the finish line we could hear the crowd cheering for each runner as he finished, and their enthusiasm gave us the energy to finish strong, heads held high, arms and legs pumping, our feet barely touching the ground. The feeling was wonderful: a mix of relief that the race was finished, and happiness that our efforts would help others.
NBHIS Joshua Beard
（当国际学校的同事提议参加钱湖益跑的时候，我心里想：“为什么不呢？”然而，在我知道有18公里的参赛项目时，我有些犹豫。仅仅两个月的准备时间，去和更多的选手比拼，但是当我想到这是项有意义的活动时，我意识到必须说“Yes”。
活动当天的天气很理想，益跑路线东钱湖十分美丽，当徐总法令开跑后，所有跑者从起跑线出发。益跑中，所有的志愿者们、医疗队伍、交警等都机遇了很大的支持，我的同伴有的跑了4.5公里，有的跑了9公里处，而我的目标是18公里。
当我快到达终点时，我听到欢呼声，这些热情给我们冲向终点的能量。这种感觉太棒了，既成功冲线，又能够帮助他人。）
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