It is different. It is insane. Was I running in a dream? Why were trees talking to me? Why were the butterflies cheering and pacing? It took 75 Kilometers, 3,000 meters elevation gain, 11 hours 25 minutes, to become an ultra-marathoner.. I want to write it all out.. get a feel of what I went through.. the least I can do, is share it with you.. It all started while the world was sleeping.. Our 75K mountain trail ultramarathon began at 3 am. Each runner had a different pace and it didnโt take much time to separate. And so it was, just you and nature for more than 11 hours. How can I bring the mountainโs sacred sounds of silence to you? How can I describe the joy of running with and against the wind currents? Every micro detail was beautifully maximized yesterday. Sounds, we tend to take for granted, that we stop realizing, blend in to a harmonic symphony. Then, the pain, the hits, the slips, the ankle twists, all happened.. I had to endure more than distance.. a knee injury caused by a harsh slip at the beginning of the race. But in the mighty mountains, such stuff become micro.. irrelevant.. insignificant.. The mountain invites you to explore, to go on, to dream, to listen, to breathe, to laugh at your own madness, to tolerate, to imagine, and more.. How many metaphors ran in my head? A lot.. But, the one that kept on coming, was related to stones my feet were stepping on.. oh, that word, โstonesโ.. I want them to vanish elsewhere and stop hurting.. a prayer throughout the run.. I hope they vanish for good, mom.. I canโt possibly imagine what pain you endure.. you will overcome.. The โhighโ feeling running usually gives is multiplied by a million during an ultra mountain trail. Trees became people. Rocks became water stations. You hallucinate. You stop seeing at times.. You do get dizzy, then wake up again.. You have to let go but stay in control.. Itโs a long conversation with Earth surface.. You might feel Iโm exaggerating.. but this is what mother nature does.. it exaggerates what we donโt see and feel every other day.. No matter how much I thank the ultra-marathoner hero Coach Ali Kedami, I wonโt give him enough credit. This man is indeed a mountain. The most humble mountain you can ever live with and learn from. Thank you for being who you are (despite adding a surprise extra 3k to the route)! While I was approaching the finish line, I was dreaming of cold water and beer. I hydrated a lot but the noonโs sun was very heavy. I forgot thirst as soon as I arrived. That was due to a long hug with words of praise by my dearest friend and Coach, Ghassan Hajjar.. He made it extremely special and unforgettable. I owe to you for bringing dreams closer to reality.. โThe mountain humbles youโ is not a figure of speech. Having lived most of my life in mountains, I truly believe it does. I wish one day Lebanonโs mountains stop being identified with religion and sects; but ultramarathons, races, trails, biking events, triathlons.. etc.. I wish one day we unselfishly live the magic of Lebanonโs mountains. A Max-Million thanks to every single organizer and volunteer of Ultra Trail des Cedres.. and a Max-Million thank you to Lebanonโs extreme sports icon Maxime Chaya for bringing this unprecedented Ultra-Trail des Cedres come to life and bringing more runners closer to the Mountain! If this was the most extreme and thrilling adventure Iโve completed, I wonder whatโs next.. What do you think DOC? #FuckYouDoc
FZ