Classic Natalie

**Just to clarify, I've been trying to keep this chronological, so when I look back in a few years it all makes sense. So although it is now July, these events are from a few months ago. At the end of each post I have added the time frame and location to further clarify 😀

So now where was I, ah yes the aftermath of the 100km race.  Kolja had finished in the early hours of the morning, and luckily we arrived back at the hotel just in time for me to get a few hours of sleep before I had a full day of zoom classes ahead of me.  

The alarm started blaring at 8:13 a.m. (I have a weird thing about not using round numbers for alarms... don't ask), and I was so exhausted.  After a night of restless sleep and panicking that I'd miss Kolja crossing the finish line, the last thing I wanted to do was teach.  So naturally I snoozed one too many times and ended up having to hastily pull myself together, jump out of bed, and appear like I was wide awake and ready for my class at 9:00 am.  Usually about 10 minutes before the class I send out the code and password for the zoom meeting to my students' parents and then start promptly at 9.  

On this instance I was running behind and rushing around, and of course in this frantic frenzy I pulled a "classic Natalie". Anyone who knows me, especially my dad, knows that electronics and I have a way of not sustaining long term relationships. By that I mean I somehow manage to lose, destroy, get pickpocketed, etc, etc, etc. anything electronic. So what happened next came to no surprise to anyone but happened amidst the rushing around. I KNOCKED MY ENTIRE WATER BOTTLE (that I had just filled completely) ALL OVER MY KEYBOARD.  I'd say it was about 1 liter and almost instantly my MacBook Air turned off. Then that feeling of doom, that I'm sure we all can relate to, kicked in on overdrive. 

                                                              

Poor Kolja was trying to get to sleep after being up all night, and there I was running around panicking because I had no idea how I would have my class without my laptop and all of the materials. Luckily, he's also used to these mishaps that surround my daily life and set up his computer quickly so I could use it.  I started the class late and it was a bit of a shitshow to say the least (because Kolja's computer camera wasn't working) and I didn't have all of the materials ready to go. But we made it work.

That class was over and I had a short break until I had to go back at it again.  At this point the adrenaline had calmed down a bit and as I laid down to take a nap, I looked over at Kolja's head and I saw something strange.  As I looked closer it appeared he had a tick in his head.  And once again panic mode sets in (for me only somehow).  Meanwhile, Kolja clearly had other priorities and was trying to watch some UFC fight and wasn't the least bit concerned.  He didn't think it was a tick, but I was convinced and sending pictures to every doctor and person I knew.  Everyone proceeded to give me their best tips and tricks on how to get it out, but Kolja refused to let me touch it.  Ultimately I ruined his viewing of his favorite show, and still after months later he wants me to make sure I note that **he did not want to go to the hospital and was really mad that I interrupted his UFC viewing session.  But in the end he took himself to the hospital alone, because I unfortunately still had to teach another class.  

                                                                         

Keep in mind though this was during the beginning of the pandemic fear in Malaysia, so the hospitals were discouraging people from going to the hospitals for safety reasons. So when Kolja showed up and had a stamp in his passport showing we had just come from China a few weeks ago, they were terrified.  Luckily he quickly cleared it up with them, explaining we had been in Malaysia for over a month, and he didn't have any COVID symptoms but actually was coming in to get his head checked.  The nurse promptly looked at it, dug around a little, and said "sir, you have a scab, go home and get some rest". HA HA HA, thinking about it now, I'm such a drama queen.  

To end the day from H E double toothpick, we pigged out on pizza and waffles, because when kolja runs 100 km my body thinks it did too.........

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Kuching March 4-13, 2020

Ultra Marathon Ultra Heat and Ultra Humidity

It's been a while friends, but I'm back. Times are exceptionally tough right now for everyone, everywhere, so here I am to offer a bit of temporary comedic relief and perspective as I power on with these blogs.  

Now, we will fast forward to our next destination... Kuching (I know by now these names mean nothing to anyone but me).  Here is where we were greeted with a drama- free check in at a hotel style suite, and where we were guilty of really REALLY enjoying the daily cleaning service.  So to get right down to it, we spent a few days relaxing by the pool, working, and preparing for Kolja's 100KM race that was to begin on Saturday.  

Being forced to run with Kolja.

If anyone is or has a close friend/family member that is a long distance runner, then you know the struggle of attempting to pack the right clothes, snacks, having the right supplements in your back pack, doing your best to avoid the inevitable chafing, and preparing the drop bag for half way through the race.  It's madness and not to mention this race was Kolja's first 100 KM strictly on the road and in high heat and humidity, so we really had no idea what to prepare for.  

He hadn't packed marathon attire, as we obviously had no idea what our future held when leaving Shanghai in January. Luckily, we found a store that sold quite a few of the essentials (you wouldn't believe the length of required race items) like night lights, heat blankets, flashlights, extra batteries, reusable bowls and utensils, water bottles, etc. By some miracle he had packed the running backpack I bought him for his birthday, and his stress was finally alleviated after he picked up his bib number and received the OK that his bags were properly prepared, the day before the race.

On race day we arrived early and were ready to rock and roll when the race began around 4 PM. Kolja started in the front of the pack which led to great pictures and videos, but later I heard was a big regret as he experienced major fatigue and exhaustion way too early on.  

 

Knowing full well he'd be running long into the night; I left as soon as all the runners cleared out and had myself a little evening strolling along the river that runs straight through the city center.  I walked well over 15,000 steps, mainly out of sheer guilt, because I knew Kolja was running in over 90 degree heat and high humidity until the sun went down.

My evening ended with ice cream in bed as I watched my bible "Eat, Pray, Love" and sporadically received messages from Kolja saying he was exhausted, dehydrated, he missed an aid station, had to retrace steps because he was lost, etc, etc, etc.  Eventually I fell asleep and thank god, I had set an alarm around 4 am to check in with him, because I woke up to him telling me he only had about 10 KM left. Now it's important to remember 10 KM can be done relatively quickly when you are a runner, but this was different. I knew 10 KM could be another 2 hours or so, considering he had already been running for more than 12 hours.

By sheer luck I woke up an hour later before my alarm, to messages that he was close to the finish line, and I bolted out of bed threw on my clothes and called a Grab to come pick me up. I was in proper panic mode, knowing he'd kill me if I didn't make it in time.  When I arrived it was such a relief to see he still wasn't there, but also it was a very different scene from the other 100 KM race I had been to. That was in Hong Kong and was a very big, sponsored event. I also was blessed to have Kolja's mother to share in the stress and anxiety. In Hong Kong we waited at the finish line and watched many people cross it with a proper cheering section rooting them on.  In Kuching, on the other hand, there were far less participants and I had been waiting for Kolja for 30 minutes already with not one person finishing in that time.  

Eventually I got a message saying he thought he was 1 KM away, and we saw his headlamp barreling down the road. It was funny because he was in such a daze that he almost continued running in a different direction away from the finish line until we screamed at him.  

I was so proud and I knew he was too, because this was the first race I had received voice messages that he was really struggling like never before.  We were so amazed to learn that he was actually the 5th male finisher and 6th overall. Such an accomplishment for this first road race and first time running in a tropical climate!

He received his medals and was invited to an award ceremony for being in the top 5 finishers. Then, we went home and passed out.  That next morning was filled with so much chaos, that it deserves a post of its own..... so stay tuned (I promise it won't take so long for the next one).

Kuching March 4- 13, 2020