"Mr. Trailwalk" Chen Guoqiang (KK) ran into hypothermia in the Tour of Mont Blanc Supercross Endurance Race (UTMB) four years ago.
This year, KK will challenge the UTMB of 171 kilometers again, and set a goal to complete it in 30 hours and stand on the podium in the over-60 group.
He said that the biggest motivation for fighting UTMB again is to tell young students not to give up easily, and even if they fail once, they should stick to their goals.
At UTMB in 2018, KK braved the rain and snow to run on the mountain road. He was only about 20 kilometers away from the finish line. He finally reached the checkpoint, but he seemed to have lost his soul and did not run in.
He recalled: "When I went to the 151-kilometer checkpoint, I didn't know how to get in, so I strayed. The staff instructed me: 'Enter the checkpoint here.' Come hiking.” I was asked several times if I was going to participate in the competition, and I answered several times that I was here to hike, and I didn’t know what to do.”
KK Chen Guoqiang retired when he ran 151 kilometers four years ago, which was the first time he "cut the belt" in his mountain running career.
(Mr. KK Chan Trail Walk Facebook)
"In front of the checkpoint, a local person asked me: 'What can I do for you?' I wanted to take a taxi, but the other person asked me where my home was, and I wanted to go back to Shatin." KK said, "I was cut off later. I didn’t know how to cut the tape at that time, until I woke up in the hotel.” What he did at the checkpoint, how the tape was cut, and how he went back to the hotel from the checkpoint, he said that he had no impression and no memory at all.
KK Chen Guoqiang participated in UTMB in 2018, but failed to finish, he will challenge again this year.
(provided by respondents)
The UTMB in 2018 was the first time in KK's mountain running career that he retired due to physical problems. Since then, an invisible thorn has formed in his heart.
"I haven't tried that kind of hypothermia, and I'm so cold that I can't wake up and 'shut down'. It's not that there is a problem with the ability of the feet, but the whole person doesn't know what to do." KK said: "After returning, I felt uneasy in my heart, why? Why does this happen? Why cut my belt? Am I being too lazy and 'paying for my money'? Did I underestimate it?
KK Chen Guoqiang competed in high spirits in 2018.
(provided by respondents)
In order to better prepare for UTMB, in 2019, KK held the "Golden Mile" competition in Hong Kong, and designed a route with a climb and a length that could beat UTMB for practice.
He said: "Plan a route for myself and everyone. The climb is similar to UTMB, and Huang Haocong said it is similar after running." In 2020, UTMB was cancelled due to the epidemic. Last year, considering Hong Kong's strict epidemic prevention and isolation policy, KK did not sign up either. Seeing the relaxation of quarantine measures for returning to Hong Kong this year, he decided to challenge UTMB again.
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KK opened a "Trailwalk Classroom" to teach young people to run mountains. He hopes to lead by example and instill the spirit of never giving up in his students. He said: "As long as you don't give up, you can stand up again and achieve your goals and success. Once No, two or three times, you can always succeed by the fourth time, if you don’t give up and keep going, you will always have a chance to reach the goal.”
KK Chen Guoqiang will fight UTMB again at the age of 61.
(File photo/Photo by Yan Minghui)
Compared to the "Earning the Money" 4 years ago, I didn't have much preparation. This time, KK was prepared to practice climbing and storing mileage.
He said: "There are 40,000 to 50,000 climbing exercises, and the mileage of the mountain is thousands of kilometers. If you speed up and practice climbing tenacity, I know how hard it is at the end of the route." He said that these 4 Nian has equipped himself well, steadily, and laid a solid foundation before facing UTMB.
KK was interviewed at the Trailwalk classroom office earlier this month.
(Photo by Yan Minghui)
After the 61-year-old KK practiced until the first week of August, he began two weeks of rest and health care, reducing the training volume, and fighting UTMB again with the best state and physical fitness.
He will leave for Europe in the middle of this month and will compete on August 26.
Finishing the race is KK's number one goal, but he has set a time for himself, hoping to run 171 kilometers in about 30 hours.
30 hours is a time full of ambition!
He said: "I know of the 60-year-old group, and no Chinese have ever tried to step on the podium." He said that in recent years, the top runners in the 60-year-old group have achieved more than 30 hours.
If KK accomplishes the goal according to the goal, I believe that not only can he go to the podium, but also have a chance to win the championship in the over 60-year-old group.
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