Sara Hall: The Calm Before The Storm
(Elite Athlete Blog Entry 14)
Posted August 15th, 2008 at 9:00 AM by Sara Hall
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Sara Hall
Welcome to the official blog of U.S. middle-distance runner Sara Hall. Sara’s list of running accolades include being a former NCAA All- American at Stanford, the 2006 USA 5K road champion, and the 2006 champion at the Continental Fifth Avenue Mile. Check back every other Friday for her latest entry at http://sarahall.thefinalsprint.com/
Nihao (hello) from Dalian, China! I am writing this from the US training base on the coast of China. We are enjoying some quiet days of training and resting along with our teammates and other Team USA members here before leaving for Beijing in a week. I am excited to get to Beijing and experience the energy of the Olympic Games, as we are somewhat removed from it all here, except for the television coverage of the games (in Chinese). It will be fun, also, to get a taste of what “real China” is like where we are there, as we haven’t gotten to experience much here since security is tight.
However, the first few days since I arrived in Dalian gave me a taste of the local flavor. I traveled separate from Ryan since he had to do team processing before leaving, and arrived in Dalian a week ago. I didn’t really think anything of it because I like traveling and am used to going it alone now that Ryan and I are doing separate events. But my first experiences in China showed me that this might be slightly different.
Though I had a visa, I was stopped as I went through passport control, and asked a bunch of questions in Chinese. I had no idea how to answer, and soon all the policemen were gathered around my booth, flipping through my passport, asking me questions, and talking amongst themselves. I tried to describe who I was, but none of them seemed to understand English. Finally, I saw a Beijing 2008 flag on a desk, and pointed to that, and then acted out the running motion, and that was enough for them to let me through. Phew!
When I got my bags, I headed out to the taxi line and was picked up by a girl my age who gruffly threw my bags in the car and told me to sit up front with her. Once inside, I showed her the address of my hotel (written in English), but she just drove off as if she knew where I was going. She started asking me questions in Chinese, and I showed that I didn’t understand, and her voice kept getting higher and sharper as she got more and more frustrated. Finally she pulled over,
yelling questions at me, to which I helplessly could only shrug and point to my hotel address. Fortunately, another taxi pulled over to see what was wrong, and a passenger got out and read my hotel address to her in Chinese. I made it to my hotel, checked in, and set off for a run to explore my surroundings.
Right next to my hotel was “Sea Ocean World”, a dalapidated aquarium/amusement park that had a sign over the sea lion tank that boasted “Kung Fu Walrus!”. As I ran further into town, I was shocked at how impoverished it was. Many buildings appeared to be abandoned, though high-rise condominiums were also in the process of being built.
It was interesting to see in a very physical way the polarization of wealth that is starting to occur now that China has economic freedom. There were areas of little shabby restaurants and markets with people selling fruit out of the backs of trucks right next to European furniture stores. Everywhere I went, people stared at me, and I noticed that there were hardly any foreigners despite the fact that Dalian is a university city and home to over three million people!
When I headed out to the coast to the hotel that the US track team is using as a training base, I had a very different experience. The Golden Pebble Beach hotel is a beautiful retreat a good distance from the city, perched on some rocky cliffs above the ocean. The hospitality of the people here has been amazing! As soon as we take our last bite of food, our plate is whisked away. When we get out of the pool, a towel is immediately wrapped around us by an attentive worker. There are by far more staff in the hotel than people staying here, and at least twice as many security guards manning every inch of the facility. Needless to say, we feel very safe and cared for!
One of my favorite memories of China so far has been getting to know some of the students who have volunteered as interpreters for the US team. I have learned so much about Chinese culture from talking to them and asking them questions. Our guide when we went to a shopping mall (for each person we were joined by a policeman and interpreter everywhere we went!) who was named Sun Yi Bing was very excited about her job. She eagerly helped us search for the items we were looking for, and even pleaded with us not to eat the questionable street food we were enticed by as we walked past. She promised us that if we waited until after the Games, that she would take us around and we could eat whatever we wanted! I thought it was cute that she took her
contribution to a successful Olympic Games so seriously. I enjoyed chatting with her in Starbucks (yes, in Dalian too!) about everything from what it’s like being an only child to the earthquake outside of Chengdu. When I asked how the people were doing who were victims of the earthquake, she responded, “Very well, all of us give them money, because here in China, we are one big family! We are all brothers and sisters!” I thought that was neat that it seemed like there has been overwhelming voluntary aid given by the citizens here.
As far as my running, after being at altitude, it feels great to be doing workouts back on the track! Because of this, even though it’s hot and extremely humid, everything feels so much easier in comparison to being up there! I feel like I still have some juice in my legs, since I prepared to have a long season this year. So I am looking forward to doing some track races in September, hopefully some in my “homeland” Italy (where my great grandparents immigrated from). But first things first- doing everything I can to get Ryan on that podium!
The countdown in our heads has being going, and each day brings us a little closer, but fortunately this excitement is tempered by the tranquility of our serene ocean sancruary here in Dalian.
- Sara
To comment on this entry and to send feedback & questions to Sara, please click here.
Support the “Move a Million Miles for Ryan Hall” Campaign:
Learn more about and donate to Ryan & Sara Hall’s “Run For Something More Precious Than Gold” Campaign and Support the Humanitarian Efforts of World Vision:
Related Stories:
- Sara Hall: Getting Back Up
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry 10) - Sara Hall: Music
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #9) - Sara Hall: In Definition
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #8) - Sara Hall: Patience
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #3) - Sara Hall: Hello from Philly!
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #1)
Tags: elite athlete, elite athlete blog, elite athlete blog series, elite runner, faith, glorifying god, god, Mammoth Lakes, Ryan Hall, sara bei, sara bei blog, sara hall, sara hall blog, stanford, team running usa, Terrence Mahon, tfs elite athlete blog series, the final sprint elite athlete blog series, thefinalsprint.com elite athlete blog series
Like what you see? Subscribe to our feed!
The Final Sprint
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
I am so inspired by you both! I pray that God give opportunities to share your faith.
August 18th, 2008 at 12:18 amSara,
August 24th, 2008 at 10:34 ami am so excited to tell you that i watched Ryan race last nite in the marathon. i was so proud when he crossed the finish line and marvel that those guys could run 26 miles in 2 hours!
My cousin MaryAnn Ryan grew up with Ryan’s mom Suzy. i hiked to a beautiful mt. lake once (1980) in Seattle with Suzy, Tim, 6 week old Ryan’s older sister but never met Ryan. You are a wonderful wife and supporter. God bless you. love, patti
Hey! Great stuff. +1 tnks :) Visit my blog too.
September 5th, 2008 at 6:13 am