My ice and snow marathon experience

It is only once I was cruising at 9,000 meters that I began to feel out of my depth. In a world of nonstop motion, strapping yourself to a chair for the afternoon can force self-critical thought. I began to doubt stuff. Namely, my ability to run 42 kilometers along slick mountainous terrain in subzero temperatures.

I was bound for the 2017 Urumqi Silk Road Ice and Snow Marathon, an event striving to become China's premier winter race. It's the brainchild of Zhou Jianping, an intrepid local marathoner who launched the event on Jan 1 last year. It's certainly a shove-your-head-in-the-ice-bucket approach to New Year's resolutions.

I've run marathons before and prepared diligently, but six months of living in East China - or "inland" as the natives of Xinjiang call it - had lowered my tolerance for the cold. On Dec 31, I was a down-jacketed bundle shivering on and off Urumqi's public transport options, nervous about the race ahead.