Daily Evolution from Mastering Tai Chi-Chapter 82: Breaking Through the Limit, Feasting at the Aid Station
The instant the mineral water entered Wang Ye’s stomach, it was swiftly transported to his internal organs, muscles, heart, and arteries, and began metabolizing.
Additionally, Wang Ye’s electrolyte reserves in his body were at least five times more than a normal person’s. Just drinking a small amount of water couldn’t disrupt the electrolyte balance in his body, nor would it cause any symptoms of electrolyte disorder.
Wang Ye maintained a speed of 330, continuously overtaking others.
Before long, he found himself in between the first and second groups.
The athletes here had already passed the big selection of the first 5 kilometers, with the weakest among them likely at the level of Second-level Athlete or First-level Athlete, equivalent to standing on a professional stage.
Yet, he still couldn’t catch up with the top tier of Zone A’s athletes.
Not a single one of those high-level Big Black athletes were in sight.
Although Wang Ye was currently in the middle of the marathon pack, he was still at a disadvantage.
However, marathon rankings are actually based on chip time. If calculated by current chip standings, Wang Ye should have already reached the top 30. That is to say, among the fastest group of athletes.
If he continued running at this pace.
Securing a spot in the top 10 shouldn’t be much of an issue.
But how could Wang Ye be satisfied with just a mere top 10 finish?
While Wang Ye was pondering adjustments to his mid and late-race strategies.
Suddenly.
He sensed a slight anomaly in the course.
Perhaps due to changes in terrain, Wang Ye felt a slight incline underfoot, as the flat road turned into an incline of about ten degrees. Feeling the resistance of the slope, the steps of surrounding athletes began to slow, as they panted heavily.
"An uphill? This might be a good opportunity."
After some thought, Wang Ye adjusted the depth and frequency of his breathing, then immediately increased his cadence to 220 steps per minute. Gradually raising his speed from 330 to around 250.
In the eyes of the spectators and athletes present, Wang Ye’s speed seemed to suddenly increase significantly. His broad and tall figure instantly shattered the air, tearing through it with a whooshing sound.
Wang Ye’s breathing and heartbeat became increasingly heavy and daunting. The heart rate monitored on his watch gradually climbed from 180 Beats Per Minute to 220 Beats Per Minute.
The pressure from the uphill segment was not to be underestimated. This would cause a runner’s stamina to deplete faster than usual.
Feeling the pressure on his muscles,
Wang Ye’s brows furrowed involuntarily.
Lactic acid started to rapidly accumulate in his muscles, the intense soreness and the suffocating feeling due to lack of oxygen made his head spin. But Wang Ye, who was well-versed in marathons, knew clearly that this merely meant he was about to experience his second wind (the plateau phase). Once he reached his second wind, his body would feel light again.
Wang Ye gritted his teeth, maintaining this speed for about a kilometer. All of a sudden, his heavy breathing relaxed instantly, with the suffocating feeling fading away by more than half, and his muscles about to give in feeling much better.
"Great. Broke through the plateau!"
Now, the real competition in this race had truly begun!
Wang Ye continued to increase his speed, weaving quickly through the crowd, continuously overtaking the athletes beside him.
His ranking soared like a rocket.
Gradually.
Wang Ye appeared in the footage of the drone camera in the sky. The audience of the live marathon broadcast began to notice Wang Ye.
This burly, tall, yet good-looking athlete with well-maintained skin drew most of the livestream audience’s attention.
Because marathon athletes undergo long-term high-intensity training under the sun, most marathon runners have extremely rough and dark skin with dull and bloodshot eyes.
At this time, the facial appearance of the majority at the forefront of the race was quite "unpleasant to the eyes."
Yet, such a high-level athlete with sharp brows and bright eyes like Wang Ye, who even gave off a "fresh-faced" vibe, thoroughly piqued the curiosity of most viewers.
The chat room’s comments suddenly became lively from barrenness.
[Hey, why is this runner’s skin condition so good? Even I, a girl, feel a bit envious.]
[This runner seems rather heavy, yet he can keep up with the first group.]
[I think I remember him. He won a half marathon before. He’s likely a dark horse, definitely not to be underestimated.]
[Oh, a champion? Which half marathon? I’m going to check it out.]
[The Longjiang District half marathon. I found it. This athlete is named Wang Ye, with a half marathon time of sixty-three minutes.]
[A sixty-three-minute half marathon? That should be better than most athletes present, truly can’t judge a book by its cover.] 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
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Not long after.
The main pack reached the first supply station at 12.5km.
This was where they could eat to replenish energy.
After reaching the 12.5km supply station, Wang Ye stopped again, casually grabbed a banana from the station, and stuffed it into his mouth, skin and all. Before long, he had devoured about a pound of bananas, the sweet and soft bananas turning into nutrition, replenishing his depletions.
At the same time, he grabbed a handful of cherry tomatoes with his other hand, popped them into his mouth, and began chewing. The sweet and tart juice and flesh burst and spilled down his esophagus, into his stomach.
Wang Ye’s eating speed was incredibly fast.
The two trays of bananas and cherry tomatoes, originally enough for dozens of athletes.
Were finished by him in just thirty seconds.
Even the staff at the supply station couldn’t help but twitch their lips. Finishing these two trays meant they had to prepare new snacks and fruits.
The athletes nearby, seeing Wang Ye devouring like a madman, couldn’t help but laugh discretely.
Who participates in a marathon to fleece the event organizers like this?
The majority of athletes casually eat some snacks to replenish energy and move on.
However, among the tens of thousands in a marathon, there will always be some who treat the supply station snacks like meals, though they remain the minority.
A high-level athlete like Wang Ye, eating heartily at the supply station, was even rarer.
After finishing, Wang Ye wiped off his hands, then resumed his pursuit of the athletes ahead. His steps were as light as if he hadn’t just eaten.
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