give an account of; take one's place; participate in; walk on air; keep...in perspective;
become aware of; in peace; without hesitation; in detail; lack of
World's loneliest marathon
Many of us know about Russia's Lake Baikal from our textbooks, or by listening to Chinese singer Li Jian's hit song, Lake Baikal. But over the past decade, the world's deepest freshwater lake has been in the spotlight for an extreme sport.
Each March since 2005, about 150 people from around the world sign up for the Baikal Ice Marathon. They come to explore the lake's breathtaking beauty and challenge themselves in unpredictable conditions.
The 26-mile (41. 84-kilometer) journey starts on the lake's eastern shore. In March, the ice is a meter thick and iron-hard. Runners cross this frozen surface, finishing on the western side of the lake.
Known as the "blue eye of Siberia"，Lake Baikal has exceptionally clear waters. This means its ice is almost perfectly transparent. "Seen from above, a runner on the ice looks as if he or she were jogging through space," The New York Times noted.
The landscape might be beautiful, but it's also harsh. Strong winds blast across the lake and frostbite(冻伤) can occur within half an hour. Runners say the cold climate is what draws them. They want to test their limits.
"When you are in such an environment, you don't have cars around you, and you don't have the noise around. I think these extreme races allow you to be alone with nature," Alicja Barahona, a 64-year-old runner from the US, told ABC News.
The location offers some strange and unique characteristics for this marathon. The finish line is visible from the start, but the endless white offers no progress markers. The race also ends with little fanfare(喧闹)。Tourists crowding the ice are mostly addicted to snapping themselves and just ignore the runners.
For some runners, the absence of spectators(观众)makes the race more challenging, because it's lonely. They must fight with themselves. "You are alone on Baikal. It is your race. You are alone with yourself. All you need to do is defeat yourself," Veronique Messina, a French runner, told The Telegraph.
Recently, I have begun to ride with a group of guys who ride professionally. The first day, I finished the ride with great 1, though I tried hard to keep up with one guy for most of the way. To my 2, I did a little better the second time.
I decided to work harder to improve. Yesterday, I focused so much on my ride that I 3 the short route I usually take; 4 , I stayed on the long route. I had never used this route, so I wasn't really sure about which 5 I should take. Thankfully, a group of four riders6, and I just followed them.
A few minutes later, one of the guys got a flat 7, and, with the help of the others, he had it changed in about a minute. After we started riding again, I noticed something 8. The guy at the front would ride 9 for a couple of minutes, then he would move over to the side, 10 his way to the end of the line, and the guy behind him would move into the lead position. The process would 11 every few minutes. It was a lot easier than riding alone to catch up with the first rider. This time I had a great time and I think it is the fastest I've ever12 .
This made me realize how important teamwork was, and the 13 of having a great team. There's no need to worry about your falling behind others. The entire team 14, and so do you. You get your time to shine, and so does everyone else. You cannot get anywhere—or even make any worthwhile improvement—without a 15 . Who else will stop and help you to change your flat tire?
It can be easy to miss the wonderful performances of Klay Thompson if you watch the games of the Golden State Warriors(金州勇士)in the NBA.
NBA Most Valuable Players Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant tend (get) most of the attention, while Andre Iguodala (watch) closely as well. But then Thompson, 26, does something to make you suddenly remember how special he is, too.
His 60-point game against Indiana on Dec. 5 was an excellent game in has already been an amazing season. Scoring 60 (point) in a game is one thing, and it has only happened 66 times in the history of the NBA. But to do it in less than three quarters of play—29 minutes— (be) something special indeed.
Even (hard) to believe was the fact that Thompson only dribbled(运球)the ball 11 times and held it in his hand for just 88 seconds during whole game.
"I am going to watch the tape of this game and see what I did and (obvious) celebrate this tonight, because it's something I never thought I could do while (grow) up," Thompson told reporters after the game.
Klay Thompson already knew a lot about basketball early in his life. His father Mychal Thompson, the 1978 No. 1 overall pick(选秀状元)in NBA, had a lot of influence him.
