BEIJING, China - It was a dark Friday morning. I pulled aside the curtain and peeked out at the view to which locals have grown accustomed: low clouds obscuring the skies. But when I went outside, I realized they weren't clouds, but a heavy, grayish yellow haze.

I thought about the hell that awaited the long-distance runners, especially the marathon runners. The organizing committee had promised clear skies and fresh air, but my experience turned torturous.

I decided not to change my daily routine, which I had imported from Tel Aviv: I donned a track suit, a cap and sunglasses, and went for a morning run. I turned left down a narrow alley near my big, impressive, tacky Communist-style hotel. I saw such massive buildings only in Moscow.

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