Lessons in Canto

I've lived in Hong Kong for three and a half years and speak about five words of Canto. It's shameful. One thing that I have mastered in Canto though is the art of "Jo San" or good morning, and it is one of my favorite parts about hiking in Hong Kong.

Most mornings, I find myself in the company of elderly trailwalkers and tai chi ladies. I wander down the paths of Hong Kong and am constantly greeted by a singsong, "Jo San!"

I've taken to preemptively engaging my fellow trailmates with a booming "Jo San" regardless of whether they are Canto or not. Given the success of my efforts with Jo San, it is time to take my trail talk to the next level. I think the following phrases would be most appropriate/ helpful:

1) Good afternoon (Jo san only applies until noon time.)
2) How are you?
3) Beautiful morning.
4) Enjoy your hike.
5) Watch out for the rabid monkeys and stray dogs we just fought off...

Must make a serious effort to learn number 5 before heading back to the Sha Tin Hills.

In The Running from Gold Coast to Gobi

It would be an outright lie if I said I have never run a long distance race. At summer camp, my co-counselor Kate F and I did a handful of 5km fun runs with the FAMOUS Larry Drew through Thetford, Vermont in 2000.

I enjoyed them so much it took another 8 years before I would run again. Only the chance to be part of a successful Guinness World Record campaign could have possibly gotten me back into the running game (the post race trip to the Whitsundays with two close friends didn't hurt either).

So I went from the Gold Coast Half Marathon last summer to six marathons over seven days across the Gobi Desert this year. Screws loose? Definitely don't have any of those...

And so I have finally gotten my act in gear to support a charity, which is a total no-brainer. I am raising money for In The Running, which is an organization, started by my Guinness World Record holding (and very inspirational) friend, composed of individuals taking on hard core, international endurance challenges while raising money/publicity for grassroots organizations encountered along the way.

Check out the story of Guinness World Record holder, Erin Sprague, and this phenomenal organization at http://www.intherunning.org/

Top 5 pieces of gear that baffle my helper

1) Body Glide
Discovered in the top drawer of my nightstand.

2) 5kg bag of rice
Found a note attached, "Me cook?"

3) Fold up plastic Origamibowl
Filed away in my bookcase next to the used notebooks.

4) Packets of Gu
Relocated to my medicine cabinet next to the free samples of Kiehls moisturizer

5) Trekking poles
Slotted in between the 7 iron and the sand wedge in my golf bag

Clearly this woman thinks I am insane and disturbed. I'm starting to think that she might not be wrong.

Gobi Girl and the Holy Gear

My typical Hong Kong Saturday night features a pilgrimage that sets out from the Globe and then meanders its way from Solas and Wagyu on Wyndam Street down to the bowels of LKF for jello shots at Al's Diner back up the hill for dirty dancing at Dragon-I capped off by the cover band at Dusk til Dawn. Interludes at Le Jardin and Mint are regular features in my search for... hmm... What is it I am looking for until 4am most weekends? (Clearly a topic for a different blog.)

This weekend featured a very different path although included many similiar features of a typical Saturday night. This time the quest was clear- finalize my GEAR. In case you hadn't noticed, most RTPers are obsessive about gear. (A big thank you to Matthew Chapman for his amazing blog entries on this particular topic.) They plan it out at a level of detail rivaled only by bridezilla planning her wedding. Friends, transition your cost per guest model to calorie content per gram, and you get the idea.

As all adventurers, I started out close to home- Park and Shop, where I saddled up to some familiar items: peanut M&Ms and granola bars adding ramen and instant coffee to the routine. Mmmm. Nothing like comfort food. From there, I decided to strike out in search of a shiny new outfit at Mammut. I found a couple of cute suits but left disappointed as nothing held any lasting interest. I then went to trusted friend Protrek where I was sure to find direct delivery of just the stuff I needed in neat colors- new hat, sunglasses, origamibowl, body glide, socks, bum bag and more. Much like Al's Diner's I way overdid it. After the euphoria at Protrek, I got a little lost along the way and ended up waltzing around a pair of Polar watches at Pure, but better judgement prevailed, and I headed to dark side- ie Mong Kok, to round out my collection- trekking poles, watch, red flashing light, sleeping bag, sleeping pad and everything necessary to ensure a good night sleep.

Much like any other Saturday night, I returned home late, completely spent. Shoes, clothes, purse, keys, and now purchases strewn all over the floor of my aparment. Me passed out, face down on top of the covers. I guess it's reassuring that my weekends haven't changed that much.

As usual, my quest continues- anyone know where I can buy safety pins?

Crabby after Seven Soggy Hours

My goal of 60km yesterday was thwarted by the Hong Kong monsoon. VKHF and I hit the trail at about 6:30am making our way along the Round the Island Race trail. Fortunately it was not raining when we started, or else I might have spent the day watching 30 Rock on a treadmill at Pure. Hmm...come to think of it...that doesn't sound so bad...may do that today instead of Tung Chung to Mui Wo.

Highlight of the day 1)- watching the sheet of rain sweep down over Shek O Peak and pelt us on the exposed part of Hong Kong Trail. Painful.

Highlight of the day 2)- VKHF being attacked by a crab on the trail. (See picture above.) She wasn't really attacked but he did put out his pincers. Come to think of it- what on earth are crabs doing on mountain trails?

Interesting discovery- my GoLite backpack is NOT waterproof. While I don't think that will be a major problem during Gobi (you know the whole desert, no rain thing), thank goodness VHKF brought a ziplock bag or else I would be purchasing yet ANOTHER Blackberry Bold.

Hiking in the monsoon isn't so bad actually- minus the pelting rain part. It keeps you cool and "hydrated". The only problem is your feet. I was trying my 7th different type of sock- Injini toe socks, but to be honest, I don't think it would have mattered what I was wearing; there was no escaping wet feet, and my baby toes blew up. Given that I didn't get any blisters in NEW places, Injini socks may just be the answer to my prayers. After seven hours, feet felt excruciating; I was soaked; and thunder and lightning lit up the sky, so I packed it in at about 35 kms.

Other exciting developments:
1) I tried Gu for the first time and found that I LIKE IT!
2) I wore my gaiters, and they proved very helpful for keeping out the dirt and pebbles although they hug my ankles in a rather unflattering way.
3) VKHF did her longest hike ever and was inspired to go buy hiking shoes.

Capped off the day with dragon boating practice at the Pickled Pelican as the Coast Guard wouldn't let teams out on the water given the size of the swell and the high potential for capsizing. We practiced paddling on our bar stools, and the team hydrated with a tower of Carlsberg. Definitely my preferred way to dragon boat. I stuck to an Early Grey tea, but am psyched for Thursday. Looking forward to the first Tuen Ng festival that I will remember in its entirety. Now that is a feat!

Reading Rainbow

I love buying books, and I blame LeVar Burton.

On several occasions over the last month, I have wandered into Page One and thrown down my credit card for a couple of great Gobi (and running related) reads. I am strong believer in preparing for vacation by buying books about the place and people that I will be visiting. Normally, it's the buying that is important; the reading tends to be secondary, often happening on the plane ride back from the exotic spot I've just visited. See Kathryn's trips to Cambodia, Japan, and India for reference.

This time though, in light of my significantly reduced social life, I'm actually going to be well read BEFORE I get to my destination. Plus who can afford to carry a book's extra weight on their back for seven days?

So far my recommendations are:

1) Foreign Devils on the Silk Road

Great history of the British, French, Russian and Japanese adventurers who rediscovered and pillaged the lost Buddhist cities of the Taklamakhan desert.

2) Fixing your Feet

How to book for managing all the aches and pains associated with your feet.

3) Night Train to Turkistan

New recommendation from one of my clients- just got this one.

4) What I Talk About When I Talk About Running- My latest purchase

Murakami's personal memoir about the impact of running on his life

5) Walking the Gobi- On my wish list

Helen Thayer's memoir of her three month trip across the Gobi- makes me glad I'm only going for 7 days!

After reading all these guides, I'm finally beginning to realize just how treacherous this trip is going to be (or at least how bad it was in the 19th century)... Too Bad LeVar didn't have an episode about how to prep for a multiday ultramarathon- maybe I'd be in better shape if he had. Time to head back to Protrek and Chamonix to finish getting my gear.

More on this later...

Milestones

Five years ago today I graduated from COLLEGE. Wow.

If you told me five years ago, that I would live in Hong Kong longer than I've lived anywhere other than Jersey, I would have laughed.

One year ago, I was flying home for my baby brother's college graduation and best friend's wedding.

If you had told me then that I would spend seven days wandering through the Gobi desert, I would have asked what you were smoking.

Three weeks from today I will be flying to Kashi. Wow.

After being introduced to multiple ultramarathoners, I'm starting to understand why people spend six months training for this, but I am going to continue to think about this as an extended hike (and tent party), which is how I explained it to my mother.

Here we go...Giddy up.

Spiderwebs and Stairs

So my blackberry began beeping at 5am. I looked outside at the pitch black sky thinking, "Why on earth is my alarm going off?" I rolled over. Ten minutes later I shot out of bed with the sudden memory of my 5:30 rendez vous with VKHF before setting off to tackle the Twins. It's Thursday. It's what we do.

So off we went up the steps. Miserable as usual but with a whole new obstacle.

SPIDERWEBS. They were awful. They were everywhere. It's like the humidity launched a legion of Stanley spiders onto Wilson Trail stage one.

I made VKHF go first. I'm not really afraid of spiders, but she's taller and pays much more attention to details like that. Plus my view of arachnids is muddled somewhere between Charlotte's Web and Arachnophobia, so the thought of getting ensnared in a spiderweb and possibly have a spider crawl all over me was just too much to handle that early in the morning.

VKHF removed all of the spiderwebs from the trail. We were the only people out at that ungodly hour so she had no choice. Most of them she spotted and was able to gently move to one side of the trail or the other, although, she definitely bodychecked a few.

I wasn't so thrilled about the spiderwebs, and VKHF wasn't so thrilled about the stairs. Not our happiest hike, but she got me past the spiderwebs, and I got her up the stairs.

How many more weeks til this crazy quest of mine?

Remind me not to learn Uighur

In the Uigur language Takla Makan (the part of the Gobi where our race is) means "go in and you'll never come out"

SWEET

Handstands and Backbends

Endurance sports have never been my forte.

I was a gymnast, then when my body gave out at the ripe age of 13, a high school and college springboard diver. The swim coach at Hotchkiss spent four years trying to get me to join the medley relay, but staring at the bottom of a pool while drowning never sounded appealing. It still doesn't. I like the challenge of convincing my body to try something new. After college, I graduated from diving to yoga and wakeboarding (with a NYC interlude of cocktail chugging).

Why then have I spent most of my waking moments over the last three months (outside the office) pursuing an endurance sport- pushing myself to walk, run, hike longer, faster, harder?

BEATS ME.

I went back to my favorite yoga class for the first time in three months this morning. I had almost forgotten just how much I love handstands and backbends.

Wonder what Sam would say if I asked to cartwheel across the Gobi?

Om.

Fear, Loathing, and Happy Valley

FEAR
I started the day reading all the updates from the Namibia race. The current Four Desert race started and concluded with a crazy technical climb into and out of the Grand Canyon of Africa. In America, don't we use mules (and helicopters) for this sort of thing? Competitors who fall into my fitness and speed level took 13-15 hours to complete 38kms. Wow must add mountain climbing to the workout routine...

Mental note- figure out where the Grand Canyon of China is and make sure not to go anywhere near it.

LOATHING
I love my job. I work for a great company filled with smart people, and we do interesting work for challenging clients. Some days though nothing seems to work out quite like it should. You do everything possible to make it better and things only seem to get worse.

Yesterday was one of those days. I loathe those days.

HAPPY VALLEY
After my endless work day, I headed to the Valley for training- squash match and run. I endured an intense 45 minute-schooling by my teammate (a 40+ mother of two with a full time job), who reminded me that while my fitness has improved (take squats and lunges off tomorrow's strength plan) , my squash shots still need lots of work.

Then I headed out to the heat and humidity. I blitzed around the track in old squash shoes and new ipod. I ran 10km fast. Phew, feel much better about the rat race.

Apparently, training goes a long way in the urban jungle too.

Monkey Business

I was up at 6am on Saturday morning. Very Kind-Hearted Friend once again dragged herself out of bed to accompany and encourage me on this crazy quest of mine. On the trail by 7:45 and seeing some of the most varied and distinct parts of Hong Kong. We started in Yau Tong village, which is a fishing village just off of Hong Kong harbour on Kowloon side. Tiny lean-tos and shacks hide some of HK's great seafood spots. As VKHF said, "This is where I thought I was moving when I signed up for China."

Then up the stairs. I am convinced that Wilson is a bad British word for step. Stairs stairs and more stairs. 18kms of stairs with 7kgs on my back. BLECK. But I made some discoveries which include- Pocari Sweat and the proper functioning of my water bladder. Apparently if you use your teeth it is much easier to get the water out. Who knew...

We wandered past hillside farms in the valley that could have easily been in Laos or Cambodia. Animal statues on the side of the trail. Old ladies doing Tai Chi on mountain perches. Pretty peaceful.

After the hills, I decided to press on solo for an additional 8kms of easy rambling- read water catchments. This part of the hike went above Shatin in the hills. Halfway through the trail I came across a family of monkeys sitting in the middle of the trail. They were adorable, picking the flies out of each others' hair and eating berries. As I came upon the trail they scampered off into the woods. I walked a little further on and then looked up into the trees and realized that they were full of monkeys. Literally there were hundreds of them. The trail was scattered with monkey poop and berry remnants.

As I came around a corner, a baby monkey popped on the trail not more than three feet in front of me. Mama charged right out of the woods after me. I ran shrieking and fortunately managed to escape being bitten or clawed (without having to jump into the water catchment). I spent that last 2kms of the hike avoiding monkey poop and trying to convince the monkeys to get out of my way...

There's no place like Hong Kong Island...

The Twins Take Two

So I woke up this morning while it was dark. At 5am. Well actually, I woke up every hour from 1:151 am until 5am because I was so worried that I would not wake up. But anyway. I met my kind, motivational friend in front of Cafe O, taped my battered baby toe, and hopped in a cab to the south side of the island.

As the sun rose over the eastern ridge of the island, we climbed and climbed and climbed- up two mountains, across a reservoir, past the pink Parkview castle, and back down into the city of 8 million people.

Birds sang. Clouds parted. I ate a Luna Bar and used my (water) bladder. Hiking is so much better with new toys and no backpack.

Now, I want a nap.

I think I am going to run up the peak to for Book Club. Who wants to join me?

Fringe Benefits

On the upside of all this training, I can now make it through bootcamp and tough squash matches without dying. At bootcamp the sprints, squats and pushups are still miserable, but at least I'm not the puddle of flesh lying on the ground in the fetal position at the end of the session.

That said; my ability to win squash matches is not enhanced in the least. I can now make it to the ball in the back corner but I have still not figured out how on earth to scoop it out of there.

Something to focus on post Gobi...

Weekends and Water Catchments

I'm not going to lie. I am a social creature, so the solo sessions on the treadmill with my backpack (and 5kg bag of rice) flailing around, trying not to fall off are not so much fun. Last week I dragged one of my kind friends night hiking through the wilds of Pok Fu Lam and the Peak. Headlamps are awesome. Landslides mid-trail are not.

This weekend said friend was kind enough to lead me up the Twins, otherwise known as 1000 steps, which seriously underestimates the number of steps. We started at 8:30 am. I had always thought that only anorexic girls and psycho ultra exercisers would get up early on the weeekend to subject themselves to this type of torture. I definitely fall under the psycho category- ultra exerciser is a stretch, and anorexic is impossible. I currently practice eating. That's right practice. Practice when I eat; what I eat; and how much I eat while I walk. It's important to know what gives me energy and what slows me down. Peanut M&Ms and Nature Valley Granola bars win big points in my book. The dehydrated meals that I will carry through the Gobi do not.

But it's not just about climbing the hills, you got to clock the kms too...so my friend descended to the metro for a relaxing afternoon complete with foot massage, and I veered onto the Hong Kong Trail for stages 5, 6, and 7. These are generally considered to be "easy rambling," which I have now learned is code for walk straight along a really large ditch called a water catchment.

Water supply is an issue here in HK (as it is everywhere in China) and so the HK government has devised an ingenious system to manage landslides during the rainy season and simultaneously collect water for use by HK residents. There is an extensive series of ditches along the sides of hillsides all across HK. See wikipedia for more detail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_in_Hong_Kong.

The water catchments offer extensive flat hiking space for the psycho ultra hikers but it means miles and miles of walking with a view that consists of tall bushes and bamboo to your right, concrete hill sides to your left, and stagnant water at your feet. I spent 12 kms on Sunday studying the difference between the concrete that makes up the catchment and the concrete that is used to hold back the hill. Thank goodness for massive Canto hiking tours and electric blue butterflies to help vary the view.

I HATE water catchments, but you know what I hate more? The third set of 1000 steps at the end of the "easy rambling" trail to get you out of the ditch.

Getting going...

Way back in March, one of my friends J met a woman who was racing six marathons over seven days across the most remote section of China's Gobi desert. Essentially it's a self subsistent race- carry all your food, carry all your gear, carry all your clothes. Don't die.

Did I mention sevens days over 250 kilometers in the windiest desert in the world?

I thought to myself, "Well I've always wanted to see Xinjiang province and what a cool personal challenge. Neat-o." So here we are four weeks away from the starting line and I'm starting to wonder what I was thinking.

Originally, J was going to join me for the Gobi March before leaving Hong Kong for business school; however, this overachiever quickly realized she prefered living la vida loca, traveling to exotic destinations, and enjoying her freedom. Running, walking, and hiking 100kms per week was not on the agenda nor do I blame her!

So I am going to set off into the desert by myself, and this is my sad attempt to stay motivated and remember the benefits of training for this crazy race even when my feet are three times the normal size and covered in blisters. (The only benefits I see so far- not dying and the Gobi desert- neat-o.)

Happy Hiking!