Next race?

So Trail Trouble is looking for more races in exotic places...

Amy likes the road races, but I think I will always prefer the trails. My legs are much better suited to the mountains.

Our list of potential destinations includes:

1) Africa
2) Australia
3) New Zealand

We would just like to be pretty sure it won't be hot. No more races in Singapore ever again!

Long Fook Hing Wei

So the death march turned out to be, well, almost delightful...

The highlights:

1) Barreling down Stage 3- flying past all sorts of people as fast as could be. i rediscovered my gobi legs!
2) Walking up the monkey road and making small talk to the guy next to me and having him respond to me in the dark, "Oh hello, Kathryn how are you?" I still have no idea who that was!
3) Potato and Leek Soup at the support stops
4) Flying down Shatin Pass and looking out at the lights on HK
5) Finishing in 18 hours 51 minutes...

So I didn't die. It really helps when you are properly nourished and not hungover... AMAZING.

My team Long Fook Hing Wei (say it outloud it doesn't mean anything) turned out to be an incredible group of motivators, jokesters and rabblerousers...All I can say is, "ARSE!"

Positive motivation for the death march...

Do we think there will be hot guys wandering the trails?

Hmm...maybe it is a good idea to go fast...

Transcontinental Training Partners...

I was up at 5:30am getting ready to meet my Trail Trouble partner when I saw a bbm chat from my friend Clare from Hkiss. I was just in Newport for Clare's EPIC wedding. Seriously, we started dancing with a mariachi band at noon on Friday and didn't stop dancing until Sunday after brunch with only a short pause for the ceremony and champagne toast. One of the best parts of the wedding was meeting all of Clare and Tom's friends from different parts of their lives. Given how small the universe is, of course, their next door neighbor in Newport is my Trail Trouble partner's best friend Sangell from growing up.


So Clare informed me that she was sitting in her kitchen drinking tea with Sangell trying to motivate to go for a run. I told her I was late (as usual) for my morning run and bootcamp combo with my Trail Trouble partner.


And I couldn't help but laugh that we are 13,000 miles and 13 time zones apart and yet, here we are, the four of us, all working out together. Now there is motivation. AWESOME.


I love technology.

The Next Race...

Suddenly the question for me (and a lot of my friends) is, "What is the next race?"

What is the next challenge? Where are we going next? What distance will this one be?

So the answer for me is easy- Trailwalker. 100km up and down mountains in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It's for a good cause. I'm actually going to raise some funds, and somehow I found a team that is looking to do it in 20 hours. Most people aim to complete their first Trailwalker in under 24 hours, but again, moderation is not my forte. It's a terrible, terrible idea and my body is going to hurt for days afterwards, but I feel like it's one of those quintessential HK things that you have to do.

But then what?

I've got a 15km reservoir race on Dec 6th. I've tentatively signed up for Atacama. My Trail Trouble partner wants to do a race in Australia. I think I should probably try a marathon, and my two best friends in HK are addicted to biking and triathlons. There's a crazy Action Asia adventure race in December. Maybe I should learn to orienteer?

Or maybe it's time to take a nap... hmm, that sounds least likely of all.

Tails

These furry tails might be the best yet...

Furry Animal Costumes

Furry animal costumes are awesome. I have been converted. Kate was kind enough to share her elephant costume with me. It was excellent. There were so many furry animals- we had monkeys, giraffes, dogs, pigs, ducks and even a caterpillar. Halloween parties are much better than Maclehose hikes...

40km through the woods at night is really not the way to end Halloween weekend.

Lesson learned for next time- more sleep, less alcohol, more water.

Halloween Costume

So now that I have reclaimed my life, what on earth am I going to be?

My Trail Trouble partner is looking to do Blades of Glory. I'm going to a superheroes and villians party. I always want to be She-Ra.

Back story- a few years ago, I had a She-ra dress custom made for me. Basically all of my childhood dreams came true, and my life has not been the same since. It's really hard to find anything that I like as much as She-ra.


Rainbow Brite? Punky Brewster? A psycho ultramarathoner?

Reclaiming my life...

So I have been training for a race or a hike or an adventure basically non-stop since March...and I have to say the process of training, the long runs to Shek O, the hours of hilltop hiking have all been transformative. It has been wonderful to set goals and work towards them.

But I finally hit my wall. I have one last big race before the end of the year- Trailwalker. It's 100 kilometers over the largest hills in Hong Kong. It's going to be hell and I have no idea why I agreed to do it.

We have a night hike scheduled for Saturday night. Saturday night is Halloween. Finally I put my foot down. This girl has got to go out. I need to dress up, dance, and DFMO.

Costume ideas anyone? Shake the glitter...

More Trail Trouble...

Yup that's us at the finish...just so you have some proof that we actually did it...

Oh yeah

And there are prizes!!!!!

But in a sad twist of fate, in the safest place on earth, they were stolen...

:(

Trail Trouble

So it's been an intense couple of weeks with long runs and hikes and cross training, but we finally went to Singapore for our crazy race this weekend.

I just want to begin by reminding myself why we decided to do this race:
1) Shorter distance than the Gobi
2) Trail Race
3) Singapore is flat
4) By October it will be fall and cool


So those first two were true, but the second two were not.

I am pretty sure the race organizers found all of the hills in Singapore and included them in this race. I am also thinking they talked to the big guy upstairs and asked him to turn the heat up a notch just to make sure no one thought this was going to be easy.

And easy it was not. It was hard as hell.

We started with a gear check at 6am. I had an early morning contact lens disaster but fortunately I brought an extra set. The gun was off at 7am and we were on our way.

It was a long and hot course, but in my typical fashion I met a bunch of people along the trail including:

1) A pediatric oncologist
2) A real estate agent
3) A Sri Lankan civil service member
4) A banker (ALWAYS)
5) A ship broker

If you ever need any of these professions in Singapore let me know. I've tried to block out much of the course but there were all sorts of animals including monkeys lining the path to cheer/steal food from us.

The last ten kilometers were tough! Direct sunlight, hills, roots, and 100 degree heat. I tripped and did a somersault on kilometer 8km, but as we came around the reservoir to the finish I found a little reserve of energy and sprinted to the finish.

Just a little over 7 hours...amazing...

My partner Amy Small won the whole thing for the women. It was awesome.

Oh yeah and we came in first place....not bad for our first ultramarathon...

Running around Suburbia

Wildlife I passed:

1) Cardinals
2) Deer
3) Wild Turkeys

Whole new running life experiences:

1) Sidewalks
2) Less than 200% humidity
3) No pollution

I could get used to this...

Pining for the Moon

Three days. Four countries. Five flights. 20,000+ miles. Started on a beach in the South China Sea last Sunday wrapping up over Jamaica Bay Saturday afternoon with interludes in Xintiandi street stalls and Apujeong soju parlors. Power plants and coastlines bookmarking strong flavors and personal frontiers.

This week I cartwheeled across shark nets in the Lamma Channel. I raced old men on bicycles through the streets of the French concession. I danced down the Incheon aisles.

Following last Sunday's moonless night, I've found the soft warm glow before Pearl Tower and after PowerPoint presentations. I have been pining for the moon- imagining a dark and distant dream could be better than the fiery sun that sits squarely on my street.

I am finally figuring out how to enjoy the sun's warmth and embrace the constant joy that sits inside me.

I'm going to Graceland.

Addicted?

Lately I've had a lot of people asking me, "So are you addicted now?" My response always comes out as a hedge, something along the lines of, "Ah, um, I don't know. I don't think so."

Growing up in the "Just Say No" 80s, the word addiction instantly conjures images filled with vials of crack cocaine (if they even come in vials) , needles, and strung out people writhing on the ground of burned out factory buildings. Clearly my American youth was filled with after-school specials and made for TV movies.

But how could I possibly be addicted to running? The first time I answered the question, "Are you a runner?"in the affirmative was last week in my office building elevator when someone spotted me with a Raidlight backpack. How do you go from existential hesitation before a simple question to full-fledged addiction?

That would seem a bit much to me.

So I decided to check out the warning signs of addiction:

1. Usage increase- well i'm now running 4-5 times a week

2. Change in personality

3. Social withdrawl- i definitely don't go out like i used to

4. Ongoing use- first thing I did when I got to Shanghai was to go for a run.

5. Time spent obtaining the drug- i spent hours planning runs and looking for new gear.

6. Change in Daily Habits or appearance- my schedule has changed and hopefully I look a little different.

7. Neglects responsibilities- i definitely would rather run than do dishes.

8. Increased sensitivity- i get super grumpy if I haven't had a satisfying run.

9. Blackouts and forgetfulness

10. Defensiveness

I' m over 50% on the warning signs.

Uhoh...It's true- running does make me feel better and helps me cope with challenging emotional situations. After a long day at work, I wake up craving the solititude, the movement, the free space in my head, and the endorphins which pump through my body. My lifestyle is altered ; my priorities are rearranged; my approach to everything from friends to work to food is different.

But for now I'll stick to enthusastic, excited, or exhilarated about, by, or from running rather than addicted to it. I'd like to think that I'm still in control.

**Addiction is a very serious condition, and addiction to drugs, alcohol, prescriptions, gambling, and the internet are all harmful to you and your loved ones. If you need help, seek out the support of professionals who are qualified to assist. I am happy to help in indentifying the appropriate resources if you need someone to help you navigate.

Of course, if you're just having a lousy day, you are always welcome to run with me.

The Why

It's funny- two months after the race, and people are still asking me, "Why?"

I generally offer one of the following explanations:

1) I wanted to see Kashgar.
2) Why not?
3) I did not want to be the big bridesmaid.
4) I decided to try work/life balance.
5) I wanted to see what HK had to offer outside of Al's Diner.
6) Thought I might meet some interesting people.
7) Quarterlife crisis.
8) Get back to being an athlete.
9) An excellent excuse to buy shiny new gear
10) Find some free time to think about what's important.

All of these are sort of true and sort of simplistic.

At least with the Singapore race, the answer is easy:

Singapore is flat, and I have an awesome team name.

Oh yeah and I wanted to see if I might possibly like this sport of running...

The answer: YES.
(see previous post)

I am now officially a runner...

Middle toenail on the left foot: GONE.

Three plus hours of running: DONE.

Officially a runner? ABSOLUTELY.

Great weekend.

Thursday Twins

That's Trail Trouble's triathlon training buddy powering through the end of the Twins. What a beautiful morning...It's sometimes hard to believe we're still in HK.

Sir Cecil is my Homeboy

I just want to say that Sir Cecil is my homeboy. His "ride" makes up a solid chunk of most of the long runs I do these days. Running on the relatively flat and picturesque path, weaving above the melee of the northern section of HK Island, this morning it occurred to me, " Who is this Sir Cecil and what was he riding?"

So I looked him up. Thank you very much Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Clementi

Very smart guy. Turns out he spoke fluent Canto and Mandarin and he also read Sanskrit. I love the old colonial governors. They were definitely adventurers. Some of the highlights of his tenure include the abolition of female maid servitude and the resolution of the HK-Canton labor strikes. Most importantly, he left an excellent walking/running/ jogging path.

Go Cecil...Now I need to find out about his lady... she has a whole separate ride. Giddy up!

Baby steps

So suddenly there are lots of people (that I actually know) who are pregnant and having babies...

A fellow bridesmaid from my best friend's wedding just had a little girl; a camp friend just had her second boy; two classmates from my study abroad year are due before the end of the summer; and one of my favorite HK couples is expecting Baby K in the next three weeks (my money is on August 16th for that lucky kid).

Wow. It's incredible to think about. It's really exciting.

One of my own friends from babyhood had her first child over two years ago. Suddenly that newborn plays baby basketball with her dad and twirls around in tutus like Meredith and I did when we were her age. It astounds me to watch (via facebook) how quickly she grows and learns. When I first met her she could barely lift her head, but sure enough, she learned how to roll over, then crawl, and now it seems all she does is dance. What an adventure.

I am deeply in awe of all of my friends as they bring these incredible new people into the world, and I'm trying to take some inspiration and a page out of their playbook by approaching some of my goals with patience and baby steps.

I tend to jump into the deep end head first (with a couple of front flips first if I can manage it), but this time, I'm trying out a new approach- taking time to slowly build up my strength, my endurance, and my skills. Last week I added spin and interval training to the agenda. Next week I plan to join a running clinic to improve my technique. I'm also adjusting my eating and sleeping habits. I ate pineapple today!

It's scary. This weekend I'm off on my first solo 25km run. In some ways I'm tottering, unsure of the next step and wondering just how far I'll make it.. But I bet 25km in the blistering heat and HK pollution is less painful than childbirth...so I'll stick to this adventure for now and keep that in mind when I want to quit.