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.