Category: Beijing

ARDs

9/23/2014

What is an ARD, I hear you ask? An Accidental, or Annoying, Rest Day. Why, accidental? Because you maybe got ill or injured by accident. Why annoying?? Because you REALLY wanted to get some morning kilometres in and instead you stayed in bed with a rotten cold. Yep, story of my life these past couple of days. SO annoying! Felt itching to get out and run, but my body and head told me otherwise this morning and for the first time in a very long time, I slept through my early alarm, and decided to stay put in bed when I did wake up. Yesterday, I just didn't get out of bed either - saw the early time, and just thought 'no, that's not happening today'. Boo to colds and illnesses. They have a tendency to f&*k my training plans up quite royally. Oh well, I suppose I am doing to right thing, and 'listening to my body' etc etc by not training, but to have two unplanned and unwanted rest days bang in the middle of my week, irks me somewhat.

I am contemplating getting a low-effort strength workout in a little bit later today, or even going for a cycle in the now a lot cooler weather, so then I guess it's only one extra ARD so far this week. But I've cancelled three different fitness dates so far! So, that's no good. I'm blaming said weather and it's change, together with a 'hugely busy' (lol) schedule all of a sudden, for my current cold. To combat said cold I'm eating spicy veggie soup filled with all kinds of healing goodies by the bucketful, and water, water, water, of course.

The Beijing half marathon is only three and a half weeks away now! I need to keep this in mind and keep training. I.e. piss off, Cold. Thank you.

How many rest days do you take, roughly, per week? Are your rest days planned or do you take them as and when you need them? (Mine is usually on a Saturday).

Any miracle cold cures?? (Lots of garlic, veggies and water is usually my aim, but would love to hear of any others.)

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Message from the Universe

9/8/2014

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I have registered for another running race!! Pretty pumped to report I will now be taking part in the Beijing Half Marathon on Sunday 19th October! I know, I know, you were getting ready for another: 'I didn't do any running but here's what I did instead' blog post, well, that is just not on the agenda for today. I feel like I may finally have gotten my running mojo back this morning, and possibly all down to this new motivation of having another race on the horizon in the not too distant future (as the grasslands race just seems so far away still! So, hard to really focus on any proper training). I think there's nothing more motivating than having an event to plan and work towards, so I'm so glad that I have signed up for this race, and it's in an easily accessible city (from here to Beijing is an hour's flight I think) so Coach/Husband can come with this time (the last two races he has stayed behind), which will be awesome.

And the reason this random registration came about? (As, it wasn't on my mind even a couple of days ago...) Well, a new friend mentioned she will be running the Beijing marathon on 19th October, with her uncle, who she usually cheers on while he runs it. We got chatting about running for a while after that, and training etc, and I asked does she still run in the colder months here (key question for me apparently), to which she answered, to my dismay, NO, it is too cold. Boo.... BUT, she said she does yoga instead, and this then led to a discussion of where she goes for early morning yoga sessions. The result of this little tangent is that I will now be joining her on some early morning yoga classes, woohoo! But, I digress... Back to the subject at hand: the Beijing marathon.

So, later that day, as I'm scrolling aimlessly through the sometimes addictive time-waste that is the newsfeed of Facebook, I noticed a post from another friend putting it out there about it being the last chance to sign up for the Beijing marathon, and to get in by today. I had seen no mention of said race before, so, this mild coincidence I took as my cue from the universe that I am meant to be running in the Beijing half marathon! Haha, why, you may ask? I know, it's only a small coincidence, but hey I'll take it. I read some work by Deepak Chopra lately along the lines of: whenever you notice a coincidence, it is the universe trying to tell you something or pointing you in the direction you are supposed to go in. Therefore, I feel the universe was telling me not only about this race (thanks Universe!) but that I should sign up before it is too late. So, to cut a long ramble short: I have signed up for the half marathon, and Husband and I can go for a fun little weekend away in Beijing as well.

Having this race to look forward to has already improved my running, I'm sure of it, and I was up and out there early and determined today. However, for this particular race, I think I'm going to adopt a very casual training plan this time, and not worry about time, speed, pace, PRs/PBs etc. I just want to run it purely on how I feel (Garmin-free) and take in the Beijing sights along the way. I'll keep you posted with my rough training 'plan' as I go. Today I ran approximately 12kms through one of my usual routes through a park. Legs felt strong and I felt great.

As promised, here's a shot of Husband and our new e-bike! Ahhhh, felt awesome to be flying along (at 30kms/hr) with freedom and the wind blowing through our hair yesterday....

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The Illusion of Time

6/11/2014

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I woke up this morning and one of my first thoughts was 'oh my gosh, it was a week ago today that I was off to Beijing!' I can't believe it's been a week since I left for my trail race adventure weekend already. It made me kind of sad thinking about how seemingly fast it came and went hey. I know, I know: time is an illusion and there is no 'past' or 'future' as we like to talk/write about, there is only life in the 'now' and here in the present: we have, as humans, constructed these illusionary hours, days, weeks etc. However, it seems to me that when there is something you're really looking forward to and are excited about that this illusionary concept of time simply speeds right up and suddenly that event/holiday/night you've been dreaming about and looking forward to has suddenly been and gone, leaving you feeling a little bereft, or something like that. It got me thinking, 'oh no! Soon my Gold Coast half and quick trip back to Oz will be been and gone, as will our month long caravan tour around China!'

All the more reason to stop and be mindful, and smell those proverbial roses as often as you can. Enjoy every moment of your day. Look forward to your events and plans coming up, sure, but be happy and present NOW.

So, further to this enjoying the moment and smelling the roses ramble so far, here is what we're going to do today, and I'll be enjoying every moment of it: there is a hotel not far from us that has this awesome underground spa area where you can have as many saunas, steams, dips in the Jacuzzi as you wish, before donning some excellent pyjamas of sorts and being led through to a buffet lunch. After this you are then led through to a large room filled with many easyboy/recliners, each with a couple of towels laid out (for blankets or for massages) and a personal TV screen. They sit you down in this pretty dark room, and people bring you tea and plates of fruit while you kick back and relax or sleep if you want. Then you can either start all over again and go back to the steam room/jacuzzi, or simply head back to the buffet a little bit later for dinner, or chill and watch a movie or get on the wifi there. We've got some vouchers that give us '12 hours of rest' there so we thought, why not today?? We are kind of on holiday now after all (exams are finished for us, so no more teaching/classes).

No so much active recovery today then, as it will be traditional restful recovery, haha.

Do you find that time speeds up when you are excited about something? Does it feel like recent months/years have gone by too quickly for you?

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Runner's World 50km Trail Race Recap

6/9/2014

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I am back from my trip to the Wuyuezhai National Park, Hebei Province, via Beijing, and I have lots to tell. So, grab a coffee, a tea, a wine, whatever’s your figurative ‘cup of tea’, and get comfy: this is going to be quite a long one.

Firstly: hell yeah! I DID it!! I completed this extremely beautiful, extremely hard (at certain times) 50km ultra running trail race and completed it in a faster time than I ever would have expected (7 and a half hours). I also came in the top twenty females (either 18th or 19th, according to different people) so got a prize and had to go up on stage during the big prize giving ceremony – more on that later. Not bad for a previously virginal ultra runner, and for a first attempt at a trail race?! Here’s a sneak preview of many many more photos to come of where this race took place: so beautiful don’t you think?

First things first, let’s start with the lead up to the event: the travelling, the race gear pick-up, the pre-race meeting and greeting etc. I flew up to Bejing from our little city of Yiwu, which took just over 2 hours by plane. The plane was delayed and there was shitloads of turbulence, but other than these two minor issues, I was reminded of how much I really LOVE to fly and travel. I love it. All of it. The getting to the airport way too early. The mooching about while it’s too early to board. The pre-flight beer and snacks (carb –loading hey). The miniature meal on board. It’s all good.

After having arrived at Beijing’s airport, some way out of town, I then spent the next two hours ish getting across town to my hotel next to Bejing West railway station. This was a bit of mission, and the day was so very hot. Initially I got the airport ‘express’ which is a dubiously named train, and by no means express (not after Shanghai’s airport express Maglev train which reaches speeds of 430kmph!) and maybe should be called the airport plodder or airport normal speed train or something. I took this photo of the ticket as it amused me. Hmm, Beijing is not really famous for its blue sky, and even the picture next to this little fibbing phrase showed no blue sky nor any green land. It’s got a nice ring to it though, sounding more like some kind of vertical, space-train perhaps?

After settling in and going in search of some tasty pre-penultimate race day treats, I predictably ordered too many dishes (being used to there being two of us sharing many plates of food), and continued to carb load by the means of another cold beverage.

I chose the ‘Standard Bear’, and was relieved when it came out as a cold beer and not at all bear-like, haha...

I had a very quiet night and then left bright and early to meet the coaches and other runners the next morning. I was directed to coach number 7 and the real trip took off from there.

I slept a bit and chatted a bit to the other runners (lovely people) on board for the 6 hour ish it took to get to Wuyuezhai.

I have to say that this was the BEST and most well run and organised event I’ve ever taken part in. Names were ticked off upon boarding the coach, the race gear pick-up was smooth and hassle free as was the hand out of room key cards for the hotel (all went by coach number initially), with no queuing and no confusion.

Even during the race, this high level or care and organization was held up – markers clearly marking the course (so, no getting lost in the mountains as I was worried about), and the check points (where your bib number would be written down, to check you were there within the cut-off time) were laden with every different kind of refreshment you could want: water, sports drinks, bananas, cherry tomatoes, cakes, watermelon, noodles – it was great! (I ate a LOT during the race hey – had everything they were offering.)

So, back to the penultimate race day settling in. Once we’d found our rooms (I got lucky hey – for some reason I got a room all to myself! So, my fears re: sharing a room/glass bathroom walls etc, never eventuated) the other ‘laowei’ (foreigner) runners and I met up for some eats and carb-loading beers, in one of the restaurants in this picturesque little town, set into the mountain side, up a long, winding, fairly steep road (one that goes for about 4 kilometres that formed both the start and finish of the race – yes, that’s right: the last 4 kms were spent trudging up a seemingly endless tarmac hill, in the direct burning sun – brutal).

Then, later that day, there was a delicious (carb-loading?) dinner:

Followed by beers in a hill-side gazebo:

Followed by a pre-race safety briefing where I learnt that runners would be disqualified if they didn’t carry either a camelback or the designated drinks bottle we’d received in our race pack. So glad I invested in the camelback option! Even though I ran with the heaviest backpack I’ve ever ran with, it was worth it to have my hands free to steady myself at times.

The race pack was a GREAT one! Lots of goodies, check it out:

Ok, onto the part you’ve possibly come here for! The race day recap!!

So, the day started off with a twenty minute aerobic session courtesy of the head coach (I think) of the running group Hey Runners from Beijing who I booked through and who most of the other laoweis (all 8 of us I think?) belong to.

This was a lot of fun!

And, nicely warmed up, we then headed to the starting line, excitement and adrenalin kicking in now.

The race started on time, and we began our descent, down the steepish, tarmac, winding mountain road.

For the first 11kms or so, I was badly needing to go to the loo, but could see no appropriately private tree or bushy area in which to do so. It was getting pretty dire, and was actually causing me to run too fast I think, as I sped up searching for a place to stop and pee. Not good when all the advice you’ve been given is to watch your pace at the beginning and especially going downhill straight off. Eventually it got too much and I found a handy wall/billboard to hide behind. Ahhh. All being much better, I continued with the race.

After about 19kms, just before checkpoint two, I realised something about this race: I would not be able to run the whole thing, as previously imagined and how I thought I would be able to. I eventually succumbed to stopping running up the hills, and began to hike the hard uphill sections, along with everyone else around me. Before then, I had been powering up past others, but perhaps using too much energy too soon by doing so? I had it in my head that I would be able to keep running, no matter what, and come on, even the first hotel was rooting for me:

So, a new plan evolved and was established: hike up the steep/uphill sections, run the flat, downhill, and gently uphill parts. Seemed to be the go for everyone else that I could see too.

From 20 to 30kms or so, it was a very steep ascent, and reminded me of a hard day’s hiking, let alone a running race. This is where people’s poles came into play. Initially I was a bit confused as to all the gear people were carrying. I mean, how do you run with poles? And why?? Well, all was revealed when we were hiking up (in single file at some points), and later, scrambling down, this mountain.

Reaching the ‘top’, or so I thought, at the 30kms mark, I was then told we had to ‘just run over there’ to collect a rubber bangle and have photos taken beside the elevation marker. Hmm, maybe ‘over there’ in an ultra event is not the usual ‘just over there’! This bit was tough. But here I am, feeling on top of the world, quite literally:

It was after this that a noodle break occurred, due to a fellow runner offering me half of his and thus beating the queue (thanks Cedric!).

I have never eaten noodles and then continued to run before, but all was fine. No nausea or spewing as feared. And on with the race:

I can see why people love trail running so much. There were a good many points during the race that I could feel myself grinning inanely and thinking to myself ‘I LOVE THIS!’, especially as I was running through some shady forest sections, with gentle up and downs. It was just such a beautiful course:

That’s not to say it wasn’t hard though. There were certainly some tough sections. Another out and back section took place at the 37kms mark. This again came as a surprise to me. Again, we had to collect an arm band and have our photos taken and again, this was an extremely tough section. The reason being? A very steep ascent AND hundreds of stairs, akin to the Great Wall race. I was actually really happy to see these stairs (I know, I’m a sicko right?) due to all the stair training I’ve done for this race, and I didn’t think there would be stairs on the course. Stair running after 38kms of mountain running/hiking is a bit different and a bit of a challenge hey! But amazing views from the top. And I soon found out that THIS was the highest point of the mountain, and not the previously though 32kms mark.

Coming back down the mountain there were some VERY steep, rocky sections, where I had a few near misses with twisting my ankle. Had to keep reminding myself to take these bits slower than I was trying to, as it just wouldn’t be worth it to have an injury out there hey. There were quite a few dangerous sections. I didn’t take a photo of the terrain here as I was concentrating on just getting down, but again, it was like a hard hike or climb down a mountain side, I though.

The route spread out again between 42kms to 45kms, and I still felt pretty good running. Actually, I felt kind of euphoric – this was the furthest I had EVER run before, and maybe the hardest too (although, I’m not sure –I think the Great Wall event may have been more challenging still, although was half the distance of this one – so, short and sweet/painful?).

The sun was quite intense though – it got hot quite early on in the day, so for the whole race we were running mainly in the hot sun. (Note to self: take sun cream to an event in the mountains where there is little to no shade! Rookie mistake.) The last 4 ish kilometres were tough. And not just because they were the last 4kms of a 50kms race – it was purely that they back up that hill. Nooooooo! Everyone struggled with this apparently. Most walked for most of it, it was practically impossible not to (not sure about the elite guys/winners though), and I did a mixture of hobbling/jogging/attempting to run before walking/hiking up most of it (I think it may have been quicker to walk?). It was the hill that kept on giving. Every twist and turn I’d think, ‘surely this is the last turn and I will see the finish line looming ahead soon?!’ Eventually, when I finally did see the finish line, and the markers marking every 100kms away from 500kms down, a fresh surge of energy came back to me and I managed to run the last 100kms feeling pretty strong and awesome. I had done it! Finished! And well under the 12 hour cut-off time too! (My time was 7 and half hours.) I was ecstatic!!!

Then they told me I was in the top 20 (and someone later told me I was either 18th or 19th place)! Wow. I was amazed. And thrilled. Here’s me with my medal, woohoo:

Later, there was yet more shared, delicious meals:

Followed by the awards ceremony. There I was casually sipping a beer and chatting to another runner, Hendrick, when I heard my name being called. What the?! Why was I being called up?? Getting up there, they gave each of us a extra prize for being in the top twenty! We worked out they were doing the prize giving in groups of 5 at a time, so here is me in the 16-20th place group:

My prize was a giant tub of protein and oats powder plus some joint capsules:

To put it in perspective just how large the protein powder is, here’s another photo – it is half the size of my whole torso! Or maybe bigger:

So, all in all, the race went great: I had a blast, I loved the course, the guys I met are lovely and everyone was very friendly/I made new friends etc, AND my legs seem to be recovering pretty well now, as this is the start of day 3 post-race and they’re feeling pretty good. The day after the race was a different story however: even standing up and making my way off the coach to use the toilets when we stopped at service areas was a huge, painful struggle, let alone having to attempt a full squat, courtesy of all the toilets being squatters hey (can you imagine the pain of this?!). However, when I got to my third and final hotel back in Beijing (after a mammoth 8 hour coach journey ,then 2-3 hour trek across town via car/subway/taxi) I dived into their (actually open, operational!) swimming pool and did a form of pool running (not sure if I was doing it right – had no floatation belt or anything, but just tried to jog up and down doing gentle laps) for about 30 minutes, and perhaps this has helped with active recovery? A little bit of walking (mainly through the huge terminal 3 of Beijing) and cycling yesterday too, and this morning: legs are feeling ok.

Ok, that’s enough from me. If you’ve stuck with the race recap thus far, thanks for reading! I now need to catch up on all the things I’ve missed on other running blogs since being away. I did think of all your amazing comments while I was running the race, and I was sending positive thoughts out to Amy over at Run Write Hike who was running a trail race relay over this same weekend! Looking forward to reading all about her event too.

So tell me, what have you been up to over this weekend? What was your high point? What was your favourite part of your weekend?

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Beijing Bound!!

6/4/2014

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All that talk of keeping things short and sweet in yesterday's post will now come to fruition haha - off to catch my plane to Beijing soon! Woohoo! Excited, but nervous. I don't think I'll have internet access in the National park (deep in the forest/mountains I think), so stay tuned until Monday or Tuesday for an update. Hopefully, I'll have LOTS to tell you all about this 50km trail race adventure weekend. Thank you for all your awesome, encouraging words on here, and thanks to Husband/Coach too! (best coach ever, and I will really miss him this weekend, another reason for the nerves, going there solo, oh well)...

Have a great rest of the week and awesome weekend everyone!

ps - If I had internet or my computer with me, you'd probably here this from me in the next post, so here you are, pre-emptively:

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ARDs

Message from the Universe

The Illusion of Time

Runner's World 50km Trail Race Recap

Beijing Bound!!

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