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Shaanxi (with 2 As) Shenanigans

8/21/2014

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Ok, I've realised that I was erroneous when saying that I ran in every province we went too! Oops! I think I got confused because I had an early morning run before we left Baimasizhen (the White Horse Temple town) and then we were exploring the town near Hua Shan in Shaanxi province later that afternoon. However, I did do some running in Shaanxi, namely on Hua Shan, and up and down copious/hundreds/thousands of steps. True story.

We had a plan that we would both be able to visit Hua Shan, me with my love of a gruelling, hard workout, or a hike, and Husband with his love of seeing new places however knee pain and ankle pain and general loathing of all things that are steps. The plan went like this: Husband would get the cable car to the top and I would hike the 2ish hour climb to meet him, then we would look around for a while before both taking the cable car back down. Sounds a good plan yes? However, it was just not meant to be.

Problem number 1: the ticket office sold us the wrong ticket (even after repeated questions checking we were definitely going to the right spot for the cable car up to the North Peak) so we both arrived at the cable car point that would take us up to the West Peak. This peak's cable car did NOT feature the option to hike up underneath it, as the other one of the two did. Bm-Bm - fail.

This smoothly led to problem number 2: We both took the cable car up, however this side's cable car was a crazy long (about 30 mins) world's first cable car in operation that UNDULATES and goes up one mountain then down a little then up to an even higher peak and then down a little. The views were INCREDIBLE! It was amazeballs, no other word for it. Check out the pictures below. You think you're there but then, boom, another treacherous peak and you're still climbing. Oh, did I mention Husband's severe vertigo that I was kind of previously unaware about? Let's just say he did NOT have a fun cable car trip. So much so that when we arrived at the top, and even after many hours up there, he refused point-blank to get any sort of cable car back down.

Which eventually led to painful problem number 3: Husband's knee is very painful anyway, so walking up and down steps is a killer for him. The only way off this mountain, as you might imagine, was down. Down steps. Thousands of them. On precipitous ledges which did nothing good for a person with vertigo. I was so proud and so happy that we eventually made it back down safely and securely and I think my husband is so very brave for doing what he did that day.

However, it wasn't all problems, and truth be told, I LOVED this day climbing up and down and around this mountain (Sorry Husband - I have a thing for mountains). So, why was I running on various portions of it, you may well ask? Well, as per problem number 3, Husband's knee cannot take the pain, so once we'd arrived at the top, we realised there are 4 main peaks, North, South, East and West, and hey, there are MANY steps to enlightenment. We wanted to see as much as we could while we were up there, so we agreed that I would go off on a little mission, as fast as I could, see the sights/peaks that Husband couldn't get to, take lots of photos and then come back and we could resume checking out some less step-y parts together (at that point however, little did we realise it's ALL steps on Mount Hua). So, I got to run up and down lots of stairs. Loving it. Thankful for all my earlier stair training in the year. Then when the other tourists got too plentiful, it was too hard to keep the pace up, even just walking was hard and there were plenty of frustrating single-file sections. Soooo busy, just like every other tourist attraction in China, we've found. But soooooo beautiful and amazing, just the same. Here are some photos for your visual pleasure:


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I recommend, if you're going to Shaanxi province, DO go and visit Hua Shan (Mount Hua), but try to go early to avoid the plentiful crowds. It was so beautiful though, despite the pain. Oh yeah, my legs were fairly wrecked for about a week after this. Brutal. But again, many steps to enlightenment and all that.

The only other running I did in this province, was probably AWAY from the horrendous crowds when we went to visit the site of the famous Terracotta Warriors. Sadly, this was probably my least favourite tourist attraction that we visited. Maybe it was the stinking hot, sweat-inducing weather, or maybe it was the thousands of other tourists and tour groups barging past me, or maybe it was all the trinket shops and touristy crap all around the actual site, but I was not a fan. Great to see and 'tick off the list' but WAY preferred the mountain visit.

Ok, that's it for Shaanxi Province. Stay tuned for Shanxi Province, coming your way soon. Cheers!



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Happy Dragon Boat Festival!

6/2/2014

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Hello Hello from me, Puppy, and Husband (Husband not pictured as he is the resident cameraman)! Gotta love a public holiday courtesy of Dragon Boat Festival. The weather has turned it on for us too - hot and sunny days, with minimal pollution, yay. Got in a fairly challenging stair running workout (30x reps of our building with a few 100m recovery jogs chucked in) this morning followed by about 45 minutes of strength/weights. Great start to the day. Since then, we've been cruising around eating delicious things and drinking some of China's finest red (well, the finest is debatable, but we like it anyway).

Got my final email re: the race on Saturday. Apparently there is a 12 hour cut-off time!!! Shithouse. Hope I make it. Don't know what to expect really. Oh, and no plastic bottles allowed on the course apparently ,so that might be tricky. (I have a camelback but have lost the bladder which I guess is the most important part if you're using it for water! D'oh...)

In other news: this website is being really RUBBISH and not letting me reply to any comments today. So, sorry about that! Will reply as soon as this is fixed. How frustrating!

I hope everyone has had a great Monday!

Do you run with a camelback?? Do you think I should invest in a new one before I depart for Beijing on Thursday?? (My instinct is telling me 'yes', hmmm...)







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Nervous

5/27/2014

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As promised, here is Husband and I hard at ‘work’ being the voices of the English oral exams yesterday. Loads of fun. Hmm, I wonder if we could do this professionally and get paid for it? Oh yes, that’s right, we kind of do at the moment. But I would love to do this on a more regular basis, not just every couple of months. Anyone out there looking for a voice-actor? Who specializes in having a half English/half Aussie accent?? I am available.

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Today I’ve got some yoga and a stair session on my schedule, as it’s really NOT. LONG. NOW. Eek… Got another slightly confusing email from the race organizers again, complete with directional signs, course map, and an elevation chart. Shit’s about to get real hey.

Here’s a snippet of the detailed email (translated using Google translate again, so maybe not the best):

“Prior to the beginning and end of the game are located in the Five Sacred Mountains Scenic Village Hotel in clear water, the track length of 50 km, the track surface types include: cement roads, dirt roads, gravel, board the oil, gravel, grass mountain Austin, deciduous jungle road, boardwalk, stone staircase, wild dirt roads and so on. The race track located mainly between the mountains, the highest elevation of 2281 m, the lowest elevation of 553 meters, with an average altitude of 1233 meters, the cumulative climb 2605 m."

 
The ‘grass mountain Austin’ and ‘deciduous jungle road’ sections sound fun, don’t they? Hmm, there is a fair bit of elevation too.

Nerves are setting in now. For two main reasons: nerves about the course (I am aiming just to finish and not get lost); but also, nerves about going and meeting other seasoned trail runners and ultra running superstars. I will be going sans-Husband (my usually excellent companion/coach/support team/photographer), so will be sharing a room at the hotel there with another runner. Let’s hope there’s no see-through glass bathroom wall that many of the Chinese hotels favour over here. Nothing says ‘hi, nice to meet you!’ like waving at your new room-mate from the toilet.

 

Do you get nervous before an event? What do you do to calm or get rid of your nerves?
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One Step At a Time

5/22/2014

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This morning I FINALLY made it for my track session. Hallelujah! It's only taken me 4 days... (I know, I was going to do it yesterday - instead I went for a beautiful run in the peaceful drizzly afternoon followed by 15 sets of our apartment stairs = job done.) So, this is what happened early this morning: 1.6km warm up/easy pace, 9.66km at threshold pace (yep, you read that right - 9.66 fricken kilometres!), then 1.6km cool down/easy pace. Phew. I did it! This is the longest I have run at this quicker pace (between 4:07-4:18) Feel awesome that I completed it.

Not gonna lie - the first 7-8kms or so were tough. Really tough. Maybe from the not-much sleep I've had this week or maybe from some really rubbish womanly pains or whatnot, but whatever, I digress and ramble... So, I had two choices: I could do maybe half of my planned session, or just stop and call it a day early, OR, I could keep going, focusing on ONE kilometre at a time (and at times, one hundred metres at a time, or even one step.) I am so glad I chose the latter. And with each kilometre closer to the end of the faster threshold pace section, it got easier and easier, and I felt miles better. I am feeling pretty confident about my improved pace now, and have shown myself that I can run faster for longer. So, am giving serious consideration to running most of my next half marathon at threshold pace, with a 1.6km ish warm-up and a kilometre or so, in between each 9.66km at threshold, at an easy pace. Something along those lines anyway.

This is my plan for my next half marathon, which is: the Gold Coast half marathon!!! Yes, it turns out I can make it after all. I am pumped! However, I now have a 50km trail race to run exactly one month prior to the Goldy race, so I hope my legs recover quickly enough for me to put this new plan into action. Watch this space.

In other news: it's FRIDAY! Kind of ecstatic about that. Hope you all have a blinder. Tell me something you are doing today / over the weekend!

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10 Comments

Too Tired Thursday...

5/21/2014

6 Comments

 
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This week has been fairly hard thus far (both physically, and emotionally, due to some bad news we've had.). Each workout or run a struggle, and almost feeling like a chore to try to fit them in. The two runs I've managed to get in so far have both been fairly non-descript runs of 10kms and then 8kms, with the view to get my 'real' run or workout later on in the day (which predictably never happened due to the lure of watching documentaries / eating / chilling with Husband). Both these runs were spent during the hottest part of the day on my lunchbreak and I've got say: running in the hot sun is not the best! Running when dehydrated = not the best either. Lesson learnt. Must get back into early morning sessions, or the run I'm intending on is unlikely to happen.

So, as I'm sitting here writing this, my current aim is to get a quick stair workout in during my lunchbreak today, and yes, aim for the track workout run (the one that's been niggling at me since Tuesday) sometime this evening. I'll be rereading this awesome post from Kristina over at Blog About Running:  http://www.blogaboutrunning.com/ultrarunning-inspiration/. Awesome motivation, and such a lovely shout-out to me too. Surely this should help to perk me back up again?? (Seriously, I was so chuffed to read this post on Kristina's wonderful website, not just because I'm in it but because there are heaps of great ultra running links and motivation too - but yes, I might have called Husband into the room and said, 'Look! I'm famous!' lol...)

Is anyone else having 'one of those weeks'?? Do you know what I mean? Do you get weeks where you're too tired to bother with much??

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Not Long Now...

5/18/2014

2 Comments

 
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Not long now until the Runners' World 50km trail race. I was reminded of this fact when I excitedly opened an email from the race organisers this morning. This is what I was faced with:

各位尊敬的2014RW五岳寨国际越野大奖赛参赛者:    您好!    感谢您参加2014RW五岳寨国际越野大奖赛!    赛事最新行程如下:6月6日从集合地出发,7日参加比赛,8日早晨8:00从比赛地便返回出发地(北京),具体信息如下:    1.从北京出发的集合地点是北京西客站大方饭店门口,集合时间是6日早晨8:00,出发时间是早晨8:30。   2.由于车程较长(北京出发车程至少5个小时),在大巴上我们也为参赛者准备了简单水和食物,除此之外您也可自备食品。   3.由于五岳寨海拔较高,六月初虽是夏季,但当地早晚温差会很大,请您带好长袖衣物! 
 PS:①请保持您的手机畅通,我们的工作人员将在近期联系您并告之乘坐大巴车车号(如北京一号车)信息。         ②本周组委会还会将赛道以及补给等相关信息以邮件形式发送给所有参赛者。         ③ 号码布、芯片以及装备包在选手们到达赛地签到时统一领取。


Hmmm, so, after using the not-so-trusty Google translate, this is the result:

Hello !

    
Thank you for participating in the International Cross Country Grand Prix Walled 2014RW Sacred Mountains !

    
Race latest itinerary is as follows : June 6 Depart from the collection , the 7th race , the 8th from 8:00 game will return to departure ( Beijing ) , specific information is as follows :

    
1 Meeting Place starting from Beijing West Railway Station in Beijing generous hotel entrance, the collection is the 6th time 8:00 , the starting time is 8:30 .

   
2 Due to drive longer ( Beijing starting drive at least 5 hours ) , on the bus we have prepared a simple water and food for the participants , in addition you can also bring your own food .

   
3 due to high five岳寨海pull , though it is summer in early June , but the local morning and evening temperature will be great, could you take a good long-sleeved clothing !


PS: ① Please keep your phone unblocked , our staff will contact you to ride the bus and told the license number ( such as Beijing-1 car ) information in the near future .
         
② committee this week will be the track and supplies , and other related information is sent to all participants by email .
         
③ number bib , chip and equipment bag in the race to sign players to reach a unified collection.



So, not entirely sure about everything they wanted to tell us, but hopefully I've got the gist of it anyway. Sacred mountains sound awesome! As does Grand Prix! Glad I'm picked up running on stairs again, think my legs will need it for this race.

Any fluent Chinese speakers / translators out there - was Google close enough? Any further translation would be much appreciated. Cheers! Have a great Monday everyone!



2 Comments

Really Rather Rocky-esque

5/17/2014

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Another rainy, wet Saturday here in China, so no run outside as planned (I pussied out - I was aiming to run it on the track, as when I speed up to threshold pace or VO2 max pace or whatever is on the plan, I like the convenience of not having to stop for pedestrians or traffic, hence any session that specifies a pace to aim for, I have been running on the track. When it's wet, I have this inner fear that: speed work, looking at Garmin for my pace, and trying seamlessly to run through puddles and water will somehow lead to me tripping over my own feet. Anyhoo, I digress...)

Instead, I chose to do some stair running (30 reps of the building again) followed by some strength moves (i.e. squats, push-ups etc, nothing too fancy). I was harnessing my inner Rocky, and it was intense hey! Here's a sweaty, tired snap of me on the stairs in question:


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Yes, that IS a Rocky t-shirt! (Thanks again Josh, love it!). And yes, I did put my camera on a self-timer mode to take this red-faced shot, haha...

So, I know these stairs aren't exactly the terrain I'll be running on, but I hope they'll prepare me somewhat for some of the uneven surfaces and up and down sections (which, I'm pretty sure form the majority of the trail race).


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Hope you're all having Super Saturdays. Got to run now (no, not literally) as watching an awesome documentary series with Husband that is kind of blowing our minds! Will post the links soon. See you!
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Bump N' Grind, and Stair Running Like Rocky

5/10/2014

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Now, I'm not one to usually quote R Kelly (ok, pretty much NEVER quote this guy, but hey-ho..) but the theme of my mornings this weekend, where on both mornings I've told myself that I WILL get up for my long run as scheduled, has been the beginning of his classic, back-in-the-day 'Bump N' Grind', although with the words reversed. Something more like this: "My mind's telling me YES, but my body, my body's telling me NO". Yes, on both occasions I have chosen rest and laying in bed, instead of going for that 35km run. Oops... You know what they say? Listen to your body, right? So, I did. Feels good. I'm sure I'll get more kilometres in next week, but it seems my body needed and loved this week of cross-training, yoga, speedwork, plus a couple of easy runs.

After copious coffees this morning, and perhaps after reading this article online (
http://www.runnersworldonline.com.au/stair-running-can/) I decided to go for a stair running workout, and now, 30 reps of our 7 storey building later, I'm feeling a lot like this guy (although no styling red sweatband for me):

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I remembered to count this morning. So, one rep UP is 119 stairs, so that makes 30 x 119 = 3570 steps going one way, so, up and down = 7140 steps total . GREAT substitute for a run methinks. This is what the article had to say about stair running and the benefits it brings:

"If you borrow one element (besides running) from Rocky Balboa’s training regimen, make it stair-climbing. The plyometric motion strengthens the same muscles as lunges and squats, and taxes your lungs and heart as you power to the top. “Stairs force you to work against gravity, and this helps build two essential needs for runners: strength and power,” says Anne Moore, an exercise physiologist and running coach. You need both, whether you’re kicking to the finish of a 5K or trying to maintain pace during the later kilometres of a marathon. Moore adds that stair-climbing “forces you to utilise muscle stabilisers, like the gluteus medius, that get neglected during regular runs,” because you’re balancing on and activating one leg, briefly, as the other moves to the next step. Strengthen these areas and you’ll reduce your risk of injury.

Finally, stairs are much steeper than most hills: Indoor stairs have a roughly 65 per cent grade, while Sydney’s Heartbreak Hill is less than 10 per cent. That’s why climbing them accelerates your heart rate so rapidly and makes you breathe faster to take in more oxygen. This, in turn, improves your VO2 max – the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilise during intense exercise. “This teaches your body to use that oxygen and convert it to energy quicker,” says Moore. A greater VO2 max means you can run harder and for longer durations. A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that short bouts of stair-climbing five days a week for eight weeks improved VO2 max by 17 per cent among young women.

Weave these stair workouts into your weekly training and watch your performance reach new heights."

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Tuesday's Training Update, and Why-oh-Why is it Wednesday Already??

5/6/2014

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Oops, forgot to write yesterday. No run yesterday - I swapped it for some yoga in the morning, followed by lots of cycling around in the beautiful sunshine as we explored parts of town we hadn't been to before as our students were having exams all day (= no classes for us). So, more of a cross training day. However, I must get my running legs back today. Namely some stair running. I'm planning on doing the steps of our apartment building, maybe 25 or 30 reps of them (7 story building), and I'll try to count them today, so I get a more accurate description of this run. Later, if the weather is still nice I might also get my easy paced 9.66km that is on the schedule in (after work that is).

That's about it from me here in China. Short but sweet (ish?). Arrghhh, is it really Wednesday already? Can't we pretty please have another Tuesday-exam-day, please Universe?? Oh well. Enjoy your day everyone!


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Long Run Success

5/2/2014

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Call the police, I just killed my run! Haha, yes, I know you're not laughing at my excellent joke. Oh well... Just got back from  my long run of the week, which I think was about 25km (again, not very good at charging the Garmin it seems), and took in two different mountainous park areas with hundreds of steps. One of these is the BIG one at the end of town where I did lots of training for the Great Wall race, as I reckoned that some of the steep steps would be a good practice run for the Great Wall (oh how wrong I was haha), and Garmin (which was working at that point) reckoned it is about 400m up to the top. (I think there are about 660 ish steps? I'll count next time...) Anyway, I hadn't been here in quite a while, but it seemed a lot easier than the last time. Or maybe it is because I had already run for 10kms and ran some steps and hills so was more warmed up than usual? Whatever it was, it saw me being able to run further up the steps than ever before and then keep on hiking up the last extremely steep section without stopping for a break (last year I needed a couple of short breaks). So, yay for that.

Now, am off to shower and seek out a mammoth breakfast. Enjoy your Saturday people!

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    A 30-something's running and travelling experience around the world.

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