Running in Hong Kong

 

I traveled to Hong Kong a dozen times, never venturing beyond the monotony of the hotel treadmill for my workout.  So it was a revelation when my Hong Kong savvy friend Mitch showed me an impressive network of trails less than a kilometer from my hotel in HK's Central business district.

 

Apparently Bowen Road, a 4k stretch of flat, wide pedestrian-only paved trail running a long a ridge, is something of a mecca for HK runners.   Hong Kong has fallen out of favor as a running location with horrific waves of toxic smog blowing in from the factories of China, but I saw more than 20 other runners during our hour run, more runners even that people walking their pets.  

 

The views from Bowen Road were impressive, but then Mitch and I ran up the almost vertical Wanchai Gap trail to a loop around the top of Hong Kong island via Middle Gap Road, dirt trails, and Blacks Link which provided even more amazing views.  As we finished the run in the early evening, the lights of Hong Kong's skyscrapers seemed close enough to touch, even as we descended through a dense jungle. 
 

No more treadmills for me in Hong Kong.

 

Transition

• One day of recovery is required for each of the marathon's 26 miles according to some ancient wisdom. 
• Several of my teammates entered races within three weeks of completing a marathon, and suffered debilitating injuries that left them shells of their former running selves for years afterwards.
• Cutting Edge  Runner insists on AT LEAST 2 weeks of "transition" after a major endurance event.

I keep this all in mind as I begin swimming and cycling training in earnest these past three weeks since the February 18 Tokyo marathon.  In fact my muscles do feel sore, and I have been almost continually fighting off a cold.  But the sun has been shining, work has been slow, and my teammates Keren and Mary asking me to join them on rides along the river.  What can one do?  Here is my weekly triathlon training totals over the past five weeks:

Jan 28 - Feb 3     5:30 total hours  / Run  59 km / Swim 3km / Bike  0     (taper)
Feb 4 -  Feb 10    6:45 total hours / Run  58 km / Swim 5km / Bike 0      (taper)
Feb 11 - Feb 17   4:45 total hours / Run  18 km / Swim 4km / Bike 20km (taper)
Feb 18 - Feb 24   7:00 total hours / Run  47 km / Swim 3km / Bike 0     (marathon)
Feb 25 -  Mar 3  10:00 total hours / Run  32 km / Swim 5km / Bike 125k  (recovery)
Mar 4 -  Mar 10  11:00 total hours / Run  37 km / Swim 5km / Bike 120k  (recovery)