One final challenge before we leave Hong Kong.

Seven years ago we landed in Hong Kong. This was to be our third expat posting after being in Vietnam for 2 ½ years and then Malaysia for 2 years. I had visited Hong Kong twice before moving here and my impression of it was a concrete jungle with a staggering amount of high-rise apartments and office blocks, (pretty accurate really!) When you stand on Victoria peak and look towards Kowloon, all you can see for miles in each direction is sea of tall buildings each vying for precious air space as they reach skywards.

Sadly, this is how most people see Hong Kong.

It literally took me days to realize that Hong Kong is full of hidden gems and is not the concrete jungle it first appears. One of its best-kept secrets are the bush trails that traverse the Island and New Territories for hundreds of Km’s. Large parcels of land were set aside by the British for “green space” and these country parks have miraculously survived giving Hong Kong a green lung that it desperately needs. Another surprise for the newbies are the stunning beaches in the New Territories and great areas for water enthusiasts to enjoy sailing, kayaking, skiing etc. Who would have thought!

What became an immediate passion for my husband and myself was exploring these amazing trails and discovering wildlife, waterfalls and incredible views. What we also found was a thriving trail running community with a racing season that starts late Sept and finishes at the end of April (the cooler months in Hk).

Those of you who have read my blogs will know a little about some of the races we have done in Hk and the incredible countries we have visited around Asia as trail running became our favorite activity.  What we loved most was being off the busy roads and concrete paths and instead running along dirt tracks under a canopy of trees surrounded by nature.

Over the seven years in Hong Kong we became more adventurous with our runs, and set our goals higher. The first 25km run soon expanded to a 50kms, then a 3 day 100km ultra and finally the Oxfam 100km team race. Where do you go from here?

The obvious answer for me (sadly not my husband) was the Racing the Planet 250km Gobi Desert self supported race. I had heard people talk about this run in awed tones and have to confess to initially thinking you would have to be mad to compete in something so grueling. Obviously madness is contagious as when my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas last year I said “entry to the Gobi desert race please”. No diamonds or perfume for me!

For my birthday in May I got all the gear I need to complete this trek, which is not insubstantial. As it is a self-supported race, you have to carry your food, clothes, sleeping bag, toiletries etc with you for the week. The only things provided are the tent you sleep in, water to drink and of course the medical care.

Every time I think about what I have signed up for I feel the flutter of butterflies in my stomach. Some days I feel fit and healthy and am confident I will survive, other days, when my body is sore from training or I’m battling an injury, I feel defeated and wonder what the hell I was thinking. More than once the thought “I’m too old for this” has gone through my head.

However, no matter how many doubts have assailed me I am determined to finish this race. My goal is to get to the end. That’s it. This is unchartered territory for me and how my body will hold up is anyone’s guess. My training has been solid and I have a good base to work from. Last weekend I did a three-day running retreat through some tough trails in the mountains of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Much to my horror I was put in the fast group (Thanks to my lovely trail running friend!!). I almost managed to keep up with my speedy buddies (definitely the slowest in the group) and didn’t disgrace myself too much.

This run boosted my confidence and I was quietly pleased that my feet didn’t blister and my body wasn’t too sore when we finished. However, as is the nature of the beast, after a short training hike today, (back in Hong kong) with my pack, I have pain in my hips and right hamstring and all the doubts have begun crowding back in.

Everyone who has done one of these races will tell you it’s a mental game. As one friend says, “It’s 90% mental and the rest is in your head”.

I have had to do some serious research about nutrition and calories. In a race of this length, you need to fuel your body well enough to keep it going but take food that wont go off, is light and won’t take up too much space in your pack. My aim is to keep the pack to about 9kgs (without water), which means I can’t take a lot. I will wear the same clothes each day, and take a spare set for camp at night. There are no showers and no toilets. (Just writing this down is making me nervous!).

At the end of the day It was my choice to enter this race and it will be choice how I complete it. It seems a fitting challenge to set myself as our time in Hong Kong comes to a close.

In the next three weeks I will be packing up our apartment, packing for the Gobi desert and getting in as much training as possible. Focusing on the run will be a good distraction from the sadness I feel at leaving this city that has been our home for seven years now. While I am excited to be coming home to Melbourne, Hong Kong and the people we have met here will always hold a special place in my heart.

The next challenge awaits.

Running the Chiang Mai trails