Running the full Lantau Trail … well, until Shek Pik
The 68km Lantau Trail and I share a love-hate relationship. Well, more of love now but back in 2009, there was plenty of hate. That’s because every single time I was determined to complete running the whole trail or even large chunks of it, I’d invariably end up being cooked by the sun. I still remember hiking up Man Cheung Po (Stage 4) in the summer of 2009. The sun was so strong that by the time I reached the peak of a hill just before Tai O, I was walking in a zigzag path like a drunk man. I was forced to nap by the peak under the shade of some shrubs to recover from a heatstroke. The sun has been responsible for terminating many of my runs prematurely.
Today, as part of Steven’s “farewell” runs, we decided to run the whole of the Lantau Trail. We were pretty determined to complete the run despite a strong, looming threat from the sun. 9 runners showed up to rise to the challenge and we were off to a relatively easy start at 8.20am.
As we were running up the concrete trail from Mui Wo to Nam Shan, ace runner Jeremy Ritcey came speeding at us from the opposite direction. I high-fived him as he ran past us, creating a strong waft of breeze. We deliberately kept the pace rather easy in anticipation of a few bazookas from the sun. However, the Gods of nature had a different kind of bazooka for us, the thunder bazooka! The skies burst open for a few minutes resulting in a heavy downpour that transformed all visible trails into flowing streams. There was no point in trying to save my semi-new pair of shoes from a total immersion in water. In fact, even Michael Jackson, with all his moonwalking prowess, couldn’t have avoided getting his feet wet. So, I switched to Plan B – jumping up and down in puddles of water and splashing it everywhere, much like a small kid in a bathtub. Awesome fun! Although, probably not so great for my shoes. Nature owes me a new pair of shoes.
The deluge was a welcome gift from nature as the breeze and relatively cool weather saved us from being cooked by the sun. But, unfortunately, as the famous Axl Rose has declared, “nothing lasts forever even cold November rain”. Well, Axl wrongly thinks that rain + cold weather is actually a bad thing but I bet he has never gone trail running in Hong Kong during May. Anyway, we reached Pak Kung Au in about 2 hours, with all 9 runners still going strong. Much to our surprise, we saw Jeremy again, this time with two of his teammates, and they were now running in the same direction as us! I should have asked him but it looked like he was running parts of this course twice! His team overtook us on the climb to Lantau Peak.
3 hours later, we were close to Ngong Ping where we had a deja vu. It was Jeremy again! This time he was again running backwards, probably all the way back to Mui Wo, to keep an appointment with his wife! We derived some inspiration from his abundant energy and continued to keep running. Soon, we reached the touristy 7-11 in Disney Buddha (Ngong Ping). As usual, there were scores of tourists all over the place, invariably carrying massive cameras and taking pictures of anything and everything under the sun. Buddha seemed to have been transformed into a Disney character from a spiritual guru. But, on the positive side, the place did attract a lot of hot girls. Not sure what Buddha’s view on that is. But, as I was explaining this to teammate Romain, he agreed with my view on “hot girls” but warned that some “hot training” was also coming up next.
He wasn’t kidding. Just like The Terminator “will be back”, so will the sun! And, boy was it hot! Stage 4 of the Lantau Trail (Man Cheung Po) is probably the best part of the whole Lantau Trail but unfortunately, it’s totally exposed. This is why I invariably get cooked on this stage. But, all these years of training have made me a wiser man. I now know how to regulate body temperature better. But, this stage did take two runners away from us. Lawrence had to leave at Tai O with a knee problem and Olivia twisted her ankle.
Romain, Vic and I continued at the front while Pig and his friends decided to stop in Tai O briefly for lunch. We had done close to 40km of running and it clearly looked like the accomplishment of completing the whole of the Lantau Trail was well within reach, especially since the sun had again shown mercy and hid above a new cover of clouds.
But, after a boring reservoir run to Shek Pik, I had to make an executive decision. I had to decide between completing the whole trail with Romain and Vic or taking a bus back to Tung Chung at Shek Pik. The former option meant I’d get back home only by 9.30pm while the latter option meant a pizza + spaghetti in Tung Chung. My stomach made the decision. Romain and Vic were more disciplined and, at the time of writing this, they are probably somewhere close to Mui Wo!
Summary:
Roughly 42km, no Garmin record unfortunately.
Garmin ran out of power in the middle of the run as I made a rookie mistake and forgot to charge it. (I guess sometimes even monkeys fall from trees..)
Sunday was officially supposed to be rest day. But during the “resting” moments, glimpses of Plover Cove kept flashing in my mind. Like a responsible owner who matches words with not only action, but also with a lot of love and dedication, I instinctively decided to go on a spin around my reservoir. For the record, this is the 5th time I have run Plover Cove this year. That’s a full 18km of love and care! And, I have done at least a part of the course a total of 9 times this year. Now, you tell me, if this isn’t true love, what is?
Oh, and as for my speed, who cares? When you talk about love and care, speed is of least importance.
Summary:
Distance: 17.88 km
Time: 2:25:00
Elevation Gain: 564 m
Pak Tam Chung to Hoi Ha (HK100 route) and why we run
As part of Steven’s Tour de Hong Kong, we decided to run the 1st half of the HK100 course. This proposed 52km run attracted several top runners, Pig Chan (pigs do fly, especially this one), Lawrence, Vic and Armin. We gathered in Pak Tam Chung at about 8am and began the run soon after.
Armin told me that he had recently run a full marathon in 2 hours and 58 minutes! That’s an average of about 14.5kmh sustained over almost 3 hours! Clearly, that can’t all be a pleasant experience. Pushing oneself that hard and living in the “pain cave” (as Steven puts it) has to be, well, a painful experience! So, I asked him what motivated him to run that hard and that fast. He admitted that it was not always honky dory. He added that he went through a mixture of emotions. But, on that day, the feeling of accomplishing something significant, the excitement of pushing the boundary and the thrill of stepping out of his comfort zone are what drove him to push himself. On other days, he simply runs for the pure joy of it! The focus during a run puts him in a state of meditation, although he is conscious and active. It creates a sense of confidence in him to be able to solve problems. He feels a deep sense of connection to not only nature but also to himself.
His reasons reminded me of ace trail runner Stone Tsang’s quote on a Hong Kong newspaper “Running is more than a hobby; it is a vital part of me and it as important as my family and career.
“Running on trails is a beautiful thing as you can go anywhere on your own two feet, see views that people will never see and find your inner-self in the outdoors”.
I have heard some unique reasons too. Keith Mearns (winner of Oxfam Trailwalker in Sydney) once told me that he runs “to have a chat”. Why not sit in Starbucks and have the same chat? I didn’t ask him that but I think I know the answer to this one. Running is more fun! Also, when you are running several dozen kilometers with someone, they will have no chance but to loosen up and be themselves. It accomplishes what several beers would have accomplished, albeit in a more healthy fashion!
As we were having this conversation about running, we ran past several fragrant plants that filled the air with an intoxicating smell which lifted us to a natural high. “THAT is why I run!” Steven exclaimed while pointing at the plants.
Personally, I love trail running for the same reasons as Stone Tsang. It keeps the body fit and the mind fulfilled. Here’s a quote I love. “Health is not the absence of disease. That’s not health. Health is vitality and energy and when everything inside of you is working at an optimal level. That gives you the capacity to do, to be, to share and create everything you are capable of. That’s health”. Trail running gives you this kind of health! And, when you have a fit body and a fit mind, that’s when miracles happen.
Anyway, going back to this run, we ran at a steady pace all the way along Mac 2 to Wong Shek. Lawrence and Vic decided to quit at this 28km mark. Lawrence first claimed that he was recovering from a leg injury and only joined this run to be with Steven on one of his farewell runs. However, before Steven could get all mushy and touched, he quickly changed his reason to “actually, I just wanted to run but I chose THIS run!” Steven appreciated the sentiment regardless and off they went.
The rest of us continued all the upto Hoi Ha along a very technical route. Upon reaching Hoi Ha, Steven, Armin and I decided to chicken out at this 38km point. We had strong reasons. Armin was jetlagged while Steven and I had a dinner to attend in the evening. Besides, the rest of the way was a bit boring and we had already done 38km of some awesome trail running! But, of course, no force on Earth could have stopped Pig and his friend from continuing. I guess that’s what you call Pig-headed discipline and determination! So, we left them at Hoi Ha and hopped on a minibus back to civilization.
Summary:
Distance: 37.62 km
Time: 5:15:10
Avg Pace: 8:23 min/km
Elevation Gain: 1,239 m
If you were to leave Hong Kong for good, which of the following would you *NOT* do before you leave?
(a) Eat at many fancy restaurants
(b) Go shopping
(c) Say ‘bye’ to friends
(d) Run over 250km on trails as a “farewell tour”
If you chose (d), well, I’m sorry, you just lost your million dollars! Teammate Steven’s leaving-Hong Kong routine involves exactly that! And, as part of that routine, we decided to run the 45km Hong Kong Trail today, on Buddha’s birthday. What can be a better way to celebrate a public holiday and Buddha’s birthday other than to run 45kms in hot and humid weather?
I missed the minibus to The Peak (start of the HK Trail) this morning and was a whole 30 minutes late. Sunny and Tina had a head start while Steven waited for me. We started the run at about 7.30am. We caught upto Tina during Stage 3 (I didn’t realize it was her and I think I startled her as I ran past her) and to Sunny during Stage 4. I also saw an injured Guido on the way. He seemed to walking instead of running due to a knee issue.
2 hours 20 minutes later, we reached Park View for some much need air-conditioning and refueling. I was a little ahead of Steven on Stage 5. About 30 minutes into the Mount Butler climb, I got a text message from him saying that he felt nauseous and was unwell. So, we decided to head back to Park View and concluded the run there. Besides, Stage 7 of the Hong Kong Trail involves running about 8km on concrete, right beside a boring water catchment. I was glad to have given that a miss! On our way back, we saw Sunny who told us that he’d be quitting too! We later learnt that Tina left after Stage 3 as well. She underestimated the heat.
Overall though, I would recommend Hong Kong Trail highly, especially if you want to prepare for a marathon and don’t want to run a course that is too technical. And, don’t get me wrong, the trail can be very, very beautiful too! There’s a lot of greenery, some majestic views and formidable hills en route! Just watch out for the heat and humidity on a hot summer day!
Summary
Distance: 27.84 km
Time: 4:02:37
Avg Pace: 8:43 min/km
Before I finish, today being Buddha’s birthday, I will leave you with one of Buddha’s teachings. He might not have advocated trail running but as you will see from the below, he does know how to deal with abuse!
Buddha was well known for his ability to respond to evil with good. And there was a man that knew about this reputation and he traveled miles and miles to test Buddha.
When he got in Buddha’s presence he verbally abused him, he insulted and offended him.
Buddha was unmoved.
He simply turned to the man and said: ‘May I ask you a question?’
The man agreed and said: ‘Well what?’
Buddha: ‘When someone offers you a gift and you decline to accept it, to whom then does it belong?’
Man: ‘Well then it belongs to the person who offered it.’
Buddha smiled: ‘That is correct.’
Buddha: So if I decline to accept your abuse, does it not then still belong to you?
The man was speechless and left.
Picture this. The weather is cloudy and the temperature outside is just perfect for a trail run. You head out to a beautiful trail adorned with trees and you’re experiencing the ultimate thrill and fulfillment of a trail run. Then, suddenly, the clouds turn black and before you know it, the sound of thunder reverberates in the skies. You instantly experience the most refreshing and natural shower known to mankind. Rain! The tree leaves feel fresh, the soil emits a revitalizing natural fragrance and you hear the sound of rain lashing everything in your vicinity. Thunderstorms are indeed a gift from nature!
Now picture this. You are in your house and intend to go on a refreshing kick ass trail run. You look out the window from the comfort of your sofa. You notice heavy rain pouring down accompanied by the gloom and doom of a thunderstorm. You then realize that you can’t quite go anywhere. You’re stuck at home! Thunderstorms can play spoilsport and can disrupt plans. They can be nature’s way of grounding you to the sofa.
So, ladies and gentlemen, the lesson is “thou shall be making a blunder if thou shall not leave before the thunder”.
Today, I made that very blunder. After 10 hours of sleep, I woke up to heavy rain and thunder! My plans of a kick ass trail run in Sai Kung seemed to have been washed away by the rain. As I was resigning myself to a boring day of sitting-in-front-of-the-computer, a peak outside the window surprisingly revealed intermittent blocks of sunshine! Almost by reflex, I readied my hiking bag. That was God telling me to go to Sai Kung for a run!
I decided to pick a classic from my trail running recipe book. I call this the Pak Tam Chung circuit. It runs from Pak Tam Chung -> Mac 1 -> Mac 2 -> Pak Tam Au -> Pak Tam Chung. Roughly 30km long. With the exception of two hills, it’s more or less flat.
It took me a little longer to reach Pak Tam Chung than usual as I was mostly relying on gearshifts on my motorbike. I have learnt the hard way to not use the brakes when the roads are wet! Upon reaching Pak Tam Chung, it was clear to me that people really fear thunderstorms. There were hardly a handful of people on a Sunday in Pak Tam Chung. All the usual eager weekend campers and hikers seemed to camping in their houses!
I started the run at 1145am. Everywhere I looked, I could see evidence of a recent thunderstorm. There were puddles of water everywhere, the rainwater drainage pipes were all transformed to a mini waterfalls! I realized that trying to avoid getting my shoes and socks wet on this run was like trying to walk on eggshells. I instead indulged in the joy of splashing my legs in the puddles of water!
I maintained a fairly easy pace. It took me 54 minutes to complete Mac 1. By the time I hit Mac 2, my shoes weighed twice as much thanks to immersing them in several deep puddles of mud and water. The trail connecting Ham Tin to Mac 2 had a makeshift stream running through it! My heavy shoes became even heavier as I tried to cross this stream while minding the surprisingly strong water current.
An unexpected stream on Mac2!
It took me about 1 hour to reach Sai Wan from the beginning of Mac 2 and another 1 hour 6 minutes to complete Mac 2. A 16-minute run from Pak Tam Au to Pak Tam Chung concluded the awesome (and wet) training for the day!
Summary:
Distance: 28.56 km
Time: 3:21:32
Elevation Gain: 1,004 m
Loading ...