Hike in Hong Kong!

Making history on New Year’s Day with a Lantau Bypass Operation

Photos here.

Some wise guy (definitely not me) once said: “Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are”. This quote should work the other way around as well, i.e. “Tell me who YOU are and I will tell you who your friends are”. Well, I am CRAAAAAAAAAZY. So, you know what my friends are like. There’s this one guy who is especially crazy; in the interest of respecting his privacy, I can’t tell you his name but I’ll give you only one clue: his name starts with “M”, ends with “N” and there’s a “artij” in between. And, what is so crazy about him? I’ll tell you.

It all started with an easy run I wanted to do to celebrate New Year’s Day. I asked my crazy friends if they were interested in running as well. “Mate, join the Quintuple run“, came the response from Martijn, who was referring to a run he was organizing. I signed up.

I met my crazy #2 friend, Vic, in McDonalds at Tung Chung today morning. We had an interesting conversation.

Me: So, what exactly are we doing today? Going up to Lantau Peak?
Vic: Yes, going up to Lantau Peak.

and then he dropped the bombshell.

Vic: 5 times

Continue to read about the madness…

All photos are here.

Trail running in South Island, New Zealand “No baggage” style

Me, my hand-carry backpack and my heavy-duty rucksack
Armed with one light hand-carry backpack and one heavy-duty rucksack, I set foot for what promised to be a great adventure in Kiwi Land!

13th December 2012: Welcome to Queenstown!
What a landing this was! I could barely take my eyes off the plane window. By the time we landed, I had craned my neck so much to the left that it started to hurt! It felt like we were part of a flight simulator video game where the plane has to carefully navigate through picturesque mountain ranges. One tiny mistake by the pilot and it would have been game over! Nature kept beckoning us through the airplane window. Each time the plane banked right, I could see glimpses of a serene greenish-blue colored river. As the plane descended, this river showed off more and more of her beauty. The snowcapped mountains we saw moments ago quietly disappeared into the backdrop while gently giving way to lush green grasslands. And, all of a sudden, a runway appeared out of nowhere and we were somehow in Queenstown, New Zealand!

What a landing! This is what I call a scenic flight!

All food stash goes to trash
Upon landing, the first human being I saw from the plane’s window in Queenstown was a customs lady flanked by two gigantic dustbins on either side. “QUARANTINE” was the mantra of the day.

Continue reading about trail running in New Zealand “no baggage” style!

Putting the “Care” back in Care Action!

What happens when you send 5000 people racing up a narrow trail? Answer: plenty of pushin’ and shovin’. When I first ran this race 3 years back, I fell victim to some ruthless pushing. I still sport war injuries from that race! A small scar on my right palm serves as a constant reminder of the ruthlessness of Care Action! Today, I was determined to keep my body safe and intact during the race. Therefore, I decided to wear my medieval body armor suit for this race. Here, take a look:

Perfect racing gear for a ruthless race

However, I realized that there was only one small problem with this gear — it makes running up Sharp Peak slightly difficult! But, not the one to be bogged down by such a small problem, I was instantly reminded of the Giorgio Armani in me and wore my very own trail-fighting designer wear.

Remember Natteri’s Anti-knee scratch protection (TM)?

I also wore my gym gloves to complete my Rambo-style outfit for this race. I was ready for any fight and even looking forward to one!

Continue reading about the Care Action 2012 experience!

Mark Green’s first Action Asia Event

Would the real Mark Green please stand up?
My name is Green, Mark Green.

Two weeks back my name was Martijn Doekes and last week it was Romain Riche. No, I don’t suffer from any multiple personality disorder. I was simply racing on behalf of injured or unwell friends. And, today, “Mark Green” made his debut in an Action Asia Race — the MSIG Lantau 50.

Although, Mark Green is an “early to bed, early to rise” kinda guy, getting up at friggin’ 4.30 in the morning certainly ain’t one of his passions. But, unfortunately, the race organizer had a strict 7am start time for the race — that too from Discovery Bay! That meant that Mark Green had to get on his motorbike at 5.15am and reach Tung Chung by 5.50am to catch the 6am Disco Bay bus.

The cold, dark and raining starting point
At 6.15am on Saturday morning, North Plaza in Discovery Bay looked more like a refugee camp. There were three kinds of camps. The “toilet” camp featuring a bunch of racers getting ready to relieve themselves at a moment’s notice, the “let’s-go-kick-ass” camp featuring racers with excessive testosterone, and finally, the “yeah-whatever” camp featuring racers who wore a puzzled “what am I doing here?” kinda look on their faces. I belonged to that camp. Hey, don’t blame us. It was still dark, cold and drizzling outside!

Some Action Asia kid with a microphone “interviewed” Shane and I at the start. He asked me to say something for the camera. With great enthusiasm I said, “My name is Mark Green. There’s only one reason I am here and that is to KICK ASS!” I was expecting an equally gung-ho response from the kid but all I got was a nonchalant “Ok, thank you” in return. Hey kid, if you are reading this, my clip better be there on that video!

Read about the MSIG Lantau 50 experience up ahead…

Climbin’ and slidin’ on Stage 1 of HK Top 10

Turning French for the day
I had to put my French cap on for the day to impersonate superfast trail runner Romain Riche on Stage 1 of the HK Top 10 race. He was out injured and I boldly claimed to be Romain Riche as I picked up my racing bib from the organizer. (I memorized some French expletives in case of any unforeseen trouble from the organizer). My friend Martijn warned me yesterday about the brutality of the course. “Wear gloves!” he strongly advised. I was also told to expect some serious bushwhacking and extremely slippery downhill stretches. But after having done the 30km Care Action trail yesterday, I thought to myself that I was prepared for all kinds of slippery slopes.

Vince Natteri – the harbinger of trail fashion
Fashion runs deep in my blood. Sometimes I think I am in the wrong job. I should launch my own line of designer wear for the trails instead. It will become a runaway success overnight. For instance, you have this:

Natteri’s “groovy” look – fashionable trail pants that can we worn anytime of the year. Breathable material, washing machine friendly and attracts all the chicks

And, you have this:
Lightweight, easy to fasten, reliable and durable glass strap for the pros!

So, when I was warned about an overgrown trail, being the kick ass businessman that I am, I immediately saw an opportunity to make and roll out my anti-knee scratch protection gear (TM). (Told you, fashion runs in my blood). Here, check it out.

Who needs knee support when you have Natteri’s Anti-Knee Scratch protection (TM)?

The simplicity of the manufacturing process is its beauty. Essentially, you cut the bottom part of an old pair of socks and roll it up all the way until it reaches the knee. That’s it! Simple yet clever design, isn’t it? Btw, this product is LIMITED EDITION only. First come first serve. So, if you want one, please join the queue and write to me.

Continue reading about climbin’ and slidin’ on Stage 1 of HK Top 10

Care Action circuit + going Gangnam style on Sharp Peak

Picture this: 5000 people racing up a narrow trail. Plenty of pushing and shoving and jostling and falling. Add to it, bushwhacking, boulder hopping, bum sliding and reckless overtaking. Oh, did I mention pushing, shoving and jostling? Well, one kick ass, hardcore, trail running competition in Hong Kong brings all this action to the general public and that’s CARE ACTION! Now, please don’t interpret “care” as in people “caring” for each other. That ain’t it. This is “care” as in care-for-yourself-or-else-you’ll-be-shoved-off-the-trail kinda care! Seriously, this race isn’t for any shy trail runner. You’ve gotta be an expert at “classic” overtaking (read: running and grabbing the person ahead of you by their shoulder and moving them to one side of the trail before overtaking them). If you don’t do that, someone will do that to you. The Gandhian philosophy (“if you are slapped, kindly show them the other cheek”) will only leave you with two bruised cheeks on Care Action! So, don’t try that! Instead, shove and be shoved! That’s the real Care Action victory. Trust me – I am a shovin’ veteran. And, don’t complain! This is where the fun is! It’s like playing tackle rugby on the trails!

And the course? BEAUTIFUL would be an understatement! Some gentle road running to start off with before climbing up a narrow muddy forest trail with several hundred other people. Then you get some proper overtaking opportunities, i.e. no shoving necessary although advantageous. Take full advantage of this section. You’ll be able to overtake all the way until the turn off to Sharp Peak. And, after that, prepare for some classic falls and some bum sliding, boulder hopping and bushwhacking — all this while enjoying some stunning scenery of misty hills, beautiful beaches and incredible rock formations. But then again, don’t admire it too much because you DON’T want to lose concentration and fall! Keep your focus otherwise the stampede behind ya will kill ya if you fall!

Lookin’ all clean and smellin’ great before the start

So, seven of us decided to recci and soak in the beauty of the Care Action course in peace, exactly one week before the pushing + shoving that the race next week will invariably bring.

Some Gangnam style up ahead – Read on!

My half-marathon debut plus Sunset Peak, Lantau Peak, Ngong Ping and Tung Chung

Sold on a road run
No denying that I am an addict. A trail running addict that is. So, when my friend Martijn sent me a message that read “want to do a race for free?”, I pounced at the opportunity! It’s like asking a marijuana addict if he wants free marijuana!

But, two details came slightly later. First was that he was referring to a “road run” and not a trail run. And the second “minor” detail came just 2 days before the event. The race was to begin at 6.15am on a Sunday in Disneyland Resort!! 6.15am on a Sunday? Hello?

As a trail running evangelist, I look upon road running disdainfully. How can a boring tar surface even compare to the beauty of a soft, muddy trail? Since when does traffic become a substitute for the gorgeous greenery you find on a trail?

Nonetheless, you can’t diss something without having tried it. And so, I went on the Unicef half-marathon, proudly wearing Martijn’s race bib. (Great to wear someone else’s bib! It gives you the opportunity to screw up big time!)

Rise and shine! It’s 4.30am on a Sunday morning
After a mere couple of hours of sleep, my alarm rang nice and early at 4.30am. I woke up and told myself that I’d have my revenge on Martijn by walking the race at a snail’s pace! I got on my motorbike at 4.45am and rode straight to Tung Chung. I then took the MTR to Disneyland and I was surprised at what I saw. Instead of Mickey, Minnie and Goofy, there were scores of runners wearing the ubiquitous “UNICEF” tee shirt. I was asking myself how SO MANY Hong Kongers were interested in waking up at 4.30am on a Sunday morning for a road race!

Sharon’s half-marathon 101 lesson
As I was looking all around at the growing crowd of runners in utter disbelief, a fresh-looking Sharon nudged me and said “I thought you wouldn’t come!” I told her that I wouldn’t have dared to miss out on this unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of getting up at 4.30am on a Sunday morning for anything in the world! She then gave me a Road Run 101 lesson. Basically this:

(1) There’s no need to carry a hydration pack for a road race. (Heeding her advice, I left mine at the luggage drop off point)
(2) You’ve got to wear some kind of timing chip by tying it to the shoelace. Pretty cool stuff. I initially thought it was some cheap useless souvenir
(3) You have to run like there’s no tomorrow!

Sounded simple enough. So, at precisely 6.15am, the race started but we were stuck way behind; we were boxed in somewhere in the middle of a LARGE pack of runners. It took us about 2 minutes just to get to the starting point!

On your mark, get-set and RUN!
I have to say — there were certain wild aspects of road running that I did enjoy today. Overtaking, for one! On my motorbike, being the punk that I am, I flash my headlight at a slow moving vehicle in front of me, then I hit the right indicator and go full throttle to overtake the vehicle in a gung-ho “I-am-a-pro” manner. Soon as I am in front of the vehicle, I hit the left indicator and get in the path of the vehicle! Big adrenalin rush I tell ya!

Today, I donned the same motorbiking attitude but instead of flashing the headlight, I used my trademark steam engine noise right from the beginning to overtake the slow moving runners. It was great fun! So much so, that I *want* to start at the back of races in the future!

The kilometers kept ticking as I kept overtaking and overtaking. The first 12km passed by in no time! I didn’t stop anywhere. I didn’t even drink water or Pokari. I just kept running. Oh yes, I certainly didn’t want to be “chicked” (being overtaken by a girl). So, each time I saw a girl ahead of me, the steam engine found more coal to burn.

Towards the end it started to rain. At around the 16th kilometer, the runners doing the 10km version of the race merged with the half-marathoners. Because of the influx of new runners, I suddenly lost track of whom I had to overtake so I kept my pace pretty consistent.

At the 20th kilometer, I saw a girl who I thought I had overtaken a while back. She clearly wanted to give me a run for my money (or rather, for Martijn’s money), so she turned on her turbo mode! My answer to that was some heavy metal music and a full blast of reserve energy (I call this my nitro boost). It lasted about 15 seconds and I was ahead again! But, unfortunately, I had mistimed my nitro boost as there was still 200-300m to go! This girl then came back at me in full force during the last 100m! Then Rule 1 of my Rules of Engagement kicked in. Rule 1 clearly states that “You shall NEVER go faster than the pre-set limits of the leg”. I didn’t want to redline my engines, so I backed off. Besides, being the chivalrous gentleman that I am, I can’t overtake a girl during the last 50m. (Read: I lost to a girl).

And, the result..
1 hour 27 minutes. I was pleasantly surprised and thought Martijn would be too! (He wanted me to go sub 90 minutes). I then saw the girl who overtook me. She was stretching her legs while still huffing and puffing. I said “well done” but she still hadn’t caught her breath to give me a response! (I felt glad that I gave her a run for her money).

And so.. the verdict
What’s cool about road runs?

1) Overtaking
2) Sounding like a steam engine and overtaking
3) Listening to heavy metal music and overtaking

What’s not cool about road runs?

1) Waking up at 4.30am on a Sunday morning
2) No greenery! Cars and buses are not a substitute for greenery
3) No real challenge! Where are the technical turns? The downhill stretches? The undulating terrain?
4) Missing the love of nature! Where’s the wind on the summit that caresses your face as you run by? Where’s the fragrance of fresh grass that stimulates the senses? Where’s the mist at the top of a hill that kisses you as you pass by?

Garmin.

The stats

Next on the menu … is a trail run!
And so, after my half-marathon I aptly concluded that I was in dire need of a trail run! I needed my identity back!

Wong Lung Hang Trail, Sunset Peak, Lantau Peak, Ngong Ping and Tung Chung
I warmed myself up at McDonalds in Tung Chung after the pouring rain. Then I went back to my first love — trail running! Near the top of Sunset Peak, I felt the mist of the mountain kissing me and the heavy wind made me feel truly alive! I then “flew” down to Pak Kung Au smelling the fragrance of the trail every step of the way. Then I went back upto 950m in elevation by climbing Lantau Peak before descending to Ngong Ping village. The stunning views of a mist-shrouded Shek Pik Reservoir and the statue of the Big Buddha kept appearing intermittently as the trail meandered towards Ngong Ping village.

From Ngong Ping I ran straight down to Tung Chung via a Buddhist farmhouse where they were planting vegetables in their organic garden. The freshness of the soil and purity of the air cleansed me as I gently ran past.

I concluded the 20km trail run in 3 hours 29 minutes. I acknowledged to myself that running has many beautiful forms — the most beautiful one being Trail Running!

Garmin.

The stats

Post-Trailwalker recovery run on Plover Cove

When I was running Stage 10 of the Maclehose trail during the Trailwalker, I realized (yet again) how boring it was. In fact, almost all of the reservoir trails in Hong Kong are dead boring except for the reservoir I personally own — Plover Cove. You don’t realize how much you miss something until you’re away from it. So, I decided to go run around *my* reservoir today (I think for the 10th time this year) and I also decided to gift the Mac 10 reservoir to former Plover Cover owner Hannes Niggli. (He needs something to own other than Mong Kok. Besides, whatever said and done, at the end of the day, I AM a generous guy!)

Another reason for the run was to test how quickly I’d be able to recover after a 100km run. Why? There is a pretty insane event being organized in Hong Kong in January. See this link. Andre has a new twist to the already insane challenge. He is challenging someone to do the four big trails of Hong Kong (Maclehose, Wilson, Hong Kong Trail and Lantau Trail) in 3 days. That’s roughly 300kms. Possible? Not sure. Time will tell. But I know there at least two insane guys contemplating on taking up the challenge. One is my Trailwalker teammate Chad and the other … is a stunning looking, talented Indian guy. (No prizes for guessing who that is). But, I have to admit, I might do 2 trails in 2 days and call it quits. Even insanity has its limits.

Anyway, going back to the post-Trailwalker recovery run around my reservoir, it went pretty well. I attempted getting under the 2-hour barrier but I had strict “no injury” orders to obey. So, I went at my optimal pace and finished strong in 2 hours and 8 minutes! As I read on a road sign during my epic motorbike trip around Kashmir in India, “Speed thrills but kills”. But, they were probably referring to those lunatic truck drivers…

Garmin.

Oxfam Trailwalker 2012!

My 6th consecutive Trailwalker. The first time I walked the Trailwalker was back in 2006 and it took us roughly 26 hours to complete it! Since then, thanks to a guy called Steven Sparky, our Trail”WALKER” was somehow transformed into Trail”RUNNER” and our times kept getting better and better! Fast forward to yesterday and I am both awestruck and surprised at our transformation from an amateur waking group into a full-fledged running group complete with close to a 50-member+ support team!

Murphy’s law and Chinese wisdom

“When everything’s under control, you don’t know what the hell is going on!” – Murphy’s Law

Our Traiwalker team looked rock solid. Until four days before the Trailwalker, when the fittest guy on our team, my Wilson teammate Rom Riche, got injured. But, we borrowed some wisdom from the old Chinese adage “there is opportunity in every crisis”. We had two opportunities in this “crisis”. (1) We recruited Chad Lykins -a very fit guy who would be making history every step of the way after 60kms of running (his previous record for long distance was 60kms)- (2) Rom became our Chief Support Team Manager. (A job that comes with immense responsibilities and a seven figure salary -paid in Zimbabwean currency of course-).

And, I can tell you, running is a LOT, LOT easier than coordinating support. Coordinating check point teams, mules, tracking our location at each and every checkpoint is a full-time job! We even had a “whatsapp” group with close to 20 supporters on it to track us at various checkpoints to get ready for our arrival. My former teammate Steven was also involved all the way from Canada. He kept track of our locations all the way from Canada using GPS. It felt like we had some F1 pit-stop support crew supporting us every step of the way!

The goals for the day
1. To finish as a team within 16 hours
2. A nice-to-have goal to retain our machismo: To beat the Team Green girls. (4 fit and beautiful girls who looked all set to create a new record). I actually gave them a well-intentioned warning beforehand. I told them that just in case they were going to be ahead of us, they had to wait an hour for us on Stage 10 and get their make-up in order for the final group photo. (It’s very important to look all dressed up for the final team photo). But, shockingly, they didn’t heed my advice and proceeded to complete the Trailwalker in an amazing time of 14 hours 32 minutes. Slightly more than an hour ahead of us! As veteran runner Andre observed, “we got chicked”. Hmm. Wonder what went wrong with my make-up plan. I think, next time, we should probably lure them with something even more valuable than make-up. A Hello Kitty party before Stage 10?

The Start…
I have to say – it wasn’t the start I was hoping for. As soon as some VIP guy blew the starting “race horn”, a lady spectator came crashing straight into me at top speed to get out of the way of frenzied runners. (My charming looks tend to have that affect). But, unfortunately, my Garmin didn’t like that. She ended up breaking my Garmin strap resulting in it falling straight to the ground. I was worried that the stampede of runners behind me would stomp my 3000 bucker Garmin to death so I bravely decided to risk my hand instead. (You can always buy another hand but a new Garmin?) Luckily, I rescued my semi-broken Garmin from the stampede. (And, I didn’t lose my hand either). Note to self: pick a relatively calmer place during race starts.

Stage 1 – All Systems go
Stage 1 went well. We were on target and our pace was well-controlled. We even ended up being faster than the Team Green girls.

Chad looked all excited about his first 100km run. He asked us how many times each of us had done the Trailwalker. I proudly said “6″ hoping to dazzle him with my answer, but when it was Rupert’s turn to answer the question, he ended up dwarfing my accomplishment with “16″. That did it. “16? Ok, I am following your orders today”, Chad decided.

On the dam on Stage 1. We were just 3 seconds behind the winning team Salomon Bonaqua (that’s a joke) – Courtesy Bernie Kwok

Stage 2 – The first sign of trouble
Trailwalker is all about managing situations that the team encounters along the way. I have never had a Trailwalker where something or the other didn’t go wrong. And, I have never had a Trailwalker where some good old patience and good team spirit didn’t fix it.

Stage 2 was when we had our first sign of trouble. Rupert started coughing pretty badly. Soon, coughing turned into puking. I have been in that situation several times before. First, the stomach becomes upset, soon there’s nothing in it (thanks to the puking) and then it sort of shuts down. Once it shuts down, an hour or two later, so do the legs. Energy doesn’t flow to the muscles as the stomach isn’t able to process any food. Rupert, a Trailwalker veteran, clearly anticipated that and took steps from the beginning to fix it. He didn’t let his stomach shut down. He had Gu (it contains Amino Acids which apparently helps with a bad stomach) and we slowed the pace down to prevent his stomach from shutting down. We also started using the tow rope. I started pulling him from Stage 3 onwards which eased the burden on him and also kept us moving at a relatively good pace. Despite his stomach issues, we were still on target to do a sub-16 Trailwalker.

Stage 3 to Sha Tin Pass
Our “mules” joined us from Stage 3 onwards. In case, you are wondering, a mule isn’t someone from Bagota carrying cocaine, it is a runner who has the painful task of carrying everything we give to him, including water, food, garbage like chocolate wrappers, etc, etc. I know what you’re thinking – GREAT JOB! (Details on application to follow).

We had Gilles, Lawrence and Mark run with us from Stage 3 to Sha Tin pass. Rupert made somewhat of a recovery on Stage 4 after several rounds of puking. It’s amazing he was still running! I suspect it was sheer mental fortitude. He is known to run with broken fingers, damaged ankles, etc, etc.

At Sha Tin pass, our “fixed” support team (Jenny/Cynthia) met us with our support kits. We posed for a quick group photo and left soon after.

Stages 5, 6,7,8
We had a new mule, Jacques, on Stage 5. By then, I was getting all arrogant and I enjoyed bossing our mules around. Power is addictive I tell ya. Now, I know why Presidents seek a second term and why politicians love their power. It feels great! I ordered our mule Jacuqes, to call me “Sir” while asking him to collect my trash, fetch water, coke, etc, etc. There’s nothing that corrupts more than power!

I fueled myself mainly on potatoes, Granola bars, chocolates and ginger tea. Worked like a charm. I had zero stomach trouble and felt pretty strong all the way. (Hmm.. to come to think of it, I probably felt great more because I didn’t have to carry anything). Hannes’ and Rom’s trademark potatoes with olive oil were especially delicious. I might have even put on weight after running 100kms!

On Stage 8, we had Cora, Rushi and many of our friends from the Hong Kong Trail Runners Support Team cheer us on. The atmosphere was electric!

Stages 9,10
We were joined by mules Gilles and Vivien on the final two stages. Stage 9 started off quite well and I enjoyed the first 10 minutes of it. After that, it NEVER seemed to end. Rupert was throwing up again but despite all odds, he had actually run most of the Trailwalker on a VERY BAD stomach! Not many people are capable of such performance under those conditions.

The culmination of fantastic support and a phenomenal team effort came together at the end of Stage 10 where we were greeted by our MASSIVE support crew. Cameras were clicking all over and I felt like a celebrity. The support team had worked for 16 hours and were still enthusiastic!

Crossing the Finish Line in 15H 39M

Rupert ended up puking once again after completing the Trailwalker! How he did a 15H39M Trailwalker in such conditions is beyond me.

Our fab support team – Courtesy Rom Riche

We achieved Goal 1 but as for Goal 2, hmm…. it looks like we need something more than a make-up station to get the girls to slow down. We have one year to think up something.

Special thanks to all my teammates plus our fantabulous support crew. There’s no way we could have done a Sub 16 Trailwalker without them!

Garmin. (started a little later because of the crash in the beginning)

Double Au, November 2012, Discovering the merits of a rope

In preparation for the Trail Walker in 2 weeks’ time, we decided to hit the trails for our last, long training before the event. (I say that but I think we would have hit the trails for a 54km run regardless!)

We had two things to accomplish today. (1) To do a Double Au (Mac 3,4,5,6,7,8 – 54kms) without stopping anywhere for too long and (2) -This was more of a secret mission- We wanted to catch Martijn and Olivia who were attempting the Double Au as well but they started about an hour ahead of us. We wanted to run past them at top speed and make demeaning gestures.

It was going to be my 7th Double Au since 2010! My best time was 7 hours 40 minutes (not quite sure how I did that -must have been on steroids-)

The lazy 8.40am team at the start – Gilles, Rupert, me and Vic

Continue reading about the “rope” experience