Race Coverage
RACE Coverage
Gobi March Blogs 2019
11
PostsGobi March (2019) blog posts from Hannamiina Tanninen
28 July 2019 08:00 pm (GMT+08:00) Irkutsk, Ulaan Bataar
Day one is in the books. It was a 36 kilometre hike or run through the grassy hills of Mongolia. But before getting to the finish line of the first stage, a lot had to be done.
All the competitors arrived to Mongolia already on Friday. That is because the very important competitor briefing took place on Saturday morning. At the briefing we learned more about the course, what to do in emergency situations and learned more about fellow competitors. For example there will be three people in the race who will qualify to the 4 Deserts Club once they finish the Gobi March. After the briefing was the most challenging and stressful part of the journey so far: the equipment check. The equipment check is there for a reason. Every item on the list of mandatory equipment is selected to keep us safe, warm an well fed.
But once you have every item, including the food, that you need during one week laid on the floor in front of you, it gets overwhelming. Especially when each item gets examined and calories calculated once more. After which you have to try to put everything into one 30 litre backpack. After couple of hours of packing, unpacking and last minute shopping trips everyone got their items sorted and we were on our way to camp one.
After couple of hours in a bus we arrived to the tent village which will be our home for the next week. After the whole day of travelling and packing everyone was tired and the camp got pretty quiet after the sun set around 20:00. The sunrise in our part of Mongolia is around 5:00, which I when most of us woke up. It left us more than plenty of time to get breakfast and to get ready to the 8:00 o’clock start.
The start was very memorable, as a local man was kind enough to send us off by horse in front of us for the first half a kilometre or so. After that we were off to the grasslands of Mongolia. Personally I had high expectations about the views along the way, but the bright blue sky and the hills and the valleys absolutely took my breath away. The trail was mainly flat grassland with the exception of one hill climb, which made everyone work hard. On the way there were locals, as well as event staff to cheer us on.
The course finished to a small hilltop with ancient palace ruins. After getting some rest, sorting out their gear for the next day, as well as replacing precious calories in the form of dinner, most racers seem to spend their time just chatting to each other, as due to lack of internet there is no Instagram to update, no emails to check and no Netflix to watch. This seems to be one of the best parts of the day, not going to lie.
24 July 2019 04:36 pm (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
The title says it all. Oh dear.
I was told that this will be difficult and I practiced packing last week. However, my extreme energy foods only arrived today, so I was able to start fitting everything only earlier this morning. For me the packing and travelling to the start line is easier, as I only have a four hour flight to Mongolia from Hong Kong and I will be staying on the same timezone the entire time. This means I pretty much only have to pack my race gear and I am done.
Everyone flying from an other end of the continent or from a different continent alltogether have my utmost respect. You have to pack so much more items as well as to adjust the different timezone.
For weeks my livingroom has been looking like a hiking gear store exploded there. I have vague recollections of owning a sofa, I think I might have one underneath all the gear. I started with packing at 8:00 am today, and as I am writing this it is 5:00 pm. To be completely honest I have taken a lot of "creative breaks". I made my "trail mix" (macadamia nuts, chips and Finnish candy called salmakki) and calculated the calories once more. Then I tried to fit everything in to the backpack. First attempt was unsuccesful, I wasn't even able to close my backpack. On the positive note, I found my sofa. It is gray.
Second attempt went a bit better, the bacpack zips, wohoo! It doesn't look good or professional and I hope it won't end up to the RacingThePlanet Instagram page. To celebrate that, I decided to take a lunch break...for four hours. OK, I went to print some stuff too and to pick up my shirts from the patching service (as said in an earlier post, I hate shopping and packing so I ended up procrastinating everything).
I still have my long march to go in terms of packing: writing labels on everything and finishing packing attempts three to what I am estimating fifteen. Once I am finished with packing, I think I have used more IKEA ziploc bags than a family of five uses in a year. I have also gone through a lot of stiky notes (I noticed that black marker soed not stick on IKEA ziplocs very well). I also see myself sitting on the livingroom floor with somewhat packed backpack eating the leftover chips from my trailmix and watching RacingThe Planet YouTube and Instagram videos.
Well, my flight leaves tomorrow, so just like running practices I simply need to get this done. No excuses. What will motivate me is that I will finally be on my way tomorrow and I get to see everyone. Any fellow racer reading this: I'll see you tomorrow.
21 July 2019 11:37 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
Question post, the second edition. (Writing down some questions I have before the race, will answer them after the race.)
I am definitely nervous. If you are a fellow runner and are reading, and you are not nervous, the whole thing probably hasn’t sink in yet. If you are a partner of someone who is racing, and they say they are not nervous, they are probably lying. J
I am sure this is a question everyone going to the race is thinking right now. Will I finish? To be honest, I don’t know. I will do my best, but how good is my best? I have done more running than I ever though I physically could. I have overcome so many mental barriers and I must have cleaned at least a kilo of spiderweb off my gear and hair. (There are a lot of big spiders on the Hong Kong trails during summer months.)
I know that the race will be completely safe. I won’t get lost, as the route will be marked well, and the organization team knows your exact location at all times. We have team of medical specialists on site, should anything happen. We don’t have to worry about water or shelter, just to carry enough snacks.
However, just the idea of travelling from the hotel in Ulaanbaatar to the base camp makes my stomach turn. Because that is when it gets real. Meeting everyone at the hotel will still be all fun and games. But I am not sure if I will get any sleep on the first night.
Was my training enough? Am I really up for this? Do I have the stamina needed? Why did I signed up to this in the first place? Those will be only come of the questions in my mind, I am sure I will come up with many more during the first night.
As I have never done this before, I don’t have any idea. But what I know is that not trying would be something I would regret for the rest of my life. And that is much more scary thought than not finishing the race.
14 July 2019 11:36 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
Question post, the first edition. (Writing down some questions I have before the race, will answer them after the race.)
The night sky. This might sound crazy, but I am most looking forward to seeking the night sky. Living in Hong Kong has many benefits, and I very much enjoy living here. However, when living in a densely populated city, one rarely sees stars due to the light pollution. You are excited to see three stars at the same time.
Meeting all the people. I believe that it takes a certain kind of person to even try anything like this. And once you put them together for a week, good conversations will happen. We are in this together.If you are reading this and coming to the Gobi race, do send me a message. Would be awesome to hear from you. How is your preparation going and what are you excited about race. Or nervous. After all, we will spend a week together soon without the distraction of social media, so we actually have to talk to each other. ;)
Food. Living in Hong Kong, I am spoiled by all the amazing dining options one can think of. So eating noodles, energy gels, energy bars and whatever those meals are you pour water in are called for a week will be…different. An no tea. I am not too fussy about food and can usually stomach pretty much anything. But there is a good chance I will be talking about dim sum or Hong Kong style breakfast in my sleep. Or Shake Shack burgers.
Carrying the backpack. I have been training with three kilos for a month now, and it doesn’t bother me too much. But carrying nine kilos will be a whole different thing. I am not as afraid of the blisters on my feet as much I am the backpack straps breaking the skin on my shoulders. Also, I am sure I will have a love-hate relationship with my backpack during the race. I will love that it sores all of my snacks as well as the sleeping bag. But I will have carrying it around.
Sleeping. I am usually a very good sleeper, but I am not sure when was the last time I went camping? Twenty years ago, maybe? So I have no idea how hot is it going to be in the tent. Or cold? What if someone snores? What if I snore? Or am I just going to be absolutely exhausted of all the running and hiking, so I will fall asleep as soon as I get to the tent.
All I know is that we are few weeks from finding out.
08 July 2019 11:39 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
For someone who hates both shopping and packing, getting the mandatory equipment together has been the most stressful part of my journey so far. And by very far. Visits to decathlon: four. Visits to Overlande: three. Time spent online: way too many hours. Wallet: very empty. Exhaustion: big time.
I do understand why we need specific gear. The list is crafted not only to keep us safe, but also to make sure we can fully enjoy the experience. I am also very thankful for the list provided, as I could have never come up with one myself.
But for someone who has never been shopping trail running gear before, it was like going abroad. I had no idea there are different kind of gaiters or running shoes, and it was a bit overwhelming at first. What should I spend money on and what is unnecessary gear for a beginner runner? Should I go with water bottles or one of those plastic bags with tube attached to it?
Again, it is good idea to ask for advice. And to shop around in different online stores. Internet is also full of reviews of different gear, which is very helpful for a beginner. What helped me was that I built another Excel spreadsheet and dedicated three weeknights to gear research. Ok, I didn’t put those dates on my calendar. I just got a flu, which is why I got bored and finally got the shopping done.
And let’s face it, getting all the gear isn’t cheap either. Since I procrastinated the gear shopping until the last minute, I was able to utilize all the sales in July. In some stores I got such great discounts that even the salespeople were surprised. All in all, combining all the discounts I can think of and buying the cheapest good quality gear I was able to find, I think I have spent roughly 10 000 HKD to my gear and food for the week.
It is a large sum of money, but definitely at the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to gear prices. One could easily spend two or three times that amount. Nevertheless, be prepared to go over your budget. You will end up buying items that are not on your list, but necessary anyway. For me it was for example better socks and those really strong plastic bags that will compress your clothes and will help you safe space in your backpack.
One thing that helped me was not even trying to buy everything at once. We all have had those Ikea days, when halfway through you contemplate on an idea of leaving the Ikea, selling all the rest of your belongings and becoming a sheep farmer in Poland just to get out of the Ikea. I didn’t want to relive that experience with my running gear. I bought some items online, some in Decathlon, some in Outlander. I think overall it took about a week.
So just like with running, one thing at a time when shopping. Give also your body enough time to recover. Good game plan, snacks and water with hydration salts are highly recommended too.
01 July 2019 11:44 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
We all are on some form of social media, therefore we only see picture-perfect running moments. Running looks good, the runner is not tired and the background is perfect. It is also never raining. On the other hand, we all contribute to the phenomena by choosing carefully the photos we post and only sharing our good Strava runs.
I can honestly say that at least one third of the time this whole running thing has been a big bucket of suck. I have been tired of just doing the same thing over and over and over again. When I am not running, sleeping or at work, I am probably scheduling and planning my run next or trying to eat enough to replace the calories I lost.
I have been lost at the trails, cried from exhaustion and probably cleaned roughly a kilo of spiderweb from my hair. And I have been very glad there hasn’t been anyone to take pictures of me on those moments, because those pictures would never reach Instagram.
Training alone has also been difficult. As I am more used to do team sports with my dragon boat team Royal Hong Kong Yach Club’s Royal X, not having someone to run with has been something I needed to get used to. I do miss having my teammates around to both support me and push me to try harder. Even their jokes.
What has worked for me was the fact that I only had 100 days to prepare. This mean that I didn’t have time to wait for inspiration to come or put my preparation on hold. Which is good, because there has been moments when I might have given up, have I had the chance. But there was literally no time to stop and give up.
The truth is, I don’t think I have never had this mythical “runner’s high”. Sure there has been trails where running has been easier than on some other trails, which has made it fun. But it is still hard work. And it is definitely motivating to see your improvement. But at least for me preparing for the race has been mainly hard work with some reward.
I am not saying you shouldn’t give running a try or not consider participating to one of these races. You definitely should. I do believe that everything will pay off at the finish line, but getting there hasn’t been all picture-perfect empowering moments. But then again, nothing worth having never comes easy.
Comments: Total (1) comments
Janet Chong
Posted On: 31 Jul 2019 03:49 pm
27 June 2019 11:31 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
As I am training in Hong Kong, I have had the chance to get a somewhat of an idea about trail running in the city. Fun fact: RacingThePlanet headquarters are located in Hong Kong. Should you come to Hong Kong for a trail running holiday? I’ll let you decide, but personally I do think so. Not sponsored by Discover Hong Kong (I wish…).
Good
- Views. I believe that there is no other city in the world where you can run in a rainforest and still have breath taking views of skyscrapers. Not to mention a variety of geoparks and incredibly beautiful beaches. Seeing the views make me smile, even on the most challenging runs.
- Convenient. I can run amazing nature trails in the morning and make it to the office on time. A big portion of that is because almost all the trails can be reached with public transportation in less than an hour. It gives much more variety to your runs, when you can reach a lot of
- Infrastructure. The trails are well maintained, clearly marked (except when not) and on some trails there are even streetlamps for night hikes. Sometimes you can even find vending machines and barbeque areas.
Bad
- Spiders. Lot of big spiders that make webs across the most narrow trails especially in the summer. You end up with lot of spider webs on your face, hair and gear. Sometimes accompanied by the spider itself. On plus side, it seems that the big ones only bite, but are not poisonous.
- Stairs. Hong Kong is a very hilly city and many of the hills are very steep. To have safe trails on the steepest slopes, Hong Kong government has built concrete stairs. For many hikes to get to the trail you need to climb some stairs. Many trails are also covered in concrete to prevent erosion.
- Heat and humidity. During the summer months it can get up to 37 Celsius with very strong humidity. This will not prevent you from running, but will definitely slow your phase. Please remember to bring enough water.
24 June 2019 11:42 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
When I started, I knew food and nutrition would be something to consider when training for the race, as well as during the actual race. When doing longer runs, at least I burn more than 2000 calories per run. And the heat of Hong Kong summer does not make things any easier.
However, when I started, I thought all this running would be also a great way to lose weight. Which it was during the weeks when I run less than 40 kilometres in a week. But once we built up the mileage (or kilometres as us continental Europeans say), eating less was a horrible, horrible idea.
It might sound great that you only eat 1000 calories per day and burn all that, and then some while running. But in reality you only end up not only feeling so completely very weak, but also ruining your runs. You won’t be able to finish your runs strong, in addition to which you won’t recover properly.
In retrospect I am glad I went through couple of runs where I threw up, or ended up so malnourished I was shivering despite the weather being 30 Celsius. I didn’t enjoy those experiences, but during them it really hit home just how incredibly important proper nutrition is. And that was a very valuable lesson for the race.
For the race I have definitely asked advice, built an Excel and will be taking more than the recommended 2000 calories with me. I have even dedicated myself to eat potato chips, which I don’t normally like. (Or crisps, or however you call those things that come in a bag in grocery store.)
As an endnote, my running coach kept telling me about the importance of proper nutrition from the day one, but I didn’t listen. Sometimes you need to learn the hard way. :)
17 June 2019 11:34 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
First of all I don’t know why this is called building the mileage. As a continental (Northern) European, I am only familiar with the metric system. But let’s just run with it (pun intended). Also, this is by no means an expert advice you should take too seriously.
In order to build your personal fitness and mileage, please consult an actual professional, such as a personal trainer or more experienced runner. This is just a first-time runnier sharing her struggles and how she overcame those. Here are four things that helped me to build up my mileage (or kilometreage).
- Never skip a run. It is a very slippery slope, if you skip one. Then it is much easier to skip another and another and another. Soon you are building something else than mileage. Even if I have to start my run at 9:30 pm, I will do just that. And I am proud to report that I haven’t skipped a single run.
- Every run doesn’t have to be perfect. No matter how slow or hard or annoying or bad your run is, it is still better than laying on the couch watching Netflix.
- Don’t compare. Don’t compare with your friends, people on Instagram or average results on Strava. You won’t know how much others have prepared for their run or what is the reality behind all those results. Just do your own run, comparing to everyone else will just take away your motivation.
- Don’t wait for the inspiration. More often than not you won’t feel empowered or inspired to go running. Especially after a long workday. But just get it done, nothing else will work when building your mileage. Or else you are back at the first item on this list.
- Enjoy the result. No matter how slow or uninspiring or painful or boring your run was, you did it! And you should give yourself a high-five for getting the run done. Go you!
03 June 2019 06:38 pm (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
Nice to e-meet you. My name is Hannamiina and the Gobi March will be my very first RacingThePlanet race ever.
Even though I am originally from Eastern Finland - which is very different from Western Finland, let me tell you - I have lived in Hong Kong for the past nine or so years. I work as a journalist and enjoy the Hong Kong outdoors very much. The trails in the city not only offer stunning views, but also a great place to prepare for the race.
Gobi race actually is the very first running or hiking race I ever participate in my entire life. By the time I signed up to the race it was hundred (100) days away. While being fully aware that one should take at least six months to prepare for such race, I still wanted to join once the opportunity came up. I am still not sure how to answer the question “why”, but I am sure I’ll figure that out along the way.
I have always been athletic and I have done competitive sports since I was four. But none of the sports have been endurance sports. And the only running I have done has been during offseason of whichever sport I have competed in at the time. Running has been something someone else made me do and I have done it just to get that item off my todo-list.
By the time I am writing this, I have completed my first month of training for the race. And my first month of running training ever. Right now running starts to feel exciting, instead of overwhelming. I actually do enjoy running, which is something I never thought I would say. So I guess I am doing this running thing now?
Comments: Total (2) comments
Ashley Burke
Posted On: 17 Jul 2019 09:38 am
Riitta H
Posted On: 16 Jul 2019 11:07 am
20 January 2010 11:32 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi
The very first thing I did was I talked to someone who is a personal trainer. That was even before I paid the participation fee or cancelled my summer holiday plans with my friends. I knew that getting ready for an ultramarathon in 100 days would require help from an expert. No way am I going to be able to do this well and in a safe way on my own. Which is ok, as I am good at other things.
Overall I didn’t start from zero. I have been actively paddling with my dragon boat team Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club dragon boat team Royal X since September. I had some level of fitness, but definitely not enough cardio, as one dragon boat practice is maximum two hours and one dragon boat race is less than three minutes.
However, running wise I definitely did start from zero. When I started running, I could barely do 5 kilometres. And a week later, I felt like a world champion when I managed to pull through 10 kilometres. It was slow, I think the first 10k took an hour and 20 minutes. Despite having somewhat ok overall fitness thanks to dragon boating, I was by no means a runner.
Slowly but surely I started seeing progress. First it was being able to keep up with my running program and not dying the next day. Then it was running more than 30 kilometres a week, I vividly remember being very excited about that. Then it was beating my personal best at a certain trail. It is good to point out that all the things that have kept me motivated were more about how far I would run. Not how fast I would go, especially when comparing to others.
Again, I cannot stress enough the importance of not doing this alone. Especially if you are a beginner runner like me. It can be help from a friend or a family member who is a runner. Or joining a running club, or whatever works for you.
For me, having the personal trainer was definitely a good investment. Not only has helped me progress with my running beyond what I never thought I could run, it has been good to have someone to ask advice from whether it is shoes or nutrition. He also does not have the same mental barriers when it comes to running.
He was not scared, afraid or even hesitant to send me to my first 10 k (I definitely was). But more importantly, he has made sure I progress at phase that works for me and that I take enough rest. And he has been telling me about the importance of taking rest many times. An advice I did not take seriously at first. I just had to learn that the hard way.
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