Asia Trail Jan / Feb 2015

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Asia’s first trail running magazine

Rules for Motivation

WINTER GEAR TESTED Ultra-Logistics — the Beauty and the Bane of Preparing for an Ultra

Interview with Ruth Croft

EDITION ZERO: TESTING THE ULTRA THAI

January / February 2015

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

ASIATRAILMAG.COM COVER

32 Ultra-Thai 150km in Northern Thailand.

Photo: Vincent Kronental Photography

07 Photo: Neil Donovan

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42

54 Photo: Sabah Tourism Board

05 EDITOR’S NOTE

Photo: XTERRA Malaysia

42 RUNNER PROFILE

71 BODY MECHANICS

The Ruth Paradox

Shin Splints

07 RACE NEWS

UTWT - Final Diagonale des Fous

Mt. Kinabalu International Climbathon

Oxfam Trailwalker

Manaslu Mountain Trail

Big Red Run

Lantau Trail 70

The North Face 100 Hong Kong

MSIG HK50 Series — Hong Kong Island

MSIG HK50 Series — Lantau Island

Taiwan Action Asia

Sands China Macau Eco TrailHiker

King of the Hills Mountain Marathon Series

— Hong Kong Island

Sowers Action Challenging 12 Hours

CM50 — Philippines HK168

FEATURES ON COVER 32 ADVENTURE

Edition ZerO: Testing the Ultra Thai

46 TRAINING

Ultra-Logistics — the Beauty and the Bane of Preparing for an Ultra

54 RACE

75 GEEK RUNNER

Altitude Tent

78 NUTRITION

Homemade Electrolytes

Off-Road Triathlon: The XTERRA Concept

REGULARS 56 GEAR

Winter Gear Tested

64 FIRST STEPS

7 Rules for Motivation

66 ASK THE COACH

Mental Training

69 ASK THE COACH

Anaerobic Endurance

Digital Edition

To read Asia Trail online, visit www.asiatrailmag.com

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EDITOR’S NOTE

EDITOR: Clement Dumont

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Claudia Sing COPY EDITOR: Dominik Sklarzyk

RACE NEWS EDITOR: Matt Moroz CONTRIBUTORS: Andy DuBois Doug Tahirali Joshua Steimle Katia Kucher Olivier Baillet Rachel Jacqueline Richard Bull Sylvain Bazin

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Syndy Wang Peh Yee

PUBLISHER: Asia Sport Connection Limited 39, Tung Wan Tau, Mui Wo, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

FOR ADVERTISING, PLEASE CONTACT: Sabrina Dumont +852 5193 8707 sabrina@asiasportconnection.com GENERAL INQUIRIES: info@asiasportconnection.com SUBSCRIPTION: visit www.asiatrailmag.com Issue #8 Bimonthly ISSN 2409-5036

© 2015 Asia Trail. All rights reserved.

The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct. However, we accept no responsibility for any error or omissions. All material published in Asia Trail is protected by copyright and unauthorized reproduction in part or full is prohibited.

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Photo: Richard Bull

New Year — New Trails

R

nning is something we oftentimes take for granted. Once in a while though — the New Year being the perfect occasion — we should reflect on how lucky we are to be able to get out running into nature. This sense of freedom in mind, it is difficult to remain insensitive to the smiles of those 50 or so school children running in Sama, a village located in an oxygen-poor environment, 3,500m under the shadow of Manaslu (8,156m). It was deeply moving to see all those kids walking away with a reading book in their hands thanks to the participants of the 2014 Manaslu Trail Race who took a break from running to organize this mini trail event. “It was so exciting, just to be able to venture out running into the jungle hills we were otherwise forbidden to go,” recalls Sudeep Kandel, in a discussion with Richard Bull on setting up a series of regular trail races for school kids in Nepal.

Inspiringly versatile, Taiwan-based runner Ruth Croft recently spent several weeks in Nepal enhancing her training in high altitude conditions — effectively winning the Everest Mountain Marathon (p. 42). That said, if you are too busy to travel to Nepal, you can alternatively improve your performance with a ‘Live High, Train Low’ training approach using an altitude tent (p. 75).

As trail runners, we are naturally always looking for our next challenge. To this end, Sébastien Bertrand has been exploring the mountains in Northern Thailand for a few years and finally decided to initiate the Ultra Thai Chiang Mai, giving others the unique opportunity of venturing into the tranquil and remote depths between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai (p.

32). That’s a new event we should definitely keep our eyes on during 2015. Unsurprisingly, painstaking logistics go into organising such an event, and its participants too need to conduct meticulous pre-race preparations if they wish to be among the successful finishers — so make sure to check out our feature on race management techniques (p. 46).

Asia Trail is published by trail runners for trail runners.

EDITOR: Clement Dumont

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RACE NEWS

Photo: JP Vidot

Ultra-Trail World Tour: Last Round on Réunion Island Diagonale des Fous www.grandraid-reunion.com

By Matt Moroz

O

ver Thursday, Oct. 23 and Friday, Oct. 24, François D’Haene repeated his 2013 victory with another dominant performance, 1h 30min ahead of secondplaced Ludovic Pommeret. His winning time this year of 24h 25min 2s was slower than that of last year’s victory, but it completed a fantastic year of ultra/trail running for François.

This win sealed his victory in the Ultra-Trail World Series by adding to his incredible victories at Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji (UTMF) and Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB).

Nathalie Mauclair followed up fantastic 3rd place finishes in The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run and UTMB with a victory on Réunion Island. Nathalie dominated from the start, and like François, defended her title from the previous year in some style. Nathalie won in a time of 31h 27min 28s, with almost 3h to spare over second-placed Juliette Blanchet.

The race also saw a great performance from Japanese competitor Kenichi Yamamoto who finished a very respectable 8th overall in a time of 29h 4min 57s.

The Diagonale des Fous ended the inaugural Ultra-Trail World Tour season, which began back on Jan. 18 at Vibram Hong Kong 100. Since then the ‘tour’ has gone through many corners of the globe and incorporated The North Face

Transgrancanaria, Tarawera Ultramarathon, Marathon des Sables, UTMF, The North Face 100 Australia, The North Face Lavaredo Ultra Trail, The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, and UTMB, before finishing in the annual event on Réunion Island.

After great early success in The North Face Transgrancanaria, Ryan Sandes finished 2nd in UTMF, and 5th in The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. His overall point haul of 629 over the three races was enough to secure him 2nd place in the tour, 56 points behind François. Making up the men’s overall podium was Gediminas Grinius from Lithuania who finished with 539 points from his three highest scoring races: 11th place at The North Face Transgrancanaria, 3rd at The North Face Lavaredo Ultra Trail, and 5th at UTMB.

In the women’s Ultra-Trail World Tour final standings, Nathalie Mauclair’s results earned her 3rd place overall with a grand total of 551 points. The women’s champion in this first year was Núria Picas Albets. Within the series Núria won three races: The North Face Transgrancanaria, The North Face 100 Australia, and UTMF. It was however her 2nd place at UTMB and not the race in Australia that helped her toward her total of 636 points. With UTMB deemed a ‘series’ race it offers more points to the top finishers, and with the three best point hauls over the full series making up the final total, the fantastic victory in Australia was not in fact needed to ensure Núria’s win.

Fernanda Maciel finished 2nd behind Núria in the overall rankings. She ran the same four races as Núria over the year, and it was also her placings in The North Face Transgrancanaria (3rd), UTMF (2nd), and UTMB (4th) that made up her final total.

Closer to home, Hong Kong’s Tsang Siu Keung (Stone) finished 8th overall in the men’s category, with Natalia Watkins coming 19th and Rachel Jacqueline 24th in the women’s category.

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RACE NEWS

Sky Runners on Malaysia’s First UNESCO World Heritage Site Mt. Kinabalu International Climbathon www.climbathon.my

By Clement Dumont

A

rguably the toughest race in the region, the Climbathon (33km) has one simple rule: climbing Mount Kinabalu (4,095m above sea level) in less than 3h for the men and under 3h 30min for the women. Experienced mountain climbers on full packs usually take two to three days to reach the summit. With a start at the Kinabalu Park entrance (1,500m), your legs have 180min to absorb the 2,400m ascent over 12km of mountain trails. The more you climb, the more technical it gets. As if this isn’t enough, the lack of oxygen at this altitudinal range seriously slows you down. Once at the top, you are relieved with a stunning view — but not for long. You start to go down over large slippery boulders equipped with ropes that you will not hesitate to grab to help you stay on your feet. Following a long descent through a unique sub-alpine forest, which along the way changes into a tropical forest, you steadily progress across this technically undulating trail. You finally reach the road after 23km of effort to finish with a painful 10km downhill on your tired legs, racing under a baking sun.

The first edition of this race was designed to identify the best mountain rescuers on foot. The strongest trail runners in the world, including Kílian Jornet, Marco De Gasperi, and Núria Picas Albets, participated in previous editions of this race, which at that time was a part of the Sky Running World Circuit. In the latest editions, cash prizes for podium spaces continue to attract strong runners from Kenya and Asia. Notably, the 28th edition is the final contest of the Asian Mountain Race Circuit, together with the Pilipinas Akyathlon in the Philippines and the Fuji Mountain races in Japan.

The first runner, Homlal Shrestha from Nepal, reached the summit in 2h 14min closely followed by Japanese Dai Matsumoto and Kenyan Kipruto Godwin. To win this race, you have to be a good climber, but you also need great downhill skills. Shortly after the summit, the Kenyan had a very bad and unfortunate fall on his head, while last year’s winner, Malaysian mountain porter Daved Simpat, took the lead on the technical trail. Matsumoto perfectly paced his race to pass Simpat on the last 10km road section and won with a new course record of 4h 11min.

In the women’s category, Ruth Croft, who won the Fuji Mountain race earlier this year, dominated from the beginning and broke her last year’s record by 21min to finish in an impressive time of 5h 1min, followed by Hong Kong-based runner Claire Price and local Danny Gongot.

In the Adventure Series distance (23km), participants climbed to the Layang-Layang Hut at 2,760m before descending down the Mesilau trail. Kenyans dominated the men’s and women’s podiums with the Nepalese Nimesh Gurung who managed to finish 2nd just 2min behind the winner Collins Kimosop.

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Summit Race (33km) Men Dai Matsumoto (Japan) 4:11:25 Daved Simpat (Malaysia) 4:19:53 Homlal Shrestha (Nepal) 4:22:53

Women Ruth Croft (New Zealand) 5:01:39 Claire Price (England) 5:37:52 Danny Kuilin Binti Gongot (Malaysia) 6:00:20 Adventure Race (23km) Men Collins Kimosop (Kenya) 2:23:33 Nimesh Gurung (Nepal) 2:25:44 Walter Herman (Kenya) 2:38:30 Women Carolyne Mitei (Kenya) 3:07:49 Viola Kimeli (Kenya) 3:18:06 Caroline Kegen (Kenya) 3:21:08

RACE NEWS

Japanese Dai Matsumoto finally won the Climbathon on his fourth attempt with a new course record. Photo: Sabah Tourism Board

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RACE NEWS

Triumphant Trailwalkers: The Workings Behind the Mighty Nepalese Oxfam Trailwalker www.oxfamtrailwalker.org.hk

By Rachel Jacqueline

F

inishing first for the second year in a row in the 2014 Hong Kong Oxfam Trailwalker, in a comfortable 11h 56min, Team Columbia Nepal made running 100km seem easy. But finishing the notoriously challenging event in sub-12h has only been achieved by a handful in Trailwalker’s 33-year history — and only 10 non-Nepalese ever did it. What’s driving Nepal’s meteoric rise in this historic event?

For most Nepalese, mountains are in their blood: they grow up in remote villages perched on hilltops where daily activities, like fetching water or going to school, involve several hours trekking up endless ascents. Their bodies grow hardy and strong, as do their hearts and lungs.

But, despite the makings of natural mountain runners, very few Nepalese run.

When it comes to the hills of Hong Kong, however, the Nepalese and running have long been inextricably linked. The Brigade of Gurkhas — a small group of fearless Nepalese soldiers recruited by the British military — was stationed in the northwestern hills of Hong Kong from the 1970s. As many of you will know, the first Trailwalker event was staged in 1981 as a 100km training race along the notoriously hilly MacLehose Trail, intended to test its participants’ strength and spirit while raising funds for charity. It fast became an annual event open to civilians and grew in popularity each year.

After the British handover in 1997, Oxfam took over the reins and the Nepalese, longtime stalwarts of the race, retreated along with the British. During the 15 years that the Gurkhas organised the event, only twice did nonmilitary teams beat them at their own game — the closest team still more than an hour away from their time — and they held the record of 13h 18min. Their stamp on the event would forever be made.

That was until a team of Americans, among them the likes of the famous Scott Jurek, went sub-13h and broke the record in 2011, reducing the finish time by another few minutes to 12h 47min the following year.

And just like that, an all-Gurkha team appeared the following year with a vengeance. The Securicor Gurkhas

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RACE NEWS

team smashed the 12h mark for the first time and set a new record of 11h 57min. They continued their winning streak for four years from 2003 to 2006. Four years later, in 2008, another team of Gurkhas, G4S, wiped 5min off for a new course record of 11h 52min.

power sets 10 times a session, three sessions a week.

But retired Gurkha soldier Ramesh Bhattachan, who had stationed in Hong Kong for more than 10 years, had other plans.

Diet was the last component. “You feed a Nepalese man well, you will see the difference,” explains Ramesh. “Meat becomes heat.”

And then they vanished from the scene for the next three years. From 2009 until 2011, it was a team from the People’s Liberation Army that dominated the Trailwalker.

Rumoured tensions with the PLA made it seem unlikely the Gurkhas would return to the Trailwalker again.

In 2012, he assembled a team of top runners from the Nepalese army to reclaim the course record to its rightful Nepalese owners. The Columbia Power Fighters, made up of Aite Tamang, Bed Sunuwar, Sudip Kulung, and Bhim Gurung, shared the lead with the race’s final winners Salomon France for half of the race, eventually struggling to the finish, after blowing up at around the 80km mark, in 13h 35min.

Undeterred by his team’s failed efforts, Ramesh worked tirelessly the following year with a revised plan. He upgraded his assembly of protégés: Ram Bhandari, Uttam Khatri, and Bhim Gurung, also runners from the army, and Ram Khatri, member of the Salomon Bonaqua Racing team that came in 2nd in 2012.

Although to some it may seem the Nepalese have an unfair advantage with the hills of Nepal as their training ground, Ramesh assures their results equally involved natural talent and hard work.

Ahead of the 2013 event, Ramesh put his charges under a rigorous four-month training regime. First he had his runners build their endurance through daily “20-30km” runs through the hills of Pokhara.

Next he worked on speed. At the local track, runners did laps — “about five to 10,” equating to one- and twomile repeats. At a nearby hydroplant, equipped with more than 300 almost vertical stairs, he had his runners do

In the third month, he worked on fine-tuning: slow, light runs broken up by some longer, seven- to eight-hour days.

Finally, six weeks before the event he took them to his “high altitude training camp” in the hills of Pokhara and fed them an organic diet, topped with a daily glass of buffalo milk. During the last month, the runners tapered before the event.

It worked — though not without a kink in Ramesh’s perfect plan. Past protégés, runners Samir Tamang and Aite Tamang, also created a bulletproof team of Nepalese runners to rival Ramesh’s muster, self-titled ‘Team Nepal,’ joined by Bed Sunuwar, another elite, as well as a new recruit Purna Tamang.

The competition only proved beneficial for Ramesh’s aims, with the two teams pushing each other and Team Columbia Nepal finishing in an unprecedented — and potentially rarely ever to be paralleled – sub-11h finish.

This year, his runners underwent a similarly strict regime, running 30km a day, six days a week — a total of 180km a week. “Runners need very strict discipline to overcome the [Oxfam Trailwalker] and get an excellent result,” Ramesh explains. “Within a 100km [race], 75km of it depends on their physical strength — the rest depends on their determination.”

Despite taking home the championship again this year, Ramesh believes the 2014 race was “not as competitive” as last year’s, and still believes a faster time is possible.

Will we see the talented Nepalese, primed on a rigorous mountain regime, return next year?

Or, as history has shown, will it take another team of runners to break the record before we see the return of the mighty Nepalese? Watch this space.

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RACE NEWS

Team Convoy Cosmoboys pushed hard to finish 2nd, a few minutes ahead of team Fire Services. Photo: Asia Trail

Columbia Lends a Helping Hand to Trailwalker

History of Oxfam Trailwalker Sub-12h Finishes

Longtime supporters of the Nepalese, Columbia also supported two other ‘Super Trailwalker’ teams this year who were united by the Trailwalker spirit despite strikingly different backgrounds. From Team Columbia Dudes, a reunited team of 50-somethings in pursuit of a faster time than that achieved by a majority of the team 20 years ago, to Team Columbia HK, the champions of the 2014 Trailwalker in Japan.

2004 2008 2010 2012

2013

1. Team Columbia Nepal Finish Time: 11h 56min 53s Team Captain: Uttam Khadari Team Members: Ram Bhandari, Bhim Gurung, Kiran Kulung 2. Team Columbia HK Finish Time: 15h 6min 10s Team Captain: Sam Tan Team Members: Tai Fung In, Raymond Ching, Edward So 3. Team Columbia Dudes Finish Time: 15h 13min 16s Team Captain: JB Rae Smith Team Members: Keith Noyes, Alex Morgan, Leung Ping

Team Securicor Gurkhas: 11h 57min (old course) Team G4S: 11h 52min (old course) Team S50 PLA: 11h 59min 1st Team S42 Salomon France: 11h 12min 2nd Team S41 Salomon Bonaqua Racing: 11h 16min 1st Team Columbia S1: 10h 58min 2nd Team Nepal: 11h 1min

Top 3 Results for Oxfam Trailwalker 2014 Team Columbia S1 Nepal: 11h 56min 53s Convoy Cosmoboys Team I: 12h 38min 57s Fire Services Team HKFSD: 12h 43min 27s

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RACE NEWS

Running in the Himalayas Manaslu Mountain Trail www.manaslutrailrace.org

By Richard Bull

A

sia Trail readers will surely be familiar with Nepalese trail runners winning races. From this several journalists and filmmakers have assumed that Nepal is the home of trail running, expecting some line of Himalayan Tarahumaras to appear over every horizon. The reality is otherwise — it’s a walking nation, and very few people run — nonetheless, the potential is doubtlessly there.

I am just back from the Manaslu Mountain Trail, a seven-day stage race around the alluring 8,000m peak. We’re always looking for creative ways to add to the experience. As a self-contained stage race, it’s possible to be a little unconventional.

Like the ‘birthday start line,’ where at the starter’s whistle the conspiratorial competitors break into chanting ‘happy birthday to you!’ for the surprised birthday boy/girl who then gets the glory of leading the pack for the first 60s of the stage.

After four stages, we pause and let the race competitors become race organisers. Sama is the largest village we encounter with a well functioning school attended by children from along the valley. The headmaster was open to holding a trail race and duly rounded up all the children he could, totalling somewhere just over 40, and lined them all up on a field outside the village. Competitors pinned numbers on their chests and went along the line offering handshakes and best of luck wishes.

The tape went up and the charge began. For some it was the first time they’d been in a race. The faces in the photo say a lot — some ecstatic smiles mixed among grimaces of gritty determination. You can imagine the sounds of laughter along with the drum of footsteps. It was a moment to reflect on the immense opportunities that running a race offers.

This year, six Nepalese runners joined the stage race for an intense bootcamplike dose of training and racing practice, enjoying being able to mix with very able international runners. As such, Mira Rai could compete with and learn from Holly Rush — an Asics sponsored elite athlete from the UK. — on a daily basis, during stretches both short and long, hilly and less so. (Realistically though, in Nepal there is only hilly.) One of the many barriers that Nepalese elite runners face, I was once informed by Roger Henke, is the lack of opportunity to get race experience at home.

Participation like this has also resulted in authentic friendships; bonds which have made possible some amazing opportunities to train and compete overseas.

Trail running as a sport in Nepal may find critical mass when enough young people try it themselves, and for that there need to be accessible short and fun races, which don’t exist here in any meaningful number. That may one day uncover even more elite talent that will explode onto the running scene. But in the meantime, it would create a whole big opportunity for young people to experience the challenge, adventure, and, last but definitely not least, fun of trail running.

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RACE NEWS

Young runner Mira Rai is currently one of Nepal’s most talented athletes. Photo: Richard Bull

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RACE NEWS

Opting for the World’s Largest Sand Dune Desert Big Red Run www.bigredrun.com.au

By Matt Moroz

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RACE NEWS

A

s we discussed in the September/October edition of Asia Trail, we see a gradual increase in the multi-day race format, with more and more races opting for 250km over six stages, and where possible, the desert seems a natural choice of location.

The opportunity is not lost in Australia, where deserts are plenty, and stunning outback scenery is calling out to be run through. The location of this particular race is the iconic Simpson Desert, the world’s largest sand dune desert.

As is the case with Marathon des Sables, 4 Deserts, and Kalahari Augrabies, the competitors come from all over the world to compete. Many will be veterans of these other multi-day desert races, this subset of ultra-runners almost making up their own niche group of hardy adventurers roaming the globe in search of another desert to run across.

Big Red Run is named after Big Red, the largest sand dune in this desert crammed with dunes. Birdsville plays host-town and is itself very remote (1,500km west of Brisbane), so that before the race even launches the competitors already find themselves in the middle of nowhere.

In the inaugural race, competitors faced pleasant running conditions through a great variety of terrain and scenic backdrops such as red gibber plains, salt lakes, smooth clay pans, red dunes, and some dusty station tracks. Andrew McPherson consistently built a lead over the first four stages, although to no avail as a tough fifth stage saw him surrender his lead to Australian Dan Casey and drop back to finish 3rd overall, coming behind Wayne McMurtrie.

The women’s race saw 4 Deserts and UTMB veteran Sandy Suckling dominate throughout despite twisting her ankle during the fifth stage of the race. Sandy has grown ever stronger over the last four years of desert racing, progressing from a plodding finisher to champion in this race; which backed-up her victory in 4 Deserts’ 2014 Sahara Race (Jordan), back in February. Anne Ziogos finished strongly to claim 2nd place in the women’s race with Lisa Hussey a little further back from the two leading ladies.

The second Big Red Run begins on June 27, 2015.

Photo: Neil Donovan

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RACE NEWS

Hot Relay on Lantau Lantau Trail 70 www.lantaubasecamp.com

By Matt Moroz

A

very warm Saturday morning on Nov. 1 witnessed the start of the second running of the Lantau Trail 70km race organised by Lantau Base Camp. The organisation, previously headed by Hong Kong trail runner Jeremy Ritchie, has been admirably taken over by Martijn Doekes and Shane Early — all in all the fantastic ethos created by Jeremy has remained.

The race saw 4-person teams and 2-person teams (men’s/women’s/mixed) splitting the race up in relay style, while hardy soloists took on the whole beautiful Lantau Trail single-handedly. The option to run just a quarter of the very challenging but alluring Lantau Trail made the race far more accessible to runners who might balk at the idea of a 70km rugged and hilly trail race. This fun aspect made for a great atmosphere too, with relay runners supporting runners coming through as they eagerly awaited their teammates.

Many runners from the first year chose to run again, although many switched categories from the 2013 edition.

Tsang Chun Kit (aka Ying), who played a massive part in team UFO’s 4-man domination last year, returned to win the solo race in style. Ying showed fantastic strength and demonstrated once again that he can excel in the longer races by winning with just over 8min to spare in 8h 51min from Ng Kwok Lun in 2nd. Ying was slightly behind Tang Sun Kam at the first checkpoint but soon moved into the lead and maintained that position throughout. Kwok Lun moved up in similar style while the early leader faded a little to finish in 9th place at the end of the race. Jacky Leung finished 3min behind 2nd place to claim a very good 3rd after a consistent performance throughout. Although just missing out on the podium, we must also give a nod to John Ellis who began very conservatively coming through the first checkpoint in 17th place overall. John made his way through the field as the day progressed to finish 4th.

Of particular note was that this race came less than three days after John and fellow Hong Kong-based trail runner Andrew Dawson ran an impromptu 115km ‘Umbrella Ultra’ in support of the protesters in Hong Kong’s Admiralty and Mong Kok districts.

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RACE NEWS

The women’s race was tightly contested between Nicole Lau and Valerie Lagarde, with Nicole finally holding on to win by less than 3min in a time of 10h 41min 22s.

The two were rarely separated by more than this for the entire 70km, and kept spectators on the edge of their seats throughout. In 3rd place in the women’s race was Nikki Han, just over half an hour behind the leaders but a comfortable 1h 45min ahead of 4th.

In the relay races it was the unimaginatively named team ‘Anders & Matt’ (Anders Jensen and Matt Moroz) that came through in 1st place in the relay 2-person category, finishing in 8h 9min 59s with over 2h of comfort zone ahead of second-placed team ‘Salomon X’ (Leung Ka Keung and Chan Chun Kit). The far cooler sounding team ‘No Name - No Fame - A Shame’ (Jens Erik Floor, Chi Hang Jeremy Leung, Perry Li, and Sam Fletcher) won the relay 4-person category in 8h 12min 16s, that’s 8min clear of team ‘Trailsmokers’ (Pierre-Andre Ferriere, Jean-Baptiste Faivre, Baptiste Puyou, and Bertrand Petit).

Runners started climbing Sunset Peak from Mui Wo before heading onto Lantau Peak. Photo: Isaac Wong

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RACE NEWS

Yan Qiao Dominates the Ultra Scene The North Face 100 Hong Kong www.thenorthface100.com

By Matt Moroz

A

pleasantly cool morning on Saturday, Dec. 13, witnessed the start of the second running of The North Face 50km and 100km in Hong Kong.

King of the Hills race director Keith Noyes did not disappoint in the inaugural year, keeping his ethos of crafting tough races; incorporating challenging climbs and bushwhacking. After the first year’s brutal race, one would expect that it would have been with a sense of dread that competitors again signed up. But as always, the trail running community showed their metal and the race filled up within hours. The 100km race is considered the blue riband event, and so it is to this that our attention first falls.

Chinese competitor Yun Yan Qiao was the pre-race favourite after impressive victories over the 100km distance. Yan Qiao won the Yishan 100km Mountain Trail Challenge back in May, beating highly talented Yan Long Fei by over an hour. Having finished 5th in the 2013 edition of the race, Yan Qiao also benefited from already knowing the course. Local favourite Stone Tsang was forced to withdraw from the race in the week leading up, leaving highly talented Hong Kongers Nicol Boyd, Wong Ho Chung, and John Ellis as the main opposition.

Yan Qiao pushed hard early on and was indeed leading at the first checkpoint. This 1min advance was the closest anyone would ever get as the lead consistently grew over the course of the next 11h. With not much drama at the very front, it was behind that the majority of the action played out. Nicol Boyd did a sterling effort to try and keep within touching distance with the lead. This bold move took its toll in the end with Nicol finally having to pull out due to repetitive cramping. Many fear the dreaded DNF, but we must heap praise on Nicol for his brave effort. Sometimes it works out and you run the race of your life, sometimes it ends prematurely. Only by running on the edge will we ever discover our limits and experience the absolute highs and lows of racing.

Others gradually fell away from the front end of the race too. Wong Ka Wei gradually slipped from 2nd place to finish 9th overall, likewise Zou Rong Jie slipped from 5th to 121st. Four runners maintained strong efforts throughout though and reaped the benefits. Our leader finished with a 47min gap in 12h 10min 42s. Incredibly consistent Ho Chung, never out of the first five, moved into 2nd place midway through the race and never looked like relinquishing his position. Making up the podium was the

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pacing machine John Ellis who stereotypically went off in a fast but controlled fashion to gradually make his way through the field. In a similar way to his stellar performance in the Lantau Trail 70km race, John made his way towards the podium. This time around, he timed and paced it to perfection without giving away too much of a lead to begin with. John finished in 3rd place overall in a time of 13h 21min 49s to continue his amazing season and improve his 2013 time by over 5h 20min!

Fourth placed Safrey Sumping also deserves a mention after never being out of the top four all day. While running a fantastic race, Safrey was unlucky this time around to come up against three great athletes having great days themselves.

The women’s race witnessed an equally dominant display by the very talented Claire Price. Claire continues to show her strength wherever she runs in the world, and it is always a fantastic occasion when she shows off her quality in her chosen home of Hong Kong. Similarly to Yan Qiao, Claire led from the front and gradually extended her lead throughout, finishing in just under 15h, almost 35min ahead of 2nd place woman Marie McNaughton. Marie also ran beautifully in pure ‘John Ellis Style’ as she gradually worked her way from 10th women at the second checkpoint through to a comfortable 2nd place, 17min ahead of 3rd place finisher Pui Yan (Wyan), who herself is having an amazing year. In a trail running season only half way done, it is breakout performances such as those by Maria and Wyan that make the scene so exciting for all. With Claire still leading the way, and continuing to inspire many women to strive ever higher, the women’s scene is healthier than ever.

The 50km race appealed to some not yet ready to step up to 100km, as well as for those looking to save themselves for Vibram Hong Kong 100 on Jan. 17. Vlad Ixel won again, making up for his disappointment in the MSIG VK (Vertical Kilometre) and 50km double bill the previous weekend.

Vlad also led from the front and won with plenty to spare in 5h 40min 48s, coming 27min clear of Daved Simpat in 2nd.

Mark Ryall sealed 3rd place in 6h 31min 43s.

In the women’s 50km race it was Filipino Sotto Bitbit Baby Marites who won very convincingly with an enormous 55min gap over Chung Shui Ping, in a time of 6h 57min 29s.

Verlie Bunao made things very interesting closing the gap all the time and finally missing out on 2nd place by less than a minute.

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Yun Yan Qiao and Vlad Ixel won the 100km and 50km, respectively.

Photo: Spontaneous Combustion Productions

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Skyrunning Opening in Hong Kong MSIG HK50 Series - Hong Kong Island www.actionasiaevents.com

By Matt Moroz

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unday, Oct. 26, saw a very strong field line up at the iconic Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, ready for the first of the three MSIG HK50 series races. This well-established series offers alternative distances for runners, but the 50km race is the blue riband event offering prize money for the first five men and first five women to cross the finish line.

Encompassing the races of Lantau Island, Sai Kung, as well as the opener in Hong Kong, the series also offers prizes to the overall top three men and women from these three races. February’s race gains even greater importance, as it becomes Hong Kong’s first official Skyrunner World Series race.

Many top local runners were joined for the opening by the incredible Yan Long Fei of China, Caine Warburton of Australia, and the very exciting Mira Rai of Nepal. Long Fei and Caine are well-established skyrunning competitors whereas Mira has managed to stay somewhat under the radar with wins in her native Nepal, and two wins in less known ultra races (Sellaronda Trail Running 56km and Trail degli Eroi 80km) in Italy this past summer.

Long Fei showed his class to come through and won the men’s race after being massively challenged by local trail runner Nicol Boyd. After a fascinating race it was Long Fei who finally took charge and ended up winning by a margin of 3min in a time of 5h 40s. Caine’s race was over after 35km with a knee injury stopping him from playing any part in the final kilometres. Third place went to Justin Andrews of the USA in a time of 5h 14min 49s, that’s 11min behind Nicol.

Mira dominated proceedings in the women’s race and this 23-yearold showed amazing strength and class to beat local legend JoeJoe Fan by 18min in a time of 5h 30min 32s. Mira led for the first 30km and ran comfortably by herself until challenged by JoeJoe along the winding Sir Cecil’s Ride trail. Upon JoeJoe’s challenge, Mira ditched her comfortable running and attacked. Soon after came Mira’s opportunity to build a gap with a long technical uphill, an equally tricky descent, and then three more challenging hills in quick succession.

Ever present and consistent Marie McNaughton finished 3rd in the women’s race, 5.5min behind JoeJoe. Like Mira, Marie was a bit of a dark horse before the trail running season began. We expect to see far more from her, and be filling many more column inches writing about Mira’s successes the same way that we have for Marie this year.

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RACE NEWS

Local athletes were competing against international elites from China, Australia and Nepal. Photo: Action Asia Events

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Intense Weekend on Lantau MSIG HK50 Series - Lantau Island www.actionasiaevents.com

By Matt Moroz

O

ver the weekend of Friday, Dec. 5 to Sunday, Dec. 7, Lantau Island in Hong Kong played host to five trail races. The main attractions were the established MSIG HK50 series - Lantau Island, the second in the MSIG HK50 series, and the shorter 25km race which complements it. This year, however, saw the addition of two new events to the race card, Friday’s MSIG VK (vertical kilometre), and starting on Saturday night at midnight, the MSIG 88km.

along with some very strong competition from abroad, including Skyrunning World Champion Stevie Kremer and super strong Taiwan-based runner Ruth Croft.

So at 5 p.m. on Friday evening things got under way with a very strong field lining up to scale the 5km course from Tong Fuk beach to the summit of Lantau Peak. The race was blessed by some of the best trail runners in the world, with a number having experience in Skyrunning World Championship races.

VK 2nd place finisher Yan Long Fei stamped his mark on the race in the early stages and eventually dropped Joseph Gray to go on and win by a massive margin of almost 40min in a time of 5h 24min 13s. Long Fei’s compatriot You Pei Quan ran an incredible race to finish 2nd in 6h 5min 42s, while local trail running legend John Ellis paced his race to perfection as he finished 3rd in 6h 30min 19s.

The new race schedule, which resembles many skyrunning events around the world, enables runners to double up by running the VK as well as another race with a day’s rest in between. In this first edition, the VK was coupled with the 50km race to create a category for best combined results, again, a regular part of similar events globally.

An explosive but very controlled ascent by Joseph Gray of the USA was enough for him to comfortably win the race, making some very good runners look decidedly average. The winning time of 37min 45s was almost exactly 3min ahead of China’s incredible Yan Long Fei, with fellow skyrunning competitor and VK/stair climbing specialist Eirik Haugsnes a further 1min 20s behind.

In the women’s race young Nepalese trail runner Mira Rai set out very strongly and started building a gap. Mira stayed strong throughout and extended her lead to 3.5min by the time she reached the top. It was another of China’s skyrunning competitors, Li Dong that finished in 2nd, with Hong Kong-based French competitor Charlotte Henry 5.5min further back and 9min behind Mira.

With the weather remaining perfect for running, the 50km race saw some of Friday’s VK competitors go again.

They were joined by many more Hong Kong-based runners

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The men’s race began fiercely with the leaders taking off at an amazing pace. With the first 5km being the most runnable section of the entire race, the initial pace was electric. Shortly after things changed considerably however, with a long shiggy climb up to the cable car, before circling round to Ngong Ping. After dropping down the road the race continued on a beautiful trail with a backdrop of stunning rolling hills. It was with 17km left that things really heated up, with a VK thrown in up the formidable Dog’s Tooth Ridge and on up to the top of Lantau Peak.

After descending, competitors then faced the climb up Sunset Peak before more rolling hills and a tricky technical descent to the finish.

In the women’s race, the aforementioned Stevie Kremer, Ruth Croft, and Mira Rai made for a fantastically exciting race, full of quality. All three finished in the top seven places overall, beating a lot of very strong male runners in the process. This impressive international trio was complemented perfectly by very strong local trail runners Fan Sui Ping (JoeJoe) and Marie McNaughton who finished 4th and 5th respectively, to give five of the top 12 places to the ladies.

At the very top end, it was Stevie’s extreme strength and experience that helped her to a very impressive win in her first 50km race in a time of 6h 6min 51s. The victory was made all the more impressive considering that Stevie flew in from the USA less than 12 hours before the race start. Potential future skyrunning star Mira continued her progression with a stunning 2nd place, just 8min behind

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the world champion. Third indeed went to the other prerace favourite, Ruth who finished 26min behind Mira.

With only eight finishers of the 22 starters on the 88km race, it was Li Dong who came out on top overall. This very comfortable and deserved victory (following her 2nd place in the VK), came in her preferred longer distance race.

The 25km race victory went to Shenzhen resident Daniel Perez in a time of 3h 11min 19s. Daniel followed up his King of the Hills Hong Kong half marathon victory from the previous week in style. Joanne Brown won the women’s race in 4h 10min 26s.

Results for MSIG VK Men Joseph Gray (USA) 37min 45s Yan Long Fei (China) 40min 44s Eirik Haugsnes (Norway) 42min 04s Women Mira Rai (Nepal) 48min 32s Li Dong (China) 52min 05s Charlotte Henry (France) 57min 38s Results for MSIG 50 Men Yan Long Fei (China) You Pei Quan (China) John Ellis (England)

5h 24min 13s 6h 05min 42s 6h 30min 19s

Women Stevie Kremer (USA) 6h 06min 51s Mira Rai (Nepal) 6h 14min 25s Ruth Croft (New Zealand) 6h 40min 30s

Skyrunning World champion Stevie Kremer won the 50km. Photo: Lloyd Belcher

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Beauty of Taiwan Trails Beckons Taiwan Action Asia 50 www.actionasiaevents.com

By Matt Moroz

W

ith the absolute beauty of much of Taiwan calling out for trail running events, it is often frustrating that there is not a great deal on the race calendar to entice. Much of the most beautiful parts of the country lie within heavily protected national parks, where obtaining licenses to put on events proves very difficult.

Things are gradually starting to change however. With so much natural beauty, and so many enthusiastic runners, it seems as though it is only a matter of time before the trail racing scene explodes in this magnificent country.

Saturday, Nov. 8, saw Action Asia Events organise its first 50km trail race in Taiwan, located around the picturesque Shihmen Reservoir region of Taoyuan County. Once again, Vlad Ixel showed why he is considered by many to be one of the most exciting young trail running prospects currently plying his trade in the Asia-Pacific region. After demonstrating his flat speed by running an all time 10km personal best on a road in Hong Kong, Vlad stamped his authority all over the 50km event.

Vlad won in his typically convincing fashion in a total time of 5h 34min 30s. Equally impressive was 2nd place overall, and 1st woman, Ruth Croft who finished less than 20min behind in 5h 52min 23s. Kiwi Ruth is based in Taiwan, but many will recognise her from fantastic performances on her travels to Hong Kong.

Third placed overall and 2nd man was Petr Novotny in a time of 6h 16min 13s, that’s 24min behind Ruth. Making up the men’s podium was first Taiwanese national Teng Wei Fu who ran a great race to finish in 6h 29min 27s. The women’s race saw only 13 finishers in this inaugural event, a trend that we hope to see change with further editions. In 2nd place and almost 3h behind Ruth was Ho Jo Chun, with Lin Hsiao Ying coming in 3rd place a further 25min back.

The technical aspect of the race may have been a little different to what is usual in Taiwan, but with luck this race and others will kick-start the trail running movement across this amazing country.

Vlad Ixel felt comfortable on the technical trails in Taiwan. Photo: Lloyd Belcher

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Rush out from the Casinos to the Trails Sands China Macau Eco TrailHiker www.macau-trailhiker.com

By Clement Dumont

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he constant light rain didn’t stop over 1,800 runners and hikers turning up for the annual Sands China Macau Eco TrailHiker. Macau is renowned for its bustling casinos and over-constructed areas with not much natural environment left. Despite this alarming work in progress, race director Kirby managed to design a beautiful course on the remaining trails of the Coloane Peninsula, having in mind the promotion of environmental awareness. Participants joining the 30km and 10km distances, as four-person teams, were surprised by the terrain diversity along the course that went through the A-Ma Temple, Kah Ho Reservoir, Choc Van Beach, and the rustic Coloane Village.

Team Asia Trail took the lead from the start and steadily increased its advance on smooth and not too hilly trails, finishing in an impressive 2h 33min, enough to break the course

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record. The longtime Macau resident and team captain Pedro Ribeiro, having excellent knowledge of the area, perfectly paced his team members from Hong Kong (Angus Chan, Allen Ng, and Clement Dumont). This win is a great comeback for Ribeiro who used to win many of the short distance trail races in Hong Kong, but was out of the running scene for two years due to injury.

The second team arrived 24min behind, closely followed by the third team, Froth and Bubble, both with runners from Macau.

In the 10km category, OiVa Running was the first team crossing the finish line in 46min 7s, followed by teams Gorkha’s and Top Sports A. In its fifth edition, the event is organized flawlessly, with perfect route marking. A fantastic buffet offered to the finishers is one thing that you would not want to miss after running for several hours in the rain.

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Wrong Turns Impacted Race Results King of the Hills Mountain Marathon Series — Hong Kong Island www.seyonasia.com

By Matt Moroz

S

unday, Nov. 30, kicked off the King of the Hills race series in Repulse Bay, on the south side of Hong Kong Island. The half marathon edition consisted of 18km, while the full marathon was 30.5km. A mixture of humidity and a few wrong turns had a great bearing on the results in this year’s longer race.

Vlad Ixel kept up his great run of form, albeit with a victory that included a couple of unintentional diversions. Although his victory was comfortable enough, the winning time of 3h 9min 27s was the slowest since January 2007. Wrong turns also

impacted the women’s race with Nepalese Mira Rai losing out at the very end of the race. With a 10min lead, and only 2km remaining, Mira missed a turn and finally ended up missing out on a victory by 1.5min. This is to take nothing away from the day’s champion, the incredible JoeJoe Fan who was running fantastically strong in her trail running comeback. With the podium completed by ever-present Marie McNaughton finishing 3rd in the women’s race, the top three women mimicked the MSIG HK50 Series - Hong Kong Island podium, a race which was run on similar trails. This particular week it was Nicol Boyd’s turn to miss out to Vlad. Nicol is proving to be one of the most consistently strong runners in Hong Kong this year, and long may he continue. Michael Skobierski also showed his consistency and versatility by matching his impressive 3rd place in the Lantau Vertical race on Sept. 21.

In the shorter race, Shenzhen resident Daniel Perez took victory in just over 2h from Nicolas Maes and Sam Fletcher.

The women’s race was won by Emma Bruce, ahead of Claire Chapman in 2nd, and Ip Iok Mei in 3rd. The winners and podium finishers from the first race of the series will have a points advantage going into the second race on Lantau in January. Emma Bruce will be hoping that her first place finish will help her better her second overall in the half marathon race series last year.

Photo: So Chung

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Marathon Distance on Trails Sowers Action Challenging 12 Hours www.c12hrs.sowers.org.hk

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he Challenging 12 Hours comes across as a timed event. Many may have expected a 12h race in which competitors run around a loop to post the highest total distance possible. This was not the case however, and on Sunday, Nov. 2, we instead saw a great 42km trail race taking in mainly sections of Wilson and MacLehose trails. Yuen Wan Ho needed only 4h 9min 4s of the 12 allotted hours to complete the race in 1st place. In the women’s race Cheung Sze Ying won comfortably in a time of 5h 45min 53s.

Tough Race on a Stunning Peak Clark-Miyamit Falls Trail Ultra www.cm50ultra.com

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he contrasting weather conditions between cold nights and hot days played tricks on the 200 local and overseas runners as they navigated the varied terrain of sand, streams, hills, mountains, and the famous Miyamit Falls and its peak; 3km close to the caldera of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines. Runners, however, got a glimpse of the beauty of the surrounding area of the peak as the sun’s rays paved the fog, slowly revealing the sublimity of this breathtaking place. Although by a hairline, local runner Manolito Divina managed to set a new time for the fourth edition of this 50-miler, finishing the race in 10h 23min 48s, all the while being chased by equally fast runners Dino Mantilez and James Tellias.

Hundred Miles in Hong Kong HK 168

www.hk168.com.hk

T

his first 100 mile race of epic proportions began at Hok Tau in Pat Sing Leng Country Park and finished at Sha Tin Wai, and included over 6,700m of elevation gain over the course of the race that took in Tai Mo Shan twice.

Many of the 250 brave starters didn’t make it to the end. The massive attrition rate showed exactly how challenging the race was, so that resultantly only 53 runners successfully made it across the finish line. Law Kai Pong took a fantastic overall victory with a massive 3.5h cushion over 2nd place to win in 24h 43min 59s. Xiao Jing won the women’s race in a time of 34h 51min 46s.

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Edition zerO: Testing the Ultra Thai

By Sylvain Bazin Photos by Vincent Kronental Photography

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Edition zerO: Testing the Ultra Thai

E

dition zerO of the Ultra Thai Chiang Mai was held from Nov. 14 to 16, 2014.

Twenty runners from Asia and Europe were invited to test this trail project. Apart from getting to know and promoting the trail, the purpose of the test edition was to explore and ‘validate’ it, by gauging its attraction, uniqueness, and difficulty through the timings and testimonies of the trail veterans with diverse profiles and experience. While the technical and steep nature of the trail took a few by surprise, there was unanimity over the beauty and adventure the trail packed!

Embarking from the Chiang Mai stadium early on Nov. 14, and taking to the first slopes of the trail, ‘pioneer’ teams mainly from Asia (Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, and of course Thailand) and Europe (France, Norway, Spain, Denmark, and Estonia) were able to take a quick pulse of the steep climbs and descents to come. The first few kilometres of picturesque and relatively easy path were just a start. In fact, the terrain was clearly technical, consisting of 150km with 8,800m of total elevation gain, with sections deep in the heart of rainforests, hills, paddy fields, and mountains. The last part which took the runners onto the highest mountains in Thailand, with altitudes over 2,000m, proved especially gruelling. Long climbs, occasionally featuring carved steps, through jungle and vegetation, often right on the slopes. Some picturesque villages housing ethnic minorities served as rest halts between climbs, and on to base camp and the Chiang Dao summit.

Marked using traditional Buddhist banners, the trail is wild and runs through remote areas. To prevent the danger of getting lost during the test, organisers divided the teams into three groups. At the front were the Scandinavians Jan Nilsen and Simon Grimstrup. The latter, a very experienced runner was ideally suited to test the trail’s technicality. The 38-year-old Dane who packs 20 years of multi-sports acumen has ‘infested’ a number of tracks around the world and is thus able to judge the qualities of a new trail.

His level, especially considering his 30th place during the last UTMB, also marked him as the This technical and demanding trail takes runners into the highest mountains in Thailand.

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Edition zerO: Testing the Ultra Thai main ‘client’ of Edition zerO.

Having completed the trail, Grimstrup believes that the Ultra Thai Chiang Mai holds much promise of becoming a major destination.

“The trail is very original as it really takes one onto rarely trodden paths of jungles and mountains” he says.

“One is plunged into the countryside.

Some sections are technical and steep, but others help get into stride. This alternation has to be managed for future competitors too.”

Apart from the ‘sport’ aspect, it was of course the immersion into the mountainside and nights in ethnic minority villages that impressed the globetrotter.

“We were really able to learn something about the life in these villages,

and the nights spent with families certainly taught us a little. We clearly felt being outside beaten paths, far from tourist circuits, and the organisers have made a real effort to chart a unique trail,” Grimstrup says.

Despite fatigue showing on their faces, gripping their limbs, all the Asian runners echoed Grimstrup’s sentiments.

Their various pedigrees aside (UTMF, HK100, TNF100), the runners stressed the uniqueness of this technical and wild trail. An unprecedented experience says Thai runner Ron Poonsaengsathit, from Bangkok, who too got quite disoriented by the allure of the environment.

“It’s quite an experience,” he says.

“I had never run courses by stages and wondered how my body would react. I was amazed to have been able to restart after the first day’s technical and difficult 55km. However, the next day I could run

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almost without feeling tired, like magic.

I’d been told that but didn’t believe it. The last time I did such a distance I had to walk slowly the second day…

Perhaps the spirit was in tune with the trail’s demands. The last part was really fantastic, no doubt the most difficult trail I have ever run; the climbs were very long and difficult, some sections highly technical… But I liked it a lot. I live in Bangkok and we have few occasions to run at such elevations and on such varied terrains. I discovered a part of my country… it was really this that I appreciated. It’s a great discovery even for us Thais!”

At the end the joy of having taken part in the test edition and a real premiere was on everyone’s lips. All spoke of feeling having participated in a beautiful adventure, or rather the start of a great one.

Runners making their way through ethnic minority villages come back with unforgettable memories.

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Edition zerO: Testing the Ultra Thai

Adrian Wong (Singapore): “It’s a very tough and technical trail. The inclines are really steep. I loved the countryside and the ambiance in the villages, comparable to what I’d seen in Vietnam. The third day, approaching Chiang Dao, it was especially beautiful but much more difficult in terms of gradient.”

Razif Yahya (Malaysia): “It is one of the most difficult and technical of trails I’ve seen but the countryside is fantastic. Some sections plunge us really into nowhere, into deep jungle. It’s rather a mad project! Thanks to Séb for sharing this with us, it was an intense experience and I’ll be there for the first edition.”

Michitomo Yamakita (Japan): “The trail was tough, very varied, and the countryside beautiful. I also very much liked the nights in the villages, which vests the challenge with the character of discovery and encounters. Also, it felt good to run in the company of people from several countries!”

Ultra Thai Chiang Mai: 150km / 8,800m + / 8,500m 5 peaks of more than 1,500m 10 villages and 3 valleys 2 ultra trails: 150km nonstop / 150km in three days (55km / 35km / 60km) 1st edition 4-6 December 2015 Information and course registration: www.ultra-thai.com Organizer: Thailand Mountain Trail: www.tmt-trail.com

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Edition zerO: Testing the Ultra Thai

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Ultra Thai Chiang Mai: Culmination of a Pinnacle Project and it was rather tough finding good interlocutors: the oldest no longer used nor walked the paths, and the youngest were ignorant of their existence,” he says.

Race director marking the ancient tribal routes.

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rganising an ultra trail is no easy task, especially when ancient tribal routes need to be revived and made available for prospective runners to take unfamiliar paths, conquering the highest peak in Thailand.

It was during the Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai project that the idea of organising an ultra trail took birth. Throughout 2013, Sébastien Bertrand set about clearing — both literally and figuratively — the mountain paths between two major cities in the kingdom’s north.

A resolute Bertrand ultimately did manage to link Chiang Mai with Chiang Rai: 330 highly technical kilometres, with well-marked gradients and splendid passages in deep jungles, which five runners (including Jeri Chua from Singapore and Janet Ng, director of Vibram Hong Kong 100) attempted during an inaugural race in December 2013. A week of running through the deepest terrains of Thailand that few tourists have discovered and which shall remain etched in their memories.

Although they had to clear the path using machetes, as the route is still a bit unstable and packed with surprises, the welcoming atmosphere of the villages as well as the beauty and diversity of the landscape made it an exciting and worthwhile ordeal.

During the adventure, Bertrand was especially struck by the beauty of the Doi Chiang Dao mountain range — the country’s highest. Having decided to organise a grand ultra event, he needed to scrupulously check the route, so he headed straight to Chiang Mai to conquer the ‘Great’ (Doi Luang Chiang Dao), covering 150km and climbing 8,800m. A

savage and technical route but one that may well draw a large number to run in total safety.

However, given the project’s ambitious nature, not to mention it taking place in a country that Bertrand is still learning about, he prefers to take one step at a time to realise his goal and persuade partners. Thus an ‘edition test’ took place in November 2014, to which 10 international teams were invited, 20 chosen runners, to ‘validate’ the route, in three stages of 55km, 43km, and 55km.

The teams with different profiles and experiences of long routes as well as varying techniques took in the beauty, and difficulty, of this very exacting course.

While much sweat flowed down steep jungle-covered inclines and the calves burned with pain on muddy and highly technical trails, faces written large with grins finally arrived in Doi Luang. The Ultra Thai Chiang Mai trail, which was validated unanimously, will be having its first edition taking place in December 2015. Composing the programme is an ‘immense’ 150km, a first ultra of this kind in Southeast Asia, a nonstop run spanning three days.

The route breaks away from the jungle and passes through rice fields.

“I had traced an ideal route on the map, traversing the most beautiful mountains and tribal villages so as to offer an original path out of the ordinary,” says the ‘crazy Frenchman.’ “And then I went to various villages in order to link different points and build my route...”

Bertrand recalls.

But between the ambitious idea and the ground reality was a wide gap.

“Ancient paths that were used until roads and highways came up still existed more or less but were no longer serviced.

I asked about the paths in the villages

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Edition zerO: Testing the Ultra Thai

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‘Thailand Mountain Seb’: Passion for Trails and for Thailand!

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aving surveyed and run the country’s most remote mountain trails, Sébastien Bertrand, originally a triathlete from the French Alps, quickly became renowned as the ‘Thailand Mountain Seb’ among the growing community of Thai trail runners. In fact, since his first sojourn in 2009, as part of adventure projects, he has been getting acquainted with the mountains of northern Thailand.

When Bertrand quit his post as product chief for a major outdoor brand in 2013, he naturally wondered what would follow in his professional career. He wanted to stay in sports and outdoors, but with a difference.

“I wanted to jump to other things,” he recalls. “Thailand appealed to

me greatly and I visited it several times. I liked the ambiance of its mountains. As I’ve always had a zeal for organising, I told myself that I’ll try and create something here. I also have an adventurous side... In early 2013, I plunged into a project to link the two major cities in the country’s north – Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai — via mountain trails, something no one had done.”

It was a long quest: meetings, hesitations, long days getting lost, and refining the machete technique.

“I was afraid a couple of times when I got really lost in the jungle as night approached... But I always found my way back” says Bertrand, smiling at the recollection of his first adventurous recces, a physically

intense task undertaken earlier this year. He came up with the Thailand Mountain Trail to trace the rambles in Thailand and develop sports travel.

He then undertook more research in order to organise a grand ultra trail event — Ultra Thai Chiang Mai. New trails, full signage, clearing of the wildest parts; the work of ensuring safe conditions was immense, he recalls, ahead of the arrival of 20 chosen athletes for the edition test.

Pioneering zest, organising desire, exceptional event coordination, a solid and enduring physique, and a love of Thailand’s trails — these have gained him the title as the ‘Thailand Mountain Seb.’ While the Ultra Thai Chiang Mai path to becoming a grand international event is no doubt steep, much of it has been largely cleared.

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PROFILE

The Ruth Paradox

By Rachel Jacqueline

Ruth Croft on the top of Mt. Kinabalu (4,095m), Malaysia.

Photo: Shamsul Adzrin

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The Ruth Paradox

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t 25, Ruth Croft isn’t sure what she wants to do with her life or where she wants to live. But she knows she wants to run. And the journey to uncovering her motivation is what makes her the runner she is today.

Ruth graduated exhausted, burnt-out, and vowed never to run again. Not knowing what to do next, she signed up for the first thing that came her way: teaching in Taiwan. She hopped on a plane and didn’t look back.

Today, it’s the same legs that see Ruth soaring up mountains, flying over rocky trails, and speeding along flat tarmac — but when it comes to her running, it’s not the same mindset, or the same heart.

Over the next six months she dabbled in competition half-heartedly. At the end of 2012, she ran the Taipei Marathon with no proper training (“and after two boozy parties that week,” she points out) in a speedy 3h 8min. It was far off her personal best of 2h 46min 39s, but finally she found the urge to compete again.

Growing up Ruth knew she was a good runner: she represented New Zealand in cross-country, track and field, and was ranked among the top five junior mountain runners in the world. ‘Running obsessed,’ running was her ticket to an American university scholarship and a future career. Then she got injured and everything changed.

The rising talent has had a string of first place finishes in some of the toughest mountain races in the region this year — the Mount Fuji Ascent Race in Japan, the Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon in Malaysia, and the Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon in Nepal — all the while, having her eyes set on the Skyrunning World Series and the Ultra-Trail World Tour next year. But now she runs for where running takes her, the people she can meet, and the fun she can have along the way.

“At the end of the day, it’s just running,” says Ruth in her laid back New Zealand accent over a Skype call from Taiwan, where she now bases herself. “You have to enjoy it… These days my running is about experiencing new things and having the opportunity to travel.” Five years ago she wouldn’t recognise the relaxed runner speaking with me today, Ruth says.

Indeed, it’s been a hell of a journey so far. After finishing high school top of her game, she took up a running scholarship at the University of Portland in Oregon, USA. Under the grip of a controlling coach and a strict training regime, she lost the freedom she once had roaming the small town of Greymouth on the west coast of south New Zealand, where she grew up. Training intensively, mostly on pavement, her body didn’t handle the stresses and she was injury-plagued during her entire four-year college career, leaving her confidence battered from a string of disappointments.

But, like any runner with running in their blood, it wasn’t long before she got the itch to run again.

After a few months of eating too much, drinking and “feeling rotten,” she found herself joining the Hash House Harriers in Taiwan. The friendly competition, the rough trails and the mandatory post-run drink brought something into running that she hadn’t had for a while: fun.

“I guess when you’ve been running that long it’s pretty engrained into your lifestyle. At first [running] became just a way to meet people in Taiwan, but… then I missed the competition.”

Next she signed up for her first ultra, The North Face 50, Taiwan (only after a failed attempt at trying to sign up for the 15km category, which was full). She obliterated the field, storming home in 4h 13min 5s (this year, she finished in a staggering 3h 58min). More importantly, she discovered a new type of running — trail running — and unearthed her mojo.

“Looking back I think getting injured was the best thing that ever happened to me. It made me realise that running had ruled everything in my life. I used to be obsessed… my life was so imbalanced. If I didn’t get to run one day, you didn’t want to be around me. It was unhealthy. When I couldn’t run anymore, I didn’t know myself.”

“I’ve finally got the passion back, but I’m wiser now. I know what works for me, and what doesn’t.”

These days, The North Face sponsored athlete is a completely different runner. She doesn’t follow a training plan and doesn’t have a coach. “I don’t log my mileage. I have my GPS watch from my sponsor Garmin, but I am

43

The Ruth Paradox sporadic at using it, at times just running on feel,” she laughs. Ruth runs when she feels like it, and if she doesn’t feel like running, she doesn’t.

She has also learnt to take better care of herself. “I used to have this mentality that because you are a runner you can eat whatever you want. But I’ve learnt that you have to eat healthily to take care of your body. I put a lot more thought into what I eat right now and take care to refuel after my runs.”

Avoiding gluten and eating as a pescatarian, she has also managed to lose almost 10% of her body weight over the last year. After her time in Nepal earlier in 2014, she lost five kilograms, and now hangs a mere 52kg on her 167cm tall frame. It has had a positive effect on her running, she says, and eating healthily she has kept the weight off without any effort.

Finally, the runner in Ruth is back.

“When I was a kid I ran because I was good at it; in America running was my ticket overseas and a new experience.

When I first moved to Taiwan, running was about being healthy again. I lost my passion for running when I went to America and now I feel I’ve found that again.”

“I am enjoying [running] again and I have a great Taiwanese running group.

They’ve been my family. I’ve been blown away by how much they’ve supported me…

Overall, I’m in a healthier running environment than I was in America.”

PROFILE RACE NEWS

Looking back I think getting injured was the best thing that ever happened to me. It made me realise that had

running ruled everything

Although she has found her running feet again and has fantastic sponsors — The North Face and Garmin — to boot, “I still have no idea what I want to do,” she laughs. Ruth is keen in pursuing the possibilities of the exploding mountain running scene worldwide, but she’s adamant that running will remain only a platform to explore the world, and is determined never to make it her ‘all’ again.

in my life.

“I think you need to do something not running related to keep yourself in check.”

Ruth loves travelling and adventure and hopes to find a balance between competition and racing in destinations that allows her to explore the world. She talks about an ultra in the Antarctic in the future. “And there’s a jungle marathon stage race in the Amazon in Brazil I’d love to do too — I’d really love to do more of those sorts of races.”

In the meantime, however, her next adventure is closer to home: she’s exploring her native New Zealand in February with her first 100km race at the Tarawera Ultra.

“I’m really nervous, if I’m honest. I don’t actually have that much confidence in my ability, my mental side of running could probably do with more work,” she says.

But Ruth keeps herself in check.

“Then again, you can’t take it too seriously. I don’t want running to become my everything, consuming my whole life again. I think some days it is, and I have to take a step back. There is so much more out there than running.”

“At the end of the day, I just love being in the mountains.”

Ruth Croft spent several weeks in Nepal to win the Everest marathon 60km starting at the Everest Base Camp. Photo: Richard Bull

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TRAINING

Ultra-Logistics — the Beauty and the Bane of Preparing for an Ultra

By Rachel Jacqueline

Think running an ultra is just about running? Think again. Apart from the physical act of running, there are many other elements requiring detailed planning. Aside from a more prepared and happier race experience, being ready may mean the difference of minutes and even hours in your final race time. Check out our five-step guide to being prepared for your next ultra.

“

Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

Benjamin Franklin’s stoic words always echo in my ears whenever I take on a new endeavour. But when it comes to attempting an ultra, I almost find planning for the race a more daunting task than actually running it.

Questions like, What shoes should I wear?

What gear should I take? How much water and food should I bring? Should I have a crew to help me? How should I pace myself? all swim around my head. Making the right choices can mean the difference between a good and a bad race. More importantly, good planning will help you reach the finish line quickly, comfortably, and in as healthy of a condition as possible.

Elite Australian ultra runner Caine Warburton raced 27 times during 2011 to 2013, recording 26 podium finishes — 16 of which were first places — and all, he says, were thanks to good planning. “[Ultra running] is a combination of physical running, mental preparation and toughness, as well as sound and effective planning. When it comes to longer and harder ultras, planning becomes even more important, especially when you’re not familiar with the area or country,” Gear minimalist Anton Krupicka at the UTMB this year. Photo: Claus Rolff

my training and nutrition towards the specific challenges of the race,” he says, citing the example of his preparation at the Skyrunning World Championships earlier this year where he finished ninth overall.

2. Work out how long the race will take you — breaking this down by checkpoints, not kilometres: When it comes to ultras, “kilometres are irrelevant,” says Hong Kong-based runner Natalia Watkins, 41. “You’re not thinking about distance — that’s a really common mistake. What you really need to look at is how long it’s going to take you.”

Time-on-course will be a combination of several factors, including distance, elevation gain, terrain, weather on the day, your training and, of course, how hard you’re prepared to gut it out.

says the 26-year-old.

Equally as prepared is Singapore-based ultra runner Paviter Singh, who competes in a few ultras a year and starts planning months in advance.

“I find it’s the preparation that actually enables me to get into the physical part of running,” says the 33-year-old.

Failing to plan

Though we can agree that planning is important for every runner toeing the line, how do we go about it? Follow our foolproof five-step guide when planning for your next ultra.

1. Define your race goal: There’s a big difference between planning for a comfortable finish versus planning for a personal best. Different again is planning for a win or even a podium finish. Why? Because the arising decisions will inform your preparations and entire approach to the race, and more importantly, will inform the risks you may be willing to take for reaching your goal.

“For a major goal race, I start planning a couple of months in advance,” says Caine. “This includes gathering all the data about the race — maps, course notes, profiles — and focusing

is planning to fail.

Got no idea? “Have a look at the course’s slowest and fastest times, usually available on their website,” Natalia suggests. “Then make an assessment based on your own ability and how you’d relatively come within that group.”

“So, say the first person finished a course in three hours and the slowest finished in eight hours, and you’re usually middle of the pack, you can safely estimate a time of around five to six hours, say, depending on the course.”

Better yet, if a friend had run the race, she suggests finding out about their race experience and where they finished. An

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TRAINING

Race Management

overall time target, says Natalia, will inform how you plan for a larger race as well as guide your training.

Zoning in on the details, checkpoints are a key focus for Paviter. “I look at the distance of each checkpoint, how far away the next checkpoint is and how long I should spend at each checkpoint.” He then spends time studying the race and terrain map. Using this information, he starts to build a breakdown of his race.

“I’ll draft race charts, breaking the distance into smaller bits, with terrain descriptions, elevation gain or loss, and time of the day. With that framework in place, I can start planning my race pace.” He adds various sections up for an estimated time, which is used in the rest of his planning.

After careful preparation, Caine drafts ‘best case scenario times’ that reflect his ‘A’ timing goal, and then a second set that reflects his ‘B’ timing goal.

Creating your own timing schedule can be done in any way that suits you.

Kílian Jornet Burgada is known to sketch out his plans with pen and paper.

Andre Blumberg, a Hong Kong-based ultra runner, is revered among the local community for his comprehensive excel documents, complete with complicated timing formulas. Regardless of how you do it, the end point is the same: a breakdown of time, checkpoint to checkpoint, with a rough overall time.

Tips from Top Crew:

Crafting a detailed race profile is a must.

This will come in handy in the next step.

Racing in unfamiliar areas adds an extra challenge, requiring you to do more preparation says Caine, who has raced in Europe and recently took part in the MSIG HK50 series - Hong Kong Island. “I will research the course and gather all the data possible on previous races, winning times, checkpoint times, elevation profiles, weather reports and use this to help me devise the best pacing plan to start with,” he says.

Spend time on the details: “I pay particular attention to where in the past previous runners have faded or slowed significantly and pay attention to those sections of the course,” says Caine.

3. Based on your timing work out what you need to take: Now you have a plan, it’s time to work out your hydration, food, and gear.

Hannes Niggli is the tried and trusted crew member and logistics manager for Team Green, a local Hong Kong team, during Oxfam Trailwalker (OTW) each year.

During a team race like OTW, what are your crewing duties?

We meet the teams at about six to eight locations and provide them with their needs, like nutrition, water, equipment, poles and head torches, as well as gear for temperature changes. We also coordinate support runners, and prepare all items they need to carry for the teams. Finally, we make sure the teams do not hang around at checkpoints and waste time — we kick ass and get them going. Most teams waste too much time at checkpoints.

How important is having a crew?

Today’s top runners and teams all have very good support, so I believe it’s quite important and helps to achieve a good time. That said, there are many races on this planet which are self supported, so you can certainly run a race without it.

Is it easy?

Honestly, being crew is almost as painful as running the distance yourself.

Caine Warburton on his way to another podium finish — thanks to his methodological planning.

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TRAINING

Sufficient nutrition to fuel your run is crucial. Photo: Claus Rolff Hydration: Using your race timing as a guide, work out how much water you have to carry at the start of the race and in between checkpoints. Determine your greatest water capacity need at any given time over the entire race as this will inform the size of the pack you will need. Resist the temptation to carry as much water as possible; water is heavy, and the more you carry, the more it will slow you down. (On the flipside, being in the middle of nowhere without water is a recipe for dehydration, and likely the end of your race.) Some good questions to ask that will help inform your water choices are: What will the weather be like? Humidity is a key factor. You will also drink less in the cold than in the heat. Based on your training, you should have an idea of your water intake. Some runners, like Natalia, prefer to carry 750mL for each hour, whereas others, like Caine, will carry only the bare minimum, preferring instead to load up during checkpoints, always holding little between them.

Are there any particularly long sections? Be wary of hilly sections that may be short in distance but take a long time to complete.

What time of the day will it be and where? You may find you need less water in the morning when it’s cool, compared to midday. Make sure you factor this in.

Nutrition: Like with hydration, ensuring you have sufficient nutrition to fuel your run is crucial. Looking at the total number of hours, work out how much fuel you need for your whole run. Natalia aims for 100 calories an hour and eats every 30min — for a 10h run, that’s roughly 1,000 calories.

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Race Management

TRAINING

An example of the writer’s crew support list at CCC 2014.

Take

Give to her

Prepare

Make sure

If cold

Champex

Trient

Vallorcince

Mobile Support Bag

- any sunnies/hat - red torch (small), spare batteries - old bottles - old sustained energy packs - garbage

- old bottles

- old bottles

- bottle sustained energy - bottle water - hot tea - checkpoint bag with extra nutrition

- bottle sustained energy - bottle water - hot tea - checkpoint bag with extra nutrition

- spare food - medical kit - spare clothes - spare shoes - spare jacket - spare buffs - water bag - ayup head torch - spiky ball - spare bottles - teabags

- 0.5mL bottle to fill up water bladder - SE bottle 1/3 of pack - water bottle

- SE bottle 1/3 of pack - water bottle

- SE bottle 1/3 of pack - water bottle

- ayup light with spare battery - food - bottle sustained energy - bottle with water - fill water bladder with 500mL water (17km) - hot tea - checkpoint bag with extra nutrition

- change socks and shirt - roll on my spiky ball if I’m having problems with hip - change shoes if I need to - eat something substantial, probars (orange pack), soup - suggest to take jacket - maybe change thermal pants - change buff if wet

She aims for regular food, like potatoes, dates, almonds, and rice balls rather than gels, and based on their caloric density, packs accordingly, along with some backups.

Ultra running legend Hal Koerner, on the other hand, is known to race mainly on gels and will suck down up to three an hour — 300 calories. “If gels work for you, that’s great as it means you can get away with less weight, but personally they make me feel sick,” says Natalia.

Test your fuel plans during training so you can be more confident in your options, like Paviter. “Based on my testing, I’ll draft out race charts to ensure that I’m taking food at the right time,” he says.

Refreshment post at the TransLantau, Hong Kong. Photo: Claus Rolff

Gear: Your choice of gear should be made in light of your goals, based on your food, hydration and equipment needs, plus any mandatory kit. If you’re aiming for a faster time, skimping on what you carry will help. If your goal is simply to finish, you can afford some creature comforts to help you push through.

Do I need a pack, or can I run with bottles or a waist belt? For shorter races, well-supported races, or those with little mandatory equipment, you may not require a pack at all.

What extra gear will I need? If it is cold, consider the layers you will need for warmth. What’s the weather like? If it’s wet, pack a rain jacket. At The North Face 100 Hong Kong 2013, for example, the race was wetter and colder than any one could have imagined, accounting for only a third of those starting the 100km race making it to the finish.

What equipment should I take? Do you need poles? A headlamp? Do you have the mandatory kit?

Any extras? Don’t forget any personal bits and pieces, like electrolyte tablets, a blister kit, or anti-chafe.

4. Plan for your crew and drop bags: Now, you have your timings and all your needs on race day, it’s time to start thinking about lightening your load.

“Don’t try to carry everything — think about where you can use support crew or drop bags,” suggests Natalia.

If these options are available to you, begin dividing your nutrition, gear, and equipment into carefully labelled bags corresponding to the individual checkpoints: the key here is to keep it as simple and easy for your crew to support you as possible.

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Race Management Next, prepare a list for your crew so they know how to support you: • what to prepare in advance of you getting to the checkpoint • what to give you and what to take from you • any back up gear that you might need — spare shoes, clothing, spare socks, equipment like poles or a torch Lastly, make sure your crew are on top of your timing schedule, with time factored in for getting to checkpoints.

“It aids your crew for when to expect you and how long they have to get from one checkpoint to another.” Caine also suggests considering your crew’s logistics; at the Ice Trail Tarentaise earlier this year he hadn’t anticipated how long it would take for his crew to get into remote checkpoints. As a result they missed him at one checkpoint. “I didn’t have any gear in drop bags and ended up running a further 25km with no food which greatly affected my race.” These days, Caine backsup his crew with a drop bag.

5. Keep on top of your time, especially at checkpoints: Despite all your good planning, spending too long at checkpoints can throw you off your timing.

Having a pacing schedule noting checkpoint cut-off times can help you avoid an unnecessary DNF.

half,” she says. In 2014 she changed her approach, spending a little longer at checkpoints to refuel gradually along the race, rather than using them for one big refuel, and finally conquered the race.

At the front of the pack meanwhile, Caine plans to spend no more than 45s at each checkpoint. “Checkpoints are ‘dead time’ where you are not moving along the course and as a result they should be reduced to a minimum.”

In addition to having a race schedule and accounting for checkpoint timing, Paviter spends time visualising the race before race day. “I think about anticipating bottlenecks, fatigue, and most importantly, terrain... Personally, I tend to prefer starting out fairly easy and gradually picking up the pace. In a 100km race, the aim is to feel relatively fresh at 50km — easier said than done.”

I find it’s the

preparation that

actually enables me to get into the part of running.

“I used to stop for 20 to 30min at each checkpoint during ultras,” admits Bei Hu, who learnt the hard way the importance of good checkpoint management. During her first CCC attempt in 2013, the seasoned Hong Kong ultra runner paused for a wellearned 45-minute pasta break, thinking she had two hours before cut-off. It eventually cost her the finisher’s vest.

“Honestly, I’m not much of a planner.

With local races, I can do recces to familiarise myself with the course and get a rough time target… [For international races] I try to build as big a time cushion as possible in the first half given my tendency to slow down in the second

physical

Finally, remember to always be flexible. To echo more words from stalwarts of American history, ‘plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.’

“At the end of the day, a race is a dynamic environment and even the best laid plans can sometimes go astray. Once I get on the starting line, I am always prepared to adjust my plans on the fly depending on what unfolds on race day,” says Caine.

The most important plan, after all, is to go out there and have fun.

TRAINING

Tips from Top Crew:

Lucy Rivers Bulkeley an accomplished ultra runner and mountain climber who is currently midway through a seven summits attempt, has become the trusted crew of many ultra runners over the years.

What are the characteristics of a good crew member?

You need to be slightly stubborn but also quite light-hearted, firm but kind. It’s a weird mix.

Is it the crew that has to be organised, or the runner?

Both — the runners should provide you with everything they need in carefully marked bags and also approximate timings. But as crew you need to go through each bag with them, understand what’s in it and what they expect of you at each checkpoint — what bottles need refilling, what they need to take, such as jackets or lights. You should know how you’re going to get in and out of checkpoints, sign up to any course and runner updates. Finally, make sure you’re able to track your runner, which may mean bringing backup phone batteries!

What’s your best tip?

Give yourself plenty of time to get to a checkpoint. Personally, on the longer races, I get there an hour before I need to be there. Be prepared to wait it out, and if it’s a cold race, have enough gear to stay warm.

Is it easy?

It’s really fun. I’d much rather crew than run a 100 miler.

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Off-Road Triathlon: The XTERRA Concept

By Team Asia Trail

Cross-training is a must to stay injury-free and optimise your training. What about taking advantage of this practice to try something new — an off-road triathlon?

Y

ou certainly heard of the Ironman Triathlon, those ultra-triathlons that most triathletes have in mind once in their life, like many trail runners who look at the 100km or 100mile ultras as their ultimate goal. Without going to that extreme, off-road triathlons remain achievable with distances involving a 1.5km swim, 30km bike ride, and 10km run. The beauty of an off-road triathlon is that you swim in a lake or sea, and bike and run on trails. You stay close to nature; moving across it by engaging in different sports disciplines.

The most popular series is arguably the annual XTERRA World Tour series, inaugurated in 1996, and consisting of nearly 100 off-road triathlon races. The national level of XTERRA serves as a qualifying event for its World Championship event in Hawaii, USA. In 2014, more than 800 athletes from more than 40 countries participated in the final championship.

Immerse yourself within nature’s beauty by engaging in various sports disciplines.

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Tips from Pro Athlete Michal Bucek

The XTERRA is a great refreshment after all these years spent doing road-triathlons, says Hong Kong-based Michal Bucek who had a great season as a pro triathlete.

His strength is the swim, but during the XTERRA races Michal discovered the amazing feeling of riding his mountain bike through deep forests.

As triathlons consist of you competing in three disciplines, these events require a bit more preparation than running. Michal shares some tips for trail runners who want to experience something new: “XTERRA is totally different than road triathlons, especially when the course is technical, so I would say that trail runners have an advantage against road triathletes. I had to focus on my mountain biking technique and trail running, these are the areas in which the athlete can gain or lose most. Swimming at XTERRA is secondary. The best tip I have for trail runners is cross-training. Try including fast swim-bike or bike-run transitions into your training routines. Another tip is to build strong technical skills on the mountain bike, as this is more important than speed. A third critical tip is to have your nutrition under control by regularly drinking and eating — which can be very tricky to do on the mountain bike during technical sections; better to slow down a little to get your nutrition in, otherwise you will pay for it later.”

Off-Road Triathlon: The XTERRA Concept

RACE

Transitions between the three disciplines must be practised on training. Photo: Xterra Malaysia.

In 2015, XTERRA Malaysia will move to the island of Langkawi, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

About 20 countries were represented in the 2014 race, with majority of the 161 participants coming from Malaysia and Singapore. However, in the end, both men’s and women’s podium spaces were occupied by individuals from Australia, Austria, the UK, and South Africa.

To cater to enthusiasts seeking shorter race distances, XTERRA Malaysia is also organising the Sprint Triathlon, which consists of half the distance of the full race. Apart from the triathlons, XTERRA Malaysia will also be holding trail running races with distances of 22km, 11km, and 5.5km. The trail running races are part of the XTERRA Trail Run Series, which will culminate with the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship in Hawaii. Unlike the XTERRA triathlon races, there is no qualifying process to enter the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship.

The triathlons at the national level are also being held in Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

For more details on the 2015 XTERRA World Tour schedule for Asia, visit www.XTERRAplanet.com.

Date

World Tour Event

February 8

XTERRA Philippines Championship, Albay, Luzon

April 11

XTERRA New Zealand Championship, Rotorua

March 7

April 18 May 1-3

XTERRA Motatapu, South Island, New Zealand

XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship, Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia XTERRA Australia Championship XTERRA Malaysia, Langkawi

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Winter Gear Tested

Winter Gear A Tested

By Team Asia Trail

Compressport On/Off Multisport 1st Layer compressport.com | HKD 790 The “42,000 breathing alveoli” or small holes in the shirt could surprise at first, but this compression shirt is extremely comfortable and wicks moisture away better than many other shirts. And it comes long in the waist so it can be tucked in and won’t bunch up. Note: despite one reviewer’s initial scepticism, thanks to the smart design, hairs don’t go through the holes.

s the temperature drops and the grasses turn a golden shade, it’s time to put away your summer running shorts and start layering up. In this issue, we review cool weather gear from arm sleeves, merino tops, compression tights, to waterresistant jackets.

RAB MeCo Base Layer rab.uk.com | HKD 720 This soft first layer is a great choice for postworkout with a loose comfortable fit made of merino and polyester that keep you warm and dry.

Tecnica Supreme Max 2.0 tecnica.it | HKD 1,740 The oversize technology and the seamless upper material make it the perfect shoe for long distances, rocky terrain, and steep climbs in ultra-events. The lack of flexibility is compensated by the good stability and the extra cushioning that perform well on hard terrain, both trail and asphalt.

Salomon Trail Run Long Sleeve Zip Tee salomonrunning.com | HKD 450 This tee is a technical layer dedicated for trail runners: lightweight, sweat-wicking, and breathable. Despite the long sleeves, it is perfect for training year round with its ventilated fabric that is highly efficient for cooling.

Wicks moisture away from the body and dries quickly.

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Mizuno Dry Accelerator UV High Neck Long Sleeve mizuno-hk.com | HKD 290 Lightweight, warm, and quick drying, this top is a perfect after-run change of clothes to pack along as the weather cools down. This reviewer is a big fan of compression shorts and tights but generally finds compression tops too constricting during a run. This top, however, is made of thinner and softer material, making movement easier. The only complaint is the material is too sheer. Matching undergarment is required if you intend to wear it alone.

Winter Gear Tested

Icebreaker Sonic Long Sleeve Half Zip us.icebreaker.com | HKD 990 This lightweight shirt has a relaxed fit that keeps you dry by wicking away sweat. The zippable neck is great when you need to adjust for extra ventilation.

Good fabric quality and stitching seams; a great shirt for post-race and training runs on the go.

Keeps fresh even when repeatedly worn without washing.

GEAR

The Marmot Elance 1/2 Zip marmot.com | HKD 850 This layer is perfect for cold, dry morning runs or under a shell in wet conditions. Mesh panels provide further ventilation, raglan sleeves allow for an increased range of motion, and thumbholes help keep everything in place. The front pocket on the chest is large and handy.

GPS Polar V800 polar.com | HKD 3,980 (HKD 4,480 with HR) This great GPS watch does what most integrated GPS watches do: tracks your speed, distance, and route with a battery life of 13h (up to 50h in low power mode). This model, however, has interesting additional features not found in other GPS models. It integrates an activity tracker, which gives relevant daily activity information for your recovery status. Our reviewer also really likes the orthostatic test which helps you understand your training load and recovery need by tracking your heart rate during rest, stress, and illness periods. A great waterproof (30m) training computer for those runners who like to track every training and move, 24/7.

Outdoor Research Redline Jacket outdoorresearch.com | HKD 850 The lightweight, breathable and windproof, as well as water-resistant jacket shields you from the elements when on your favourite trail. Reflective logos and trim keep you visible on overcast days or during pre-work runs.

A large front pocket can easily fit a mobile, although not convenient when running.

The North Face GTD Long Sleeve thenorthface.com | HKD 390 For optimal comfort while running in variable weather conditions, this lightweight long-sleeve shirt was specifically designed for trail runners. The bodymapped ventilation panels cool under the arms and around the torso, which accelerate the evaporation and keep you dry. The long sleeves with raglan seams encourage freedom of movement.

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Winter Gear Tested

Icebreaker Women Aero Long Sleeve Half Zip us.icebreaker.com | HKD 720 The feminine shaped hem adds a comfort to this nicely designed lightweight shirt. Its merino wool will keep you warm and dry without compromising moisture management. Flatlock seams help prevent chafing.

GEAR

Röhnisch Jessie Fleece en.rohnisch.com | HKD 720 This really soft micro fleece with a zipper in front makes a good quality, light, and warm layer in cool weather. Not just practical, but also looks stylish with logo zip puller and silver logo ring at the lower front left, plus embroidery details at the back.

Sensoria Fitness Sports Bra sensoriafitness.com | HKD 615 (HKD 1,160 with HR) This comfortable compression sports bra is a welcomed addition to women’s running gear. Its electrodes integrated into the textile prevent any chafing compared to a conventional chest strap. Our reviewer found this bra the best alternative to a heart rate belt. The two snaps on the bra turn this bra into a heart rate data collector to which you can connect different monitors including Polar and Garmin. You can then pair it with your GPS watch or favourite mobile app.

Lululemon Metal Vent Tech Shirt lululemon.com.hk | HKD 680 (short sleeves), HKD 780 (long sleeves) The anti-stink Silverescent technology makes these garments a great option for a limited wardrobe with little downtime between workouts for washing. One reviewer tested to the extreme by running in the shirt for a week, twice a day, keeping it inside a bag — odour free as claimed, it remained as fresh as it was during the first work out. This very comfortable shirt has a loose medium fit with seamless body and flat seams around the top of the arms.

Röhnisch Shape Ester Capri en.rohnisch.com | HKD 750 These breathable tights made of polyamide and elastane have a very good fit and feel really comfortable while running. There are convenient pockets on the back and an inside drawstring at waist.

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Winter Gear Tested

CEP Medi Compression Dynamic 3/4 Tights cepcompression.com | HKD 1,180 Smart design with patches of fabric of different density providing varying amounts of protection and stabilisation.

Compression is focused on the quad and hamstring areas. The area just behind the knees is covered by a thin, breathable layer of mesh that makes them comfortable. There’s a zipped pocket in the back to pack your keys along with a gel or two.

The North Face Men’s GTD Long Tights thenorthface.com | HKD 590 The comfort and softness of these seamless tights provide an even and firm compression fit for the whole leg with less restriction on movement. Its design, with breathable mesh panels at the back of the knee, helps in humid conditions. The zip calf is a real benefit in pulling on and off, but when zipped down gives firm calf support with reflective tape strips.

Lululemon Speed Tights lululemon.com.hk | HKD 1,180 These extremely comfortable tights drew many favourable comments; with their contrasting colours, flat seams, and fashionable patterns they indeed look attractive. Made of a sweatwicking fabric, these tights were clearly designed to race with an easy to access three-pocket waistband that keeps your gels close at hand.

GEAR

RE:ECHO CS Performance Tights reecho.hk | HKD 790 This Hong Kong brand really took the attention of reviewers, leaving one with nothing to envy of other wellknown brands; this is especially true with their new tights that are thinner than previous models. The compression is minimal to the privilege of a great fit and comfort using soft material. Tights contain a zipped pocket in the back.

Salomon Endurance Tights salomonrunning.com | HKD 690 These tights are the thinnest and lightest we tested in this review, while still managing to be somehow windproof, due to the nylon/elastane combination of fabrics.

Storage is ample with a large, zippered pocket in the back that can fit a mobile phone. Breathable mesh panels at the back of the knee keep you dry when on the move.

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Winter Gear Tested

Ultimate Direction FastDraw Extreme ultimatedirection.com | HKD 310 This hand-insulated bottle is perfect for staying hydrated on a short run. The generous pocket fits most smartphones while the soft mesh strap to hold the bottle is adjustable — although the buckle needs to be readjusted at times when wet. The lightweight fabric (128g) provides optimal ventilation and moisture management.

GEAR

RE:ECHO CS Performance Arm Sleeves reecho.hk | HKD 190 This reviewer is a big fan of the versatility of arm sleeves. And these are, by a wide margin, the best arm sleeves the reviewer has ever tested. Most arm sleeves are shapeless tubes. They lose elasticity over time and start to slip. This pair comes with a slightly bent elbow and mesh on the inside. The sleeves have silicone gel patches and thumbholes to keep them from slipping off.

Compressport Fluo Pro Racing Socks 3D.DOTS compressport.com | HKD 158 When it comes to claims of providing acupressure and stimulating blood circulation, it’s hard to know if these socks are delivering. The Grip 3D.DOTS, however, do keep the foot more firm in the shoe and all the reviewers found these socks to be tough and very comfortable without falling apart after only a few runs. Warning: these socks come in very bright colours that may require sunglasses for viewing.

FIRST STEPS

Motivation

By Joshua Steimle

T

o paraphrase Friedrich Nietzsche, he who has a good enough ‘why’ will figure out the ‘how.’ But when it comes to trail running there’s no reason to make it any harder than it already is. If you find yourself wanting to get out and run, but are struggling to find the motivation — your ‘why’ — here are seven ways to help make it easier.

1. Listen to Music: Running to a soundtrack can make you feel like a music video star. With some scientific studies backing me up (see Asia Trail #2), I’m pretty sure nine out of 10 runners would find it easier making it up a hill while listening to “Eye of the Tiger.”

2. Listen to Audio Books: While music is the listening preference for many runners, it didn’t work for me. I got bored. Then I started listening to audio books through services like Audible.com.

Now I often want my run to go longer because I want to keep listening to a particularly interesting book. I might get tired and sore, but I haven’t been on a boring run in years, except for the time my phone battery ran out.

3. Prep the Night Before: Sometimes getting out of the door is the hardest part. It’s easier to turn off the alarm and stay in bed if you know you have to get up in the dark and find your running socks while your partner is sleeping. By getting everything ready the night before you won’t only be removing a significant motivational hurdle, you’ll also be more mentally committed to making your run happen.

4. Look Good: You might trick yourself into thinking appearances don’t matter, especially if you run on trails where you rarely meet anyone else — sorry to say, you’re wrong. Dress in a way that makes you feel fast. Wear matching colours. Trust me, you’ll notice a difference if you look like a pro.

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Motivation

5. Invest in Good Equipment: Having the wrong sized shoes, shorts that chafe, or sunglasses that constantly slip off might seem like minor annoyances, but together they can be enough to tip you over the edge, preventing you from going out for that run tomorrow, or the day after.

Investing in expensive equipment will make you more committed to leaving the house. When you consider the benefits of running, buying the right kind of equipment is a small price to pay.

6. Track Your Performance: I run with a Garmin Forerunner 910XT. I didn’t like the strap for the heart rate monitor and found getting into measuring heart rate performance a bit much, so I ended up only using the watch. Sometimes I don’t even look at the time or distance — just knowing that it’s being tracked is enough. Other times I’ll look deeper at details regarding my time, speed, distance, and elevation during my run. I never realized how much motivation this little device instilled in me until one evening I forgot to charge my watch, and it died during next morning’s run. I felt like quitting and walking home right then and there.

7. Sign up for a Race: This is my top piece of advice. When everything else fails, if I’m signed up for an event, it gets me out of bed. The anxiety of not being ready for an event adds an edge of fear to the whole business. I might be able to get away with skipping one day here and there, but never two in a row. It’s the only motivation I’ve found that works when all else fails.

This is how I motivate myself. What’s your motivation?

Email me, I’d like to know.

Joshua Steimle is the CEO of MWI (mwi.hk), a digital marketing agency, and a writer for various business publications including Forbes and Entrepreneur. He lives and runs in Hong Kong. You can contact him @donloper or josh@mwi.hk.

Photo: Michael Ma

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ASK THE COACH

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ASK THE COACH

How can I Increase my Mental Strength?

By Andy DuBois

N

o one denies that being mentally strong is a prerequisite for doing well in trail and ultra races — but how many people actually spend time developing mental toughness? Most people think that physical training itself will improve their mental strength. While to a certain degree this is true, as our bodies learn to cope with the intensity of the required training, there are a number of specific techniques we can use to become mentally stronger on race day.

and want as much of as possible. Relish the feeling in your legs as a sign your training is effective instead of treating it as something to be avoided.

becomes easier for you to conjure up an adoring support crew cheering you on. Come race day, anytime you start to struggle, you can bring up your imaginary support crew to help get you through the tough times.

Staying in the Moment When we think too far ahead in a race the mind can falter, especially as fatigue sets in. When the mind falters the body falters. If we can learn to stay in the present moment the perceived effort becomes a lot easier. Thinking about how far there is to go isn’t helpful (unless the finish line is in sight!), but breaking it down one step at a time is far more manageable. Staying in the moment isn’t easy and takes practice. There are many techniques you can use and it’s a matter of finding what works for you. Focusing on your breath, counting to 10, reciting a mantra, and focusing on the rhythm of your feet hitting the ground are all useful techniques which will help you stay in the present.

Relabeling the sense of pain

positive

in a more way will allow you to deal with

Dealing with Pain The pain we experience in our legs when running is different from the pain we experience when, say, we fall over and cut our knee. Yet often we label the effect of both experiences with the word pain. The feeling we have in working muscles is a result of us working hard towards a desired outcome, unlike the damage done to our knee when we cut it, which is not something that we intended.

Labelling an outcome we desire with a negative word like pain doesn’t help us push harder to increase that feeling. No doubt, intensifying the feeling of pain is something you have tried to avoid your whole life. However, relabeling the sense of pain in a more positive way will allow you to deal with that burning sensation in your legs far better.

burning

that sensation in your legs far better.

So next time you do a hard training run and your legs are burning, instead of associating that with negativity, treat it as a positive feeling. Realize that the more your legs burn the better the effect of the training. So the sensation of your legs burning is an outcome you desire Favourite Nathalie Mauclair eventually withdrew from the UTMF. Photo: Claus Rolff

Perception of Effort In a race when we run through checkpoints, or run past friends and family, we almost always feel better. The applause and encouragement we receive lift us above the fatigue and for a short moment it all feels much easier. But as soon as we run back out onto the trails that feeling evaporates and we are left with fatigued legs again. When we run through the crowds our perception of effort decreases, but when we are again alone on the trails the perception of effort goes right back up.

One solution to this is to visualise your closest friends and family by the side of the trail cheering you on.

Visualisation is a powerful tool that almost all elite athletes use in one way or another. It is also something that needs to be practised. The better you are, the more powerful your physical body’s response to the mental visualisations will be. You need to practise this in training until it

The Effect of Motivation The higher your motivation levels the more physical discomfort you are prepared to endure. Therefore, the more challenging the goal, the more motivation required. If you set yourself a goal of say 5h to finish an event, think about why that is important to you. If you ran the distance in 5h and 5min, would you still be happy? You need to really think about what your goals are for a race and why they are such.

Research has shown that higher levels of motivation can increase performance. So when your legs start to fatigue and you realise you have to push even harder to break that 5h mark, you are going to need that high level of motivation to achieve your objective.

Practice Makes Perfect These techniques need to be practised repeatedly in training so that come race day they are easy to perform even under extreme fatigue. Increasing your mental strength can help you tap into a physical potential that so far your brain hasn’t allowed you to use.

Andy is an award-winning personal trainer and elite endurance athlete specializing in ultra running. You can find more useful info on his ultra running coach website (www.mile27.com.au).

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ASK THE COACH

How to get into the Red and Recover from it

By Olivier Baillet

D

uring racing, there is always a moment when you have to take risks, without knowing if as a result you will blowup, reach, or exceed your highest objectives. You may decide to start fast, or accelerate at a certain point of the race, to avoid getting trapped in a bottleneck created by too many competitors ahead. Or you may decide to execute a daring pass at the right timing, giving you that win you want to get.

However, you might very well get the contrary of what you are looking for. To use the very common image of the matchbox, you only have a certain number of matches to burn at any given race. If you are well prepared and tapered, you probably have more than usual, but the number is still limited. Every time you go anaerobic, get into the red, or exceed the pace at which you normally race, you burn a match. When you have burnt all your matches, game over, you will inexorably slow down.

Most people think they have the antidote — they do short interval training, with high-speed bursts: 10 x 200m with a walking or jogging rest, or 10 x 400m, or a mix of these. There is no doubt that such repeats will make you faster and that you will perform better during the finish-line sprint. But what if the race does not finish with the sprint or the acceleration. What if it actually starts with a sprint, like when there is a mad dash at the beginning to be among the first at the hill? Or what if you have to go harder repeatedly due to terrain constraints, and still need juice to maintain a good pace till the finish?

As always, the key is to do specific training, doing all you can to replicate the actual race conditions. You will never jog after a speed burst in a race, so why would you train this way? Hence, months before your key race, pure speed with full recovery must become part of your training. But when you are getting closer to race day, say within 6 to 10 weeks before the event, you need to train specifically for the race stress.

In races, after a speed burst, you need to recover while still running hard. In training, after speed bursts, you have to learn to recover while running at a Z2 pace (moderate) or better still, Z3 (moderate hard).

•

Example 1: 8 x 200m @ 90% max, recovering while running at marathon to half marathon pace.

René Rovera missed the podium at the CCC 100km by less than 2min. Photo: Claus Rolff

•

•

•

Example 2: Fartlek with a buddy, or several buddies: first runner picks up the pace, second passes him, pace settles a bit, second runner passes, first runner passes, pace settles a bit, etc.

Example 3: If you know the race will start with a mad dash, after a warm-up to avoid injury, start your training with imitating that same mad dash, and run at a good tempo for the next 30-45min, or more if you are fit enough.

Example 4: 8 x 400m with a resting interval of 1min 30s (classic speed work so far), immediately followed by 30min of tempo at a Z3 pace (moderate hard). That will teach your body to run at a good pace while being tired by repeated speed bursts.

All of these workouts are hard and will test your limits. But if you want to actually race the race, and not just go along with it, or worse, suffer it, the ability to recover from instants spent in the red is key to your performance.

Olivier is the founder of beyond the line — endurance coaching and consulting (www. beyondthelinecoaching.com). He trains athletes to reach their best at swimming, biking, running (road and trail), and triathlon competitions. He himself is a seasoned athlete, having completed the Ironman World Championship three times, as well as the UTMB where he finished 75th overall.

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BODY MECHANICS

Shin Splints D

iagnosing shin pain as ‘shin splints’ is as worrisome as diagnosing lower back pain as ‘lumbago.’ The outdated name disregards the different possible tissue damages involving shin pain. Shin splints just means shin pain, as lumbago just means back pain — nothing new learnt!

While running, the shinbone, or tibia, helps absorb and dissipate the impact of each step. The tibial plateau forms the bottom part of the knee joint, while its bottom helps make the ankle join the smaller lateral bone, the fibula.

Hard to believe, but many of the muscles that support your arch and control your foot and toes, begin way up on the shin below the knee! On the back of the lower leg is the calf group, consisting of the gastrocnemius muscle — the larger muscle that stretches when the knee is straight — and soleus — the smaller muscle that stretches when the knee is bent. The soleus is the muscle one feels on the bottom inner part of the shinbone. The tibialis anterior muscle is found on the upper outside of the tibia with the peroneal group outside of that on the lateral side of the leg. It acts to support the arch, and with the peroneals controls lateral stability! All the small muscle bundles, and the larger muscles themselves, are wrapped in fascia (like cling film; also known as plastic wrap), all of which is supplied by nerves and blood vessels. So shin splints could mean pain in any of these structures! Clear?

Most shin pain in runners involves four major issues, all have similar symptoms, very different implications, but all are caused by excessive tissue

and overtime this technique will release tension.

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome — Beware of the word ‘syndrome,’ it tends to imply the presence of research.

MTSS is the main cause of most runners’ shin pain and is an irritation of the bottom half of the tibia. Although there is agreement that this is an overloading problem, the research is at odds in classifying this as a bone or soft tissue injury.

By Doug Tahirali

stress.

1. Myofascial Trigger Points (MFTP) 2. Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS) 3. Stress Fractures 4. Exertional Compartment Syndrome (ECS)

FIT

Try training by the rule: only change one training variable, either

frequency, intensity, or time,

In 2005, Dr. Peter Edwards came up with a diagnostic tool, dividing people experiencing shin pain into two groups: the first felt pain even at rest; conversely, for the second group rest alleviated pain.

If pain persisted at rest in the bottom third of skin it was likely MTSS or a stress fracture. Alternatively, no pain at rest implied compartment syndrome, or the less likely vascular or neural impingement, was the issue.

when altering training.

Myofascial Trigger Points — These are present with the other three types of tissue damage, although it is unknown whether they are a cause or complication. These tight, knotted bits of overused muscle tissue are very common in the tibialis anterior muscle because it is often not strong enough to control the foot and toes as they lower to the ground. These forces increase in a more rear foot strike during uneven, technical trails and downhill running, as the shin musculature attempts to eccentrically decelerate to avoid a slap-like contact.

Trigger points can induce pain so pressing on the point hard gives you shin pain. Dig around with your thumbs in the muscle — if it reproduces your regular pain then use your thumb, knuckle, or golf ball and press hard on this point

Stress Fractures — Finally something well named! Due to the force of repeated impacts, the bone in the upper half of the tibia and/or fibula breaks down and cracks. Despite the simple name, a 2011 review of 13 papers found that “There is disagreement in the literature about whether the history of stress fractures is associated with ground forces or with loading rate.” This is the amount of jarring in your gait, involving how your musculature controls all the changing foot strike forces, which studies found that runners with fractures have more of. Stress fractures often need complete non-weight-bearing rest.

Exertional Compartment Syndrome — The most serious ‘shin splint’ is actually an engineering problem.

The fascia wrapping and connecting all the muscles and tissues is too small to accommodate the growing muscles or their inflammation during injuries. The too-small fascia causes internal pressure, thus constricting blood vessels and/or

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Shin Splints

BODY MECHANICS

Tibialis anterior Finularis longus

Femur

Extensor digitorum longus Fibularis brevis Extensor hallucis longus

Patella

Fibularis tertius Tibia

Superior extensor retinaculum

Fibula Inferior extensor retinaculum

Superficial muscles of the right lower leg (anterior view)

compressing nerves. This nerve pressure can make the foot numb and clumsy with a resulting shuffling gait. Symptoms generally settle within an hour but return when running resumes. Treatment involves lots of rest, and if pain is chronic, surgery may be essential.

Most injuries for runners are simple overloading issues and errors often made by those newer to running. Try training by the FIT rule: only change one training variable, either frequency, intensity, or time, when altering training. Too many increases attempted too soon lead to overuse and injury. Running mechanics must be reassessed! It is not just how your foot strikes the ground but also where your centre of gravity is, in relation to that foot strike. Shin pain may be more

Skeleton of lower body

likely in those who over stride and those with poor pelvis, hip, knee, and ankle control mechanisms. It is critical to keep all those muscles strong and flexible for optimum performance!

A 2009 University of Calgary review of 250 long distance running studies found that “No definitive answer can be put forth regarding potential runningrelated injury mechanisms and excessive foot pronation.� While the literature on shin pain appears mixed, most studies since the 70s agree that stretching has minimal effect, as does anti-inflammatory medication, which rarely resolves mechanical problems.

All considered, the first step to dealing with shin splints involves

recognizing the origins of the pain and then applying appropriate solutions. As for injury prevention, I would suggest reassessing running mechanics and building strength and flexibility in the relevant musculature. Strengthen calves with straight and bent knee heel raises and strengthen shins with TheraBand exercises at varying speeds, heel walking, and toe raises. Strengthen your glutes with donkey kicks, lunge walking, and clams. Stretch when not hurt to avoid possible pain, but when you are hurt rest.

Finally, it seems that a jarring gait leads to more shin injuries, so what you have to discover now is how to run soft.

Doug has been a physiotherapist for 26 years and currently practices at Jardine House Sports and Spinal Clinic (www. physiohk.com). This column aims to explain how body parts work and how you can care for and fix them.

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The Altitude Tent

GEEK RUNNER

The Altitude Tent

By Matt Moroz

F

or geek runners, any training concept, gadget, gismo, or nutrition strategy is of interest.

As we look to improve our performances out on the trails, we look everywhere for things that offer that extra few percentage points of improvement.

This avid fascination may seem superficial, urging us to read countless articles advocating various training plans, promoting one diet over another, or looking at the myriad different choices of running apparel and gear — but beneath this superficial exterior lie insatiably curious minds, eager to improve as athletes while learning ever more about human exercise physiology.

While the jury is still out for a number of these issues, the scientific community is almost unanimous in its understanding regarding the benefits of high altitude for athletes.

Most runners will be aware of this concept. We have all heard about worldclass athletes attending high altitude

training camps in Kenya and Ethiopia leading up to the Olympics. This has been going on for many years and more recently we have seen this concept taken a step further by the Nike Oregon Project led by head coach Alberto Salazar.

Utilising the best technology available, the air within this special house is less oxygen-rich than the air outside. By mimicking the hypoxic conditions faced at altitude, this high-tech house offers residents the perfect opportunity to live high and train low.

Altitude Training Strategies A brief overview of the variations of altitude training includes:

Live High, Train Low (LHTL): Here the athlete ‘lives high’ either at altitude or with the help of an altitude tent, but does his/her training at a lower altitude.

Live High, Train High (LHTH): As above, the athlete ‘lives high,’ but also trains high. This involves training at high altitude, or continuing

to use altitude tents and masks while training on treadmills and other exercise equipment.

Live Low, Train High (LLTH): The complete reverse of LHTL. The athlete lives at sea level, but trains at altitude.

The arguments for and against each protocol generally relate to what an athlete might be looking to achieve from the intervention. Generally, the LHTL philosophy is regarded as having the most research backing it up. The concept is that the athlete will produce more red blood cells to cope with the reduced oxygen levels. The athlete trains low in order to keep the training sessions high in intensity, as there is no restriction to oxygen uptake. This approach might be employed by someone looking to boost his/her red blood cells and haematocrit levels but whose event will be taking place at a lower altitude.

Although not favoured by many, the LHTH philosophy may suit those

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GEEK RUNNER

The Altitude Tent

preparing for races, hikes, or climbs at higher altitudes. Research has shown that this type of training might be beneficial for athletes returning to lower altitudes to play team sports like soccer, rugby, or hockey.

What This Means For Us For us trail and ultra runners, the LHTH technique can help if we are looking to compete in a race that is primarily at altitude. If we are aiming to race at the Leadville 100 or the Mustang Trail Race then a period of total immersion at altitude may be our best choice. Otherwise, the LHTL philosophy is our best course of action. The ability to run to our full capacity while training

It seems as though the altitude tent did indeed have a

resorting to many different strategies to increase their blood quality means that this must provide great benefit to endurance athletes.

Erythropoietin (EPO) usage in cycling has been extensive. Stories frequently arise about riders sleeping with their heart rate monitors set to alarm the riders once their heart rate drops too low; indicating that their blood is dangerously close to clotting. Time then to jump out of bed and climb on the stationary bike to give the circulation a jolt.

Blood transfusions have also been used extensively in cycling. A rider may have quantities of blood removed while not racing, so that the red blood cells can be separated centrifugally and stored away. These red blood cells are then re-infused at the optimum time to increase the rider’s chance for victory. Despite their high risk, these techniques have been extensively employed, all in order to enhance the oxygen carrying capacity of the athlete’s blood.

positive effect on blood levels, and therefore,

aerobic potential.

will help promote the physiological adaptations we continuously look for. If while doing this we can also increase our red blood cell count and have these same red blood cells become more efficient at unloading oxygen where it is needed, then we will have a greater ability to push our body further and faster.

Interestingly, the discipline of cycling is an area in which there has been much controversy. Through the ages there have been many scandals regarding riders, team doctors, and team managers who have looked to get an advantage in any way possible — legality, ethics, and even health aside. Although we might not look to cycling as a role model for our own sport, we can definitely consider the research and see how it affects us.

The fact that cycling has seen athletes

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The Altitude Tent With limiting factors like time, money, jobs, families, and a whole range of other responsibilities, it is not easy to tap into the LHTL benefits. So a realistic solution to this is the use of an altitude tent.

This invention may be employed in the same way that the Nike Altitude House in Oregon helps those like Mo Farah. While in the tent we will breathe a reduced oxygen mix of air, and thus mimic being at altitude. The tent sits as part of your bed so that you will sleep in the hypoxic state, and you get to choose which altitude you want to mimic; from setting 0.5 at 162m to setting 12 at 3,962m. The lower figures are fairly redundant however and we would generally look to use a setting of around 7

The mask connected to the oxygenreducing machine allows you to work in a high altitude-like environment.

(2,266m) or higher.

Experiencing the Experiment In true ultra geek style, the experience of setting up and sleeping inside the hypoxic tent felt great. As someone who is borderline anaemic, the opportunity to increase red blood cells was an absolute blessing. In order to quantify any impact that the tent would have, a full blood test was carried out beforehand.

The altitude tent is unobtrusive; resembling a mosquito net covering your bed. The one caveat being that a mosquito net actually allows air movement — resultantly, during the hotter nights in Hong Kong, the planned 8h of overnight altitude usage would often be curtailed.

The heat within the tent made sleeping impossible and so any benefits of altitude exposure would be negated by sleep deprivation. The machine which pumps the nitrogen-rich, oxygen-reduced mix of air into the tent makes as much noise as an air conditioner, so it’s very easy to get used to.

The Altitude Tent Results Many have asked me ‘So did it work, do you feel the impact of using the tent?’

— and the answer is an honest ‘No.’ But it’s here that the pre, peri, and post blood test data is extremely illuminating. The initial blood test showed reduced levels of red blood cells, haemoglobin, and haematocrit. None were massively under the healthy range, but as we have already discussed, as endurance athletes we’d like our levels far higher, pushing the healthy level ceiling. Actual numbers were RBC: 4.15 M/uL; haemoglobin: 13.0 g/dL; haematocrit: 39.9%. All other test results were fine.

After three weeks, blood was retested for haemoglobin and haematocrit levels, and both had increased.

Haemoglobin was up 6% at 13.8 g/ dL while haematocrit increased to 41%. Though not a huge change in the haematocrit level, what is significant is that both raised figures now sat nicely within the healthy ranges (13.5-18 g/ dL for haemoglobin, and 40-54% for haematocrit).

A second metric was scrutinised in order to measure the effectiveness of the experiment. Jess Phillips of Joint Dynamics conducted a second VO2 max test post altitude tent exposure. With a previous high score of 64.4 mL/kg/min, the following VO2 max score of 67.4 mL/ kg/min recorded on Nov. 13 signalled a near 5% improvement. Extrapolated over the course of a race, this seemingly slight increase could mean the difference between a top 10 and a podium finish.

Conclusions It seems as though the altitude tent did indeed have a positive effect on blood levels, and therefore, aerobic potential. We must be careful to note that this experiment was conducted on a sample size of one and is therefore very subjective and prone to error. With so many variables it is impossible to say for certain that it was the altitude tent that created these effects, however, the physiological changes certainly fit in with what much literature has stated can occur.

GEEK RUNNER

While this author may have got a positive effect, many others might not.

Some individuals, it turns out, are not affected in this way when exposed to hypoxic states. It may be due to the tendency towards anaemia that increased the altitude training’s effect. In a healthy blood ranged individual, the effect may not be as marked.

Some literature also states that the effect of altitude exposure can actually result in a negative impact. Sleeping in a hypoxic state can trigger sleep apnea.

Using the altitude tent certainly affected sleep patterns, so that a sound and consistent sleep was far harder to attain during the particularly hotter nights.

In summary, it seems as though this form of training aid can really help.

Caution should certainly be exercised however, with practitioners keeping an eye on their sleep quality and blood profile.

NUTRITION

Optimal Hydration With Homemade Electrolyte Drinks

By Katia Kucher

W

hen running on the trails, aside from nutrition, hydration is crucial, before, during, and after training.

Trying to figure out how much you should drink to optimize performance and recovery is the first step in planning your hydration. To determine your sweat rate, you should weigh yourself naked before and after training, adding back the amount of fluid you consumed during your run. For example if you lost 1kg, this equals to 950mL of water loss, if you drank 240mL during your run, this amounts to 710mL of water loss. So the next time you run that same distance, you should drink 80-100% of the amount lost to optimize your hydration.

The best hydration pattern is to drink small amounts every 10-15min.

During intense training, and endurance trail running, the thirst sensation can be decreased, and your brain may override the sensation of thirst and dehydration.

Sometimes, you may lose 1% of your body weight, which equals to 710mL for the average 68kg person, before you even feel thirsty. A 2% weight loss will reduce your performance level, and this will affect your mental focus, which can be risky when running downhill or on technical trails.

To keep your performance at optimal levels, it is important to keep an eye on your daily hydration. Regularly check the colour of your urine, making sure that it is light in colour. If you start feeling lethargic, or experience fatigue and headaches, those are all signs of dehydration.

Electrolyte replacement is very important, especially sodium. When running for less that an hour, the rule of

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thumb is plain water will do, but any trail run longer than an hour, or in extremely hot and humid conditions, will require you to intake electrolytes. Sodium losses can range from 800-1600mL per 950mL of sweat. Dehydration and an excessive loss of sodium will not only affect your performance and well-being, but it can also result in muscle cramps. The ideal intake of sodium is 250-500mL per hour.

The best hydration ratio per hour during trail running sessions is per 240mL of fluid 110-170mg of sodium, 20-50mg of potassium, 30-60g of carbohydrates.

Post run, make sure that you drink at least 50% more than you lost to enhance and speed up recovery. Again, rather than gulping down large volumes of fluid, drink smaller amounts often. Your body can only absorb so much at once.

To optimize your hydration, you don’t have to rely on store bought electrolyte tablets, powders, or energy drinks. A lot of people experience intolerance or stomach sensitivity to certain ingredients like sucralose, sorbitol, or fructose found in electrolyte drinks or gels. Store bought electrolyte and energy drinks contain artificial dyes, unrefined sugar, as well as artificial flavouring and colouring.

Making your own electrolyte replacement drinks is easy, and can be beneficial in many ways. You can actually control all the ingredients used, focus on your specific physical needs, and optimize the recipe to suit your personal taste.

The basic electrolytes are sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Baking soda is a great ingredient to add to your electrolyte drinks — it is very alkaline, and effective in boosting performance by neutralizing lactic acid buildup, therefore delaying the onset of muscle pain and fatigue.

Electrolyte drinks can be tasty and easy to make. The basic ingredients you’ll need are: Liquids: Water, coconut water, or green tea.

Sweeteners: Honey, maple syrup, or Stevia (a sugar substitute that comes from a plant).

Electrolytes: Sea salt, or pink Himalayan sea salt, and baking soda.

Flavour: Freshly squeezed lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, or tart cherry juice (high in antioxidants).

Recipes: Your own Gatorade 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1.5-2 cups water 1/8 tsp sea salt 2 tbsp honey, or natural sugar Toss all the ingredients in a blender and blend until honey is dissolved.

Green Tea Coconut 3.5 cups coconut water 1/2 cup chilled green tea 3 tbsp honey 1/4 tsp sea salt Combine and mix until salt and honey have dissolved.

Fruity Sport Drink 4 cups water 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 cup dark unsweetened cherry juice 1/2 cup orange juice Toss all the ingredients in a blender and blend until honey is dissolved.

Katia is owner of d.BeFit (www.dbefit. com), is a NASM certified personal trainer, a NASM Sports Nutrition Specialist, as well as is TRX certified.

Optimal Hydration With Homemade Electrolyte Drinks

79

RACE DIRECTORY

Where To Race In Asia DATE

RACE

DISTANCE

LOCATION

WEBSITE

1 Jan

N.E. Mountain Race

20km and 28km

Hong Kong

xterace.com

3 Jan

The North Face Kathmandu Ultra Trail

11km, 27km, 50km and 80km

Nepal

ultratrailkathmandu.com

3 Jan

MR25 Ultramarathon

4 Jan

KOTH Lantau

10 Jan

The Great Relay

11 Jan

17 - 18 Jan 23 - 25 Jan 31 Jan 1 Feb

TNF Thailand

MSIG Sai Kung

7 Feb

Green Power

7 Feb

Vibram Tarawera Ultra

7 Feb

Akyathlon Skyrace

8 Feb

14 Feb 21 Feb 22 Feb 22 Feb 23 Feb

27 Feb - 1 Mar 28 Feb

6 - 14 Mar

80

Oxfam Trailwalker India

KOTH Sai Kung

7 Feb

8 Mar

Vibram HK100

Adventure Terra Race

1 Feb

1 Mar

Columbia Trail Masters

XTERRA Triathlon LBC Valentine’s

CNY Grand 3 Tour

Mt. Ugo Trail Marathon Runnilla Eco Challenge Bhutan International Marathon

Ultra Trail Hong Kong Annapurna 100

KOTH Sham Tseng

The Wild Elephant Trail

Bonaqua Action Sprint Sai Kung

| ASIA TRAIL • JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

Minimum of 5 laps of 10.35km each 14km and 29.8km

100km on a 4km trail loop

3km, 10km, 25km and 50km 100km 100km

50km and 100km 15km

19km and 37.4km

13km, 26km and 50km 10km, 25km and 50km

60km, 85km and 100km 35km

Swim (1km), Run (11km), Bike (31km) 14km 28km

21km and 42km

3km, 8km, 21km and 42km 21km and 42km

92km and 178km 50km and 100km 24km and 37km 210km 13km

Singapore

Hong Kong Hong Kong Thailand

Hong Kong India

Thailand

Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong New Zealand

Philippines Philippines Hong Kong Hong Kong

Philippines Philippines Bhutan

Hong Kong Nepal

Hong Kong Sri Lanka

Hong Kong

mr25.org.sg/mr25ultramarathon-2014/ seyonasia.com tghkrelay.com

ama-events.com

vibramhk100.com

trailwalker.oxfamindia.org/event/ index/event/bengaluru thenorthfacethailand.com xterace.com

seyonasia.com

actionasiaevents.com greenpower.org.hk

taraweraultra.co.nz

philskyrunning.com xterraphil.com

events.lantaubasecamp.com xterace.com

kotmtrailrun.com/mtugo runnilla.com

bhutaninternationalmarathon.com ultratrailhk.com.hk

annapurna100.com seyonasia.com

global-limits.com

actionasiaevents.com

RACE DIRECTORY

DATE

RACE

DISTANCE

LOCATION

WEBSITE

8 Mar

Green Corridor Run

10.5km

Singapore

greencorridorrun.com.sg

21 Mar

West Kathmandu Valley Rim

50km

Nepal

ultratrailkathmandu.com

13 - 15 Mar 22 Mar 22 Mar

28 - 29 Mar

TransLantau

Hysan Healthy Hike & Run Sea to Summit

Four Lakes 100/Old Spanish Trail 50

15km, 25km, 50km and 100km 5km, 13km and 21km 20km and 30km

50km and 100km

Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong

Philippines

translantau.com

actionasiaevents.com xterace.com

kotmtrailrun.com/fourlakes100

If you wish to add your race to our race calendar, please send us an email at sabrina@asiasportconnection.com.

Vibram Tarawera Ultra in New Zealand. Photo: graememurray.com

81

MARKETPLACE

Hong Kong

OVERLANDER RE:ECHO ACTION X

www.actionxstore.com

Daily: 11am-8pm G/F, 28 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan T: +852 3102 2977

RC OUTFITTERS www.rcoutfitters.net Daily: 12pm-10pm

Causeway Bay

2/F, Kin Tak Fung Commercial Bldg, 467-473 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay T: +852 2390 0020

Mong Kok

APA Outdoor Shop

eShop: www.apa.co/eshop Free delivery in Hong Kong!

16A Gee Chang Hong Centre, 65 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Mon-Fri: 10am-7pm Sat-Sun: 11am-6pm T: +852 3153 4091 E: shop@apa.co

5/F & 6/F, Oriental House, 24-26 Argyle street, Mong Kok T: +852 2390 0980

Tsuen Wan

Shop UG51, Citywalk, 1 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories T: +852 2838 1176 Mon-Thur: 11:30am-9:30pm Fri-Sun & PH: 11:30am-10pm

Yau Ma Tei

1/F, 50-56 Pitt Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon (Near Yau Ma Tei MTR Station, Exit A2) T: +852 2385 1822 Daily: 11am-10pm

Shatin

2/F, Men’s Wear Department, Phase 3, New Town Plaza, 2 Shatin Centre Street, Shatin, Hong Kong T: +852 2694 3080

Tsuen Wan

3/F, Tsuen Wan Plaza, Tsuen Wan T: +852 803 9107

ROUND THE WORLD www.roundtheworld.hk Mon-Sat: 11am-8pm Sun: 10:30am-7:30pm

Shop A, 51 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan T: +852 2745 6988

LANTAU BASE CAMP www.lantaubasecamp.com

Mon-Fri: 8:30am-7:30pm Sat-Sun & PH: 8am-7:30pm Closed on Tuesday Shop J, Sea View Building, Mui Wo, Lantau Island T: +852 5463 6060

82

| ASIA TRAIL • JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

Base Camp@ CausewayBay

3/F Gold Swan Commercial Building, 438–444 Hennessy Rd, Causeway Bay T: +852 3695 0871

Causeway Bay

Shop 205, Causeway Bay Plaza I, No.489, Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay T: +852 2319 2038

Base Camp@Mongkok

Rm 12-23, 12/F, Hollywood Plaza, 610 Nathan Rd, Mongkok T: +852 2117 1810

Packcity (Mongkok)

Shop 229, Level 2, Trendy Zone, 580A-F Nathan Rd, Mongkok T: +852 2116 2707

GigaSports

Unit 1, Level 8, Megabox, 38 Wang Chiu Rd., Kowloon Bay T: +852 2629 5009

Shatin

Yuen Long

Flat B, 1/F, Tai Tong Mansion, 29-33 Tai Tong Road, Yuen Long T: +852 2390 2388

www.overlander.com.hk Mon-Sat: 11am-9:30pm Sun: 11am-9:00pm

ESCAPADE SPORTS Causeway Bay 1/F, 19 Leighton Road T: +852 2891 1855 Mon-Thrus: 10am-9:00pm Fri-Sun: 9:30am-9pm

Central 1/F, 30-34 Cochrane Street T:+852 2851 0769 Mon-Thurs: 10:30am-9pm Fri-Sun: 10:30am-7:30pm

Shop 536, Level 5, New Town Plaza, Phase 1, Shatin T: +852 3427 9626

Tseung Kwan O

Shop 1129, Level 1, Phase II Metro City Plaza, Tseung Kwan O T: +852 2628 9902

Tsuen Wan

Shop UG57, Citywalk, Tsuen Wan T: +852 2117 1720