It's been a while

Dear readers,

I know it has been a while since I posted a decent post here about running, life and all. What can I say? Well the thing we called life (real one as opposed to social media but that is another story altogether) has taken over. Am I back for good? I hope so.

So what has happened during the last 2 years. Well I have done some races here and there. The year 2015 was quite significant as our CGT team accomplished the 444 kilometer Expedition in April of 2015 covering the 6 provinces of the Cordillera and Baguio City in Philippines. The Cordillera Great Traverse took us 17 days, 4 hours and 10 minutes to be exact. The preparation, logistics and planning themselves were difficult as the Expedition itself as it has never done before.  Sun Star published a news on this. Check it out as well on Facebook if you have time. 

In preparation for this Expedition, I did 2 ultra races in Hongkong ... 1 week apart. One is the 177km Ultra Trail Hongkong (UTHK) on its first edition and after a week, the Translantau 100km. After successfully finishing both races, I kept joking that I must have seen the entire HK archipelago! How I wish the HK authorities or tourism would adopt a more natural approach to the paving of pathways as the concrete steps can be hard on the knees and quads. Slippery also during rainy weather.

Then on May 2015, I did my 3rd Hardcore race to earn the most coveted Hall of Fame. There were 3 of us who earned it. This race was hard as I could feel the lingering fatigue from the overseas races, the Expedition and some local races. Not enough time to recover well. For pete's sake I must have slept for a total time of 4 hours during 2015 Hardcore and barely made it to the finish line! Yup this fart is getting old.

So fast forward to 2016. The significant race for me was the Fat Dog 120 miles in Canada. They say it is one of the hardest races ... in the world. Is it? To a certain extent, yes. For one, the distance was increased from 193kms I think to 197kms right before the race due to re-routing. They could have just rounded it off to 200kms yes? Then I was supposed to do the Hardcore 100 in April for the 4th time but the runner I was recruited to pace objected to me running it. His words - "I want you fresh" referring to me pacing him at the 102km distance. The long and short of it is, the pacing duties never materialized as he had to quit at the first quarter of the race due to accident while on the trail. No biggies. It is what it is. 

Then we put up the law firm (website still in process). So now my hands are full. I have a feeling I will not have that time to continue organizing and directing MF42 in 2017, the short distance race of CM50. I will perhaps avoid being recruited to direct other of races as well unless the RD fee is handsomely attractive :) It can get tiring really but CM50 will of course continue. It is the local race I really love.

To cap off this post, I remember distinctly the conversation I had with our good friend Simon Sandoval while still coherent during the middle portion of Fat Dog 120 race. Being on the same age group, 40s (I am 46 now and Simon is a few years my junior) we both noticed how slow our body now recovers from races compared a decade ago. We somehow agreed in principle that may be a 100 mile trail race per year is enough for old farts like us. Fundamentally though, we seem to agree that it is only during training for a 100 mile race can we only reach the peak of our fitness and no other distance can do that. I seem totally sold on that given that one has to train, prepare and suck it up for 100 mile race. You don't train, the race will eat you alive. Even how many you have done so far, you ought to respect the distance. 

So for 2017, I hope to get in Hardrock 100. Maybe 5th time is a charm!

Cheers,

Jon (still thinking that reg fee, US3xx for Hardrock is expensive)