Three Running Guilty Pleasures

Sometimes I think running is my guilty pleasure since none of the friends I've made in my Hong Kong neighborhood are into running or have stopped running because of a bad knee, ankle, hip. Being able to run and get that "me time" definitely feels like it should be a guilty pleasure because it makes me so happy.

When I think about it, my running guilty pleasures (the things that I like that maybe not everyone else does) not only make me happy, but also motivate me. 

1. New Running Gear

Spending money on new running clothes that I absolutely do not really need but find a way to justify is definitely a guilty pleasure. Fortunately mrC does not give me a hard time about this. I only feel guilty until I actually go for a run in the new gear though. Like today - it was really cold and I almost gave in to my body's desire to stay in and stay warm, but then I remembered that I had a new top from Athleta (affiliate) to wear along with a new pair of Lululemon tights. Since they both kept me warm and cozy, I can now justify the purchase.

2. Reality TV

One thing I loved about running on the treadmill (which could be my least favorite thing at times) was watching trashy TV. There's nothing like a good reality tv show to make the miles fly by. Since I used to have the basement TV (or laptop) to myself, I never felt bad for watching multiple episodes in a row. Especially Real Housewives of ANYWHERE. I love the ridiculousness of these shows because they are real, but not really real. If I could get the Bravo app to work without a cable subscription, I would still be watching whenever I run on the treadmill.

3. The Runfie

This is sort of my way of saying, hey look how far I ran today! Or look where I got to run today! I'm 100% a visual person and I love taking pictures, so I love my selfie run pics. It's fun to scroll through my Instagram and reminisce about runs at the Cape or with littleC in Budapest. It's totally a walk down memory lane. I also love looking at other people's pics too. Seeing their photos can motivate me to get out there if I'm in a run rut.

Every runner has guilty pleasures right? Music, food, pricey race photos, bubble baths...it can be anything. You can check out the Tuesdays on the Run link-up with Patty, Erika, and Marcia  for a bunch of us sharing ours this week.

What is one of your running guilty pleasures?

Hiking: Discovery Bay to Mui Wo via Tiger's Head

Just two days after hiking Dragon's Back, the kids decided that they wanted to tackle Tiger's Head ---> a peak that looms over us here in Discovery Bay. The name Tiger's Head comes from how the peak looks from the top - what do you think? Does it look like a tiger is watching over DB?

The best way to describe our hike from Discovery Bay to Mui Wo via Tiger's Head, is to break the 9km into three parts:

The first 3km was all climbing and I mean serious climbing right up to Tiger's Head peak at about 460 meters. It is hard work (made easier than our first time by the cooler weather) and in some places it feels like you are going straight up. But if you take breaks, it is completely manageable.

Lucky for us, we had a beautiful day to hike. The reward for the climb is the amazing views, especially once you push past Tiger's Head up to the ridge of Lo Fu Tau Country Trail.

For the next 3km we followed the Lo Fu Tau Country Trail across the ridge to its beginning. This part of the hike was pretty easy since the trail was mostly flat. We soaked up the views and the sun and didn't even let the crazy trail runners bother us ;)

Along this part of the trail we found the famous rock formations: turtle rock, sword sharpening rock and peach rock. According to online articles, none of these are man-made although they look like it.

The final 3+km began around the junction of Lo Fu Tau Country Trail and Olympic Trail. We took a short snack break at the pavilion before starting our descent into Mui Wo.

On this part of the hike there is lots of shade, at times it felt like we were walking through a forest. We spent a few minutes at Silvermine Cave and Silvermine Waterfall Garden before finishing up in Mui Wo.

We celebrated our hard core hiking skills with lunch at our favorite spot in Mui Wo, The Kitchen.

Other Discovery Bay area hikes:

Hiking Discovery Bay: Lookout Point Loop

Hiking: Mui Wo to Discovery Bay

Hiking: Tiger's Head - Lo Fu Tau

Weekly Wrap - Pile on the Miles

We spent the better part of the two week holiday packing in all kinds of touristy activities while both middleC and littleC were here together. Now that middleC has returned to the US, things have slowed down a bit. Fortunately, littleC also has a passion for all things fitness.

I'm super excited to be kicking off 2018 with a couple of good runs after taking an unintentional break (my last run was the Santa Night Run). Without setting any specific goals, I do hope to continue my healthy running streak. If that means I end up logging more miles than last year, great. If not, also great. As long as I'm running I'll be happy.

And being able to run with littleC while she is here definitely makes me happy! On Wednesday I took her on my favorite 5K loop along the water and through the park. It was a tough run for me. I had trouble getting a comfortable breathing rhythm and ended up with a very painful side stitch.

On Friday, I ran that same route but stopped at the fitness center to meet mrC and littleC for an hour of fun tennis. This run was much, much better. I have a couple of ideas for why that is: 1) I ran faster (true), so I had less time to think about how hard it was (ha), 2) it was cooler (66F versus 72F), 3) I got about 3 inches of hair cut off so I was lighter on my feet (haha) 4) (and probably the most likely reason) it was just one of those good run days.

The rest of the week looked like this:

Monday - Sightseeing with the kids: Big Buddha and Tai O fishing village

Tuesday - More sightseeing: ding ding tram to a rooftop lunch and a spin in the Observation Wheel

Wednesday - Took middleC to the airport and family 5K

Thursday - GRIT class

Friday - Two mile run and one hour of tennis

Saturday - rainy day bowling

Sunday - Rest day

Most of the weekend was rainy and a winter monsoon (strong winds) is causing Hong Kong temperatures to drop rapidly starting today. It might actually get below 50 degrees!

How was your week?
Did you have guests over the holidays?

I'm linking up with Holly  and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap!

3 Accomplishments and 2 Goals

Happy Friday! I'm jumping into the Friday Five 2.0 Linkup with Lacey and Meranda and Rachel and talking goals and resolutions today.

Before I can set goals for a new year (which I do not always do), I like to reflect on the previous year ---> what did I do? what did I achieve?

1. I ran over 200 miles! Almost all of them on my Wave Sky (affiliate). For someone who had a meniscectomy and has very little cartilage remaining in one knee, this is a BIG deal. And when I see that the previous year (which I will now call the year of the cranky knee) I only ran 29.25 miles, I'm so happy that I figured out a way to bring running back into my life.

2. I ran THREE races (recaps here, here and here)! As soon as I was able to run 5Ks on my own and after joining a night running group, I started seriously looking for races. Finding 5Ks in Hong Kong with a relatively flat, road course was harder than I expected ---> many are on trails with rocky downhill terrain.

I love seeing the smile on my face!

3. I tried new things: SUP racing, archery, GRIT ---> loved them all! Archery was a fun group activity to do. SUP racing was the most exciting and seriously hard work to go just 500 meters out and back. I'd love to do it again. GRIT has become my favorite workout class. I love the cardio and strength combo.

EXTRA:  I'm pretty proud of the variety I kept in my workouts. Running, hiking, yoga, SUP, Bodypump, Bodystep, GRIT, strength training, HIIT workouts, sprints. I have my favorites, but I was open to doing any and all types of workouts in 2017.

So, my goals for 2018 are pretty simple.

4. Be happy where I am. I'm going to continue to do what feels right and good on any given day. I'm going to run when I feel like it, not to meet a schedule. I will accept what I can do today, not worry about what I did in the past.

5. Keep moving. No matter what, I want to stay active. I love getting out and doing things. I will keep doing the things I love, but I will also keep trying new things. Anything that comes my way.

What accomplishment are you most proud of from 2017?
What are your goals and/or resolutions for the new year?

Hiking: Dragon's Back (Family Edition)

I've hiked Dragon's Back, aka Hong Kong Trail stage 8, a few times and it never gets old. This time was my favorite though because it was a family affair. It's been so fun having middleC and littleC in Hong Kong hiking with us. I think I'm going to feel a bit lost when they leave.

Super windy on the top!

Since they have been enjoying the hiking (see previous hikes here and here), we wanted to make sure that they did the most popular hike in Hong Kong. This was my first time acting as hike leader on a big hike. All the other times I tagged along and followed the group. With the kids in town, my knowledge of Hong Kong has really been put to the test and I'm happy to say that I'm doing pretty good so far.

To give you an idea, here's what it took to get to the start of the trail:

We took the ferry from Discovery Bay ( on Lantau Island where we live) to Central (on Hong Kong Island) ---> took the MTR to Shau Kei Wan ---> caught bus #9 toward Shek O to the To Tei Wan stop.

Once we hit the trail head, all we had to do was follow the signs. This meant I had a break from leading until lunch at the end.

This hike was the perfect choice to increase both length and difficulty for our visiting hikers. It has the great views of the trails rated difficult, but with a much more moderate climb. A lot of the hike was on dirt trail which was kind on the legs and feet.

Reaching the 284 meter peak was semi-quick. We did climb a section of pretty steep steps, but with a few breaks they were quite manageable.

And after every section of climbing, we were greeted with amazing views over the Shek O Bay area. These were great spots to take a rest ---> and lots of people had the same idea. The trail was very crowded the day we hiked.

After reaching Shek O Peak, the undulating ridge top that is the trail's namesake begins. Steps have been built in to make the descents as easy as possible.

It felt really good to make it to the end of the trail. This hike was about 8km long and took us just over 2.25 hours to get to Big Wave Bay. The Hong Kong Enjoy Hiking website, rates Dragon's Back as very difficult, but we think that is a bit harsh. Using their own grading reference system, we think it should be labeled moderate. It's definitely a great choice for people who are ready to take on a little more challenging hike.

We checked out the beach at Big Wave Bay and used the convenient facilities there before hopping on the bus to Shek O for lunch.

What activity does your family like to do together?

I'm linking up with Deb for the Wednesday Word - CHOICE!

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