5+ Miles and 21,000 Steps

It's been a busy week.

We finished our residency permit application process and were approved! I'm not sure what that really means except that we do not have to leave China before 30, 60, or 90 days the way some people do.

We are still working on getting settled in to our new life and figuring out where everything is. The best way to do this (for me) is to literally get out and SEE the city. We took the metro to one of the popular malls and we took a bus to Walmart.

I find out a lot by running and walking.

On Tuesday I ran a 5K and found out how to get to the park that eluded me on my last run.

On Wednesday, I walked to a complex near us called Peninsula and watched the Chinese fishing boats.

On Thursday I added another 2.5+ miles to my Mizunos and discovered that we only live one mile from the ferry terminal where we go to get to the Hong Kong airport.

On Friday mrC's friend from work took us on a walking tour through the back city streets and a gem of a park hidden amongst the skyscrapers. Then we climbed up and across the Nanshan Mountain, a much longer hike than the one I did the first week. It was more than 5 miles round trip and 21,043 Fitbit steps.

We have a small wish list of items we would still like to get here and this morning we walked through the muggy rainfall to the QSI International School yard sale where we tried to find a pair of bikes. It was a hot mess in the small cafeteria, but we have a lead on one for mrC in the morning.

What's one thing you could not live without if you moved to a new country?

3 Runs and 3 Meals

We moved into our new China apartment one week ago and have been busy trying to get settled.

I didn't start to FEEL completely settled until I slipped on my Wave Rider 18s and went for my first run. I got lucky with lower than normal humidity, but any thoughts I had of big breezes coming off the water were quickly erased.

I tried again a couple of days later and even though it was more humid, my run was better.

This morning I ran in a new place hoping to connect with a path to a park, but instead I found everything blocked by new building construction. It's going to take awhile to get comfortable with my new geography.

Speaking of getting comfortable, we finally stocked the apartment with what we need to cook some real meals. Thanks to one of our new ex-pat friends (and stores that import some US foods), I have a crockpot and fixed some Italian chicken for our first dinner.

This morning mrC treated me to his famous cheesy scrambled eggs and PB&J rice cakes. I really missed those eggs.

I've also been missing my cheesy quinoa and tuna (recipe here), so today I decided to make some. We found what we think is quinoa along with the rest of the needed ingredients: tuna, plain Greek yogurt, and parmesan cheese.

Making my way around the kitchen has had obstacles, too. I don't have a measuring cup yet, so I did some guessing. I also bought Greek yogurt that doesn't have a resealable lid.

When I was shopping, I also didn't notice that one can of tuna was in oil. Ick. But it worked.

It feels good to have a favorite meal from home.

What makes you feel settled?
Do you like to plan your run routes?

6 Days in China and I Climbed a Mountain

It is hard to believe that we've only been in China for 6 days because it feels like so much more.

Here's what we've been up to...

Day 1:
We arrived very early on Saturday morning and proceeded to sleep most of the day after making our way from Hong Kong to Shenzhen via a ferry. Four suitcases, two taxis, and one employee from the company to see us to the hotel. We were quite the spectacle at the ferry terminal.

Day 2:
After sleeping in on Sunday, we explored Shekou, the Shenzhen district that we will be living in, and randomly met an expat from NEW HAMPSHIRE (of all places!) on the sidewalk who generously showed us around and shared a ton of tips with us. We ended up at Happy Hour with her and the wife of mrC's coworker.

Day 3 & 4:
We spent two days apartment hunting and finally found one we can move into this weekend. I attended my first women's group called SWIC, Shenzhen Women's International Club. The energy is a lot like my MRTT group, so I'm really excited to get involved. We also attended a very traditional Chinese dinner hosted by mrC's boss.

Day 5:
I completed my residency permit physical at the Shenzhen Hospital and then we opened a bank account. We explored the grocery scene and took notes on which stores have items we like and the prices.

Day 6:
mrC had to work, so I ventured out for the first time solo and climbed a mountain! The Nanshan Mountain is located just down the road from our hotel and is a very popular daily activity for expats. SWIK actually has a hiking group that climbs it every Monday.

The 363 meter climb is mostly steps all the way to the top. Fortunately for me, there were plenty of places to sit and rest, or to stop and take in the views. The breeze today wasn't the best, but there was some and it felt amazing because at 84 degrees with soupy-doupy humidity, it's HOT!

At the top there is a very interesting two-story viewing tower (failed to get pic of tower, bleh!) with amazing views of Shekou.  It was fun to try to figure out what I was looking out from way up high. I'm pretty sure that's Hong Kong across the bay and one of the buildings on the left side of the small bay of water is our new home.

So, I haven't yet had a chance to go for a run and I'm still trying to figure out how that will look. It is seriously warm and humid here! I'm hoping that once we are in the apartment which is on the water, I will find a breeze there for a nice morning run.

What do you do when you can't run?

Progression Run and Pool Time

As much as I want to run all around Dubai, it's just not that easy. Location, no car, heat. It's complicated.

So this morning instead of running circles around the track at the park again, I decided to do a Nike Run Club workout and this one came to my inbox.

So I was all dressed up in my Oiselle and had the fitness center to myself which meant...#gymselfie time!

Then it was time to get down to business. My plan was to run for 30 minutes, but everything was feeling good so I went for 10 more...and 10 more.

I eased into the run and then increased my speed every mile by 4 km/h. I've never used a treadmill with km settings, so I was making all of my choices based on feeling. This was my best run since getting to Dubai.

I finished up my workout with a quick set of planks and a good stretching session before hitting the pool for some recovery time.

How do you like to recover after a good workout?

Dubai Desert Road Run 3K Race Recap

I'm super excited to write a race recap about my first race in a new country!

As a runner, running races in different states has always been appealing. When I discovered that the Dubai Desert Road Run 3K and 10K event was being held during my visit, I couldn't wait to sign up and add another country to my list. Since running in the heat hasn't been my friend, I signed up for the 3K. I figured running a 2 mile race in another country was better than not running at all! It was really about the bragging rights anyway :)

The race was held at The Sevens Stadium about 30 minutes from our hotel. The Sevens is a multi-purpose sports complex with fields used for rugby, soccer, football, tennis, track & field and concerts. As you can see in the picture below, the venue is literally surrounded by desert. Appropriately, there is even a camel racing club next to it.

source

We took a taxi to the race and had plenty of time to pick up my bib, look around, and get ready for the race. Even though the venue was kind of fancy pants with changing rooms and showers available, the race itself was pretty simple. I like simple.

The 10K runners started promptly at 7AM followed immediately by the 3K at 7:05AM. The course for both races began behind the grandstand and led runners out of the stadium complex onto traffic free back roads.

The race was quiet. Most of the spectators stayed near the grandstand where they had music at the start/finish area, so the only people out on the course were runners, photographers, and aid station volunteers. Running toward the 3K turn-around, all I saw was flat brown sand and groups of camels.

The camels were on the other side of the fence to my right.

Even at 7 o'clock in the morning it was warm. As I ran toward the finish, I was glad that I chose the 3K.

My results were much better than I expected. The 3K race was not chipped timed, but instead numbers were manually recorded at the finish line.

It was a blessing that mrC's class schedule opened up and he could go to the race with me. He is still on the no-running list following his gallbladder surgery, but we're both anxious for him to get back in his running shoes.

After cooling down, we skipped the awards and made our way out to find a taxi back to the hotel.

Have you ever run a race in another country?