Team Eat.Run.See continued our exploration of Patagonia at the southern tip of South America. After a mind-blowing adventure in the Patagonia region of Chile, we crossed the border to see its Argentinian counterpart. TRAIL Magazine gave us the opportunity to write about our experiences as we ate and ran our way through this dramatic and breathtaking part of the world:

TRAIL Issue 20: Glorious Glaciers of Argentina

We also covered this region in greater detail in this blog article.

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio / iTunes / Magzter

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share and remember tales from the trails of our global adventure.

Team Eat.Run.See explored the wilds and wonders of the massive country of Australia. And crikey, it was amazing! We’ve shared our experiences running down under in the latest issue of TRAIL Magazine:

TRAIL 19: G’day Oz-trail-ia!

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio / iTunes / Magzter

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails of our global adventure.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. Home to over 7 million people, it’s one of the world’s most densely populated cities. It’s an incredible melting pot of people, customs, and cultures seen, smelled, and heard in the myriad of streets, alleyways, and waterways. It has one of the world’s most recognizable skylines and harbours, with giant, towering skyscrapers, and row after row of tall residential buildings set perched on the edge of mountainous landscapes.

Our stop in Hong Kong was the back book-end to our incredible adventures around the world that started in November 2014. We picked this spot because of its proximity back to Vancouver, but we hoped that it would intrigue and delight us beyond its connection to our home town. We weren’t disappointed! Here’s the first of three instalments: running in Hong Kong.

The beautiful cityscape viewed from Victoria Peak

We wondered how we’d connect with nature and put foot to trail amidst this concrete jungle. Boy were we surprised! Our 6-day visit to Hong Kong blew our Injinji toe-socks off for so many reasons: incredible lush, hilly, scenic trails nestled in lush greenery on Hong Kong and its surrounding islands; the amazing range of delicious asian inspired veggie food; an incredible transport system that moves many millions of people daily; and its fascinating history with many visible remnants of its roots.

We split our time between the islands of Hong Kong and Lantau. On Hong Kong we stayed at a hostel in the Fortress Hill district. We focused our running on urban “trails” through the streets of Hong Kong and up to and around the forest land at the top of Victoria Peak. In the city we discovered a delightful urban recreation area called Victoria Park where locals jog around the running track and practice tai chi daily. A really authentic experience!

Topping out at 552m, Victoria Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong island. While the summit itself is off limits, this is home to a very popular lookout over the sprawling cityscape and harbour below. There are many ways up to the Peak and its access to nature, including a historic funicular railway dating back to 1926. For the avid trail runner or hiker, there are a few options to reach the Peak. Google this and you’ll be amazed at how many pathways there are to the top at both day and night – including an incredibly intricate set of stairs that run up alongside the tram. We didn’t have time to get up to the Peak on foot, but we did spend time running along the trails once at the top.

Views along the trail atop Victoria Peak

Lush green foliage strikes a stark contrast to the concrete jungle below

Breathtaking views across the bay and the many islands dotting the horizon

From this vantage point, there are views across the many bays and over Hong Kong’s neighbouring islands. The trail system criss-crosses the mountain side and top, meandering through lush jungle vines and banyan tree canopy. There’s roughly 25km of trail if you follow the Hong Kong Trail system. We ran about 10km out and back from the main Peak visitor area, stopping along the way to enjoy the views of nature and city alike. The pathway is easy to follow and mostly paved underfoot. We wish we’d had more time to get into the backcountry and explore the extensive network of trails on Hong Kong. But, it’s always good to leave something to come back to!

This qualifies as a *large* buddha statue!

Leaving the hustle, bustle, and bright lights behind us, we moved on from Hong Kong Island to nearby Lantau Island. We arrived on Lantau by ferry and caught the bus to the village close to our next hostel. The village is home to the Po Lin monastery and a 34 metre tall bronze Buddha sculpture. After a bit of bushwhacking we arrived at our hostel, just before the first of many intense downpours began.

Determined not to let the rain dampen our spirits, we grabbed a break in the weather and set out on an exploratory run to get a taste of the 70+ km Lantau Trail. This is a circular hiking trail that explores the southern half of the island. The trail includes a hike up Lantau’s highest mountain, Lantau Peak, at 934 metres. With no intention of completing the full circuit (this time!), we did manage a 3-hour out and back run which included going up and down the peak. The foliage and surroundings were far more wild and jungle-like than the trails we explored on Hong King Island.

The Lantau Peak trailhead close to our hostel

Climbing up through a lush green jungle and happy with a break in the storm

Definitely a first for Team ERS – running with a giant buddha as a backdrop

The run was quite a slog, with soggy, slippery surfaces underfoot. Much of the trail was either rock stair or hardpacked earth. There was a lot of water pouring down the mountain from earlier rain showers, making for very tricky footfalls and a constant threat of slipping. Unfortunately it was very misty when we were on the trail, so our views were limited. However, on our way back, we had a brief clearing to allow a magnificent view over the island with the giant Buddha floating peacefully on a lower hilltop.

Lots of rain = lots of waterfalls on trails

Well-marked trail system on the Lantau Trail

Bev at the top of Lantau Peak. Sadly no views this time!

We wrapped up our time on Lantau with lots of inside time due to the poor weather (which eventually became a cyclone warning!), a visit to the monastery and its amazing array of vegan food and baked goods, and a stairway sprint to get up close and personal with the big Buddha.

Hong Kong and Lantau Islands were an incredible introduction to what was previously a very mystical, unknown part of the world to us both. We were fortunate enough to meet a local trail runner while on one of our outings. He happened to have run the OCC-UTMB race with us in France last year. It was great to get his perspective on trail running in Hong Kong, and this encounter reminded us just how amazing the global trail running community is. We left with positive memories and a strong desire to return to uncover much more of this spectacular, surprising place.

Helpful running resources:

http://hktrailrunner.blogspot.ca

www.irunfar.com/2012/09/trail-running-in-hong-kong.html

http://asiatrailmag.com

www.discoverhongkong.com

http://www.lantauonline.com

Organized races:

Hong Kong 100 Ultra Trail Race: January (100km) http://www.hk100-ultra.com

TransLantau: March (15km / 25km / 50km / 100km) https://translantau.com

Hong Kong Trail Race Calendar: http://marathons.ahotu.com/calendar/hong-kong/trail

In the latest issue of TRAIL magazine, Team Eat.Run.See put foot to trail amidst the concrete jungle of Hong Kong, one of the world’s most densely populated metropolises. Our six-day visit blew our Injinji toe-socks off for so many surprising reasons.

Read the article to find out why:

TRAIL 18 – Surprising Hong Kong

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio / iTunes / Magzter

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails of our global adventure.

Another Eat.Run.See adventure has just been published in TRAIL magazine! In this issue we share our experiences running on the north and south islands of scenic and friendly New Zealand.

Click on the link below for our article as it appears in the magazine:

TRAIL 17 – Amazing New Zealand!

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio / iTunes / Magzter

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails of our global adventure.

The latest TRAIL magazine featuring another Eat.Run.See adventure has just been published! In this issue we share our experiences running in three regions of Croatia in Eastern Europe. If you’d like to read more about our adventures in this beautiful, diverse, and welcoming country, we cover Croatia in greater detail (and with many more stunning images!) on our blog here.

Click on the link below for our article as it appears in the magazine:

TRAIL 16 – Eat.Run.See Awed by Croatia

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio: https://www.zinio.com/magazine/TRAIL/pr-500650714/cat-cat1960090#/

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trail-magazine-sa/id979830150?mt=8

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails that we explore and experience on our global adventure.

Click me to read our article as it appears in the magazine

The latest TRAIL magazine featuring another Eat.Run.See adventure has just been published! In this issue we share our amazing experience in Chilean Patagonia; running and hiking through pristine wilderness in Torres del Paine National Park in the far south of Chile. If you’d like to read more about our adventures in Patagonia, we cover Chile and Argentina in greater detail (and with many more beautiful images!) on our blog.

Click on the link below for our article as it appears in the magazine:

TRAIL 15 – Eat.Run.See Loves Life in Breathtaking Patagonia

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio: http://ca.zinio.com/www/browse/product.jsp?rf=sch&productId=500650714

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trail-magazine-sa/id979830150?mt=8

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails that we explore and experience on our global adventure.

Click me to read our article

Another awesome issue of TRAIL magazine featuring Eat.Run.See! This time we cover running  in the Honduran jungle – an exhilarating experience! We also talk about how we’re traveling on a plant-based diet and what makes our list of most memorable vegan plates and places.

Click on the link below for our article as it appears in the magazine.

TRAIL 14 – Eat.Run.See Survives Honduras

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy (from wherever you access the interwebs) via one of these links:

Zinio: http://za.zinio.com/www/browse/product.jsp?rf=sch&productId=500650714

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trail-mag/id796352591?ls=1&mt=8

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails that we explore and experience on our global adventure.

Amazingly, already just over three weeks have passed since running the fun and beautiful Valamar Trail 53K race on the Istrian peninsula in Croatia.

The Valamar Trail, this year in it’s first edition, did an outstanding job of organizing a fantastic day out on the trails of this very beautiful part of our planet. The day’s events comprised 4 different race distances, there was a 13K, 21K, 53K and a 73K, so there’s an opportunity for everybody to participate – beginning trail runners all the way through to experienced ultra runners.

The race’s main sponsor, in fact the race’s organizing body, is the Valamar Group of Resorts - a major resort group in Croatia. They offered an amazing deal, which pretty much sealed our decision to participate. Half board accommodation (bed, breakfast, and dinner) in a gorgeous 3-star sea-view hotel was being offered to race participants at only €19 per person per night. Additionally, if you stayed 5 nights the race’s entry fee would also be waived. It was perfect for a couple of round-the-world backpackers!

The race took place near a beachside resort town called Rabac. We arrived from Split a few days before the race and knew we had made a solid decision to enter the race as soon as we checked into our hotel (the Valamar Miramar Hotel). It was awesome. A gorgeous pool, super comfortable room, and pretty amazing food, which included soy milk on the breakfast buffet, left us in no doubt that a fun few days were on tap.

Race check-in (and mandatory gear check) happened in a neighboring (Valamar) hotel, 5 minutes walk from our hotel, and went very smoothly.

We packed our race vests and were ready for a very civilized race morning the following day since the race only started at 9AM and the start location was a mere 5 minute walk away.

Race kit ready

After a very comfortable night’s sleep, a quick breakfast of cereal and multigrain toast, we made our way to the start line where we encountered a festive and lively atmosphere.

After a couple of minutes spent greeting and chit-chatting with a few friendly, fellow racers we were off. The course started with a couple of road kilometers winding us through the village of Rabac before depositing us at the beginning of the business end of this anything-up trail race.

Ready-set-go!

The first section of single track was simply awesome, we ran through dense forest (which included very sharp pine needles that drew a fair amount of blood from our lower legs), scampered the width of a rocky beach (with amazing views of the Adriatic), and before we knew it, we hit the first climb of the day.

About to hit the beach

The Adriatic

That first climb

Bev was laying it down with an absolute vengeance in the the first 15km of the day, and I thought we were in for something rather special (if I could hang on that was!). She ran technical sections with more confidence and agility than I’ve ever seen and she trucked up climbs without fear. We were passing the field, and she was getting into a good position among the women.

Bev was ripping up the single track and lovin’ it

Rich took a more peaceful approach

Unfortunately at about 20km Bev starting feeling nauseated and started carrying some pain in her lower back, and she started slowing down. At one point she felt so bad, that she contemplated something she’d never even thought of before during a race: dropping.

Of course, that is not the sort of thing Bev does, and after a short little cry brought on by frustration, pain, and heat she renewed her resolve and continued trucking along. When we finally hit the aid station at 31km she ate a few handfuls of salty potato chips, washed it down with the provided isotonic sports drink and got going again with real intent.

Bev getting her groove back at the 31km aid station

We had run hard to this point, and both of us had suffered a bit in the heat, and did a good job cursing the unbelievable rocky surface underfoot, but we were determined to put in a solid effort in last 22km of this beautiful, but tough, course.

Buoyed by the knowledge that we only had about 20km to go and that most of the day’s climbing was behind us we were on a relative high (maybe it was the salt on the chips)! But little did we know just how many rocky miles lay ahead. This part of the world is basically made out of limestone and the surface underfoot for the remainder of the course was some of the rockiest terrain either of us had ever seen. Our feet had already taken a beating to this point but the worst was yet to come. Fatigue combined with hard, uneven surfaces make for a challenging time. To make matters even worse, the terrain was so rocky that running was becoming a risky proposition, which meant that we were going to be out there for that much longer.

Rocks, rocks, everywhere you look

The final 8km was pretty much all downhill, and consisted almost exclusively of rock strewn jeep track; running on it required our full attention for fear of snapping an ankle or bruising a heel. There was an amazing view over the Adriatic as we closed in on the return to Rabac where the finish line (and a lovely cold beer and hot meal) were waiting.

Rocky jeep track

As has become our thing, we crossed the finish line hand-in-hand, while the announcer excitedly announced our arrival with  “and here come our two Canadians!”).

Another shot at the finish

Our official finish time was 7:57:00, which we thought was reasonable, but when we later discovered that Bev was only 26 minutes out of 3rd place among women overall (and only 31 minutes out of 2nd place) we were rather pleased with the time.

 Dubrovnik

The old (walled) town of Dubrovnik doubles as King’s Landing in television’s Game of Thrones. One can see some of the impressive architecture showcased in this TV show from various vantage points around town, and this adds a pretty neat dimension to the views that are available on a Dubrovnik road run. Our first run took us from our accommodation near the main bus terminal (often major bus terminals are located in the sketchiest parts of town, but this is not true of Dubrovnik) around the port and marina on the sea front through Babin Kuk, the classy resort area of Lapad, through a unexpected park (which threw a neat little trail with a bit of vertical gain our way) back to the road around the marina and on to our great little spot at Guest House Dada for a total of ~12km (route pictured below – check out the “Move” on the Suunto Movescount website). The weather was great, the locals encountered along the way were friendly and all in all we both had a great run. Little did we know that, running-wise, things were only going to get better in this wonderful part of the world.

Suunto Movescount Map of Dubrovnik run

While in Dubrovnik we also did a speed workout, running 500m repeats along the sea front along the marina (route below). We recommend an early start to minimize the foot traffic encountered, but the flat, smooth terrain is well suited to faster running.

Marina area – good spot for short speed intervals

Mljet

On the main highway, Mljet

After 2 nights in Dubrovnik we headed over to the small island of Mljet by ferry. We were very excited at the prospect of running on this beautiful little island as roughly one third of the island area consists of the stunningly beautiful Mljet National Park replete with gorgeous lakes and a myriad off-road paths and trails.

Access to the park (which is located on the west side) is best done via the bustling and well serviced (we even found soy milk!) village of Polace, but we first wanted to explore the eastern (and southern) parts of the island and thus we opted to spend a few nights in the less bustling and less well serviced (no soy milk!) village of Sobra.

From Sobra, which is located roughly in the “center” of the island, we did an explorer’s run to Saplunara, another beach town on the easternmost tip of the island. This run was around 16km, one way, along a well maintained, but very quiet, highway. The run offered spectacular views of the island and the Adriatic seas around the coast, and the road surface was really good, providing yet another a wonderful road running experience. It should be noted, though, that there is rarely a flat stretch on this 16km trot to Saplunara (see the Movescount moves here and here), and the total vertical gain, one way, is 340m.

Upon reaching Saplunara, however, a wonderful beach oasis awaits the hot and weary runner! We spent a lovely, leisurely hour or two swimming in the crystal clear, blue Adriatic waters, sunbathing, and eating fruit purchased from a well stocked local market before tackling the same 16km stretch back to Sobra. A highly recommended road run to anybody who doesn’t shy away from the odd 32+km day with a bit of vertical gain thrown in.

View along the run to Saplunara

View along the run to Saplunara

Mid run break and dip in the Adriatic (at Saplunara)

Partial route from Sobra to Saplunara

Partial route from Sobra to Saplunara

But the absolute running highlight was exploring the Mljet National Park. What made the park especially well suited to running is the fact that in addition to the many trails to select from, some quite technical and steep, there are also lots of paved tracks which allows for some of the best road running either of us has ever had the pleasure of doing. The paved tracks run along the perimeter(s) of the two lakes that dominate the park’s features, and offer non-stop, fantastic turquoise water views. The running surface is very good and the track is quite level.

Exploring the trails in the park is easy and rewarding. Trails are well marked and most are well maintained as well. We did find at least one trail which doesn’t seem to receive too much attention; there were several downed trees to climb over on this trail but it was still very easy to follow. There are maps available for purchase at the park entrances, and there are maps on large signposts at a few locations around the park. We took a picture of the park’s trail layout and found it sufficient to explore the park. The fact that the park’s geography is dominated by the two large lakes makes it relatively easy to remain oriented while on the trails.

We ran one longish exploration run (see map below), which provided some gnarly, technical single track, some flowing, wide single track and awe inspiring views.

17km Mljet National Park run

All the pictures below were taken on this 17km run:

Richard enjoying a sweet line along this part of the trail

Trails are marked with these white and red markings

Sometimes one must stop to take it all in

The shimmering Adriatic

Bev enjoying herself on one of the wide, flowing sections

Parts of the trail were very rocky, but runnable

While we loved the trails, we are currently training for the Athens Marathon The Authentic coming up in November, and thus ran a few tempo and interval runs on the paved tracks around the lakes too.

We found the Mljet National Park to be a peaceful sanctuary to explore and enjoyed many miles of running bliss during our 8-day stay in Polace.