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.

The Tarawera Ultra Marathon took place on February 7th, during New Zealand’s Waitangi Day long weekend starting in the town of Rotorua, New Zealand’s adventure capital, and ending in the sawmill town of Kawerau. The race weekend began with an authentic cultural experience at the Te Puia Centre where Maori cultural dancers performed a traditional powhiri welcome ceremony, which included the iconic haka. The start of the weekend was especially moving as it coincided with the Waitangi Day celebrations. We were also treated to the magnificent sight of the world famous Pohutu Geyser. Essentially a perfect start to what was to be an absolute Eat.Run.See highlight.

The welcome ceremony about to begin (photo credit: Marceau Photography)

Maori warrior runs to greet/challenge representative of runners’ tribe (photo credit: Marceau Photography)

Traditional dancers performing during the welcome ceremony at Te Puia

The Pohutu Geyser

Upon reflecting on this weekend one word comes to mind more than any other. It’s not very eloquent, and it’s not very informative, but somehow it captures things rather well. And that word is a straightforward “Wow!”

A number of things came together to make our Tarawera experience so memorable. And the race itself, perhaps, isn’t even the most important element in all of that.

But since this is going to be essentially a race report I will only just mention the non-race aspects that turned this event into one of lasting significance for us both.

As part of our North Island exploration we used couchsurfing.com to secure accommodation for one night in Wellington. Amazingly, it turned out that the wonderful couple, Scott and Adrienne, whom we connected with, were also running the Tarawera Ultra 100KM! We had a great evening staying with them in their lovely home in Wellington, where they shared with us their experience and a number of insider tips gleaned from their previous Tarawera runs. But it doesn’t stop there. Scott and Adrienne also invited us to stay with them in the spare room of the holiday home that they had already rented for race weekend. Suddenly our big race weekend, which we’d been planning for many months, turned into an epic weekend spent with new friends, that happened to include a race. Thanks again to Scott and Adrienne (who both ran amazing 100KM races) for their amazing Kiwi generosity and hospitality!

OK, this is supposed to be a race report, right? Let’s start at the beginning. Of course, I’m not quite sure where the beginning of any of these races truly is. Is it when you decide to enter, and start vaguely training for a long run many months in the future, is it the night before the race when you fail miserably at trying to get a good night’s sleep, or is it when the starting signal goes off?

Let’s just say that we were nervously confident – even though our training during the month we spent in India (two months before the race) was rather lackluster due to logistical troubles (it turns out it’s not that easy to run in India…), our training in New Zealand during the month prior to Tarawera went really well. Additionally we felt buoyed by a great 60KM training run on the famous and beautiful Kepler Track near gorgeous Te Anau on the South Island.

Race morning dawned (well that’s just an expression, since we got up at 4am, well before any hint of “dawn”) and we made our way to the start at the entrance to the magnificent Redwoods area in Rotorua. One of the huge advantages of staying with Scott and Adrienne during race weekend was the help we got from their support crew, Adrienne’s sister, Danielle. Danielle drove the four of us to the start area and we enjoyed one of our most relaxing and stress free race starts in a long while!

While waiting for the big run to get underway we were treated to another spectacular, goose-bump inducing haka performance by the Te Puia performers. It set the scene for an awesome day filled with emotion, grit and perseverance.

It was still dark when the race started, and the train of headlamps through the majestic Redwood forest looked an equal mixture of eerie and spectacular.

Here we go…nobody here is nervous or stressed out, right?

Bev and I quickly settled into an easy, comfortable rhythm and before we knew it we felt relaxed and confident. Although at Comrades (89km on the road) we’d come close, neither of us had run 100km before and we decided to take it really easy to begin with and just see what happened.

About 8km in, Bev has her relaxed, game face on early

The first few kilometers passed uneventfully enough, listening to the nervous and excited chatter of those around us, and quietly hoping that we’d last all the way to the finish.

Blue Lake, just one of the gorgeous lakes along the course

Making it look easy

It’s not over yet, is it?

For me, this confidence started fading fairly soon afterwards. By the time we’d reached the Millar Road aid station at around the 20km mark my quads started feeling unreasonably fatigued, and with another 80km to go, it didn’t exactly fill me with joy. Before the run Bev and I agreed that for a longish day, as this one was expected to be, we would try to eat actual solid food from early on at the aid stations. The first thing I saw on offer at the aid station was a lily-white bread sandwich with about a half inch of Marmite – not exactly the kind of thing we usually eat. Nevertheless, I didn’t feel all that great and figured it looked appetizing enough, and so I went for it. I also wolfed down two more sandwiches with heaps of boysenberry jam.

We spent about 10 minutes at the aid station eating, and filling our water bottles, before we set off again, and I was amazed at how strong I felt – significantly better than when we arrived. (From now on, I will be eating lots of Marmite on long runs!). The 17km to the next aid station at Okataina Lodge felt really easy and we were running well and utterly enjoying the great spirit and camaraderie amongst the runners on the trail.

Upon arriving at the aid station I immediately got down to eating more Marmite and jam sandwiches, gulped down a few glasses of Heed, and filled up water bottles before tackling the next 10km section to Humphries Bay.

This next section of the run included what would become another major highlight of our New Zealand adventure as a fellow runner tucked in behind me and Bev and followed along as we made our way along a gorgeous and runnable section of the course. The runner, who is a wonderful Kiwi lady, called Tui, chatted away and provided non-stop commentary, entertaining me and Bev (I didn’t hear that much of her chatter though, since I had my music on and was totally in the zone, pushing as hard as I thought was prudent with another 60+ kilometers to go (yes, it is mentally tough to think of having 60km to go after already having run 40km!). But more important than Tui’s commentary, was the fact that she and Bev connected on a personal level and before we knew it Tui had invited us to stay with her and her family for a few days. We took her up on her offer a few days later and had a great time getting to know her husband and their two wonderful kids.

Richard, in the zone, just lovin’ it :)

From Okataina (37km) to Tarawera Falls (60km) is advertised as the toughest section of the course, and we’d have to wholeheartedly agree. This 23km section took us over 4 hours, including some time spent in the two aid stations along the way. It’s all single-track with a some ups and downs thrown in.

Built-in support crew for both of us :)

It’s probably the most beautiful section too though, which is a good thing, since this helped keep us going. Getting to the 60km mark was also a major boost, since we knew that the last 40km were relatively easy running, mostly on forest service roads. Because of this we had our road shoes waiting for us in our drop bags at the Tarawera Falls aid station, and we were looking forward to throwing on slightly lighter and more comfortable shoes. Unfortunately the Tarawera Falls aid station also represented the one negative we experienced on the day. We had originally signed up for the 60km race, but changed our distance to the 100km the day before during registration, following the posted procedure to do so. We had placed our drop bags in the correct trailer for the 60km aid station for 100km runners. However, upon reaching the 60km aid station (which also serves as the 60km finish) we couldn’t locate our drop bags in the 100km race area, and were finally told to check the 60km finish bag location, which was about 500 meters away from the 100km drop bag location! After changing shoes and restocking our fuel we asked if volunteers could take our bags the 500 meters back to the 100km drop bag location (to ensure they were delivered to the finish area), and we were met with an indifferent shrug, indicating that it would be too much trouble for them to do that and we would have to do it ourselves. It is amazing how much an extra kilometer hurts when you have to complete 100 of them! This little annoyance was soon forgotten as we got on with the task of tackling the last 40km.

The final 40km were advertised as easy, non technical forestry roads with little elevation gain, and a few easy gradual downhills, and with our feet now in lighter, more cushy environs in our road shoes we felt quite buoyed. For me, this section was the most emotional. Soon we started feeling like we were going to make it, and upon reaching the Titoki aid station with only 30km to go it struck me as rather amazing how one can see 30km as just a short hop to the finish.

On long endurance events one feels a range of emotions which typically include nervousness, excitement, loneliness, friendship, self loathing, and love. This day did not disappoint, I felt all of these in spades. I always go back to the loss of our Archer, and more recently, it also includes the loss of my one of a kind mom who passed away late in 2013. My dad texted me good luck wishes the day before which included encouraging and proud messages from my brothers as well. Thinking about my family and feeling their support always gives me strength and a sense of belonging which can sometimes be lost out there in the late hours of a long run.

One of the aspects I like most of long runs is how it forces you to look deep inside, to see what’s there and to found out if, whatever it is, is strong enough to get you to the finish line. Bev and I have an advantage here; we help each other, we encourage each other, we remind each other to eat and drink, or to slow down or pick it up. It also adds a bit to my occasional self loathing though, when I sometimes irrationally blame myself for putting her through the tribulations of a 16 hour long run, as if it’s somehow my fault that she decided to run a 100km trail race.

Running the final 15km in the dark with only our headlamps illuminating a cone of the darkness ahead, and only our footsteps and breathing piercing the silence, added meaningfully to the surreality of closing in on the finish of a 100km long run through some of the magnificent forests of New Zealand.

Finding the last turn towards to finish arch in Firmin field, in the town of Kawerau was almost magical. Seeing the finish line, hearing our names being called out as we crossed that line was amazing. But what was truly special, was the fact that our new friends Scott and Adrienne were there waiting for us, with hugs ready, after completing their own 100km runs much earlier than we did.

Finished!

For us, Tarawera Ultra Marathon 2015 will always be about friendship, perseverance, and achievement, but mostly about friendship, thanks to especially Scott, Adrienne, and Tui, but also thanks to the organizers and the rest of the participants who created a real feeling of family out there on a tough, but utterly well lived day!

Scott and us before the start

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.

This past week saw the arrival on store shelves of TRAIL Issue 13, South Africa’s pre-eminent trail running publication. We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in the publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors to TRAIL, as we share tales from the trails that we explore and experience on our global adventure.

Click on the link below for our article as it appears in the magazine. This article covers some of the why’s, and how’s of our journey and includes a bit of Guatemalan trail magic. We hope you like it.

TRAIL Issue 13 – Team Eat.Run.See 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 (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

Thanks to TRAIL editor, Deon Braun, for his continued enthusiasm and interest in our story. We love being part of the trail and outdoor community and sharing some of our excitement and experiences in this way is fantastic!