Adventure racing is totally taking off in South East Asia. In Thailand, adventure racing is by now a well-established sport. AMA are the main organisers, and they do a slick and professional job. Courses are fun, though not too crazy, with a good mix of running, biking, kayaking, and swimming. Some of the teams that … Continue reading South East Asia going mad for Adventure Races
There’s that itch again. I look down. There’s a ring of red raw lumpy mounds on both of my shins. And they seem to be pulsating. I must have got them from that 3 hour “jungle run” in the middle of the night, the starting leg of the Magadui Trophy adventure race. Last weekend I … Continue reading Bumps and Bites from my weekend Jungle Adventure
The nice thing about where I live in Vietnam is my daily running route. Normally I go around the east side of Hanoi’s West Lake (or Tay Ho) and here’s an assortment of things I can see on my run: My run normally brings me past Phu Tay Ho pagoda, a popular destination for unmarried … Continue reading Things to see on my daily run around Hanoi’s West Lake
|I’ve already sworn on this blog that I would never run a road race again, a resolution I made only ten days ago in fact. But it was hard to resist the temptation to compete in the Red River Runners Half Marathon in Hanoi last Sunday. So I’ve already broken my vow. It was more … Continue reading Hanoi Half Marathon, 13 December 2009
Another work trip, this time to Kon Tum Province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. We were first uncertain whether or not we would get permission to visit the area. The place was hit by Typhoon Ketsana two months previously, the same one that wreaked havoc in the nearby Philippines during September. We had heard that damage … Continue reading Kon Tum Province after Typhoon Ketsana
“Anyone fancy biking to Ba Vi National Park on Saturday?” The google group message dropped into our inboxes with an enticing thud. What Simon was proposing was a 50 kilometre ride along the Red River from Hanoi to the town of Son Tay. From there, we’d climb up Ba Vi mountain to the Statue of … Continue reading Biking to Ba Vi
Don’t you just love it when you get paid to go to the mountains for work? Well that’s how I managed to end up visiting the Hoang Lien Mountains (or Tokinese Alps) in Lao Cai Province over the weekend in the northwest tip of Vietnam. I recently accepted a consultancy to write up the lessons … Continue reading Sapa and the Hoang Lien Mountains in North Vietnam
Vietnam is a really great place to live. It has great weather, good food, interesting history and culture, beautiful buildings and tourist spots. But despite all these multiple advantages, there are one or two constraints involved when living in this country. One of the most common issues encountered when living in developing countries such as … Continue reading Sport Gear Shortage in South East Asia
It’s not every Sunday that I get up at 5 am to do a one mile race around the city’s lake. But it was the first proper race that I’ve heard of taking place in Hanoi. And all of the Red Rivers Runners that I train with were going, so I figured I’d tag along. … Continue reading Racing for Peace around Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake
Sometimes all the running training can pay off in unexpected ways. Last week, I needed it especially when trying to get my Vietnamese motorbike driving license. Driving a motorbike is the easiest way to get around Hanoi, so obviously we need a license to allow us drive. However, getting such a document is not as … Continue reading The Endurance needed to drive a Vietnamese Motorbike