Friends in Mongolia

This Action Asia  - Mongolia brings in lots of friendship. Theres no better way to hang from day to night with your friends, sharing the Gers under 1 roof. Evan and Lyn travel with me from Hong Kong to this Mars, we have been travel alots together for races and this year is just so special we will be meet again in Santader, Spain in August again!!! love the time being with them :)

Frederic travel from Norway for this special trip too, he comes all the long way for us and this running in the Mars. Really misses him this year after he returned to his home town. Again, we have been travel alots in the past for races and some fun too. Taiwan, Phuket, Bangkok, China, Singapore, Cebu. And this year is so special again, we will be meet him in Santander in August and we will be visiting him in Norway sometime in Sep.

And i meet another special friend JC Ho, a miss i knew her at a running apps - STRAVA. We have been liked each other's activities and one day we found that we are at the same spot at the same time. Most surprizingly, we sign up this race and the airport is the first time we officially meet face to face. Love this kind of friendship. And we have been racing to each other, pushing through the second day. What a great race!!! xxx

Action Asia Mongolia Ultra Marathon 100km Stage 3 - 24km

The last desert and I survive!!

The wind keep blowing violently to our Ger the whole night making anyone cannot sleep. We have to wake up at 4:30AM no sun and lights with the sand blowing to our face. Thanks God I realize the map given is in larger scale and it would not like the previous stages meaning the distance while I could not sleep. The sun never want to see us today and the wind likes us. I don't wear enough possibly and I just keep telling myself you just need to run faster and look for big guy to shield. I run pretty awesome today despite my blood blister on my left foot and have a minor twist on my ankle but I fixed it immediately. I could not let myself injure as I will suffer alots under the cold and a possible storm!!! After the CP1, we reached to sand dunes, and a short climb up to the top of the terra cotta cliff. The most terrible steep down, I dare not to look down on both side as every little mistake will make myself fall😢. Slowly going down and suddenly I heard Andrew the man behind me falling with the loose sand coming over me, all of a sudden I though I would be crashing with him! Luckily he stopped!! We run over the bumps looking back the cliff from time to time and head back to a straight sand crossing to the Finish. Q emotional today with the weather and the scene. I'm glad is over and you don't know how much I miss the hot water shower and my mattress and a glass of water.
Running almost alone the whole journey, smashing back on my way. And I'm glad I finished this.

Action Asia Mongolia Ultra Marathon 100km Stage 2 - 34.1km

Is all about pacing and eat, pacing and eat. The first 10 km was running high over the ridge, so easy for me like flying over the Dragon back. Running with Jcy Ho after the CP1 and she is in fact shouldn't run with me, I keep telling her once she fell good and should go!! Today is the most scenic, we run over the wet crossing and hit the canyon, beautiful beautiful in all terra-cotta colour sand. Rock climbed after the 21 km CP to 1313M, over the top with last a bit of steep rock descent continue to CP3. After the long beautiful crossing, we've back. And what will be look like tomorrow is still unknown I mean mentally and physically, 2 big blister one with blood and numb toes. Seriously shoulder and back pain and I feel my organ is screaming heavily!! Come back in 5 hours 14 mins. 

Action Asia Mongolia Ultra Marathon 100km Stage 1

Patience patience and patience. The bus arrives the Ger at 6AM in the morning, the race start postpone to 10AM, we all have a 1 hour sleep before we enter the Gobi. It was a brutal run, lack of sleep, the sun, and the sand. I was running most of the time with Lisa and 2 other men.

And in fact i feel great and happy all the way, just feel not meaning my speed is great. It is the most because of this new globe where no one, in the middle of no where. I discover the new land and dream. I didn't feel tired at all and i believe my endorphins reaches the highest level (#new #firsttime) There have 3CP to go, total 40km today. i finish at a time of 5 hours 51 mins back to the camp. The support is awesome with doctor, volunteers, cutted oranges and apples, water and sports drinks. The only problem is i don't like to were my sunglasses and caps. I feel a bit of headache running long with them.

Running through the edge of Kobi Desert, June 2016. Photo courtesy: Sunny Lee 2016

Mongolia Action Asia 3 day Ultra Marathon Arrival

So excited for 4 reasons, 1. I will be in Outer Mongolia, very new to me and that satisfied my adventurous mind for many years I wanted to go to this kind of nomadic place. 2. I'm gonna run my very first Ultra marathon. 3. Gonna meet my friend Frederic, my good friend from Norway. 4. Going with Lyn and Evan and sharing our Ger imagine under the dazzling Galaxy. 

I do lots of shopping for this trip, sleeping bag, trekking equipment, water purified tablets (serious?) etc. from the organizer compulsory list. Digging my innermost of 10 years girl guide experience. Can't described how excited I will be. And this explain I can't stay too long in a comfortable environment. 

So all set to go, i packed light with on 1 backpack and one smaller rug sack. When we arrives the airport, we were told the flight delayed 4 hours. Which means we will be arriving Ulaanbaatar tonight around 11PM. The event organizer Action Asia started to distribute the tee shirts and the race bibs for all of us while we have nothing to do. We have already 2 meals at airports, and finally we are on board. We started to know each others on the plane and eventually i meet my Strava friend JC the very first time :) When we landed is already dark, weather is a bit cold. We quickly wear our jacket and moved to the shuttle bus. The lunch box is ready but we had our Pizza Express takeaway with us and the fun journey begins. 

"There should be a 6 hours shuttle bus ride down south to take us to the start line."One of the local Mongolian girl told me and i found out later that she is the student from the local Medical school she came for volunteer us. What? 6 hours bus ride down south, i firstly recall the map and navigation that should be Gobi. I can't express my feeling, excited and unknown. Really can't believe we are really going there! I share the two seater with one local young Mongolian volunteer and ask her if she would like a piece of pizza, she looked very happy. And i'm happy. ON the way, i hardly can see any road sign, thumbs up to the driver. Really have no ideas where is the direction. The land is no ends, dark, rocks and sands. Until i see a bunch of camel with the lights coming from far sunrise, we almost there. 

The race director decided to postpone the start time from 8AM to 10AM, so we've got an hour sleep. I remember when i landed from the bus, the first air breath in is so fresh and crisp. The land is strong and in terracotta colour. I rushed to our tent and greet Frederic, he has been waiting for us the whole night, we just say something and rushed our our sleeping bag and take a power sleep before we gone to wild. 

Action Asia Ultra Marathon Mongolia, after 6 hours of bus ride and 1 hours sleep we all set at the start line.