The North Face 100 Hong Kong

Everything starts with my stupidly sign up for this race after i come back from Ulanbattar in June. But the #guts, #determination and #preservance to FINISH today is not stupid at all.

Crossing the finish line at 25 hours 53 mins on 12 Dec. 2016 for this 100km Ultra trail race in Hong Kong.

The North Face 100 Hong Kong
Distance: 100km
Elevation gain: 6300m
Weather: Day 27 degrees celsius (feel like 33), Night 13 degrees celsius
Wind: 3-4 North Wind
Humidity: 54% Dry

The race starts 8AM at plover clove, i have already changed and my bag is all loaded with my power foods and more than 1.5L water. Charles drove me there with my classmate which made me feel comfortable and I'm not worried at all ;) I just need to tighten up my lace and i was urge to move to the start line 30 mins before the race starts. It is actually a good move to the front out of 1500 peoples with 100km and 50km mass starts for a better timing. After several photo taking, chit chat we starts. I'm excited and knowing it will be a long day, i'm actually quite relax at the starts. The first is a bit challenging as we have to run up to a 1:100 400meter slope to reach a bottom neck trail. So i ran as much as i can to try to get a good position.

Up to the Pak Sin Leng trail, i feel great, preserved my speed but run as much as i could and in the meantime i'm very careful to keep a distance behind the runner. i keep running with my pal behind Iris and Sally, they set a good pace and i feel confident running behind them. Before CP1, my pal Sally twisted her ankle and she ask me to leave her and then i just go. Feel bad about this, but i cannot do anythings. I found that I'm clever that i didn't drop my pole at the CP1, as theres tons of runner even within our own group and it will block the runner behind. So when i pass the CP1, i didn't stop and pull out my poles immediately and continuous to Session 2!

Why I'm doing the North Face 100

I made a plan in 2016 to RUN. Many first in 2016 to start with my first marathon in March followed the 100km on a 3 stages race in Gobi in June and to ended by the North Face 100km in Hong Kong.

I wanted to finish a ultra marathon after i complete the Gobi as i realized that the Gobi cannot called it as ultra. Any distance beyond 42.195km run is called an Ultra, so the Gobi is disqualified.

So i search on the internet and found out that there have a race called The North Face 100km and then i enter the lottery sign up, and surprising i'm IN. That was in August and the race is in December.

The North Face Hong Kong is great, they have teamed up a TRA The North Face Running Academy with the Elite runner Ho Chung Wong as a coach to trained 10 peoples who sign up this 100km race for 3 months till the race day and luckily i'm one of them! I feel super bumped and can't wait to just run flying in the mountain that i imagine the road is flat with a bit of sand, like HK trail. But it was totally not and i'm so wrong.

After i trained with #TRA for a month, Iris Chen one of my classmate told me this race is a UTMB points collective race. And i looked totally odd, what is this? I don't need points, i just want to finish a 100km RUN in one go so that i'm a Ultra marathoner. She said, this is not a ultra marathon, this is Ultratrail. What? No? What happened?

#TNF100 is a 100km #ultratrail individual race, one of the Hong Kong grand slam ultra trail series. Earned a reputation for being one of the hilliest and most challenging trail running races in Asia. Tackling 6,300 meters of cumulative elevation gain over 100 kilometers, to finish this tough challenge within 27 hour cut off time and have to cross each of the check point within a check points cut off.

So, never too late. By knowing the race i just trained is not what i expected that can actually run. i told myself why not spent this time to know further our Hong Kong trail and mountain. And why not Ultratrail? So, that's how i begins.

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.