The Lantau 2 Peaks is the traditional season opener in Hong
Kong and despite the season creeping earlier and earlier as more events come
onto the scene it is still viewed as the first test of fitness. At 21km it is a
short one, but the +/-1700m of climbing and descent, the afore-mentioned two
peaks and endless stairs squeezed into that distance make for a tough few hours
out. This is not helped by the weather which can still be ridiculously hot and
humid in early October.
And so it was when we set off at 8am for the slog over Lantau and Sunset peaks. The forecast had looked favourable but the reality of 27-30 degrees with high humidity made for a challenging day out for everyone from the start. Terrain-wise the course is variable, with sections ranging from some of the best trails in Hong Kong to absolutely the worst. At least this year we got the worst out of the way early as the course is run in alternate directions each year. We took off on the along the cycle path at a decent but manageable pace out to the first lot of steps up the climb up to the cable car tower. After reaching the cable car tower the course takes the 360 rescue trail under the cable car. This is definitely the worst section of trail in Hong Kong-a heinous mix of steps, concrete and steep slippery boardwalk. I have no idea why people still bring races up this trail since there are several better options on the ridge that runs parallel to it. After a comfortable start I was feeling it a bit going over this section, a sensation which was probably partly physiological and partly psychological. Possibly being a bit over cautious, I started to let a few runners drift off ahead of me approaching the turn under the next cable car station onto the Nei Lek Shan contour trail and by the time I crested the top of the climb and skirted around the station down onto the trail itself they had disappeared from view. I always struggle with the change in cadence required from a hard hike to running again, but I'm still not sure how I managed to loose them here. I eventually got myself together and by the end of the contour trail I caught sight of 3 or 4 guys ahead of me again. I filled my bottle at the CP amid the usual chaos that has come to characterise Action Asia Events (a bunch of kids standing around doing nothing) glugging some water down while I was there and left passing one guy in the process. The guys ahead hadn't stopped, which turned out to be a fine tactic given the confusion.
I had a solid climb up Lantau Peak but was aware that we still had Sunset ahead of us so didn't want to be killing myself. I caught Matt Moroz and another guy half way up and nearing the ridge I saw Safrey Sumping, one of the two Malaysian Champion System/North Face runners ahead of me. I was gaining on him on the climb and was not far away from him at the top but I then had the same problem again when I reached the summit in that I took me a while to get my composure on the decent by which time he was gone. I had a bit of a bumbling decent and was expecting to get caught by the bottom but it never quite happened. Another chaotic stop at the check point ( more confusion and apparent surprise that you might actually want to fill your bottle!?) lost me a few seconds more than it should have and them off up the gargantuan steps up Sunset Peak.
Again I was struggling with changing my pace back to hiking and never quite got in my groove up here. I could feel that I was taking it a bit too easy when, if I had actually been in full race mode, I should have been burying myself on this last climb. I picked things up a bit as the gradient decreased towards the top and again I caught a glimpse of Safrey ahead of me but for some reason I never quite engaged chase mode. On the decent I was going well enough when I could see where I was going but there were quite a few sections of rocky single track which are still so over grown that you can't see the trail and I gingerly picked my way through these so as not to risk twisting an ankle. Towards the end of this monster descent (which going from 817m to sea level is one of the longest in Hong Kong) I caught sight of a runner ahead of me who turned out to be William Davies, not Safrey. I laughed at this as it was very much resuming where we left off last season. I took it easy on the last section of the descent as its down huge steps, many of which are eroded leaving large concrete slabs jutting up vertically waiting to catch a tiring foot. Hitting the road in the valley at the bottom I was a few hundred meters behind but again had trouble picking up the pace. I eventually caught William coming back into Tung Chung going up the overpass where he put in a bit of a kick but I was able to easily keep with him and then ease past him as we both laughed. I then put the foot down a little opening up a gap over the last kilometre or so, belatedly making an effort worthy of being called racing while trying not to trip on my now flapping shoe lace. I kept the pace up to the line finishing in 2.40.00 in 4th place.
I finished 5 minutes behind the eventual winner, Daved Simpat, the other Malaysian Champion System/ The North Face runner who just pipped Steve Cale to the win with Safrey in third. It was a decent result for me, especially given my comparative lack of engagement on certain sections, as give me a bit of hope that I am not as unfit as I though after the whole rib debacle. True, the winning times were a bit slower than usual, though I think that probably reflects the scorching conditions more than anything. I was happy to win a handful of pesetas into the bargain which, as tradition dictates, went on lunch afterwards.
Now if I could just speed up a bit we might have a few drinks next time too.
And so it was when we set off at 8am for the slog over Lantau and Sunset peaks. The forecast had looked favourable but the reality of 27-30 degrees with high humidity made for a challenging day out for everyone from the start. Terrain-wise the course is variable, with sections ranging from some of the best trails in Hong Kong to absolutely the worst. At least this year we got the worst out of the way early as the course is run in alternate directions each year. We took off on the along the cycle path at a decent but manageable pace out to the first lot of steps up the climb up to the cable car tower. After reaching the cable car tower the course takes the 360 rescue trail under the cable car. This is definitely the worst section of trail in Hong Kong-a heinous mix of steps, concrete and steep slippery boardwalk. I have no idea why people still bring races up this trail since there are several better options on the ridge that runs parallel to it. After a comfortable start I was feeling it a bit going over this section, a sensation which was probably partly physiological and partly psychological. Possibly being a bit over cautious, I started to let a few runners drift off ahead of me approaching the turn under the next cable car station onto the Nei Lek Shan contour trail and by the time I crested the top of the climb and skirted around the station down onto the trail itself they had disappeared from view. I always struggle with the change in cadence required from a hard hike to running again, but I'm still not sure how I managed to loose them here. I eventually got myself together and by the end of the contour trail I caught sight of 3 or 4 guys ahead of me again. I filled my bottle at the CP amid the usual chaos that has come to characterise Action Asia Events (a bunch of kids standing around doing nothing) glugging some water down while I was there and left passing one guy in the process. The guys ahead hadn't stopped, which turned out to be a fine tactic given the confusion.
I had a solid climb up Lantau Peak but was aware that we still had Sunset ahead of us so didn't want to be killing myself. I caught Matt Moroz and another guy half way up and nearing the ridge I saw Safrey Sumping, one of the two Malaysian Champion System/North Face runners ahead of me. I was gaining on him on the climb and was not far away from him at the top but I then had the same problem again when I reached the summit in that I took me a while to get my composure on the decent by which time he was gone. I had a bit of a bumbling decent and was expecting to get caught by the bottom but it never quite happened. Another chaotic stop at the check point ( more confusion and apparent surprise that you might actually want to fill your bottle!?) lost me a few seconds more than it should have and them off up the gargantuan steps up Sunset Peak.
Again I was struggling with changing my pace back to hiking and never quite got in my groove up here. I could feel that I was taking it a bit too easy when, if I had actually been in full race mode, I should have been burying myself on this last climb. I picked things up a bit as the gradient decreased towards the top and again I caught a glimpse of Safrey ahead of me but for some reason I never quite engaged chase mode. On the decent I was going well enough when I could see where I was going but there were quite a few sections of rocky single track which are still so over grown that you can't see the trail and I gingerly picked my way through these so as not to risk twisting an ankle. Towards the end of this monster descent (which going from 817m to sea level is one of the longest in Hong Kong) I caught sight of a runner ahead of me who turned out to be William Davies, not Safrey. I laughed at this as it was very much resuming where we left off last season. I took it easy on the last section of the descent as its down huge steps, many of which are eroded leaving large concrete slabs jutting up vertically waiting to catch a tiring foot. Hitting the road in the valley at the bottom I was a few hundred meters behind but again had trouble picking up the pace. I eventually caught William coming back into Tung Chung going up the overpass where he put in a bit of a kick but I was able to easily keep with him and then ease past him as we both laughed. I then put the foot down a little opening up a gap over the last kilometre or so, belatedly making an effort worthy of being called racing while trying not to trip on my now flapping shoe lace. I kept the pace up to the line finishing in 2.40.00 in 4th place.
I finished 5 minutes behind the eventual winner, Daved Simpat, the other Malaysian Champion System/ The North Face runner who just pipped Steve Cale to the win with Safrey in third. It was a decent result for me, especially given my comparative lack of engagement on certain sections, as give me a bit of hope that I am not as unfit as I though after the whole rib debacle. True, the winning times were a bit slower than usual, though I think that probably reflects the scorching conditions more than anything. I was happy to win a handful of pesetas into the bargain which, as tradition dictates, went on lunch afterwards.
Now if I could just speed up a bit we might have a few drinks next time too.
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