Great Wall of China Marathon

Why?

I think it was Laura Drullie who told me about the Seven Continents Club.  It's simple really, run a marathon on each continent and you're a member.  I'm not saying I'm going to make the cut, but I'm starting to think that I might give it a shot . . .  Obviously I'm choosing to ignore the £10,000 price tag for running a marathon in Antartica.

So with North America ticked off the list (New York in 2008), it's Asia's turn.  And what better place than on the Great Wall?  There are two marathons held there each year, the Great Wall Marathon and the Great Wall of China Marathon.  I chose the latter because it's cheaper to enter.  A lot, lot cheaper.

Training

I'll be honest, I didn't do a lot of training . . .  Yes I did some runs and some stair work but it definitely wasn't enough.  My excuse is that I couldn't face running around Tianjin.  It's dusty and full of people!  Stair training is tough because it is incredibly boring, but I did manage 2,000 steps on one day.  That was fun.

Briefing

On April 30th we were invited to a posh hotel in BJ where we collected our race packs.  Inside were our race bibs and, after being No. 16868 in New York, I felt strangely proud to discover I was to be No. 2 (I am aware that the number means absolutely nothing).  In total there were 150 people running either the full marathon, half-marathon, 10km or 5km.  About 70 were running the full course.

Race outfit = looking good.

The organisers introduced the marathon route which you can see here and also told us about the dreaded steps and hills that we would be facing.  Here is a chart showing the change in elevation during the run.  We were also told that one part of the wall involved a 75˚ incline (and therefore a 75˚ decline on the way back) which freaked me out a bit.

A runner tackling the 75˚ decline.

Race Day

The buses were scheduled to leave at 05:00 so I was up at 03:00 to get ready.  I didn't mind because it meant I could catch the first half of the Manchester derby!  I snoozed a bit on the coach but mostly talked to my fellow runners who were all great and a truly international bunch.

The start/finish line of the marathon.  The flags give you an idea of all the different nationalities that were represented in the race.  I think the Union Jack is in the top right.  Not too sure how many Brits were there.

 At 09:00, after a lot of waiting around and some interesting warm up exercises, it was finally time to start.  The first half of the marathon involved running on a trail by the wall as well as on the wall itself.  There weren't too many steep inclines but going uphill was very tough.  The path could be slippery in places and I actually hit the deck at one point.  Luckily there was no damage done and as a bonus I don't think anyone saw me go down.  It was quite a hot day and there were bugs everywhere (I definitely swallowed a few).

The views from the wall were absolutely spectacular and I almost wish I had carried a camera with me (but glad I didn't because it would have been a burden).  Here are some great photos from the GWCM website which give you an idea of the conditions.

A runner on an old stretch of the wall.

A view over the marathon route.

The second half of the course involved a lot more steps and climbing but this section of the wall had been rebuilt which made it a lot easier to run on (where there were flat bits).  By this point there were more tourists on the wall.  At times this could be a bit frustrating as it was difficult to pass them on the narrow sections but it was great to have them cheering you on too.

The last stretch was pretty tough (take a look at the elevation map again) as there was a steep downhill staircase to conquer.  All I could think as I was going down was that I'd have to come back up again once I'd reached the turning point at the bottom.  That was definitely a low moment!  But I got through it and, despite my right leg cramping up a mile from the end, made it home in 5:41:54.  The organisers held up a red ribbon for each runner which was a great touch.

A very happy and relieved man!

All Done

Crossing the finish line was a HUGE relief and a great feeling.  I'm very happy with my time but for those who are interested, I believe the quickest time was around 3h 30m which is just unbelievable.

This marathon was completely different to New York in so many ways but it was an incredible experience and I feel really lucky to have been able to take part in it.

Post Marathon

From finishing the marathon up until this point I have mostly been eating, drinking and sleeping.  My legs don't seem to be hurting too much which is a massive bonus.  After New York my quads were screaming with every step.

I treated myself to a massage today.  It was mostly great, but occasionally incredibly painful.  The masseuse punched me, kicked me and at one point stood on my back.  As if my body was a surfboard.  Oh and she stuck her fingers in my ears.  Right in.

Jake's Marathon Tips

Most people have stopped reading by now but I thought I would just give a few of my marathon tips (because I'm so experienced).

1. Comfort is key.  Wear clothes that are designed for running.  Also, chafing is a very real concern.  Plasters on the nips is how I roll.
2. Buy some Skins (compression clothing), I can't recommend them enough.  I think the reason my legs are not burning today is because of these manly tights.
3. I get very hungry when I run far so I've started to carry energy gels such as these.  Tasty and they give you an energy boost (duh).
4. Prepare your body by drinking lots of water in the days leading up to the run.  Also stick to basic foods the night before.  No vindaloos etc.  I think most experienced runners recommend pasta.
5. A lot of runners think that you shouldn't listen to music when running.  I think at big events it is better not to so that you enjoy the atmosphere and occasion, but I'm glad I had my iPod with me on the wall.  Sometimes you need an uplifting song to keep you going.
6. Final tip, get advice from an experienced marathon runner who knows what they are talking about rather than some guy who has run just two.  You know how to use Google.

Christmas in China: The Build Up

Christmas is not an official holiday in China but this does not stop the Chinese getting into the Christmas spirit.  Department stores are decorated with Christmas trees and play horrendously catchy festive muzak.  Isetan (perhaps the Selfridges of Tianjin) even had Santa Claus running around the store being chased by a group of Chinese girls in elf costumes.  Quite a sight but unfortunately not one that we caught on camera. 

 We decided to give our students as much a taste of Christmas as possible and so we:

• sang Christmas songs
• watched Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas
• watched Mr Bean's Christmas
• talked about what we are going to ask Santa for this year (Sarah = a puppy, me = an iPad)
• designed Christmas cards (see Spider-Man riding Rudolph below)
• showed the students some Christmas decorations
• took a class Christmas photo

The students absolutely LOVE Mr Bean.  We'll almost certainly see his beautiful face again in class next year.  This despite the fact that he offers absolutely nothing to students who are trying to learn English . . .

Christmas is all about being with the people you love and so I'm really really going to miss being with my family at home.  Mum's amazing food, dad's incredible decorations, Amber's ridiculous over excitement.  Then there's the rest of the family coming over and drinking/eating too much.  It's an absolute nightmare but it's my favourite time of the year and I will miss you all very much!

Christmas 2010 in Somerset.  I'll miss you all, you little douche bags.

But don't worry, I won't be crying into my noodles this Christmas.  The ELAs of Tianjin and Beijing are coming together to celebrate the festive period, Chinese style.  The plan is to head to Beijing tomorrow (Christmas Eve), take over a hostel near Tiananmen Square and eat, drink and be merry.  Secret Santa, mulled wine, Christmas films and party games are all on the agenda so it should be brilliant.  I'll write about what we got up to next week.

So the only thing left to say is Merry Christmas to you all!  I hope you have a lovely time.

Lots of Christmas love,

Jake
x x x

A bit of culture, a bit of teaching.

Lots to catch up on . . .

Last Saturday (yes I'm really behind) we all went to the Great Wall which was incredible.  I can't wait to go back to have a proper look around so I'm glad we're not too far away from it.  Pics:

The Great Wall on a lovely sunny day

Random Chinese people taking a picture of Sarah, Simon and Katy.  No Chinese people have asked to take a picture of me yet.  They probably just think that I'm a monk.

In the afternoon we were treated to an acrobat show.  My personal favourites were the hat swapping / juggling / flipping men and the spherical cage of doom that at one point housed 5 motorbikes.  That was pretty intense.  Below are the performers standing in front of the cage.

The picture says it all.

 Monday to Thursday was split into Mandarin classes in the morning and teaching practice in the afternoon.  I volunteered myself for the non-beginners Mandarin class which was a bit of an error.  Some of the guys here can speak very good Mandarin and have studied it for a while.  I've had 8 classes.

I think most of us were quite nervous before our practice lessons as it was the first time that we would be leading a class by ourselves.  We needn't have worried though as the students were all incredibly well behaved and seemed to enjoy our lessons.  We even got some gifts from a couple of the students.  In the photo below are the students, their teacher (in green) and fellow ELAs Steph, Patrick, Sarah (duh), Jen and Gareth who are all also going to be based in Tianjin.

Intermediate 1 class in Beijing.

On Thursday afternoon we visited a Beijing Hutong.  A Hutong is an older part of town that has a whole load of interconnecting alleyways and roads which are perfect for tourists to get lost down.  Despite the old and slightly claustrophobic conditions, property in the Hutong we visited were valued at something ridiculous like £4,000 per square meter.  The gentleman we met below owned three properties in the area and was technically a millionnaire!?

Millionnaire martial arts instructor

Our transportation around the Hutong

Next up, a night out in Beijing and the closing ceremony.

Culture Shock:  Toilet paper goes in a bin, not the toilet.
Dinner cost:  £5 for a massive cut of lamb/mutton which you cook at your table.
Dialogue used:  Da jia hao!  Qing zuo.  (Hello everyone!  Please sit)

An intensive TEFL course

Wowsers, this week has been pretty busy.  We've had 6 hours of TEFL training from 9 - 5.15 everyday plus some homework to get on with too.  None of it has been particularly challenging, but there is a lot to take in and think about when planning lessons.  On Friday we had our exam so fingers crossed we pass.  Because if we don't, we're going home . . . Not really, I think we get an opportunity to retake. Lunch and evenings have been spent getting to know everyone in the group.  All the people who are going to Tianjin with us are lovely so that's a massive plus.  Everyone else has been great too.  It's nice to have so many of us here but it's going to be really weird when we all go our separate ways.  There really are very few Western faces around.

Chinese food innit.

Sleep was an issue over the first few nights.  I would lie awake until 3 or 4 am before nodding off.  That was pretty frustrating but the last couple of nights have been a lot better so hopefully I can just put it down to jetlag.

The Chinese love their food, but it is safe to say that my stomach doesn't.  I think it's going to take a bit of time to get used to it.  I'm ashamed to admit that I have already caved in and been to McDonalds AND Pizza Hut.  They were both relatively expensive but totally worth it. 

Jake @ Pizza Hut.

The weather has improved from the first few days.  The sun has been out and although it has been very hot, the humidity has definitely dropped.  The Chinese people hide from the sun as they prefer to have fair skin (which is why most make-up here contains whitener).  Obviously the Brits have all been out in the sun trying to get a tan.

Sarah on the road outside our hotel.  Buses, cars, bikes and people everywhere.

Another post to follow shortly covering our first night out and some touristy stuff!

Culture Shock:  Loud spitting on the street
Dinner cost:  £6 for a lasagne and two beers at Pizza Hut.
Dialogue used:  cesuo zai nar? (Where are the toilets?)

Flew to China

Yah so, we've arrived in Beijing!  I'm sitting in our hotel room here which is actually pretty luxurious.  Except that it doesn't have a window . . .

We will be in Beijing for two weeks before jumping on a bullet train down to Tianjin, our home for the next year.  Our timetable for the next fortnight is packed full of TEFL training, Mandarin classes and classroom practice.  I'm not too sure how ready I am for training from 9 to 5 but we also have some excursions planned in the evenings and at the weekend so that will give us something to look forward to.

So far we have ventured out into the local neighbourhood for a couple of meals.   Both experiences were a bit special but we ended up getting what we asked for (mainly by pointing at photos/dishes), eating some delicious food and paying very little money.  They won't even accept tipping! 

The locals all seem very nice and there hasn't been too much staring yet.  The language barrier is HUGE but hopefully it will get easier with time.  Weatherwise, it is quite humid and hot but it is not unbearable.  Supposedly there will be a few thunderstorms over the next couple of days.

I've met a few of the other ELAs but tonight we'll all be together for the first time so that should be fun.  We've also got an 'Opening Ceremony' so I'll let you know how that goes.

Travel time: 19 hours - London to Beijing
Dinner cost:  £2 inc beer
Dialogue used: qing geiwo sibei pijiu (four beers please)