January 2019 – Perpetual Motion

Ran my first race of the year on Saturday: a local trail half marathon directed by Summer’s cross country and track coach.

I signed up for this last minute and after a week of business travel and a lot of squats and weighed lunges, I wasn’t sure what to expect. As it turned out, I ran really well. After warming up a bit for the first three miles I felt good and once we got through the big climb of the day (this sucker lasted about two miles!) I figured what the hell, and went for broke. And I have to say, I felt really good the entire way. I finished in around 11th place overall in a time of around 2:01, which was a 13 minutes course improvement over last year, though I do recall running a bit extra last year due to a marking mishap. So, a good way to start the season and a nice build up for the Napa Marathon, which is coming up on me fast.

This weekend I am thinking about doing a 24k race on Saturday (basically, a Double Dipsea) followed by a road 10k with Summer on Sunday. Might be a bit much so I will see as the week progresses. The 10k should be interesting.

I’m also newly obsessed with the Nike Vaporfly 4% race flats. Man, they are a lot of money – I have a hard time getting my head around spending that much money on a pair of running shoes) but everyone I’ve talked to has said that they really do work and I am going to need every advantage I can get to hit a Boston BQ at Napa.

Anyone have experience with them?

Well, that was quite a whirlwind three plus weeks: Singapore, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

Singapore was part vacation, part work, Vietnam was pure vacation and Hong Kong was all work, with a little bit of fun thrown in for good measure.

Singapore was great as I am pretty comfortable there and know my way around, for the most part. I was finally able to do a few of the touristy things that I’m never able to get to while on business. My absolutely amazing work colleagues were kind enough to spend some time with us and show us around which was really terrific and appreciated. This was my kid’s first time dipping their toes into a completely alien culture and I love how they jumped right into it. They embraced mostly everything, including the food, which is a lot, particularly for my American food-eating only son.

Vietnam was something else entirely. I could write for hours on that experience. We started in Hanoi with an offshoot trip to Halong Bay then headed south to Hue, Hoi An and finally, Saigon. Our tour company was amazing and the itinerary they put together gets a double thumbs up. Really, in looking back, there’s noting in the itinerary that I would change.

I think we hit all of the highlights in the three cities we visited. Overall, however, if I had to list a few things that really stood out, I’d say Halong Bay, which is absolutely a wonder of the world (it’s also a recognized UNESCO Heritage site), the Hanoi prison where John McCain was held captive for five years (aka, the “Hanoi Hilton), the Emperor’s Place in Hue, the Mekong Delta outside of Saigon and the famous Cu Chi tunnels also outside of Saigon. Oh, I also enjoyed getting a suit, two pants and three shirts all custom made in Hue for $300, total.

For me, the most interesting part of the trip was probably learning both the South and Northern perspectives of the “American” (nee’, Vietnam) war. I’ve long been fascinated by the Vietnam war and seeing so many of the battle sites, as well as where some of the more iconic photos of the war were taken (the burning monk, final airlift out of the CIA headquarters and Northern tank rolling into Parliament among others) was really cool and offered a type of experience you can’t learn via a book. I saw and learned from our guides firsthand how and why that was an absolutely unwinnable war. It was also amazing to experience the love the Vietnamese, particularly those from the South, have for us Americans, particularly for our effort in helping them defend their country during the war, despite it being a lost cause. And I have to say, the Vietnamese are pretty amazing and kind folks themselves.

The other fascinating element of the trip was the food. I am far from a foodie but I’ve always liked Vietnamese food (especially pho!) and man, the real article did not disappoint. Everything is exceptionally fresh (due in large part to lack of refrigeration), relatively simple in its composition and absolutely delicious. I went a bit native and tried everything that was placed in front of me, including pig intestine, balut eggs (look that one up), frog and more. I did draw the line, however, at rice wine soaked in cobra. Actually truth be told I would have tried that too, but the kid’s and wife implored me not to.

Hong Kong, though wrapped around a business trip, was also amazing. My last trip to Hong Kong, about six months ago, left me feeling a bit ambivalent. I think that had a lot to do with our hotel and the neighborhood where we stayed. But this trip was something else entirely and I really fell in love with everything about it. Highlights included early morning runs through Victoria Park (though after five consecutive days it got a little mundane) and a visit to Victoria’s Peak. We also were treated by our terrific business hosts to some incredible meals as well. In a nutshell, I’d say that Hong Kong is akin to a humid New York City. I liked it so much I would give consideration to living there. Singapore, too, for that matter.

So, that’s it in a nutshell. Truly, for us, a trip for the ages. We haven’t done a trip like that as a family, as we’ve been waiting for the kids to be old enough to truly appreciate it, which I definitely think they did. That said, I’m happy to be home. Being on the road for three plus weeks is tiring for anyone, even someone like me who has a decent amount of energy.

Not to mention, I was literally down to my last pair of underwear. Always an important sign that it’s time to head home.

Hope we get to do a trip like this again some time in the future. A bunch of pictures attached below.