Taiwan...happie vir happie: April 2014

I came to Taiwan 9 months ago never expecting to attend or be part of a triathlon Challenge. An absolute First. So when opportunity came knocking I jumped at the chance. I would be part of a relay team of which I'll be doing the running part...the new love in my life:-)

Challenge Taiwan is a triathlon series which presented itself for the second time in Taiwan and I felt truly blessed to be part of such a huge competition.

The training for the Challenge did not come easy though. Every time I was committed and ready to start intense running and following a healthy diet, I will get sick. So my morale and immune was low early in March, I was struggling to get all my ducks in a row. Eventually I started off running 6km a day and 2 weeks in my ankles and shins started aching which was a clear sign and pain I knew well...stress fractures, which meant I had to lay off impact training for a while. This was turning out to be a true Challenge.

Posing with my bike

Getting her checked out

Ice Ice Baby...

So I turned to my (borrowed) trusted blue bike and started cycling 15-20 km's a day for the next 3 weeks, sometimes loading a 5L of water in the basket just to make it more challenging. Nursing the stress fractures with ice packs every night, I slowly started running, attending as many hashes as I possibly can. April came and I was ready to get back on the school track running and clocking in round after round. Starting off jogging slowly, 3km per session 2 times a day. By mid April I was following Tim Noakes legendary and trusted low carbohydrate diet and dropping weight like it's my business. I started cranking up the km's and went from 6km's a day to 12km's a day. Days were long legs sometimes jello, but I am training to beat my personal best time of 2:07:22 And making my team proud of their runner.

Very New and Very Light.

Organizer of all the Kaohsiung relay teams, awesome athlete and good friend +Juan Pablo Fernandez Heindrichsen, kept us motivated and updated with the happenings and build up towards the Challenge. I think my excitement reached it's high point when I booked my train ticket, bought a new pair of running shoes and was heading into the final running session. I was planning to run from Gangshan to Alian which was around 11km, a bit more than I was used to running per session and half of what I would do at the Challenge, it was perfect.

Beautiful Alian mountain and landscape

Green means GO, and Alian is straigh ahead

Phew...Too close for my comfort

It was a Sunday, the day after KHHH Champagne Breakfast Run?, and the day started off hot, which was what I wanted and needed. All along my run locals was sitting outside of their homes, enjoying the country weather and Sunday traffic when this crazy foreigner came flying pass with her sweaty red face. I had such a good run and arrived at the Family Mart after 1:01:26. Boss, colleague and friend +Rachel Chen offered me her shower to wash up and took me out for a simply divine breakfast at Kitchen and Coffee! Thank you Rachel.

Heading into the straight towards Alian

Check point

Not a bad time over 11 km

Packing

And the final week before Challenge Taiwan has arrived and everyone on the Kaohsiung teams are excited. Team Kaohsiung 6, Gene, Jason and me were ready to rock this Challenge. Hostels was booked months ago, and all everyone wants to do is get a good night’s rest. I arrived by train only at 23:15 and having no idea in which B&B to take a rest I had to phoned Pablo from his bed to come and help. I was washed, changed and in bed before midnight.

Awesome B&B, Thanks Janet Wang

The next morning we all took a taxi to the start, and got ready for the swimmers start at 08:00. Gene was nervous, but I thought she had an awesome swim and great time of around 45 minutes. After swopping the time tag, Jason was off. He warned me that his ride will take at least 3 hours, so all the runners and swimmers took a rest under the highway bridge.

Athletes heading for the start

Team Kaohsiung ready and begging for action

All in

Gene and I getting our body markings

Gene, Jason and me, Team Kaohsiung 6

Swimmers ready

Bamboo canon, signaling the start of Half Challenge Taiwan

And the third leg is heading out for their 1.9km swim

WoW, bicycles all ready to roll

Cyclists heading out for their 90km leg

Johan, taking a nap while waiting for his team mate.

We even had our own adorable cheerleader

Cyclist slowly heading in

Pablo, after he finished his 90km

Johan, heading out for his 21.1km running leg

Jason came in just over 3 hours and after warming up the 30minute wait in the transition area was torture, I just wanted to run. After we switched the time tag I was off. Gene was kind enough to take pictures of all the Challenge Taiwan action while I was hitting the road. I had such a magnificent run, and with the beautiful surroundings taking every breath was a pleasure. The route started off by running around the lake where all the swimmers did their part, we then followed a walkers pathway through a beautiful park, down a road all along the ocean from where we turned back onto a walkers pathway build on a old railway track. Marshals all along the route was friendly and helpful always directing and at every road crossing traffic was stopped so we can pass. Water points was plentiful loaded with cold beverages and snacks. The organizing in and around this event was superb, and deserve a big thumbs up! The support all along the route was amazing. Locals came out and supported the athletes tremendously, clapping, waving, making noises and even just the slightest smile when passing was such an encouragement.

Jeff, happy to finish his 90km leg

Dave, heading out for his 21.1km run

John, happily coming through...

Followed by me...in a very excited state

Action shots from hard working photographers all along the route

Happy days 2:13:37

Time Sheet and Results for all the relay teams

(line number 17, Team Kaohsiung 6:-)

Just creating a frame for my very happy state and with overall winner just behind me

I got a bit toasted by the Taitung sun

Special medal

I finished a couple of minutes after the winner of the full Challenge Taiwan with a time of 2:13:37, I was 6min of my best time but felt great and wanted to jump with joy!! The Kaohsiung support team was there to congratulate and it was a special couple of seconds receiving our teams medals and t-shirts. Team Kaohsiung 6 race number 2005 ended 7^th out of 17 mixed relay teams, a huge pat on the back for each of us and Thank you, it was an absolute pleasure.

Kaohsiung Supporters

Two of the Kaohsiung teams got top 3 spots. Congrats to team Kaohsiung 2: Pablo, Johan and Tina’s who got 2^nd place in the mixed relay category. Super proud of you guys, and Team Kaohsiung 8 got 3^rd place in the all woman’s relay category.

Dave, Patrick, me and Margo.

Boys...

Awesome entertainment

Everyone having fun...

After the prize giving we went for dinner: Pizza being the obvious choice of preference. Pablo made us walk far for to this pizza place, half of us almost convinced he was lost having no idea, but like a mirage it appeared up a head and the after party kicked into gear. We enjoyed delicious pizza and Ice cold Blue Girl. We even had some live entertainment which was the cherry on top of a perfect day.

Temple and mountain right in the middle of town

Taitung is on the east coast of the island and is picturesquely beautiful.
I found this perfect quote about Taitung: If God had a selfish heart, Taitung would be His secret garden...
and I simply can’t argue with that. I hope to go back for a visit before I go home.

Thank you to everyone making this experience so fantastic, I had a great weekend.

Until my next Happie from a Happy and Fit Mariza

xxx

It's the last Saturday in March and that only means one thing....Hashing in Douliu.
I have 3 reasons to be very excited: 1) After a full month of commited training for Taiwan Challenge I want to see how fit I really am and how I will handle the Taiwan heat. 2) Seeing my friends Charl and Shani again and 3) and today is my third hash, which means I get a Hash name as well as my members badge:-)

I hop on the local train bound for Douliu and meet up with the rest of the group at the baseball field.
After meeting up with Charl and Shani we all sign up and head out to the starting point.

At the start there is plenty activity and celebration with the shooting of fireworks and pole dancers.
While the runners are all waiting to start I nearly pooed myself when meters from us they passed carrying a firework manuver shooting off fireworks.

Walkers are off

Runners getting ready

Scary, let me tell you.

Finally the runners were off and except for the one female hare I was the only lady runner and I was excited to keep up with the big guns from the Kaohsiung Hash House Harriers...LOL, FS, ET and HF.
As suspected the signs were limited, small and tricky. The trail was wet and dry, wet and dry...and at one stage I did not even recognized my shoes on my feet

Ducking and Diving

The first wet spot

Rice pad with beautiful Yunlin mountain backdrop.

Right on E.T and F.S heels

En Route color and beauty

Not being able to catch the Hares SGA and DDT, we came pretty close finishing 5-10 minutes just behind them. I had a awesome run and came in third. And would like to thank all the male runners for making this hash superb in everyway.

3rd Hash and 3rd Place

Oi.

True words.

Big heart runners.

Next to me is E.T, LOL and F.S.

Soon after all the walkers were in I was send off so they can discuss and decide on a hash name for me. I grabbed a beer and went to pray, that they be kind, at a beautiful grave just down the road.

A moment of silence.

Pleased to meet you, my Hash name is : Sausage Factory.
Down downs was special as always and I made a demonstration of just how long that first Taiwan sausage (boerewors) was.
I had a great time and run at the 56th Douliu Hash House Harriers run and would like thank each and everyone for making it memorable.

Charl clearly picked up a move at the starting point.

Downing from his own shoe:-o

Our hares...DDT and SGA thanks for a great trail.

Do I have toooooo?

Jip, it was! Good man SGT adding a couple of feet to the sausage.

Waiting...

My badge:-)

Special moment for two Hashers.

Tooo Much Down Down Fun.

Charl, Shani, Me and the only 4 Afrikaans speaking dogs in Taiwan loaded into their new four wheels and made our way to The Braaihuis for a traditional South African braai with real wood and braaibroodjies. A couple of minutes before Sunday I sneaked off for a power nap, but I never made it back...

Charl and Bryan cutting up some wood.

Braai @ The Braaihuis

The next morning we all were off for a road trip to Dexing waterfall in the Nantou district. ± 45 min drive North from Douliu we entered a magnificent beauty. The higher we went into this beautiful valley the cooler it got which was absolute bliss after the heat of the Saturday. We met up with Ryan and Jane at the waterfall.

A map of the region.

Nantou tea plantations.

Cool, Blue mountain water.

Pathway to the waterfall.

Beautiful and Peaceful.

Charl and Shani.

Young and old having fun.

While we are only entering our second month of Spring and the rainy season slowly approaching the waterfall was small and thin, but still breathtakingly beautiful.

The dogs loved playing in the water while we all skipped stones.

Some people were making hot pot, others were meditating. We explored and found a staircase up the mountain to the top of the waterfall. It ended right at a slope with a very dodging, old and weak looking rope for a climb to the top...if you have the balls, which I naturally don't have.

Steep and slippery stairs up and down.

View from the top.

The rope.

Spectacular view of the top.

Charl discovered more than a dozen leaches on his legs and I was freaked out...my cue to keep out of the water.

We sat down for a picnic style lunch prepared and packed by Charl. We had my favorite Costco sausage hotdogs with homemade mustard made by Charl. Delicious.

We slowly drove away from the waterfall down the mountain stopping at every change to take pictures.

Scenic drive...

Scenic pathway...

We found this bamboo pathway...stopped dead in our tracks with the spelling of pathway. The quietness accompanied with the sounds from the birds was beautiful.