LIJIANG, CHINA: BEST PLACE TO TRAIN IN THE WORLD

compared to kunming?

Jason,

I like your updates, but having to to from meters to feet and KM to miles just makes my head hurt.

You can't help it,

In asia, we use km intead of mile, we use metre instead of feet. Im trying to cope with that. If you see my posts over here letsrun.com and mariusbakken.com, I rarely mentioned blabla feet or blabla km, so that you guys can digest easier.

But my head would hurt also like yours if we had to convert all the time the min/mile pace and feet-inch versus cm/m.

Now it's hurting already.

karangasem.

Lijiang is 10 times better than Kunming.

SOunds great, I must come and visit that part of China someday. How do you go with language - Cantonese or mandarin or some other local dialect? Are any European languages spoken at all?

Thanks, I'm enjoying the travel/runnalogue.

DavidW

So, considering all these great amenities as well as your sterling endorsement, just how many world-class runners train there?

Yoko Shibui and Reiko Tosa train in Kunming, which is at a lower altitude (6,200 feet) and does not have the elements that I am describing. Kunming has some air pollution, more traffic and not a lot of great places to run. Kunming is still one of the nicest cities in the world.

I saw the entire Chinese National racewalking team in Zhongdian in August. I passed them on a run, and they were quite shocked to see a crazy white guy out running, but there were smiles all around.

If you went to Lijiang, you would see the perfection of it all. There was a Sub-28 minute American 10km guy who was with me (I am sworn to secrecy on his identity), and he does agree that it is AWESOME.

The world-class runners of the world just have simply not discovered this wonderful place.

jason

I need to learn to speak and understand Mandarin. It is obvious that I will be spending a LOT of time in China in the future. Yunnanese people are very friendly like Thai people, and you can somehow get your message across with a smile.

Lijiang is a 40 minute flight NW of Kunming, there are about 10 flights a day at US$50 each way. Zhongdian is an arduous 6-hour bus ride north of Lijiang.

I will return to Yunnan on 26-November. First I will go to Kunming, then to Dali then to Lijiang. All are welcome!

jason

Karangasem, run away from home and come on up to Yunnan!

Dontcha wanna win the SEAGames next year? You can beat the Philippines guys. JUST TRAIN HARDER.

Jason

Jason,

I have good connections to Bangkok from Perth(WA), close to where I live, how many hours do you reckon to Zhongdian from there? I'll have a family in tow as well, so will be taking our time.

THanks

DavidW

Yeah I heard Dan Browne liked it out there. How is he doing? You guys must be doing some great sessions since I saw your prediction on Dan's 2.07 next year. Good luck to you both!

Off the topic:

Sevatonic, I emailed you but no response. What kind of pillow is it that you use that you say is so effective? I'd like to get me one of those. Thanks in advance for responding.

Checked.

Check it out.

But I dont know if they're selling it there.

Keep the brand with yourself (dont tell others!).

Been using for 5 years everyday 10hrs+2hrs perday and still like brand new.

karangasem.

I WILL check out li jiang,bei jing,and kun ming. 28 dec. but still not planning for staying there. i had contacted with RMiT U in melb, they would have to see my performance next year to get full scholar. Im seeing melb also, n canada, they said quebec is a nice place to train instead of quebec?

You run 7:30/mile longrun training? Sounds like Lydiard!

Maybe I train too fast, overtrained.

karangasem.

Dan Browne will run 2;07 either in 2003 in Chicago or within 3 years from now. He is truly an animal.

Karangasem, at this point in your life, focus on your running and winning a medal in the SEAGames next year. You have some talent. Come on up to Kunming and Lijiang....you can beat the Philippines guys.

Email me when you can make it.

The flight Perth-BKK is about 6 hours.

BKK-Kunming is about 1:45.

Stay in Bangkok for about a week, have some fun and do some shopping and get your plane tickets to Kunming and Lijiang/Zhongdian lined up. Also get your Chinese Visa.

Kunming to Zhongdian is about 55min, but tickets are hard to get for the direct flight. Fly to Lijiang, stay about 10 days to acclimatize, then take the bus to Zhongdian, about 6 hours over bad roads.

Lijiang is beautiful, scenic and very civilized. Stay at the Xinhua Hotel in the centre of town. 100 Yuan/night.

Zhongdian is rough and much colder than Lijiang, but really worth the trip. Stay at the Tibet Hotel. 150yuan/night. Eat at the Snowlands Cafe near the hotel. The main training route in Zhongdian is the airport road, and there are many dirt roads leading to little Tibetan villages.

Jason

Jason,

I've been inspired by your "do it" posts for a while and I've slowly began to run again. I'm only running about 30 a week, but I hope to build on this over the year.

I'd like to go to Lijiang this summer. Did you meet any people doing public health work while you were there? I'm interested in HIV/AIDS education/prevention.

Is Deqin in Zhongdian? Could Zhongdian work as a base for the summer? Do you have to day in the Tibet Hotel by gov. regulation?

Muchos thanks,

Lumpy

Yes, Deqin is reportedly a really nasty 12 hour bus trip north of Zhongdian.

I don't know anything about the HIV/AIDS Prevention program in Yunnan, but I would never have sex in Yunnan, condom or not. They need a lot of help, from what I have read. Ruili, which in in Yunnan near the Burmese border is reportedly the point where the Virus has mutated into some really nasty strains.

Zhongdian is awesome, you will love it. It is a wild but very spiritual place. Go there.

No, you dont have to stay at the Tibet Hotel. You can stay at any hotel in Zhongdian.

Hope that this answers your queries.

jason

Thanks!