Travelling to urban China (Beijing, Shanghai) in May, during an important pre-A-race training week (5-4 weeks out from 70.3). Anyone have experience managing the terrible air quality there? I’ve heard horror stories, and am wondering whether I’d be better off sticking to weights and pool.
I spent two weeks last year in China in July. In the big cities, like Beijing and Shanghai, it was very polluted. When going for a run I felt that I was not getting enough oxygen and breathing much harder than normal. It is also extremely crowded making it hard having to dodge all of the pedestrians, wait for traffic lights, etc. Outside of the big cities the air is clean and I was able to get some great runs in.
I usually just stick to the hotel gyms when I am in China…I am usually in Shenzhen and the one time I tried to run outside was pretty miserable.
I lived in Beijing in 2005 for a few months. Went back in 2011 and the pollution was much worse than in 05 where I actually did some outdoor runs in the parks.
I would look for a gym unfortunately.
Travelling to urban China (Beijing, Shanghai) in May, during an important pre-A-race training week (5-4 weeks out from 70.3). Anyone have experience managing the terrible air quality there? I’ve heard horror stories, and am wondering whether I’d be better off sticking to weights and pool.
Done lots of runs in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen. Just run. Don’t think about it. People in China do it all the time and they are not dying. It won’t kill ya. In Beijing there is also some fabulous running on the 5K loop in the park north of the Olympic park and the outside lane has the material of a track. It is totally awesome. Yes, there are some days when the pollution is bad, but you’re breathing the same air whether you are indoors or outdoors…it’s not like the hotel or office that you are in filters the air for you. I have found Shanghai and Shenzhen actually easier on polluted days as both have higher humidity and frankly I have never really had that bad air quality issues in Shanghai (generally stayed in Pudong). Beijing can be tough on dry days in the fall/winter/spring but if you get a cold North West wind, then it is blue sky all the way. I do feel that overall the press over blow it.
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I’m an airline pilot. Until just last month my usual haunt was Shanghai, with sprinklings of Beijing and Hong Kong. The hotel in Pudong I stayed at allowed me to run along Shibo Ave that parallels the Huangpu River, essentially 10K out and 10 K back uninterrupted, and if I hung a short left at the apogee, I could do an out-and-return 1/2 Marathon from essentially the lobby of my hotel. Shibo Ave is a wide open road with amazingly little traffic and passes the Expo grounds. It’s actually a terrific road for cycling on too, if you go early enough in the morning! Anyhow, with respect to the Air Quality, take it from me, there are limits as to what is manageable and what is ridiculous and makes you feel like crap afterwards.
The web site I use is http://aqicn.org/city/ and, after personal experience after 5 years of going there 3x/month, I would knock off any outdoor running when the Index reached in excess of 150. Beyond 150 I started to get a raw, raspy throat if I ran beyond an hour. Over 200, I added blackened snot rockets to the mix. I once ran at over 250 and I felt like shit, so never made that mistake again.
Dave
Gym unless you can go at the crack of dawn after it rains.
Travelling to urban China (Beijing, Shanghai) in May, during an important pre-A-race training week (5-4 weeks out from 70.3). Anyone have experience managing the terrible air quality there? I’ve heard horror stories, and am wondering whether I’d be better off sticking to weights and pool.
What Dev said. There is also a personal factor that only you have experience with. One of my colleagues always seems to pick up some bug while travelling, be it from the plane or once on the ground.
It also depends on WHERE you are in Beijing. Imagine running in New York City; some placed good, others much less so.
The Olympic park would be great if you are nearby.
The airport there is huge and I’ve often considered getting in :30 indoors as it is seldom crowed.
-sD
I ran in both cities as well last summer. Its a bit hard to breathe but its its beautiful! If anything, run early in the morning before everyone is out on the street and before it gets crowded.
Thanks to all for the advice!
In '94/'95 I spent a year travelling the world.
I ran everywhere. In fact, some of the most memorable runs, from my entire life, came during that year.
Running while travelling has been one of the great joys of my life.
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Forget about a specific training plan for these runs, and think more of these runs as exploring. It’s an adventure! That will get you in the right mind-set.
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As others have noted, early morning, right at sun-rise is best. Air quality is better, lower temperatures, in the tropics, and just generally less hectic.
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It’s funny, that in the west, there are places that, due to high crime rates, you would definitely not advise, running. But in most third world and developing countries, this is not an issue. You literally can run anywhere. That being said, most western hotels tend to be in the “nicer” areas of these places, so in general you should be OK.
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Disregard the advice from some hotel staff and concierges, they my advise you on not running outside, “unsafe”. “You’ll get lost” etc . . and direct you to the hotel gym and treadmill. Boring!
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Google map the area of the hotel and seek out city parks, and other places that would be good for running. Don’t get too hung up on the route, just generally know how to get back to the hotel. Take your credit card and a $20 bill with you and a business card from the hotel. If you get completely lost, just hail a taxi, and show the driver the business card for the hotel. Even if there is language challenges, he’ll get you back to the hotel.
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Take a camera or your mobile phone as well. You’ll see things, that no other tourists will see, and the light will be perfect for great shots.
Nah, fill your lungs with that stuff. It’ll toughen you up…for the emphysema, asthma, bronchitis ward.
http://www.nytimes.com/...china-says.html?_r=0
-Robert