Wednesday, 9 July 2025

The pain cave

It's funny, when I signed the lease to this apartment, the main draw cards were the modern facilities. Namely the pool and sauna. As it would turn out, the facility that I've utilised the most and probably the most fortunate to have access to is the gym. Specifically the treadmills, which throughout the Hong Kong summer has been nothing short of a saviour when it comes to getting mileage in through typhoons, and blistering summer days. Conditions aside, it's also been invaluable for dialling into those speed sessions. Think intervals, tempos, all in a controlled environment. No dodging cars, waiting for lights, or dealing with uneven surfaces.

This is a sneak peak into my pre-work sessions. Down into the gym before sunrise. There's always one other regular I see at that hour. A lady who's on the stair master. I have a favourite treadmill, 1st from the right. It's a Life Fitness. There's four things I always bring down. 1) Music, my earphones. 2). Water bottle, in the right cup holder 3). Portable fan,  on the left handle 4) Hand towel, in the left cup holder. It's a familiar sight. Sometimes I'll have a gel. After the session the area is always splattered in perspiration. Gross. My easy pace is somewhere between speed 9.0 (or 6:40 min/km), or 9.5 (6:20 min/km), always with an incline of 1.0%.

I think I've watched all of the running videos. I like the ones through cities and in national parks. Sometimes I wonder what it be like to actually run these routes in real life instead of virtually. Maybe that could be my next goal?





No comments: