Han Ximin ximhan@126.com IN Guangdong Province, fall is the best season for playing ball games, raquet games and jogging, as it is warm but not stiflingly humid. Running 30-60 minutes, or between 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters, is a great way to help your mind and body survive the stresses of living in Shenzhen. I have been running regularly for the past two years and participated in a half-marathon and a full marathon. Shenzhen has many well-designed parks and jogging groups, making it an easy place to find people to run with. Gadgets Running is one of the simplest and most effective forms of exercise. You need very little equipment and can do it almost anywhere at any time. All you need is a good pair of sneakers. If you run mostly on roads, or concrete, look for shoes with more cushioning and a less rugged sole. However, for cross-country running, it is better to have shoes that give you more grip. It is a good idea to have a heart rate monitor to measure how fast your heart is beating while running. Your heart rate is an indicator of your body’s exertion levels, or the intensity at which you are running, so can help you outsmart your tired legs on a long run. To gauge your body’s exertion, you have to know what your body’s maximum heart rate (MHR) is. This has been traditionally calculated by subtracting your age from 220. If you are 25 years old, your MHR is 195. Recently, some new formulae have been tested. Try the formula of 205 — (0.5 x age). For an easy workout, your heart rate should stay at 60 to 75 percent of your MHR. Anytime your heart rate is consistently at or above 85 percent, you know you’re really pushing yourself. When you see that it is only at 65 percent, pick up the pace. Many people choose to listen to music while running. If you are one of these, take a MP3 player or iPod. Warming up For runners of all levels and distances, warming up is essential to preventing injury. In most cases, 5-7 minutes of jogging followed by some good stretching and a few strides are enough. Also, remember to stretch after running. Stretching can reduce fatigue and assist the process of self-repairing, prevent injury and alleviate muscle pain. Getting started One of the easiest ways to get more out of your training is to run with a friend or join a club. In Shenzhen, there are many such clubs organized by runners or outdoor enthusiasts such as www.doyouhike.net or www.szrunners.com. They organize training sessions every week, and help members enter marathons and half-marathons on the mainland and in Hong Kong and Macao. All training programs are free. For example, www.szrunners.com holds running events at Bijia Mountain between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Participants will gather at the southern gate of the park and vote on a route. From 5 km to 10 km Training programs for beginners can be assessed either in terms of the distance you have covered or the time in which you have completed your run. It is a matter of personal preference. Don’t care about the speed if you have just started. Run at the speed that is most suitable to you. It generally takes eight weeks for an adult to prepare for a 5-kilometer run. It is based on three runs per week at an average speed of 1,000 meters per 8 minutes. If you can easily finish 16-24 kilometers over three or four days a week, it means you are prepared to run 10 kilometers at a stretch. You can apply the same principle to longer distances: slowly, steadily increasing your weekly mileage, in particular, weekly long run. After eight weeks of training for 10 km, you can run a half-marathon. There seems to be a big gap between a 10 km and half-marathon (21 kilometers). However, as I have experienced, there isn’t much difference between the two, because you have fully prepared your body for the task. Marathons in China 1. Beijing International Marathon http://www.beijing-marathon.com/cn/index.html The most prestigious marathon in China, it has been held annually since 1981. It is now one of 10 most influential races in the world. 2. Xiamen International Marathon http://www.xmim.org/cn/ 3. Shanghai International Marathon Race http://www.shmarathon.com/marathon_index.html It has been increasing in popularity since it started in 1996. It attract around 20,000 runners each year. 4. Dalian International Marathon http://www.dlmls.org/ Events you can join this year Nov. 4 Hangzhou International Marathon Race (It is postponed for further notice). http://www.hzim.org/ Nov. 11-13 Guizhou 100km Super Marathon Challenge http://100km.qdn.cn/cn Nov. 18 Guangzhou Marathon http://www.guangzhou-marathon.com Dec. 2 Shanghai International Marathon (Web site already mentioned) Dec. 15 Hainan International Marathon Race http://www.hndzmarathon.org Dec. 16 Zhuhai International Half Marathon http://www.zhmarathon.com/ Dec. 16 Shenzhen (Yantian) Mountain Marathon http://www.runforlove.org.cn/ | 