Well I’m off in a few hours time to Lo Wu then to Shenzhen airport! I’ve packed all my stuff and am ready to go! Going a few days earlier just to acclimatise and get some real rest! I’m actually feeling quite calm (maybe cos I’m under the influence of alcohol and its 2 am in the morning!) but I’m sure on the 27th I’ll be pretty nervous meeting other competitors and knowing that I’m an amateur!

I’ve promised everyone that I’ll come back in one piecce to share my pics and stories! See you all after 4th June!

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Comparing my pack to Stephane’s, yes I do have much more! That’s because I am a girl! I don’t want to starve and don’t want to freeze in the cold! Yes I know it is extreme sport that I’m taking part in! Well believe it or not it is at an impressive weight of 9kg! Hopefully by the end of the race I would have finished all the food and the pack will weigh <2kg!

For the past few day’s mum dug out stuff for me to take and I told her no no no! But I said yes to one thing! Renmenbi!!

 Just thought you’d see my 10 toes in one piece before I start the race! On the left are my 5 toes in Injinji socks, I’ve spent a fortune on them hopefully they’ll show performance and prevent me from blisters! On the right are my 5 other toes 4 being duct taped to prevent my hotspots from blistering!

1 week left and I’ll be out of HK acclimatizing in Urumqi for a few days before getting myself prepared for the Gobi March! Still unprepared, such as buying, flags, x20 saftey pins, gaiters, nylon tights etc. basically all the nitty gritty stuff!

Nylon tights- 4 months ago when I read the mandatory kit list I thought nylon tights were panty hose so I put that as buying last on the list until Louise emailed me that she’ll be buying some HKD1000 nylon tights with muscle support and some other high tech material! Shocked or stunned by the amount a panty hose could cost!! Darn, how ignorant could one get. Later I found out they are actually some wind proof material which is similar to Gortex!!

So I went searching for nylon tights and they were really expensive! They range from HKD500 to HKD1300! Really I can’t afford any more and at home I found my old pair of Bossini bottoms (100% nylon) which I’m going to take on my quest!

After seeing Louise taping her feet and speaking to Andrew (a Gobi competitor) I have decided not to tape my feet but my toes!! Yes, I have found my hot spots for blisters are at the top of my 2 last toes for both feet! Having done lots of research on the internet I think I have a rough idea on how to tape your feet/toes! Well the best article I have come across on the internet is: http://www.racingtheplanet.com/medicaltent/duct_tape.asp

Having taped my blister prone toes this morning I have come to understand why your hot spots will be less blister prone! Less friction on the skin, clever! But I have developed this pulling, irritating, no hurt feeling on my second last toe! I guess I’ll just have to practice taping and get use to it!!

(PS. I think this might also be my solution in wearing high heels during the summer! J)

I’m known to be the person who jumps from hobby to hobby, it all started when I was in University and I quite enjoy solitary joy so I took up knitting having knitted dozens of scarves, 2 jumpers and tons of miscellaneous stuff I got bored and moved on to baking. 

Baking was great fun, I would be waiting for my dough to rise whilst my friends would be persuading me to go out for a drink, sad me I’d wait for my dough to rise, bake the dough then go out for a drink. Soon lots of baking means lots of food with such equation means lots of eating! Yes, I got fat so I ditched baking and moved on to water sports! 

I wake boarded for quite a bit till I started taking boat exams, passed the exams and I bought a jetski, every Sunday I would go with my crew to cruise around Sai Kung which was awesome and I soon fell in love with speed and it got dangerous and I was badly injured. Knowing me I told mum I just got a stiff neck from sleeping in the wrong position! Ooops! So I sold my jetski and moved on to Taekwando! 

Taekwando was introduced to me by my 2 little cousins and every Sunday I would join their classes. My first class my Master already told me that I was a natural. Well I didn’t have much to do so I practiced and entered my first tournament in April 2005, sadly I lost my first tournament but losing didn’t put me down it just got me raging to win! Hah, the second tournament took place in September 2005 – yes a new gold medallist was born, ‘JOCELYN CHOW’ woohooo the feeling of winning is indescribable. But soon it plateau too! All in all I thought I would find a cheap hobby, running, you only need a pair of shoes! 

I usually run 3 times a week in the gym for 20mins. Then came along Louise, ’Let’s do Gobi March together!’ The idea just got me thinking and my blood rushing! I applied and got a place fixed … ooops 5 months left to train! I started to do trail runs, entered races and what did I get in return thick thighs and a massive bill to pay!! Sorry running ain’t cheap, gear is expensive! Yes I joined the Asics family under the persuasion of Stephane and I now possess more running shoes than high heels! More backpacks than hang bags! 

So, why o why my dear Jocelyn, why an ultra marathon?

Answer: Reading the above they are all solitary hobbies and they all fulfilled my solitary joy. Just taking it further to test my stamina and myself mentally! Already my best friend in the whole wide world has asked me, ‘So when is running going to plateau for you?’ (said it with a smirk) 

I can already feel the solitary triumph upon passing the finishing line in the Gobi Desert! A race of no return!!

I’ve known Lu for 3 years now and every time I go out with her something awesome or horrendous happens, let me give examples:

1. Lu told me we were only going to ride our bikes around villages in Lantau nothing much and that was what I told Stephane, but it turned out to be hardcore mountain biking session with professionals, I nearly flew over a bridge, I carried my bike up hill most of the time and got scolded by Stephane because he wasn’t in his right gear and he was wearing his expensive running shoes!!
2. Aussie Thunder (male strippers) were in town and Lu wanted to see them, yes 3 girls ended up going and had an awesome time!! See attached photo!