Running in China

I was lucky enough to visit Shanghai and Ningbo, China on a work trip. Unfortunately the air quality was pretty bad the whole time I was there and I was too chicken to run outside, so I ended up on the hotel's treadmill every day.

Park in Shanghai

I cannot even remember the last time I ran on a treadmill, I can't say it was an enjoyable experience but even 5 miles on a treadmill was a test in mental toughness. The first few days I started the treadmill with the goal of 30 minutes, I figured if I could run at least 30 minutes each day I would satisfy my daily need for some sort of exercise. After 30 minutes and realizing I had only ran 6km, I knew if I ran ~8km I would get at least 5 miles in. The second day on the treadmill, there were more people from work who were in Shanghai for the same meetings as me on the treadmills. I could only tell because they were covered head to toe in swooshes. I found myself upping the speed on my treadmill and running faster and harder, who knew I would be competitive even on a treadmill. 

In Ningbo the hotel had different treadmills with hill training, this being the last part of my trip I was getting sick of my running music and the treadmill. So having the option to pretend I was running up a mountain helped the treadmill insanity. 

Treadmill hill training

Despite not wanting to run outside while in China, I did get to spend some time walking around Shanghai and some of the parks around the area close to our hotel and found some beautiful places. As the saying goes if you look hard enough you can find beauty in anything, even a treadmill. 

Walking around Shanghai
Daily message left in my hotel room 
Ironic sign in the Shanghai subway

Walk way to the dreadmill
In a park in Shanghai

Shanghai
It wouldn't be an Ann trip unless I found a brewery. Boxing Cat IPA in Shanghai. 

From my hotel room in Ningbo


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