by Mollie Millington | Aug 9, 2018 | running, travel
As someone who was cut from her high school football team for being slow, I never imagined I would be running marathons in my spare time while in my late 30s. Currently, I am pursuing the six World Marathon Major races, but when an advert for a desert ultra marathon caught my eye, I suddenly wanted more.
I started running in 2006 to fundraise for a local humane society. From 2011-2015, I supported RODS Racing as a way to grieve for my stillborn nephew. I have been slowly gaining my confidence from being the slowest girl on the team to a confident athlete who is up for a physical challenge. My latest adventure was climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2018 to summit on International Women’s Day.
This year by committing to Track Tuesdays and working with the amazing team at Function360, I have never felt fitter or faster. I have also started to drop excess weight by working with a nutritionist and staying focused on my goals.
With this in mind, I am super excited to announce my 4×4 Running Challenge!
Over September, October and November, I will take part in four different running challenges in four different countries. They are:
8 September: Marathon du Medoc– fancy dress and wine drinking marathon on Bordeaux region of France
21-22 September: Ragnar Relay White Cliffs, UK– relay race of 170 miles with a team of 10
7-13 October: Wadi Rum Ultra, Jordan- 250 km over 5 days in the Jordan desert with temperatures over 30 degrees C
4 November: NYC Marathon, USA- Mollie’s 4th World Marathon Major
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| #TeamLikeAGirl, who are my new friends |
Wadi Rum Ultra will be the hardest race for me. Although I am currently feeling strong in body and mind, the only experience I have in multi-day events is as part of a relay team for Spitfire Scramble and Fitbit Fifty. Plus, I have never run in the desert or an ultra (anything over 26.2 miles/marathon distance). To successfully train for Wadi Rum, I will need to add more miles into my marathon training schedule, more strength and conditioning to keep my body strong through the challenge, and somehow acclimatize my body to the heat for running for 30+ degree C temps (although the London heat wave is certainly helping). Can I do this while working full-time and having a (mostly) understanding husband at home? Time will tell.
I was lucky enough to take part in a Wadi Rum training weekend where I met lots of the racers. Everyone was friendly and happy to chat all things running (my kind of people!). We have another training weekend coming up in September where I hope to learn more about how to prepare effectively. There is so much to learn about running multi-day challenges, as well as caring for your feet. I need to sort out what I am going to eat along the way and make sure everything fits into my bag. Somehow, I will manage a way to fit it all in.
 |
| Salomon Agile 6 |
I am so blessed as a blogger to have developed relationships over the years with various brands. Many that I have worked with in the past are once again showing their support for my enthusiastic and adventurous efforts. I would like to say a huge thanks to these companies for sending me samples of the following kit to put to the extreme test over these next few months. Reviews will be posted after the challenge is complete.
Salomon- Agile 6 bag and Sense Ride trainers
1000 Mile- Breeze sock
Sole- Active Medium footbed
Skins- various compression wear (more info soon)
Suunto- Suunto 9
IV Doc- Post race treatment
One other aspect of this challenge will be verbalizing my ‘why’. Non-running acquaintances keep asking me why I signed up to do all of these races, why would you rather run 20 miles that have a BBQ, why do you over-commit yourself with fitness activities every day of the week? I can’t yet answer them. I think some of it stems from being cut from the football team. Another is that I do find it fun (when I am not injured, of course). Some of it might be to draw attention to myself as I am so far from friends and family back in the USA, I don’t want to be forgotten about. Lucky for me, I have plenty of long runs coming up to think this through more carefully.
If you want to keep tabs on me and my training over the next few months, please follow me on Strava. A little kudos goes a long way.
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| We raced down this huge dune near Brecon Beacon. I am pretty sure a local 9 year old girl (not pictured) won. |
by Mollie Millington | Jul 27, 2018 | outdoors, product review, running, travel
This summer, nearly 1000 runners of all shapes, sizes and abilities descended upon the Gower Peninsula in Wales for three days of running, sunshine, beers, and music at the aptly named Love Trails Festival (LTF). I had wanted to go last year, but there were a few other things going on at the same time, such as Spitfire Scramble. This year also had conflicting races but I made LFT a priority and I am so glad I did. Here is why:
Sunshine
Yes, I realize this crazy British heatwave is an anomaly but the weather was gorgeous! Sunshine very day, a light breeze, and cool evenings make me a very happy girl. I was so happy topping up my vitamin D under factor 50 sunscreen.
Sunshine and sheep
Camping
When I was little, my family would go camping at least once a year in the state park. My husband and I never go around to it while dating in Michigan, nor since we moved to London. This camp sight had port a Loos and limited showers (I took 1 shower in 3 days but hey, everyone was sweating). It was relaxing to be outside. My new sleeping mat from Decathlon (Forclaz 400) is amazing. It self inflates pretty quickly (once you open the valve) and just needs a few puffs to get it to the correct firmness. I slept in leggings and my Polartec Alpha hoody and was snug as a bug in a rug in my Decathlon sleeping bag.
The
tent is Quecha Arpenaz 3 Fresh & Black from Decathlon. I had to pitch in the dark b I had already practiced once in my garden. I didn’t realize it but the Fresh & Black feature keeps the majority of the light out, manning I didn’t wake up when the sun started to shine. Instead, I work up when
Project Awesome started whopping their way through camp.
I kept camp food simple and light. Each morning, I had bagel with peanut butter and Fuel protein porridge pot for lunch. Dinner and drinks were from one of the six or so the festival vendors.
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| Running along the beach #winning |
Nature
Just look at these views. I ran through the woods, along the coast, on a beach, over salt marshes, and literally through a creek. You don’t get that in London (which is also why it seemed much harder than it should).
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| Welsh coast #lush |
Community
I was lucky enough to lead a few 3-5k organized runs which was amazing way to meet lots of people. I was with my blogger friends Becs (The Style Dynamo) and Bethan (A Pretty Place to Play) plus their partners, whom I have known for years but don’t see as often as I would like. We met through running years ago, stay connected through blogging yet are always busy because we live in London. We could actually just hang out and catch up in a leisurely way. If we had met in London, I have a feeling it Would have been incredibly rushed.
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| Me and Becs |
Things I would do differently for next year:
- Hire a car or bring less stuff. Carrying a 90L bag, 38L bag, tent and camping chair all over London and on public transport was terrible. Glamping is very attractive to me at this point. With a big enough group, the cost can be effective. I would also leave my camping chair at home as I barely used it. Perhaps if the ground had been wet, I would have used it more.
 |
| Yes, I know this photo is blurry but you get the idea about how much stuff I carry |
- Attend more talks. There was so much going on, I couldn’t be at three places at once. Hopefully next year, the program will have a bit more detail about what the talks are on so I can be inspired to move more.
 |
| Chilling at Camp Fire Stage |
- Try more shoes. Salomon had tons of tester shoes you could take out for a spin. I also did so on the last day and in hind site, should have tried as many as possible. I am always nervous about investing in new running shoes because of the expense, especially if it turns out I don’t like them. I am a big fan of Salomon trail shoes and should really give the road shoes a try.
 |
| I did try the Suunto watches a few times |
- Take loo roll. Unfortunately there was a shortage of this on Saturday night. It was a rookie camping/festival mistake not to keep some tissues on me at all times. Lesson learned.
- Pack coffee for camp. Not for me but since I have a small stove to boil water, it would be nice for others. Coffee was a good 15 minute walk away at the main festival area and always had a queue first thing in the morning.
So are you in? Early bird tickets are now on sale for £109/pp. The LTF will be 4-9 July 2019. See you there? Or if you are up for an adventure, there are also sister events in Chamonix and Falkland Islands planned.
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| Amazing drumming for the Beer Relay |
by thinkmarsh | Jun 11, 2018 | exercise, relax, travel, water sports
I have been lucky enough to visit seven countries in the last six months. Holidays are a great time to explore an alternative side to the local culture and see how they stay active and healthy. In Thailand, the sun was shining every day, which instantly made me feel a bit more cheery. Although it was way too hot and humid to run, I was able to use a few hotel fitness rooms to complete my corrective exercise homework from Function360. But I really wanted to spend time doing activities that I couldn’t do at home (when in Rome and all that!) so I booked in for several unique Thai experiences.
|
| Feeling tough and super sweaty |
Muay Thai
The first was Muay Thai boxing, of course. Via Trip Advisor and Google, I found Master Toddy’s Muay Thai Academy which is Bangkok. The location didn’t seem too far from our hotel but the public transport and traffic in Bangkok is a bit nuts so I took a taxi there and back. When I arrived, I was greeted by a gym member who was originally from America. He asked me what my experience in Muay Thai was and if I spoke Thai. I replied I have none with either. My instructor’s name was Korn, and my new friend told me Korn didn’t speak much English. I expected this and wasn’t too worried. As long as I could copy the movements he made, I thought I would be able to learn the technique. After changing into my workout clothes, I grabbed my water bottle and headed into the ring with Korn.
 |
| Perfecting those pesky front kicks |
We started off with a warm up and stretching. Korn could count to 10 in English which was really handy. The lesson was private, which meant I always had a clear view of him and he was watching what I was doing. After the warm up, we went through basic punching and kicking positions in slow motion and without pads. Finally, he go out the long pieces of cloth, wrapped my hands and chose my gloves. I was ready to fight.
Playing in the background was a recording of about 20 three minute rounds. My guess is that there was about 60 seconds rest between bouts. We started off by working on the basic punches and getting power into the pads Korn was holding. Then we worked on the kicks and sorting out what my natural range of motion was. Once he was happy with the my technique, he designed various kicking and punching combinations for me to complete during the bouts. The gym was a large fenced in garage so the temperature and humidity was the same in the ring as it was outside. I had brought 2L of water with me and made sure to take sips when I could. Korn had to help a bit because the boxing gloves limited my ability to open and handle the bottle.
 |
| Korn and I in the ring |
Front kicks were probably my worst skill as I just couldn’t get any power behind them. I was pretty good at a side kick though and my hook is killer. The session was two hours long which was probably better suited for a couple or group. Towards the end, Korn took me out of the ring and had me practice on punching bags in the workout area. The humidity made them a little slick but I was able to work repeatedly on one move at a time. I think I would have preferred to start with the bags and then build my way up to the rings. Although I have a certificate saying I now know the fundamental basics of Muay Thai, I didn’t feel very confident after my lesson. I am really glad I had my first lesson where Muay Thai originated though. If you are interested in taking lessons, Master Toddy offers accomidation for those registere in his intensive training program.
 |
| Selfie while wearing my Subea mask |
Snorkeling
I am lucky enough to be able to called myself a marine biologist (yes I have seen the Sinfield episode). I spent as much time as I could in the water while in Thailand. True, there are many places off over the world where you can snorkel, but rarely do we visit those places. James and I did a full day snorkeling trip from Kkao Lak, and then I did a separate excursion to Coral Island on my own. We snorkeled a few times at the Khao Lak hotel, and the bride and groom arranged a day-long boat trip with the wedding guests too. My bum totally got sunburned and my hair was salty but my heart was oh-so-happy. Using the Decathlon Subea face mask, it so easy to see everything around us and not have to worry about clearing the snorkel. Our masks didn’t fog up and were easy to fit without any leaks (James and I had different sizes).
 |
| These fish were everywhere and would swim right over to you. |
My G-Eye 900 action camera accompanied me on every dive. I took both photos and videos to help me remember what we saw. There is so much video to go through! I am not very good with Latin names but could pick out general groups of fish (such as trigger, damsel, parrot, etc). Sadly, the guides on our trips didn’t know what any of the fish were so I couldn’t ask them too many questions. I was thrilled to see a puffer fish and some small cuttlefish. Sadly, we didn’t see any turtles in the wild but did visit a rescue and rehabilitation facility near Khao Lak. If I go back, I will try to go when the sea turtle nest on the beach. How cool would that be?
If you go to Thailand, bring your bathing suit, cover up, water shoes and lots of sunscreen. Being on the water totally calms me. You don’t have to get in but something about being on a boat is so relaxing. The fish come right over to you so you will see lots of different critters while you are in the shallow water. Try not to step on the rocks and coral because you could injury yourself and the coral is very delicate. I wore my Keen sandals the entire time, which were a bit heavy but really helpful when I got caught in a current and needed to swim to shore for a rest.
 |
| Parrotfish in the center. |
Thai Massage
My brother-in-law’s wife (now my sister-in-law?) invited me to a spa day with the bridal party. I booked myself in for a Thai massage and honestly had no idea what to expect. Every massage I have ever had, you undress, lay flat on a table and are rubbbed with oil or lotion. But for a Thai massage, you put on these pajama-like scrubs and have your feet washed before you start. You then lay on a table and the fun begins.
 |
| All treatments start with a foot bath, even the manicures! |
Thai massage combines pressing on the body (rather than rubbing) with yoga-like body positions. My massage did have some traditional massage movements, but also a lot of stretching, pulling and body movement. I tried to stay as relaxed as possible as the women bent me in all sorts of directions. I even had to sit up at the end while she stood behind me to crack my back somehow.
I was more bemused than anything by the end but also felt a little lighter and taller. There were massage parlors everywhere in Thailand so if you want one, it isn’t hard to find. I even got a foot massage in the international terminal in the Bangkok airport before we left for home. It was really peaceful and relaxing, which helped me sleep on the overnight flight back to London.
 |
| Bride-to-be and I had our treatments in the same room. That was another first for me. |
If you have been to Thailand, what other activities would you recomend? Leave a comment below and let me know.
All the photos in this post were taken with my G-Eye 900. Some were actual photos and the others are screenshots of videos. Anyone have tips on how to make videos into photos? I would greatly appreciate some advice.
Decathlon graciously gave me the Subea masks and G-Eye 900 to review. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 11, 2018 | exercise, relax, travel, water sports
I have been lucky enough to visit seven countries in the last six months. Holidays are a great time to explore an alternative side to the local culture and see how they stay active and healthy. In Thailand, the sun was shining every day, which instantly made me feel a bit more cheery. Although it was way too hot and humid to run, I was able to use a few hotel fitness rooms to complete my corrective exercise homework from Function360. But I really wanted to spend time doing activities that I couldn’t do at home (when in Rome and all that!) so I booked in for several unique Thai experiences.
|
| Feeling tough and super sweaty |
Muay Thai
The first was Muay Thai boxing, of course. Via Trip Advisor and Google, I found Master Toddy’s Muay Thai Academy which is Bangkok. The location didn’t seem too far from our hotel but the public transport and traffic in Bangkok is a bit nuts so I took a taxi there and back. When I arrived, I was greeted by a gym member who was originally from America. He asked me what my experience in Muay Thai was and if I spoke Thai. I replied I have none with either. My instructor’s name was Korn, and my new friend told me Korn didn’t speak much English. I expected this and wasn’t too worried. As long as I could copy the movements he made, I thought I would be able to learn the technique. After changing into my workout clothes, I grabbed my water bottle and headed into the ring with Korn.
|
| Perfecting those pesky front kicks |
We started off with a warm up and stretching. Korn could count to 10 in English which was really handy. The lesson was private, which meant I always had a clear view of him and he was watching what I was doing. After the warm up, we went through basic punching and kicking positions in slow motion and without pads. Finally, he go out the long pieces of cloth, wrapped my hands and chose my gloves. I was ready to fight.
Playing in the background was a recording of about 20 three minute rounds. My guess is that there was about 60 seconds rest between bouts. We started off by working on the basic punches and getting power into the pads Korn was holding. Then we worked on the kicks and sorting out what my natural range of motion was. Once he was happy with the my technique, he designed various kicking and punching combinations for me to complete during the bouts. The gym was a large fenced in garage so the temperature and humidity was the same in the ring as it was outside. I had brought 2L of water with me and made sure to take sips when I could. Korn had to help a bit because the boxing gloves limited my ability to open and handle the bottle.
|
| Korn and I in the ring |
Front kicks were probably my worst skill as I just couldn’t get any power behind them. I was pretty good at a side kick though and my hook is killer. The session was two hours long which was probably better suited for a couple or group. Towards the end, Korn took me out of the ring and had me practice on punching bags in the workout area. The humidity made them a little slick but I was able to work repeatedly on one move at a time. I think I would have preferred to start with the bags and then build my way up to the rings. Although I have a certificate saying I now know the fundamental basics of Muay Thai, I didn’t feel very confident after my lesson. I am really glad I had my first lesson where Muay Thai originated though. If you are interested in taking lessons, Master Toddy offers accomidation for those registere in his intensive training program.
|
| Selfie while wearing my Subea mask |
Snorkeling
I am lucky enough to be able to called myself a marine biologist (yes I have seen the Sinfield episode). I spent as much time as I could in the water while in Thailand. True, there are many places off over the world where you can snorkel, but rarely do we visit those places. James and I did a full day snorkeling trip from Kkao Lak, and then I did a separate excursion to Coral Island on my own. We snorkeled a few times at the Khao Lak hotel, and the bride and groom arranged a day-long boat trip with the wedding guests too. My bum totally got sunburned and my hair was salty but my heart was oh-so-happy. Using the Decathlon Subea face mask, it so easy to see everything around us and not have to worry about clearing the snorkel. Our masks didn’t fog up and were easy to fit without any leaks (James and I had different sizes).
|
| These fish were everywhere and would swim right over to you. |
My G-Eye 900 action camera accompanied me on every dive. I took both photos and videos to help me remember what we saw. There is so much video to go through! I am not very good with Latin names but could pick out general groups of fish (such as trigger, damsel, parrot, etc). Sadly, the guides on our trips didn’t know what any of the fish were so I couldn’t ask them too many questions. I was thrilled to see a puffer fish and some small cuttlefish. Sadly, we didn’t see any turtles in the wild but did visit a rescue and rehabilitation facility near Khao Lak. If I go back, I will try to go when the sea turtle nest on the beach. How cool would that be?
If you go to Thailand, bring your bathing suit, cover up, water shoes and lots of sunscreen. Being on the water totally calms me. You don’t have to get in but something about being on a boat is so relaxing. The fish come right over to you so you will see lots of different critters while you are in the shallow water. Try not to step on the rocks and coral because you could injury yourself and the coral is very delicate. I wore my Keen sandals the entire time, which were a bit heavy but really helpful when I got caught in a current and needed to swim to shore for a rest.
|
| Parrotfish in the center. |
Thai Massage
My brother-in-law’s wife (now my sister-in-law?) invited me to a spa day with the bridal party. I booked myself in for a Thai massage and honestly had no idea what to expect. Every massage I have ever had, you undress, lay flat on a table and are rubbbed with oil or lotion. But for a Thai massage, you put on these pajama-like scrubs and have your feet washed before you start. You then lay on a table and the fun begins.
|
| All treatments start with a foot bath, even the manicures! |
Thai massage combines pressing on the body (rather than rubbing) with yoga-like body positions. My massage did have some traditional massage movements, but also a lot of stretching, pulling and body movement. I tried to stay as relaxed as possible as the women bent me in all sorts of directions. I even had to sit up at the end while she stood behind me to crack my back somehow.
I was more bemused than anything by the end but also felt a little lighter and taller. There were massage parlors everywhere in Thailand so if you want one, it isn’t hard to find. I even got a foot massage in the international terminal in the Bangkok airport before we left for home. It was really peaceful and relaxing, which helped me sleep on the overnight flight back to London.
|
| Bride-to-be and I had our treatments in the same room. That was another first for me. |
If you have been to Thailand, what other activities would you recomend? Leave a comment below and let me know.
All the photos in this post were taken with my G-Eye 900. Some were actual photos and the others are screenshots of videos. Anyone have tips on how to make videos into photos? I would greatly appreciate some advice.
Decathlon graciously gave me the Subea masks and G-Eye 900 to review. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Apr 19, 2018 | cycling, travel
One of the new features of this website is offering ideas on how to stay active while travelling. Too many times, people will overindulge on food and drink while away from home, only to return to reality feeling sluggish and bloated, in addition to being back at work. Any fitness or exercise regime you keep to at home will often do out the window when you travel because you don’t know where is safe to run, if your yoga class will be in English, or the weather is just too hot.
|
| Enjoying the temples in Siem Reap. |
Personally, I find I have more time to exercise while I am on holiday and aim to make the most of it. It really can depend on where you are and what you have planned though. For example, we recently went to Siem Reap, Cambodia, for three days/three nights (due to travel to and from Bangkok) while visiting Thailand for a family wedding. We booked one full day with a tour guide in Siem Reap to see lots of temples and left the other free in case we wanted to see more temples, spend time at the pool, or find something else to do. With the help of Tripadvisor (seriously, what did people do before the Internet?), we discovered Grasshopper Adventures. They offer cycling trips in various cities in Asia but all tours are designed to have a positive impact on the local community. My husband, James, is more into cycling than me, but I was keen to get outside of the city and see another side to Cambodia that wasn’t touristy. Grasshopper Adventures charge ‘reasonable’ rates for their trips but the bikes are all name brands (we had GT mountain bikes) and well-kept. You also get a reusable water bottle to take home which was a nice surprise.
 |
| Ready to go! |
The weather in Siem Reap was 30+ degrees C and super humid so we opted for a half day tour of the Siem Reap Countryside. It was $35 each (American money is preferred in Siem Reap) which is definitely expensive compared to how much other things cost in Cambodia but I will say it was worth it. The bikes were all new, as were the helmets. We had two guides for our group, which had a family of five (kids 5, 4 and 2), me and James, and a women from Taiwan. We met at the shop quite early in order to get out on the road before it got too hot. We had sent our heights ahead of time which meant our bikes had been set up for us. James’ bike was fine, but mine needed the seat raised a bit. We left the shop as a group and hit the city roads. Did you know Siem Reap only has seven stop lights? Traffic just seemed to sort itself out at all the roundabouts (rotaries) and junctions (intersections) but it made me very nervous. I am by no means an agressive cyclist and was more than happy to have the guides stop traffic so that we could make our way across busy roads. Once we were out in the country, the road were much quieter and I relaxed a bit.
 |
| Village roads were much less crowded for riding. |
Along the way, we made several stops to allow for a break from the sun and learn about the local culture. We first stopped at a family home that had a farm. We learned about the typical Cambodian house design which is on stilts and how people farm land.
 |
| Stilts help protect from flooding and add additional shaded areas when it is hot out. |
Our next stop was a small wet market where were were able to tried raw lotus, fried bananas and local coffee (I opted for full fat Coke). We walked around too and saw the variety of things for sale, like live fish in bowls, whole plucked chickens, fresh eggs, and decorations for the upcoming New Year celebration. The women selling at the stalls loved the little kids on our tour. I think because they were all blonde.
 |
| The fried bananas were delish! |
Our next stop was a hut on a pond with hammock, fresh fruit our guides bought at the market, and 50 cent beer. In the cool shade, we ate our fill of fruit and chatted with the family. Within a short walk, there was a field of lotus and a flower farm which were lovely to photograph.
 |
| Huts and hammocks |
Our last stop was a monastery for Buddhist monks which had a large five-toed pig (the genetic anomoly is treated as holy), a temple, and a family cemetery for ashes. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the official name, but the shrines are quite striking.
 |
| Unfortunately, we couldn’t enter the monestary but the artwork on the outside was impressive. |
We then headed back, cycling along a highway and then a dirt path on the river to avoid the busy roads. The children with us were on the verge of a breakdown since the monastery as it was super hot by now and their attention span was waning. We were back by 11:30am for fresh in-the-shell coconut water, cool washcloth, and of course photos. It was a lot of fun and we even tried to book in another tour with them in Phuket. Unfortunately, they don’t have any tours there yet. On my next trip to Asia, I will definitely keep me eye out for this company and you should too. I really admire that they try to educate their customers about the local culure. For example, another tour you can take in Siem Reap includes a stop at a training centre for rats used to detect land mines, then you stop at a shop to learn how to recycle plastic bags into jewelry, and then finally stop at a brewery how to make wine out of rice. Grasshopper Adventures have an app so you can go self-guided if you are more independent or you can take a multiday trip to see things at a different pace as you travel between major cities.
 |
| Stopping at a lotus farm |
Overall, we were veyr impressed with the level of service, quality of the kit, and what we saw during our tour. I can say, hands down, we recomend the shop in Siem Reap. I cannot wait to try another tour the next time we are in Asia. Perhaps when we go to Japan in 2020 for the Tokyo Marathon?
Have you ever books an activity last minute while on holiday? Tell me about it in the comment below.
by thinkmarsh | Apr 19, 2018 | cycling, travel
One of the new features of this website is offering ideas on how to stay active while travelling. Too many times, people will overindulge on food and drink while away from home, only to return to reality feeling sluggish and bloated, in addition to being back at work. Any fitness or exercise regime you keep to at home will often do out the window when you travel because you don’t know where is safe to run, if your yoga class will be in English, or the weather is just too hot.
|
| Enjoying the temples in Siem Reap. |
Personally, I find I have more time to exercise while I am on holiday and aim to make the most of it. It really can depend on where you are and what you have planned though. For example, we recently went to Siem Reap, Cambodia, for three days/three nights (due to travel to and from Bangkok) while visiting Thailand for a family wedding. We booked one full day with a tour guide in Siem Reap to see lots of temples and left the other free in case we wanted to see more temples, spend time at the pool, or find something else to do. With the help of Tripadvisor (seriously, what did people do before the Internet?), we discovered Grasshopper Adventures. They offer cycling trips in various cities in Asia but all tours are designed to have a positive impact on the local community. My husband, James, is more into cycling than me, but I was keen to get outside of the city and see another side to Cambodia that wasn’t touristy. Grasshopper Adventures charge ‘reasonable’ rates for their trips but the bikes are all name brands (we had GT mountain bikes) and well-kept. You also get a reusable water bottle to take home which was a nice surprise.
|
| Ready to go! |
The weather in Siem Reap was 30+ degrees C and super humid so we opted for a half day tour of the Siem Reap Countryside. It was $35 each (American money is preferred in Siem Reap) which is definitely expensive compared to how much other things cost in Cambodia but I will say it was worth it. The bikes were all new, as were the helmets. We had two guides for our group, which had a family of five (kids 5, 4 and 2), me and James, and a women from Taiwan. We met at the shop quite early in order to get out on the road before it got too hot. We had sent our heights ahead of time which meant our bikes had been set up for us. James’ bike was fine, but mine needed the seat raised a bit. We left the shop as a group and hit the city roads. Did you know Siem Reap only has seven stop lights? Traffic just seemed to sort itself out at all the roundabouts (rotaries) and junctions (intersections) but it made me very nervous. I am by no means an agressive cyclist and was more than happy to have the guides stop traffic so that we could make our way across busy roads. Once we were out in the country, the road were much quieter and I relaxed a bit.
|
| Village roads were much less crowded for riding. |
Along the way, we made several stops to allow for a break from the sun and learn about the local culture. We first stopped at a family home that had a farm. We learned about the typical Cambodian house design which is on stilts and how people farm land.
|
| Stilts help protect from flooding and add additional shaded areas when it is hot out. |
Our next stop was a small wet market where were were able to tried raw lotus, fried bananas and local coffee (I opted for full fat Coke). We walked around too and saw the variety of things for sale, like live fish in bowls, whole plucked chickens, fresh eggs, and decorations for the upcoming New Year celebration. The women selling at the stalls loved the little kids on our tour. I think because they were all blonde.
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| The fried bananas were delish! |
Our next stop was a hut on a pond with hammock, fresh fruit our guides bought at the market, and 50 cent beer. In the cool shade, we ate our fill of fruit and chatted with the family. Within a short walk, there was a field of lotus and a flower farm which were lovely to photograph.
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| Huts and hammocks |
Our last stop was a monastery for Buddhist monks which had a large five-toed pig (the genetic anomoly is treated as holy), a temple, and a family cemetery for ashes. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the official name, but the shrines are quite striking.
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| Unfortunately, we couldn’t enter the monestary but the artwork on the outside was impressive. |
We then headed back, cycling along a highway and then a dirt path on the river to avoid the busy roads. The children with us were on the verge of a breakdown since the monastery as it was super hot by now and their attention span was waning. We were back by 11:30am for fresh in-the-shell coconut water, cool washcloth, and of course photos. It was a lot of fun and we even tried to book in another tour with them in Phuket. Unfortunately, they don’t have any tours there yet. On my next trip to Asia, I will definitely keep me eye out for this company and you should too. I really admire that they try to educate their customers about the local culure. For example, another tour you can take in Siem Reap includes a stop at a training centre for rats used to detect land mines, then you stop at a shop to learn how to recycle plastic bags into jewelry, and then finally stop at a brewery how to make wine out of rice. Grasshopper Adventures have an app so you can go self-guided if you are more independent or you can take a multiday trip to see things at a different pace as you travel between major cities.
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| Stopping at a lotus farm |
Overall, we were veyr impressed with the level of service, quality of the kit, and what we saw during our tour. I can say, hands down, we recomend the shop in Siem Reap. I cannot wait to try another tour the next time we are in Asia. Perhaps when we go to Japan in 2020 for the Tokyo Marathon?
Have you ever books an activity last minute while on holiday? Tell me about it in the comment below.
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