Running in Shanghai

My apologies to anyone who is tired of hearing about my running activities - I try to resist brining it up because I'm aware it can be very boring for non-runners, but this is about my life and with the exception of grocery shopping, it's what I do most often. Running is also (with the exception of grocery shopping) one thing that I do out with the local population.

I also want to set the record straight in case I've given anyone the wrong impression about the running culture here in China in my previous writings. I know I've poked fun in my description of the unique exercise practices here: the walking backwards, the clapping and slapping, the shuffling joggers (and, hey, I give them credit for getting out there!).

But there are some really serious runners here - great big groups and clubs which convene regularly to do laps around the park. And they are not wearing PJ's and bobo sneakers, they are in real running gear and have a station set up where they drop their bottles of water, gatorade, or tea. I'm tempted to bring my own water bottle and see if they notice. We've been here long enough that by now they all recognize Russ and I and they are generally quite friendly. When I pass by this one group in particular, I always get some kind of greeting. I've recently been upgraded from a Chinese shout which sounds something like "Hey!" to a "Good Morning!" followed by lots of laughter.

There are even a couple women runners, but it's still mostly men. And they won't let you pass them. I'm not sure if it's because I'm a woman or a Westerner or just a cultural thing, but it's taken some getting used to. Let me start off by saying I don't pass a lot of people because the serious runners are really serious. And they are not all young jocks. There is this one little old man who looks like he's about 80 years old and hasn't eaten since last Tuesday, but his legs are pure muscle and he really cooks!

When it comes to passing someone, there are two reactions: 1) the guy being passed is obviously insulted or at least shamed into running faster and guns it past me to get way ahead, and 2) the guy who decides this would be a good opportunity for a running buddy, so he speeds up just enough to run right next to me - sometimes for miles.

This last one really threw me at first - maybe it's just because I'm used to running alone on deserted streets and this is really quite normal among runners. I thought maybe they were trying to annoy me by tail-gaiting or just couldn't quite get up the speed to pass me. But then I started to realize what they must have already known: that running with a partner, even a total stranger, helps break up the monotony a bit and gets you to run just that tiny bit quicker or better. And even if we can't have a conversation, we still share an interest so why not share and a few miles along the way?