We came for the summit; we stayed for the sea. Living on the coast of a continent was something new for Kent and I, and it was a treat. A paved pedestrian trail stretched out in either direction on Qingdao’s seashore. In our home by the sea, we ran or walked along this promenade every single chance we got!
For every run we did on Fushan, we did another by the sea. From when we arrived May 2019 until January 2020 when we accidentally departed, we racked up 60 seaside sprints. A lovely round number that just so happens to exactly match our tally on the mountain!
Seaside sprints
I write sprints, for once, not only for the alliteration. We sincerely did sprint along the seaside: that’s the bulk of what we did on Qingdao’s flat, paved coastal trail. It was the perfect spot for our speedwork. We did a huge number of steady state runs!
We’d leave the house just before dawn, when there were precious few others on the trail. Then we’d run spend 10, 15, 20 or even 30 minutes running at top speed down the boardwalk. Our destination was Midao island, a local green space.
Later, when we began to introduce heat training, we’d do this midday instead: soaking our clothes under a hot summer sun. It was a blast.
Recovery route
But it was not all speedwork and sprints on Qingdao’s seashore. That was all routes southwest. Northeast along the coast, just a short distance, was where we ran our recovery runs. (Creature of habit, I know.) On these jaunts, we jogged, we conversed, and we stopped for photo shoots.
We also did a handful of casual strolls down by the sea as well, including a couple of romantic night walks!
Let’s stop for…
There are a handful of attractions right on the seaside: an aquarium, several hotels and a few designer cafes. But none of those caught my eye. Instead, we’d often plan our runs as point-to-point routes so we could do a handful of chores while we were out and about.
After a daytime sprint, the logical thing to do was hit the Maidao market for some freshly squeezed juice and a feast of other fresh things to last us the week.
Longer recovery runs might take us to Shilaoren Wan, a sandy beach just down the coast! Just behind that was the fancy shopping mall at Jinshi Plaza where one could order a Starbucks or take home a box of sweet, soft mochi from Taiwan. Yes, please!
Best of all was in the fall, when the sweet potato vendors came out. It was always a gamble of where and whether or not we would indeed see one. But whenever we did, you’d better believe we availed ourselves of as many potatoes as we could carry home. This is my favorite food, and I was so happy to have found it again in China after it was such a staple of mine in South Korea.
Oh, the bounty! One time I got a sweet potato that must have weighed 5 pounds and barely fit in my backpack! They mostly made it home before they got munched.
Type 1 fun
Many of my mountain missions have featured symptoms of exhaustion and stressful high-stakes decision-making. The beauty of the coast was that it almost always was just pure enjoyment.
Sure, chasing Kent around Midao at a pace that nearly buckled my knees and left me gasping for air, was a challenge. But it wasn’t fraught (despite the occasional serious-face pose). It was speedy and scenic and simple, and sometimes that is nice for a change!
Two of our most memorable runs
There was the time when we ran way further than we intended on one of our first outings. It was a Saturday, and as the morning drew on, more and more runners joined our trail. Eventually, at one spot downtown, we realized a lot of them were wearing matching shirts and race bibs: we’d unofficially become part of a local 5k race!
On that same run, we also detoured up a new mountain (Zhongshan) and met a vegan running club! All in all, this was a very exciting outing.
Then there was also the time when we ran at the sea immediately after a typhoon. Unsurprisingly, this run did not go as planned! We had to cut the intervals as we encountered slimy green seaweed coating the path in places – and the coastal trail completely destroyed in others!
Our city immediately mobilized an army of workers to repair the paths and sweep up the seaweed. But with the waves continuing to roar in, it looked like tough work.
Lasting impact
If I thought living on the seashore was simply a nice perk of our time in Qingdao, I may have been mistaken. In retrospect, this is the beginning of a very happy trend of living near the ocean. I spent the first 18 years of my life about as far from the sea as one could possibly be. But in 2019, our move to Qingdao had us living close to the coast for the very first time. Although we left Qingdao in 2020, we’ve continued to live on or near the ocean ever since.
In California, I even became convinced that my favorite category of run is the beach run. The Lost Coast in NorCal could very well be the best coast.
Then, in 2022, we had an opportunity to live and work in Hawai’i – where, no matter where you are, you’re never far from the sea. To think our home by the sea in Qingdao is where it all began!
