Mongolian Sunrise

I am in the middle of training for a triathlon. When I signed on for my fourth Mongolian adventure, I was a bit concerned about my training suffering from long days, poor diet, and lack of access to exercise.  My friend and trainer extraordinaire, Cari Bjelajac, sent me off with a jump rope and a supply of Juice Plus+ (as vegetables are hard to come by in this land of mutton). And I gave myself a break in my training schedule – just in case.

Though I cannot swim or bike for these two weeks, I have found a great running trail that tracks straight through a park full of silly statues, children’s amusement park rides, and up a hill to a city monument and a Buddha. When you get to the top of the hill, the sunrise view over the city is pure Mongolia.

Chad and I set out the first day and it has now become the 6am team tradition. We walk over behind the dilapidated stadium track and turf soccer field and off I run while my team enjoys the stroll. In the crisp air with the inspiring sunrise, these short runs are the perfect way to start our days in Darkhan.