Some Hong Kong miles

Back from a week's holiday in Hong Kong where I clocked up just under 6 miles in a couple of runs along the harbourside in Tsim Sha Tsui.

It's always a pleasure to run along the waterfront in Hong Kong, in spite of the sometimes humid climate and the pollution (although the air quality seems to have significantly improved lately). There's so much spectacular city scenery to look at while you're running and you can follow your run with cheap delicious dim sum and then go for an equally cheap but very good massage.

I could have done more running whilst I was in HK but I was planning to save my 500th mile for this coming weekend back in London. So with the 6 Hong Kong miles and the 4 I did on the Thursday before I left on holiday my total now stands at 493.87 miles - 6.13 to go.

The plan to pass the 500 mile mark is:

- go out for one lunchtime run in Hyde Park this week for 4-5 miles

- then on Saturday or Sunday this weekend, complete the equivalent of a half-marathon by doing three laps of the Thames, starting from the London Eye, running to the Millenium Bridge, back to Lambeth Bridge, repeating a couple of times, and then on the third lap, heading up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, then hanging a left and running up The Mall to complete 13.1 miles at the Buckingham Palace gates.

At least that's the plan. And the beauty of the plan is that I'll pass the 500 mile mark early on in the run, so from that point on everything else is a bonus. But I've never run half marathon distance before, and it would be great to complete the challenge with a new "personal best"