Running in Shanghai

I'm back in NYC after a great trip to China.  It was really difficult to find the time to go running, but I managed to squeeze in a few runs and did a ton of walking.  My favorite runs were in Shanghai, along the Bund, which is the name of the path along the Huangpu River.  One side of the Bund looks like Europe - with beautiful old looking buildings:

The other side of the Bund, the Pudong District, is ultra modern, with a unique skyline that includes the Oriental Pearl Tower:

I ran along the Bund in the early mornings, around 5:30am.  Surprisingly, there were always a lot of people out along the Bund at that hour.  Tons of people (mostly older folks) would be out flying kites in the misty morning sky, and I would have to dodge the thin strings that held them up.  There were running clubs of men dressed in matching outfits, who would shout "zǎo shang hǎo!" aka "good morning!" in Mandarin to me as I ran by.  There were girls in heavy makeup teetering on 4-inch heels, coming home from a late night on the town.  I never once saw another Westerner, and often people would gape and sometimes snap my photo as I trotted along.  Despite the unwelcome snapshots, it was peaceful being out in Shanghai in the early morning, before the hoards of Chinese tourists in town for the World Expo would emerge from their hotel rooms for a day of sightseeing.

I think going for a run is one of the best ways to explore a new city or town.  It was a nice change from my same-old run along the Hudson River Park, and now that I'm back my old path seems exciting again.  Which is good, because marathon training kicks into high gear next week.