Running on UB roads is a challenge, not least because that is exactly what you are doing for the most part - running on the roads...or what passes for roads. There are unfixed man hole covers drainage ditches and pot holes the size of a mini to contend with, and then there is the driving. It has been said the Mongolian drivers still culturally view driving in much the same way they view riding horses on the plains, go where you like when you like stop when you want to.
They also have no idea how to maintain traffic flow and will fill every available gap at every intersection regardless of the consequences for others.
Anyway a 2km run from school got me to the Tuul river and a dusty 2km run along a dirt road got me to one of many ridges where I could yomp up and look back at UB, it does not quite show up so well in this clip but it is a sprawling place with no end of construction, construction everywhere - no idea who is going to live in these places of visit these hotels, but there it is, a city of under 2,000,000 people with probably another 250,000 homes in construction, and it's not social housing for the people in the ger communities.
Anyway I digress, the run was good but it was hard - I was not expecting any problems with altitude, we are after all only at 4500ft but it was difficult. I was probably a minute/km slower than my normal pace and whether it was fatigue, dehydration, or the fact that I'm out of shape, I was definitely working harder to maintain that pace
That said I did find a way out - now I just need to locate the trails that actually go out into those hills , they are there and with just a 3-5km jog from the apartment it has to be possible to get out there more. Lets hope I get out there before the weather closes in.
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