Whenever I travel, whether for business or pleasure, I would try to fit in a run. There are of course the running holidays where the running is the main event. When I am traveling on business though, like I am now, my runs would be in the neighbourhood of where my hotel is. This time however, I have a little more time to spare and the Taipei Metropolitan Park is just a few train stops away. So I decided to go on this jaunty touristy run.
www.runsociety.com previewed the park and described it as an eclectic mix of trail and that there was 20km. Here for preview. I thought why not as I had the afternoon off, before a dinner meeting.
First view of the park
This was my first view of the park. There was definitely no way that this will be 20km of trail unless I go in a meandering fashion. So that was how I approached this run, go meanderingly slow for an LSD.
As a concept, the park, set in an urban surrounding works. There was a little river meandering through the length of the park. Grassland, cobbles, asphalt and dirt makes up the surface. It was a flat course. There are even plots of vegetables, which seem to be tended by a community. There are little isolated islands connected by little causeways where people could spend a quite moment.
One turn around the outermost ring of trail is @ 2.6km. So I went meandering trying to draw a curious pattern on my route map on runkeeper. Which looks like this.
the meandering route
No way it could be a 20km route without it becoming boring. So this wasn’t an LSD at all but an enjoyable easy pace for maintenance for the first 7km, then a storming 5:30 pace final 3km.
At this time of the year the sun sets early in Taipei at 5:05pm. I was treated to a brilliantly orange sunset while cooling down.
sunset
Getting there is easy. The Taipei MRT will take you there for $30NT max, @ $1.30. Get on Line 4 in the direction of Huilong to Sanchong station. At Sanchong station, take exit one, cross Shuhong E road and climb the flood wall. Climbing the flood wall may constitute a warm up.
The park is wonderful park to run in, in the city. And if you’re here in Taipei for business it’s a convenient place to take in a run and de-stress from your meetings. And if you’re here for the food and Redpoint IPA, both of which is extremely wonderful, it’s a way to work off those calories between bouts of indulgence. Run to eat to run I say.
A note about Redpoint IPA, they call it Tai PA. Genius branding. A wonderfully deep red, hoppy IPA with a hint of mangoes.
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