Wan Cheuk-hei picks up pace after training stint in Taiwan
Hong Kong distance runner improves his speed and technique after training with top athletes from National Taiwan Sport University
If you can't beat them, join them - that was the thinking of promising Hong Kong distance runner Wan Cheuk-hei as he travelled to Taiwan to join a group of elite runners to find out why they seemed to be making so much better progress than him.
Wan found new inspiration and new techniques as he prepares for tomorrow's half marathon at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon.
"Many of the athletes were better than me. I was exhausted in the second week and could hardly move. As a part of the group, I told myself I should not find excuses and must keep going," said Wan, the fastest local in last year's half marathon.
They were always sharing tips with me and taught me how to run better. This rarely happens in Hong Kong
"The aim of my trip was to equip myself. I had no reason to escape my responsibilities."
Yuen Long-based Wan spent a month training with leading runners at the National Taiwan Sport University in Taoyuan City after meeting Chen Ping-feng at the Fubon Taipei Marathon in 2012.
"Ping-feng came to Hong Kong for track competitions over the past two years and I got to know more about him and witnessed his progress," said Wan.
"I was really interested to visit Chen and his peers and see why they were improving so fast. That's why I decided to abandon my usual high-altitude training in Yunnan.
