We are going to take a little detour from the usual theme of our podcasts today. Our client is a senior technologist and the CIO of a major bank but that's not the accomplishment we want to focus on for today. Instead, we're going to talk about running.
Chang has run several 1000 kilometres and has finished several challenging runs in Hong Kong including the Four Trails. He does all this being a family man with 3 children and a demanding job! Today we will talk about how he got into running and we'll focus on two of his epic runs. The Pekoe Trail in Sri Lanka which he helped inaugurate and his attempted Camino De Santiago run (600+ km). So let me extend a warm welcome to the one and only Chang!

Background

1. What got him into running?
2. Paint a picture of his running career from the time we did the HK100 together
3. Talk about his list of accomplishments since then
4. Where does this drive to keep running come from?

Mental toughness

1. What does he say to himself when the going gets tough?
2. When does he know when to quit a race?
3. Do thoughts of quitting enter his mind? If so, how does he handle them?

Physical toughness

1. Roughly what does his training look like to facilitate such runs
2. People talk about weak knees and cartilage as the distance goes up. Is there any truth to this and what does he do to avoid injuries?
3. Does he always watch what he eats? Even during a down season? What does he normally eat?

Family

1. How much of a difference can a supportive family be for him to indulge in his passions?
2. How did he find a wife so supportive of his running?
3. Will his kids follow in his footsteps? Does he want them to?

Connection between running and work

1. How does he decide where to channel his energy?
2. What are the positive effects and the negative effects (if any) of long-distance running on work?

Random questions

1. Is running an addiction for him?
2. Is there any downside to this addiction (if it is one)

The Sri Lankan trail

1. Tell us about the time when he was in Sri Lanka during the Tsunami
2. When did he realize the threat and what was going through his mind then?
3. How did he learn about the Pekoe trail?
4. He did the 22-day trail in just under 58 hours!! Talk to us about
1. The preparation for it
2. The dangers of it
3. How he beat being alone in the dark
4. What about animals?
5. How did he manage the weather?
6. The support from the crowd
5. What were the toughest moments during the race?
6. What was it like to finish it?

Camino De Santiago trail

1. How did the idea come about?
2. Talk to us about
1. The preparation for it
2. The dangers of it
3. How he beat being alone in the dark
4. What about animals?
5. How did he manage the weather?
6. The support from the crowd
3. How hard was it to make the decision to quit?
4. After he quit, did regrets take over his mind? How did he handle them?
5. How will he change his preparation the next time around?

To finish:

1. What lessons has he learnt from long-distance running?
2. How has it shaped him as a human being?
3. How should one balance sports vs social connections vs work?
4. What are some of the top tips for being able to successfully run such distances?