Thursday, July 17

Explore the Beauty of Northern China - Yunnan Qiubei Marathon 2014


Are you interested of exploring Norhtern China by foot? Come join us in Yunnan Qiubei Marathon. This is going to be an exciting event on trails, hard paths, bridges and road on the magnificent landscape of Yunnan province.

And here's a good news, to avail a discount of USD15.00, you may use discount code: YUNNANCJBPH

That is on top of the USD50.00 dollar discount for the month of July.

•Home page: http://yunnanmarathon.com/?run=10
•Register: http://yunnanmarathon.com/register/?run=10
•Race Information: http://yunnanmarathon.com/race-information/?run=10
•Travel & Tours: http://yunnanmarathon.com/travel-tours/?run=10

Tuesday, July 15

The 12 Most Insane Endurance Races on the Planet

Joe Russo's avatar image By Joe Russo                 

the, 12, most, insane, endurance, races, on, the, planet,
The 12 Most Insane Endurance Races on the Planet
Image Credit: AP



With the Tour de France getting underway on Saturday, Americans now have another international sport to divert their attention from the World Cup. The 21-stage, 2,276-mile competition is an incredible exhibition of human potential, but there are many other lesser-known feats of endurance just as worthy of appreciation.
Here are a dozen of the most boundary-stretching, envelope-pushing competitions in the world today.

1. Race Across America

The Race Across America lives up to its name, covering 3,000 miles from coast to coast — from Oceanside, Calif., to Annapolis, Md. Unlike the Tour de France, this race is not run in stages but clocked from start to finish. First one across the line wins.
 

2. Badwater Ultramarathon

At 135 miles, the Badwater Ultramarathon is not exactly your average marathon. This non-stop race in the middle of July features two grueling uphill stretches, one of which is 23 miles continuously uphill that ends up being more than 6,000 feet in vertical climb.
 

3. Antarctic Ice Marathon

There's the extreme heat and then there's extreme cold — the Antarctic Ice Marathon race begins in November only a few hundred miles from the South Pole in the Ellsworth Mountains. As if running on ice weren't hard enough, the average windchill is minus-20 degrees Celsius, or minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit.
 

4. Marathon des Sables


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When the Discovery Channel dubs a race the toughest footrace on Earth, you should take notice. Spanning up to 156 miles depending on the course, the Marathon des Sables route is planned meticulously months in advance and is not shared with the competitors until race day. That's a lot of work for a six-day jaunt through the Sahara Desert.
 

5. Pikes Peak Marathon

This race warrants inclusion on the bucket list female runners. The Pikes Peak Marathon was the first to have a female finisher, Arlene Pieper, in 1959. The third oldest marathon in the United States, the course travels as high as 14,115 feet above sea level and runners climb a total of 7,815 feet.
 

6. Iditarod Trail Invitational

With 350- and 1,000-mile options, the Iditarod Trail Invitational is capped at 50 competitors. Starting the week before the world-famous sled dog race, there's quite the list of prerequisites that a perspective racer must accomplish before hoping for one of the few available spaces. No winter experience? The organizers offer a few training sessions to see whether runners can handle the conditions and physical toll.

7. Jungle Marathon (Floresta Nacional de Tapajos)

Named CNN's World's Toughest Endurance Challenge, racers trek through dense jungle in high heat and humidity. Covering 42 kilometers (a full marathon), 122 kilometers or 254 kilomters, runners traverse the Floresta Nacional de Tapajos in Brazil.

8. The Barkley Marathons


A secretive competition, the Barkley Marathons cover more than 100 miles and nearly 60,000 feet in cumulative elevation, the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest twice. Runners only get 60 hours to complete the unmarked journey without the use of GPS or other electronic devices. Only 12 of the just over 800 entrants have successfully completed the journey.
 

9. Chasqui Challenge

Covering 100 miles and reaching as high as the ruins of Machu Picchu, the Chasqui Challenge is not only a physical challenge, but a logistical one. Runners pay upward of $3,000 for their entries into the exclusive trek and spaces sell out routinely five or six months in advance — all to run through the Andes Mountains to cover the equivalent of four marathons.
 

10. Death Race

Imagine a twisted amalgamation of the Warrior Dash, Tough Mudder and every frightening episode of the Amazing Race all rolled into one unimaginably difficult challenge: the Death RaceTaking place in the Green Mountains in Vermont, the events typically take competitors upward of 70 hours to complete. Challenges during the race have included hiking 30 miles while carrying heavy rocks and chopping wood for two hours straight for physical punishment while other stages have including memorizing the names of U.S presidents and Bible verse for recitation after climbing to the top of one of the mountains peak in the area.
 

11. Yak Attack

Sure, the Tour de France is tough. But how about a bike race through the Himalayan Mountains? Meet the Yak AttackClimbing as high as 17,769 feet, riders travel for three days through the hot deserts at the base of the mountains and then must cross the Thorong La Pass, exposing riders to equally brutal snow and cold. At $3,750, the race is out of reach for most, especially since that cost does not include travel to the race location.
 

12. Enduroman Arch To Arch 
            

Most people want to travel from London to Paris, but not very often in this fashion: 87 miles from the Marble Arch in Lond to the coastline in Dover, a swim across the English Channel to Calais, then 181 miles on a bike to the Arc de Triomphe. There may be few more grueling ways to do some sightseeing in two of the world's most famous cities.

View Full Link: The 12 Most Insane Endurance Races on the Planet

40 Travel Tips That Will Change Your Life Forever

1. Use a private or incognito window when booking flights and hotels online.

Use%20a%20private%20or%20incognito%20window%20when%20booking%20flights%20and%20hotels%20online.

reddit.comTravel sites often track your visits and will raise the price simply because you've visited before.

2. Keep loose chargers and cables organized with a glasses case.

Keep%20loose%20chargers%20and%20cables%20organized%20with%20a%20glasses%20case.

pinterest.com

3. Use straws to carry travel-size amounts of skin care products.

Use%20straws%20to%20carry%20travel-size%20amounts%20of%20skin%20care%20products.

pinterest.com

4. Put a dryer sheet at the bottom of a suitcase to keep your clothes smelling fresh.

Put%20a%20dryer%20sheet%20at%20the%20bottom%20of%20a%20suitcase%20to%20keep%20your%20clothes%20smelling%20fresh.

diaryofasocialgal.com

5. Use a spring from an old pen to protect chargers from bending and breaking.

Use%20a%20spring%20from%20an%20old%20pen%20to%20protect%20chargers%20from%20bending%20and%20breaking.

imgur.com

6. Skip the long lines for airport bathrooms.

Skip%20the%20long%20lines%20for%20airport%20bathrooms.

It may seem like common logic, but the first bathroom in the terminal is the most crowded one. Use the next one to skip the long waits and save precious time. quora.com

7. Use a binder clip to protect the head of shaving razors.

Use%20a%20binder%20clip%20to%20protect%20the%20head%20of%20shaving%20razors.

imgur.com

8. If you forget your wall plug, charge devices through the USB slot on a TV.

If%20you%20forget%20your%20wall%20plug%2C%20charge%20devices%20through%20the%20USB%20slot%20on%20a%20TV.

10. If you have clothes that need to be folded, use tissue paper to keep them from wrinkling.

If%20you%20have%20clothes%20that%20need%20to%20be%20folded%2C%20use%20tissue%20paper%20to%20keep%20them%20from%20wrinkling.

imgur.com



11. Use a pill container to keep jewelry organized and untangled.

Use%20a%20pill%20container%20to%20keep%20jewelry%20organized%20and%20untangled.

imgur.com

12. Scan important documents before leaving for your trip.

Scan%20important%20documents%20before%20leaving%20for%20your%20trip.

In the event of theft or misplacement, it comes in really handy to have extra copies of your passport, identification cards and flight itineraries that you can easily access on your smartphone or tablet. lifehack.org

13. Speed Up Going Through Security

Speed%20Up%20Going%20Through%20Security%20

When going through security, stuff your small belongings like wallets, keys and phones into your bag before placing it on the conveyor belt. It eliminates the need for separate bins and saves you time.

14. Tuck your soap and wash cloth together with this easy-to-fold pouch.

Tuck%20your%20soap%20and%20wash%20cloth%20together%20with%20this%20easy-to-fold%20pouch.

Nikki Mans

15. A shower cap is an easy way to cover the bottoms of shoes.

A%20shower%20cap%20is%20an%20easy%20way%20to%20cover%20the%20bottoms%20of%20shoes.

forblabla.com

16. Put smartphones in airplane mode to save battery and charge faster.

Put%20smartphones%20in%20airplane%20mode%20to%20save%20battery%20and%20charge%20faster.

18. Keep hair clips tidy with an empty Tic Tac container.

Keep%20hair%20clips%20tidy%20with%20an%20empty%20Tic%20Tac%20container.

pinterest.com

20. Sit in the seats near the wing of the plane for the least turbulence.

Sit%20in%20the%20seats%20near%20the%20wing%20of%20the%20plane%20for%20the%20least%20turbulence.%20

The seats along the wings of a plane usually have the least amount of bounce when flying because it has more structural support. complex.com



21. Keep your travel-size containers and refill them, instead of buying new each time.

Keep%20your%20travel-size%20containers%20and%20refill%20them%2C%20instead%20of%20buying%20new%20each%20time.

lifehacker.com

22. To use Google Maps offline, type “OK Maps,” and the visible area will save for future access.

To%20use%20Google%20Maps%20offline%2C%20type%20%u201COK%20Maps%2C%u201D%20and%20the%20visible%20area%20will%20save%20for%20future%20access.

wired.com

23. Cram the most into your carry on.

Cram%20the%20most%20into%20your%20carry%20on.

Vacuum sealed bags can save you a ridiculous amount of space in your carry on. Makes the need for checking a bag obsolete. mywomenstuff.com

24. Instead of buying water at the airport, bring an empty bottle along and fill it up after passing security.

Instead%20of%20buying%20water%20at%20the%20airport%2C%20bring%20an%20empty%20bottle%20along%20and%20fill%20it%20up%20after%20passing%20security.

imgur.com

25. When reserving airline seats for 2 people, get the aisle and window.

When%20reserving%20airline%20seats%20for%202%20people%2C%20get%20the%20aisle%20and%20window.

xanga.comIf no one takes the middle seat you get a full row, and if someone does, just ask to switch so you can sit next to your travel partner.reddit.com

26. Pack your suit coats inside out to keep them clean and avoid creasing.

davehax

27. Wait to buy airline tickets until 3 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Wait%20to%20buy%20airline%20tickets%20until%203%20p.m.%20on%20Tuesdays.%20

Typically this is when the big Airlines reduce their fares in order to compete with the discount airlines like Southwest and JetBlue. If you're looking to save some money, this is the time to buy. savingmoney.com

28. Prevent messy spills in your luggage.

Just unscrew the lids and place a simple patch of saran wrap on the top and screw them back on. This will prevent any liquids from ruining your trip.

29. The Best Times to Use the Plane Bathroom.

The%20Best%20Times%20to%20Use%20the%20Plane%20Bathroom.

Since most airlines don’t let you stand in line for the restrooms, the best times to use it are right after the plane has leveled off and 15-20 minutes before landing. quora.com

30. Get the WiFi password for many establishments by checking the comments section of FourSquare.

Get%20the%20WiFi%20password%20for%20many%20establishments%20by%20checking%20the%20comments%20section%20of%20FourSquare.

lifehacker.com



31. Use your GPS when traveling abroad.

Use%20your%20GPS%20when%20traveling%20abroad.%20

If you’re traveling abroad without an international plan, turn on airplane mode and turn off data to use the GPS without connecting to the internet. Simply load the Google map of the area before heading out the hotel, and you've got a fully functional map to navigate the area.

32. Get a free cell phone charger if you forgot yours at home.

Get%20a%20free%20cell%20phone%20charger%20if%20you%20forgot%20yours%20at%20home.

Forget your charger? Often times hotel front desk's will have a box full of chargers left by previous guests. quora.com

33. Skip the wait at the baggage claim.

Skip%20the%20wait%20at%20the%20baggage%20claim.%20

Even if it's not, marking your bag with a fragile label leads to gentler handling by airport staff. Also, they're often loaded on the top of the other luggage meaning it's one of the first to come out at the baggage claim. lifehack.org

34. Save time packing on the go.

davehaxHanging organizers can be packed ahead of time making it really simple to slide into your suitcase and leave in a hurry.

35. Remove other tourist from your vacation photos.

Remove%20other%20tourist%20from%20your%20vacation%20photos.

reddit.com

36. Use ATMs instead of airport currency exchanges to save money.

Use%20ATMs%20instead%20of%20airport%20currency%20exchanges%20to%20save%20money.

Many ATMs will offer much lower rates than what you can get from the airport currency exchanges. lifehack.org

37. Get free WiFi at airports

Get%20free%20WiFi%20at%20airports

security.stackexchange.comWhen you’re at the airport, add “?.jpg” to the end of any URL to get around the ludicrously expensive WiFi. Alternatively, you can sit right outside an airport club lounge: Wi-Fi signals often glide through the walls.

38. For bonus points, travel with a power strip and be the airport hero.

For%20bonus%20points%2C%20travel%20with%20a%20power%20strip%20and%20be%20the%20airport%20hero.

imgur.com

39. As a treat to yourself, send yourself a postcard from each day of your travels

As%20a%20treat%20to%20yourself%2C%20send%20yourself%20a%20postcard%20from%20each%20day%20of%20your%20travels

It'll be a nice treat to come home to and make the transition back to reality easier. twitter.com

40. On your last day in a foreign country, collect all your loose money and give it to the homeless.

On%20your%20last%20day%20in%20a%20foreign%20country%2C%20collect%20all%20your%20loose%20money%20and%20give%20it%20to%20the%20homeless.

savingourfuture.com

Most importantly...keep traveling!