Hong Kong triathlon athlete Ruby Cheng shares the dos and don’ts of exercising outdoors and tips for staying safe during typhoon season
The typhoon season traditionally takes place from May to October in Hong Kong—which means we are officially in the season of storms and bad weather. Tropical cyclone Yagi passed by the city a few weeks ago, and more recently, a tropical depression has brought a lot of rainfall to the region. But that doesn’t mean the typhoon season brings a constant stream of stormy weather. On some days, there’s only a drizzle or a mild breeze, and on rare days, maybe a clear blue sky too.
On these days—and only on these days—exercising outdoors is a feasible idea. For athletes like Hong Kong Ironman triathlete Ruby Cheng, it’s indeed not possible to wait until October to resume her training.
The full-time triathlon coach, entrepreneur and founder of No Limits Coaching and The No Limits Club, loves to train in Hong Kong, whatever the season. “Hong Kong is unique because of its accessibility,” she tells Tatler. “You can easily hit the trails and beaches within 15 minutes in the city. The scenery is one of a kind with different elevation geography with all the skyscrapers beneath your feet!”
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Ruby Cheng, Hong Kong Ironman triathlete, coach and entrepreneur (Photo: courtesy of Ruby Cheng)
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Triathlon—which features running, biking and swimming—embodies the activities that Hongkongers love to practise all year long.
Cheng, who ran three full Ironman races and is preparing for the Ironman World Champion in Nice, France, and the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Taupo, New Zealand, says that she likes to encourage these activities because it shows “the world that Hong Kong is not just a concrete jungle”.
“Triathlon challenges your mind over body and leads to personal transformation in various ways such as confidence boost, increased discipline, adaptability and resilience. The camaraderie [between athletes] is encouraging and it helps me foster a growth mindset and stay focused.”
Here is the athlete’s guide to outdoor activities during typhoon season.