Minimalism - Online Income - ESL - Japan
You often don’t realize how far you’ve come until you pause for a moment and look back over your journey. Today I led three other members of my Facebook “Gifu Runners” group on a 19km run which included almost 10K of trail running on some very rugged terrain. Over three and half hours, we clambered over five mountains, ascending almost 800m and descending just as far. I can’t feel my […]
I’ve seen articles recently attempting to explain why people run, because to non-runners, running looks like hard-work and couldn’t possibly be enjoyable. What about swimming, though? Does swimming look like a fun activity? Is it something that non-swimmers would like to do? I know a lot of people who have no interest at all. Some of them can’t swim and therefore won’t attempt to. Other people are too embarrassed by […]
In July 2012, I took part in my first triathlon. Over the few days that followed, I wrote a short story about my adventure which I never made public. Here it is, in full. I hope you enjoy it. ~~~~~~~~ She just won’t give up! I thought to myself as the woman in purple overtook me for the second time. Having been passed by almost the entire field, I was […]
Before yesterday’s Inuyama Yomiuri Half-Marathon, I said I’d set out at PB pace and just see how I felt. But there was much more to my strategy than that. Months earlier when choosing which races to run in the new year, I deliberately chose to run a 10K before each half-marathon. Last week’s 10K in Kani City was the perfect tune-up race for yesterday’s Half because, despite the longer distance, […]
Mid-February is a bit late to be announcing my race schedule for the year, but I think I’ve got it planned out now. I’ve said before that although my goal is to complete an Ironman triathlon, it’s more important to me to enjoy the journey. So I’ve chosen at least one major activity to complete in each month of the year, and here they are. JANUARY: Minokamo Showamura Half-Marathon In […]
I broke my PB, smashed it actually, but how could I knock 1:21 off my previous best when I’ve spent most of the last four months struggling with knee problems and using the couch to 10K program to rehabilitate myself? I have some theories. My 10K PB until this race was 42:01, which I managed in March 2011. At that time, running was all I did and a half-marathon was […]
After a full year of lifting weights and drinking gallons of milk, I eventually hurt my back. Nothing too serious, but bad enough to keep me from squatting for a while. Since then, I’ve got back into running. Last year I ran in the Kakamigahara 10km and finished in a respectable 48 minutes. Now, I’ve ramped up my training, lost 5 of my hard-earned 20kgs, and am in the mood […]
I’ve always been skinny, and I’ve always been bothered about it. At various stages of my life I’ve embarked on some kind of program to gain weight, none of which has ever lasted beyond three months, and all of which failed to add any noticeable pounds to my 6ft frame. My mother always said I’d fill out when I reached 30, just like Grandad Jack! Funny now that I’m 35 […]