Running in the Rain

7 Miles today, out there in the pitter-patter of a rainy Sunday afternoon.  I broke up my run into two soggy sections: one 4-mile route, followed by a quick 3-mile jaunt around the strawberry fields.

I incorporated a few short walking breaks in this run, since I hadn't run more than six miles in a while.  And also because I've been thinking of trying Jeff Galloway's Run-Walk method.  According to Galloway, I probably didn't take enough walking breaks (only four, over 7 miles).  But still, with the four walking breaks, I was still able to keep my average pace at under 8 min/mile.  This is pretty good, considering the extra squish factor in my step.  I was soaked through, too, so that added a bit of extra weight to my load.

I would like to share a moment of silence for my comrades out there in the rain today.  We were out there together, living life to its fullest.  But some of us didn't make it back home.  In fact, an unfortunate few of my buzzing little buddies found their final resting place on my rain-soaked mug.  So, here's to you, my fellow rain-frolickers.  You lived, you loved, you flew into my face and died.

Peaceful Pacing

So I think I've got this whole pace thing figured out.  This week I've been keeping a fairly steady 7:00-7:30/mile clip going.  I even went out one day, and was able to keep that pace without even looking at my watch.  I find it just easy enough to maintain over longer runs.  After about four miles, I just need to keep my focus to not slow down.  Forward motion, baby.

I've also been practicing some relaxation techniques while I run.  I try to imagine I'm letting my body just...go.  I relax my neck, shoulders, arms.  In turn, I find that my breathing becomes more natural and less labored.  This relaxation continues down to my hips, knees, and feet.  I'm just...going.  It feels good to be able to achieve my marathon race pace in such a relaxed state.  Now there's just the challenge of continuing this pace for 26.2 miles.

Running Kick-Off

Football, Footie, Soccer, the Beautiful Game.  Whatever you want to call it, I'm gonna be covering the right offensive wing this weekend for my boys, Team Dasai.  We've practiced all year, and now we're off to compete in the Annual AJET Soccer Tournament - current and former JET participants from all over Japan, congregating on the windswept fields of Nagano.

This city may ring a bell, as it was the location of the 1998 Winter Olympics.  It being mid-June, we will unfortunately miss out on the snowy splendor of the hills surrounding Nagano.  Also, I have a feeling that the famous snow monkeys of Nagano won't be out and about during our stay.

This leaves us with the challenge of creating a bit of our own splendor on the soccer pitch.  And well...somebody's gotta stand-in for the monkeys.  Here's to a fun, victorious, injury-free weekend.

Whoa there, Tiger

I went out for four miles today, complete with cheers from elementary kids around the neighborhood. I'll really miss that when I leave Japan this August, little munchkins shouting, "Dan-sensei, Fight-o!" every time I pass the nearby park. That's not really something you ever get in America. Usually it would be something more like, "Run, Forrrrrest, Run!" from an over-privileged group of teens, kids shaping their view of the world with the help of Youtube, Prozac, and a serious lack of adult supervision.

These school kids in Japan can really pick me up, at times maybe a bit too much for my own good. I maintained a 6:45/mile pace for today's 4-miler, and I think I should reel that back a bit. It can be difficult, though, especially when the weather is so nice.

So, I'm backing off, just a tad. Gotta keep my eyes on the prize. Boston or bust, 2010.