In Japan around the end of April and the start of May is Golden Week. This is a when four public holidays coincide and which has led to a custom of making this a special week, with lots of people going on trips. This week I was lucky enough to be invited by two friends to join them on a four-day, Golden Week, trip to the Hiroshima region. Here are some of the highlights.
Compared with most people, I am very lucky in the opportunities I get. One skill I have developed over the years is to grab opportunities when they arise and seek to enjoy the moment. This weekend was a good example of luck and of seizing the moment. I am in Japan for just under a month, a mixture of work and pleasure. Although I am in reasonable running condition, I have a tricky 50km trail race in a couple of weeks, and I could do with sharpening my running.
On Friday, I landed in Japan (from the UK), met two friends, and travelled to Hakone to a hotel near Lake Ashi (芦ノ湖). Saturday (yesterday), we all took part in the Hakone running festival. I chose the half marathon, which was a hilly out-and-back course. I knew I would be sub-par from the travel, so my plan was to take it steady, and I achieved that.
A post about how how I celebrate my achievements, even when they are small compared with other people’s performance.
This is a bit of a catchup post, talking about the last three weekends, but there is a common theme, focusing on participating, rather than racing. On each of the last three weekends, I have participated in races.
In this post I will share some thoughts about what I am calling ‘comfortable running’. The impetus for this way of thinking about running came from two sources. First, back in mid-January, I had a try at the Spine Race, running 169 miles in just under four days, and this resulted in my being tired, stiff, and with my running pace much reduced. Secondly, two of my friends in my running club have just come back to running after a pause and are signed up to run a half marathon on 7 April, and they wanted a plan to be able to do this.
My recent Spine ultra has had a big impact on my regular running. In this post I look at how I have started my road back to normal running.
Over the last few days, I have been taking part in the hardest event I have ever attempted, the Winter Spine Race. The Race is 268 miles (431km), along the Pennine Way from Edale in the middle of England to Kirk Yetholm in Scotland. I was not able to complete the full distance, but I ran further in winter conditions than I had ever run before, and it was a magnificent adventure.
Yesterday, I took part in a 24km social run on Kinder Scout organized by my good friend and clubmate Pete Henley. It was another wonderful day on the hills with lovely people. Running can be quite solitary, but it can also be a great social activity. Thirty of us met at the car park in Edale and headed up towards the fells.
I run every day, I have done it for five years, and here is how I fit it into my schedule – and why i do it.
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