Monday, March 30, 2009
Ohhh... my feet hurrrrrrt...
Hiking really is a full body exercise, as my achey muscles can attest to today. My shoulders feel tensed up, my quads are hard like boulders and I completely rubbed the skin off the back of my feet on Saturday thanks to my shiny, new hiking boots. But it was all worth it.
We went on the most amazing hike through the hills of Fujieda over near Utogo Falls. It was a perfect day other than the chilly wind that sliced through our bones during our lunch at the rope bridge.
All up we hiked about 16km through steeeeep terrain, entertaining ourselves with Unlimited Questions (aka 20 Questions) and Ken's penchant for choosing housing options (igloo, cardboard box...)The scenery was stunning. We could see the Japanese alps from along a ridge we walked and on the other side of the ridge we could see out over Fujieda and other nearby cities.
I'll let the photos speak for themselves:
Labels: rae
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Days like today
Just got back from an amazing hike in the mountains of Fujieda. What a day. As Jeff and I shared a beer and dinner after a tiring day, we talked about how some days just work better than you could have expected. Today was one of those days. Everything went smoothly (minus the loss of Rae's phone) from the time we set out. A beautiful trail with challenging terrain, interesting sites (including mating toads and nasty worm like things in a muddy puddle...check back for some pics), and a great effort from everyone on our team made for a pretty perfect day. I am pretty tired and ready to hit the sack, but just wanted to give a shout out to the team. Today was another step in the right direction. Let's do this thing.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Traveling
My mom and brother have been visiting me in Japan for the past few weeks. Before they arrived, I had basically designated their visit as a write-off for my training. I wasn’t about to say, "mom, I know that we only see each other once a year, and traveling with you to Hiroshima sounds great, but I think I'm going to stay home and go for a run." Actually, though, I didn't realize how much training I'd be able to do while on the road.
To introduce my town, I took my family on a hike in the surrounding hills for a panorama of Fujieda with the misty silhouette of Mt. Fuji in the background. When we went to Hiroshima, one day we opted for a hike in the mountains instead of a day in town. And in Nagasaki, I and a friend (who met up with us) ran up and down the long stairway leading to the Peace Park. The feeling was strange; the exercise had my blood rushing and heart pumping… I felt so vital in contrast to the devastation that had once happened there. Well happily, with some innovation (and a lot of respect), I’ve been able to stay in shape while being temporarily uprooted.
To introduce my town, I took my family on a hike in the surrounding hills for a panorama of Fujieda with the misty silhouette of Mt. Fuji in the background. When we went to Hiroshima, one day we opted for a hike in the mountains instead of a day in town. And in Nagasaki, I and a friend (who met up with us) ran up and down the long stairway leading to the Peace Park. The feeling was strange; the exercise had my blood rushing and heart pumping… I felt so vital in contrast to the devastation that had once happened there. Well happily, with some innovation (and a lot of respect), I’ve been able to stay in shape while being temporarily uprooted.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Let's Do It Together
By Jeff, not Rae!
My friend recently pointed out to me that in the 2008 trailwalk Japan only 93 teams out of 200 finished the hike with all of its 4 members. I have all the confidence in the world in our team, but I can’t help feeling this to be a worrying statistic. That means only 46% of the teams finished as a team. If we really want to finish the walk together, which of course we do, this statistic highlights how important it is for us to work together, offer each other assistance, and continuously motivate each other to finish the walk. There will be times when team members get hurt or feel down, so the other members have to be there for them unconditionally. The statistic also shows us how the individual members of our team must not only be physically prepared, but psychologically prepared as well. This hike is going to be arduous with a capital “Arrh!” so let’s keep that in mind before the day we cross that finish line. Trailbiters UNITE!
My friend recently pointed out to me that in the 2008 trailwalk Japan only 93 teams out of 200 finished the hike with all of its 4 members. I have all the confidence in the world in our team, but I can’t help feeling this to be a worrying statistic. That means only 46% of the teams finished as a team. If we really want to finish the walk together, which of course we do, this statistic highlights how important it is for us to work together, offer each other assistance, and continuously motivate each other to finish the walk. There will be times when team members get hurt or feel down, so the other members have to be there for them unconditionally. The statistic also shows us how the individual members of our team must not only be physically prepared, but psychologically prepared as well. This hike is going to be arduous with a capital “Arrh!” so let’s keep that in mind before the day we cross that finish line. Trailbiters UNITE!
Labels: jeff
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Spring
It's on the way....days that no longer require a jacket and gloves to bike anywhere....nights where you maybe take off that extra blanket....spring in shizuoka. Since I have come to Japan I have gone through the brutally hot and humid summer and the somewhat uncomfortable winter due to the lack of central heating, but this is what I have been waiting for. It's funny though, even with the sunny warm weather lifting my spirits, I can still only seem to think of insulting things to say about my teammate Jeff (*cough* toolbag *cough* punk *cough*)....oh well, spring can only make so many things better.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Inaka = Beauty
Through my training, I have discovered what a beautiful country we live in. While it is sometimes easy to focus on the smoke stacks and crowded commercial areas that dominate the coastlines of Japan, just a short walk/run/bike inland can deliver some awesome scenery. Living on the border between the city and the so called "inaka" (aka countryside), I have been able to explore countryside more than in any other time in my life. Those moments when you catch a view of Mt. Fuji that gives you no choice but to stop and stare, or find yourself on the bank of a beautiful river you usually only find on postcards, will make any day a good one. Those moments have this paralyzing effect on me, as if to say, "Stop what you are doing and appreciate the world you are living on." I'm looking forward to catching a few of those moments along the 100km of trail we are going to take on.
Labels: ken
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Three-Month Mark
Less than three months before the Trailwalker Challenge!
A few weeks ago, Rae, Jeff, Ken and I teamed together for the Oxfam Trailwalk. I’m already thankful that my teammates are so creative, fun, and motivated (and the website is awesome; thanks a million, Rae.) We’re all Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) of English in
I first heard about the Trailwalk though a few other ALTs in our area. There are 5 groups of foreigner-fueled teams in our prefecture; we’re all friends, so we’re in it together, sharing fundraising tips, going for hikes, and calling each other for support (check out Facebook's "Shizuoka Oxfam Trailwalkers" group for more info on the teams).
My main motivation for joining the hike is the cause. I first gained a real perspective when I went to the
So, I’m going into this hike as much with my heart as my body. 100 kilometers is a far way to go, but I think I’m ready (well, I'm not sure about my body yet...).
Labels: jessie
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Hitting the pavement a little too hard
I should've gone to futsal tonight but instead I stayed home because I had an awesome idea for my portfolio site that I *needed* to work one. Anyhoo, I decided I'd better go for a run so I put on my favourite pair of trackies and set out for a run towards Fujieda.
Oh man... I need to run more. I remember when I did cross country back in high school and I could run forever, or at least faster than the kids who smoked. Not no more. My body feels old. But I have noticed I have a lot more energy lately. I really pushed myself as I ran, ignoring the tiredness, eventually making it well into Fujieda territory before deciding I'd better run back. It was all going so well until my shoe caught on a drain and I fell flat on my face like a pancake hitting a frying pan. Not my finest moment. I ripped a hole in my trackies so I had to put antiseptic and a bandage on my bleeding knee (the same knee I ripped up in the motorbike accident) and arm when I got home. Oh dear. And this was all after I set my hair on fire earlier this evening.
They say badluck comes in threes. But in Japan four is an unlucky number, so let's hope badluck doesn't come in fours.
Oh man... I need to run more. I remember when I did cross country back in high school and I could run forever, or at least faster than the kids who smoked. Not no more. My body feels old. But I have noticed I have a lot more energy lately. I really pushed myself as I ran, ignoring the tiredness, eventually making it well into Fujieda territory before deciding I'd better run back. It was all going so well until my shoe caught on a drain and I fell flat on my face like a pancake hitting a frying pan. Not my finest moment. I ripped a hole in my trackies so I had to put antiseptic and a bandage on my bleeding knee (the same knee I ripped up in the motorbike accident) and arm when I got home. Oh dear. And this was all after I set my hair on fire earlier this evening.
They say badluck comes in threes. But in Japan four is an unlucky number, so let's hope badluck doesn't come in fours.
Labels: rae
Monday, March 9, 2009
Let's do this thing
So this is officially my first ever blog. Just had to get that out there before I could go on, I feel like it's somewhat of a big step in this internet age we are living in. Anyways...
So we are going to walk 100km. Honestly, I am pumped. When Jeff and Jessie first told me about the walk, I was excited but in the back of my mind had the fear that the excitement might quickly wear off. But no. Instead, I have continued to get more excited as we trained together a bit, added our fourth team member Rae, the amazing creator of this site, and brainstormed ideas about fund raising. While 100km is a long way and we will certainly struggle at points, I am already confident that our team is going to rock the walk. We have a great plan in terms of training already laid out and a commitment to raising the money through any means we can think of. We've got about three months to go, let's do this thing.
So we are going to walk 100km. Honestly, I am pumped. When Jeff and Jessie first told me about the walk, I was excited but in the back of my mind had the fear that the excitement might quickly wear off. But no. Instead, I have continued to get more excited as we trained together a bit, added our fourth team member Rae, the amazing creator of this site, and brainstormed ideas about fund raising. While 100km is a long way and we will certainly struggle at points, I am already confident that our team is going to rock the walk. We have a great plan in terms of training already laid out and a commitment to raising the money through any means we can think of. We've got about three months to go, let's do this thing.
Labels: ken
Saturday, March 7, 2009
New website
The website is finally up and running. Soon the blogs will be rolling in with weekly updates on how we're going as well as our fundraising progress. Direct donations to Oxfam in support of our team can now be made through justgiving.com. There's a link on the right. Donations can be made by credit card. Nice and convenient so please give generously! Also, there's a calendar on our site to keep folks up-to-date on our hikes and how long we've got until the big one.
Let me know what you think of the site and check back often to see how we're going.
xox
Let me know what you think of the site and check back often to see how we're going.
xox
Calendar
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Under construction
The website is still a work in progress. Bear with me as I update it with a new design this week.
