Thanks
Wanted to thank you all again for your support and thoughts. I know that it's hard to focus on the negative, we all instinctively want to turn away so a special thanks to those that fight the urge and keep the Japanese victims in their thoughts!
A call out to Ewen, Rick and Ron (Punk Rock Runner), fantastic fellas. Each in their own way do more than they'll ever know! Regulars to this blog must know Rick and Ewen but maybe don't really know "Punk Rock Runner" Ron. But I can tell you he is one of the nicest guys you could have the pleasure to know. Read his blog, he is the real deal, and a funny bastard on top of it!
Bullshit
Another thing I wanted to say was that while I want everyone to keep us in their thoughts, please don't worry or at least don't take seriously the over-reactions of the foreign media. They are doing things like focusing in on mask wearing Tokyoites with dark foreboding music. But they are failing to mention that the only reason people are wearing them is because it's hay fever season here, pollen rates being much higher than the radioactive ones. They won't tell you either that the rate of radiation is higher in Rome than it is in Tokyo now! In most cases I wish they would try to get their facts right and focus on the people who need help instead of running back to Tokyo from the North East and playing up the fears from there. My advice to CNN in particular: Get back up to the affected areas or go back to Libya!! And start reporting the facts, if I want a story I'll read Dickens!
As for my running it is in a shambles as only today my 10K set for this Sunday has been cancelled as the place where it's being held is next to a rescue pactice base and distribution area (Although it is far from the quake region). Again I can't complain but I'm looking to salvage my running somehow with Nagano looking more doubtful by the day. What do you reckon I should do in the short term and the long term if I can't run my full on April 17th and any shorter ones before that?
Hope
Recent events are of course over-shadowing running and you would think that for someone as obsessed with running as me this would be a bad thing but it is not really so cut and dried. While I want to get back to a "normal life" of running and racing asap, I can see the bigger picture of this situation being good for us all, in the long run (pun intended). I'm sensing a coming together and a new sense of purpose in the people living here. It is really fascinating to see and I'm sure that this tragedy will help all of us see the truth of what Roger Bannister once said..."What do we live for if not to make life less difficult for each other?" Also read the below linked article written by Murakami Ryo for the New York Times, it too is spot on!
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/opinion/17Murakami.html?_r=1&src=tptw
The chorus of the following song makes the statement that everyone is currently "walking about in the undulation," and that we should forget our tiredness, search for the meaning that will end this, and to start walking again.
Bugger it, let's run!
In the cold light of dawn it does seem unlikely your get to race a marathon in Japan in the near future, maybe you could look to race a marathon in Australia or another part of Asia.
ReplyDeletethe training you have done will not be lost and will make you stronger, frustrating as it is not being able to race.
maybe you can get some running friends together to put on a training 10k race in a local park?
i think keeping focussed on your running is not a bad thing, runnings got me through some very bad times in the past!
Here's wishing for calm and peace in Japan.
take care Rick
Toni Reavis is reporting that with the cancellation of the Nagoya marathon that Yuri Kano was planning to race prior to the earthquake... that...
ReplyDelete"Defending 2010 Nagoya champion Yuri Kano has chosen to come race the New York Half-Marathon this weekend, hoping to burn off her taper, before traveling to Albuquerque for several weeks as she recalibrates toward Nagano."
So if she thinks Nagano is a chance to start I'm feeling better about it. Perhaps she's been told it is likely!
Good enough for me, I'll keep up the marathon preparations.
The cheque's in the mail Scott. No wonder we don't see much of Ron - he follows half a zillion blogs ;) I'll check out his though - thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteDoes sound promising about Nagano, so keep training hard. Maybe a 10k time trial on the school track (if you can count to 25)?
Like Murakami, I choose to keep believing.
I've been unlucky enough to live through a media circus (on a MUCH smaller scale) and share your frustration - the facts seldom do get in the way of a selling story (I don't think they look for a "good" story - quite the opposite).
ReplyDeleteI don't think focusing on running is a bad thing. I'd even say it's good. I'm currently reading "50 Marathons - 50 days" by Dean Karnazes. His theory on life seems to be that running can fix anything, and I tend to agree for both individuals and groups of people. If nothing else, it can bring people together for mutual support.
As for Nagano - I reckon plan for it being run! Even if they cancel, you get a bit of a rest during the taper, and you also get extra time to then aim for another race, with the added benefit of extra training!