One idle spring morning as I was engaged in a typical post-work day "rush", I realized that it had been more than 6 months since the last time I did any form of exercise. "This is not good," I whispered to myself, so as to avoid fully arousing myself from a mid-afternoon nap. "I should do something," I muttered quietly this time fully awake but not wanting anyone around me to realize how much of my day is wasted on writing an inner monologue, "whatever shall I do?"
Then, suddenly, I remembered something! Every May my school hosts a 10km (6.2 mile) marathon. I could plan to run in that marathon. This would give me incentive to work out and an opportunity to bond with my students while running together around the school.Oh, it seemed like such a good idea.
Yes, I trained hard. Running 4 or 5km a few days a week with some students from the Kendo club. I even used Google maps to plan 5-7 km runs around Fukui City. I was getting in shape and feeling good!The week before the race was strangely cold and dreary for May with clouds and rain, and on my last practice run before the race my new running shoes become terribly soggy. But come marathon morning all was sunny and delightful. We couldn't have planned for a better spring marathon day.
The starting pistol fired, and off I ran with a herd of more than 350 high school age boys. I kept pace as best I could, and when I felt I was nearing the end I still managed to maintain position in the top 3rd of a pack of very athletic boys in the prime of their physical health.
Unfortunately, what my body felt to be the end of the race actually turned out to be the halfway mark.Soon, I found that my students were finally eager to speak with me in English outside of class. Conversations usually went as follows, "Oh! Hello, Zachary! How are you? Bye Bye."
At one point as I passed one of the teachers standing by the course to direct students and traffic, I was encouraged by some very typical Japanese English.
"Zachary, Are you OK?"
"Yes"
"FIGHT!"
"Fight," indeed, I did! (much to the joy of all natural Japanese red heads)I finished the race far from that top 33% position I once held but still far from the bottom (a lot of students walked). In so doing, I came to understand the Japanese expression 足がぼうになった(ashi ga bou ni natta - "my legs have become like sticks"). Although my body felt wonderful, perhaps even euphoric, for a few hours it seemed like my feet had fallen off, leaving me to walk on sticks.
Shall this endeavor lead into greater things?
Meh, we'll see.
