Last night, I attended the Tōrō Nagashi (灯籠流し) ceremony From Hiroshima to Hope at Green Lake. This is a Japanese lantern floating ceremony to commemorate those lost at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The lanterns are a way to guide spirits of the departed back to the other world and some believe that they represent our bodies returning to the water from which we came. The ceremony was a solemn yet beautiful occasion.
Believe it or not, I actually got off my lazy ass and ran Green Lake both Saturday and Sunday. Admittedly, it was a difficult task to start both days but the bottom line is that I actually did it. There was one snag though, but it didn’t rear its ugly head until Sunday.
Saturday went quite well actually. It was sunny and warm enough to run just with shorts and a T-shirt (No, I’m in no shape to be running with my shirt off; too much Jell-O underneath still. Women would be screaming, children would be crying, and the guys would just plain laugh). Anyway, like I said, the sun was out so I got to wear my cool prescription sun glasses… and yes, I’m blind as a bat without my glasses.
The run went well and I finished it with a sprint to the end. Lukily, I got there just in time to go past a guy on a road bike. Nice looking chap with red and white biking shorts on; yum. Of course I didn’t turn and look [cruise] as I went by since I’m still somewhat of a closet case when it comes to public places other than Capitol Hill.
So, Sunday comes along without the sun. “Fine,” I say, “but you’re still doing the run!” Since the sun was not out, I didn’t wear the sun glasses and I hate exercising with my regular glasses on so I figured that I’d just do the run without eyewear at all. I looked rather funny trying to get my voice high enough for use in echolocation. Only an eighth of the way into the run was when I noticed that the Extensor Digitorum Longus Tendons* (shown here circled in blue) in my left foot were hurting. I managed to finish the run but still, the foot hurt. On top of that, I couldn’t see if there was any nice eye candy to view either.
Today I was doing some cardio at the gym and once again, my foot was killing me. I figure that my shoes are probably not the best for running so I think I need to buy yet another pair. I’m beginning to feel like Imelda Marcos.
*No, I'm not that smart. I looked up the tendons online.
Believe it or not, this month has been impressive. I have officially gotten my lazy ass out of bed and worked out five days each week for the entire month (minus the first two days of course). I think this is the first time in my entire life that I’ve accomplished such a feat. I hope to continue this into December and then on into next year.
Unfortunately, I have not noticed any difference in my shape or fat content. That damn muffin top seems to have actually gotten bigger.
The running of Green Lake has not been as common as I’d had hoped; this due to the fact that it’s quite cold out there. As a result, I need to figure out the right clothing combination to comfortably run this winter.
The other day I went out with the camera and grabbed some shots of Green Lake.
Woot! I got my ass out of bed and down to the lake for a run. Once again I made it all the way around without stopping. It looks like I'm running a ten minute mile right now since it took me about 28 minutes to finish the loop (hey, give me a break, it's only my second time running in over six years).
Oh, and by the way, Happy Thanksgiving! Don't eat too much or you'll just have to spend that much more time in the gym.
All that talk about adding running to my fitness regiment actually produced results; you got it, I ran the entire length of the Inner Loop at Green Lake on Sunday. I love it when a plan comes together. Unfortunately I'm still trying to figure out the rest of the week.
Also, note that I've added running and stairs to the workout calendar on the side bar. I'll be tracking those with separate symbols.
Yes, you read that right, there is a new goal. This is actually an ambitious one but achievable I think.
Remember The Road to 40? Well, I've upped the ante on that goal. Not only am I working to be in the best shape of my life by the time I reach 40, but now I'll be working for an actual 6-pack (and I'm not talking beer here).
To help me cut the fat, I'll be adding evening jogs around Green Lake for extra cardio. The biggest challenge will be to start the jogs; and as they say, "talk is cheap." So, my plan is to take the plunge this weekend during the day so I can feel it out in the daylight.
Since my birthday is in February, I have 14 months left.
| Zero Point: Four |
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