Jogging and Hot Spring (2011.12.31)
One of the greatest moments of my life is
the time when I bathe in refreshing
I take part in citizen marathon races every year. It started when I was 18. The first race I took part in was Nagoya City Marathon in 1991. I participated in 10-kilometer race. I still remember the excitement I felt when I ran on the driveway for the first time in my life. And I still remember the happy feeling when I see citizens waving their handy flags to encourage us.
In 1995, when I was 22, Mr. N invited me to take part in Ontake Marathon,
which was called “the severest mountain marathon in
Mr. N was an assistant professor of the laboratory which I belonged to
in my university. He was a conservative person, and he didn’t seem athletic
at all. So I was very surprised to hear that he ran marathons. But when
I join him in the race, I felt his enthusiasm in running and I felt I had
seen his another aspect. He advised me about my running style and told
me how to relieve the pain after running. If he had not invited me, I wouldn't have run full marathons. (He already
passed away, but he is in my heart.)
The next year, I joined a company and told my colleagues that I ran in marathon. Then some of them became my "running friends". We call us "track and field club", and we took part in several races together. Thanks to them, I succeeded to finish 42.195 kilometers in Ibigawa Marathon. We also participated in ekiden (relay) race in Nagoya and marked a good record. We had good times.
I changed job, and I couldn't take part in the race for a few years. My passion for running might have been reduced in new work condition. But when I was 33, in Tokyo, I encountered a woman who loved marathon very much. She had experiences of running in Honolulu Marathon, and told me about the warm atomosphere of it. She was apparently enjoying marathon, enjoying running. She activated me to try again.
That year, in 2006, I invited my brother to take part in Nagoya City Marathon together. Since then we sometimes run together. My mother often came to watch us. After the race, we chat about the race with excitement. I like to spend our holiday together like that.
Now, I have a female friend to run with. In 2010, she came all the way
to see me run in Nagoya City Marathon. She, her son and I took part in
Komaki City Marathon in January in 2011. And we also plan to run together
in 2012. Thanks to them, I have been able to keep running.
Through marathons, I have met a lot of people and I have been supported
by them. I want to thank them all.
Now, as I am getting older, it is becoming harder to jog. The best record
of my 10-km run was 36 minutes in the first 1991 race, but now it takes
about 43 minutes or more. To tell the truth, it is difficult to keep the
motivation to jog. But I have special "secret" strategy to encourage
myself to start jogging. First, I drive to Gozarasse (hot spring institution in Nagakute). I park my car in the parking lot,
and from the spot, I start jogging. I can enjoy jogging more than usual
because I know the refreshing hot spring is waiting for me just after the
run. I can jog anticipating the wonderful relaxation. And bathing in hot
spring after the run is, as I said, one of the greatest moments of my life.
