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Chinese all soul's
Sunday, March 30th, 2008 12:11 amTomorrow (Sunday) is like Chinese All Soul's Day, so we're heading to the cemetery. *sigh*
Sunday, March 30th, 2008
Mizuno Run (it sucked)
Sunday, March 30th, 2008 05:40 pmI just finished the Mizuno run. 2 hours and 3 minutes, much longer than my previous time. Though we got there late, so maybe subtract some ten to fifteen minutes from my official time? In which case it was not so bad.
The run was pretty much a disaster of uncoordination. No water for 5k runners, no water for 10k runners, no water for 15k runners. There was some water, but only enough for the frontrunners. Those of us in the middle and rear of the pack could only look at the empty ice chests and hopefully and dream of liquids, which was worse than having no water at all.
I felt a distinct pang of pity for the volunteers manning the booths. I mean it was not their fault that the race coordinators had not prepared well enough, but they were there, and an easy target of frustration from a couple of thousand thirsty, cranky runners. Poor guys.
I now know I can run ten kilometers without water, but it is not something I wanted to find out this way :)
After we passed the halfway point, we ran alongside scummy canal water, and I was so desperate for liquids that I began fantasizing about stopping, scooping up a handful to my mouth, and taking a sip. I didn't actually do it, but I really *really* wanted to.
The distance markers were also placed misleadingly. When I saw the 10k marker, my heart jumped, but it turned out that it was marking the 9k point, and the beginning of the final tenth kilometer, which flouted traditional understanding and just plain didn't make sense.
I am tired and cranky with disappointment. It promised to be a good run, since it was a big brand sponsor, but the lack of proper organization meant that I had nothing to protect my from thirst and heat. On the plus side, I think that I may have spent a longer period (than in my first attempt at a 10k run) jogging in the first half before I ran out of steam and started alternating between a jog and a walk. However, the heat (and to be fair my being unfit) quickly sapped my energy, and because there was no water, I had no way to replenish it. Grr. I can't compare my performance in this run to my last one because everything went wrong here, so I cannot tell whether I am getting better or worse :(
Well, I finished another 10k, though, when I would have sworn just last month that I would not have finished five. And these days, I finish five quite... Not easily, but not too painfully, either. That is something at least ;)
PS. Given the name of the brand, it was such a disappointment that there was no water. Such a disappointment.
PPS. The contented lethargy that settles in after a run has just hit me. I am too sleepily content to be cranky any more. I will probably nap the day away. And then I will try to get into shape again starting tomorrow. I may not run much until summer is over (it's getting pretty hot. Even stone walls in the shade in the early morning are disappointingly warm - found out when I leaned against them earlier today, hoping they would leach some of the heat from my body). So i may not run much, but I would like to be ready for the next time.
PPPS. Nagy, darling, we were not able to coordinate our run. Maybe we can hunt around for a nice gentle 5k run instead, so we can stop before the morning gets too hot?
PPPPS. So sleepy but happy. Maybe it was a good run after all.
The run was pretty much a disaster of uncoordination. No water for 5k runners, no water for 10k runners, no water for 15k runners. There was some water, but only enough for the frontrunners. Those of us in the middle and rear of the pack could only look at the empty ice chests and hopefully and dream of liquids, which was worse than having no water at all.
I felt a distinct pang of pity for the volunteers manning the booths. I mean it was not their fault that the race coordinators had not prepared well enough, but they were there, and an easy target of frustration from a couple of thousand thirsty, cranky runners. Poor guys.
I now know I can run ten kilometers without water, but it is not something I wanted to find out this way :)
After we passed the halfway point, we ran alongside scummy canal water, and I was so desperate for liquids that I began fantasizing about stopping, scooping up a handful to my mouth, and taking a sip. I didn't actually do it, but I really *really* wanted to.
The distance markers were also placed misleadingly. When I saw the 10k marker, my heart jumped, but it turned out that it was marking the 9k point, and the beginning of the final tenth kilometer, which flouted traditional understanding and just plain didn't make sense.
I am tired and cranky with disappointment. It promised to be a good run, since it was a big brand sponsor, but the lack of proper organization meant that I had nothing to protect my from thirst and heat. On the plus side, I think that I may have spent a longer period (than in my first attempt at a 10k run) jogging in the first half before I ran out of steam and started alternating between a jog and a walk. However, the heat (and to be fair my being unfit) quickly sapped my energy, and because there was no water, I had no way to replenish it. Grr. I can't compare my performance in this run to my last one because everything went wrong here, so I cannot tell whether I am getting better or worse :(
Well, I finished another 10k, though, when I would have sworn just last month that I would not have finished five. And these days, I finish five quite... Not easily, but not too painfully, either. That is something at least ;)
PS. Given the name of the brand, it was such a disappointment that there was no water. Such a disappointment.
PPS. The contented lethargy that settles in after a run has just hit me. I am too sleepily content to be cranky any more. I will probably nap the day away. And then I will try to get into shape again starting tomorrow. I may not run much until summer is over (it's getting pretty hot. Even stone walls in the shade in the early morning are disappointingly warm - found out when I leaned against them earlier today, hoping they would leach some of the heat from my body). So i may not run much, but I would like to be ready for the next time.
PPPS. Nagy, darling, we were not able to coordinate our run. Maybe we can hunt around for a nice gentle 5k run instead, so we can stop before the morning gets too hot?
PPPPS. So sleepy but happy. Maybe it was a good run after all.
Stayed up until 4am last night, writing postcards so i could send them before leaving the hotel. I had a great time matching up postcard designs to names, and adding in some Japanese, which I tried my best to make not-too-grammatically-incorrect. Mwah, all of you, and love.
Japanese children are some of the cutest things ever. Can I smuggle one of them home with me?
I think I traumatized one of them at breakfast though. I smiled at this kid while waiting for her dad to get rice. Next thing I knew, she had run from me and was ftugging at her father's sleeve, going 'tousan, tousan' piteously. I feel so guilty!
Lately I have been eating my rice rolled into my seaweed.
I wonder if it is possible to learn to switch hands. Am trying to do stuff with my left that I usually do with my right.
Spent the day in Disney Sea. Rides were too kiddy. Discussed with my parents my desire to emigrate. More on that in another entry.
Have split off from everyone. Now off on my grand adventure to go meet Ju! One train, one hour (well two trains, if you count the ticket for the disney monorail so i can make my way from disney sea to maihama station). It should be easy, right?
I hate train platforms. Always afraid I shall fall in.
i am in maihama station about 30 min early because i was afraid i would not be able to figure it out. I eventually did (got confused because the line i was on only moved one way, while the other line moved in both directions, so i spent some time trying to find the other platform for my line so i would be sure i wasn't inadvertently going in the wrong direction. Couldn't find it anywhere, which was strange.
We stayed at the first stop for a really long time. Almost as long as it had taken for us to travel from the first station to the second...
Aha! Have finally figured out where to look to find the current station name: it is on the pillar!
I jump whenever we pass by a train going in the other direction. It makes a weird sound.
7 stops away! I was sleepy a few moments ago, but not any more :)
Um, is the train seat actually heated? My butt is warm ;_;
Hm, is "silent mode" called "manners mode (manaa moodo) in Japan?
Three stops away!!! All this excitement is making me hungry.
Is no one afraid of robbers or anything like that? People are taking out their laptops and such on the train. I am getting nervous even just whipping out my cellphone o.O
Ohmygod next stop is Kita-Asaka! *bounce*
It took just a bit more than an hour, like an hour and seven minutes. Night air, brr.
I am currently lurking near the ticket machines like a suspicious lurking thing.
Had teeth-blackening pasta and truffle ice cream and very good fake tiramisu! Enjoyed the drinks bar (soda, mostly, and coffee and tea). Also discussed the merits of eating ostrich meat (they deserve to die because the stupid birds have wings but do not fly.) We then stopped by Mister Donuts for something to take home for breakfast. The green tea azuki p(something) ring was interesting. They also have the most adorable things you can get if you have enough points, so I did my share by helping Ju earn points.
Then we went to another train station, on a different line, to head home ("samui, samui"). Got a speed tour of the area/route to her place; took off my shoes before heading inside. It was compact and so nice and cozy <3 space heater! Poster! Groovy (grooved?) rug!
I stole the second futon from underneath the first one, as well as the bottom blanket, and sprawled on the futon while watching oofuri. Which, by the way, oofuri is good! A bit fanservicey, ahaha. Went through the first 10 episodes and then had to give up because i was getting sleepy and loopy and i think i may have started babbling and my eyes were closing on their own even if i was having fun and laughing at the good parts, but still my eyes closed.
And then it was somehow morning, and we ate the donuts and i had instant royal milk tea and it was good.
Took my gym bag with my clothes and stuff and we headed to Ikebukuro, where Juju brought me to HMV, and then we went to Animate (six floors of anime and manga merchandise, each floor having a different kind!) I actually spent a bit of money at the 200yen random-figurine-in-egg machine, trying my luck for various Oofuri characters. I got a lot of Ta...Ta.. whatsisname, batting genius guy, and also Abe. The duplicates I traded with Ju :D (I COULD NOT STOP. IT WAS LIKE GAMBLING. But with less money and more adorable prizes).
Then up a floor to buy manga (where I bought one of a slightly, uh, more sensitive nature). Oofuri has a lot of doujins. It seems second only to Hitman Reborn? Then up another floor for merchandise (bought a bag, ahahhah. I love it *hugs to self*). Then Ju dragged me away, and we ate lunch at a Mexican place, where I was introduced to fajitas!
Then she took me to Mandarake (doujin shop) for a quick peek, though we had no time for more than that. I saw LOTR doujins *snerk* I forgot there were those; I thought it was limited only to fanart, but I guess it follows naturally?
Then it was time to go home. Ju escorted me to the station in Nippori and there we parted ways. <333 Juju *smoooch*
Had a bit of a scare. Heard the train announcer say that we were approaching Osaka. Thought I had gotten on the wrong train, though Osaka didn't make any sense at all, so I got up to look at the train lines diagram, and realized that we were at (and had just left) Osakura.
And after all that, I got to the airport almost an hour earlier than everyone else, ahahaha.
Japanese children are some of the cutest things ever. Can I smuggle one of them home with me?
I think I traumatized one of them at breakfast though. I smiled at this kid while waiting for her dad to get rice. Next thing I knew, she had run from me and was ftugging at her father's sleeve, going 'tousan, tousan' piteously. I feel so guilty!
Lately I have been eating my rice rolled into my seaweed.
I wonder if it is possible to learn to switch hands. Am trying to do stuff with my left that I usually do with my right.
Spent the day in Disney Sea. Rides were too kiddy. Discussed with my parents my desire to emigrate. More on that in another entry.
Have split off from everyone. Now off on my grand adventure to go meet Ju! One train, one hour (well two trains, if you count the ticket for the disney monorail so i can make my way from disney sea to maihama station). It should be easy, right?
I hate train platforms. Always afraid I shall fall in.
i am in maihama station about 30 min early because i was afraid i would not be able to figure it out. I eventually did (got confused because the line i was on only moved one way, while the other line moved in both directions, so i spent some time trying to find the other platform for my line so i would be sure i wasn't inadvertently going in the wrong direction. Couldn't find it anywhere, which was strange.
We stayed at the first stop for a really long time. Almost as long as it had taken for us to travel from the first station to the second...
Aha! Have finally figured out where to look to find the current station name: it is on the pillar!
I jump whenever we pass by a train going in the other direction. It makes a weird sound.
7 stops away! I was sleepy a few moments ago, but not any more :)
Um, is the train seat actually heated? My butt is warm ;_;
Hm, is "silent mode" called "manners mode (manaa moodo) in Japan?
Three stops away!!! All this excitement is making me hungry.
Is no one afraid of robbers or anything like that? People are taking out their laptops and such on the train. I am getting nervous even just whipping out my cellphone o.O
Ohmygod next stop is Kita-Asaka! *bounce*
It took just a bit more than an hour, like an hour and seven minutes. Night air, brr.
I am currently lurking near the ticket machines like a suspicious lurking thing.
Had teeth-blackening pasta and truffle ice cream and very good fake tiramisu! Enjoyed the drinks bar (soda, mostly, and coffee and tea). Also discussed the merits of eating ostrich meat (they deserve to die because the stupid birds have wings but do not fly.) We then stopped by Mister Donuts for something to take home for breakfast. The green tea azuki p(something) ring was interesting. They also have the most adorable things you can get if you have enough points, so I did my share by helping Ju earn points.
Then we went to another train station, on a different line, to head home ("samui, samui"). Got a speed tour of the area/route to her place; took off my shoes before heading inside. It was compact and so nice and cozy <3 space heater! Poster! Groovy (grooved?) rug!
I stole the second futon from underneath the first one, as well as the bottom blanket, and sprawled on the futon while watching oofuri. Which, by the way, oofuri is good! A bit fanservicey, ahaha. Went through the first 10 episodes and then had to give up because i was getting sleepy and loopy and i think i may have started babbling and my eyes were closing on their own even if i was having fun and laughing at the good parts, but still my eyes closed.
And then it was somehow morning, and we ate the donuts and i had instant royal milk tea and it was good.
Took my gym bag with my clothes and stuff and we headed to Ikebukuro, where Juju brought me to HMV, and then we went to Animate (six floors of anime and manga merchandise, each floor having a different kind!) I actually spent a bit of money at the 200yen random-figurine-in-egg machine, trying my luck for various Oofuri characters. I got a lot of Ta...Ta.. whatsisname, batting genius guy, and also Abe. The duplicates I traded with Ju :D (I COULD NOT STOP. IT WAS LIKE GAMBLING. But with less money and more adorable prizes).
Then up a floor to buy manga (where I bought one of a slightly, uh, more sensitive nature). Oofuri has a lot of doujins. It seems second only to Hitman Reborn? Then up another floor for merchandise (bought a bag, ahahhah. I love it *hugs to self*). Then Ju dragged me away, and we ate lunch at a Mexican place, where I was introduced to fajitas!
Then she took me to Mandarake (doujin shop) for a quick peek, though we had no time for more than that. I saw LOTR doujins *snerk* I forgot there were those; I thought it was limited only to fanart, but I guess it follows naturally?
Then it was time to go home. Ju escorted me to the station in Nippori and there we parted ways. <333 Juju *smoooch*
Had a bit of a scare. Heard the train announcer say that we were approaching Osaka. Thought I had gotten on the wrong train, though Osaka didn't make any sense at all, so I got up to look at the train lines diagram, and realized that we were at (and had just left) Osakura.
And after all that, I got to the airport almost an hour earlier than everyone else, ahahaha.