Yesterday I took one of the most beautiful runs so far.
I ran 22 miles from my home in Niigata City to the nearby town of Gosen, across the very late summer, early fall countryside scenes of the golden green rice being harvested, the smell of fall smoke, and leaves on the trees in the small country neighborhoods changing color. My route was along the bank of the slow-moving Agano-river, past parks and scenes of barbecues, children playing baseball, and the site of the city on the horizon, diminishing more and more into the distance with each step. The scene was so picturesque and spiritually moving that I almost wished for a partner at some points. I was listening to Tycho's album "Dive," and the whole experience was somewhat overwhelming.
Tough parts about this run included the narrow road with a steady stream of large trucks whizzing by, sometimes coming within less than a foot of my body as I ran, and some new pain in my knees and feet. Again, however, as with the last long run to Yahiko, I was amazed at how if one just pushes forward in the mind the body obeys. Again this time at 14 miles I thought my body was finished, but we managed to keep chugging along through thick and thin all the way out to 22 miles where I ended up in the middle of a rice field, at the foot of the mountain range forming what is essentially the elevated spine of Honshu, the main island of the Japan archipelago.
After I had reached 22 miles, my beautiful wife picked me up, and she and my son and I all went to a local onsen (natural hot spring) to soak up some restorative healing and relaxation in the sulfur-smelling mineral waters. My knees hurt today, but that's alright. Can't fucking believe I ran 22 miles non-stop. Wouldn't have believed this if someone had told me 2 months ago. It truly is mind over matter.
One piece of advice--well, two, I suppose--have really stuck with me so far. The first is "GO SLOW." Run for you. Run just a few hundred feet if that's all you can do, and the next day go a little further. Also, when you run long distance, actually go slow. Go slow, and then go even slower than that. Pace yourself. As in life, in distance running, the race is not to the swift, but to him "who endureth until the end." The second thing is not really advice, I guess, but it is the reason I can now run: I made it my own thing--my own spiritual thing, and a competition with only myself and symbolic of life's spiritual journey and the ups and downs, challenges and thrills, hardships, pain, and pleasure that all seem to come in their own turn--and I enjoy it.
The race is coming up soon. Saw this sign at the station as a reminder. One more, maybe 17-mile-or-so, long run, and then it's the big day! RUNNING IN THE NAME OF STEEM AND FREEDOM!
~KafkA
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(Thanks for stopping by. If you missed the last installment of MARATHON BLOG, number 22, you can find it HERE. If you want to know why I am keeping this blog, and the inspiration for starting such a record on the blockchain, you can find the first MARATHON BLOG post HERE.)
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
