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| yesterday i ran a marathon
back in september of last year i decided to apply. little did i know that i applied along with 150,000 other people. but only 31,000 people would be chosen to compete. i remember pleading with God for the opportunity. i knew what change it could bring to my perspective on live. at the time, things were pretty lonely and depressing living in japan and all. so sometime last october, the result came by e-mail and i had made it - i can run.
out of excitement, i remember yelling and screaming in my house. .. i know -- who gets exited when they find out they have to run 26.2 miles? but i did. 42.195 km was my goal to reach. i only had five months to train before the boat show. i originally set a goal of 4 hours. i trained consistently every week running the streets of my neighborhood, city, and even surrounding cities. i would only time myself when i ran. the distance was oblivious to me most of the time. i only calculated both time and distance on two occasions. i suffered back injuries throughout training, would take a week or two off and resume. one month before the race, i timed myself in a half-marathon around the imperial palace downtown in tokyo. until that time i had no idea my pace or progress. i finished the half in one hour and thirty minutes. this meant that if i had this pace for a full-marathon, i could do it in 3 hours. the half-marathon was pretty challenging and i ended up injuring myself and sitting out another week again, so i knew 3 hours was nearly impossible. so i set a difficult, but obtainable goal of 3.5 hours. i was quite apprehensive as to what the outcome of the race would be like. i mean i had never ran more than 22 kilo's before and had all sorts of doubts like, "what will it be like once i hit 30km or even 40km?" but for the remaining 3 weeks of training i took it easy never running more than 70 minutes (or about 12km) in fear of striking another injury. i decided if i was going to get hurt, it would be on race day!
February 17th 2008
having pre-planned my day well in advance, all i had to do before 9am was go through the motions. i woke up at 5:30, warmed up my muscles in the shower, put on my run gear (or whatever you want to call it), and sat down for breakfast. i drank 2 tall glasses of water, ate a piece of fish, a bowl of rice with an egg on top, a bowl of japanese ozoni - or this gooey rice cake in a soup of vegetables. it supposedly gives you tons of energy with the intent to fight off ninja's or run marathons. since i do both, it felt appropriate to partake on this morning. one thing i was quite fearful of was taking on both ninja's and a marathon in the same day -- a guy can only do so much ya know.
so, after i ate i drank some more water and i was ready to go. i caught a train downtown to shinjuku station and found myself in the middle of some goofy people preparing to run a marathon. then i realized - i was one of them!
now when you have 30,000 people participating in anything, you need some order and organization. therefore everyone was directed to a certain area of the starting gate depending on your "BIB number" or the number you wear on the front of your shirt. my number was E33085. therefore, i had to line up with all the E's. the letters went as high as "J". "A" represented the most competitive, or the fastest, and "J" represented the beginners - this helped the flow of things. i was somewhere in the middle - just another guy in the crowd i guess.
everyone has this "runner's chip"
which they put on their shoe that keeps their official time. imagine how long it would take you to get to the start line if you are a "J". therefore, you dont go off of the main clock, you go off of your chip. I personally did not cross the start line until 5 minutes after the race started. i had to wait for about 15,000 people to cross it in front of me!
The gun sounded at 9am and the confetti fell
people were screaming and yelling from start to finish. the sidewalks were lined with people from beginning to end, all yelling the all but overused word, "ganbare!", which means "good luck" or "do your best." being caught in a massive wave of excitement ifound that the first 42 minutes pass by without my noticing. i had taken the words of advice from a coach who trained japanese marathon olympic gold medalists this past year. he said, "when you start the race, teach yourself to calm down and do not run fast. if you want to finish the race, slow your pace in the beginning. and if you want to run fast, do it after you have completed 30km." this turned out to be the greatest piece of advice.
like i said, the streets were packed. japanese fans, supporters, children, musical performers, bands, and everything else you would see in a circus filled the streets of downtown tokyo on this sunday morning. at times i would jam to my mp3 playlist and other times i would get my energy from the crowd. the entire event for me was like an intense roller coaster ride.
from the beginning to nearly the end of the race
i was unsure of how i would finish - or if i even would. but if i can explain what took place it might give you a picture of what it looked like. i began with the E's and from the beginning i was weaving in and out of people and trying to keep my pace. i discovered that a necessary skill in an event like this is your ability to jook, jive, and dodge slow, yet moving objects all around you - without bumping into them or making them mad. i failed some times.
after about 5 km into the race i noticed i was departing from my fellow E companions and making my way into the C and B crowds. they didnt like me embarking on their territory, so i confirmed i would only be a while, i was simply making my way up to the A crowd, i said. (i am joking, this conversation never verbally took place).
for me, it was never so much a competition with other people as it was with myself. this is where i learned so much about.. well, myself. through the tests and trials that came to me that morning, i discovered so much about the type of character i have. i know i am competitive, but man, i never knew my greatest competition was myself! i knew i liked being the center of attention, but it was even a little embarrassing by how much i enjoyed it on race day.
but i noticed some good things as well. when i saw some dude huff'in and puff'in or struggling to get by, i would pat him on the shoulder, look them him the eye, and say, "ganbare!" when that old dude made a v-line for the bathroom but failed to consider me running my course, i didnt curse him when i smashed into his shoulder, i just said, "take care pal!". when i saw the kids on the sidewalks with outstretched arms, i would make my way to the side to give some high-fives. if i noticed a particular chunk of supporters needing a reason to cheer, as a foreigner i would holler some cute phrase in japanese like, "i am hungry, got any food!?" just to give them a rise. i suppose this could fall within the category of me craving the attention as well! not to mention, over 10,000 volunteers who made the race possible deserved a hand shake, smile, or an "arigato" every now and then. i tried to be a team player.
when i finally reached 23km
it occurred to me that my feet had never before ran this distance consistently. the fear started to sink in and the mental battle began to take precedence above the crowds, the runners, and myself in the middle of it all. for some reason i had recalled what i had told a friend running the 15km Tulsa Run with me back a few years ago. i said, "don't think of the finish or how long you have yet to run, just look down at your feet and concentrate one step at a time." and it worked. i focused on my feet and kept truckin. I tried to avoid the thought that the goal seemed unobtainable. it was interesting how i was only half-way through and my legs were burning, yet numb, hurt, but still moving. all i could do was focus and do my best. after 30km, i knew i was going to finish.
but you have to understand. i prepared well for this marathon. i ran consistently 3-4 times a week. and because of this, i had so much fun throughout the entire race. i was smiling, laughing, communicating with the runners around me seeing my role as more than a participator, but an encourager. i was part of it all. i was not an "individual competitor" just as there were no "individual fans". it was in the middle of the race that i thought, this is one big community. i didn't really understand the purpose of the community, i just knew that we were all in it together somehow. and this gave me so much strength and support. i mean, why would someone who doesnt know me nor will they ever see me again, scream at the top of their lungs "ganbare!". i was just telling a friend after the race that i must have heard "gambare" about 2 million times in the course of 3.5 hours. i felt like a champion.
and this was my final time
unofficial clock time 3 hours 27 minutes. my unofficial chip time, about 3 hours and 22 minutes.
with an original goal of 4 hours and just hoping to finish the race, i am quite pleased with my time. another thing God taught me about myself is my stubborn pride. but if there is such thing as "Godly pride", i would say right now i am full of it!
the reason i say this is because i am in the best shape of my life physically. i am healthy, doing well, and pleased with my progress in life and here in japan. i am more goal oriented, feeling confident, teachable, and willing to learn and grow. i remember saying from the beginning, that if i can have the opportunity to run in the tokyo marathon, it will literally change the tempo of my life. it has. this isnt just my victory, its our victory. you share in the joy with me.
so, i am ready to train for next year as well! this time i want to put together a team of champions to train and work together and make it happen. anyone game?
last note.
i ran this marathon for many reasons. but i told my sister from the beginning that i was running it for her. stacy, i did it. now whatever you need to do to get where you want to be, you can do it too. you aren't alone, we are all together and a part of the process with you. i love you. gambare!! | | |
| 10.16.07
Something I discovered today and put into words.
I have walked on this island for the past year. I have taken a spiritual journey that hasn’t been so pleasant. Without buddies. Without moms. Life is tough sometimes. I am just a kid, but if I have experienced a “dark hour of the soul” type of a season, it has certainly been over this past year. Maybe I don't even know what that means?
I have many memorable moments to dwell on, but the loneliness I have experienced is nothing I wish to return to.
Mater of fact-ly, I am seeing the tail end of this, placing my faith and determination that it shall pass soon, only to take on a new burden I suppose.
For the first time in months I have felt comfort in who I am, what I am becoming, and the life I am leading. I am finally comfortable in my own skin in this foreign land I walk through as a... foreigner. I know it could all change tomorrow… but.
The most challenging aspect of this isolated, friendless season I have had is the fact that I questioned my nearness, awareness, and relationship with Jesus. Did I even know the God I came here to profess before the Japanese people? Was it all an illusion? Did I trick myself, or is evil tricking me now?
As I walked alone searching for God and trying to find my place in his truth, I found my share of success as well as disappointment. As most of us process and reprocess, overcome and start anew, arrive and begin, I too am coming full-circle in some things.
Tonight I concluded. I found the answer to many of my questions. When I wondered - and believe me it is a wonder - had I even known Jesus? The answer was and is yes. Tonight it became all the more real to me. He is not so much near to me as he is within me. He is the very source and beat of my heart. Jesus is the passion and energy that I find within my soul.
Tomorrow I may face another challenge. But at least for tonight I am convinced that what I say is true. There is nothing more important, nothing more studly to conclude than this. I have spoken my peace. Amen.
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| dear fan club.
i am nearing a year now here in japan. about a month away to be exact.
i start classes at the university next week.
we are having our fall camp for the english school kids in a couple weeks.
but today i have some great news. i applied among 500,000 other applicants to run in the TOKYO MARATHON in February 2008. only some 80,000 were accepted. i applied two months ago. the results came in today. i am one of the 80,000 running next year! i will run my first marathon come february. i have been training in faith the past two months. i now have 4 months left. i hope to place in the top 40,000. thats a good goal for now.
one man said it will be a fight to the finish. i say, thats a good place to end.
website - http://www.tokyo42195.org/index_en.html
i love you.
write me.
billy
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| this is perfect. so this website has become a little difficult to upload pictures and what not. i actually do all of my blogging and picture uploading on facebook, which is a networking blog, type dealio.
so i will just paste a link for you to see pictures, without having to create your own account.
i just took a trip with some of the guys and gals from my club at my college to an island off of tokyo for the 3 day holiday before school starts back up again.
go here and see the pics is you would like.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023479&l=079f1&id=79102523
or click on this.
kozushima pictures | | |
| my first shot to japan back in o3', i went to osaka and kyoto.
for the first time in a long time, i went back.
kyoto is unlike any other place in japan in that it has much of the traditional stuff -
temples. nature. trees. buildings. - and stuff preserved over the centuries because it was one of the few major cities
that werent destroyed during ww2.
so i came by myself and met up with my japanese boss, hiro.
his family drove, while i took the "shin-kan-sen" or bullet train. that sucker travels 300 km/hr, which is roughly 186 mph.
it took me less than 2 hrs to get there. like kip, i love technology.
these are hiro's kids. justin. ax. and hunter.
anyway, so hiro's family and i hit up some traditional places, ate some trad food,
and sang trad songs around a campfire. all but that last part was true.
whoever came up with the name for this place certainly is.. clever.
a japanese geisha.
this is a rock garden. not a blade of grass in the garden, only specially picked and positioned rocks
- twelve of em.
so here is the scoop. supposedly, if you stare into the rock garden for long enough, they will lead you to
tranquility and speak to you mentally, spiritually - ya know, on the inside - about stuff. yea, the rocks.
they will convey like direction in life, guidance in character, etc.. thats what they say anyway!
i thought it was a pretty peaceful place all well crafted and in nature and all. it was neat..
me and the kernel. kickin it in kyoto.
kyoto was good. i had a chance to go to the church we visited back in 2003.
they had built a new church from the ground up since i was there last. it was good to be in the presence of fellow followers of Christ.
its not every day i get that in japan. God had been speaking quite a bit to my heart lately i believe.
i will put some of that up in the next post.
bc | | |
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