My ten-mile run went fine last Saturday, so that’s a good sign. I’m looking to run at least ten miles again this Saturday – maybe as many as twelve miles. I should be finding out within the next couple of weeks or so whether I was accepted into the Tokyo Marathon. I’m crossing my fingers. It looks like my trip to Japan is going to be a little more expensive than I first anticipated, since the exchange rate is currently at about ninety-seven yen to the dollar. That’s great if you’re living and working in Japan and sending money back to the USA (there are a lot of happy English teachers in Japan right now), but it’s not so great if you live in the USA and want to travel to Japan (like me). However, regardless of the exchange rate, I still intend to make the trip.

Tags: marathon, marathons, Tokyo Marathon, running

I had a good time cheering on the runners at the Columbus Marathon on Sunday. I watched most of the race from just beyond the twenty-five-mile mark, so the runners were almost finished at that point. As runner after runner went by, it was easy to forget how hard each and every one of them must have worked to prepare for the race. Congratulations to all of the finishers! As for me, I’m officially kicking off my training for my marathon in Japan on Saturday. I hope to run an easy ten miles, since I already have a pretty good base level of fitness. If all goes well on Saturday, I’ll gradually build up my miles from there. Time to get to work!

Tags: marathon, marathons, Columbus Marathon, running

Yesterday, when I was getting a haircut, the guy sitting in the chair next to me was telling the person cutting his hair that he plans to run the Columbus Marathon on Sunday, and that it will be his first marathon. Then, after I got my haircut, I went to Panera, and a woman noticed my Boston Marathon jacket. She said that she’s going to be running the Columbus Marathon on Sunday, and that it will be her first marathon. Both of these people must be very excited. Since this is the first marathon for both of them, I doubt that either of them really knows what’s in store for them, but that’s probably a good thing. If they knew, they might not be running. However, after the pain wears off, I wouldn’t be surprised if they decide to start training for marathon number two.

Tags: marathon, marathons, Columbus Marathon, running

Today was the Chicago Marathon, which is one of the World Marathon Majors, along with Boston, London, Berlin, and New York. Last year in Chicago the temperature rose to the high eighties, and the marathon was stopped three-and-a-half hours into the race. Many people were taken to the hospital, and one person died. Although the heat wasn’t as bad as last year, an hour-and-a-half into today’s race, apparently the temperature rose to seventy-eight degrees, which is really hot for a marathon. What bad luck to have heat problems two years in a row!

I know a couple people who went to Chicago to run the race, and I searched the Chicago Marathon website for their times, but it appears they may have dropped out at the half-way point. Hopefully next weekend in Columbus the weather will be cooler, because a week from today is the Columbus Marathon. I’ll be there to watch!

Tags: marathon, marathons, Chicago Marathon, Columbus Marathon, running

I just finished reading the book 21 Dog Years by Mike Daisey, and I ordered Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser online. Also, the day after I wrote my last post, I received my absentee ballot in the mail. I’ve already filled it out and mailed it in, so my vote is already cast. Not only have I already cast my vote, but it appears that Homer Simpson has as well. In fact, it seems that he used a voting machine produced by Diebold, Inc., headquartered right here in Ohio. Click here to watch Homer cast his vote. I especially like it when he says, “This doesn’t happen in America! Maybe Ohio, but not America!”

Tags: book, books, 21 Dog Years, Mike Daisey, Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser