2011/10/22

Jogging Haiku 38: Base de Plein Air

Around the barrier
Half trail into the forest,
What fence, officer?

(12-14km, last 3k sprinting)

It was nice to run on roads and paths I walked and rode growing up. Some paths were not were I remembered them, while others were very muddy, and all were beautiful in their fall coats. Great run all around.

2011/10/20

Jogging Haiku 37: Mt. Pinacle

Flocks of birds waking
Deer fleeing my intrusion,
Fall call of nature.

(Abt 11km, climbing up Mt. Pinacle)

Away from town at a chalet next to Lyster Lake, I woke up one morning, jogged around the lake to the start of the trail up to the top of Mt. Pinacle. It was pretty muddy, but not impassable. The climb was not so long, and from the top, the view was outstanding. I wish I had my camera with me. It took me a while to find my way down the other side, and when I did, I picked up the pace til the end. All in all, a great outing, with much wildlife encounters.

2011/10/17

Jogging Haiku 36: Back in Montreal

Jogging new old streets
Red, oranges and yellows
In an autumn dance

(short 30min jog)

I did something I looked forward to, jogging back home. I basically never ran here in Montreal, since I picked up the activity in Japan. Staying at my moms, I'm running new streets as I don't really know the area, but they feel old because of the architecture and especially because of the feeling of nostalgia I get, especially smelling the odor of old leaves in fall. Looking forward to the next runs, which will be at a chalet in the Eastern Townships. Trailrunning here I come!

2011/10/09

Jogging Haiku 35: Forgot

Completely forgot
To think about a haiku
Next time I promise.

(16km in two legs, pun intended)

I jogged from my home to the KFMH3 run in Suita, a distance of about 10km. I mostly followed the Kanzaki river, making the trail pretty trafficless, something I always appreciate. It was pretty hot then, and a small cold notwithstanding, I could keep up my medium pace the whole time.

I made a small navigational mistake, which resulted in, perhaps, a slightly shorter trail, and the discovery of the last few hundred meters of the KFMH3 trail. I got to the station and only the hare and another member were there. The run was quite nice, going through parks, passing a Greek Orthodox church (!) and through some temples and shrines, including the one where Peking Dog had his Shichi-Go-San, a rite-of-passage ceremony when children are 3, 5 and 7 years old. There were numerous hills, but after the Suma-Takarazuka trail, they seemed like anthills to me. By the end of the course, Dances with Sheep's GPS indicated a trail of about 6km. All in all, it was great day of jogging, looking forward to jogging back home in Canada next week! I don't know if I'll have time to run before leaving.

2011/10/04

Jogging Haiku 34: Flat Tire

A walk to the shop
For some bicycle repairs,
Half moon guiding me.

(6km, easy-medium pace, with some capoeira)

When I went out Tuesday morning to pick some pictures at Costco, I noticed that my front-wheel tire had a flat. After dinner, I walked about 3km to the bicycle store and then decided to run back home. I took a longer route, jogging along the Kanzaki river. That part of the trail was pretty dark, but the moonlight help me navigate the trail amidst tall grass.

Unlike some other riverside, there are only 1 or 2 homeless people living there, and most importantly for my safety, they don't keep dogs, so I felt completely safe there. In Japan, most homeless were regular people who lost their jobs (they thought they had them for life) and then couldn't face the public humiliation of not working and continued living the 'high' life until the loans grew insurmountable; many of them are now hiding from organized crime to whom they borrowed the money. I think they certainly are the hardest working homeless people in the industrialized world, rarely begging, most of them going around town to gather scrap metal and cardboard to sell to recyclers.

2011/10/03

Jogging Haiku 33: Early in The Morning

Float in assembly
Sun rays falling down oblique,
Perfect autumn run.

(12km, good pace)

Having woken up early, I decided to have my day's run early, since when I run back from work, it is sometimes hard to get a good night sleep, my body still alive with adrenaline. I started off at a good pace and kept it up for the whole run, taking a regular route with two detours. The day was perfect, with morning sunny and cool conditions. Along the way, I passed some people on morning walks and jogs, others on their way to work, and most interestingly some assembling a float for a local shrine festival. It's at times like these that running is best.

2011/10/01

Jogging Haiku 32: Undokai

October begins
Relay-practicing students,
It's Sports Day season.

(6km, average pace, with some capoeira at the end)

Sports Festivals are a common trait at Japanese school. They are traditionally held at the end of September, beginning of October, although in recent years some schools hold them in May because the temperatures at this time of year can still be very hot.

I actually attended my first one on Sunday at my niece's elementary school. She and her friends seemed to have had a great time, and I guess that's the most important. I look forward to Kazuma's a few years down the line.