Sleeping

For some reason I woke up about ten times last night.  Those are the ten times I can remember, which leads me to assume that I actually woke up more (I don't often remember much that happens in the way of sleeping, dreams and whatnot).

My shoulder is still sore; as a result I've not been to the gym so far this week.  That makes it a week and a half or so which isn't too bad.  I'll hit the gym tomorrow (not literally) after a run tonight.  I assume my bizarre sleep is a result of excess energy on account of my body storing fat in anticipation of it being burned off, which it hasn't been as I've entered recovery mode all week.  My knee is still sore when it's fully bent, but aside from that I'm fine.  There's training at the weekend, with the second leg of the knockout competition the week after.  We've knocked out one of the biggest names, so why not go on and win this thing.

It's Wednesday today, so if I run tonight, then hit the gym tomorrow (rinse and repeat) I'll have a week and a half to get into shape.  Considering I couldn't go to the gym for a week before the big game (illness) it'll be interesting to see how much I weigh now.  In related news, my aim is to get into the overweight category in this BMI calculator.  I thought it would be cool to be in the obese category, but for me that would entail being 105kg's.  That's not going to happen in this lifetime.  Something I found extremely interesting was how close I am to being 'overweight.'  I was, prior to looking at this particular graph, quite far into the overweight category.  Now I'm skirting the normal line.  This can only mean one thing - figure massaging!  People in England are getting fatter, and instead of tackling the problem (like, say, america where obesity is now 33%) they've moved the goalposts.  At some stage in the near future I'm going to be normal, which means I'm going to have to shrink, or put on weight to get back into the overweight category.  Goddamn politicians.  I already eat enough, thank you very much.

I also used the height measurement of feet and inches, but the weight measurement in kg's.  Thank you very much, stupid imperial England of the past.

Survived!

I survived the day of bad luck (which officially began and ended yesterday).  It was a harrowing day, full of people trying to kill me with their cars (some stereotypes hold up) and things crumbling to dust in my very hands.

Hocus pocus aside, I visited a magical factory of longevity commonly known as a gym.  Within the boundaries of said room were people old enough to be, and I suspect they are, grandparents.  These people weren't milling around like the elderly folk in English gyms, they were running like possessed daemons.  I don't know if there is a marathon coming up soon, but the teachers at my mountain school are even getting in on the running act and one of them, a woman in her early fifties, (at a guess, which is about as definitive as guessing the age of Earth) runs 10km two or three times a week.  This is after she does an aerobics class that I have witnessed (behind a glass barrier, thankfully) and wouldn't wish upon anyone.  As with all these things, the class is only as challenging as you make it, and while some of the participants choose to peacock their way through - this teacher doesn't.  The short and long of it is simple; insanity.  Unfortunately I fear that finding a co-signatory would be something of a struggle on account of me not knowing Japanese, but she really should dial it back somewhat.

I hope the marathon (if there is one) has a seriously long catchment behind the finishing line, because it will take her some time to wind down once she crosses.  At fifty miles per hour.

I also hope they have a fire engine to ensure excess heat is dissipated as quickly as possible.  She might blow a gasket or something.

Notes on Gym Class

So I just watched a gym class conducted by a Japanese teacher.  Obviously there was no English involvement within the lesson, and I understood very little of what was being said; but the comparison with England is striking.

Todays lesson was entirely based around timing the kids in a 50m sprint.  Presumably, the information garnered from today will be compared with data collected at some arbitrary point in the future.

What struck me, is that Japanese kids can't run.  Jesus they can't run.  At best they look awkward while running, at worst they look like paraplegic invertebrates.  No effort was expended on the part of the Japanese teachers in correcting their styles, so I must assume that either the teacher doesn't care, he had never seen a 100m sprint on television, or this is the accepted method for quickly getting from A to B without a bicycle or car.  Frankly, I'm astonished.

I have been told that I look like a puppet when I'm running, with an upright back and robotic limbs - but I try my damndest to follow the instruction given to us by our teachers.  As far as I know, this is the fastest method of locomotion available to me, using only my legs.  It may be the case that I could run faster, but I've grown to like this style.  The point is, rightly or wrongly, I have adopted a style taught to me by my teachers, and at the time it improved my overall speed.  These kids have been taught nothing, and will continue to endanger those around them with flailing limbs (not to mention failing to get the most out of their bodies.)  I don't expect everyone to run the 100m gracefully, or quickly, but one kid ought to be able to, and every kid has the right to learn (whether they accept the teaching or not).

To give you an idea of what they look like, check out this video.  Then look at this picture.  Note, their arms don't move up and down like ours when we run, they just hang there, out at the side.  The problem is, this is an unsustainable position, and they end up wobbling all over the place.  In no logical society should this style be adopted.  It's mental.  Maybe this stuff flies in Korea, but it shouldn't be legal anywhere else.

Running and the Post...

Please read to the bottom for a funny story I saw.

As has been typical lately, I went for a run.  Two things differed from the established norms on this occasion however, as I took a camera, and it there was snow in the air, and on the ground.

If you've ever run for more than twenty seconds on snow, you'll know it shares a similar feel to another unstable substance; that being sand.  Unless you've never run on sand, in which case you might like to know that it feels similar to snow.

So because of the inordinate quantities we've been having, I decided to capture a few more images.

I took these while running along, so forgive the camera shake.

Even after a solid pace I was cold, leading me to suspect that my thermal shirt, t-shirt, thermal undies, swimming shorts, bank robber woolly hat AND my fleece were insufficient for this weather.

Had I not left for Japan, and were I still those many kilograms heavier, I feel a pair of briefs would have sufficed.  Now that my bones are a mere skin-depth from the elements, the cold holds a much greater fear for me.

As you will have no doubt spotted, my camera thinks that snow makes the world blue.  While it does depress everyone on the news, it takes it somewhat more literally.

Hopefully the next photograph will dispel the myth that I live underwater.

This one does manage to take us away from the seabed, but it does give the impression that the (n)th apocalypse is coming.

Again, taken on the move, I should probably stand still and take one at a later date.

At the time of writing this, it's -5 degrees outside though, so as you can imagine, even during the day with the ample sunlight (evidenced by this picture) present in England, standing still for more than ten seconds is hazardous for ones' health.

I had to include one with a little motion blur involved to show you the tremendous speeds I was travelling at this stage.

The lateral blur is indicative of a shaking hand, possibly moving from right to left in order to increase the feeling of speed...

But of course, that cannot be confirmed.

This is the long and lonely road I tread to the stomping ground of fitness that is a disused green belt, surrounding this here town.

It functions as a... as a... as something.

It also has plentiful pull-up, dip and sit-up facilities (if one uses his/her imagination!) to increase the overall efficiency of a workout.

It is however, and I'm not making this up, (in a 'the fish I caught was thiiiiiiiiiiis big kind of way) ruddy steep.  You run down all the way there.  Great workout.  Even better for the mind, as you must overcome this fact on the way back.  Food for the body, mind and soul then, this running malarky.

I don't know whether this one is in focus.

I don't care.

It has lots of snow, and the wrong colour sky.  It wasn't this colour.  No filters were applied, apart from the rose coloured kind fostered by love.

Of course I'm in no such state, I can only surmise therefore, that my camera has had a funny turn.  If it were a horse, it would be dog food or glue by now, but such is the way of electronics that they cannot be put out of their misery quite so easily as a shotgun to the face.

Yes.  Horses have faces too.  Think of that, the next time you try to glue something to another thing.

And when I happened upon the about-turn area, I also came across a few giant snow people men.

It's quite interesting to see the level of craftsmanship involved.

Nary a detail was missed, and it's great to see the artisans of snowcraft are thriving throughout the town.

It's also funny to imagine the (statistically speaking, rather likely to be) fat kids trying to lift a mere fraction of their own bodyweight in snow above their heads.

This is actually taken at an approximation of the correct angle.

The wicked Michael Jackson style Gangster Lean, as it shall now be known, looks set to end this mans' life  prematurely.

I shall find out, dear reader, if this snowman survived, when I go for my next run.

This family lacks the individual quality of the solo Gangster member, but does hold something of the wonderment that is christmas.

Well, to anyone who thinks that the biggest box will have the best presents, this picture is christmassy.

You need a sense of scale to appreciate how much effort went into these bad boys.

(Children avert your eyes)

I understand that this photo is awful.  I also understand that, side-on, I look something akin to a kipper on the ocean floor.

I wasn't even pretending to be short when eyeballing this guy, he really is that well made.

Kudos to whomever chose to dedicate their time to such an endeavour!

One more of the family and its' terminally ill falling son.

Hopefully he'll find his legs someday.

The footprints of an unidentified creature.  Any trackers out there who want the chance to hunt the famed yeti, here it is.

Or it's a rabbit.

Rabbits aren't as good for hunting based tourism though right.

----------------------------------------------------

We switch gears now as I received an early present from Japan.

What could be inside this bag?

If the person just off-camera would stop asking, they might live through the night.

Anyway.

Inside this case was...

This bear porch.  (As written on the customs declaration)

It's a bag, presumably a pouch of some kind.

I simply must ask this question.  If you're a mid-level learner of a language, why would you know the word 'pouch' sufficiently to recall it?  Spelling aside, I estimate a forty year lagtime between now, and me knowing the equivalent word in any language.

Exceptional, if somewhat redundant, knowledge is on display here.

Inside the pouch was a small keyring adornment that plays the '1-up' tune from Mario.  Random?  For you this may well be the case.  For me and those involved however, it is only slightly less random.  Crazy, but simultaneously, crazy-awesome.

Best christmas card ever!

Sorry, but no amount of tinsel, or annoying shimmering flakey stuff can make up for the ten thousand mile trip this card took.

Fine wines age, christmas cards that voyage assume a similar air of importance!  Cards cannot be accused of being pompous however, which is nice.

Many pictures today!



And here is the funny story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8424836.stm

This is the reason why the world laughs at America.  Those who are there now, seriously, be careful.  Once people become deathly afraid of snow, you have to ask yourself whether the money present in America is worth your life.  Seriously.

The Things we Find Ourselves Doing...

I've finally got round to starting an exercise routine again.

Having worked so hard for the years I was at university to give myself an edge over the competition, the rest period of Japan is probably a welcome one; from the point of view of my body.  I found myself aching in places that my grandad complained about, and waking up every day to a creaking array of joints, and unintentional, barely audible groans.  I'm pretty sure it was the rugby causing this, so hopefully going to the gym again won't bring these symptoms back.

I've begun running around again, with the eventual aim of getting back to the gym.  It's amazing what losing fifteen kilograms of weight can do for your long distance running performance though, as I now feel able to run more than fifty metres without passing out!  And this is with many months of no training, so I should be substantially more unfit than before.

As a side-note; I've found a tucked away park that appears to have only one entrance and one exit, and it located far enough away from civilization that I'm sure it never gets used.  I'm not sure what the point of it is, but I find it a convenient halfway point on my run.

In other news, I'm committing some ideas for a new attraction in the Top Events GB repetoire to disc; in the form of a labor intensive, mind bending 3D diagram of how I believe the site should progress.  It's an extremely interesting process, but one that demands an attention to detail that's difficult to summon up.  Using Googles' own mapping software, named SketchUp, and utilising google maps to lend some realism to my ideas; I'm slowly forming a viable idea.  It does take an awfully long time however, and the 3D design aspects are proving far from intuitive.  The idea is that this software becomes accessible to everyone, by approaching the 'problem' of 3D content creation from a different angle.  This approach falls down somewhat when you realise that this type of program has been around for decades, in the form of video game design; and their mapmakers, while more complicated, are far easier to use.  Oxymoronic (sic) maybe, but true nonetheless.

I can't show you what I'm designing currently; but I can show you what I was tinkering with last night - that is before I realised you can't scale down irregular curves properly.  Well done sketchup, well done.







In an unrelated note; here are some more pictures I've received from the other side of the world.

I may have already uploaded this one, but I like it; so it's staying.

So many of these little animations...

My own personal favourite of the animations.  This one says, 'thank you.'



ありがとうまどーちゃん！（いぎりすはすごくさむいです！）（がんばってね！）
ありがとうふみえ！（あなたわちょーかわいいー！）
ありがとうひろみーちゃん！あなたのこうびとおやうびとひとつさしうびとくすりうびとなかうびはきもち！ねえええええええ！
ありがとうたかこねさん！あなたの歌うこと はすごい！
ありがとうぱるぱーちゃんと００７さん！
ありがとうゆかりーさん！
ありがとうみな！