What Not to Wear: Running Edition

Sometimes you just need a good outfit. 

When I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, getting motivated to walk out the door is the hardest part of the run.  I've found the best thing to do is just put on my running outfit.  I have been known to get dressed in leggings, dry-fit top, heart-rate monitor, and garmin watch and then sit on the couch for upwards of an hour.  In spite of my best efforts, however, once I am actually in the correct clothing I can not help but find myself out on the road at some point.  The length of time spent on the couch is directly related to factors such as days since my last run, temperature outside, and if there is anything good on TV (in Japan, the last one is rarely a factor).

I see an interesting mix of running attire while out on the road.  In America, there are generally two types of runners: Dry-fit Man and Cotton Man. 

Dry-fit Man knows what he's doing, or spent a lot of money getting the gear to make it look like he knows what he is doing.  Often seen checking timer on sporty wristwatch and wearing new running shoes.  New.  DFM spends big bucks on those over-pronation-correcting Asics with the custom insert every 400 miles.



 Nice picture of my husband, huh?  He's kind of a big deal.

Cotton Man tends to be one of two sub-types: the Novice, or the Old Veteran.  Cotton man can be seen in the matching sweatsuit, or the shorts with cargo pockets (dad, you are definitely guilty of this one) and old ratty shirt.  You can generally distinguish Old Veteran from Novice by t-shirt; OV-CM in his 1982 Boilermaker shirt, N-CM wearing something with a Disney character or a professional sports team logo across the chest.
(no that is not me. image)

In Japan, I've seen more runners and many more outfits.

For simplicity's sake, we'll focus on the three main categories today: CW-X Man (and his companion, CW-X-with-skirt Woman), Jumpsuit Man, and Jeans Man.


For some reason, the whole CW-X thing has really caught on in Japan.  I feel out of place running in my regular old Under Armor with no compression technology!  CW-X Man is a serious runner (expect no head-nod acknowledgment from him) usually wearing new running shoes, a fancy watch, and metallic sunglasses, much like his American counterpart, Dry-fit Man.

Serious women runners in Japan seem to be big fans of the CW-X look as well, but with a minor adjustment.  Many also wear running skirts, perhaps due to the ubiquity of skirt-wearing in general (I really wouldn't survive - especially when it's cold out!).  Now I am all about the running skirt (I even own a pink one or two), but when I am already wearing tights, this seems to be an unnecessary accessory to me. I think Coco Chanel had something to say about that...

A large percentage of runners - in our neighborhood at least - tend to fall into the Jumpsuit Man category.  A surprising number actually do wear jumpsuits - some of the multi-color grandma variety and some of the high school/college sports team variety - but others wear something similar, including heavy sweat suits (think unflattering sweat stains - eew) and cotton leggings with oversized sweaters.  Jumpsuit man is aged anywhere from adolescent to ancient (really) and generally falls into the barely jogging to slightly faster than me range.  (image)

In America, today's last category would fall under the "only when chased" heading, but for some reason in Japan it is totally acceptable and surprisingly common to see someone running in jeans.  For the record, Jeans Man is not being chased.  I was skeptical at first, but people really do run in denim here.  Jeans Man typically wears sneakers of some sort (which I am sure were new at one time), a turtle neck or slim sweatshirt tucked in, and a leather belt.The best way to distinguish JM from someone is a hurry to get somewhere is visible iPod head phones and conspicuous lack of items in his hands or pockets. 

I joke, but it should be noted that there is such a wide variety of running attire on display because there is such a spectrum of people running.  (Jeff came home today bragging about having out-run the local middle school baseball team during their 1k time trial). Young people and very old people alike can be seen daily on the local running and walking paths. Maybe this is why rate of obesity in Japan is about 3% while it is over 30% in America.  Something to think about.

But back to me.  I'm not training for anything right now, which usually translates to me working out a whole lots less.  Jeff is in the final stages of marathon training, and thus has been consistently running six days a week.  I've actually been going out four or five times a week.  Lately, I've found I just go work out with him so I am not stuck at home by myself.  Maybe not the best reason for working out there is, but whatever it takes, right?


The Tokyo Marathon is about three weeks away, and maybe I am biased, but I'm pretty sure he'll be superfast.  And just like his last two, I will be superfan and cheer him on as much as I can.  I might even wear my running tights that day.  Just to see what happens.

Mata ne,
Melissa

again?

So the snow that two days ago was a novelty is still here, trying hard not to melt in quaint little piles around town (if you've seen the snow piles that would accumulate in the old Fayetteville Mall parking lot, then you know what a real snow pile looks like).  Tonight, it wasn't so exciting to discover as I was taking out the ridiculous daily ration of garbage that it is, once again, snowing in Tokyo.  Not Funny.

We did have a nice day though, eating all of our meals at home (yes, this is a major accomplishment for us these days) and doing a lot of work(jeff)/reading(melissa) at a coffee shop.  Well, we did have coffee and a choco-cro (chocolate croissant) but that doesn't count, right?

I started a new book by Natsume Soseki, the author of Kokoro, and I am less that 15 pages from the end so I think I can safely say I'll be finishing it tonight.  Unless we watch all of last week's Daily Shows before bed.....

Mata ne,
Melissa

photo from choco cro website

let it snow... somewhere else

A few of you have asked me about the weather, so while you're all recovering from the latest "storm of the year" coverage on the news, I thought I'd gloat share.

In Tokyo, this year at least, the weather is actually quite nice.  It's definitely "winter" but more of the mid-November/early-March winter than January winter that we're used to in the Northeast. The average daytime high for January (I just looked it up on weather.com) was somewhere between 45˚ and 50˚ F (around 10˚ C if anyone out there actually knows how the metric system works) with average nighttime lows between 30˚ and 35˚ F (hovering just over 0˚C - that one's easier).  We even had a few days over 60˚!

Generally it's been a sunny winter - something I thought was an oxymoron coming from Syracuse, New York.  We've had not even a hint of snow and not too much rain, either.  Unfortunately, today has been rainy and gross and under 40˚.

NOOOOOO!!!  Jeff just called me (he's on his way home from a coffee shop where he was doing some work - Me? A distraction?) and told me to look outside.  It's beginning to look a lot like... Syracuse.  Yes, February 1, Old Man Winter arrives in Tokyo and brings some fluffy white snow with him.

 

I made Jeff take pictures of me when he got home - stuff like this doesn't happen everyday in Tokyo!  Here you can see our very, very sad looking "backyard."

 

Ok, it doesn't look like much, I know, but the snow is sticking (for now at least)!  And yes, there is a funny shadow on my face where the flash hit a falling snowflake.  I don't have a new giant mole.  Our "backyard" as you can see, is somewhat lacking.  We are seriously looking forward to enjoying our spacious American backyard without dirty, peeling concrete walls and green turf when we get home. 

We got to enjoy two wonderful treats this evening after our fun in the snow.  First, we bought fabric softener the other day and I did our first load using it tonight (we have to line dry everything as we have no dryer - and have I mentioned before, our washer is outside?) so finally we won't have dry, crispy clothes to wear!  Now everything's drying on our dry rack hung under the wall heater and making this place smell glorious! (Too many "dry"s in that paragraph?  Yea, I thought so too.)

Second, Jeff whipped up an amazing breakfast dinner of English muffin topped with an egg, sauteed garlic, spinach, onions, and lox (that's smoked salmon for all you goyim out there).  YUM.

He's a regular Raymond Ray.  Now if I could only get him to wash all the dishes he used making it....

Mata ne,
Melissa

ramen times

Sumisasen*, New York Times.  I think you've been reading my blog.  You see, I totally beat you to the ramen punch. 

Well, I am glad at least the Old Gray Lady is on the bandwagon. 
 

Special thanks to Jeff's dad for sending us the link.  And the NYTimes for the photo.  Enjoy!

Mata ne,
Melissa

*excuse me

killing two books with one sun*

Yesterday I finished two, that's right TWO, books!  One of them I'd started earlier in the week and the other I read start to finish yesterday.  They were both by (very) well known Japanese authors and were translated (by others) into English.  I say this because having been translated to another language, one must wonder if any of the original style or charm that make the authors so well-liked is lost.

At least he never walked.

The first book is What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami.  It was recommended to us by my Ironwoman Aunt Nancy.  For anyone who is a runner, or participates in any activity where one spends considerable time alone with their thoughts and is constantly questioned about why they do it, I recommend taking a look at this book.  At just 180 pages, it is a relatively quick read.  More personal memoir than narrative, it has interesting insights into both the life of the runner and the life of the author.  I have to wonder, though, for someone who discusses the art of translating a novel without losing the beauty of the original words, if this translation does an adequate job.  Maybe I'll make Jeff read the original and tell me.  (For the record, he is playing sudoku on his phone in the background.)

The heart of things.
(Don't judge the 1 a.m. portrait by my husband.  He loves me just the way I am - at 1 a.m. or otherwise)

Kokoro (which is best translated as the heart of things, by Soseki Natsume) is the second book I read, the one I read cover-to-cover yesterday.  I think maybe it helps to have just a slight familiarity with Japanese culture and customs when reading this book - but really, just a slight familiarity - I was quite comfortable with all of the context required.  This book was first published in 1914 and is considered a classic of Japanese literature.  It is essentially a story of a friendship between two men - one young, one old - and the differences in how they interact with the world.

Much like Jane Austen, Natsume writes of a time when long entrenched traditions and the established social order meet with an evolving modern world, and the different ways that old and young people relate to the changing cultural context.  Sounds heavy, I know, but it was a quick read (250 pages - hence me reading it in one day) and I think a very thought-provoking tale addressing the concepts of friendship, love, jealousy, honor, and loneliness.  And the translation (be sure to get the one by Edwin McCellan in 1957) was wonderful. 

Check two more books off the list for me.  We're headed back to the library within the next few days and I plan to further my exploration of Japan through its classic literature.

Mata ne,
Melissa

*one sun is one day in Japan