A Wedding during Covid-19 （コロナ禍の結婚式）

Jan. 31, 2023

I started the day by learning English on the morning of the last day of the first month of the Year 2023. I listened to, read silently, wrote, and read aloud a conversation between a couple scheduled to go to a wedding. When they received an email that said "masks optional," they decided to bring theirs in case they needed them at the venue although the man was somewhat reluctant because he thought masks would spoil the fun atmosphere of the occasion. 

Though the ratios of those masked and those that weren't were fifty-fifty, they decided they should wear their masks when they saw the bride's parents wearing masks. 

The conversation reminds me of the government's announcement to lower Covid-19's status this coming May 8 to category 5 which is of the same level as seasonal influenza in terms of severity.  When it takes effect, what will the government's official guideline be like in terms of whether one should or doesn't have to wear a mask in potentially crowded and largely closed spaces such as trains and buses? 

Before we knew Covid-19, when many cases of influenza were reported, some would take precautions by wearing a mask, but not everyone.  Those who weren't didn't feel social pressure to wear one unless they had uncontrollable coughs or sneezes. Therefore, when Covid's 19's status becomes the same as influenza, I assume that the government's stance on our public etiquette regarding disease prevention should also be pretty much the same as that for the time when we only had influenza but not Covid-19. 

Should that be the "new" new-normal, whether or not to wear a mask in public will be a matter of common etiquette, I hope. If you are afraid of catching a virus, you will wear one. If you feel it is unnecessary for whatever reason you may have such as your generally strong immunity, or overall high energy level, you may not. And when you cannot stop coughing or sneezing, you will avoid being in public spaces, or wear a mask to minimize your risk of infecting others when you DO need to be in public spaces somehow like having to commute by train or bus.

Meniscus Tear Rehab Midnight Run & Walk/半月板損傷リハビリラン＆ウォーク

Dec. 19, 2022

I'm in the 62-day countdown to the 55th Ohme 30 K Road Race. But I'm not doing very well. Sad to say, but it's true. Five days ago, I felt a pain in my left calf while jogging at night. To avoid worsening the situation, I canceled the training and walked back home. The main continued till the following day. But it had mostly subsided two days after I first felt the discomfort. Then this weekend, while spending time in Central Tokyo for pleasure, I walked quite a long distance to enjoy shopping and sightseeing. I walked a little less than 10 K in two days. During this course of time, there was little pain felt in the calf. So, hoping that I was ready, I hit the road tonight. But it turned out I wasn't ready.

Feeling disappointed, I walked home. But then a few steps toward home, I stopped and said to myself, "If you can walk home, you might as well continue to walk for an hour or so as a substitute for an hour-long run.

So I turned around and went for a walk. A sudden change of plan will give you a fresh outlook on things. I decided to head for a destination that I normally don't go to, a park about 4 kilometers from home. It has athletic equipment that allows me to do some upper-body exercises. I will be able to burn the calories by using the equipment that I was originally planning to burn by running.  

While walking to the park, I tried running on and off to figure out what movement gives me the greatest pain. I discovered that a forefoot landing slightly before the center of gravity gives me the greatest pain. I tried a middle-foot strike exactly under the center of gravity and measured the impact on the muscle. This time, the pain eased. 

From this test, I learned two things. One, the muscle strain has to do with my running form. If I keep up the middle-foot strike and make sure my feet fall exactly under the center of my gravity, the strain on the calves will be lessened. 

This is a great learning experience. In fact, I had a similar problem several years ago when I first tried barefoot running. Back then, I was younger, still keeping some growth potential, I overcame the discomfort by becoming stronger. As I get older, though, becoming stronger is becoming less and less of a viable option. I must learn to cope with the weakening body. There is a bit of sadness associated with that realization. But it is something I must live with. 

Meniscus Tear Rehab Midnight Bike Ride/半月板損傷リハビリ自転車インターバルトレーニング

Nov.17, 2022

Today is my weekly speed training day. I used to do it by running before my meniscus tear injury. But now I do it by cycling to avoid the risk of re-injuring it. 

When I did it by running, I would run 1 K in 4:30 and repeat it 7 times with a short rest of one minute between sets. It helped me develop my ability to sustain a high level of performance under an oxygen debt. It in turn enabled me to increase my capacity to quickly recover from hard efforts. 

After the injury, I completely stopped doing that type of speed training for almost a year. My cardio dropped to a below-average citizen runners' level. I found it demotivating.  

Unable to run regularly, I found it challenging to stay fit. I did upper-body training because I could do it without overtasking the injured knee. But it never felt like a good substitute for running.

Then one day, a friend of mine who is an orthopedic surgeon recommended I do core training. I searched YouTube for a tutorial. I found a good one and did what the instructor demonstrated. It was hard at first. But as I continued to do it every other day, I grew strong enough to complete the entire set without taking a longer rest than designated. It was a confidence booster.   

Meanwhile, while I continued the core training, I realized that the pain in the knee became more and more negligible. 

One day, I mustered up my courage and hit a nearby park to run on the grass in bare feet. At first, I constantly feared that pain might return. But as my body warmed up, that anxiety turned out to be needless. I decided to restart my running training. 

Though barefoot running on the grass does not cause any pain now, I think it owes much to the easy pace at which I train. A sudden increase in pace might be a trigger for reinjury. So I should be careful. If I should increase the pace, it should be gradual.  I will make a tentative attempt with a short distance, like increasing the pace only in the last one kilometer of a 14 K session, and so on, instead of having a 10 K tempo run at a pace much faster than my jogging pace, for example. 

Now I have grown strong enough to have two 14 K jogging sessions a week at a little under 6 minutes per K. I feel more and more capable of running longer distances. But what about my cardio. Running at an easy pace has its limitations no matter how far I go. You cannot improve your VO2max solely by long slow cardio. You need anaerobic training. That's where interval training comes in. But there is too big a risk with doing it by running. So, the training tonight is my solution: doing it by cycling. 

I've only done it three times, so it's too early to make any sensible judgment whatsoever about this training. I think that if it is effective, I will feel it when I jog. My breathing will be easier. I also think that the effect will be felt in recovery time. In other words, I will feel less exhausted the morning after the running training. I am very hopeful that both will actually happen. And I just cannot wait for the day when I feel the difference.  

Meniscus Tear Rehab Midnight Barefoot Jog on Grass / 半月板損傷リハビリ裸足走

Nov. 15, 2022

I had a fairly satisfying running session tonight. I covered a little less than 15 K in a little less than an hour and a half. It is a good session to mark the start of a new week. 

I had a very good day in terms of my work. I completed my first draft for a new seminar. I got focused feedback from my boss. I immediately worked on revision and came up with my second draft. 

I also finished another important task. So overall, it was a pretty productive day. Bad weather helped me focus on my work. It rained until late in the afternoon. I had no choice but to stay home and work. (I sometimes go to a nearby cafe on my motorbike and work there when the weather is good.)

The completion of two important tasks allowed me to feel relaxed briefly. I needed some physical refreshment, so I hit the nearby park for a barefoot run.

The long rain earlier in the day made the ground rather soaked and the grass cold. Five minutes into running, my feet grew numb from the ankle down.  But I kept on going, hoping at some point I would get over that extreme cold. 

About forty-five minutes into running, I finally found myself not thinking so much about how freezing my feet felt. My focus was more on running and how far I could go. 

My goal tonight was 14 K. But it's still not easy for me. There is a lot of inner talking going on while building mileage. Should I settle for 10 K, or should I continue until I reach 14? 

There was no pain in my once-injured and now recovering left knee. But there is always some lingering concern that it might start hurting again. Pain could be induced mechanically. But it could also be induced psychologically. There is a phenomenon called ischemia. It is your parasympathetic nervous system's attempt to reduce blood flow to a certain area in your body. When that happens, the affected area can malfunction. It could happen to my recovering knee. It is your mind-body's defense mechanism to shift your attention away from a difficult psychological conflict to a more acceptable physical symptom. For more information about ischemia, please check out "The Divided Mind" by the late Dr. John E. Sarno.

Anyhow, tonight I successfully covered 14 K by listening to the audio of the movie "Before Sunrise" while running. It is a 1995 romance starring Ethan Hawk and Julie Delpy. The whole movie takes place in the time frame of less than one day, and the whole movie is mostly conversations between a couple. It's a good film. If you haven't seen it yet, you should. It won't let you down.

After coming home from running and taking a shower, by the way, I realized both my feet had developed minor frostbite if you can believe it! They soon recovered, though, after a short massage with menthol cream on. 

 

Meniscus Tear Rehab Midnight Barefoot Jog on Grass / 半月板損傷リハビリ芝生裸足走

Oct. 14, 2022

It was originally cycling day. But I canceled it and made it run day. For a couple of reasons. One, I was bushed from a late-night lecture. Two, I had an early start on the following morning. A quick run, I thought, was better. 

What I like about running is its simplicity. You throw yourself into running gear, and off you go. No maintenance costs whatsoever for mechanical gear. Shoe-clad runner will have to buy shoes every once in a while. And shoes these days are quite dear. But barefoot runners have no need to do that. All you need is yourself, shorts, and a shirt. 

The midnight grass of the park was wet and pleasantly cold on the sole. It buffers landing impact, unlike asphalt roads. The park was deserted, except that there was a lonely man cuddling his dog. It was whining in his arms. It sounded as if knowing its owner's loneliness and sharing his pain. 

Because I called it a day before feeling exhausted, I had a good night's sleep and woke up afresh the following morning. 

 

Meniscus Tear Rehab Midnight Barefoot Jog

Oct. 04, 2022

I hit a nearby park after coming home from work past midnight. I ran there in bare feet. I love running a deserted park. Not a single soul was around. There were only crickets chirping in the bush. Those sounds of nature soothe my mind after hours of hard work.

I didn't listen to audio today. I wanted to talk to myself inside. That quiet inner talk is precious at the end of the day. I can review the day's work and preview what I need to do on the following day.

I also thought about my American friend who is a Marine. The following day was his last day in Japan. His service was short-term. But he says he enjoyed his time here, and that someday he wants to return for a longer service. I look forward to it. I met him twice when he visited Tokyo. He is so much fun to be around with. On his second visit, he brought around his buddies. They were fun to be around too. Wild! But fun nonetheless. 

Ever since I signed up for the Ohme 30 K Road Race next February, one-hour jog has been a staple of my weekly training. I don't run as often as I used to because the injured left knee longer time for recovery. But I have learned how to stay fit without running as frequently as before. I compensate my lower running frequency with cycling and body weight workout. I'm still trying to figure out what's best for me. But the whole process is enjoyable. As Confucious said, "If you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life."

Meniscus Tear Rehab Midnight Barefoot Jog on Grass / 半月板損傷リハビリ芝生裸足走

Sept. 28, 2022

I love working out after work. I know for some people evening is time for relaxation. I can totally relate to that. It's only that I get off work at 10 p.m., and because of the nature of my work, which is teaching, it is not easy to immediately hit the bed after work. My mind is racing quite a bit. It takes a couple of hours for it to calm down. 

There are different ways to achieve the goal of calming yourself down before going to bed. Some may do breathing. Others read a book till their eyes get heavy. I do both every now and then. But my favorite is going for a jog. That steady rhythm of landing soothes my mind. 
 

But I have a small problem when I run at night. Though I run mainly for relaxing myself, I often listen to audio while running because I want to get the most out of the running time. 

It has both benefits and downsides. One benefit is reinforcing useful information. For example, last night I got to hear a very motivating statement by Marie Forleo that says, "Fail is faithful attempt in learning." Wow! Isn't that awesome? It's immediately applicable to my daily teaching. Many students try something, and end up failing and feeling bad about it. From now on, I can tell them that it is not the end of the world. In fact, it is the start of your ongoing learning journey!!

But once that info. is registered as important, naturally, your brain will stay busy sorting it out for a while after you climb into bed. Naturally, it takes a while for you to fall asleep. In other words, it is against my hope to immediately fall asleep when I go to bed after late night jog.

I'm still wondering what to do with this double bind. I may consolidate all my input effort in the morning while saving my late-night hours strictly for emptying my mind if such a thing ever exists.