Gaynor-Takahashi: A Belated Happy New Year

To one and all. No real reason for not writing sooner. We disappeared for a week down to the wilds of central Hokkaido to spend New Year's at Sanae's mother's house. No internet in that part of the world and it was touch and go there for a couple of days with the telephone too. What we did have in abundance was cold, bitter cold. During the day it was fecking freezing, and at night it was unbelievably fecking freezing. Respectively, -4 and -20. I made the mistake of going for a jog one morning, not too early, around 9:00am. As I passed the JA center the big green digital thermometer told me it was still -13. I don't think I have ever run in conditions as cold. The winter air in Tokachi is so dry that I did manage to work up a sweat even in those conditions but as the sweat made its way through my hat, gloves and scarf, it froze. By the time I got back to the house it looked I had a particularly rampant case of dandruff with all these small, white balls of frozen sweat littering my hat and shoulders.
Still, it had to be done. A new year, a new season of mid life crises / endurance races to be run in a futile attempt to grimly hang on to the younger man I once was but never will be again. And in a spirit of open armed inclusion to my fellow over 40s, I will provide a month-by-month 2015 preview to see if anyone can be enticed in joining me tilting at aging windmills.
And improving my metaphors.
January: Nothing. Too busy clearing snow. And skiing with Cian. I don't particularly like skiing and would prefer if the boy went on his own, but he claims he can't drive and so I have to take him to the ski field. So on top of my mid-life crisis, I also have the incessant demands of fatherhood in a cold climate.
February: There is a nordic ski marathon in Otake, about an hour's drive from Muroran, but as I can't nordic ski I won't be entering that. Though I would like to. Of all the winter sports you can do, (skiing, snowboarding, ice-skating, bobsleighing, luging, strip poker), this one would appeal to me the most as it actually involves self exercise as opposed to gravity doing all the work. Oh, and I would also like to try that one with the rifles because, c'mon, shooting things always feels good.
March: Still snow. But beginning to melt. Hopefully.
April: The Date Half Marathon - the gold standard of long distance running. Could be joined this year by 'Gebrselassie' Cian and 'Clydesdale' Mammy.
May: The Northern Horse Farm Marathon - the silver standard of long distance running. Hoping to see a couple of more Kerry jerseys out on the course.
June: Not sure. There is a two day endurance race across the 2000m+ Daisetsuzan mountain range in the centre of Hokkaido which I have always hankered to do but (a) my left knee can't hanker any more let alone take those stumbling descents; and (b) the water is finally warm and the waves are rolling in down at Itanki beach.
July: The Niseko Challenge. Given the age profile of the majority of the competitors this is an event that makes me feel young(ish). It also makes me feel highly embarrassed as I pathetically pedal in a good hour after they have all finished.
August: Well, if it's August, it's Ireland and it's the Cavan Kayakrun followed a week later by Gaelforce West. No pressure people, but no excuses either.
September: The Forest Kozan Green Race. Because 10th place is mine.
October: New for this year is the inagural Hiroo-cho half marathon. What is sure to be a 21km exercise in tearful nostalgia.
November/December: Not sure. Last year I gave up jogging for November and December to see if I could do anything to alleviate the pain brought on by a combination of achilles tendinitis, plantar fascitis, and a degenerating knee meniscus. The break helped, a little, but the lack of post-run endorphins also made me into a moody, irritable, hard-to-live-with grouchy bastard. So I'm not sure. Mind you a winter trip to Singapore would go a long way towards alleviating those symptoms.