Archive for January, 2010

Well, I did it. Two days ago I signed up for a half marathon (20km) on Irabu island. Irabu Island is located about 15 minutes by ferry from Miyako island, which in turn is about 45 minutes by plane southwest of Okinawa. The weather here is sub-tropical, so even though it takes place at the end of February, the weather will be relatively warm.

So why am I running a marathon?

To be quite honest, I am not a huge fan of marathons. I understand the personal struggle in order to finish them, but I don’t think they are good for your body. They put a lot of stress on your joints. However, there are two main reasons I decided to run.

1. I am not sure how long I will be in Miyakojima. And since marathons are kind of a big event here, I decided I should go a head and participate.
2. Several months ago I changed my running style, and began running on the balls of my feet rather than my heels. I feel this is a much better and more natural way to run. Running a half marathon should really put it to the test. You can read more about my running style here.

What will I wear?

For shoes I will be running in generic Crocs with no socks ( I found wearings socks gives me blisters). It took some conditioning, but I can now comfortably run several kilos with no problem. As far as clothes go, nothing special. Probably shorts and a t-shirt.

How will I train?

Nothing special. I am planning to run at least a couple of kilometers each day about 5 days a week. I will slowly build my way up so I feel very comfortable with about 5 to 10 kilometers. I will also be doing my normal exercises (situps, pushups, etc). My goal is to run the entire marathon without stopping.

Any tips?

This will be the firs marathon I have ever participated in. I would love to hear any tips or pieces of advice any of you might have. I am sure I will need all the help I can get.

Technology is great. It allows you to make long distance phone calls, e-mail, travel in comfort, wake up to coffee, and the list goes on and on. Technology has made many aspects of our lives easier and has made access to information just a few taps and clicks away. I won’t argue that technology has made our lives  more convenient. But has it made them any better?

Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good movie or game as much as the next person. But these items come at a large cost. Primarily, our time. The time we spend using these things instead of something else and the time you spend working to pay for them.

Let me use surfing the internet as an example. In order to use the internet you need to have a computer. You also need to have an internet service of some sort to get connected. But eventually, you want the convenience of using the net anywhere in the house. So you also buy a wireless router.

Yearly Cost to access the Internet ( I used 3 years as the average lifespan of a computer/router)

• Computer: $700/ 3 Years =$233
• Internet: $40 x 12= $480
• Wireless Router= $50/3 Years+ $17

Total cost per year to have internet= $730

Now you can take some average wages to figure out how many hours you work to pay for your internet.

• $730/$7.25 per hour (US minimum wage)= 100 hours (over two full weeks for work)
• $730/10 per hour= 73 hours
• $730/15 per hour= 49 hours
• $730/20 per hour= 36.5 hours

We all love  the internet, but is it worth one week of your life each year? Would you be happier to give up internet and take an extra week or two off work. Or alternatively, would you be happier spending your time doing something else? Going for a hike or picnic instead of surfing the net or playing a board game with the family instead of watching TV.

Since I moved from Tokyo to Miyakojima, I am able to spend a lot more time outside and away from technology. I use my computer and TV far less and my body far more. In the end, I am feel happier and freer than I did when I was a “slave” to technology.

Technology definitely brings comfort. The problem is that comfort doesn’t necessarily equal happiness. Especially when the price is your valuable time.

Let me hear your thoughts. What are your views on the subject? Do you feel that having lots of luxuries and technologies makes you happy or just keeps you working more?