Lately, I am finally starting to learn how to do both. I am really excited with the content I have planned for this blog, and I think you will enjoy it.

Lately, I am really getting into video and editing and I have been wanting to do more with this on the blog. My camera was flooded on a snorkeling trip, but I have a new HD camera on the way and figured what better way to tell you about the new plans for the website than make a video. The camera hasn’t arrived yet and neither has my new computer (I am typing this on a 6 year old laptop). But, I figured rather than wait, I would get started and use what I have.

This was shot on my iphone and edited using a free program on my 6 year old laptop. Let me know what you think, and please leave comments and subscribe (you can find a subscribe button on the sidebar) to my YouTube account. I will have many more vids on the way.

When I first got my driver’s license the price of gas was under a $1 a gallon. There were some places I could find is for $0.78 a gallon. The last time I was in the US (about 2 years ago) the price of gas was around $3. And while I think this is ridiculously high, I pay nearly $6 a gallon here in Japan. Are we insane?

However, it’s not just gas, it’s all commodities. Especially anything that can be controlled and is something people really need. Gas, water, electricity, drugs, certain foods, and a lot of other things fall into this area.

So why do we take it? Are we too comfortable to make changes? Is it money? Too lazy?

I mean, most of us don’t need a new car, we choose to buy one because we want more luxury, more reliability, or just something new. So if we all stopped buying until the makers design something that doesn’t rely on gas, that would be one hell of an incentive.

This goes for the same or green energy. There are more solar panels for sale than there used to be, but most homes still don’t have them. I live on an “eco island”, as classified by the Japanese government, and there are almost no solar panels here either. Though I will admit the local store has a few small ones. They are also just now putting in a small solar panel field. I should also mention that the government just destroyed a major reef to put in a multiple million dollar underwater aquarium, but spends very little on green energy to improve peoples lives. Why do we let them get away with it?

Now as a renter, I haven’t purchased solar panels. It doesn’t make a lot of sense considering I move on occasion. However, I would be willing to add a few bucks a month to my rent to get my power that way. Cheap solar panels are getting easier to find, but I don’t see many people putting them up. Is it that no one cares anymore? Are are we just all too busy with our own lives?

Please comment in the bottom and let me know why you think this is. I would also love to hear from people who are using solar panels and other green energies. What has your experience been like.

A while back I came up with a challenge to get in shape. I made a couple of updates, but then stopped updating altogether. So what happened?

A couple of things, but the biggest one was illness. This year has been especially cold here where I am at and I think it led to me getting sick. I ended up catching a couple of colds as well as some kind of throat infection that gave me a high temperature. Hard to exercise and take pictures when I can’t get out of bed. I also had to reformat my computer and may have lost the pictures I had taken for the first couple of weeks. I’ll have to check.

The weather has finally warmed up here, but now we are in rainy season. So instead of swimming at the beach, I have been working on my car, a 1999 Miata. My most recent thing was to install a Sparco racing seat for more support. You can check it out here if you are interested.

At this point I will be updating this site much more often. I am also planning to make some videos of the island once this weather clears up.

In just a couple of weeks I will be turning 30 years old. Since 30 is kind of a big one, I decided to try and get in the best shape I have ever been in. Though I haven’t been updating, I have been exercising.

My original plan was to take pictures everyday of my progress. Unfortunately, due to the constant changes in weather, I have gotten sick about 3 times in the last couple of months. With the first two sicknesses I had a pretty high temperature, so stripping down to just shorts wasn’t really an option (I was cold with the heater on, tucked under blankets).  I do have about 19 days worth of pictures, but I I have also skipped quite a few. I may end up just braking the pictures into a beginning, middle, end shot. Lately, I have really been getting into editing video, so maybe I will film something. I haven’t decided yet. Any recommendations?

My primary methods of exercise are ones that I took from the “Truth About Abs” program (if you decide to purchase this program through this link, I get a percentage of the sale). They are very basic exercises, but they work very well. All of the exercises in that program can be done in your own home with very limited equipment. I know a lot of people like to go to the gym, but for me, working out is something I like to do alone. It’s just more efficient that way.

I have also been supplementing this with barefoot running on the beach. I can run a pretty far and not get too tired, but running on sand is an incredible workout. Even if you don’t have a beach, find a park and run barefoot. It uses a lot more muscles.

I would love to hear about everyone else who has some ind of exercise plan. Do you like it? How is it working for you? How long have you been doing it. Leave comments below.

It’s been way to long since I have written on this blog. But rather than get into the reasons why, I would rather like to talk about why I will be writing more often.

A couple years ago, I did a Get Fit in 30 Days Challenge. The challenge was to see how good of shape I could get into by exercising 5 times a week and not changing my diet. I also limited the amount I was able to exercise to 5 hours per week. I was actually surprised at how good of shape 30 days really made. The project was a lot of fun.

This April I will turn 30 years old. And since I am not in the best shape after the  holidays (not bad, but not great), I figure what better way to start off my 30th birthday than being in the best shape I have ever been in.

This year I am changing the rules a bit. Since I am going for max results rather than testing to see what simple exercise can do in 30 days, I won’t be limiting myself to a certain amount of hours/days per week.

However, all exercises will be something that anyone can do at home with minimal equipment. I don’t believe that a gym is necessary to get in shape. Though it might be helpful to get coached and stay motivated

THE RESULTS

For the last challenge I took pictures once a week and then posted them each week. This time I will take pictures every day and then turn them into time lapse video.

THE PROGRAM

I will be following two programs. One is a workout/ab program and the other is on dieting/eating. I will not be following these too tightly though as I will also be using my own exercises. I will write more about these later.

A lot of the exercises I do will be my own (not part of the program), and I will mention these as we go along.

COMING

In the next few posts I will talk about the programs and equipment I will be using.

GETTING STARTED

I believe the best time to start is always now. So I will be taking my first picture today and the end date is April 18.

Wish me the best of luck and feel free to follow a long and do your own challenge. Also feel free to comment and give me feedback. I am sure there will be times when I need the motivation.

For the most part, things were going well. I was running several kilometers in my generic crocs everyday with no side effects. I could run longer, faster, and had no pains at all. So I decided to put it to the ultimate test. I would run a half-marathon with my new running style and wearing my crocs.

Since I had run most of last summer in crocs, the pair I had lost almost all their tread and were quite slippery. So I dug down deep and forked over the money for a new pair (all 4oo yen, about $4). The grip was certainly better, but there was something I noticed as soon as I put my feet in them, they seemed harder. I think it may have been this that eventually lead to my downfall.

Having over a month until the marathon I had plenty of time to work them in. Running a 3-4 km a day seemed no problem at all. I had no blisters and my legs were fine. However, when I decided to run to the video store and back (about 10 kilometers) I started getting pains in my left knee around the 7 km mark. I am not sure the exact reason, but I believe it has to do with the increased hardness of the new shoes, where I am placing the weight on that foot, and how much my foot is slipping each time it hits. I ran this route twice more in the following days with the same result.

Since my leg was pretty sore, I went to a massage therapist who said that I had put a lot of strain on the muscle on my outer thigh which goes through the knee. The only thing I could do was let it rest and stretch.

The marathon

After arriving on Irabu island, we had to wait about a half an hour for a bus to take us to the start line. They hadn’t prepared enough transportation, and I ended up just barely making it. I was checking in my bags and registering my number when the shot went off. Not the best start.

My goal was to try and keep the pace that I normally ran with with my shorter runs, though I didn’t know if that would have actually been possible or not. However, having starting late and at the very back, I was well towards the front and going strong after about 10 km.

Unfortunately, it was also at about this point that the knee pain really started to kick in. I managed to run through the pain until about the 15th km and then finally started walking as the pain increased. From this point on I ran a few times, but the pain was so great that I could only do it for a short distance. At certain times I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to finish. Which was too bad since I still had a lot of energy left and my muscles felt fine.

It wasn’t until I actually finished and looked down at my feet that I saw the immense blisters I had developed. It was actually a little scary. I just hadn’t really noticed them because of my knee.

In the end I accomplished what I had set out to do. That is, to run a half-marathon in crocs. Turned out not to be such a good idea, but it was fun. Now to either find a better shoe or adjust my running style to get rid of the pain.

Below is the coverage from Miyako TV. I run by at 4:30 to pick up water.

I grew up with sneakers and running shoes, and with the exception of when I was very young, I was always wearing them. Wearing shoes made me run by first placing my heel on the ground, followed by the rest of my foot. But how would you run if you weren’t wearing shoes? After seeing some unique shoe designs, this was something I started to think about.

I grew up believing “the better the shoe, the better the runner”. Was it possible that the shoe wasn’t really that important? Had I been running wrong all this time? Were my shoes actually the problem rather than the solution? These were a couple of the questions that came to mind. I figured the best way to put them to the test would be to change my running style.

Step 1: Same Shoes, New Running Style

Modern running shoes provide a lot of support. Because of this there are a lot of muscles on your legs that aren’t developed very well. Before switching shoes, you will need to build up these muscles.

Using the same shoes you have been using. Start doing part of your running landing with the ball of your foot. Basically it should feel as if you are running on your toes. In the beginning you will probably need to take shorter strides. If possible, try to keep your heel from ever touching the ground. This will seem very awkward at first and you may get tired very quickly. If so, you can switch back and fort with your regular style of running.

*Be careful not to over do it. You don’t need to run several miles a day. For starters, maybe just a couple hundred yards. You will be using muscles you probably aren’t used to using.

Running several days a week, you should do this for at least a couple weeks. By the end you should be able to run a couple miles without your heels ever touching the ground. Your running should also start feeling more controlled and smooth.

Step 2: Short Distance, New Shoes

Now that your muscles are beginning to develop, it is time to stop using your running shoes. I chose to run in my generic Crocs because they are soft, easy to get, light, and it’s what I had. So far they have worked great for me, but look around and maybe you can find something even better.

The key point is that you need to start off with very short distances. Now that your feet are no longer supported you will be building new muscles. If you try to run too far you can strain your muscles and tendons. This is especially important for people with weak ankles. Take it slowly. As your muscles get stronger you will be able to run farther and farther.

Step 3: Further Strengthening the Muscles

To strengthen the muscles even more there are a few exercises your can do. The first is to run with your heels raised up even higher off the ground. Literally run on your tippy toes. You can do this for short distances during your run.

Another favorite of mine is jumping squats. These will of course strengthen your thighs, but also your calves and feet. Try to make the landing as soft as smooth as possible.

Step 4: Adapting

Your body will not be used to running on the balls of your feet. As you start making the change, listen to your body. Muscle soreness is okay, but you should avoid things that cause other kinds of pain. Try changing things like the angles of your feet, what part of your foot are you landing on, or where the majority of your weight is each time you step. Are you putting all the weight on the outside or inside with each step?

Running shoes allow us to form bad habits because they give support. Now that you have taken away that support, you have to rely on your muscles for stability. Listen to your body and make slight changes to your running style.

Your stories

I would love to hear from everyone who tries this. If you are having difficulty, let me know and I will try to help.

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.

Since I now run in my $4 generic crocs, I also don’t need expensive running shoes.

While this is just running, I have taken this a much bigger lesson. Our body naturally knows how to do things right. We should spend more time listening to it and less time trying to force it.