Ganbatte!

Theme of the weekend...maybe a good motto for life in general.


Friday was a national holiday, "Culture Day", so everyone got a three day weekend. Three of my friends and myself took advantage of the first two days and went back to Mt. Daison for an overnighter. A true blue backpacking trip, minus the tent for which you will see why, and my first since Josh's bachelor backpacking back in July.

It was a remarkably beautiful trip all the way around due to the fall colors and incredible vistas. This trip we tried a different approach and aimed for a little cabin/hut structure free to any one's use on a first come first served basis. After spending the night there, we then hit the ridge line that connected us back to the main and way overly populated trail (think lines at a them park but all the way up a mountain, no kidding). The trail began and ended in the same spot right next to an unbelievable shrine with stone figures that looked like they came straight out of the first Ghostbuster's movie. All these photos are from my friends photos becasue I forgot my own. If you click the new picture link to the right you can see a whole lot more from the backpacking trip.

Then Sunday I met up with some different friends in Yasugi which is just an hour northeast of Shinji for a race. I had signed up for the 10K a couple of months ago as something to keep me physically active. It inspired many a pleasant evening jog through the countryside near my apartment. I have not run in a competitive event since I was in Junior High, and I hated it then. Sunday however was a blast. About 2,000 people came out for the 5K, 10K and half-marathon. Two other ALT's, Jane and Robert, ran with me in the 10K. The run was hard, and hot for November (75 degrees was the high that day).

By far the coolest experience that day was running along the road lined by locals and families supporting their favorites. As a lonely white kid, whose only friends were running somewhere else in the herd, it was a warm feeling being cheered on by the Japanese. Probably the mere sight of me was amusing enough but, but as I ran along folks kept on yelling at me "Ganbatte!".

I heard Ashley say a couple of times the day before as we were cruising down the mountain passing folks headed up it but didn't really pay attention as to what it might have meant. Turns out Ganbatte is another of those awesome simple words that mean so much more when translated. When they were shouting Ganbatte at all the runners, waving their flags and clapping us all along, they were saying "press on, persist, come on, go for it!", all in a nutshell.

All I'll say about the race is I did better than I thought I would so I walked away extremely pleased. specially when I got my commemorative t-shirt, apple (they cost a lot here), two bowls of soup, and a couple bananas. After it was all over we made a trip to an onsen to soak our weary bodies and then headed home.