Beached as

Hey there,

It has got so hot over here in the last couple of weeks, making that important (slightly painful) move from temperatures in the 20’s to in the low 30’s.  I’ve been struggling with that, but this morning I found the PERFECT antidote. 

First off, you should know that a) it’s horrible exercising in this heat, so I try to avoid it, and b) we are climbing Mt Fuji in less than two weeks, so I want to be fit for that.  So this morning I pushed myself into going for a run on the beach.  Usually I think about this and don’t do it, as although the beach is less than five minutes’ drive away, getting there involves walking from my flat to my car (a few hundred metres), opening the two gates (one locked, the other a hooked up chain) to get into the work carpark, driving my car out and closing the two gates behind me again.  It always seems such a hassle that I talk myself out of driving anywhere and just end up going to the expensive supermarket that is within easy walking distance.  But today I was determined to go for my beach run, so I made the effort of getting the car out and doing it.  I was all prepared, with hat and sunscreen for my face, ipod to keep me entertained and bikini underneath so I was ready for the end of my run!  I ran to the end of the beach (I’m telling myself it was a km but I could be totally overestimating it!), along the rock wall extending into the water and halfway back, just walking the last half a beach length.  I was pleased I had that much stamina considering I haven’t run in months and I was on sand in over 30 degree heat!  Finally, back near my car, I stripped off – aware I was the only adult going deeper than knees (with the notable exception of a bloke in his rash vest, bathing cap, flippers and some odd paddles on his hands, who still only seemed to go waist deep).  I would like to say I plunged into the icy water, but it was more that I eased in to the cool shallows, anxiously avoiding all the floating seaweed.  But submerging myself in that saltiness was divine.  It was like being barefoot after a night in heels, like chocolate after a detox, like a home-cooked meal after six months of flatting… 

Of course, all this is great news as the swim was such a blissful experience that it made it worth doing the run.  I have hope this will help motivate me to fit in a few more runs, particularly over the next couple of weeks before climbing Mt. Fuji.  I realise it sounds stupid, a last-ditch effort to get fit in two weeks, but I have been doing ok at my weights workouts at home, so it’s just a matter of trying to use these two weeks to focus on the muscles I will need most for the climb. 

Now it’s getting late, so I should retire to bed (after a cold shower), in the hopes of getting to the beach a little earlier tomorrow.  Early = cool.  I dream of being cool.  I fantasise about those winter snows.  I never truly appreciated them – actually, that’s not true.  The memory of last summer’s heat has stayed with me all year, meaning even in the coldest part of winter, I could easily quell my complaints with a mental reminder that at least it wasn’t summer. 

Night,

Charly