Virtual Races. Until this morning, I had always considered them to be the athletic equivalent of kissing your sister.. they just can’t really be counted. (I should here note that a. I don’t have a sister, and b. I could have thought of a better phrase. In any case, I shall continue with this possiblyContinue reading “Virtual Reality”
Author Archives: lhstokes
Charming Chiba
Have you ever lay awake at night, tossing and turning in your preferred bedding arrangement, wondering aloud at the differences between running in Tokyo and its prefectural neighbor Chiba? No I didn’t think so. That will not prevent me, however, from writing of a few subtle differences that I noticed on my recent solitary samplingContinue reading “Charming Chiba”
Plandemic
As the global corona virus pandemic becomes more and more like a marathon, and not the Usain Bolt-esque sprint I had naively hoped it would be, I find myself hopelessly caught in another type of outbreak, albeit a less perilous one, that is the outbreak of planning everything in great detail – or as myContinue reading “Plandemic”
T.G.I.F
That wonderfully well-known phrase, “T.G.I.F” has been making its way around offices and meeting rooms for decades. Perhaps less well-known though is the popular theory that this phrase was coined by Ohio disc jockey Jerry Healy, sometime in the early 1970s. While TGIF, and its meaning “Thank God It’s Friday” may seem to be obviousContinue reading “T.G.I.F”
Heartbreak Hill
The term “Heartbreak Hill” usually refers to the infamous hill twenty miles into the famed Boston Marathon course. Legend has it that this name was coined in the 1936 version of that classic foot race, when Ellison Brown passed Johnny Kelly on the hill, gave him a pat on the back and “broke Kelly’s heart.”Continue reading “Heartbreak Hill”
(Possibly) Useful Japanese Phrases
The Japanese language, spoken by approximately 128 million people worldwide, (granted 99.999% of them living in Japan) is an East Asian language belonging to the Japonic language family, (the other members of this family don’t immediately spring to mind) and has been described (by me) as a smooth and beautiful sounding language. A wise manContinue reading “(Possibly) Useful Japanese Phrases”
The Power Of One (new pair of socks)
As a rather smooth McLaren Vale Shiraz begins its familiar journey down to meet its old, yet overworked friend, my liver, I would like to take this opportunity to communicate perhaps the simplest and also most underrated joys of running – that is the unbridled joy that accompanies the opening of a new pair ofContinue reading “The Power Of One (new pair of socks)”
A Blossoming Romance
A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.”. -Max Muller A big shout-out to Max, undoubtedly my favourite German educator of the mid nineteenth century, for this quote. Blossoming flowers are happening right now in Tokyo and recently I love seeing them. This yearly event I refer to is the amazingContinue reading “A Blossoming Romance”
A (Very) Brief History Of Tokyo
The history of Tokyo dates back over 400 years. It has a long and fascinating history that surely cannot be done justice by my mediocre offerings here, but for those short on time and, especially for those who don’t mind missing out on massive chunks of decidedly important information, here is my version:Tokyo was originallyContinue reading “A (Very) Brief History Of Tokyo”
The Call Of The (Running) Wild
As Monday morning announces its arrival by way of headache and stiff joints, and as the caffeine slowly snakes its way into my system ready to reclaim its crown as my favorite neurotoxin, I serenely cast my mind back to yesterday’s Sunday morning run. Driving down to the Tama River, in a torrential downpour, tryingContinue reading “The Call Of The (Running) Wild”
Japan Boy Running 