The Race

The Great Wall Marathon was undoubtedly one of the coolest experiences of my life. Kyle and I were so excited for the race and of course were training prior to our trip to Beijing, so we really had a goal in sight. I knew we would meet some really interesting people, but I couldn't have guessed how inspired we would be by the "runners culture" and the idea of adventure marathons. We met people who were progressing along their goal of running seven marathons - one of each continent. We met a couple who had done the Antarctica marathon last year. They had already completed three of the seven continents. At the awards dinner they recognized a 79 year old woman for completing the Great Wall Marathon. Another woman was recognized for completing her 100th marathon. An older woman took the stage because she had received a horrible medical diagnosis and was given two months to live. Live she was, as she hiked the Great Wall Marathon. The winner of the women's 10K was just 14 years old!

Overall, the race had nearly 2,000 participants from 53 countries. The half marathon had the most participants, and then the full marathon. A couple hundred participants were registered for the 10K and the 5K. Kyle and I went to China having registered for the 10K, but after hiking the wall on Thursday we decided to upgrade to the half marathon. So, we did our first six miles up to and then on the wall, and our last seven miles were through a couple of rural villages. The race was amazing. I am really glad we upgraded to the half marathon because we got a chance to see China from a completely different perspective. We ran through fields, alleyways, dirt roads and rock paths. We saw a young boy chasing a goat around a field and another boy trying to heard a flock of geese. I saw trusses (like to make the ceiling of a home) that were made from tree limbs rather than refined lumber.

We met a very cool woman from Australia who cheered for us all along the race. Her motivation really helped pick me up a few times. We met her on the shuttle van from the airport to the hotel. She looked at me like I was absolutely crazy when I told her this was my first 10K. By race day she must have thought I'd lost my mind! Anyway, she was with a group of women from Australia and South Africa and they were clearly runners. A few of them have done the Big Five which is a marathon in South Africa. She and her group of ladies all wore bright red tutus over their running shorts. She made up a song about "Kyle and Jenny" and sang it every time she passed us or we passed her. Check out her blog!

Upon completion of the race I sent a couple of emails back to the US. I figure my feelings, thoughts, and "runners high" are best conveyed in the text of these emails.

The first email, to my sister:
The race was awesome -- we did the half marathon and I am really glad that we did, because we got to run out in a couple of little villages, in addition to running on the wall. We started off strong -- ran the first 5K in about 38 minutes which was all uphill w/ a drastic elevation climb. Couldn't run much on the wall == too busy w/ people and steps are very uneven. Got back to the base and then headed out for about 7 more miles through the villages. I took a spill in one of the village alleyways w/ about 5K left of the race. I got back up and kept running. It was really good. I'm up for another 1/2 marathon -- maybe in Petra Jordan or the solar eclipse race on 14 November 2012 in Australia. You in? The race community here is so cool -- almost 2, 000 runners from 45 countries. A few ladies in tutus from Aus and So Africa. Kyle and I wore our matching "Run Forrest Run" shirts. Mine said "Jenny" on the back and his said "Lt Kyle." I can't access Facebook from here. Something about the restricted websites . . . so I wont be able to post pictures yet. Sorry I'm talking in code but I don't want this email to get blocked. Hum. Not sure if it was harder than Fuji or not. Oh wait, yes it was! But, Fuji was just so different, and I'm in much better shape now than I was then!

To my supervisor:
We just finished the 1/2 marathon and arrived back in Beijing. What an awesome event. I can't think of a much better way to see China . . . well, I suppose 5 star hotels and posh restaurants might be nice, but this race was unbelievable. The first 5K was all up hill with a drastic elevation change and then we finally reached the wall. The next 4K was on the wall. We weren't able to run much because of the crowds and the uneven steps and inclines. After returning to the base camp we took off for another 11K (7 miles) through a couple of rural villages. The terrain was really tough in the villages -- we were running through alleyways and on stone paths. But, the village people were amazing. There were children around every corner hollering "ni hao" (hello) and offering high fives. I took a tough spill in one of the alleys and have a scrap on my knee, but I jumped right back up and kept moving.

You might see I mentioned the Solar Eclipse Marathon in November 2012. Kyle and I are seriously considering it! Check it out and let me know if you are in.

I'm huge in China

As we walked through the city square in Tianjin Province, I noticed a group of teenage girls posing for a picture. And then, before my eyes, the photographer turned her body 90 degrees and took a picture of our people of Americans. There were about six of us standing on the sidewalk waiting for the rest of the group to catch up. I caught the young girl just as she turned to snap a photog of our group. I started smiling and waving! I thought it was hilarious. So, as we continued walking through the city square we noticed a few more people snapping photos of us. At one point I ran up and offered to just join in their picture. Boy was that a mistake. Of course that group of people was excited to have pictures of a real life foreigner, but then I was approached by three more groups. I tried to have fun with it and just smile.

Later that week we were in Tiananmen Square and Kyle got approached a few times. He posed for a couple of pictures with different groups of Chinese people. At the end of our day in Tiananmen Square a young Chinese boy, probably six or seven years old approached Kyle and starting talking with him. The boy's mom was really helping with the conversation, as the mom spoke much better English than the boy. Anyway, the boy said hello, asked Kyle's name, and then asked where he was from. Kyle answered all of the questions and then the mom asked if Kyle would take a picture with the boy. Kyle gladly knelt down on one knee and propped the kid up on the other knee. It was really quite funny.

Deep dive and drift dive

After the diving incident on Thursday night I really needed to get back on the water and keep diving. I didn't want to quit and I didn't want that issue to be how I went to Yonaguni.

So, we scheduled a couple of boat dives for Saturday morning. We met Eric and two other dive masters at the Marina to do our deep dive (depth of 100') and a drift dive. I really wanted to get a drift dive in because we will be drift diving in Yonaguni. The drift dive is a really cool diving speciality, but it is a more technical dive. The boat drops the divers in the water in a current and then the divers just drift with the current. It doesn't really require much skill, just the ability to "go with the flow" and a little trust in your boat driver!

It was freezing cold Saturday morning. Water temperature was 70 degrees and air temperature was 60 degrees. We were wearing 5 mm wetsuits which were just fine underwater but once I was out of the water and back on the boat the wind was really cold. Anyway, we got the dives in, which was great. In preparation for the deep dive we reviewed technical skills and then prepared to go deep. We did a backward roll off the boat (my favorite part!) and started to descend. On our way to depth Kyle and I saw a really cool lion fish and a large sea anemone with a couple of big clown fish (nemos) in it. Once we got to depth we all compared gauges. The boys and I were at 100' but Eric's digital read on the his dive computer said 98'. We had to evaluate colors at depth in order to understand how colors are distorted under that much water. Eric started with me and showed me a dive card with pictures of a bunch of fish. I looked at the card straight on and then I looked at the card under a flashlight. Red was the most distorted color. Kyle and B went though the assessment and then it was time to swim around and explore. Because we were at 100' we could only have 22 minutes of bottom time, but Kyle and I had a great sighting!

We spotted a huge eel hiding in a hole in the reef. I've seen an eel before, but the other eel I saw was a brownish/grey color. This eel was greenish/yellow and it was HUGE! Eels usually hang back in the coral, so all we saw was it's head. But, it's head was huge! We just kept watching it until we got scolded by the dive master. Kyle and I were so fascinated with the eel that we weren't following the instructor on to the next stop. Whoops! But, this eel was cool!

We continued to swim along, constantly monitoring our depth and air pressure gauges. At that point I wasn't 100% sure we had just spotted an eel. I was pretty sure, but not 100%. I was excited to surface so I could ask Kyle and the dive master. Anyway, as we swam along I just kept thinking how cool diving is. I have seen coral and sea life in it's natural environment. It really is amazing! The ability to descend under the ocean's surface for 30-60 minutes and just observe is phenomenal. We continued back to the boat and hung out on the deck for our surface intervals. As I mentioned before, it was cold. We were much warmer in the water so we wanted a short surface interval. B grabbed the dive table and through the chattering of his teeth we calculated the amount of time we needed to spend on the surface. We had a 15 minute surface interval and then suited up for our drift dive.

The drift dive was uneventful. My confidence was pretty high at this point and I was stoked from seeing the eel. I just wanted to get back in the water and see what we could see. We did a negative entry, which means we rolled off the boat without inflated our BCDs. With no air in the vest you will automatically descend about 15'. We grouped up under the surface and everybody signalled "OK." The purpose of the negative entry to protect the diver when the surface current is going one way and the bottom current is going another way. Nothing too exciting happened on the drift dive. We just "went with the flow" and looked at the coral. Kyle got followed by a sea snake which was a little freaky, but other than than we just worked on our safety stop at 15'.

We are about to head out and finish our final dive . . . after that we'll meet with the instructor to go over the knowledge reviews. Then we'll be advanced divers - certified to dive wrecks, drifts, and as deep as 130'. Wowie.

dive update

Well, one week from today we will be finishing up our dive trip in Yonaguni Island. The past couple of weeks have been filled with anxiety and excitement as we prepare for the trip.

I had a few conditions before I agreed to the trip. Kyle held my hand and told me we would take care of all of my requests. I wasn't asking for much -- I wanted to do a drift dive (the same kind of dive we will do in Yonaguni) and I wanted to dive with the Instructor who will escort us to Yonaguni. After one week of awkward phone calls with "Shark Guy" we realized we were sort of getting the cold shoulder. So, I had to take things in to my own hands.

I ended up calling the scuba locker at Kadena Marina and finding and instructor to teach an advanced open water class for myself, Kyle and B. I feel a lot better about our diving skills and I am really excited for the trip.

This past week we did four dives; we're hoping to get our fifth dive in this afternoon. This evening we'll meet at the dive instructor's house to discuss the technical book work and then we'll be certified. The first dive was at Kadena North and it was a navigation dive. The purpose of the dive was to assess each diver's level of proficiency with the dive compass. Eric, the instructor, started off with a short class explaining how to use the compass and the options for underwater navigation. Then we drove to the dive location, suited up and descended. The weather was a bit chilly but the dive was nice. It was cool to learn a particular skill (compass navigation) and then implement it underwater. We had to do an out and back, navigate in a square and navigate using natural surroundings. B found a really cool shell on the way out. Everyone navigated just fine, passing all of our skills tests for that dive.

On Thursday evening we met again. This time we were learning how to wreck dive, so we went to Devil's Cove and got ready to dive and explore a sunken fishing boat. The walk out to the dive location was pretty difficult. We were walking on a bunch of coral, some of it hard coral, but there was a lot of soft coral growing so I really had to watch my step. Once we got to the location we inflated our BCDs and dropped off the reef. After everyone signalled "OK" we descended to about 30' and looked at a small fishing boat. The wreck was nothing to write home about, but it was cool to see something human made sunken underwater. After exploring the wreck we swam around for awhile looking at the coral and a couple of sea snakes. Finally, it was time for our safety stop, which is a three minute stop at depth of 15'. Divers make this safety stop to ensure they don't ascend too quickly which could cause health issues. During the safety stop I started having trouble with my buoyancy. I had too much air in my BCD and I could not get the air out, so I ended up surfacing more quickly than I should have and more quickly than my buddies. When I got to the surface I looked around and realized it was a bit past dusk and we were pretty far from the shore. I looked up and saw the runaway lights and some sort of military plane coming in for a landing at the Air Base. I guess, in that moment, I just felt really small as I floated on the surface of a huge sea without my scuba buddy. I tried to descend again but I was on the verge of freaking out. As I let air out of my BCD I wasn't able to descend. And, when I looked down I couldn't see the dive instructor or B, because it was dark. At that point I really freaked out. By now Kyle had ascended and we were both on the surface. A few seconds later the dive instructor and B ascended. We discussed what had happened and debriefed everything. But, at this point it was dark, I was about 200 yards off shore, and I just wanted to be on dry land. I started freaking out a little bit and just kept telling the dive instructor "I just want to go in. I just want to go."

We grouped up and started swimming for the shore. The water was really shallow so we were sort of "climbing" over the coral. I really don't like touching stuff (or stuff touching me) when I dive or when I swim. Lots of sea creatures live in the coral. Some sea creatures are poisonous. I prefer to look but not touch. So, I just wanted that swim to be over.

Finally, we were on dry land. Well, we were on a sandy beach, but it was close enough to dry land for my comfort. The dive instructor made a joke about the grotto we were walking through - he said the service members used to drive down there and hide out in the rock formations having keggers. I responded with, "well, I could use a beer right about now."

Nothing really happened, I just didn't react well. I didn't have my bearings and I didn't expect it to get so dark. We weren't planning for a night dive so we had briefed any of the aspects of night diving. Also, I didn't have a light, which basically meant I could not see anything underwater. Ugh! Night diving will not be one of my scuba specialities anytime soon.

A Perfect Day

On Saturday we went "up north" to see the cherry blossoms. Many of you are probably familiar with the cherry blossoms that bloom in Washington, DC in April. I think DC is one of the most picturesque cities in the world, especially in the spring when the cherry blossoms line the national mall and create a beautiful, natural background for the Capital building and the monuments along the national mall. Of course, if you think back to high school or middle school American history you'll remember the cherry blossom trees in DC were presented as a gift to the US from Japan. I've also loved the view of cherry blossoms and was especially excited to see them here in Japan.

On Saturday morning we piled in the car with a couple of friends, a few good CDs, and two packs of bubblegum and drove to the Motobu peninsula to Mount Yaedaka. The drive itself was beautiful, making the journey itself enjoyable. The destination, however, was absolutely gorgeous. At first we were stuck in a long line of cars trying to get up this hill and get a good view of the cherry blossoms. At the time we arrived we were one of the only cars of Americans. After sitting in the car for 1.5 hours we were all ready to get out and walk, so at first sight of a "parking lot" we encouraged Kyle to pull in and ditch vehicle. We load up the camera and water bottles and started walking. The weather was probably in the mid-70s and the sun was shining. We hiked quite a ways up the Sakura tree lined mountain, but we didn't make it to the summit. None of us had dressed appropriately or worn shoes for a long hike. We stopped walking at a nice vista where a Japanese man looked at us and pointed toward the summit. He said it was just 1,000 meters (1 km) and we all thought, "oh! We can do that no problem!" But, it was one of those summits where you have to walk down before you ascend the summit. Annoying. We walked down and saw the road ahead. Perhaps it was actually a 1,000 meters "as the crow flies." On foot in cute flats that matched my purple shirt, it was certainly farther than 1,000 meters. We stopped, conferenced as a group, and turned around to walk down the hill. It was time for lunch.

As we walked down the hill we saw a man with a mullet. A Japanese man with a mullet. He really, truly looked like a Japanese "Joe Dirt." Inappropriate, I know. But it was funny. The next entry will be about the British Wine and Tea Shop where we dined on one of the most memorable and delicious meals of my life!

The Verdict is . . .

Yes!

I am going on the dive trip.

Well . . . it's official! I am going to scuba diving with hammerhead sharks in mid-February. I talked through all of my (highly irrational) fears with Kyle and we reasoned through all of them. I am very excited about the dive and the weekend. It promises to be amazing. We'll be on a little tiny island that is the western most point of Japan. Our friend B is coming on the trip as well and he's a yoga instructor. So, I have visions of waking up and hiking to one of the capes that overlooks the convergence of the China and Philippine Seas and then doing morning yoga with B. Talk about sun salutation!

After the morning yoga session we'll head back t the lodge and enjoy a wonderful Japanese breakfast of green tea, miso soup, rice, and some kind of fish. Before long we'll load up on the boat and out to the open sea!

Wow! I am so excited and a bit anxious. I'll keep you posted with pictures and video once we return. If you are bored and would like to do a little websurfing go to YouTube and search Yonaguni hammerhead sharks. There are a few videos out there.

Scuba Diving . . . with sharks . . .??

Yesterday Kyle and our friend B paid their deposit for a scuba diving trip over Presidents Day weekend. The trip is off one of the outer islands, Yonaguni, and the purpose of the trip is to dive with hammerhead sharks as they migrate.

Hum. Why haven't I paid my deposit? Well . . . it sounds like an awesome opportunity . . . drop 60-90 feet below the surface of the ocean and float in the drift of the Philippine Sea and the China Sea and hope that a school (or multiple schools) of hammerhead sharks will come floating by. Hum. Why haven't I paid my deposit? Because they are freaking meat eating sharks!

I saw some very cool pictures from previous trips. The dive master assures me it is safe. They've been doing this trip for 30 years and no one's lost any arm yet. The captain of the dive boat has been taking people out for 50 years and again, no tragedies. . . But I'm still scared. I'm a bit scared of a freak shark attack. I'm a bit scared of getting out on the boat, getting ready to roll off backwards into the wide open sea and chickening out. I'm a bit scared of my husband getting eaten by a shark. I'm a bit scared of having a near panic attack after I drop in. At that point there is no choice. Figure it out. Breathe through the reg. Take in the beauty of nature. Watch for sharks.

Then again . . . probably the opportunity of a lifetime. These sharks migrate in mid-February. They migrate in the exact location where the two seas converge. The dive company has an 85% sighting rate overall and a 97% sighting rate during the dates Kyle and B have booked their trip. We might not be here in February of 2011, so February of 2010 might be my best chance.

The dive master says, "if we get lucky, we'll roll right off the boat in to a school. Last year we dropped right in to a school of sharks." He continues, "If we're lucky, a shark will be swimming between you and your buddy."

Oh . . . the other dives include touring an underwater city, sort of like Atlantis. The ruins include a large stone structure that looks like a face (think Sphinx, sort of) and a bunch of buildings and stone ruins. There is no consensus about whether or not the structure was human-made or formed naturally. But, if it was human-made than it is one of the oldest structures on Earth. It would be so old that it was made long, long ago and is now covered by 40 feet of ocean water. Respected scientists fall on both sides of this argument - some say it's human-made, some say it's a natural occurrence. Many won't go on the record saying anything. As the dive master put it, "Academe doesn't like that kind of thing. They'd loss tenure and stuff."

I really, seriously need help with this decision. Am I crazy to go? Or crazy not to go?

Pictures of the ruins in Yonaguni

Another dive perspective