Even if I have to hobble, I will get the the finish line

After a bit of swearing and cursing, going away for a bit, coming back the next day and trying again, I managed to pay my entry fee for Kobe Marathon. And I had thought the training was going to be the hard part, who knew navigating the webpage would be my first obstacle?

I felt slightly like I had been fleeced, 11,000yen is a lot of money, after all, but I realised this is where being a bit of a skinflint comes in handy. See, I've parted with my hard-earned cash now, so, come hell or high water, I'm determined to get the most of my day. That 11,000 yen is the price I'm going to have to pay for being able to drop my amazing marathon running skills into conversation.

"Oh, you're going to Kobe? I ran a marathon there once. Yes, full marathon. Yes, that's very far. I know, I AM amazing aren't I? And a little fat for a marathon runner, you say? Oh. Must have been the cheesecakes I ate on the train on the way home after I ran so far. Anyway, enough about me. Tell me, have you run any marathons?"

Yup, I'm going to be THAT person at every party. The one everyone carefully circles around to avoid hearing the same story fifty million times. And I don't even care!

There's one small glitch in my plan for becoming possibly the least popular Gaijin in Japan (and I ahve a lot of competition!!), I have to actually get myself to the point where I can run the marathon. So, I had to stop thinking about running, takling about running and surfing the internet looking at the cute clothes I'll be bale to wear after all this training transforms me into an actual model  running shoes that I maintain will make me run faster by looking really cool training programs and actually set foot outside the house.

I did 5k yesterday morning, nice and comfortable, and was pretty pleased with that, until I got to work and my colleagues pointed out that I needed to run more than 8 times that distance. Ok, thanks for that. Well, tonight I managed 7k, so stick that in your pipe and smoke it. I only need to multiply that by, like 6 or so, so ha! Admitedly, one of them just did a triathlon the other day, so he has main bragging rights at the moment, so my little running expeditions are nothing for him, but, meh, I'm allowed my moments of pride.

So, this weekend, there is more running, I'm going to try 12k on Sunday, which in this heat means getting out before 7. On a weekend. Ouch. That's where being slightly insane helps.

And then, after a nap, I need to check out those cool running shoes.

What have you got planned for this weekend?