9/1/10

Meltdown #6 million and something….(at least that’s the way it feels).

I decided to go for a run. The teacher I am replacing lived in the apartment I am currently in and she recommended a nice running route 10 minutes from my house near a river that provides a cool breeze at night. I was so excited to find out there is a running route near water. I had high hopes it would feel a little like home. With the intense heat and humidity here, it is nearly impossible to run before 10pm without dizzy spells and nausea. So, after work, I eagerly put on my running shoes and turned up my Ipod to a fun hip-hop mix. As I am running, I smiling to myself thinking how lucky I am to have this route so close to me, a *Burk Gilman-esque trail in Japan!

The path circles the river. Each time you reach a cross street, there sits a bridge crossing over the river to the other side. I counted about 5 bridges before deciding to cross a bridge and run the opposite direction. Note to self; just because there is a running path that circles a river, it does not mean it actually makes a complete circle, from start to finish. I ended up in an industrial area that looked nothing like home. By this point, I had been running nearly an hour and was starting to feel fairly dehydrated. The most frustrating part, was I kept passing vending machines stocked with bottled water reminding me how stupid I was not to bring water on my run. I was completely lost.

I kept envisioning myself passing out in the middle of the street right before a car could come squealing around the corner just in time to use me as a speed bump. The driver, not realizing he rolled over me, would continue driving home, arriving in time for his favorite T.V. show, sitting in his air-conditioned house, drinking his tall glass of iced water. It sounds funny saying this now, but at the time that visual felt so realistic. I nearly hyperventilated thinking I was going to die in the middle of a street in Japan without anyone knowing.

Eventually, I found a bus stop and attempted to ask a driver where Okurayama was. Okurayama is where I live and I have the most difficult time pronouncing the name of the city. Sweating furiously, I ran up to him attempting to ask for help. He spoke to me in Japanese while I desperately tried to use hand gestures and facial expressions to find a common ground of communication. I’m sure I looked a mess, saturated in my own sweat, with blood shot eyes from my meltdown a few seconds earlier. I knew only about four Japanese words, “Sumimasen (Excuse Me!), Ok-i-yer-ama, (my attempt at saying Okurayama, the neighborhood where I live) Kudasai (please), Hai (yes), and arigato (thank you).” All he could say in English was, “right…straight.” That was good enough for me. I go right, and then I go straight..I think?? So that’s what I did.

Right and straight didn’t take me to Okurayama, but it did take me back the river. Luckily, I remembered landmarks by which side they were on when I was running past them earlier. That big tower thingy was on my right, so I will run the opposite direction and backtrack. After backtracking another 20 minutes, I finally came to semi-familiar ground. At this point I couldn’t run anymore, for fear if I expend too much energy, I really would pass out and act as a speed bump.

I was somewhere near my apartment but still lost. My neighborhood is built on dead ends. There are few streets that follow a continuous path through the city. At least I was in the general neighborhood. I found the train track and decided following the tracks would help. If I could find the Okurayama train stop near my home, I would be fine. At this point, I had been out nearly two hours soaked in my own sweaty filth. Near the point I was about to have another emotional tantrum, I saw familiar parking lot I knew was about 5 minutes from home. Bingo!

I ran as fast as I could home. I was never so happy to see home in my life. I chugged 4 tall glasses of ice water, tore off my sweaty clothes and sat in a cold shower. There were a few lessons learned that night. When venturing out on my own, always take money to buy water, never assume a running path around a river makes a complete circle, and learn more Japanese! 

*The Burke-Gilman Trail is a popular recreational trail for walkers, runners, cyclists, skaters and commuters. The trail is jointly maintained by Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Parks and Recreation.