This weekend I am very excited to be taking part in the Koyasan Ultramarathon!

I have been a participant of many sports since I was a child, but Martial arts, Ultra running, mountain running and Yoga have been the ones I have particularly resonated with.

As well as the race itself, I am so glad to be able to finally explore Koyasan!
This mountain has been on my list for a long time, primarily due its tranquil and spiritual nature.

Hiking and exploring mountains is a huge part of my life.
Every week, my girlfriend and I try to hike at least one mountain together, and on my own I will normally run mountains on another two occassions.

This opportunity is one I will cherish!

Whilst I hear many people around me complaining about the heat, the bugs, or the humidity in right now - I am choosing to fully embrace, and explore the feeling of being truly alive!
Engaging all of my senses fully, and mindfully racing with many other competitors up and down Koyasan as part of a long and tiring Ultramarathon.

I think the reason I have gravited towards the above sports is that they FORCE you to stay mindful.
In Kickboxing it is very difficult to think about television or work, when your opponent is trying to knock you unconscious!
If you think about the past or the future for one tiny moment, you may let down your gaurd, and that is all it takes for a kick or a punch to seperate you from your consciousness (literally!).

Similarly - in Ultrarunning, you must become one with your surroundings, as if you lose concentration for one split second when you are running down a mountain, you could very easily break an ankle - or worse.
I have actually been brought back to reality on many an occassion when running down mountains. Most recently during the Hieizan Ultramarathon a few weeks back.
I was flying down Mt.Hiei at top speed, on what was a very dangerous and slippery trail. All was going well until I started envisioning the end of the race. I was only 3/4 of the way through it, and yet here I was - thinking about seeing my girlfriend waiting for me as I crossed the finish line, I even smiled, proud of myelf for achieving a good position in what was an extremely difficult race - but this hadn't yet happened! I was imagining an event that was yet to take place.

In that exact moment, life taught me the importance of staying mindful and conscious of your surroundings. I fell forwards, and started sliding down the mountain at top speed!
Fortunately I was able to get back up quickly and with only some minor cuts to my hands, but this could very easily have been worse. Many parts of the trail on this run were incredibly dangerous, and could have you running over the edge of the mountain if you were to slip. 
I lost a few positions as other racers over took me, and my heart race was seriously elevated after this due to the shock of what could have been a nasty injury!

I think it is this forced attentiveness that I am so drawn to.
No social media, no work, no stresses of life - just a pure and very much necessary need to focus on exactly what is happening NOW, on a split second to split second basis.

No where else to go.
No where else to be.

As I mentioned in a previous column - I actually specialise in VERY long distance races. 100-161km being my favourites. So this race on the weekend will actually be quite short for me, and likely very fast compared to what I am used to! 

But I embrace the challenge, and I am thoroughly looking forward to enjoying nature at it's finest.

Have a lovely weekend everyone and stay mindful! :-)

David 

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I am a highly experienced professional English teacher, Yoga Instructor, Tai Chi teacher, Nutrition Consultant and Personal Trainer from London, UK. I recently left London to work and travel around Japan on a Working Holiday Visa with my best friend and longtime girlfriend Ashley (who is also a teacher on Cafetalk : https://cafetalk.com/tutors/profile/?id=54542&lang=en ). We love sharing adventures travelling, teaching, exploring and understanding new cultures. We hope to speak with you soon!

If you would like to follow my travels on instagram, and see where we are in the world you can do so here:

 

Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule a lesson at a time in which my schedule is not open. I will always do my best to accomodate every student.

David