There is one media outlet we love and subscribe to. The Lobsterr Letter, a NEWSLETTER that arrives in our mailboxes every Monday morning. It is a flat array of political, economic, and cultural topics, mainly from foreign sources, all of which are explained from a gentle perspective.

What I particularly look forward to in this NEWSLETTER is the OUTLOOK, a section of time reviews in which three members take turns each week to share their insights from the news, their thoughts on it in depth, and their personal experiences.

Outlook On Running -In between runs-

I have heard that the pandemic has caused many mental and health problems, but fortunately, I have remained free from such bad conditions. On the contrary, I have gained strength and am sleeping soundly every night. This is probably due in part to my diet and the various WFH supports provided by the company. But the most certain reason is that I have become completely immersed in running, which I started to get rid of my lack of exercise. It has become more than a habit; it has even become a way of life.

I haven't exercised regularly in about 20 years, and when I first started running, I was exhausted after three kilometers. At a nearby park, I was passed many times by small boys and elderly people. Now I am gradually learning how to pace myself and how to run, and I run 10 km three times a week. It has become an indispensable part of my weekly routine, just like watering my houseplants or taking out the trash.

This is a bit off topic, but I really like the Twitter profile of Kiichi Fujiwara, an international political scientist, who says, "I study international politics in between watching movies. He tastefully expresses that his "love of movies" outweighs his professionalism, which has even led him to become a professor at the University of Tokyo. From this perspective, the sentence in Haruki Murakami's "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" that he wants "writer (and runner)" and "at least I didn't walk until the end" to be inscribed on his tombstone may be a similar story. I don't know if I'll ever get into running enough to put it on my tombstone, but there is a bottomless fascination with running that makes me wonder if I might ever become one. At the very least, I may be saying something like, "In between running, I do a media outlet called Lobsterr" in the next year or so.

The benefits of running are innumerable, but the most important is the restoration of spirituality. Writing essays and reading texts for the "Lobsterr Letter" even on weekends increases the ratio of thinking in one's life, and there is less time to genuinely "feel" anything. I find myself accustomed to ignoring physicality and emotions. Running functions as a rehabilitation to regain such things. With each run, a circuit is generated and new cells sprout to take in the world.

I recently reread the book "Born to Run," which details how sports medicine and biology have made the human body efficient at running long distances. Human physical characteristics such as springy legs, a slender upper body, hairless skin, and an upright posture that makes it difficult to store sunlight are optimized for running, not for walking (much less sitting down for a display).

Last week, while chatting with a group of senior running enthusiasts, I ran five laps around Yoyogi Park, which was dazzling with fresh greenery. As we ran at a slightly slower pace than usual, I will never forget the words of one of them, "It's okay as long as you feel good. I had always said that running was a way to free my body and spirit, but I had been so concerned about my own rule of three times a week and the pace I set per kilometer that I found myself putting my physicality under the control of my thoughts. When I run, I want to put aside all the rules, norms, and records, and listen to the air, the scenery, and the comfortable load on my legs according to the season.
-Y.S. The Lobsterr Letter is a weekly newsletter that curates "seed of change" stories from media outlets around the world. Compact in volume, long in perspective. Analysis and reflection rather than cynicism and criticism. Insights that nourish the mind and heart, not fast-food news. We provide an opportunity to pause, take a deep breath, and think in the midst of our fast-paced society. Please subscribe at the link below!

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