Running has begun

Hey there folks! It has been a long time since I have posted in this space and I am finally back. Not only am I back, but the "Running to Help Japan" project has begun again. In 2011 we raised almost $4000.00 for Save the Children Japan and their efforts in helping the youngest victims of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. In 2012 I plan a series of running events to raise more funds for Save the Children and their ongoing work in Tohoku.

In 2011 I ran a home made 60km ultra marathon as well as the Osaka and Kobe Marathons to help raise funds for Save the Children Japan.

The NEW donation page is up and running!

What are Save the Children doing in Japan today?

Save the Children is focusing on 3 major areas:

1. Child Protection

2. Education

3. Child Friendly Communities

1. Child protection

· Save the Children is helping children with their psychological and social recovery by setting up playgrounds, parks and indoor play facilities throughout the effected areas.

· They are working with local organizations and governemtn and have created day care and after school programs for students.

· Where necessary, Save the Children has helped renovate and even build new community centers where people to go.

· They are supporting 115 day care centers called Gakudo and supplying many school meals.

· They are creating “play zones” where children can be with friends and feel comfortable.

2. Education

· Supporting schools by contributing musical instruments, school lunches, learning materials and stationary and transportation so children can take part in after school activities.

· 1500 scholarships have been created for children whose parents lost their livelihood (especially in fishing industry).

· Save the Children has set up an innovative E-Learning program where primary and middle school students are mentored and taught by university students. Univeristy students in Tokyo mentor and help these younger students in Miyagi and Iwate prepare for classes they will take in high school.

3. Child Friendly communites

· They are setting up clubs and events throughout the effected region where children can express themselves and share their feelings during the rebuilding process.

· STC have been building children’s centers, buildings that host many children’s clubs. Children will use these community hubs as a platform to make their voce heard and host community events.

· STC is working on advocacy. They are working to promote children’s rights on a local and national level.

· Save the Children will set up a research facility in Sendai to serve as a hub of global knowledge on the role of children and affected communities in disaster-risk reduction and emergency response planning. The institute will commission original research, will establish a worldwide network of experts, and will use the Internet to disseminate its knowledge base.

In 2011 I ran a 60km ultra marathon as well as the Osaka and Kobe Marathons to raise funds. In 2012 I will run more marathons and do something REALLY BIG to raise awareness! Maybe a home made 80km run or maybe....maybe a 100km run.

You can DONATE to Running to Help Japan! Any amount helps.

Looking Back at 60km for the Kids

Last Saturday I ran 60 km (37.5 miles) to raise money for Save the Children Japan and their efforts to help the kids affected by the March 11th, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

It was a rough run. It was 18 km longer than any run I had done before. it was also in much hotter conditions than I had ever run before. Did I almost quit? No I didn't, but there were many moments along the route that I wish I didn't have to run. There were many times that I wish I had been somewhere else. the distance was long, but the heat is what made things so miserable. It was about 30C by 8:00am and he humidity was very high.

Luckily, my recovery was very fast and within a few days, I was back out on the road and running again.

Here are some maps of my 3 lap route around Port Island and the Harborland area in Kobe, Japan:






Here is a video blog I made while running. The original plan was to take a lot more footage, but it became such a painful and difficult run that shooting with my camera became the last thing on my mind. i had to focus completely on just getting the run done!


For anyone interested, I'm adding all of the running data collected by my Runmeter iPhone ap. That's how I tracked this homemade ultra marathon!


"Running to Help Japan 60km" Splits


Kilometer 01 - Average 6:41 /km
Kilometer 02 - Average 6:14 /km
Kilometer 03 - Average 6:01 /km
Kilometer 04 - Average 6:20 /km
Kilometer 05 - Average 6:22 /km
Kilometer 06 - Average 6:12 /km
Kilometer 07 - Average 7:15 /km
Kilometer 08 - Average 6:23 /km
Kilometer 09 - Average 5:45 /km
Kilometer 10 - Average 6:37 /km
Kilometer 11 - Average 6:15 /km
Kilometer 12 - Average 6:27 /km
Kilometer 13 - Average 6:25 /km
Kilometer 14 - Average 5:23 /km
Kilometer 15 - Average 5:51 /km
Kilometer 16 - Average 6:17 /km
Kilometer 17 - Average 6:25 /km
Kilometer 18 - Average 6:02 /km
Kilometer 19 - Average 5:58 /km
Kilometer 20 - Average 7:31 /km
Kilometer 21 - Average 6:36 /km
Kilometer 22 - Average 6:07 /km
Kilometer 23 - Average 8:19 /km
Kilometer 24 - Average 6:56 /km
Kilometer 25 - Average 7:10 /km
Kilometer 26 - Average 6:48 /km
Kilometer 27 - Average 7:39 /km
Kilometer 28 - Average 5:46 /km
Kilometer 29 - Average 6:05 /km
Kilometer 30 - Average 6:19 /km
Kilometer 31 - Average 5:48 /km
Kilometer 32 - Average 6:37 /km
Kilometer 33 - Average 5:15 /km
Kilometer 34 - Average 8:24 /km
Kilometer 35 - Average 6:06 /km
Kilometer 36 - Average 6:46 /km
Kilometer 37 - Average 5:34 /km
Kilometer 38 - Average 6:15 /km
Kilometer 39 - Average 6:10 /km
Kilometer 40 - Average 6:21 /km
Kilometer 41 - Average 7:19 /km
Kilometer 42 - Average 6:13 /km
Kilometer 43 - Average 10:46 /km
Kilometer 44 - Average 6:45 /km
Kilometer 45 - Average 6:19 /km
Kilometer 46 - Average 7:54 /km
Kilometer 47 - Average 7:04 /km
Kilometer 48 - Average 5:53 /km
Kilometer 49 - Average 10:25 /km
Kilometer 50 - Average 6:20 /km
Kilometer 51 - Average 7:49 /km
Kilometer 52 - Average 6:18 /km
Kilometer 53 - Average 6:49 /km
Kilometer 54 - Average 5:29 /km
Kilometer 55 - Average 6:13 /km
Kilometer 56 - Average 7:09 /km
Kilometer 57 - Average 5:43 /km
Kilometer 58 - Average 7:45 /km
Kilometer 59 - Average 6:49 /km
Kilometer 60 - Average 6:04 /km

Next stop, Osaka Marathon....then Kobe Marathon!

I Did it!

Long story short, "I did it!" Today was the big day for Running to Help Japan. Today was my 60km run. I completed the entire 60 kilometers in 6:38:55.

This was easily the most difficult thing I have ever done. i have never experienced so much pain or emotion doing something. Now, I have heat rash on my feet, an amazing sunburn (I applied sunscreen several times) and VERY sore legs.

I can't wait to go to bed early tonight.

Tomorrow, I will write a detailed run report and tell you guys all a lot more. Now, I sleep!

Running to Help Japan: Where I'll run

Here it is folks. My “Running to Help Japan” 60k route this Saturday. I’ll be running this 20km loop three times. I know this area very well since these are regular training areas for me. I think it’s best to stick close to home and run in familiar territory.
Aside from the bridge between Port Island and Kobe Airport Island, it is a pretty flat course.

I’ll start at about 5-5:30am to try to beat some of the heat. Unfortunately, it has been very humid here this week. I’ll have to be very aware of my hydration and make sure I’m getting enough liquid.


Here are some maps of my route:





Remember to follow me on twitter that day. That is how I will be making my live updates. Also, since I am using the Runmeter iPhone app to track my run, when you tweet me a message, a voice reads it to me. That’s great motivation.


Donate to Running to Help Japan here:

Brooks Trance and Karl Meltzer

I went to Sportsword in Kobe yesterday with full intentions of buying another pair of ASICS GT 2160s. They are a decent stablity shoe that served me fairly well. I used to wear the ASICS Gel Kayanos, but after a few years needed a change. The 2160s were good and offered me the stability I needed (I have low arches), but I had a lot of blister issues with them.

While at SportsWorld, I saw something I've never seen in Japan. I saw Brooks running shoes for sale. They had all the latest and some of last year's models for sale. I did a quick search on Google (on my phone) and read that the Brooks Trance were a highly rated stability shoe.


I picked up the Brooks Trance 9's for 7,000Yen. the sticker price was 13,000. A nice bargain. I was excited to try them this morning for my 12k run. After one run, they felt quite nice. They were relatively light, felt supportive and after the run, no sign of rubbing that might lead to blisters. So far so good!

WEATHER UPDATE....looks like the June 25th Running to Help Japan 60k will be done in the rain. It is supposed to rain everyday for the next week or more. Rainy season is alive and well in Japan. I suppose I have to look at the bright side. Running in the rain is far better than running in the blistering heat!


Recently I have ben hearing more and more about a pretty inspiring athlete. Karl Meltzer is an incredible ultra runner from the United States. I have been watching a lot of videos about him recently. He is an inspiratation for sure!

Last year, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Pony Express, he ran the entire length of it. he ran 2,064 miles (3,302 kilometers) in 42 days! Amazing!






A video blog I made today:



Donate to Running to Help Japan here:



Follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev

Running to Help Japan（走って日本を助ける）

私は、神戸在住のカナダ人教師のケヴィン　オーシェイといいます。今年３月１１日に東北地方をおそった地震、津波、原子力発電所の災害は本当に悲劇でした。この災害の後、私は何か手助けしたいと思いました。そこで、走る事に貪欲な一人のランナーとして、私は「走って日本を助ける」ことを決心しました。２０１１年の間に、募金団体『セーブ　ザ　チルドレン　ジャパン（東北地方の子供たちの支援活動を行っています）』への募金を募るためにいくつかのイベントで走ることを計画しています。
　
６月２５日、私は６０kmのウルトラマラソンを神戸で走ります。他のイベント同様に『セーブ　ザ　チルドレン』の募金を募るため今年末に大阪マラソンにも参加する予定です。
　
あなたも募金をすることで子供たちを助けることができますよ。どんな小さな金額でも結構です。ウェブサイト「Running to Help Japan（走って日本を助ける）」のベージ下から募金団体へアクセスできます。
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/kevinoshea/runningtohelpjapan

よろしくお願いします。



My name is Kevin O'Shea and I am a Canadian teacher living in Kobe, Japan. The March 11th earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster were a true tragedy. After this happened, I wanted to do something to help. An avid runner, I have decided to create "Running to help Japan." Throughout 2011, I plan to run in several events in order to raise money for Save the Children Japan and their work with children in the Tohuko region.

On June 25th, I will run a 60km ultra marathon in Kobe, Japan. Later this year I will be running the Osaka Marathon as well as other events in order to raise funds for Save the Children.

You can help by making a donation. Any amount helps.　You can visit the Running to Help sponsor page below and donate:
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/kevinoshea/runningtohelpjapan


Thank you
Follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev

New shoes, Sore knees, Sponsors and Bacon

With less than two weeks to go before the Running to Help Japan 60km run, I'm getting excited. I'm also getting a little nervous. I have of course never run this distance before, but I know that it will happen! I plan to add some walking in whenever necessary (I'm sure it will be necessary).

As the time for the run approaches, I have had a resurgence in interest and activity with Running to Help Japan. Several online friends and supporters have sent me wonderful gifts to aid me with my run. I have also had so many kind messages of support on You Tube, my blogs and Twitter. I more than appreicate everything you guys are doing for me and more importantly, I appreciate everything you are doing for Save the Children Japan and their work with the kids in the Tohuko region!

Last Sunday was my last longish run before June 25th. I decided to go out for a run last night, but was disappointed with how tired my legs were. I also came to the realization that it is time for a new pair of shoes.


I wear the ASICS Gel 2160s. they are a wonderful stability shoe that have served me well. As someone with low arches, I need a stable shoe that is light and durable. This one definitely fits the bill. Unfortunately, due to financial reasons, I sometimes have to wear pairs of shoes longer than I would like. To be honest, I should have retired this pair more than 100 km ago! I plan to pick up a new pair on Thursday after work. Thursday night's run will be a glorious one I'm sure.

I'm hoping that as the Running to Help Japan project continues and more running events go on, I can approach some various shops or companies to sponsor me with some gear. That would help a lot! The wonderful folks at Runmeter (an iPhone running app) have supported Running to help Japan by gifting me their amazing app (which I use for all my runs) and hopefully, some other fine folks might do the same!


Speaking of running and running fuel. What do you think of this bad boy? Only in Japan!


That is a bacon wrapped onigiri (rice ball) for sale at my local 7-11! Now remember, I do live in japan. I doubt this would sit well in my stomach before or during a run.

You can follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev


You can donate to Running to Help Japan by clicking the icon below!

June 25th the Run happens

The date for the 60km run is June 25th. It will start at 5:00am Japan Standard Time.



Follow me and the run on Twitter: @jlandkev

I'm training again!

I have indeed begun running again! You may have noticed the numbers on my Daily Mile widget have started changing.

Game on!

More to come soon ...

Running to Help Japan Update

Running to Help Japan is a project I decided I wanted to do almost immediately upon the disaster in Japan striking. I knew that, while I was somewhat physically unfit at the time, I could bring myself to my former marathon running level of fitness within a few months. I certainly did. As of to weeks ago, I was definitely ready to run a full marathon. Would it have been my fastest time? Probably not, but I was ready to do it.

When I run my almost marathon and a half to raise money for Save the Children Japan, it won’t be a race to set a personal record or break a certain time. I will be running to accomplish my goal, will be running to finish and say thank you to the wonderful people who donates so generously to Running to Help Japan.

Unfortunately, my training ha hit a few bumps and snags within the last week and a half. I realized last week that I was suffering from some of the symptoms of overtraining. I was simply pushing myself a little too hard and needed a rest. My last 8km run (a distance that is relatively short for me) actually felt as if I had run a full marathon when I woke up the following morning. I sent this out on Twitter and several runners, all with far more experience than me, suggested I take more than a day or two of. Five days to a week would let my legs rest and I would be a stronger runner for it. I thought it sounded like a great plan.

This past Monday I was psyched. I was going to run Tuesday morning. Problem was, when I got home from work something didn’t feel right. I was beginning to get sick.

I wasn’t the only one, several coworkers were as well and I suppose it was my turn. By Wednesday thing were really rough for me. I could barely drink water since my throat hurt so much. On Thursday I had to leave work and go home and to the doctor. It ends up I had strep throat.

I am now on medicine and have been resting. It’s now Saturday morning and I am not ready to run today either. I am feeling much better, but not healthy. Was hoping I could hit the road tomorrow, but Typhoon Songda is suppose to say “Hello” to us sometime early Sunday morning!

This break in training hasn’t helped me get ready for my June 12th Running to Help Japan ultra date.
For the sake of being able to finish this project, it looks as if I will probably postpone it until the following weekend (maybe later). I just won’t be fit enough by the 12th and I want to get at least one more 30+km long run in. Hopefully I can run that one next weekend and then have some time to taper. Mind you I suppose this time off has been a taper, but a taper to just resuming training!

I am thinking either June 18-19th now for the date of the run. A new challenge then arises, the heat of Japan in the summer. I will be really hot and humid and I’m sure that by mid-morning temperatures will be close to 30C. Ah well, as long as I’m well hydrated and run a lot in the shade I will be fine.



On a more positive and awesome note, my good friend in Chicago, John Pham sent me a little supply pack to help me with my ultra run. These are just some of the awesome things I will be carrying with me on the big day to fuel me through my run!

Fantastic Marathon finishes and the agony of the feet

I dream that someday I'll be able to join these folks and run the Boston Marathon!

Amazing Giveaway

The kind folks at Runmeter have gifted me a few of their apps to give to you great people out there. I want to thank you for your support so far on the Running to Help Japan project. If you have an iPhone and are interested in getting the most amazing GPS running app out there, leave a comment below!


I will be having a raffle for the winner in a few days!

Check out my First Giving donation page. This is where you can donate to Save the Children Japan and help those who need it the most in northern Japan.

Great Week and Runmeter iPhone Running app contest to come

This week was great for so many reasons. I was off work for most of it due to the Golden Week holiday here in Japan. I did have to work on Friday and Saturday, but pretty much had an entire week off. I took the opportunity to run and walk almost 100km!


I went hiking on Tuesday. It was the first time I had in about a month and only the second time in 2011. I forgot how absolutely brutal hiking can be on you legs in so many different ways than running. I took it as a great cross-training exercise! i also had the chance to try geocaching for the first time with You Tube viewer "EsperRanger." It was fun for sure.

I logged another 30+km long run today and plan a longer one next weekend.


In way cool news, the fine people at Runmeter (the most advanced iPhone app for runners) have offered to throw a few free apps my way to use as giveaways. I am still thinking about how I will do this. I am probably going to make a video about it later this week on my BusanKevin You Tube channel. If you can do something to promote Running to Help Japan (on Twitter, facebook, You Tube, a blog, newsaper, etc.) and are interested in getting the Runmeter app for free (retails for $4.99 U.S.), you can contact me and I may have a raffle! Just so you all know, Runmeter is the app I will be using throughout my Running to Help Japan project to collect all the data and create the maps of my running. I've ben using it for for about 2 weeks now and am loving it!


Here are a few picture from my hike earlier this week on Mt. Rokko right here in Kobe, Japan.






You can donate to Running to Help Japan here:

A great week done

Last week was a great one training wise. I logged almost 80km of running and had a great time doing it!



Today was my "day off" from running and I spent it punishing my legs by hiking and "geocaching." it was my first time geocaching and I can already see the appeal. it is a fun way to get outside and explore the environment around you!


In this picture you can see some home made waling sticks that were for sale behind Shin Kobe Station. That 8s the beginning on the Nonubiki Falls hiking trail.

A lot more running planed for the rest of this week!


Click on the button below to help Running to Help Japan! Every dollar helps:

Running to Help Japan and Runmeter

A few days ago, my friend Steve tweeted to the company that makes the iPhone running app "Runmeter." He told them about what I am doing and that they should gift me the app as a way of supporting me and Running to Help Japan. The kind folks at Runmeter did just that Last night I installed the runnnig app on my phone and I used it fir this mornings run! I still have a lot to learn about the functionality of the app, but so far, so good! I really like it. It has a lot of options my previous running app didn't have. I like the fact that it will tweet my location and maps to people as I run. i also like the fact that if people send me tweets on Twitter or messages on Facebook while I run, a voice reads them to me! Great motivation.


here is the Runmeter display showing the stats on my run today. Actually, I would have run this about 5 minutes faster, but I stopped to fumble with the app and figure things out. There is a function that stops it from recording when I am not in motion (great if you are stopped at a traffic light), but I didn't know how to turn it on until half way through the run!


Thanks to the fine folks at Runmeter for supporting me in my run. I appreciate you sending me this very cool app and will use it during my June ultra run for Save the Children. i will also use it during the Osaka Marathon and some other runnning events this year!


Here is the map data from the run I did this morning in Kobe.



Make a donation to "Running to Help Japan" by clicking the button below:

Great News and Project Biwa

It's a cloudy day here in Kobe and I'm expecting rain any time now. My legs feel great this morning even though I did my long run yesterday. I thought they would hurt more, but to be honest, I could easily run today. I won't though. I am forcing myself to take a day off from running. I realize that I physically could run, but overall, I'll benefit from a day off. A day to heal will make me just that much faster and stronger.

I heard some great news today from a few different sources. First, thanks to the help of my friend Steve Miller, aka, qiranger on You Tube, i have my first little sponsorship by a company. It is small, but I think it's going to be very cool and useful on my running journey this year. I will tell you more in tomorrow's blog post (I wanna test it out first).

Second, while chatting with my parents in Canada this morning I found out that my family, including extended family, collected funds for Running to Help Japan. They will donate a nice chunk of change to the Running to Help Japan project. I was amazed and so happy. A lot of children in northern Japan will benefit from so much generosity.


I made a video yesterday while on my long run. In this video I also mention another charity event going on in Japan. My online friend Dimitri is doing something called Project Biwa. He will cycle around Japan's largest lake, Lake Biwa during the last weekend of May and document it through photos. he is doing this to attract tourists back to Japan and raise funds as well to help in the relief efforts after the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Check out my most recent Running to Help Japan video blog:


Click below to sponsor Running to Help Japan and Save the Children Japan:

35km day and a great video

It's Friday and in Japan it is a holiday. Showa Day is the beginning of the week long holiday for me. I kicked it off with a 31km long run in the morning. I then walked about 4 km with my wife and sone. For a portion of that walk I had my 9kg whipper-snapper strapped to the front of me in his baby carrier. That was the final "wipe out" for my quads after the run.

Thankfully tomorrow is a rest day for my legs. No running at all. I want to run, but I realize I need to rest.

Today, an awesome You Tube video blogger, Victor, aka. Gimmeabreakman/Gimmeaflakeman made a shout out video for the Running to Help Japan project. THANK YOU Victor! I appreciate the publicity.

My friend Danielle also made a spiffy banner for the top of this blog! Thanks to you as well Danielle!




You can sponsor my run here. Every penny goes to Save the Children Japan!

Cloudy Wednesday and a 12k

Golden Week is almost upon us. I work tomorrow and then have more than a week off from school. There are many wonderful things about living in Japan and one of the greatest is the abundance of holidays.

This morning I ran a quick 12k (quasi-tempo?) and shot a little video blog. Tomorrow (Thursday in Japan) I plan to run 10-12k and then n Friday morning a long run. I'm thinking 35-40k. I just have to make sure I get enough nutrition before I leave for the run. I'm shooting for another 70+km week.




Everyday I can go for a run in Japan is a blessing. there are always so many amazing things to see. Check out this amazing pond.



Please take the time to donate to Running to Help Japan. All proceeds go to Save the Children Japan. This project will not end at my ultra marathon. I'm running the Osaka Marathon later this year and there are some other projects planned! every $5 or $10 helps!

Osaka Marathon Here I Come

Alright, I mentioned in previous posts and videos that my 60k ultra run in June would just be the start of things for my Running to Help Japan project. Today I found out another running and fundraising goal for 2011. I was able to get a slot in the 2011 Osaka Marathon. Much like Tokyo Marathon, Osaka Marathon had a lottery system set up. Far more people are interested in running the race than there are spots so you apply and then are selected. I found out this evening that I am in! On October 30th I will try to run somewhere in the 3:45range. I will also try to raise a lot more money for Save the Children Japan!


Their slogan may sound weird, but I am very excited to be running in the 1st ever Osaka Marathon this October!

I would like to than my good friend Edward over at the Japan Talk podcast for again, shouting out the Running to Help Japan project. With his support and help, I have definitely been able to raise more funds to help the kids in the devastated areas of Japan. I also want to thank everyone who has sponsored me so far!

As for running, today was a much needed day off for my legs and I am VERY eager to get back soon the road early tomorrow morning. This is a four-day workweek for me since the Golden Week holiday in Japan begins Friday. I plan to run a 35-40k long run this Friday if all goes well.

I have also discovered something rather awesome that has been making running more enjoyable lately. I am a huge fan of listening to podcasts while running and I subscribed to the 3 Non Joggers podcast recently. It's about running and a lot of other stuff. Most importantly, it is funny as hell and very entertaining! I highly recommend listening to the 3 Non Joggers if you are in any way interested in running!



Here is a nice story about some generous strangers helping people in evacuation centers in Japan.



You can of course sponsor me and my Running to Help Japan project by clicking on the button below. Funds go directly to Save the Children's disaster response here in Japan.

Back to Back Long Run Week

As far as running goes, this was a great week. I had a minor hiccup with a bit of a cold forcing me to take Friday off from running, but aside from that, it was solid. I logged 74k this week and ran back to back long runs. You can see my week's running data below. This information is posted on my Daily Mile page.



Here is a blog I shot this morning while on my long run:



The physical aspect of preparing for my charity "homemade" ultra marathon is going along well. I need to work more now on getting folks to take notice of what I am doing. I am going to try to flog my story to more news outlets (smaller ones in areas I lived and worked in Canada) and hopefully some others will write something!



Here is the sunrise in Kobe. I took this shot early Thursday morning while running along the waterfront.

Lots of Help From Friends

The week has been off to an amazing start! As I'm writing this post, Running to Help Japan has raised $1,662.00. I raised my overall goal to $5000 and I'm confident we can hit that amount for sure! Thank you so much to everyone for donating and spreading the word about my little charity event. To be very honest, when I committed myself to this project I would have ben happy with raising a few hundred dollars, but the response has ben overwhelming.


You can se my route for this morning's 12k-ish run. I ran a hair under 12k in 59 minutes. It was a great fun for sure. I recorded this data with the RunKeeper iPhone app. That7s the one I will be using to record my big run in June. I record every training run I do using it. It is a great way to create a database of maps and running routes in Kobe.

I wanted to show you guys a recent video by the two Canadian You Tubers. FindMeInKurume is based in Kurume, Japan and ozzy78 is in Canada. They made an AMAZING video to promote my Running to Help Japan project!



I was also mentioned on the most recent episode of the AMAZING Japan Talk Podcast! A special thanks to Edward Chimura for helping me out. You can listen to the episode here.


I also shot a couple of video blogs thanking some people who have helped promote my run to raise money for Save the Children Japan and their important work in northern Japan.

Amazing results and Boston Marathon

Words cannot express how amazed I am by the kindness of so many people all around the world who have been contributing to my Running to Help Japan project. I am humbled and I have to say "Thank You" to everyone!

I'm sure the article that was published in my "hometown" newspaper in Canada, the Cape Breton Post sure helped a lot. I plan to approach some other newspapers as well to see if they would be interested in sharing my story and hopefully attract more sponsors.

I have been thinking about it and with so many amazing running activities planned for the rest of the year for my Running to Help japan project, why stop at my current sponsorship goal. I think it would great to raise the goal to $5000.00! that would go even further in helping so many children in Northern Japan.

Tonight I ran a 7k temp run (faster than normal running speed). I would have run longer, but my schedule didn't allow it. Tomorrow will be my one off day for the week. My overall goal for this week will be 75-80km.

The 115th Boston Marathon will begin in a few minutes and I am more than a little disappointed. I was really looking forward to watching it online here in Japan, but cannot. It won't be shown outside of New England. The Boston Marathon is the "Holy Grail" of marathons. It is a goal that amateur runners seek to achieve. To qualify to run in Boston (often known among runners as getting a BQ) is a tough goal. Myself, at 35 years of age, would have to enter a qualifying race and finish at 3 hours and 15 minutes or less! Someday....maybe! I can dare to dream!


You can sponsor my Running to Help Japan project and Save the Children's relief efforts for the children of Japan by clicking the button below:

Running to Help Japan in Cape Breton Post

I was happy to see when I got up this morning that my Running to Japan project had been written about in the Cape Breton Post. The CB Post is a local newspaper in Nova Scotia, Canada. It's the paper that I grew up reading and it is nice that people back home can see what I am doing here in Japan to try to help those less fortunate than me.

I hope that this story might drum up some more donations and support for my project. I plan to extend this project to more than just my 60k run in June. Hopefully throughout the year and beyond I can raise a lot more. If things go well, I will raise my fundraising goal.

My story in the Cape Breton Post.



This week was good as far as training went. I finished the week at 62km and I'm aiming for about 70km next week. my first long run went well today. next week I am aiming for 25-30km for my Sunday morning run. I'll try to get out the door earlier than today though.

Tomorrow will be the running of the Boston Marathon. It starts at 9:00am Boston time which is 10:00pm Japan Standard Time. I'm planning to watch it streaming over the internet. I will go for a short run tomorrow evening and then settle in to watch it in my computer room! Running the Boston Marathon is a goal I hope to achieve some day.

Running for Japan: Kilometers Building

Another week is done and my training is coming along better than I expected. My knee injury seems to be behind me (I hope....fingers crossed) and my blister issues seem to be working themselves out.

I actually just finished an interview with a newspaper in Canada before I wrote this blog post. When the story is out, i will of course share it with all of you awesome folks.

I am now officially at 34% of my fundraising goal. I am of course really excited about that. Now of course, my Running to Help Japan project isn't just a one time shot. I plan to run many races to raise money. I probably will raise my total fundraising goal.


In other running news, the 1st Kobe Marathon just opened for registration yesterday. I'll be running it for sure!!! (if I get a spot)


here I am last Sunday, post long-run with my future little adventure racer!

Videos of encouragement: Running to Help Japan

Some great You Tube video bloggers in Japan and in Canada have made some wonderful videos spreading the word about my run. Thank you for such great videos of support for my Run to help Japan!

Running for Japan: Things coming together

It was a busy week last week. Between it being the first week of the new school year at work and trying to get in my km's, I was tired to say the least. While preparing for my Run to Help Japan, I have had to wake up at 4:30 am in order to get the running in. I simply have very little time at the end of the day. I come home from work and spend time with my wife and nine-month old son. Once he goes to sleep I have a little time for a run, but I prefer doing it at the beginning of the day.

Last week I logged 51km and had to contend with a lot of blisters. Basically, my feet are soft and need to be toughened up! My knee is no longer causing me any concern.

I have realized this week that I really need to start planning more for the big day. Last Friday I ran a 10k early in the morning and was surprised by how warm it was. I finished my run at 6:00 am and it was already 15C. I can imagine it will be MUCH hotter in mid-June. I will have to seriously think about my hydration and maybe even buy one of those running hats with the desert flaps in the back!



This week I read an incredible tale of a Canadian English teacher named Michael Luzia, who was living on a small island in northern Japan. He survived the earthquake and tsunami, but half of the population of the town he lived in was wiped out! You can read his story here.


This is an incredible video taken by two journalists who drove their care into the Fukushima exclusion zone around the Fukushima-Daichi Nuclear Plant. They have a geiger counter on the dashboard. It often goes haywire during their trip. It is very eerie seeing what they see. They actually go as close as 1.5 kilometers away from the plant!




I also want to give an incredible THANK YOU for everyone who has sponsored me so far! To this point, I've raised more than $600.00 for Save the Children's Japan Relief Fund.

Remember, you can sponsor me on my 60k run for Japan anytime. Any amount helps!

Pre-Dawn Running to Help Japan

I'm officially back to work which means, with family and work obligations, the only time I can train for my Running to Help Japan Ultra Marathon is before work. I commute to work everyday and normally (pre-running) woke up at 6:00am. Now, I have to wake up at 4:30am in order to get the necessary kilometers in! I'm of course not complaining about this at all. Runners across the world do this sort of thing on a regular basis.

Today I ran downtown to Meriken Koen in Kobe, along the waterfront. it was a stunning morning. My knee injury seems to be behind me and now I'm just battling blisters (I minor inconvenience compared to the knee thing).

last week I ran 48km and this week I'm hoping to run about 58km.

To be honest, knowing that I am running this to raise money for the people in northern Japan who are so in need of ALL of our help, makes it pretty damn easy to get out of bed in the morning and run!

Here is a video blog of today's run (training for Running to Help Japan):




Misplaced trust: 30-foot tsunami wall didn't save Japanese village



Defiant Japanese boat captain rode out tsunami

My Running Week in Review

Of course, if you are reading this blog post you probably know that I am currently training to run a 60km ultra marathon in order to raise funds for Save the Children's Disaster Relief Fund.

Here is my week in running in review. Over the following weeks my mileage will increase:


This image is from my training log over on Daily Mile.

Running to Help Japan Training Continues and Black Water

Today was a day filled with a picnic, a sick son and a run. I went to the Hanami party like I mentioned yesterday, but didn't drink since I wanted to get a training run in afterwards. I initially planned to run this morning, but my son woke up around the same time as me and was feeling miserable with a cold. I decided it was better to hang out with him in the morning and run later on.

I had a decent run downtown and by some of the waterfront in Kobe. It was a slow pace, but my knee felt stronger than any other run in the previous two weeks.

You can see a map of my run this evening (recorded with Runkeeper, the app I will use to document my 60k run in a few months):


The game plan for tomorrow is an early rise and 10-11k before breakfast. I also plan to go to sleep earlier than normal tonight. The more I sleep, the faster my knee heals!


I wanted to share a great song with you all today. this was written and performed by a Canadian musician who lives in Nagoya, Japan. Check it out and share it:




You can sponsor me when I run my 60k ultrarun to Help Japan:

Plans for the Weekend and training thoughts

It is Hanami (cherry blossom party) time here in Japan and I realize that there are so many that have very little to celebrate. That may be the case, but as many have argued, for those who are not affected by the recent disaster and far away from it, there is no point hiding inside. We need to live life and in a time when the Japanese economy is in trouble, we need to get outside and spend money! That's one way to help the economy.

That being said, of course, people in many parts of Japan will be getting outside this weekend for many of the nation's first hanami parties (basically picnics and bbq's outside....anywhere people can find cheery trees!).

I plan to head to my first hanami party of the season tomorrow afternoon with my family and several other families. It should be an interesting time. I will be the only non-Japanese person there and my Japanese language skills are not very strong. Tomorrow will be a good linguistic workout for me!

As for running workouts, I plan to get up early and run 8km in the morning. My knee is still being difficult! I am feeling some anxiety about that , but I am also confident that I can deal with it (running slowly, using my new shoes and ice afterwards). I'm then planning a 10k run on Sunday morning. Hopefully by next week I can begin to train harder.

I worry that I may have to move the date of my 60k run further ahead in June which means dealing with the intense heat of Japanese summer. If that is the case, I will just have to start my run earlier in the morning. That may mean a 4:00am start as opposed to the 5-5:30am start I was originally anticipating!

My overall goal for the next week, kilometer-wise, if my knee permits, will be about 50km. Ideally, by the end of May, I'd like to be pushing 90km a week or more (knee permitting)!

A few Days in...

With just a few days into this project, I am already BLOWN AWAY by the generosity shown. I have already reacher 25% ($490.00) of my $2000.00 fundraising goal. I will continue to train and document it and if the amazing level of kindness continues, I may raise my goal total!

Earlier this eveningI showed my Save the Children fundraising page and my wife, who is Japanese, was floored. She said, "Thank you world for helping Japan."

This evening on my way home from my school I made a video blog mostly about this project and the amazingness of all of you out there!




You can donate to the Running to Help Japan project by clicking on the button below:

Day of rest and recovery

Last night I announced to the world, my little running project to raise money for Save the Children. I have been touched by so many nice comments left on my two You Tube channels. I have also been so pleased at already receiving a couple of donations! THANK YOU!

I'm giving my legs a rest today. I don't want to over train so early into my preparations for June's run. Tomorrow morning I will hit the road in new shoes (ASICS GT-2120 New Yorks). I'm pretty sure that the last pair I had were the direct reason for a knee injury I suffered from and still cope with a little. Since they are new shoes I'll just do a short 5k "test run" in them tomorrow morning to see how they feel.

Remember to check out my fundraising page here!


I came across this very cool video about people in Washington D.C. supporting Japan:

Running to Help Japan....the Beginning

My name is Kevin O’Shea and I am a Canadian teacher, father, runner, husband, and social media junkie. I am known by many on You Tube as "BusanKevin" and "jlandkev." I live with my family, in Kobe, Japan.

I have been living in Japan for three years and have a strong attachment to this country. My wife is Japanese and our son is both a Canadian and Japanese citizen.

The events of March 11, 2011 will be something that Japan will never forget. The massive earthquake and resulting tsunami took thousands of lives and caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. The resulting nuclear disaster is still ongoing. Japan is an amazing country that needs help. Japan needs help from everyone of you!



I want to do more though. That’s how I came up with the Running to Help Japan Project. Although I’ve never run an ultra marathon before, I decided that this tragedy was a good reason to start!

On June 12, 2011, I will run 60km in the city of Kobe to raise funds for both Save the Children and the Japanese Red Cross. This will not be an official race. I will map a course in the city of Kobe, where I live, using the GPS iPhone running app Runkeeper. The accurate route map will be posted here on the site in upcoming weeks. (The actual date of the run may be subject to change in case of illness or injury.)

My run will be recorded using the Runkeeper app and people will actually be able to follow me live as I run on Runkeeper live (link will be provided on run-day).

It will be a long run and June in Japan is hot so I will set out very early in the morning (I estimate it may take up to 7 hours for me to finish this run). I hope to start my run at 5:30 - 6:00am on that Sunday. I have no “projected time.” Finishing is my goal!



This blog will be a training dairy, and media center of sorts. There will be video blogs as well as written blogs about my training, fundraising efforts outside of running and events in Japan itself. I will post maps of training routes as well as photos and my Twitter feed.



If you are interested in making a donation to Save the Children, click on the button below!


Contact me by email: kevinkansaischool@gmail.com