●英字新聞社ジャパンタイムズによる英語学習サイト。英語のニュース、よみもの、リスニングなどのコンテンツを無料で提供。無料見本紙はこちら
英語学習サイト ジャパンタイムズ 週刊STオンライン
『The Japan Times ST』オンライン版 | UPDATED: Wednesday, May 15, 2013 | 毎週水曜日更新!   
  • 英語のニュース
  • 英語とエンタメ
  • リスニング・発音
  • ことわざ・フレーズ
  • 英語とお仕事
  • キッズ英語
  • クイズ・パズル
  • 留学・海外生活
  • 英語のものがたり
  • 会話・文法
  • 週刊ST購読申し込み
     時事用語検索辞典BuzzWordsの詳しい使い方はこちら!
カスタム検索
 

ジャッキーの これ、やってみよう  What if I ...

By Jackie Hoffart

元週刊STエディターのカナダ人ライター、ジャッキー・ホファートさんが「明日は今日と違う自分でいたい、もっと自分らしさを磨きたい」との思いから、いろいろな「生活改善」に乗り出すことにしました。その顛末をレポートしてくれるコラムです。
筆者へお便りを送る

Vol. 3 : What if I ... walk 3 km a day

会社までの道のりを5つに区切ったうちの第3区間 JACKIE HOFFART PHOTO

今週のジャッキーのチャレンジは、勤務先の最寄り駅から会社までの往復3キロを1週間、毎日歩くこと。大した距離ではないと思われるかもしれませんが、そこには無料送迎バスという誘惑もあり・・・。

The office building I work in is exactly 1 mile (1.6 km) from the nearest train station, and there is a dedicated minibus that ferries us back and forth every 15 minutes, which I used to take every day.

For my latest challenge, I decided to give the bus a break and walk both ways, which is roughly 3 km per day, every day for an entire week — no exceptions.

I work in quite a remote industrial park (a long way from central London) and I had previously assumed the walk would be too complicated or dangerous, but it turned out that there's a pretty simple route from the station to my office that doesn't involve running across expressways or jumping over fences.

It takes about 20 minutes at a fairly speedy pace, 25 at a more leisurely pace. That might not sound like much, but it's hard to resist the temptation of a free ride on the minibus. Not to mention that it's not the fastest way to get to work or to the train home.

I strategically divided the walk into four five-minute chunks in my mind. The first chunk is cutting through the parking lot of plain-looking office buildings, which remind me of the TV sitcom, The Office. There are some beautiful cherry blossom trees as you exit, which make me a bit nostalgic for Japan.

The second section is a downhill (or uphill) stretch past the firehouse, more offices and a cheap hotel. There are a few blackberry bushes and daffodils next to the sidewalk, or pavement as they say here, that add to the scene.

The third is the long section after the underpass beneath the roundabout, a little path for walking and cycling. This is the most pristine section, but it's also the most secluded, so if I'm walking alone and listening to music, I take one earbud out just so I can feel safer.

The final section is a straight walk from the end of that path to my building. I work in a very large industrial estate made up mostly of warehouses and offices associated with my company so I can see my building all the while I walk toward it. I feel a bit proud once I make it onto the estate, self-consciously seeking praise for not taking the minibus.

Physically, it was harder than I'd bargained on. The first few days I would get short of breath midway, and be all puffy and red when I arrived at either end. Maybe it would have helped if I had "proper trainers," or good sneakers. My work shoes put a strain on my shins and weren't very good for the walk.

Nevertheless, I got through my week's challenge — well, almost. I was lucky that it wasn't cold or rainy the whole week. It also helped that I had friends to walk with. But that friend-factor cut both ways. On the final day of my challenge, one of my walking buddies decided to take the minibus back to the station and I joined her. I thought of this bus ride as a reward for myself, but I did feel lazy.

I'm going to keep walking as much as I can — most days, most ways — that's my new goal. The real test will come when we hit a rainy patch of weather, but for now, I just feel happier when I walk. Why don't you give it a try? Let me know how it goes for you!

 

 

Next time: What if I ... "disconnect" for a week?




英語のニュース |  英語とエンタメ |  リスニング・発音 |  ことわざ・フレーズ |  英語とお仕事 |  キッズ英語 |  クイズ・パズル
留学・海外就職 |  英語のものがたり |  会話・文法 |  執筆者リスト |  読者の声 |  広告掲載
お問い合わせ |  会社概要 |  プライバシーポリシー |  リンクポリシー |  著作権 |  サイトマップ