Report on Tokyo Women's.

Sorry about this belated post. A week passed since I ran my third Tokyo International Women's Marathon. I am very pleased to have achieved 3:10:07, a new PB by 51 seconds.

I started my training 2 months earlier than usual year and spent whole summer running 100k per week to aim at 3hour marathon. However I realised that my target was a bit too ambitious for this time and 2 weeks prior to the race I finally decided to change my race plan.

Rather than setting a concrete target time, I set target paces that escalate at 10k, 30k and 40k points. 4:30/k for the first 10k, 4:25/k from 10k to 30k, 4:20/k from 30k to 40k, then 4:15/k for the last 2.2k. As the result of these paces, my time would reach 3:06:01 and more encouragingly I would be able to run a negative split marathon.

I know usually things don't go as you planned especially in a marathon, but I was curious if the slow first 10k can really contribute to the faster 2nd half and how my high mileage training would affect to the race result.

●Start - 10km
As usual, running slow at the first 10k in a marathon required enormous patience. I actually ran a bit faster than planned pace, but considering the long downhill at around 3k, I think I did well.

●10 - 25km
I allowed myself to increase the pace by 5 seconds per k, but still needed to be patient to curb myself.

●25 - 30km
The weather got really discouraging now. The rain got harder and we even had to fight with headwind and the cold. I passed more and more people, but the pace wasn't easy for me anymore and I couldn't help slowing down bit by bit.

●30 - 40km
I was supposed to speed up from 30km, but I finally realized that my target pace was an armchair plan. Yes, now I remember what it was like after 30km in a marathon, especially in this Tokyo course! I abandoned my unrealistic pace target and just concentrated on keeping on going. Because of dreadful weather and notorious long uphill around 38 to 39km, so many runners were slowing down. I only kept my motivation by catching them one by one.

●40 - Finish
I was exhausted after the Yotsuya hill, I was cold because of heavy rain and wind, but somehow I could feel some energy left in me. When I turned Yotsuya 3 chome crossing, I started to race again. I enjoyed passing nearly 10 runners and sprinting finish at the end. It was a bit disappointing to see the clock changed from 3h09's to 3h10's just in front of me, though.

Here are my splits this time.

5k 22:16
10k 44:40 (22:24)
15k 1:06:42 (22:02)
20k 1:28:46 (22:04)
Half 1:33:38
25k 1:50:54 (22:08)
30k 2:13:38 (22:44)
35k 2:36:35 (22:57)
40k 3:00:21 (23:46)
42.2k 3:10:07 (9:46)

Although my target pace plan wasn't fulfilled, and I was 7 seconds short for next digit, I am quite happy about my race this time. I could run solid 3h10m marathon under the harsh weather condition and at the tough Tokyo course. This fact gave me confidence for the future. And I feel that my high mileage training worked. I felt much much stronger at the 2nd half compared to the last year's Tokyo Women's experience.

I would like to thank all of you who supported me at the roadside and also who sent me encouraging messages. You supplied me huge energy while I was running. Last of all, huge thanks to Brett who gave me full training programme and inspiring advice. I learned a lot from that.

My next marathon will be Tokyo Marathon in February. I am looking forward to running it with many Namban fellows.