tokyo running days

A marathoner / newbie triathlete's training blog.

Tuesday, August 28

Suzu triathlon report.




This was my third triathlon and the longest distance ever for me. What worried me most was swim part. 2.5k in the ocean sounded pretty impossible to me first, but somehow, I chose this race as a summer project. I urgently needed to improve my swimming skill in 2 months. On top of swimming 3 times a week, I borrowed a "Total Immersion" DVD from Stuart and I also took private lessons. All worked pretty well on me and gradually I started to feel easier (never faster, though) in the water. It's always nice to experience your improvement through your training, and you can get it most when you are a beginner. So the improving process this time was so precious for me.

We had a beautiful weather on the race day morning. Unlike my first tri in Oshima last year, the ocean in Suzu was clear and calm, thank God! So I had less pre-race anxiety than expected. Although I had a bit of difficulty on navigating myself straight (sometimes I swam into others at right angle), I never panicked or drowned and could finish most-worried swim part alive. So relieved!

At the bike leg, we cycle 2 laps of 50.1km course. There are 3 significant hills in a lap and the third one is notorious "Ohtani Toge" where I saw many people pushing their bikes on the course. My target at the bike leg was not to get off the bike and cycle through to the top, so I tried hard nonetheless I was sometimes slower than people who push bikes. 2nd lap was especially hard with tired legs, but the spectacular scenery along the coast helped and competition against other women kept me going.

At the run leg maybe I should have tried harder, but didn't have enough guts left in me anymore. To be honest, I chose to enjoy the event rather than killing myself to run harder. I stopped at the every aid station (there are more than 10!) and enjoyed sumptuous water melon, oranges, lemons, bananas and umeboshi as well as drink and ice. I tried a bit harder at the last k and passed 5 or 6 people in front of me. Was I mean?

My overall time was 7:47:15. I don't know this time is good or bad, but this is the longest time I have ever raced and I am very happy that I could get to the finish line.

I became 8th out of 22 women finishers and won the age group, which was a nice surprise, but most importantly, I enjoyed the whole experience in this tiny town Suzu. Lastly, I would like to thank my tri mentors Keren, Jay and Stuart for sharing this great weekend. Tanoshikatta.

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Suzu tri results.

Total time: 7:47:15
Swim (2.5k): 1:06 (290th)
Bike (100.2k, incl. transition time): 4:12:09 (209th) / 5:19:06 (227th)
Run (23k): 2: 28:10 (141st) / 7:47:15 (187th overall out of 318 finishers / 8th out of 22 woman finishers)

Surprizingly I become the winner of my age category. (out of 4, but never mind!)

I enjoyed so much! It was great experience.

Tuesday, August 21

Bye-bye, bike.

After quite a bit of struggle, I finished packing my bike on Sunday afternoon, and today sent it out to Suzu. Since packing and sending my bike has been a real headache to me, I am so relieved now. But another headache is....I have to reassemble it before the race! I hope my expert fellow Keren, Jay and Stuart will help me.



◎Wednesday, 15
Run: easy 5.5k in the morning
14.2 in the evening, at the track incl. 1200m/600m/1200m/600m/1200m/600m intervals

◎Thursday, 16
Run: 7.9k to and from Tokyo Gym.
Swim: 1.2k (100m intervals)

◎Friday, 17
Run: 15.5k at Yoyogi park, aerobic

◎Saturday, 18
Swim: 60min open water swim in Kamakura
Run: 100min trail run in Kamakura

◎Sunday, 19
Run: 20.3 at Yoyogi park

●Weekly mileage: 98.9k

◎Monday, 20
Complete rest because of sore throat

◎Tuesday, 21
Run: 11.5k fartlek at Yoyogi park
Swim: 1.1k at Olympic center (100m x 6 with 30 sec rest)

Wednesday, August 15

Coming back to night shift.

Because of this fierce heat in Tokyo, I am giving up the morning runs these days. This evening, I ran around Picture Gallery with escalating pace. The air in center of Tokyo is now better because of Obon holiday.

◎Tuesday, 14
Run: 11km at aerobic pace, up to 4:35/km pace.

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Tuesday, August 14

2k swim.

Last week, I only swam 600m. That's not at all enough for my situation. So Monday evening I went to Tokyo gym pool in Sendagaya and swam 2km in a row. It took 50 min, but I was happy that I could swim as far as 2km. Adding warming up and warming down, it was 2.5km altogether, the distance of Suzu course!

At the moment, I am ignoring the fact that I have to cycle 100k and run 23k afterwards. My goal is to get to the bike in one piece.

◎Monday, 13
Swim: 2.5km at Sendagaya
Run: 6.5km easy to and from the swimming pool

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Monday, August 13

Hakuba weekend.



I went to Hakuba (north Alps) for family reunion. I was expecting nice, cool weather there, but actually it was very hot.

Saturday, we went up to Happo-one (ridge). We went up by ropeway and ski lift and then my brother and I decided to go further up. We left our parents , sister-in-low and 3 year old nephew there and started speed trekking. When we almost reached the top of Karamatsu-dake, we decided to return because we realised we kept them wait too long. It took 3 hours return and they were very angry when we got there. Only my nephew Goro looked happy because he had good one hour nap in the fresh mountain air.

Sunday, I decided to go out for run by myself, I was hoping to do a nice trail running but I couldn't find any trail around the hotel I stayed, so I reluctantly started to run up the mountain roads that completely exposed to the sun. I would say Yoyogi park course has much more shade than this. After 2h 20m run, I got worn out and decided to stop. Hakuba supposed to be a place to escape from the heat. Why is it so hot here? Is it the global warming or just because it's summer?

This week not much swimming and no bike at all.

◎Friday, 10th
Run: 14k at Gosho course
(Skipped swimming)

◎Saturday, 11th
3 hour trekking at Happo-one (say, 1ok)

◎Sunday, 12th
Run: 20k at Hakuba road (hills).

●Weekly mileage (for run)
96.6km

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Friday, August 10

Easy 11km (in the evening)

In Thursday evening, I ran a big loop around my neighbourhood. Inokashira dori to Oyama crossing, Tamagawa josui, Hatsudai, Sangubashi, Yoyogi, National stadium, Gaien nisih dori, Harajuku, Yoyogi park. Sometimes it's nice to get out of the park and run in the street.

◎Thursday
Run: 11km, easy, then aerobic.

Wednesday, August 8

Earlier morning.

This week, I am able to run in the hour most people would agree to call it morning, around 7:30am. Compare to the hour I called "morning", it's far nicer to run especially in this season. Cooler and smells nicer in the Yoyogi woods. The only problem is that my body is still asleep during the run and get sleepy during the day. I guess I am still nocturnal. Can this habit be reformed?

◎Tuesday, 7th
Run: 10.5km at Yoyogi park

◎Wednesday, 8th
Run: 5.5km in the morning at Yoyogi park
15.1km in the evening at the track and Yoyogi park

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Monday, August 6

Just a log.

◎Friday, 27th
Run: 13k easy at Yoyogi park

◎Saturday, 28th
Bike: 98k at Okutama
Swim: Form lesson

◎Sunday, 29th
Run: 16k at Yoyogi park
Swim: 1.5k in 35min with weatsuit at the swim squad in Yoyogi

●Weekly mileage (for run)
66.5k (5.5k short)

◎Monday, 30th
Run: 10k easy at Yoyogi park
Swim: 1k at Olympic centre (100m x 6 + w.u. & w.d.)

◎Tuedsay, 31st
Run: 8k easy at Yoyogi park

◎Wednesday, 1st Aug.
Swim: 1.1k
Run: 13k at Oda field (1000m x 6)

◎Thursday, 2nd
Run: 10.5 at Yoyogi park

◎Friday, 3rd
Swim: 1.4k at Daikanyama
Run: 17k at Gosho

◎Saturday, 4th
Run: 9k around neighbourhood
Swim: 1.5k in 33min with weatsuit at the swim squad in Yoyogi

◎Sunday, 5th
Bike: 60k at Ooi futo
Run: 20.3k at Yoyogi park

●Weekly mileage (for run)
89.3k

◎Monday, 6th
Run: 11.5k at Yoyogi park
Swim: 0.6k at Olympic centre

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