tokyo running days

A marathoner / newbie triathlete's training blog.

Tuesday, January 30

No run Monday, so no 500km.

Got too busy. 3 hour sleep for 2 days...

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Sunday, January 28

40.4km more.

The last long run was over, almost, say 80% successfully. I am so glad to be free from mileage obsession. But wait, my monthly mileage is now 459.6km. If I run 40.4km within 3 days, I will make 500km for a month! Hmmm. Maybe I should start tapering from 1st of Feb.

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Monday, January 22

『風が強く吹いている』


箱根駅伝を舞台にした青春小説。マンガやTVドラマになりそうな、山場いっぱいのエンターテインメントです。面白かった。おすすめー!

 「長距離選手に対する一番の褒(ほ)め言葉がなにかわかるか」
 「速い、ですか?」
 「いいや。『強い』だよ」

お貸し出しいたします。希望者の方、ご一報を。

"It's blowing hard" by Shion Miura

A light novel about Hakone Ekiden. Very entertaining and inpiring in some ways. I enjoyed it so much. Here is an inspiring quote from the novel.

"What do you think is the best compliment to distance runners?"
"Fast?"
"No, it's 'strong'."

Unfortunately, only Japanese version is available...

Tuesday, January 16

Brief update.

115km/week.

Considering the intensive work situation after long new year holiday, I think this is not so bad mileage. However, the mileage is the only thing I can proud of. I failed Wed pace run (only kept up with 4:15 pace until 6k), and I also slowed down at the 35km Palace run (supposed to build up the pace but after 5th lap, I couldn't even keep the pace).

iPod Nike plus.


I got this new toy at the end of last year and just started playing with it. First, it's no accurate! Even after calibration, it insisted 5.45km for one lap of the Palace. I calibrated again, then it said 4.65km for a lap of the Palace. Nevertheless, I will calibrate it at the track tomorrow, hoping to make it better!

Despite its inaccuracy, it's fun to hear what it talks to you.

Monday, January 8

Highest mileage for a week.

Yesterday, I joined Magical Mystery Tour of Tokyo #2 with Brett, Bob, Keren and Jay. We started with very relaxed pace, perhaps over 5min per k pace, then gradually increased the speed, but not so much. At the final 5k, I got sick and had to slow down but others were running strongly at the finish.

The course was great. We mostly took foot paths and trails along the river. I was amazed that there were so many paths in Setagaya-ku.

Including this 32km run, I managed 126km for a week, the highest mileage I have ever made for a week. It's mostly because of this new year holiday, but I will try keep over 100km weeks for this months.

Friday, January 5

Recalling my first marathon.

Coming Tokyo Marathon is my 10th marathon. Perhaps that's why I can't help recalling my very first marathon experience.

In December 2002, seven months before joining Namban, I ran my first marathon (Aoshima Pacific Marathon in Miyazaki pref.) with 4:05:36. It was very agonizing experience and I thought I would never ever do it again. I did it all by myself, training alone, travelling alone, racing alone and coming back alone, and I thought, what's the point of doing this? A little bit of self-satisfaction in exchange for enormous agony during the race and unbearable leg sore afterwards.

Of course I felt pretty good about myself having run 42.195km, which I have never thought of being able to do for previous thirty something years, but still, it was like one of those good memories you have in your life.

But as time goes by, the thought "I could have done better if..." is growing. The fantasy every runner would have several days after a race, when your leg sore is gone (I still have the same kind of thoughts after every race). Especially I didn't like this "05:36" part of my time. That's the only reason I decided to do my second marathon.

Then I joined Namban, ran my second marathon in NYC 2003 with 3:40:40 (with even worse agony), *snip* and here I am, going to run 10th marathon!

My target time for Tokyo Marathon is breaking 3:05:36. One hour improvement from my first one would be sweet if I could.

Well, let's see.

Thursday, January 4

Happy New Year!

Failure 5k PB attempt

Before this new year greeting, I think I should report my 5000TT attempt on 27 Dec. last year. I am sorry to report this, but it wasn't successful at all. My target was 19:30, and my first k took 4 min and I was already struggling. Second k was 4:07 with big effort, then at the end of 3rd k, I stopped trying. I can think of hundreds of reasons for this result but main thing was the work situation at the end of the year. Too much stress and short of sleep (3 hour per day). Setting this attempt at this time of the year was a big mistake in the first place.

Thanks so much for your advice anyway. It will be a big help for the next attempt.

New year holiday!

Thanks to the new year holiday from 29th, I am able to come back to the marathoner's life again. From 29th to yesterday (3rd Jan.), I have run 113km already. My legs are a bit tired, but above all I am feeling good!

29th fri. 8k jog
30th sat. 30k Kamakukra trail
31st sun. 7k jog
1st mon. 23k in the morning and 7k in the evening
2nd tue. 21k incl. fartlek
3rd wed. 17k aerobic pace at the palace
4th thu. planning to run 7k jog