tokyo running days

A marathoner / newbie triathlete's training blog.

Monday, May 21

Kamakura trail.


Thanks to Jay, I joined Kamakura trail on Sunday. It was a beautiful sunny day and 10 people including Chuck from Singapore enjoyed a nice, relaxed and easy-going 22km.

I was a bit worried if I am able to run whole way since I don't run much these days because of anaemia, but it turned out just fine.

It was so nice to run without worring about pace or time or mileage. Now it's time to enjoy pure running pleasure! :-D

Saturday, May 19

貧血レポート / Memorandum on anaemia

今後のための覚書。いずれもうちょっときちんとまとめます。
This is a memorandum about my anaemia progress for future.

●4/11 
血液検査の結果、貧血との診断。
・赤血球数 337 (基準値430-570)
・ヘモグロビン 10.7 (基準値13.5-17.6)
・ヘマトクリット 32.6 (基準値40.0-52.0)
・血清鉄 40 (基準値60-200)
・フェリチン 17 (基準値10-80[女性])

鉄剤「スローフィー」とビタミンC顆粒(鉄剤の吸収をよくする)を処方され、この日から1日100mgの鉄を摂取。鉄剤摂取前後のコーヒー、紅茶はやめた。ビールは鉄を多く含む黒ビール!

●April 11
Got a diagnosis of anaemia from a doctor after a blood test.

・Red blood cell 337 (criterion 430-570)
・Hamoglobin 10.7 (13.5-17.6)
・Hematcrit 32.6 (40.0-52.0)
・Serum iron 40 (60-200)
・Ferritin 17 (5-120 for female, 20-250 for male)

Since then, I started taking prescribed high-unit iron tubs called "Slow Fe", 100mg everyday, and vitamin C to help absorption of iron. No coffee or tea (they interfere iron absorptiton). Drinking black beer is good (contains lots of iron)!

●4/19
ロンドン前の最後の調整でトラックへ。800mを2分54秒で走れて(1本のみだが)、すでの復調のきざしを感じる。

●April 19
The last track workout before London. Timed 2min 54sec for 800m, which is 10 sec faster than the last one. Good sign of recovery?

●4/22
日々スローフィーを飲み続けて迎えたロンドンマラソン本番。わずか10日あまりの摂取でも効果てきめんだったらしく、入りの5kmでの体感が驚くほど軽く、予定より1分半も速いタイムで走ってしまう。3週間前の5kmTTの時とはまるで違う感覚。しかし、その感覚も15km過ぎまで。あとはどんどん身体が重くなり、やがてジョグになってしまった。レポートでは「最初飛ばしすぎたが故の後半撃沈」と書いたのだが、今考えるとやはり貧血も大いに関係あったのだと思う。

●April 22
London Marathon race day. I have been taking Slow-Fe for 10 days and the effect was much bigger than I expected. I felt so good and easy at first 5k and ran 1&1/2 min. faster than the planned pace. It was totally different feeling from the 5k TT I ran 3 weeks before. But the boom only lasted until 15km. After that I felt heavier and heavier and slowed down to jogging pace. In the race report below, I wrote that I slowed down because I went out too fast, but come to think of it now, I think it has a lot to do with anaemia.

●4/28
帰国。2週間分の処方だった鉄剤が切れ、その後しばらく放置。コーヒー、紅茶も普通に飲み始めた。今思えばマラソン後こそ、もっとしっかり鉄を補給に徹するべきだったのかもしれない。

●Apeil 28
Back to Japan. I ran out of Slow-Fe, and I just left it lay. Started drinking coffee and tea. In restospect, I should have taken the issue, post-marathon Fe supply, more seriously.

●5/3
トラックへ。鉄剤を切らして1週間。マラソン後ということで、60%ぐらいの感じでインターバルについていくが、キロ4分10秒で走ると呼吸困難寸前に。手足もしびれてる。まずい、今までで一番ひどい症状だ。

●May 3
Went to the track. Haven't taken Slow-Fe for a week. I tried to run the interval session with 60% of effort, but when I ran 4min 10sec for 1km, I had breathing difficulty. Felt numbness in hands and feet. The worst state ever.

●5/4
ゴールデンウィークで医者は休みなので、家にあった鉄サプリを摂取。ネイチャーメイドの鉄タブは1錠につき鉄3mgしか入っていないので、処方の鉄剤と同量の100mgを摂るには33錠飲まなきゃいけない。それは無理。昔アメリカで買ったVitamin Shoppeの鉄カプセルは、28mg含有。これを夕食後に4錠ずつ摂ることにした。これでしばらく持たせよう。

●May 4
Since the clinic was closed for Golden Week holiday, I started to take iron suppliment I had at home. However, the iron tub you can find in convenience store such as Nature Made only contains 3mg per tub. To take 100mg of iron, you have to take more than 3o tubs at one time, which is almost impossible. Luckily I found a bottle of iron cupsules I bought in NY 3 years ago and a tub contains 28mg. So I decided to take 4 per day for the time being.

●5/5
TELLレース。鉄補給をサボっていたため、最悪の状態で5kmを走るはめに。ゆっくり入って、うまくいけば最後で上げる、なんていう当初の目論見通りには当然いかず、ゆっくり入って、どんどん落ちて、みんなが見てる最後の100mだけがんばってゴール!という、とほほな結果に。タイムは21分ちょっと。呼吸がつらいのと、手足のしびれが顕著。

●May 5
TELL race. I had a phisically most difficult 5k race. I was planning to start slow, hopefully pick up pace gradually to the finish, but understandingly it was just my hope. In reality I started slow and got even slower and tried a bit hard at the last 100m thanks to the audience. My time was 21min+. I had again difficulty of breathing and numbness of hands and feet.

●今日まで
4日に1回ぐらい忘れながらも、鉄28mgカプセル4錠の摂取を続けている。しかし、処方の鉄剤とは違うのか、ロンドンマラソン前のような急激な回復は見られない。トラックでちょっとがんばると息切れ→呼吸困難、という感じ。頭痛、手足のしびれも続いている。昨日、東京体育館のジムで血圧を測ったら、上91、下61と、えらく低血圧だった。今までこんな数値は出たことがない。つい弱気になる。

●Till today
Still taking 28mg x 4 iron tubs almost everyday. but I haven't had the rapid recovery like I had before London. When I try a bit harder at the track, I soon have a difficulty of breathing, and am still having headache and numbness of feet and hands. I measured blood pressure at the gym today and it was very low, 91/61. Never had this low before. I am feeling weak now.

●今後
まずはもう一度医者へ。血液検査のうえ、もうしばらく鉄剤を処方してもらおうと考えている。通いやすい近所の医者に変えてみるか、とも。

●From now
Go to see the docter and have a blood test again, then ask for more Slow-Fe prescrition.

●トレーニング
当分の間、ランニングについてはタイムは忘れる。当面のバイクレース(美ヶ原ヒルクライム)と、その後のトライアスロンに向けて、バイク&スイムを重点課題に。あとは、マラニックに近い感じのトレイルをやろうと考えている。ただ、実際のところどのぐらいback offすべきなのかがわからない。遊びのつもりでエントリーした美ヶ原も、遊びとは言ってられないけっこうきついレースだし。

●Future training
For some time, I will forget about time or pace when I run. Put more emphasis on bike and swim for Utsukushigahara bike race in June and triathlon in late August. Also I am planning to do very easy trail running during summer. To be honest, I don't know how much I should back off from training, this is my present problem. I entered Utsukushigahara to have fun, but 21km with 1400m elevation gain doesn't sound so easy....

最初、「貧血」と聞いて「ラッキー!鉄剤飲んで回復すればリバウンド効果が期待できる!」と密かに思ったのだが、回復のためにどうするか、ということについて真剣に考えていなかった。あほだ。貧血は、けっこう辛いです。わかっていても、走ると苦しくてタイムが出ないのは、がっくりくるものです。やる気も出ないし、走れないから体重増えるし、妙に気弱になります。「地道な努力」がもっとも苦手は私としては、こーゆーのは堪えます。黒ビール飲んで、ウサを晴らすか。

When I heard the diagnosis "anaemia", I secretly thought "How lucky! I can expect rebound effect after recovery", but never thought about how to recover. Stupid. Having anaemia is not pleasant. Even if you know the reason, running slow is disappointing. You have no motivation and gain weight because you can't run, and feel weak. It hurts. You need to be just patient, but I am the least patient person. On the bright side, at least I got a good excuse for drinking Guiness.

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Swim.

Friday afternoon, I went swimming. It's been a long time since last I swam, I think since last July. I thought I almost forgot how to swim, but somehow I managed to swim 1km (only, but nevertheless). I enjoyed swimming in an empty 50m lane in weekday afternoon.

I'll try to come here more often.

Sunday, May 6

London Marathon pictures



Expo












Namban reunion
(With Taro, Adam O., Greg, Mika K. and JJ)



Race day morning at Charing Cross station
(With Taro, Mika K. and Geraldine)







Beautiful day! Heading to the starting area
(Mika K., Geraldine and Taro in the picture)



After the finish. No confution at bag collection









Post-race faces with a bit of fatigue, disappointment and happiness (Adam O., JJ and Taro)






With the Namban's first world record holder [most attached people to complete a marathon]
(With Adam B. and Taro)

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Paris (not so running related)

After London Marathon, I visited Paris and spent two nights there for rewarding myself. It's been 18 years since I last visited this city and I was curious to see how it's been changed (or if it's refusing to change stubbornly).

The thing I most worried was language. I only speak 4 expressions in French, "merci (thank you)", "au revoir (good bye)" , "bon jour (hello)" and "s'il vous plait (please)", and I remember 18 years ago, when I spoke English there, people ignored me, and I knew they understood me!!!

The concern proved unfounded. People were nicer and I felt comfortable speaking English. In the Metro, I even found an ad, "Change your life with Wall street English!". I felt strong affinity as a English obsessed Japanese.

Anyway, Paris was beautiful as it was 18 years ago, and people were definitely kinder than before. AND food was wonderful.

I went jogging one morning. Started from Montparnasse, running through Sant-Germain-des-Pres, Louvre, Opera....I believe running is the most efficient sightseeing way.

Some pictures are here.



A pritty cafe in Montparnasse








Steak tartare







Notre-Dame






A view from Sacre-Coeur, Montmartre






Eiffel tower with vapor trails

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