Target race.

I have been wavering for a while weather I should take Tokyo Marathon as a serious race or not, then now it's a kind of too late to follow a real serious programme for Tokyo Marathon. Well, I can still do a decent training for a decent result, but since I haven't made a marathon PB over a year, I really want to run a real serious race now.

Yesterday, Brett said to me "Why don't you go for Nagoya? You can still run Tokyo as a long pace run."

Point taken. There are 3 weeks between Tokyo and Nagoya, so Tokyo can be the last long run before Nagoya.

Fog cleared up. Let's do it!

Race report: Tokyo International Women's Marathon

There is always next one. The words are usually encouraging when you hear them after a bad race. However, they came up to my mind when I was passing 15km point.

There was no negative symptom before the race. The training went well and having marked PB's at 5k, 10k and 20k, I felt confident for a new marathon PB. My tapering went as I planned and I ate very carefully before the race to avoid stomach problem.

My plan was starting out with 4:30/km pace till 10km, then change into 4:24/k pace to the finish line, expecting to have 3h05m - 3h07m new PB.
I admit I started a bit faster (22:05 for the first 5k), but considering the long downhill, it wasn't that stupid pace. When I reached 10k point where I was supposed to change to the next gear, I realised the pace doesn't feel easy at all to me. I tried to keep the pace but I just couldn't. The feeling is somehow familiar to me. Yeah, I remember, it was just like my first Tokyo Women's in 2004! The nightmare race I slowed down to 7min/k pace and swept by the bus at 34k point. Oh, no...By the time I reached Shinagawa, I started to think "Today doesn't seem my day. Perhaps I should give up my target time".

Until the halfway point, I still tried to keep decent pace (10sec per k slower than planned pace, though), but after the turnaround point, with no motivation, no concentration, no guts, no patience, I got slower and slower. When my left calf got cramp and stopped me several times around 35k, the idea of pulling out started to look tempting. But this could be the last Tokyo Women's Marathon, this could be the last chance to experience the stadium finish, I couldn't miss it!!!

With a slight fear for the sweep car, I kept running, no, jogging. Before the notorious long hill, my calf got cramp again, but I tried to ignore and kept jogging. I saw Namban cheering squad at the end of the hill. I felt embarrassed and was disappointed about myself to have shown such miserable run to my team mates.

At 40k point, I tried a harder and sped up a bit, running side by side with other runners. When I reached the stadium, I felt better and passed some people to the finish line.

My time was 3h21m54s. Almost 12minute off from my PB. Disappointed, but not shocked. Just puzzled. The experience taught me the mystery side of a marathon.

Thanks for all who came to cheer us at the roadside, and huge otsukaresama to all girls who ran the race.

◎Splits
5k 22:05
10k 22:17 / 44:22
15k 22:17 / 1:06:39
20k 22:51 / 1:29:30
half 1:34:36
25k 23:02 / 1:52:32
30k 24:16 / 2:16:48
35k 26:55 / 2:43:43
40k 27:34 / 3:11:17
42.2k 10:37 / 3:21:54

Loading carbo.

I started loading carbo from tonight. Pasta with tomato cream source, oomori no oomori! Tomorrow, I will eat Chikara Udon (udon & mochi).

I am getting fat!

25km pace run and US olympic trial.

I did 25km pace run at the Palace with Harriers group. I joined 4:40/k group but I kind of wanted to run faster, I took off at 2km and ran by myself to the finish. Still there are many runners running around the Palace and I tried to keep the pace by targeting and catching up one by one. My laps were: 23:25/22:08/21:56/21:56/21:53
I felt OK till the end. Happy with it.

Today is the day of the US olympic marathon trial and Brett and I were so much looking forward to watching it via the Internet. However, we found out that the Internet broadcasting was blocked for international viewers. We got shocked. Especially Brett did, and he spent almost an hour to find out the way to break the block, and finally, he found the link to a (sort of) independent broadcasting site! Thank God! Thank Brett!

We could watch more than half of the race and...it was great! Not only witnessing Ryan Hall's brilliant victory, whole race was so dramatic. It was just like we were watching a sport movie. The result was:

1. Ryan Hall
2. Dathan Ritzenheim
3. Brian Sell
4. Khalid Khannouchi
5. Jason Lehmulke

いやー、すごかったよ。

5000m PB :-D

19:39
(3:57/3:54/3:55/3:58/3:53)

5k PB is the one I have been longing for since 2 yeas ago . I am very happy.

◎Monthly mileage for October: 438km

39k, failure.

Today's run supposed to be the last long run and the longest run before Tokyo Women's. However, it turned out to be a failure attempt.

I started at the National Stadium with Motozo and ran with pretty good pace (4:50/k) up to 3rd lap of the Imperial Palace, but during the 4th lap, I started to feel heavy on my stomach. Digestion problem! I know the feeling, I have experienced it twice during marathon races. Once I have it, I just can't run anymore. I had to slow down, and then, to walk. I walked and slow-jogged back to the National Stadium. I think I ate breakfast too close to the starting time. Short of sleep for these 3 days might have affected in some way, too. Anyway, my last chance to do a long run was screwed like this. Bad day...

Yasso 800s with 3min.

Yesterday, I tried Yasso 800s at the track. Despite my last minute notice, 4 people joined me. (Arnaud, Joachim, Rie and Omar, thanks so much!).
What we did was, 10 times of 800ms in 3 minutes with 400m of recovery jogs (nearly 3 minutes). We managed to do it fairly strongly, and I am quite happy about how I felt afterwards. It wasn't easy for me, but it wasn't that bad. When I did the same thing last year, the damage afterwards was awful and I had to change my training programme.

>>Consequence of Yasso 800 (Sep. 2006)

I can't say I can run 3 hour marathon right away just because of this, but it turned out to be a good confident builder.

3:05/2:58/2:59/2:57/2:59/2:58/2:58/2:58/2:56/2:57

Takashimadaira 20k

1:25:10 (net) / 1:25:33 (gros)

I am happy with my run although I missed 10 seconds for my target. I have been doing this race for 4 years in a row and the main purpose is to check my fitness level before my main race Tokyo Women's. I compared the 5k splits of these four years and found an interesting point. My first 5k split is getting slower as my total time improve. This year, I am very happy with the fact that I ran whole way almost even pace, and actually I felt 4:15/k pace easier than last year. I take it as a good sign for my marathon in 4 weeks time.

2004　20:50 / 21:31 / 22:22 / 22:11 / Total 1:26:55
2005　21:07 / 21:28 / 21:42 / 22:04 / Total 1:26:24
2006　21:13 / 21:33 / 21:44 / 21:45 / Total 1:26:15
2007　21:22 / 21:11 / 21:15 / 21:20 / Total 1:25:10

34k including Tokyo Women's course.

Last Sunday, I did another long run with Rie, Yuri and Akira.

Started from the National Stadium, followed the course of Tokyo Women's up to Jimbocho, then headed to the Imperial Palace, did 4 laps and came back the same course to the National Stadium Marathon Gate.

This time we didn't really care about the pace, just kept a bit faster than 5min/k until the Yotsuya uphill, since pushing at the hill with tired legs was the purpose for this long run. When the hill started, we tried to run faster, and faster, but I was the one who had to try the hardest perhaps. Yuri seemed easy following me, Rie was looking just OK and Akira passed me at the end of the hill. Anyway, everyone finished strongly at the National Stadium and I was quite happy with it.

Only regret was, I miscalculated the distance. I thought it was 36k altogether but actually it was around 34k.

This made my weekly mileage 103km.

30km at the Palace.

Sunday, I ran 30km, 6 laps of the Imperial Palace. Seven Nambanners started together but soon after we split into 2 or 3 packs. I ran with Bob all the way and thanks to him, I could do the run with the planned pace (30sec faster in each lap), well, almost!

24:47/24:34/23:51/23:07/22:56/22:34
2h21m53s in total.

Monday morning, I helped Harriers at their 30k pace run in Yoyogi park, mostly doing water hand-out and helped pacing 5min+/k group for 10k. After the workout, we invited Harriers coaches to our place to watch Izumo Ekiden and Chicago Marathon video with Pizza and Coke. Chicago finish, both women and men was spectacular. It was fun afternoon.

32k in the rain.

On the day of dreadful weather like today, it's essential to make a prior appointment with other runner fellows, otherwise I would have skipped this long run today.

Thanks to the company by Jason and Neil, Paddy and I did 32k and Christian 38k (with 4:30 pace!!), despite the rain, muddy road and headwind sometimes.

This made my weekly mileage 123km, monthely mileage 393.5km. Considering that I had injured weeks, I should be happy about these numbers.

In the evening, I got trial acupuncture by Russ. I thought I should do something for my quad after this high mileage weekend because it was getting tight these days. It was the first time for me so I was a bit scared, but it was fine and he gave me many useful advieses. He did something (I couldn't see what he was doing...just too scary) for loosening my tight muscles. I hope it will work on my problem.

On the last words for today....
Congratulations to Gebrselassie! 2:04:26 a new marathon world record!