Race Report: Tateyama Wakashio Marathon 2018

On Jan. 28 I ran Tateyama Wakashio Marathon 2018. I finished at 3:43:13 (gross)/3:43:08(net). I renewed my previous personal best time by more than two minutes. I am happy with my improvement. Below is a report of how I ran the race.

The gun went off at 10:00 am sharp. I started off from the first zone. That's the one for the fastest runners where I don't belong. But I had no choice, because when I went to the starting area, it was already so crowded that I couldn't get through to my zone.  So when the race was officially under way, there was only a small gap between the official start time and the time I crossed the start line. 

I started off at a very comfortable pace, because I had planned to save energy until the 25 K mark. Between 1 and 2 K I heard a voice from behind, and a familiar face passed by my side. He is a student at my school who has a far better time than mine. We wished good luck for each other. In no time he disappeared into a crowd of runners as he picked up his pace.

The temperature in Tateyama was around 6 degrees Celsius at the time of start, and it felt fairly cold. It didn't go up very much as I went along. Before the 10 K mark, I took a pee break once and it caused a time loss of 30 to 40 seconds. I didn't like it, but it's far better than the discomfort of holding it. 

Near the 12 K mark there was the first food station. I took out a plastic bag from my left pocket and put four pieces of bread into the bag. The bread has custard cream in it, and is very delicious. It's from a local bakery.  I ate two and kept the rest in the pocket so that I could fuel myself in case I should get hungry between food stations. 

Between the 10 K and 20 K mark you can easily go faster than you planned. The course is straight and almost flat. Plus, the view is good and there are noticeably more cheerers along the road. I got overtaken by so many runners who happily picked up the pace. But I stuck to my pace. 

I passed the halfway point at 1:50:55. Much faster than I had originally planned. I slowed down a bit. In no time the course was going to take a left and go into hilly inland. A slight increase in pace at this stage could take a toll on my legs. But shortly after the halfway point I had to pee again. My heart sank in dismay. But again the discomfort of holding it could make me distracted, so I accepted another time loss of 40 to 50 seconds there. 

Soon after that, though, the pace runner for the 3:45:00 finish came from behind, so I decided to go with him. The runners around him all looked focused. Their quiet determination rubbed off on me. Then came the sharp corner near the 22.5 K point where the hilly inland route started. Immediately the course started going up. I overtook one runner after another who ran out of gas after running the first half too fast. I felt very focused as I was already freed from my pee problem. I still felt very strong because I was still well within the distance I was accustomed to in training.

Seven & I Holding's convenience store was in sight on the right at the top of a mild hill, which marked the 25.5 K point. As I reached the peak, I quickly took a left. A few seconds later I saw a man throwing his arms in the air and waving them. It was my friend Ui-san. I gave him a high five. I looked around for my bilingual companion. She was about ten meters down the road. She handed me some oranges. I took them from her hand, and said thanks as I left her behind. 

The highlight of the inland route is a long and winding slope at the 30 K mark. Last year I was already quite exhausted at this point. But this year I was full of energy and almost pain-free. God knows how many times I had trained on hills to prepare myself for this section of this particular race. I increased my cadence and took shorter strides to minimize energy loss. There was a water station halfway up the hill, but I ignored it as I didn't want to slow down. When I finally reached the peak of the hill and felt my heart rate still fairly steady, I realized that I had become a lot stronger than I was in the previous year. I felt proud. 

I enjoyed the descent at a brisk pace. But in no time I had to take a pee break yet again (third time in the race!). I didn't want to lag behind the pace runner, but there was no choice. The break was long, and my heart sank with frustration. As soon as I left the toilet, I picked up the pace to catch up. I was pleasantly surprised that I had the ability to to do so at this stage of the race. But I was also careful not to overuse my energy. So I increased the pace only gradually. 

When I reached the top of a downhill that overlooked the Gulf of Tateyama near the 33 K mark, I saw a yellow balloon attached to the running cap of the pace maker. I quickly measured the distance between me and him. It was somewhere around 100 to 150 M. I decided to give myself a couple of kilometers in order to catch up to him. I carefully slowed down my pace on an upward incline, and picked up the pace when the road was flat again. Between 34 and 35 K I finally caught up to the pace runner. From that point on each K was a countdown to the finish. 

When I reached the 40 K mark, I walked off to the side of the road and took off my aqua shoes, held the shoes in my hands, went past the pace runner and put on a spurt. The road felt cold on my sole but I didn't care.  I swung both of my arms like a mad man, and overtook one tired runner after another. "Go, barefoot runner!" a spectator yelled. A surprised cry followed, "He's holding his shoes in this hands! What happened to his shoes?" Nothing happened to my shoes, except that the wearer took them off! I ran past a wall of cheerers on both sides of the street, receiving warm words of encouragement as well as wild reactions to the barefoot run.  

I took one last left to the home stretch leading to the finish line. The pavement was  briefly replaced with a short graveled road. Nasty edges of small gravels hurt my soles. I grimaced in pain. But a moment later it was replaced with fluffy grass, and from there on it led straight to the finish line. Down I went, swinging my arms as if there's no tomorrow. I closed my eyes and kicked. A few seconds later four blue horizontal bars were in sight, and a moment later I was on the other side of it. I put my left shoe down and ran it across a few of them just to make sure the sensors registered my time officially. I took a few steps forward and stopped, and gazed up at the sky that was still hazy, but that expanded vastly. Suddenly a tremendously joyous sensation engulfed me and I couldn't help laughing. I got a major dopamine rush and couldn't control myself. I laughed like a mad man, and wowed, and yee-ed.    

I finally saw my wrist watch and found out that I had renewed my PB, finishing well under 3:45:00. It was almost 5 minutes faster than I had originally planned. I was satisfied.

My next race is Ohme 30 K Road Race on Feb. 18. This race has a different kind of challenge. Distance-wise, there is nothing new for a man who has run a full marathon. But precisely because it's shorter, you get to run it faster. And when you run faster, it means a bigger challenge for your entire cardio-vascular system. I will be doing one or two big interval training sessions, whose details I haven't decided yet. 

My goal is three. One, I will finish under 2:30:00. Two, I will run in aqua shoes. Three, I will cross the finish line barefooted. I will do the best I can in order to achieve all three goals. The key to success, I believe, is "barefoot hill interval training".  

Experimental Post-Race 6 K Run

On the night of the day I ran a half marathon at my best time, I had a post-race 6 K run just to loosen up my legs and get the blood going through my body so that it could get rid of metabolic waste more quickly (if I'm correct that it helps).

It was perfect weather for a night run. Not too chilly as the sky was covered with clouds. And there was little wind. Traffic wasn't bad so I didn't need to swerve to avoid cars that came from behind so often.

When I ran the race this morning, one thing I missed was hills. Sanspo's course is fairly flat, with the only exception being two pairs of upward and downward slopes over the Mihama Bridge. Tonight I ran the 6 K shuttle course that's rich in undulation with two pairs of long upward and downward slopes of massive steepness. I enjoyed running against the gravity.

Thanks to the post-race short jog, I feel more recovered at least for now than before the training. I'm excited to see how I will feel tomorrow morning as a result of this new attempt of mine. 

Race Report: Sanspo Chiba Marine Half Marathon 2018

I ran Sanspo Chiba Marine Half Marathon 2018 on Jan. 21. I renewed my PB by finishing at 1:37:17 gross. The net-time is 1:35:57. It's my first time to finish under 1:36:00 in a half marathon. I'm pleasantly surprised at the result, because time wasn't my top priority. I didn't check my lap-time often today. It was only a few times: once at the 5 K mark, another at the 10 K mark, and last after crossing the finish line. I didn't check it as often as I would usually do, because I wanted to rely on my body's inner voice, so to speak. If I feel good, I pick up the pace. When I feel my heart rates have gone up too high, I slow down. I guess it worked this time. 

Anyhow, here is how I ran the race. If you are a runner who considers running this race next year, you may find my report helpful. 

The gun went off at 9:50 am. I left from the F zone, about 50 M behind the official start line. It took me a minute and twenty seconds before officially crossing the start line. For several minutes after the start, it was difficult to pick up the pace mainly due to congestion. But at the first up slope many runners started slowing down as resistance went up, and runners spread out. It made easier my passage through other runners. 

By the time I crossed the 10 K mark, there had been more than enough space around me, and I was able to freely maneuver to position myself through the course. 

After having ignored the first water station near the 7 K mark, I took my first cup of water at the second water station past the halfway point. But the cup was only a-third full, and it didn't help me much. But I didn't bother, and pressed on. 

After the 10 K mark for a few kilometers I was affected by northwestern winds. I carefully ran behind tall runners to minimize their influence. 

Near the 13 K mark, the course took a right and went into the park, where for a few kilometers the course kept winding in the shades. A sudden drop of temperature was a bliss for the body whose temperature had significantly risen. 

Once out of the park I was back on the main street leading to the stadium where the finish arch awaited. The course was gradually curving to the right over a stretch of about 500 M. I took the inner route so as not to run unnecessary extra yards. 

Then came the biggest challenge of the course: the Mihama Ohhashi Bridge over the Hanamigawa River. A long slope lasted for about 500 M. I pulled down my chin and took narrower strides. A while later I found my body sudden light. I went past the peak of height and the descent phase began. I immediately shifted the gear and took longer strides and hammered down the slope. I overtook one runner after another who couldn't pick up the pace after pushing too hard on the ascent phase. 

The high-rising building of the Apa Hotel on the right got larger and larger with each step. The sign with 20 K on it was in sight. I took a right shortly after that, and went right into the parking lot of the stadium. The finish line was near. An aid worker was waving a flag to guide in-coming runners to the right course. I was not sure where the finish line was. I didn't check it before the start. But about a hundred meters ahead two poles were visible painted in blue and white. That was it. After all, it was closer than I thought. Now is the time to kick. I swung my arms back and forth, in track mode, making believe that I was Rio Olympics gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya in his final hundred meters of the Olympic race! 

I crossed the finished line, coming to a complete halt all of a sudden, gasping for air, hearing my heart beat which seemed like it was about to explode like a dynamite. Several seconds later, I realized that I had forgotten to stop my watch, and pressed the stop button, and checked my finish time. It said: 1:37:22. I couldn't believe my eyes. Not only did I finish under 1:40:00, which I set as my moderate target,  but I also renewed my PB by a significant margin from my previous best from the half marathon on Dec. 3, 2017. 

Later I learned that the official gross time was 1:37:17, and deducing 1:20 that I lost at the start, my net time was 1:35:57. I didn't know what to say about the result.

To look back on my training, and ask myself what worked for getting the result I did, I'd say more long-distance training definitely worked. Also, always training in minimalist shoes as well as running the race in the same shoes was the biggest contributor. Here is why. It helped me keep the best form. 

My next race is next Sunday. It's Tateyama Wakashio Marathon 2018. It's a full marathon. I'm going to run in the same minimalist shoes. Well, they may be more aptly called slippers or socks because they are as thin as slippers and socks. But whatever you call them, I feel very secure when they are in my corner. I haven't decided it yet, but if the road condition is good, I may take them off in the last few kilometers so that I can cross the finish line barefooted. It would be awesome!

Triple Training: Total 43 K (24 K+12 K+7 K)

I did triple training to cover a total of 43 K. In triple training you have three sessions in one day. I do this when I don't feel motivated enough to run a challenging distance in one go. Running a distance beyond full marathon distance was important for me today, because in two weeks' time I have a full marathon, and it gives me sort of a security blanket to run beyond the race distance.

Originally I wanted to make it double training of a 30 K session before dinner and another session after dinner. But I couldn't go further than 24 K in the first session before dinner. And in the second session after dinner I ran out of gas after running 12 K. At this moment I was so out of gas, and COLD too. Wanting to have something sweet, I walked to a nearby drugstore to buy sponge cakes with raisins in them. I went home and sat in front of the heater as I munched a couple of sponge cakes. Before I knew it, an hour had passed! I mustered up all of my energy to go for the third session to run 6 more kilometers to make today's total 42 K. An hour break gave me the strength to go on. When I got home, just in order to make it genuinely "beyond full marathon distance" I went round a quarter-pie-shaped loop near my house to run extra one kilometer to make the total 43 K. I was so glad when I completed it.

The details of today's triple training is shown below:
<Session 1>
6 K: 34:28.24
P-break: 2:34.83
6 K: 35:57.89
Water break: 2:00.00
6 K: 34:07.04
Food break: 4:54.48
6 K: 36:24.43
Ice cream break: 2:00.00
Dinner: 1:00:00
<Session 2>
6 K: 36:17.13
Food break: 8:06.76
6 K: 36:12.60
Coco&sponge cake break: 1:04:19
<Session 3>
6 K: 34:40.13
Extra 1 K: 5:29.44
Total 43 K 

I'm not going to have any serious training before the half marathon race next Sunday. All I will do is just minor conditioning stuff such as 3 K build up, or 3 K pace run. Basically, the purpose is to keep the cardio-vascular system from being too lazy. I won't run beyond 3 K, because I don't want to get my legs too fatigued. I have given them enough stimulus. I will give them time to recover.

Interval Training in Aqua Shoes: 10 Sets by 1.3km at 4:07~4:25/1K Paces

With nine days remaining before Sanspo Chiba Marine Half Marathon 2018 that's held on Jan. 21, I did something extraordinary (well, for ME at least): 10 Sets by 1.3km interval training at 4:00/1K pace with a two-minute rest between reps. Of course, this pace is an ideal target. I wasn't sure if I could make it. But I wanted to aim for it.

The weather condition was good. It was very cold, but there was almost no wind. The quarter-pie-shaped loop near my house was deserted with just a few cars parked along the way. There's nothing to disturb my challenge. 

Round 1. I started off at a brisk pace, and kept it all along the way, and surged a little bit before the finish. The time was 5:22.26. Already behind my original target of 5:12 by ten seconds. But I was already fairly out of breath, and wasn't sure if I could crank up the pace any further. 

The two-minute rest time quickly evaporated.  Round 2 began. I felt reasonably warmed up from the first rep., and maintained a good pace throughout the rep. 5:21.40 was my time. I thought I was slower, but the time showed otherwise. 

From the third set on my time started deteriorating bit by bit, but there was nothing I could do. I was just not strong enough to run faster. 

When the first 5 sets were over, I considered taking a longer rest to improve my performance in each of the following sets, but I decided not to, because it could kill the benefit of the endeavor. 

In the second half of the training I ran one set with a kick in the last couple of hundred meters, and the following set without a big kick at the end. This allowed me to stay motivated. 

In the last set but one my time dipped to 5:45.18, which was tremendously demotivating, but I faced the reality and went on, hoping to get close to some of the more decent times in the first half. 

In the final lap I ran at a pretty brisk pace right from the start, and did my best to keep it. And in the last couple of hundred meters I put on a spurt like a mad man, taking much wider strides than usual, making good use of a rotational movement of my core to gain forward momentum. I pictured the moment of finish in a full marathon, and how my last second effort counted to finish under my target time. It's over. The time was 5:29. It wasn't as good as those from the first set, but I was glad I finished under 5:30. 

My heart beat like drums. I felt as if my whole body had become one big heart. I took a sip of warm wheat tea from my stainless bottle, and walked home. 

I was surprised how refreshed I felt when the training was over. I had expected to feel like a dead man. Well, I did feel like a zombie all right while running, but not so much so once it's over. That's the beauty of running training. It feels like shit before you do it. Once it's done, it feels like you're in seventh heaven.

The details of today's training is shown below:
①1.3km: 5:22.26
Rest: 2:00.32
②1.3km: 5:21.40
Rest: 2:00.32
③1.3km: 5:26.25
Rest: 2:00.15
④1.3km: 5:23.12
Rest: 2:00.28
⑤1.3km: 5:35.14
Rest: 2:00.38
⑥1.3km: 5:30.95
Rest: 2:00.68
⑦1.3km: 5:43.30
Rest: 2:00.39
⑧1.3km: 5:32.01
Rest: 2:00.24
⑨1.3km: 5:45.18
Rest: 2:00.35
⑩1.3km: 5:29.07
Total 13km: 1:13:11

My next training is probably this Sunday. I want to go for a long, and slow run, probably between 30 and 35 K. And if I can, I want to run extra 10 to 15 K at another time on the same day to make it double training to cover a beyond-full-marathon distance in preparation for a full marathon in Tateyama, Chiba that's scheduled for Jan. 28.

Minimalist Runner's Weekend Challenge: 4 Sets by 6 K (Total 24 K)

I ran 24 K on Sunday night, not in one go, but I split it into 4 sets of 6 K run. I had originally planned to run 15 K in the morning, and 30 K at night to cover 45 K in total. But I found myself too tired to do it; I hadn't recovered from a long run three days before. Plus, I had three motorcycle lessons, one in the morning and two in the afternoon that day. Anyway, as soon as I noticed my lower-than-usual energy level, I decided not to push myself too much. I started off at a very slow pace, warming up my body gradually. The first 6 K was run in over 35 minutes. It's a very slow pace, compared with my usual pace for the first lap. But thanks to the reasonable pace, I felt strong enough to go for another lap. But I felt a slight pain in my left toe, so I made a brief stop at my home to change my shoes, from split-tow running shoes "MUTEKI" to the pair of aqua shoes above. I immediately felt a difference. With the toe discomfort gone, I went for Round 2 with renewed motivation. 

The second lap was easier than the first. In the first set my whole body felt heavy, especially my legs. But in the second lap, with my cardio-vascular system fully in gear and all my muscles now in active mode, I felt stronger. The second lap was 33 minutes something, much faster than the first. I wanted to run farther. But I felt a need to fuel myself, so I got inside my home and had a sip of this special drink I made from sake lees and 'mirin', sweet sake rich in amino acids. It gave me the strength to do another lap. 

The third lap was as nice ans steady as the second one. I focused on my running form carefully. I paid special attention to the cadence: how many steps I take a minute. My eventual goal is hitting 200. But my average right now is between 180 and 190. When my cadence is near 180, my form is not very efficient. The duration of time of contact with the ground by each step is too long. It makes your leg fatigued much more quickly than when the duration is not so long; when the cadence is high, the time of contact is short, and the form is less fatiguing. I also tried to take shorter strides when going up. This minimizes energy loss. I finished my third lap between 34 and 35 minutes, a little faster than the first, but a little later than the second.

I thought I ran enough for the day, and went back inside my house. I immediately had a sip of my special drink, this time nice and hot as I was freezing. I bent my knees and bent my upper body over my things and lay in front of the heater with my eyes closed. It took me more than five minutes before I finally started feeling warm inside. When the third set was over, I never imagined that I would be able to run another set, but when my body got warmer, I thought I might be able to run another set. I thought I wanted to another set to cover a total of 24 K, instead of just 18 K. (I am running a half marathon in two weeks, and I always want to run beyond the race distance one or two weeks prior to the race.) So off I went for Round 4. 

I was slow at first, having trouble switching from the relaxed mode of inside the house and in front of the heater, to the harsh training mode of the outside in the freezing cold. But a few minutes of jogging made me forget about the comfort of home. I was alone in the dark again. I tried to pick up the pace, but my legs didn't respond to my will. The back of the right knee felt sore. Breathing was not so hard, but it was obviously that of a very tired man. I didn't have the strength in my mind-body to focus on technical aspects of my running form. I was running in the state of nothingness, moving my legs right left right left like an automaton on dying batteries. But as the goal approached and the prospect of the warm living room and a warm shower loomed in my mind, I suddenly felt exhilarated and found myself start laughing like a half-crazy man. And when I finally reached home and was wrapped with a warm air of the heated living room, I felt so glad that I didn't give up after the third set. 

I took a long gulp of cold water. I then took off my running gear and took a warm shower. When I got out of the shower room and put of my clothes, the softness of the fine cotton of underwear felt like a bliss from heaven. And as soon as I hit the bed, I slept like a baby. It was almost 10 hours later that I saw the sun light...

My next training will be this coming Thursday. I haven't decided what to do. I may do intervals. I may go for double training. Or I may go for a long run. I'll decide  based on my physical condition on that day. 

Double Training: 6 K + 24 K=30 K

With two big races coming soon, I tried double training to increase my running distance. I ran 6 K in 32:25.97 in the morning. And at midnight after coming home from work, I ran 24 K more to run a total of 30 K for the day. I put on a pair of aqua shoes (above) because a blister in my right sole was healed and it only needed minimum protection.

Although the short run in the morning was a breeze, reaching 24 K at midnight was not easy. I had originally wanted to run 36 K to make my daily total the full marathon distance of 42 K. But as soon as I started off, the target seemed too far to reach, and the pressure built in my mind. So in order to free my mind-body from the pressure, I said to myself that I could quit anytime. This worked. As I was finishing my first 6 K, I asked my mind-body if it wanted to quit now, or go on. It said, "Go on," so I went for another round, again saying to myself that I could quit after that set. But then when the second set was done, I still had some gasoline left in my tank, so I went for yet another round.  While running the second half of the set, though, I felt a slight pain in my right knee. This is a very common reaction when I run beyond 17 K. I never think it's a structural problem though the pain always takes place in the knee joint. I believe it's my subconscious begging me to stop. So I decided to call it a day after that set.

Once home, I quenched my thirst with a warm cup of 'amazake', a drink made from sake lees. I added a large spoonful of sake, and three large spoonfuls of 'mirin', a liquid type seasoning make from sake rich in amino acids. It's my special sports drink. I put on the heater and sat in front of it to warm my body and hands  that were almost frozen after running in the cold. As I enjoyed having the drink, my body gradually felt warmer and warmer. Once I finished the drink, though, the knee pain was mysteriously gone, and I felt like a new man. With a renewed motivation, I left home to have another 6 K run to make a daily total of 30 K. The last set was run at a very brisk pace, unlike the immediately previous one.

One thing I learned from today's training is: "Just because you feel pain doesn't mean you must finish your training. If you take a rest, sometimes you can continue your practice. So don't think rest is failure."

My next training will be this coming Sunday. I am planning to take another shot at  double training consisting of 30 K run in the morning and 12 K at night. It will be great if I can include some speed-focused interval training in the night session. But that depends on how fatigued I will be after running 30 K earlier in the day.

The details of today's double training is shown below:
<Morning>
6 K: 32:25.97 
<Midnight>
6 K: 32:52.79 
6 K: 34:06.99
6 K: 35:32.00 
Food break: About 10 minutes
6 K: 33:20.95
Total 30 K: 2:47:78 (without including the food break)

New Year's Interval Training in MUTEKI: Mixed K's

Happy new year, fitness fans of the world! Today is the first day of Year 2018. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading my blog. I look forward to sharing with you more of exciting athletic events.

The first training that I chose for this special day is mixed K's. In this training you run one-kilometer repeats at three different paces with breaks of varied lengths between reps. I put on a pair of MUTEKI, because my blister hadn't healed yet, and it needed protection. 

I jogged for 3 kilometers to warm up, and then did my first K, aiming at my full marathon pace of 5:10/K. The first lap was 5:07.97. Not bad. I rested for 30 seconds, and took off for the second rep, this time aiming for my half marathon pace of 4:45/K. I finished at 4:13.90. Way faster than I thought. I rested for a minute and a half, because I needed a longer rest for recovery after increasing the pace. I then left for the third rep, aiming at 4:30/K, which is my 10 K pace. I finished at 4:32.28. Just a little bit slower than I wanted. Once it's done, the rest was the longest, 2 minutes. This is one set. And I repeated it two more sets to cover a total of 9 K by this training, which was more than enough for a man who had run 33 K in bare feet three days ago, and 15 more K the following day, including 20 sets of alternate runs of one-minute fast run and one-minute jog.

I jogged 3 more K to wind up the training. The details of today's training is shown below:

3 K jog: 17:11.20

1st K: 5:07.97

Rest: 29.66

2nd K: 4:13.90

Rest: 1:30.77

3rd K: 4:32.28

Rest: 2:00.36

4th K: 4:38.97

Rest: 30.41

5th K: 4:40.93

Rest: 1:30.42

6th K: 4:20.60

Rest: 2:00.37

7th K: 5:01.57

Rest: 30.31

8th K: 4:30.46

Rest: 1:30.39

9th K: 4:25.03

3 K jog: 16:05.99

Total: 15 K: 1:24:54

My next training will probably be on Wednesday night. I'm planning to slowly run 18 K, with an increase of 3 K from today's distance. 

New Year's Video Message (In Japanese)

https://youtu.be/q3AqNitQb04