6 K Run in the Rain

Feb. 28, 2019
6 K: 34:17.19

This is my second run after Ohme. It's short. It's slow. But it's better than nothing. I haven't been able to run as often as I used to before Ohme, mainly because I've had other priorities. They forced me to go to work much, much earlier than usual. They also forced me to work longer hours. Technically, I'm allowed to adjust my overtime work by going to work late or getting off work early, but practically, so many events were scheduled back to back, and I just couldn't choose to run at the sacrifice of sleep. Sleep is one of the most important elements of my health.

Anyway, I could have skipped my practice run tonight, but that would have made me frustrated to the degree where it could affect my mental health at work, so I decided to go for a short run and settle for that. It turned out to be the right decision, because right after I hit the road in the rain I felt like shit, but when I got home, I felt great. It's always like this. I know it is. That's why I ran although one side of me said, "Hey Gak, let's hit the bed, shall we? We have an early start tomorrow."

First Solid Practice Run After Ohme

Feb. 24, 2019

5.1 K : 29:28.65

<Hill Repeats>

1st 400 M: 1:57.93 

Jog 400 M: 2:30.33

2nd 400 M: 1:48.78

Jog 400 M: 2:30.66

5.1 K: 28:53.73

Total 11.8 K: 1:07:10

I had my first solid practice run after Ohme. Up until tonight I was simply too burned out to do anything. I went for a short walk in mid week, but that's about it. But I wasn't too worried. The same happened in the past. I'm usually like this after a big race. Plus, I have had enough experience to know how to restart my training to regain the competitive edge that I need to run a race. 

Tonight I added two fast runs up a 400 M hill to my regular 10.2 K run. 

I ran in socks. (See above.) They withstood the friction against the road.  There wasn't a single hole in each of the soles. Compared with split-toe minimalist shoes "MUTEKI" there was a greater feeling of freedom. They are lighter too. I should run in socks more often.

Race Report: Ohme 30 K Road Race 2019

On Feb. 17, 2019 I ran the 53rd Ohme 30 K Road Race. I renewed my previous PR of 2:29:45 (Gross)/2:27:10 (Net) by almost two and a half minutes to finish at 2:27:22 (Gross)/2:24:31 (Net). 

(日本語版はコチラ！)

It was my first time to run the entire race completely in bare feet; last year I ran in aqua shoes and took them off at 2 kilometers to the finish line. Though I embarked on the race with a mixed feeling of excitement and anxiety, as the race progressed, excitement as well as the increasing determination to complete the feat got the better of anxiety, and I was able to cross the finish line without giving in to the excruciating pain in both of my naked soles. Below is a report of how I ran the race.

The temperature was 8 degrees Celsius at the start time of 11:30 a.m. It was sunny with slight north northeast winds. The humidity was around 33 %. Daytime highs were expected to reach 13 degrees Celsius around the time of my estimated finish time of 2:00 p.m.

Two big guests were invited to the event: Sydney Olympics women's marathon gold medalist Ms. Naoko Takahashi and Athens Olympics women's marathon gold medalist Ms. Mizuki Noguchi. Shortly before the official start Ms. Takahashi gave the waiting runners advice and a pep talk. After that, Ms. Noguchi took over, and banged the gun, and the race was officially under way!

Just as always, it's not until after the first couple of minutes that you can start "running" because there are so many runners in my coral as well as those in front of mine, and they move slowly near the start line as they wave at the guests and also because quite a few even take out their smartphones to take photos of them. Being a huge fan of the both runners I got close to the side where the car stood that had the stage on top where the guests stood to wave at the passing runners. When I finally reached the car, I looked up at the stage and said, "Noguchi san!!" She heard my voice, looked down on me, and cried, "Wow, barefoot!" It was then followed by a friendly comment by Ms. Takahashi, "Watch your step!"

Having my barefoot attempt recognized by the both Olympic gold medalists, I was ecstatic. It sure is going to be one of the most memorable races that I'll ever have run."  

The first few kilometers are almost flat. I carefully checked the road surface condition as I mentally calculated how much the damage to my soles would eventually amount to as the race progressed. I carefully ran on the center line with smooth surface to minimize the damage to the sole. 

Toward the 5 K mark near JR Miyanohira Station a gentle ascent continues and once it peaks near the station a long descent follows. This slope, which becomes an ascent when coming back, is going to be the second of the two challenges in the latter half of the race. In the past I would often come to a complete halt around here due to a cramp in my leg. I was weak. And I was inexperienced. This year I was most looking forward to it, because I was prepared to overtake struggling runners who went too bullish and ran out of gas.

Near the 8 K mark another descent began. This time it's much longer than the first one near Myanohira Station. This is the heart-break hill of Futamatao, and it's the biggest challenge in the second half. In the first half, though, this is where you can catch up on the time loss in the initial phase. There is no runner coming back yet on the opposite lane, so quite a few runners stepped over the center line and overtook slower runners ahead. I was one of them. 

Soon the 10 K mark was in sight. The sensor bar is set across the road, and is covered with a rubber sheet to keep runners from stumbling. It's located in a shade created by a small forest on the left. The temperature noticeably drops almost by a degree or two. A beep echoed in the mountain as one runner after another went past the sensor.

Shortly past the 10 K mark, my friend Taeko san was in sight. She is an aid worker. She stood on the center line to navigate runners away from the opposite lane, because in no time leaders were expected to return from the turning point. 

No sooner had I exchanged greetings with Taeko san than the leader returned forwarded by two police officers on motorcycles. It's Ezekiel Chebotibin of Kenya. He came flashing down like a thunder lightning and went out of my sight like a fleeting phantom. Up close he was beautiful like a wild cheetah in savanna. 

The second group came almost a minute or two after Ezekiel. Then a series of young college athletes followed in groups of varied sizes. The number of returning runners started to increase little by little after that. And in no time it became a flood of advanced citizen runners. 

Around the 12 K mark near JR Mitake Station my bilingual companion was expecting me. She and I had carefully discussed the meeting point, so I was easily able to spot her almost 50 meters away. I slowed down a little so that she could take photos of me with ease. I waved at her and posed for photo-shooting. Soon I got back in business. Next time I see her is around the 18 K mark when I am returning from the turning point. 

Between the 12 K mark and the turning point the course is basically an ascent. And it becomes steeper as the turning point gets near. The road gets narrower in this part and passage through runners becomes harder. But I didn't want to slow down because of slowing runners. I maneuvered through them for time gain. 

While running the last few kilometers of the first half, I was able to meet Mr. F returning from the top. He is a student of mine at the English school I work at. He is a much faster runner than myself. Thanks to the tiger print one-piece costume I had on he spotted me easily and waved at me. We exchanged a high five, and wised each other the best of luck. 

His bullish run inspired me to drive myself up the hill. I changed the gear, took shorter, but much faster strides, and overtook one runner after another. Increasing the pace at this stage of the race would be hard to do in the past, because I was afraid of running out of gas in the second half. But this year I didn't have the slightest concern. I was stronger. I was more efficient. So when I finally reached the turning point, I was almost two minutes ahead of schedule. And I was still full of legs. 

Now a major descent started. From this point on, it's a totally different ball game. I shifted the gear up, and stormed down the slope like a mad dog. I could tell the friction on the sole increased, but I didn't feel much pain mainly because of an adrenaline rash. 

Hashimoto san, who I ran many races together, found me and called my name as we passed each other. Soon Fujimori san, found me and shouted, "Go, caveman!" from the opposite lane. I returned thank you to both of them, and wished them both a good run.

Before the 20 K mark local sweets were served. I grabbed one small piece of cake with 'yuzu' citrus flavored sweet bean paste in it, and motivated myself to tackle the biggest challenge of the second half--the heart-break hill of Futamatao. 

Between the food station and the hear-break hill I saw Taeko san again, and she and I exchanged a high five. It lifted my spirits.  

When I finally reached the start of the hill, I was more excited than tired. God only knows how many times had I practiced running up hills in my training leading to the race. My whole body immediately adjusted to the change in incline and I didn't feel like I was going up at all. My heart rates remained almost the same, and the top of the hill got nearer and nearer with each step. I was overtaken by a number of runners while climbing, but since my heart rates were well under control I wasted no time to shift the gear when a descent started again. I overtook all the runners who had overtaken me while climbing. But they had no legs to strike back. 

I pressed on for a few kilometers until I finally reached the start of the second uphill before JR Miyanohira Station. By this time though, my soles had gotten rather sore. I was afraid there was a minor cut in the right toe, and another in the right heel. But there's no way I stop and check them. I ran on the center line because it's smoother than the car lane. 

I made a stop at the water station at the 25 K mark just before the station. I grabbed a cup of sports drink and a cup of water. It's going to be my last hydration stop. Once I reach the top of the hill, it's all going down for about one kilometer, and after that it's all flat through downtown Ohme.

I increased the pace once past the station and the course started going down. But the soreness in the sole got worse with each step. I continued to run on the center line which was blocked by aid workers who were there to keep runners from getting into the opposite lane. But most of them allowed my passage on the center line when they saw me storming down with presumably a face of a mad man and nothing on my feet. I heard some say, "Holy mackerel! Bare feet!?"

As the finish line approached the size of the cheering crowd got larger and the volume of their cheering voice got louder. Many recognized me and congratulated me on my safe return with some wildly reacting to my barefooted attempt at one of the most prestigious races that Tokyo hosts.

When I finally reached the last intersection before the finish, I looked high and low for my bilingual companion who was supposed to have returned from JR Mitake Station by then. But I couldn't find her. Assuming she couldn't come back in time in the back of my head because the official timer said two twenty-seven something gross when I turned the corner. That's almost the same as my net time from the previous year. There is a hundred meters left. I should be able to finish under 2:28:00 gross unless I have a heart attack before crossing the finish line. And I didn't. I crossed the line at 2:27:22. The net time should surely be a lot better than that, which means I have renewed my PR. And without shoes on!! 

At the rest area for finishers a number of costumed runners kindly came to me and congratulated me on my barefoot completion. One of them was a guy dressed as Batman. Another was a man dressed as a 'Shocker' from popular hero drama "The Masked Rider". I was so glad, although by then the power of adrenaline suddenly started to wane, and the pain in the sole felt more acute and even slow walking became almost unbearable. I tip-toed back inside the gym and waited for my runner friends. 

That night I had the most delicious beer in recent months with my runner friends at a local izakaya restaurant. 

My next race is Sakura Asahi Kenko Marathon 2019. It takes place on Mach 24. The road condition is far worse than in Ohme. I am not sure if my soles can withstand the viciously rough condition of almost the 80% of the entire course. But I want to give it a try, because only in an unknown territory will I be able to discover something exciting. 

裸足で自己ベスト更新！第53回青梅マラソン大会レポート (Barefoot Race Report: Ohme 30 K Road Race 2019)

Feb. 17, 2019

30 K: 2:27:22 (Gross)/2:24:31 (Net)

(English version soon to be available!)

2019年2月17日（日）第53回青梅マラソンに裸足で出走。2:27:22 (Gross)/2:24:31 (Net)のタイムでフィニッシュ。自己ベストを更新した。この大会で全区間を裸足で走破することに挑んだのは今回が初めて。初挑戦で目標を達成し、自己ベスト更新のおまけまで付いた。満足している。以下にレースの様子を記す。市民ランナーの皆さんの参考になればと思う。

＜レース前夜＞

福生のホテルに前泊。当日朝をゆとりをもって迎えるのが狙い。前夜は福生の名店「福生的中華食堂５０（ﾌｨﾌﾃｨ）」でスープ炒飯に青梗菜と湯葉の炒め物を食す。また駅前の西友で活けホッキの刺身を買い求め、納豆と白米と共に食した。炭水化物、ビタミン、ミネラルの十分な摂取が狙い。揚げ物とアルコールは避けること、食べ過ぎないことに２点に留意した。

＜レース当日＞

朝食はホテルで提供されたお結びと味噌汁に加え、前夜スーパーで買った八朔とバナナ、それに活けホッキの刺身を食べた。朝食がレース中のエネルギーに直接なるわけではないが、覚醒を促しやる気を創出するのには役立つ。消化に負担とならないようよく噛み、適量を心がけた。コーヒーは飲まない。利尿作用が働き脱水が促進されるからだ。

9時半にJRは河辺駅でラン友と待ち合わせ、受付のある河辺小学校へ向かった。大会Tシャツとゼッケンを受け取ると、選手控え室のある総合体育館でスタートの時刻を待った。

スタート時刻の20分間前、体育館前でラン友と記念撮影を行い、スタート地点へ向かう。スタートゾーンは過去の成績によって前から順に区分けされている。5000番台のゾーンへ辿り着くと、そのゾーンからスタートするラン友のHさんとIさんに別れを告げて、自身のゼッケン3000番台のゾーンへさらに歩を進める。自身のゾーンに到着する頃には、スタートまで５分を切ろうとしていた。既にトイレは済ませた後だったが、ゾーンの左横に簡易トイレがあったので、念のため最後の用足しをした。出走間際だったため、全く並ぶことなく用を足せた。

８年前、初めてこの大会に出場したときには、スタートゾーンが遥か後方で、オフィシャルのスタートラインに辿り着くまでに、10分近くかかった記憶がある。今年は、オフィシャルスタートラインの位置を示す巨大な標識が、自身の立つ位置から容易に見ることができた。回を重ねるごとにタイムを縮め、ついにここまで辿り着いたかと思うと感慨ひとしおだった。

スタート数分前、シドニー五輪の金メダリスト高橋尚子さんの挨拶とランニングアドバイスがあり、次いでアテネ五輪の金メダリスト野口みずきさんの打ち鳴らす号砲でレースはスタートした。

号砲の直後しばらくは、のろのろ歩行が続く。しかしほどなくして集団が解れ始めると、次第に人の流れが速くなり３分もせぬまにゲストスターターの立つ壇上の麓へと近づくことができた。下から見上げる野口さんに向かって彼女の名を叫ぶ。気がついた野口さんが私の姿を見て「わぁ、裸足～！」と言った。ついで隣にいた高橋尚子選手が「足元気をつけて～」と言うのが聞こえた。稀代のメダリスト二人に声を掛けてもらい天にも昇る高揚感に包まれながらスタート地点のある東青梅の駅前を後にした。

スタートから１～２㌔は平坦な道が続く。その後５㌔付近の宮ノ平駅にかけてコースはゆるやかに上って行く。スタート時点の寒さ対策で、防寒装備をしていたランナーの中には、この辺からアームウォーマーやネックウォーマーを脱ぐ人が多い。混雑によってスピードが一時的に遅くなるクランク部分では、ランナーから出る熱気が道路に充満して気温がわずかに上昇するのが感じられた。

宮ノ平駅を過ぎると今度はしばらく下りが続く。この区間は復路では上りになる部分だ。初めて走った大会では後半ここで足が攣って失速した。持久力が格段に向上した今は、逆にペース配分を間違えで失速するランナーをごぼう抜きできる楽しみな区間だ。

３００メートル近い下りが終わると、コースは再び上りに転じ、その後８㌔過ぎで再度下り始める。この下りは宮ノ平駅過ぎの下りと比べて遥かに長く勾配も急だ。これがかの有名な復路屈指の難所、二俣尾の坂だ。往路では、前半の混雑でロスしたタイムを唯一縮められる貴重な区間だ。先頭集団が未だ折り返しておらず反対車線が空いているため、中央線をはみ出して追い越しをかけるランナーが多い。私もその一人だった。

9㌔過ぎで下りが終わると、後は基本的に折り返し地点まではずっと上りだ。左に高い木立が現れ日差しが遮られると、日陰の気温が一気に下がるのが感じられた。やがて目の前に10㌔の計測地点が現れる。センサーを覆う黒いラバーシートの上を次々とランナーが走り過ぎ、その都度選手の通過を知らせるピピッ、ピピッというアラーム音が山間に木霊した。

１０㌔計測地点の先には、市民ランナーの大先輩で、陸連の大会ガイドを務めるTさんが、中央線の上で選手を誘導していた。大きな声でTさんの名前を叫ぶと、満面の笑みとピースサインで応えてくれた。

その後間もなく先導の白バイ隊に導かれてトップランナーが折り返してきた。第51回大会の優勝者ケニア出身のチェボティビン・エゼキエル選手だ。長いストライドを伸びやかに回転させ稲妻のように駆け抜けるエゼキエル選手の背後の山並みが、一瞬アフリカの赤土に広がるサバンナに錯覚された。。。

第2集団が現れたのは、その後１分以上経った後のことだった。始めはまばらだった折り返しのランナーの数は、その後時間が経つごとに徐々に増え、やがてそれは、山の麓へ向かって押し寄せる巨大な土石流のような人の奔流となった。

１２㌔付近の御嶽駅前で、チアリーダーのCがカメラを手に今や遅しと私の到着を待っていた。前日入念な打ち合わせをしてあったので、駅前の中華料理屋の向かいで待機するCの姿は50㍍以上手前から確認することができた。カメラマンの期待に応えてスピードを落とし、笑顔とガッツポーズで声援に応えた。

折り返しまで1.5㌔に迫るころ、勤め先の受講生のFさんが必死の形相で駆け下りてくるのが見えた。私の着ていた虎柄のワンピースのおかげFさんも坂を登り来る私の姿が見えたらしい。擦れ違いざまに声を掛け合い、ハイタッチで互いの健闘を祈願しあった。

Fさんの必死の走りは、私に新たな活力を与えた。私はギアを一段シフトすると、トレーニングの中で数え切れないほど練習した要領で歩幅を狭めると、着地点をやや手前にし、まな板の上で葱を刻むような軽快な足取りでトントンと坂を駆け上がり、勾配がキツくなるにつれて失速するランナーの間を縫うようにして順位を上げた。

やがて14.5㌔の川井駅周辺の応援スポットに到着すると、割れんばかりの声援に包まれながら、折り返し地点へ通じる最後の坂へと進んでいった。

折り返し地点へ辿り着いたのは、前年よりも約３分早い1時間16分台だった。無理してペースを上げたつもりが全く無かったので、この一年で持久力が格段に向上していることに自信を得た。

一度折り返すと、私はさらにギアを一段シフトして、下りを利用して一気に加速した。途中道路が狭いため、思うように前のランナーを追い越せないことに苛立ちが募ったが、その分後半に余力を残せると前向きに捉えるようにした。

復路で１８㌔地点となるJR御嶽駅前で、再びチアリーダーのCを発見し、構えられたカメラに向かって精一杯の愛嬌をふりまいた。

２０㌔地点の手前で名物のゆずまんじゅうがふるまわれた。２１㌔付近の二俣尾の坂を攻めるのに必要なやる気を創出するために、私は迷わず一つを手に取ると、口に放り込んだ。ゆずあんの甘さが口に広がり、最後の１０㌔を力強く走りきる意欲が、内側から漲るのが感じられた。

やがて二俣尾の坂が目の前に現れた。坂の中腹では名物のロッキーのテーマが流れていた。以前はここで無理をして結果的に後半失速していた自分だが、今では戦略的な走りに徹している。歩幅を再び小さく取り、重心のやや手前に着地するように心がけ、足の筋肉の力ではなく、腱の反発を利用して効率よく坂を登った。従って、坂の頂上へ到達しても、心拍数の極端な上昇が無く、直ちにギアをシフトして、下りを猛スピードで加速することができた。上りで私を抜き去ったランナーも、ここで再度私に抜かれることなる。しかし上りでエネルギーを使った足に、追う力は既に残っていない。・・・。

ついに宮ノ平の頂上を極めて最後の給水を終えた私は、最後の下りと、ゴールへ通じる市街地のフラットな区間を残すのみとなった。体力的に十分な余力を残して25㌔地点を通過できたことは当初の計画通りだったが、一つ大きな問題が生じていた。足裏のダメージが重なって知覚過敏の症状が現れていたのだ。こうした場合、取れる有効な手段の一つは中央線のペイントの上を走ることだ。路面状況が必ずしも理想的とは言えない最後の5㌔で、未塗装部分を走り続けた場合、知覚過敏が進行して、どこかのタイミングで意欲がポキっと音を立てて折れかねない。それだけはどうしても避けたかった。中央線の近くには、陸連の大会ガイドの方々が立っていて中央線をはみ出させないように誘導をしている。私は必死の形相で走り、足裏へのダメージを最小限にするため意図的に中央線の上を走っていることをアピールした。幸いなことに、殆どの大会ガイドがそんな私の状況を酌んでくれて、般若の形相で私が加速してくるのを見ると、一歩下がって道を譲ってくれるのだった。しかし一方で、靴を履いた市民ランナーが中央線の上を、訳もなくだらだらと走るのにはいささか閉口した。そうしたランナーが目の前に現れるたびに、私は一度中央線から車線へ蛇行し、遅いランナーを抜き去った後、再び中央線の上へ戻り加速し、再び同じようなランナーが居ると、再度またそのランナーを迂回し前に出てから中央線に戻るという無駄な動きを余儀なくされた。私の足裏はその都度大きなダメージを受け、残り2㌔の市街地へ戻ってくる頃には、往路では全く痛みを感じることの無かった青梅駅前のアスファルト道路が、針のむしろに感じられるのだった。それでもゴールへ右折する最後の交差点が視界に入ると、歓喜の思いが胸を突き上げ、それまで感じていた痛みが、ウソのように吹き飛んだ。いつもなら交差点でカメラを構えて待っているチアリーダーのCの姿を探したが見つからなかった。交差点に設置されたオフィシャルタイマーが２７分に切り替わるのが見えた。このままスパートすれば、Gross２７分台でフィニッシュできる。昨年ネットで２７分台を記録して自己ベストを更新した自分は、Gross／Net共にほぼ確実に自己ベストを再更新する予見の中、最後の力を振り絞ってホームストレッチを駆け下った。フィニッシュラインを切った時、時計は２時間２７分２２秒を示していた。後でわかったが、チアリーダーのCは、私のフィニッシュタイムが予想を上回った為に、御嶽駅から河辺駅に戻るのが間に合わなかったそうだ。それはカメラマンには残念だったが、選手からすれば嬉しい誤算となった。

フィニッシュ直後興奮と感動で何も感じることのできなかった自分だが、１分もすると、それまで感じなかった激痛を足裏に感じて、歩くことも難儀になった。路面の劣悪な急坂を猛スピードで加速したダメージは相当だったのだ。

完走した選手を向かいいれるテント小屋の前では、コース中に私を見かけた市民ランナーが、次々と声を掛けてくれた。その中には毎年お見かけするバットマンやショッカーの姿もあった。かつては自分自身がスゴいなぁと感心していた仮装ランナーの皆さんから、そうして特別な声を掛けられる、原始人コスチュームと裸足走のマリアージュが創出する感興の凄まじさに、あらためて驚いた。

その日は、河辺駅前の魚民で、無事完走したラン友達と寒空の中熱心に応援してくれたチアリーダーのCと共に祝杯をあげ、ランナー談義に花を咲かせながら、互いの健闘を称えあった。

今この瞬間も、触れば飛び上がるほど足裏がひりひりするが、それも明日になればおさまるだろう。館山若潮マラソンを裸足で完走した時も、直後足裏はそれまで見たことの無い巨大な血豆が２個もできて靴を履くのも難儀だったが、痛いのはその日だけだった。翌日は何も無かったようにスニーカーが履けたし、走ることもできた。人間の耐久力と回復力は、私達が想像するより遥かに偉大なのである。

次のレースは３月２４日の佐倉朝日健康マラソン。劣悪を極める田舎のコンクリート道路を、全区間裸足で走破するのが目標だ。

Hill Intervals: 1 K by 2 Sets

Feb. 15, 2019

3 K: 18:07.16

Rest: 1:00.14

1 K: 4:19.23

Rest: 1:00.30

1 K: 4:04.62 

Rest: 1:04.92

3 K: 17:11.59

Total 8 K: 46:47.96 

This is the last training scheduled before the Ohme 30 K Road Race held this coming Sunday. The weather forecast says it will be sunny. Day time highs are expected to reach 11 degrees Celsius. There will be mild north-northwestern winds according to the forecast, which is next to nothing. It will be an ideal condition for long-distance running. 

I reviewed my previous records for a rough estimate of when to reach the turning point. I hope to reach there somewhere between 1:18:00 and 1:19:00.

If you are interested in following me on Runners' Updates, my bib number is 3372. I hope to cross the finish line within 2:33:00 after the gun goes off at 11:30 a.m. That's 2:03 p.m. But I don't know. Condition-wise I couldn't better. But it's going to be my first barefoot 30 K race. I won't be able to run downhill as fast as I would if I had shoes on. That's mainly because I must control the speed when going down to minimize the damage on the sole. But to be totally honest, I have no idea what's going to happen. I feel like Neil Armstrong going to the Moon. I'm running to the unknown. 

1K Fast Run by 2 Sets with a 20-Minute Jog Before & After it

Two days to go before the Ohme 30 K Road Race. Tonight I'm doing 2 fast-paced 1K repeats with a minute's rest. There is a 20-minute jog to warm up and another to warm down. The main purpose of running at different paces is to get the body's various systems activated so that on the race day, they will be in A-1 condition.

After training, I will give a good massage to the legs; there is slight soreness from accumulated lactic acid. A little massage after a long hot bath will hopefully alleviate it.

One-Hour Recovery Run, Listening to the Commentary for Berlin Marathon 2018 While Running

Feb. 14, 2019
1:04:49

I ran for 1:04:49 very slowly to recover from the 10 build up on the previous night. I listened to the commentary for Berlin Marathon 2018 while running to motivate myself. It's the race in which Eliud Kipchoge smashed the previous world best record to finish in 2:01:39. I pictured him hammering down the streets of Berlin, and pictured myself also surging in the last few kilometers of the race that I'm running this Sunday.

 Tomorrow night I will sandwich a couple of fast-paced Ks with a 20-minute jog to keep my cardio in nice nick. On Saturday I will give myself a rest, except that I might run in the morning so that there will be sufficient resting time before the race.

I haven't run in bare feet for almost an entire week. I'm afraid my soles have softened a bit.  If they have, they may not be able to withstand the landing shock against the road. I'm hoping an adrenaline rash will keep me from feeling any pain. 

10 K Build Up

Feb.13, 2019

2.5 K: 15:18.15

2.5 K: 14:32.50

2.5 K: 14:00.43

2.5 K: 10:42.53

Total 10 K: 54:33.60

I ran a 2.5 K loop in my neighborhood 4 times. I started off slowly, and then gradually increased the pace until I finally ran the last lap @ 4:17/K. The course tonight is almost completely flat. I visualized the last 3 K of the Ohme 30 K Road Race as I hammered down the road, because that part of the race is also flat. 

As always, during the first 20 minutes I didn't feel good at all. Then sometime around the end of the second lap, I suddenly felt light, and saw my watch. It's about 24 minutes since I started. It's always around this timing that I get a dopamine rash to start feeling better. 

The increase in pace in the last lap was sudden and significant, but I was able to handle is fairly easily. 

Tomorrow I will jog for an hour or so, just to keep my cardio-vascular system in good nick.

10.4 K Jog with One 1 K Time Trial

Feb. 12, 2019

4.1 K: 27:54.00

Rest: 1:00.07

1 K: 3:32.98

Rest: 1:00.39

5.3 K: 34:29.77

Total 10.4 K: 1:07:57

Six days to go before the Ohme 30 K Road Race. I was sleepy. And my legs felt heavy. I didn't know how to deal with my low motivation associated with these physical conditions. I spent almost an hour in my study, unable to make up my mind whether I should run or rest. When I finally threw myself into my running gear to hit the road, it was almost a quarter to 1:00 a.m. I decided to run the hilly shuttle course for a minimum of 6 K. If I was in a mood for it, I might do a few repeats of the hilliest part of the course. 

When I reached the turning point, which is exactly 3 K from home, I decided to keep straight to reach the water treatment plant an additional 600 M down the road, because I felt like doing a 1 K time trial around the 1 K loop next to the water treatment plant.

I rested a minute before taking off for the time trial. I immediately got in top gear and pressed on. I turned the first corner into the narrowest section of the loop that is only slightly going down. Passing an intersection at the far end of the narrow street, the course continued to slightly go down. I widened my strides for a time gain. I crossed another intersection, this time, to get into a slight upward incline. I shortened my strides and increased cadence to minimize energy loss. Once the upward incline was over, I changed my gear again and started winding up. I turned two corners, still trying to hold on to the same pace, but once into the final stretch I widened my strides to put on a last spurt. Tears welled up in my eyes for reason I didn't know. It happens sometimes when I'm running at a far faster pace than usual. Oxygen debt was now maximum. The legs would not move as well as I wanted them to. The light came nearer and nearer with each step that marked the goal. Breathing was hard. I gasped for air, but air just didn't seem to properly come into my lungs. Time seemed to have stopped. I felt like I was pushing through vacuum. A second passed. Then another. The next moment I stopped the timer on my Ironman, and my body suddenly relaxed. I bent forward and couldn't move an inch for a while. Then I slowly raised my upper body and started walking. The watch said: 3:32:98. It's almost 10 seconds slower than my PR for 1 K. I may have put on weight. Or I was simply too tired to give a go at renewing my PR. But either way, there was a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. I did something I would never have imagined I would be doing when I first left home tonight. I felt like shit at first, feeling heavy, feeling sleepy, and simply feeling unmotivated. But now I felt like I was in seventh heaven.

After taking a minute's break I started jogging around the water treatment plant counter-clockwise to cover the remaining 1.7 K of the periphery road. 

Once I made a full circle around the water plant, I went back where I came from, enjoying the physiological changes that inevitably occurred after anaerobic training. The legs are still slightly under the influence of oxygen debt experienced, so they tend to be tense and sore. But on the other hand, breathing suddenly becomes a lot easier. It almost feels like your lungs got two times larger, capable of taking in twice as much oxygen in one breath!  It's a great feeling. And it is this feeling that makes me go for fast-paced anaerobic training no matter how hard it is when you are doing it.

After coming home, I took a quick shower and sat on my computer to write this blog post. With my small study heated comfortably, my eyes got heavy, and before I knew I fell asleep. Next time I opened my eyes, my watch said 5:47 a.m. I slept almost three hours at the desk. The heater was already off. And the room was getting colder. I went to the guest room where futon was ready, and crashed. My mind went blank in a second. 

10.5 K Jog with Occasional Surges

Feb. 10, 2019

10.5 K: 56:33.63

It's a week to the Ohme 30 K Road Race. At this stage of preparation there isn't much you can do to improve your overall running ability so dramatically. All you can do is carefully conditioning your mind-body and avoiding injury. Two things are important, I believe. One is keep your cardio-vascular system active by running around 10 K daily. The other is not running too long a distance so as not to over-exhaust your legs. 

I didn't feel as motivated as I should be before I ran. After the Tateyama Wakashio Marathon I had been experiencing a minor case of burnout. I resorted to a number of different ways to stay motivated. One is to run a shorter distance. Another is to run a different route. Tonight I resorted to the latter method. I Googled-mapped a new 10 route and ran it. It turned out to be richer in undulation than I'd imagined. I was glad. I decided to surge when climbing an upward incline. It created a meaningful change of pace throughout the run, and made it fun to sustain. 

Three Reasons You Should Watch "The Wizard of Oz"/『オズの魔法使い』（1939）("The Wizard of Oz")を見るべき３つの理由

If you haven't watched 1939 musical "The Wizard of Oz" yet, you should watch it. There are three reasons:
1) It moves you.
2) It's educational.
3) It's artistically impressive.

Let me illustrate them one by one.

1) It moves you.

The musical moves you. How does it do it? Well, by making you realize the importance of something that you often take for granted. In this movie it is "your home" and "people you live with". Dorothy, the main character of the movie ends up in unknown land, away from home and away from people she lived with. Through her journey she realizes how precious they truly are. Through the eyes of Dorothy, those of us who watch the movie also stop and think about how precious their home is as well as people who we live with are to our lives. 

2) It's education.

How do you judge that something is educational? One way is to see whether or not it helps one to mentally grow as an individual. What is a measurement of one's mental growth? One yardstick is the range of different people you can be friends with.  What is an essential element of becoming friends with a variety of different kinds of people. According to motivational speaker Brian Tracy it is your self-esteem. Self-esteem is how much you can say, "I like myself" from the bottom of your heart. When your ego is not fully matured, you cannot genuinely say, "I like myself." When you watch the musical, you get to learn that one big reason one cannot say "I like myself" is a feeling of inferiority. In the musical there are three other chief characters alongside Dorothy. They are Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. They all have a feeling of inferiority, a feeling that something is fatally missing. For Scarecrow, it's a brain. For Tin Man it's heart. And for Lion, it's bravery. As we see them struggle to get what they want through their journey, we learn that we are not the only people who suffer a feeling of inferiority. We come to accept that every feels inferior in one way or another.  And as we see the three characters overcome their inferiority complex, we feel that we too can overcome our feeling of inferiority if we try. We get empowered.  It's a major confidence booster. 

3) It's artistically impressive.

Two things stand out artistically when you see the musical. One is acting. The other is stage direction. As far as the former is concerned, Lion's acting is beyond description. Because it's a musical, there is a solo singing every now and then. When Lion sings, you can immediately tell that he is not only an accomplished singer, but also a highly trained and tremendously experienced stage performer. His voice inflection and versatility in facial expressions are particularly of note. He never ceases to impress us viewers with the way he speaks, sings, and acts. 

Also impressive is stage directions. In one scene a whole army of Satans fall onto the ground from the sky. Of course they come down on wheels along wires. Now the same scene can be created by CG much more cheaply and easily. But that's not the point. The point is that when you imagine the amount of energy put into making the scene, especially when you consider the fact that everything was hand-made, it is simply awe-evoking. It reflects the massive scale of film-making of the times.  

To conclude, "The Wizard of Oz" is worth watching for the three reasons I mentioned above. It makes you realize the importance of your home and people you live with, and teachers you that you can overcome your inferiority complex, and it impresses you in more ways than one with excellent acting and stage directing.  I hope you will watch it to share my experience.

1939年に上映されたミュージカル映画『オズの魔法使い』（1939）のDVDを自宅で見た。これまで幾度となく見た作品だが、改めて楽しめた。まだ見たことのない人にお勧めする。お勧めする理由は以下の３点だ：

１）心がジーンとする。

２）教育的学びがある。

３）芸術的に見所がある。

以下にそれぞれの理由を詳説する。

１）  心がジーンとする。

『オズの魔法使い』を見ると心がジーンとする。私はラストシーンで目に涙が滲んだ。なぜだろう？真に大切な何かに主人公のDorothyが開眼する瞬間に共感して感極まったのだと思う。真に大切な何かとは、何だろう？この映画では「故郷」と「共に暮らす身近な仲間」がそれに当たると思った。いずれも最も身近なものだ。人はそうした身近なものを時にないがしろにする。主人公Dorothyは、一度故郷から離れて別世界を体験し、身近な仲間と離れ離れになることで、それらの大切さに気付く。Dorothyの体験を疑似体験することで、見るものも同様に、身近なものの大切さを再認識して、心がジーンとする。

２）  教育的学びがある。

教育的学びがある、とは何を意味するか？それは「自我の成長に寄与する」内容だと、ここでは便宜上定義する。自我の成長は、何によって計るか？周囲と折り合う能力によって計られると考える。周囲と折り合う能力には何が必要か？世界的なmotivational speakerのBrian Tracyによると、それはself-esteemだと言う。それはI like myselfと言える心と言い換えられる。しかし自我が未成熟だと、人はI like myselfと言い切れないことがある。理由は何か？それが「劣等感」であることが、作品を見ると分かる。作品には主人公のDorothyの他に3人の重要な登場人物がいる。「案山子（かかし）」と「ブリキ男」と「ライオン」だ。彼らはそれぞれ劣等感を持っている。「案山子」は「脳ミソ」が、「ブリキ男」は「心」が、「ライオン」は「勇気」が、それぞれ欠けていると感じていて、そのことに劣等感を抱いている。3人は旅を通して、もがきながらもやがては劣等感を克服する。その姿を見ながら視聴者の私たちは、人には誰にでも劣等感があることを悟り、そのことを受容する。劣等感に苦しめられているのは自分だけではないのだと知ることで苦しさが和らぐ。そして彼らの克服体験を目の当たりにすることで、自分も乗り越えられるかもしれないという前向きな気持ちを喚起される。それは自我の成長に寄与する。

３）  芸術的に見所がある。

『オズの魔法使い』に、芸術的見所を2つ感じた。演技と演出だ。まず、最初に演技について述べる。ライオン役の俳優の演技が秀逸だった。映画はミュージカルの為、一人の俳優の独演シーンが何箇所かある。ライオン役の俳優の歌声と、表情を含めた一挙手一投足は、本物の舞台であればお金を払って見に行きたいと思わせるほど、熟達して見えた。

演出についても感心した。西の魔女の家来を務めるサタン達が、空から地上に舞い降りるシーンがあるのだが、ワイヤーを用いた特殊撮影であることが承知であっても、見ごたえがあった。今ではCGを用いてもっと容易にできるのだろうけど、当時はそれをすべて手作りで行っていた。その手作業とそこで結集されたエネルギーの膨大さを想像するだけで、目が眩む気がしたのである。

以上、『オズの魔法使い』を見ていない人に、オズの魔法使いをお勧めする理由を3点詳説した。身近なものの大切さを再認識することの重要性、自我の成長、映画の芸術性に関心のある彼または彼女が、一人でも多く作品を視聴し、私が感じた思いを追体験されるといいなと思う。

An English version coming soon!

10 K Jog in MUTEKI

Feb. 8, 2019

5.1 K: 32:30.52

5.1 K: 28:03.84

Total 10.2 K: 1:00:34

Since I ran 23 K this past Monday I hadn't run for three days in a row. On Tuesday I needed a full rest after the long run. On Wednesday I didn't run because I had an early start the following morning. On Thursday I was too exhausted and sleepy to run after teaching a 7-hour corporate seminar all by myself. Tonight I was still not fully recovered, and ideally should go to bed early to prepare for an early start on Saturday morning, but another absence of training could have led to a setback on the gain from all the previous efforts, so I decided to hit the road by significantly lowering the expectations of myself. I ran without weights. I ran with shoes on. I ran slowly. I picked up the pace only when I felt like it. And it worked. Just like in most previous sessions it felt like shit before you did it, but it felt like seventh heaven when it's done.  

LSD (23 K) in Oleno's Running Socks

Feb.4, 2019

9.9 K: 57:30.47

13.1 K: 1:13:30

Total 23 K: 2:11:01

Following the interval training on the previous night, I did LSD for a little more tha two hours just to relax my body. I ran in Oleno's running socks to practice how to manage rough areas of the course. One thing I learned in Tateyama Wakasho Marathon 2019 is this: race is different from practice. I mean it seems so obvious, but there was one difference that I had never been aware of this. And it is this. When you run in bare feet in practice, you tend to choose to run relatively smooth areas. When you run on smooth surface, you can run in ideal running form. On the other hand, in the race you have to deal with rough areas which are often unexpected. Suddenly your regular running from gets screwed up, and you ended up using muscles that you do not normally use in practice runs. One example is iliopsoas, or the muscle at the top of each thigh that helps you lift your leg. This hardly ever gets pained in practice. But in the race I started feeling ominous discomfort before reaching the halfway point. Around the second aid station at 11 K the road condition started deteriorating, and I had to carefully maneuver through rough areas. Consequently I had to make more use of the iliopsoas. Thus the early discomfort in that area. 

This experienced taught me how important it is to simulate the race condition as much as possible when you have a practice run. Tonight I chose to run on rough areas on purpose to get used to the discomfort that I must deal with in real races. As a result, my soles got chapped here and there, and I got a pretty nasty cut on my right big toe.  The cut will heal in a day or two. So I'm not so worried about that. But one of the running socks got two holes, one in the heel, and the other in the outer side of the ball. The set me back 3,780 yen. They said they use the same thread used for a bulletproof vest, so I was counting on them. But I got holes in one after running in the pair only less than ten times. I'm a bit disappointed. 

I might just go back to running in aqua shoes. They are inexpensive and durable for the price. Just for an experiment, I ordered from Amazon socks used by SDF members when they go for a long training walk. They are supposed to arrive tomorrow. They cost 2,525 yen for three pairs. I'll try on a new pair tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. They are not designed for running, but I am hoping they will endure a few times of 10 K jog or so.

Interval Training: 1 K by 6 Sets @ 4:30

Feb. 3, 2019

Warm Up 4.1 K: 24:45.35

Rest: 1:00.37  

Intervals:

1st K: 4:20.45 

Rest: 1:00.22

2nd K: 4:17.49

Rest: 1:00.44

3rd K: 4:17.07

Rest: 1:02.39 

4th K: 4:19.33

Rest: 1:00.15 

5th K: 4:29.77

Rest: 1:00.20

6th K: 3:59.72

Rest: 0:40.62

Warm Down 4.1 K: 24:56.64  

Total 14.2 K: 1:22:10

I did intervals tonight. But first I did some body weight interval training prior to it. I gave myself two entire days to recover from a weighted 10 K jog on Friday night. I had to pump up myself a little. 

I waited until well into the late evening before doing the running training because I didn't want to be distracted by traffic, nor did I want to disturb drivers on the road. By the time I hit the road, the streets were reasonably deserted, perfect for the run.

I ran in split-toe minimalist running shoes MUTEKI. A race is near. Injury should be avoided. It's speed training that I was about to do. Fiction is way more than usual no matter how carefully I run. 

I jogged to the 1 K loop next to the Kashiwai Water Treatment Plant, taking a little less than 25 minutes. I took a-minute's break before doing the intervals. The results are as shown at the beginning of this post. 

I was kind of thinking of doing 15 sets. But as that "kind of" suggests, my determination wasn't that firm tonight. I settled for 6. My legs were still heavy from the weighted run two days before. The only thing I was capable of doing was kicking hard in the last set for the day. I finished under 4 minutes. So let's say it was a good session. As the saying goes, all is well that ends well.

Weighted 10 K Jog

Feb. 1, 2019

5.1 K: 31:19.60

5.1 K: 32:19.60

Total 10.2 K: 1:03:39

Two days after doing my first weighted jog, I extended my training distance from 6 K to 10.2 K. When I first did it, I wrapped 7 kg of weights around my waist. They were a bit uncomfortable, slightly moving up and down as I ran. So tonight I put the weights in a backpack and carried them on my back. It was easier that way, though part of the weights kept hitting a part of my back. Later when I took a shower, I realized that that part of the back was scraped. I will wrap the weights in a towel next time to keep them from directly hitting my back.

Now this is how I feel now that I've done it twice. The first time was incredibly tough. But the second time was far less hard. Everything will become manageable with practice. 

I want to make this a regular part of my weekly training regimen. Hopefully, when I have become used to running with weights on, running up a long and steep hill will be as easy as 1-2-3.