weekend's running logs

sunday:
I went to Yoyogi park as usual, then I could meet Rie's friend John-san from Australia and Tamami-san, it was first time to meet him. He is very kind and runs fast even he has injury. He invited Rie and me for drink before lunch to kill time. We had big pasta lunch at La Verde, it is one of Gareth's favorite place, foods are yummy also price is cheep, no excuse.
It's been a long time no run since Boston marathon, it was hard to keep following Steve, so I clashed after 5 loops, I ran into the rest room... shame. But my running and legs were fine, probably.
sunday's efforts:
time: 1:06:29
mil: 12.5km
beginning time: 9:06am
location: yoyogi park

monday:
I went for run in my neighborhood in the late afternoon, I knew it only I'm supposed to run today. I just started running as warm up for a couple of kilometers, and speed up for 5min/km pace, then speed up more for 4min/km pace for last 1km. I was feeling very good, no hot, no humid, legs are fine. I felt a little bit of confidence for Sendai half marathon, hope it's not my imagination. I ate double small 31 ice-cream as today's prise, it's like a summer!
monday's efforts:
time: 1:02:18
mil: 12.0km
lap1: time: 45:36 avg HR: 155-76% avg Pace: 5:04/km mil: 8.99km
lap2: time: 3:51 avg HR: 178-88% avg Pace: 4:05/km mil: 0.93km
lap3: time: 12:51:6 avg HR: 154-76% avg Pace: 6:02/km mil: 2.1km
avg HR: 156-77%
avg pace: 5:10/km
cal: 490kcal
beginning time: 9:06am
location: yoyogi park

just two weeks to go

Even I'm still suffering jet lag, just two weeks to go for my next race "Sendai International Half Marathon".

Fortunately I will run with Rie-don and the other real athletes Athene Olympic winner and third world record holder Mizuki Noguchi, 2006 Nagoya women winner Harumi Hiroyama, and Tokyo marathon's winner Daniel Njenga etc.
Noguchi was supposed to run in a Marathon on April 22nd, but because of her injury changed her plan and choose this half marathon, I'm happy to run with her even revel is totally different.

I planned Spring three races, Arakawa on March 18th, Boston on April 16th and next is last chance by fall November probably, that's why I want to try to run very hard as much as do my best. But I'm not sure how can I do.

I got notice of my bib before leaving for Boston, it's 989.
Women entry number is only 143, even though it's a huge half marathon, it would be very nice.

prizes

I ran for lobster, clam chowder, steak and beer actually. I had all things as my prizes after marathon.

The day after the marathon, I couldn't walk naturally. My legs were chubby more than usual, left ankle felt painful inside and outside.

We went out for mall and Wal mart for shopping, and went to see doctor in the afternoon. Official private hospital gave a free ticket for all runners to check injuries. Then Doctor said just stay cool and no run until feels good, it's not serious.



Next day, Aya and Keith left to NYC, soon after leaving them, my friend landed from D.C. to Boston for sightseeing with me. We visited Samuel Adamus brewely, Newbury street area, a whole course of Freedom trail and Library.






We met up with lots of marathonners here and there, we enjoyed having good conversation with a guy finished in 2:45 is from CA, it was secound time for him. He said trained well for Boston, and ran for over 40 miles as a weekly mileage at least. But I couldn't realize how much far is it??? I think he doesn't run too much even an elite.
He showed his pic us on the paper published by cell phone, he was on the Boston times(?) with guts pose.



On Friday, four days after the marathon day, we flied to Buffalo to visit Niagara Falls. We rented a car and drove from airport to Canada, we crossed the border by a car, it was fantastic experience. It's right thing that the falls look more beautiful from Canada side.





According to my canadian friend Renald, we should visit to small town "Niagara on the lake". There are good souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants, also there are many wineries. We tried to some icewine, not so sweet very tasty. Killed time there until twilight, saw fabulous scenery.

boston 2007 part3

Result; 3:26:27 (Thanks to Steve for caluculating this)

Distance	Time	Race Pace	Split Pace
5	0:24:27	0:04:53	0:04:53
10	0:48:36	0:04:52	0:04:50
15	1:12:29	0:04:50	0:04:47
20	1:36:35	0:04:50	0:04:49
21.1	1:41:44	0:04:49	0:04:41
25	2:00:24	0:04:49	0:04:47
30	2:25:08	0:04:50	0:04:57
35	2:50:09	0:04:52	0:05:00
40	3:16:07	0:04:54	0:05:12
42.195	3:26:27	0:04:54	0:04:42

I was in the corral 10, people who had bibs from 10000 to 11000 were there. Most of people wore a poncho or a light jacket to protect own body from rain. I took off my old jacket and pants to donate, I've heard that's a tradition of Boston marathon.

I was warmed well by stretching with Namban singlet but I should had to wear the national flag "Hinomaru" to run bravely as a Japanese. It was so lovely some people were running with their own flag, I will try to do it next time.

I needed to pass an up-hill before start, people were standing around me, encouraged each other, "Good luck", "Good luck you too" etc. Gun had shoot at 10am, then everyone screaming "WOOHOO" "OHHHH", I was also exciting! I started slowly to maintain my running pace between miles and kilometers. Rain had stopped around 4 miles point, but I got against wind beside of lakes.

Some time I could hear theme song of Rocky, people on side walk were encouraging like "Go!", "Keep going!", "You are great", etc. I got energy from them. I thought I made split too slowly, so just speed up a little at 4:45 after 6 miles. I saw lots of encouraging board said "Go Steve". Is the name "Steve" the most popular name for boy?, just curious.
Rain had stopped at all, but still couldn't through it to trash because of possibility of raining again.

Before passing 12miles, I could hear Girl's screaming. I'm very happy to see good scenery which most of Men is expecting to kiss with girl's. Actually an Italian guy was kissing on the lips! even he was running for marathon! Aya's mom in law told us Former American first lady Hillary Clinton graduated from there.

Just kept going, my legs felt tiredness until half point, but they didn't feel anything after that. So I tried to run a bit of faster with my patient. I just entered four uphills area around 16miles, first one was not so steep but not so easy. And received free energy gel, taste was Cafe latte, fruits flavor is better I think. Before 18miles and after 19miles, I had the others.
I was thirsty around 20miles, so wanted to drink water, even extended my warm, couldn't get it. One girl offered me a cup of drink after that, I got it and drunk, but spited it out since it was BEER.

I got water and washed my mouth soon, it was cold water, then started finding restroom...
I took a break inside for a couple of minutes, that's why I could speed up apparently. Just ran and ran, dash and hurry, I passed many many people, it was good feeling.

"Heart break hill" is too steep for marathon course after running for 20.5miles and there are 5miles more. Fortunately there were lot of people on sidewalk, some people called me "Chinese character" because of wearing Namban singlet, "Konichiha---" "Ganbatte--", "がんばってくださーい" in japanese etc. I just kept running and focused on my running. Then my legs had some energy to get speed up a bit faster more, I thought.

Around 24miles, I just speed up for 4:35 to 4:40 pace, nobody passed me. Just ran and focused on. After the sign "1mile more", I could be faster more. Ran, ran and ran, it was hard but I was feeling so great!

It was the best moment when I saw the finish gate, then my tears came down. My finishing time was 3:26:27, not so fast but not so bad result. I really had good experience as tougher, colder and best marathon. I'd like to try this again sometime if I have time and money, absolutely this was valuable for me.

boston 2007 part2

How many up-hill and down-hill did I need to I pass in this marathon?

I knew this is the hardest marathon course I've never run before upon checked it out on the day before the race day. It's very famous it has "Heart break Hill" around 33Km point, actually there are three steeply up-hills and down-hills before the BIG ONE. Then I knew I should go slow, not too fast in the race, other wise, I could be crap after half point, decided to go slow anyway, hopefully at 4:40 to 4:45 pace at least perhaps more slowly.

On the race day morning, got up at 5:30, it was pretty good that I slept for about nine hours, I felt great at all. I ate a bagle, some fruits, coffee and orange juice as a breakfast.
Outside was not so cold as I thought, but it was still raining sometime hard and once it stopped but rainning again. Aya's mom in law took us to the starting point.

There were some trouble before start, #19 bus that I was supposed to leave my stuff was missing.
My shoes were already soaking.
It was still raining but not cold, etc.

boston 2007 part 1

Have you ever answered what is your purpose of staying in the USA "because of the Boston Marathon" before? I normally answer "sightseeing", but I answered like that since I was so exciting about it.






It would be time to bloom flowers in the state Massachusetts, but it had been raining for a long time, the scenery looked like winter, it had been so cold. The weather forecast said, it should be a rainy day and it should be caught in a storm, temperature should be 4 to 5 degrees Celsius. However, I was still so exciting about the marathon, even it would be the worse condition, but trying to run for all.



The day before the marathon, my friend Aya's mother in law took us to see the whole marathon course from country side Hopkinton to the city side Copley Square, the course is very tough more than I thought, but still looking forward to running, it's funny. After picking up our bibs, gathered Pete-san, Leng, Aya, Aya's hubby Keith and me in the Pub next door of the Expo. Enjoyed big american hamburger with beer as lunch, and went to back Keith's mom's home soon and took rest well for the next day.

Fortunatelly, Red Sox's game cancelled that I was looking forward to it.

sunday run and ramen with cabecha-

I ran to the Yoyogi Park this morning. I asked matie to make today's running splits since my watch's battery has died. It's too early to die, I got it on December, and now is April, its been worked for only four months, that's ridiculous.
Due to my running mates Rie and Steve, I had great Sunday running.
The splits are below.

I had a ramen with an appetize of cabbage and char siu, a photo on left side is I ate on Saturday after run in my neighborhood. I want to have this snack with beer, but they don't carry any beers.
The restaurant called Musashi-ya, it's located under the train rails between Kichijoji and Nishiogukubo, shall I guide you next time?

Lap Distance Time Pace
Lap 1 2.5 0:13:15 0:05:18
Lap 2 2.5 0:13:18 0:05:19
Lap 3 2.3 0:11:13 0:04:53
Lap 4 2.3 0:11:01 0:04:47
Lap 5 2.3 0:10:59 0:04:47
Lap 6 2.3 0:10:36 0:04:37
Lap 7 2.3 0:10:17 0:04:28
Lap 8 2.3 0:10:16 0:04:28
Lap 9 2.5 0:12:45 0:05:06
Total 21.3 1:43:40 0:04:52

Hope our efforts will pay us off soon in Boston.

season's greeting with sakura

I am very happy to run under the trees of cherry blossoms, even though flowers fall off due to the cold rain but they are still beautiful. Last week, I went to Meguro-river to see this scenery, so gorgeous!

Today is a speed session day: Fartlek. Mostly moderate HR 72%, but do five times two minutes of 4:00/km with good rest in between each one is my today's running plan. I was freaking out when checked this plan up, because running at 4minutes pace for 400m is hard for a slow runner. The first run would be alright but after second could be disaster. Unbelievably, could complete barely for five times because of Steve's properly training plan, it would be better control running speed more evenly!

By the way, I got a good news. I'm very happy to know the Japan Association of Athletics Fededrations says Tokyo Women's Inte'l Marathon will be held on November 18th this year, there is no choice to train very hard for that!

today's efforts:
after warmed up for 3km did speed session for 400m five times, and jogged for 400m each one.
lap1: time: 1:32 avg HR: 163-80% avg Pace: 4:03 mil: 0.38m
lap2: time: 1:29 avg HR: 159-78% avg Pace: 3:57 mil: 0.38m
lap3: time: 1:31 avg HR: 161-79% avg Pace: 3:59 mil: 0.39m
lap4: time: 1:35 avg HR: 169-83% avg Pace: 4:03 mil: 0.39m
lap5: time: 1:32 avg HR: 171-84% avg Pace: 4:00 mil: 0.39m
afterwards, cooled down for 2km