the wall...

Absolutely I'm satisfied with my race and I recommend you to race in Chiba Marine sometime. Last time, the organizers mistakes did not allow me finish the whole course, but his time I finally could see how they connect from point to point.
I wanted to push me up more after 17Km, but suddenly something bad happened to my tummy, it made me feeling like escape into a private room, so decided to slow down a little bit, no choice...

As everyone has, I have a barrier that I want to pass; it's finishing under 1:30:00 in a half marathon.
I got close, but couldn't break it! The best thing was I had positive thinking during the race, even my legs were so tired just tried to keep the pace up more and more. I raced well and learned a lot. I wanted to push more after 17 km, but suddenly a bad feeling in my lower tummy forced me to slow down a little bit, no choice or else bad accident :-(

Let's see my logs...
05k 21m24s avg HR 164/81%
10k 42m32s avg HR 173/85%
15k 1h03m46s avg HR 176/87%
20k 1h25m27s avg HR 176/87%
Finish 1h30m30s avg HR 178/87%
Official finishing time was 1h30m33s PB! (48sec faster than previous pb)

I was going to run with a LST plus a singlet, but took off after 2k, so I just wore a singlet even it was a winter race. As a result, it was a good choice at the beginning because I sweat a lot after that even though I didn't need lots of water due to the dry climate. I could relax and enjoy because could go out with very good running maties and saw and said HELLO some of Rie's friends who train as members of team Koide Kantoku, we met in Sendai half marathon, they are very friendly too.

It was a good start as a second race in 2008, looking forward to running with lots of you in Kanagawa marathon.

yoga weekend

saturday;
I was waiting for Saturday was coming!
Because I booked a Hata Yoga class for beginners in my neighborhood.

Why I'm interested in Yoga?
I normally don't like to do the current hot things; for example... having Yoga class in yoga apparels, using i-pod, acting like a groupie is not my hobby. Even Mujirushi-Ryouhin also sells Yoga stuffs as Muji Yoga...

I went to Hong Kong to visit my friends from the end of year, friend's husband looked a bit different, figure but very healthy. My friend said the reason is doing Yoga!
We did Yoga once at their apartment, them I knew Yoga is very difficult thing and very effective for core strength also having balance, I couldn't stand by a feet them...










I knew there is a nice studio in my neighborhood, so as soon as return from HKG, I booked a class. I take beginner's class. As a first time, I took a head instructor's class for beginners, the studio was crowded with yoga lover, she taught basic lesson specific how to stand how to lie how to get up too. So I have muscle ache... Hope it will work for my marathon.

sunday;
I went to Tama-river for 30k pace running, it was a strong windy day, though...
I worried about running... I thought perhaps I couldn't complete 30k... but just tried to keep following fast guys. My all companions are very fast, so I felt it was the same situation like just joined Namban Rengo when I just became a member, yes I used to be the slowest runner four years ago in the group. Here is my running log.

monday;
I went out for recovery run as soon as wake up in the morning for 13km.
Today is a national holiday, I wanted to pass a day very easy and slow...
I had a yoga class in the afternoon, today's instructor was japanese woman, the class was good, she gave us lots of poses more than Saturday, and learned basic well. So I liked this studio. I'm getting keen on it.

new year's 10k race as a beginning

Happy New Year 2008!!!

I would like to report my first 10k race in this year, it was good going as a beginning, though.
BTW, have you ever raced with Nike FREE before?
I had a fabulous experience with them today, but it was an accident, just forgot to bring my favorite Tarther Japan. Shoes were on the washing machine during my 10k race. Nike FREE was very comfortable for running like walking around there, but I barely smashed my previous record, it was only 39 secound faster than it in 2006. It means that it doesn't matter of shoes? I think I just had good luck today, the reasons were training from hot summer, hill running in HKG and also some speed sessions with you guys.

Actually, according to my watch, I finished in 41:58! However, I don't complain about the result because all of Namban ladies started from the first line, though. Because of the some up and down hill sections, my heart rate was so high looked like a 5k time trial. Let's see how was my log...

Splits and HR records:
4km Time: 16:29 - Avg HR: 174(86%) - Max HR: 183(90%)
7km Time: 29:17 (12:48) - Avg HR: 178(88%) - Max HR: 183(90%)
10km Time: 42:00 (12:43) - Avg HR: 178 (88%) - Max HR: 181(89%)

I wasn't running so hard at the beginning, but due to hilly sections, my heart rate was so high as above. That's why I saved my energy not to run too fast, just tried to wait that leading runners could come down slowly.
I fortunally could catch a couple of girls and just kept running, yes, ran hard with my Nike FREE and came in 6th in 42 minutes, well done me! However, HR says, I could run more harder at the last 3km, it's my homework for next time.

Cheers,