first challenge for the fuji mountain race

I was always so slow when I went to Mt. Fuji for training with everybody who signed up for this.

So, I set my goals; losing my weights and finishing for the whole distance, I didn't expect from any good result.

I thought this a good opportunity as training during summer for the early fall marathon since Summer doesn't make me feel like running for long distance, I chose to take a hard way to run a mountain race which is one of toughest races in Japan, it shoud be good as a part of training for Berlin Marathon. I knew it's a very hard workout because I joined a training once with running mates as an experience last year, then I felt I was lucky not to register, but this time I took a hard decision.

In the first training in Mt. Fuji, I was hungover, I couldn't run as I wanted, just terrible feeling, tummy was really groopy and felt miserable. It took over 2h30m the whole race course to finish.

In the secound time, we started running from the shrine is located at 2.5km point on the race course. It took over 2hours and 10 minutes, I felt really hard and I couldn't keep up to Chika-chan. She ran very fast and lighter than me. I was so proud of her she finished in 10th place last year, fantastic. She looked like just popping, stepping and jumping. It was obvious I just was heavier than her. I made a decision to stop drinking by the race a while, soon after some people I look more fit for race, yeah! so glad to hear that.

As a strategy, I ate a yummy Unagi bowl (eel bowl) for a power lunch on the day before, it actually worked well for me, I could run as well more than I expected.

Why do people who run fast like register for 21km division??

So it's recommendable to race in 15km division.

It starts late at 8:30am, the course is not so busy, distance is enough!

All fast legs runners ran in 21km division, so in the 15km division, the course was not so busy and only 5 to 6 people went ahead of me, but I cought up one by one and little by little, however some people were cheering me as "You are No.2!" EEEEhhh? Am I No.2? it was unbelievable thing for me, but I got motivation even though I wanted to quite the race all the time, though.

The next thing I knew, 5 to 6 men were around me, front or behind around 7km before Nakano Chaya (Cafe). A guy tried to beat me many times, once passed me hardly but got be slow later and passed me but got be slow, he repeated this many time, finally he gave up to beat me before Umagaeshi at 11.4km point, yes it was a hard section and I also run seriously as a Namban!

I was running very carefully not so fast but not so slow, just running at my pace, I knew I couldn't keep on running after Umagaeshi, it's a steep hiking section to goes to 3,776m. That's why I allowed by myself to walk after Umagaeshi, so tried to run for there but I just walked for a minute before pass.

Before finish, some of race organizer screamed "secound woman is coming!!!"

I still couldn't believe that, then I realized I'm finishing in secound place! I felt so happy.

I really thank to Chika for organizing this and Geraldine, Shoji-san also Ishida-san for taking me the venue by their car. I had a great race and great training with you.

Finishing time: 1:56:34 2nd place in 15km women division.

summer greeting by asanas

Hello mates from Tokyo with yoga poses (asanas),

I hope you are having a fabby summer, I'm relaxing these poses in my studio in neighborhood. Now I'm running for Mt. Fuji climbing race for the 5th station (15km) on July 24 Friday and the Berlin Marathon on September 20th Sunday.
I will take a dayoff for Mt. Fuji race, I think I'm not ready for this because I haven't lost any weights though... still chabby to run up on hill. I would love to be a slim but my mission failured as I expect because of very heating weather in Tokyo, I miss beers daytime and drink it easy in the night... so finally I got stomach problem.

I have been having knee problem too, once a doctor said it's a cartilage problem so never fixed it. Ummm... but I didn't want to give it up and asked yoga instructor Nancy who were visiting from San Francisco to Kichijoji in Tokyo. Nancy gave me some unique poses what help well for knees and back especially a runner who was having a knee problem. She gave us unique poses which I have never done before. My another favorite instructor Dominica gives me very unique poses too, but Nancy is more unique!!!!, so I'm huge fan of Nancy and really am into it. Nancy is so charming, sweet, smart and tough woman.

Time has really flown by, after one month of teaching yoga, she went back to SFO. I'd love to visit her if I run in San Francisco or Seattle near future.

Due to her unique poses, my knee is getting better and better. But now I got a stomach problem... I'm dissapointed from disaster things.
Well, I hope to lose some weights until Berlin Marathon for a couple of kilograms.
Have a good summer!!!

tough trail in mt. mitake

6 people went to Mt. Mitake in the otherday, it was hot temperature about 27 to 29 degree in the city, but in the forest it was so cool and green, green, and green!

The course is very tough for me, but it was a nice training for Mt.Fuji clibming race on the end of July.

When I joined the training, I couldn't follow Chica-chan who came in 8th place last year, but this year, I want to follow her as well as I can do.

Anyway, I registered for this steep up hill race, so no choice to train hard and hard and hard!, sounds hard in summer...

trekking to above clouds

I joined trekking to above clouds on holiday, it was my first experience to do this thing, carring clothes, snacks, and staying over night in a lodge on the peak.

We walked up from Shibusawa in Hadano-city Kanagawa-Prefecture to Tono-dake first. Because of holidays, lots of people were climbing up, so we didn't have to worry about water, restroom, also foods because there were some lodge here and there, and we enjoyed yummy coffee, surprisingly fee is only 130yen, it was fantastic.
After climbing Tono-dake, it was clear that other climbers decreased on the way, however we kept heading into Mt.Tanzawa, scenery was very beautiful to see Tokyo, Pacific Ocean, Hakone area, and our destination Hiruga-take. We could see Sakura again on May, so lucky!

When we arrived at the lodge, space was almost full, so we were told to sleep in the dining space with stranger men and needed to turn off lights at 8pm, get up at 4:30 in the morning to make space for breakfast, I felt so bad...since service quality was worth even though we paid 7,000yen!!! They served Rice as all we can eat, Oden for dinner with Tsukemono japanese pickles, Rice and Miso soup as all we can eat with Tsukemono for breakfast... I was not happy with them so we decided to go for Onsen and BBQ Yakiniku afterwords, so it made us feeling happy...

In the midnight, the space was not silent as I expected, because of some stranger's snoring. They should had to sleep in a tent instead outside with the others!!! I could sleep for only 4 hours!!! on-again-off-again, so waking up before 4:30 was naturaly happened to me.

Weather forecast said, it was going to be rainny on the secound day, so Kiki offered me everything what I needed to protect from it, BIG thanks to Kiki. Finally we had shower when we were arrived at Onsen.. we had Yakiniku and beer with happy smiley faces afterwords, in total very enjoyable.

The 1st Hasetsune 30k

Hasetsune 30km was held for people love nature, mountains, and learn how to live with nature, something like that.

My face is on the official memorial site, please check it out!

I was totally exhausted by a first challenge of hard mountain race.
It sounds 30km distance race, but they say it's about 30.88km(???) WHY it's called "30K"? even though it's longer than 30km, maybe is it just easy to say?

Since I was not ready for this race as making my goal, I set it as just finish and do my best! As same as Tokyo Marathon, I ran with my mate Steve again! He never made me bored, he sang a couple of songs; Kangaroos, but not ABBA this time. It was great we didn't have any argue this time, enjoyed the race at the beginning. Unfortunately, we started from end of the line, 8 minutes behind of the first line!!! So, we killed over 10minutes at some busy narrow sections!

Steep up-hills made me tired, it was really hard to keep on moving as you could imagine. I couldn't run for all distance there are many many up-hills and stopped twice, it was easy to move ahead from side not from front as usual, I felt easier to move and I didn't need to make step higher.

My finishing time was 4hours 41minutes 26second, and my watch time was 4:34:33, finished in 28th for women division, I couldn't move after finish for a while, because I was completely exhausted, fatigue was same as marathon, perhaps more. I swore I never do this, but now I think I might do this again and finish faster, we will see!

OMG!