Just came back from running the half marathon in Ashiya Kobe. Couldn't get a PB today for several reasons. One, I just wasn't in good enough shape, not enough Ks going into this. Two, although it didn't rain it was hot, too hot to be running a fast half. I've been running in temperatures at least 10 degrees colder for the past 5 months and the body's not used to running in the heat just yet. Three, the last half of the half saw me dodging slow runners from the open group, under 40s runners who started 20 minutes before us masters. This was a bit of a nightmare. You know me, I'm a pretty placid sort but I yelled and pushed thru a few dicks with headphones on that wouldn't yield to left. You can see this situation on the video I've uploaded with my wife and son making the same observation.
I came 4th in the masters group 40 year olds and above the first 2 places getting 1:15 something with the help of the lead bikes moving everyone out of the way. I should of tried to stay with them but couldn't after the 12th K. Anyway I have some work to do no matter I should have PBed today.
While I'm having a gripe I'd like to mention how tight the organizer were today. They got upwards of 4000 runners paying about 50 bucks each and only gave trophies to the first 3 people. For coming 4th I got a 5 pack of instant curry from "Nippon Ham" the sponsors. (I'm going to get enough "curry" from Rick for not PBing I don't need anymore). It wouldn't kill these people to cough out a medal for the top 10 place getters, or something. It seem to me that the richer the area is where you race, in Japan, the tighter the organizers are. Ashiya is a very rich area in Kobe and this local government makes Ewen look like "Rockefeller" in comparison.
If you're looking for me I'm the streak that appears about the 42nd second of this clip ;)
Oh forgot to tell you my time: 1:19:55 (chip).
If I were sponsoring the race I'd fork out at least 10 packs of curry for the 4th placed Master!
ReplyDeleteScott, that's a pretty good race off a limited prep. Rick can rest easy until your next one. And I'll give you a hot tip - overtake slow traffic on the right and you'll make them jump a mile.
Ha Ewen! "Ten packs of curry"!!Magnanimous should be your middle name!!!
ReplyDeleteThats a solid run on limited training, another 6 weeks or so and your be flying.
ReplyDeleteThe heat worries me to, it's suddenly warmed up here in the last couple of days and I felt it on my long run yesterday, hopefully I will ajust by London [it's always warmer down south, I live in the NW of England].
Think your half course should be coned off into two lanes for fast and slow runners, overtaking plodders when your getting tired is a pain in the ass!
'KEEP TRAINING SMART'
follow your dreams :]
Great video! Not the video itself but your wife's comments. Ewen and Rick, sorry you don't get the full effect of this. She has a Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto) accent which is fun to listen to for us Tokyoites. And at the end she says, "It's hard to run, so many people!", which was certainly true.
ReplyDeleteBob, I thought she sounded a bit Boganesque.
ReplyDeleteActually I bet she was really saying "he's going to be a cranky old codger having to overtake all those plodders, so I'd better dish up something better than burnt fish for dinner tonight."
How did you not snap and start pushing people out of the way?
ReplyDeleteHow were your wife and children not run over by the plodders?
Frustrating, but still a good time.
As an aside, it's about time you didn't get a trophy!