Nagano race report

Well, it was an interesting kind of weekend. Started off with a bit of a scare. Friday morning woke up with definite headcold symptoms and went to bed early to try to nip it in the bud. Saturday morning felt better but by Sat night I felt bad again runny nose, headache, and the start of a cough.

I stayed in my hotel room and I swear had I not been such a hard bastard, I would have cried ;) Anyway after a restless sleep and a few prays I woke the morning of the race feeling much better, I still had a runny nose but chest seemed clear. It helped too when I looked out my window to see the dawn of a clear crisp day.

Anyway to get to the point, blog details later, the race was good, fantastic course with mountain ranges caped with snow on one side and cherry and plum blossoms on the other. I'd say it's the most scenic course I've run so far. The weather was 14 degrees at the start, much warmed than predicted, and 18 at the finish. If it wasn't for the head wind between 35 and 40kms it was the perfect conditions/race.

As for my performance, well I hit the wall at the 35km mark and felt then that my race had finished but sucked it up and thought I can't come back to this blog with bad news, but I can tell you I really think I would have stopped for a rest if it wasn't for me thinking the other runners I know always try their best I'm not going to give up today.

Those last 7kms were some of the hardest I've ever run but I'm happy to say that I managed to finish off and record a PB that was a good 5mins faster than my previous one.

Total time 3:19:42

Overall pretty pleased with the day and effort again thanks for your support. I'm heading toward 3hrs, it may take me longer than anticipated but with your help, good advice and encouragement, I know now I can do it.

The right temperature?

I was reading on "Speedygeoff's blog" that the forecast for this Sunday's Canberra Marathon is "fine and sunny, 9 minimum, 26 maximum". The forecast for this Sunday's Nagano Marathon is "cloudy later sunny, 3 minimum, 15 maximum".

I'd be interested to know what you people think about what the ideal weather/conditions are for running a marathon, and why. I guess that for all but the Queenslanders 26 degrees would be a bit too hot :p

Spring has sprung

Attempted a 5KTT today. I couldn't get out till the afternoon and it was windy as usual but managed to do 3:40 1st K, 3:43 2nd K, 3:45 3rd K, 3:50 4th K and then stopped as I was getting a side stitch. Pushed my hand into my guts and took some deep ones and after 2 mins rest took off for the last 1K angry with myself for not being able to finish off the 5th K straight. Anyway, pushed the last one and did it in 3:30, so I kind of made up for it.

One week to go after today and its smooth sailing as the taper really kicks in from Monday. My wife is back from overseas so all is right in my little piece of the world today. The photo, of my family, was taken today. Note the cherry blossoms in the background. Spring has finally sprung.

Godless Liberal

I found this while following some links from Steve Lacey's blog. Pretty funny stuff.The cat at the end probably best sums up my attitude to organised religion.

Missing you..

Finding it hard to get in all my sessions this week but with some ingenuity and a lot of irresponsibility I've managed to get them done. I did one session at a local track and as "Running Uphill" suggested I just did loops while keeping my eye on the boys who were happily playing with a Frisbee off to the side. Still that session was 1hr30mins and running around a 400m track made me somewhat dizzy.

The other times I left home really early and came back before the boys woke up. Luckily no one swallowed their tongue while sleeping.

I'm forced to admit that the wife not being here is making life pretty difficult. But it is just what I need to give me a new found appreciation of what she means to me. And that is not only a help to my running, but I do digress. Anyways:

I'm ready for a taper now and after my 2hrs tomorrow I'll just try to keep my level of fitness. I did a good fast session yesterday of 4X1k at 3:40 each with 1:30sec standing recovery and finished off that with 2X500m at 1:40 each. Handled that so I think I'm right to keep marathon pace, well at least until 35k and I'll just fight it out to the end. There is no way, barring something unusual, that I'm coming home from Nagano without a PB.

Final countdown

Had my last long, long run on Sunday, 30kms, before the Nagano marathon and because I ate before, and drank sports drinks during I felt fine keeping an easy 5:30 pace. Faster in the last 5kms, 5:10 a K pace.

So now to just get in all my scheduled sessions until then and arrive at the start line healthy. My wife is away for 10 days in Thailand, yes Ewen I'm going to have to burn my own dinners for a while, and it is a bit difficult trying to fit all my running in and look after my two boys at the same time, anyway I'll do my best.

If only I could lock my car from the inside I could put the little buggers in there. With the windows down a bit, of course. I'm not a complete monster, you know ;)

How do you feel?

I haven't been drinking beer these last two weeks in an effort to lose a few kgs before the marathon. It doesn't seem to be working and everywhere I look I'm reminded of the "joy of beer".

Just searching for a song for my blog and I came across this classic. I remember this ad really well and could even sing the words after 25 years not hearing it at all.

Perhaps it is trying to tell me to have a beer. What do you reckon?

Work in progress

Not a good run again today. I was suppose to do 1 hour 20 but because my Achilles on my left leg was throbbing and the shin on my right leg was also aching I stopped at an hour. I will try to get this session in again tomorrow.

Just had a bath, soaked my ankle in a bucket of ice and put some cream on it. That usually is enough to fix it at least for next run. I'm getting frustrated with this ankle pain as it seems to be getting chronic and I just want it to go away!

Anyways, it seems by the response to my last post that, like I thought, nobody wants to be told what to eat. Tesso asked me if I had tried a vegan diet and if I eat more healthily here in Japan compared to in Australia?

I try to eat "well" like I don't eat much processed foods anymore and I haven't had any milk for the last year and a half, but I don't worry too much if I have a hamburger now and then and ice-cream and cake is hard to turn down.

When in Australia I would eat anything I could get my hands on, I had a thing for "Chiko rolls" and pies but as I was young and active with surfing it didn't effect my health to any degree that I could see.

Since moving overseas and growing older I'm aware that food is the number one thing that affects my physical and emotional health so I don't "pig out" anymore and due to eating less sugar I don't "flip out" as much as I used to either but that could be related to aging as well.

Of course some Australians eat really well, not many as indicated by Tuggeranong Don's Doctor's 3% story, and some Japanese eat very badly, lots of processed and fried foods. But overall it is a little easier to eat more healthy foods as the Japanese have a long history of vegetarianism and therefore a lot more choices.

While I won't tell others how to eat it is a goal of mine to go "Vegan", totally vegetarian, as it is, I believe, the best way to look after my health and that of my brothers the animals. It's a work in progress as they say.

Vegan

I'm not preaching and I wouldn't pretend to tell anyone how to eat but I did find this article interesting as it does show a way to improved running performance and health.

An Article by CARL LEWIS

"Can a world-class athlete get enough protein from a vegetarian diet to compete? I've found that a person does not need protein from meat to be a successful athlete. In fact, my best year of track competition was the first year I ate a vegan diet. Moreover, by continuing to eat a vegan diet, my weight is under control, I like the way I look. (I know that sounds vain, but all of us want to like the way we look.) I enjoy eating more, and I feel great. Here's my story."

HERE

I bet she would know!

Cute isn't it? "Ahem," clearing the throat, now back to the subject of running.

Sunday's long run, 30kms, was a marked improvement on the week before's effort. Although I was tired at the end I kept a slow but even pace throughout, at about 5:30 per K.

I had a relatively fast mid week long run that took me a few days to get over so I didn't want to push this one, that is go too fast. I'll be happy to get through next Sunday's long run between 4:30 to 5:30 pace per K. If I'm able to do that and do two solid speedwork sessions a week up until the marathon on April 15th I reckon that will put me in good shape for a PB.

That and good weather.

Graduation

I'm suppose to do a 1 and a half hour run today but it will have to wait until tonight after work as this morning I couldn't fit it in as we had to get up early and go to my eldest son's graduation ceremony from kindergarten.(See photo) Casey is going to start primary school from April and he'll be 7 in May this year too.

A lot has changed since he was born. At that time I wasn't even thinking about running, I was pretty unhealthy, overweight and smoking and drinking everyday.

I hope by the time he graduates from primary school I'll be healthier still and be able to break 3 hours for the marathon at will ;)

Don't worry baby

With Mr. Lacey doing another marathon so soon after Tokyo I dedicate my song of the week. You'll do just fine! This song has something for everyone. Tesso if you ever give up running there is always a future for you as a human jump rope. Those surfing boys of the 60's certainly knew how to treat their women. And I swear that given a 6 foot track singlet the lead singer looks like 2P incarnate. Enjoy.

Hard one

I had a terrible long run yesterday. I was supposed to do 2 hours 30 minutes and I set off at 3pm to run round my usual 3km loop around a pond. I thought 9 or 10 laps of this would cover the time alright.

Anyways, I don't know exactly why but it was a real struggle after the first hour. I did the last hour and a half at about 5:40 pace per K and basically felt like I had hit the wall and it took all my strength just to finish this session. I just kept saying to myself. "Don't be a wimp, if you can't finish this you won't be any good for Nagano."

Like I said I don't know why it was such a struggle there were some new factors involved but that run has never been that hard for me. Was it the wind? it was blowing a gail, Did I tell you I really hate wind especially when it's cold. Was it because a ran too hard the day before? Did my speed session on Saturday instead of Friday to avoid the wind. Was it the lack of food? No lunch before running at 3pm, but I usually don't eat before my morning long runs and I'm OK.

I read that a few of you, EG Eddie, struggled with their long runs because of the heat. I can't say that's why I had so much trouble but glad to have done it. Another one of those before my goal marathon might break the spirit. Like Eddie said I couldn't of imagined running at goal pace over 42kms yesterday!

Funny

Asians Are Funny - The most popular videos are here
I found this while surfing this arvo. It's real and the victims involved have no idea. I like the last one in particular they all yell out "look out!" in Japanese.

All the best

I will be thinking about all those doing the 6ft track race this weekend. It's a great thing to train and prepare and then to go public, so to speak. It shows amazing guts to put it on the line like that. Win, lose or draw just the fact that you all take a risk is, for mine, what makes you special.

Not much to say with my training today so I'll leave you with a cute running joke.

Two gas company servicemen, a senior training supervisor and a young trainee, were out checking meters in a suburban neighborhood. They parked their truck at the end of the alley and worked their way to the other end. At the last house a woman looking out her kitchen window watched the two men as they checked her gas meter. Finishing the meter check, the senior supervisor challenged his younger coworker to a foot race down the alley back to the truck to prove that an older guy could outrun a younger one. As they came running up to the truck, they realized the lady from that last house was huffing and puffing right behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong. Gasping for breath, she replied "When I see two gas men running as hard as you two were, I figured I'd better run too!"