3 Weeks out!

Update (see video) and as for my shaking house, stopped and hasn't started since so I hope that's the last of it. Still have no idea why!

What the Hell!?

My house has been shaking like this since yesterday? Very freaky stuff? Watch video and tell me what you think!

Good News

This morning I received a package in the post and on opening it I was surprised to find a trophy for 6th place in my age group in the Takatsuki marathon! You remember the one where they stopped us so close to home. I didn't end up contacting them as I found in the small print where they said they may have to stop because of traffic concerns, so I just accepted it.

But it seemed someone knew what happened. It was either an official or the guy that passed me to get 6th that helped with this but I shouldn't have doubted that things would be put right. It is not for no reason that the Japanese are known for being honest and honorable. I was very happy about this.

5 weeks to go!

Not really related to running but this clip is amazing to watch (Thanks Mary). A year in the life of Japan and its earthquakes. To know just how much seismic activity there is here and still be able to sleep at night says a lot about us here. Good and bad! Note March 11th 2011! Coincidently the Kyoto marathon will be held on the 1st anniversary of this tragic event.





The next 5 weeks I have this basic plan. Firstly to get down to 60kgs or slightly less (63kgs now).

To get faster. I feel I have some speed but will start on some intervals and a lot of smooth fast pace striding over the next 4 weeks to improve on that.

I need to build my endurance: Yesterday I did a hilly 32Ks at about 4:30 per K pace and feel beat up today. So maybe I should slow down on these runs. My marathon plan has me tapering on the long runs from the week after next but I haven't been getting in many long runs because of so many races on Sundays recently. So I'm not going to taper that hard. I want to get in at least 3 more over 30K long runs in before the marathon as I need them for confidence and to help get the weight off.

As the Kyoto marathon is hilly I can't go into it carrying any extra weight. I know that if I'm light and race fit I'll be able to handle the hills. It is really up and down until about 25K and if I can get to there on pace it's overall down from there and I'll definitely be looking at a PB!

So if I can stay healthy, fix my lingering groin problems, and get to the line light and with a big enough endurance base and I can jag a good weather day in March, I might be looking at hitting the 2:30s!

A lot of bloody "ifs" I know but this is the game!



Running with Album: Odyssey Number Five (above) these days. Easy to run to!

Osaka Half Marathon

Me and Mr. Boatman post race.

I'm really an idiot sometimes.

Woman's race was great to watch live!


Well happy to have finally got a PB! It's been a while. With lack of fitness and injury I haven't PBed in like 2 years! Although I was running OK I was stuck on a bit of a plateau. But being able to run well yesterday still slightly injured and with a heavy cold has given me hope for the future and the races ahead.

At the end of yesterday's race I got talking with a Mr. Ogawa. I started talking to him because he looked my age and had already half dressed, ready to leave. He turned out to be 46 a year younger than me and if I ever thought this was the end of my PBs he has definitely changed my mind! His finish time 1:12:00 and a bit, mine 1:18:03! By the way this guy is ranked number 2 in Japan for his age group in the marathon at 2:30:00 something!

I got a way to got but happily heading in the right direction!

Takatsuki Half or when a PB is not a PB

Sakai New Year's 10K

Happy New Year

Shikoku Dec 28th

I've been happy lately...

Kyoto Marathon course video



"Now I've been happy lately thinking about the good things to come and I believe it could be, something good has begun!" ~ Cat Stevens. Peace Train

Yes, things are fine with me here and yesterday I got the good news that I was successful in my application to run the Kyoto Marathon on March 11th 2012. That gives me 15 weeks from now to get in a good training cycle and I'm setting a target for a PB somewhere sub 2:40!

Three weeks out from the Osaka Marathon and I've started to build mileage, this week 110K. I've had soreness deep down in my hip flexors after Osaka, even now I still feel it. And I have a sore gut, feels like I been doing too many sit ups. It also hurts my gut when I horse sneeze but I reckon another week or so should see these troubles off.

The other good news is that I have found a good Lydiard training program to follow and after much research and reading I reckon this it the one to take me into the 2:30s! The program I'm doing in the build up to Kyoto is an on-line Interactive Training Program from Master Run Coach. Lorraine Moller and Nobby Hashizume see website. Check them out it is an excellent option for the price and exactly what I was looking for. I might get a "real coach" from here later but for now this will be fine.

I'll be updating the blog weekly from now as I want to have a record of this training and I'd appreciate any advice on how best to tweak this to get me to the starting line in the best shape come March!

Now I got a new plan and a new goal I won't bother you with my day to day going ons (see video) but I will, as I said, be updating my progress here every week.

PHOTOS

Some photos taken of me from last weeks Osaka marathon.

OSAKA MARATHON 2011

Quick result blog. Happy with this for what training I did going in. The race went extremely well all considering. I'll write more in the next few days but thanks as usual for your kind words/support going in. I love you guys almost as much as I do this sport! ;)

地点名 Point スプリット （ネットタイム） Split （Net Time） ラップ Lap 通過時間

Time 5km 00:19:19　(0:19:08) 0:19:08 09:19:19 10km 00:38:25　(0:38:14) 0:19:06 09:38:25 15km 00:57:33　(0:57:22) 0:19:08 09:57:33 20km 01:17:09　(1:16:58) 0:19:36 10:17:09 25km 01:37:01　(1:36:50) 0:19:52 10:37:01 30km 01:57:06　(1:56:55) 0:20:05 10:57:06 35km 02:17:29　(2:17:18) 0:20:23 11:17:29 40km 02:38:35　(2:38:24) 0:21:06 11:38:35 Finish 02:47:51　(2:47:40) 0:09:16 11:47:51

Video of the last 400 meters taken by my son in slow motion. I felt like I was running this slow! Hard to finish off today.

Countdown!

Thanks for the kick Clairie!

Sorry again that I haven't been updating. It's not that I have nothing to say. It's just that nothing is really clear. I'm in two minds about many things thesedays so instead of taking a position and/or waffling I'd just as soon not write at all.

Anyway here is the news to date. One week out from Osaka marathon. The last two weeks I've ran two 10K races, first at 36:50 and second 36:37. Not setting the world on fire but they have helped me get in the below marathon paced runs and shown that I can at least run 19:00 minutes to 19:30 for 5K (what I need for a marathon PB, I reckon up until 30K I'll be OK with these splits but the last 10K will be interesting. These short build ups can either work real well or be a complete disaster! I'm still basically finding my fitness still if I have a good day who knows?!

Whatever happens it will not be the end, there's always another race. I plan to do my best in the inaugural Osaka marathon so let the chips fall where they may! I'm uploading a short video of my struggle home in the heat today and a couple of photos. One of me handing my youngest son my finishing certificate and the other "Api" a former, favorite, private student.

So far, so good!

Starting to get fit and although I missed a few days last week, busy with work, I was able to salvage the week with a good 30K (all sub 4:15) on Sunday morning and a strong second run that evening (10K).

I went to the place I was supposed to do a half on Sunday but as I was driving there I looked at the card and saw that the date in big red letters was the day before. I smiled thinking they had made a mistake until I realised it was me who was mistaken! I've never done that before but in my defence, I am an idiot, and I've never had a race on Saturday before and knowing it was around that date I just assumed it was Sunday. Anyway, there's always another race and it did allow me to get in my regular long run, which I pretty much need at this stage.

I've got a few 10K races within the next few weeks those should give me some idea what I can expect to run in the marathon at the end of this month! Like I said I'm getting fit and reckon I can peak in 3 weeks. That is I reckon I'll be fast enough to PB but worried whether I can maintain the pace the last 10K as my mileage has not been anywhere near what I have done in my last 3 marathon training periods. Basically. I will have done between 100K and 140K per week for 8 weeks. Do you think it's enough for me?

On the injury side I have some small worries with sore Achilles and I am noticing a slight cramping when I run at pace over distances of more than 20K. But really getting in some good training and I haven't been running this well for over 8 months.

Basically I'd be happy with a small PB in this coming Osaka marathon and to use this run and this training as base for a bigger attack on my PB with a marathon in March 2012, hopefully I can get in to the Kyoto marathon to be held here March 11th. I have some time off in Jan Feb so I'll be better able to put in miles then.

I have a couple more questions: Do you find running at night easier than in the mornings? I mean does it feel easier effort wise to you to run the same session early or late? And if you are tired from training and busy with work would you blow off an important mid week 24K run in the cold rain to write a blog post and get a massage? And if you would do you think it would make any difference 3 and a half weeks out from your goal race?!

Nothing really connected to running but it's good to let off steam sometimes with a good rant! Don't you think? Caution some swearing!

Go with the flow

Hope everyone is doing well. My Osaka Marathon build up is starting to gain steam but got a nagging feeling I will hit the line Oct 30th a little underdone, and the last 10K is going to hurt like the dickens!

Anyway it's good to be back into training and apart from the usual soreness that comes with it I'm not suffering any injuries, although I'm finding my self hobbling for the first K or so every run now until I warm up.

Two days ago at my local pond loop I spotted and talk to Mr. Yoshimura (7 down) a 2:15 marathoner, a local hero, who is also training for the Osaka marathon. (Fantastic fella) He said he was not in real good shape and said he was finding it a bit tough but he certainly looked good flying around the course relaxed with a big smile on his face. At those kind of speeds I look more like one of those giant Japanese Carp trying to suck in a bit of bread!

Rob thanks for asking the question about food I wish I had a better answer but there is no real secret with my diet when I'm doing high mileage. If anything I eat less not more because I'm trying to lose weight by start time. Not eating much the day before and morning of a long run really makes it a tough run but I've always done like this and I can tell you that it pays on race day when you're carbed up you feel so much stronger like you could run forever. For mine, it works, giving me the confidence I need. (Sorry about that last sentence, just practicing for the day I might be approached to promote Body Spray).

From now until goal race day I have a race every weekend, a half next week and three 10K races right up until the week before. Although I'm not expecting to do particularly well in these races they will get me "race fit" I figure that by the time I hit goal race I'll be at least fast enough to PB and I'm just going to have to tough it out the last 10K.

Anyway I can tell you if I'm on for a PB by 35K not even cramps in both legs and a bottle in the head from the crowd will stop me going for it in my 1st full length home town race. (You may wonder who would want to throw a bottle at me and if you do you mustn't know me and/or be a new reader! Welcome by the way).

You don't know what I got!

The blog's title is in reference to the song "Little Deuce Coupe" that I was listening to on today's run. The line "You don't know what I got" is apt for me as at this stage of my marathon build up, I don't know what I got.

I mean starting to be more consistent but 7 weeks out and I'm struggling with the heat, my stamina is not good and speed less than I would expect at this stage. Pulled the stitches out of my lip yesterday and don't have a scar but nose and teeth are still aching and I'm still battling with a chest cold I picked up in Taiwan.

The good news is that not really being able to eat solids with my mouth the way it was has enabled me to drop a few kgs and the hope is that by next week I'll be fully back on track!

I seem to thrive on high mileage and know if I can get a couple of 160K weeks in my body will respond. This is kind of anti intuitive but you will find that in most cases a 180K week will have you feeling stronger at the end then a 90K week if you've built up to it. What's your experience with high mileage?

My first real long run tomorrow Sunday morning (30Ks) and a day with the Missus for her Birthday and back into it next week. Hope you're all well.

I'll leave you with a nice story about the original "Little Deuce Coupe" and its history.