Total Distance: 903.3 km
Total Duration: 3 days, 22 hours, 37 minutes, 10 seconds
Total Average Pace: 6:17
Putting the 大 in 大宜味.
Labels: running
Going into marathon week, I was worried about my overall fitness. My calf was still hurting, and because of that, I wasn't running that much. The day before my flight, I went to visit my Japanese chiropractor. He's not a chiropractor in the American sense of cracking backs. This guy pokes around, finds sore muscles, then makes them better. After three weeks of walking on a bad leg, my calf was cured in less than an hour.
The next day, Friday, I flew to Tokyo, then took a two hour bus ride to Lake Kawaguchi in Yamanashi Prefecture.
On Saturday, the day before the marathon, I ran a 3k forest trail that conveniently was right next to my hotel. It was nice to test out my leg (fine) and see what it was like running in 45 F weather (awesome).
(view from hotel balcony) |
(yummy) |
The Wind Cave wasn't very windy...
(entrance to the Wind Cave) |
(Wind Cave map) |
(entrance to the Ice Cave) |
(Ice Cave map) |
(the Man in the Yellow Coat made a good size-reference model) |
Marathon Day
I woke up at 5 and started my pre-run routine, which consists of eating ramen, checking reddit, and using the bathroom. The start time was 8:00, so I caught a shuttle bus and arrived on the scene around 7:15.
(Wearing my Gator gear. A lot of good that did.) |
Then it was time for the race. I changed, stretched, and ran it in 4:42:39. The course went around Lake Kawaguchi twice. I thought that I would get bored having to run the same roads twice, but I didn't at all. The course was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and overall it was a lot of fun. Way better than Naha.
The Race
My goal was to finish under 5 hours. I kept my pace in check by trying to run every 5k in under 30 minutes. I remember passing the half-way point with a time of 2:06:00, which is a PR for me. Then, I think around the 27k mark, I started slowing down. No cramping, but my body was hurting, mainly the joints (knees, hips, ankles). I hit the 32k mark at around 3:15:00 (another PR), which is about 30 minutes faster than I ran in training. I think the cold weather had a lot to do with it. After that, my body started giving out, so I would run as far as I could (usually about 5-10 min) then walk and stretch for another 5-10 min. I knew I was going to get under 5 hours, but I kept pushing to see how close to the 4:30:00 mark I could get.
Last year at the Naha Marathon, I cramped before I even hit the half-way point. This year, I cramped at the 40k mark, and I know exactly why. My body was hungering for sugar and at some table around 38k, there was a station with tables loaded with chocolates. I couldn't resist and I grabbed a whole handful thinking it wouldn't do anything in the last few km. Well, I was wrong, but I was still able to finish the race at a run.
(the ネットタイム is the important one) |
(Sweat salt. Notice my watch time exactly matches my recorded time.) |
Week of Nov. 21 - Nov. 27
11/22: 5k, 27:09
11/26: 3k, 16:47
11/27: 42.2k, 4:42:39 (pace - 6:41)
Total: 50.2k, 5:26:35
Average Pace: 06:30
My left calf has been bugging me since my 32k run three weeks ago. Even when I walk on it, as my heel comes up, there is a sharp pain that had me limping for the first couple of days. When I run on it now, the first 5k or so is weird, but then the pain numbs away. I don't think it is anything serious, but with my running schedule, it certainly hasn't had time to heal.
As a result, I took off a couple of days in an effort to heal the muscle as much as I could. When I ran 5k last Saturday, the pain was not there at all. Then it came back after my 13k run the following day.
Even though I ran three days instead of five this week, my body feels like it isn't running and I have this voice in the back of my head telling me I'm not going to be in shape come marathon day. I sure hope I am.
This is the part where I say, 1 week to marathon, but as I am posting late, I will instead say:
2 days to marathon.
Week of Nov. 14 - Nov. 20
11/15: 6.5k, 36:45
11/19: 5k, 27:36
11/20: 13k, 1:17:14 (pace - 5:56)
Total: 24k, 2:21:35
Average Pace: 05:54
Labels: running
On the 9th, 3 days after running 32k, I decided to see how fast I could run 10k. 3 years ago I struggled and failed to finish under an hour. Progress!
2 weeks to marathon.
Week of Nov. 7 - Nov. 13
11/8: 8k, 44:49
11/9: 10k, 53:40
11/10: 8k, 48:58
11/12: 6.5k, 36:03
11/13: 19.5k, 2:03:33 (pace - 6:20)
Total: 52k, 5:07:03
Average Pace: 05:54
Labels: running
I ran the first 19k at around 2:03:00 (pace 6:28). At around the 24k mark, my body was just exhausted and I ended up walking more than I wanted to. Ended up doing the final 13k in about 1:40:00 (pace 7:41)
It is safe to assume I will run the first 32k at Kawaguchiko in 3:40:00. My goal for this year is to run a sub 5 hour marathon, which means I will need to find the energy to run the final 10k in less than 1:20:00. This sounds easy, but I really surprised myself with that final 13k this morning, so we'll see.
Fun stat: this week's run was the same as Week 13, which had a total time of 7:20:23. This week was only 4 seconds slower.
3 weeks to marathon.
Week of Oct. 31 - Nov. 6
11/01: 8k, 44:44
11/02: 13k, 1:19:57
11/03: 8k, 47:18
11/05: 8k, 45:47
11/06: 32k, 3:42:41 (pace - 6:57)
Total: 69k, 7:20:27
Average Pace: 06:23
Labels: running
With a long run of 'only' 19.5k this week, I had somewhat of an easy run week. Next week, it jumps back up to 32k before finally tapering off.
I checked out the bottom of my shoes this morning and noticed considerable wear and tear on the outside of the shoe. It's kind of interesting what 3 months of marathon training will do.
4 weeks to marathon.
Week of Oct. 23 - Oct. 29
10/24: 8k, 45:59
10/25: 8k, 43:56
10/26: 8k, 44:42
10/28: 13k, 1:16:01
10/29: 19.5k, 2:05:05 (pace - 6:24)
Total: 56.5k, 5:35:43
Average Pace: 05:56
Labels: running
Hell Week: Part 1 is over and done with. I ran 32k on Saturday and had one simple goal: beat last year's time of 3:49:49. I was confident I could do it, but to be honest, I wish I had run a bit faster. I'll try to speed things up when I do it again in 2 weeks.
5 weeks to marathon.
Week of Oct. 16 - Oct. 22
10/17: 8k, 45:55
10/18: 13k, 1:19:11
10/19: 8k, 47:14
10/21: 8k, 47:44
10/22: 32k, 3:40:19 (pace - 6:53)
Total: 69k, 7:20:23
Average Pace: 06:22
Labels: running
I caught a ferry on Saturday to Iheya for my first race of my running season. It was pouring rain in the morning but let up before the race started. Poseidon must have been pleased with my goat sacrifice.
The race went great. I got a PR out of it, and it's weird to think that a couple of weeks ago I wanted to quit. Looking over last year's logs I realized I experienced the same thing last year. I guess my body has hit a second wind. I hope it lasts until Kawaguchiko. We'll see how my 32k run this coming Saturday goes.
In other news, I've been accepted to run the Tokyo Marathon next February. I have until Oct. 31 to decide whether or not I want to do it.
6 weeks to marathon.
Week of Oct. 9 - Oct. 15
10/10: 8k, 49:23
10/11: 8k, 46:02
10/12: 8k, 47:24
10/14: 13k, 1:18:45
10/15: Iheya Moonlight Marathon, 21.1k, 2:11:45 (pace - 6:14)
Total: 58.1k, 5:53:17
Average Pace: 06:04
Labels: running
My short runs this year have not been as fast as last years. But by slowing down just a little bit, I am staying consistent and I hope to have a sub 5 hour marathon in November. This week, I finally outperformed a run from last year, the 29k. Last years time: 3:34:14.
A weird phenomenon I have been experiencing recently is during the first 8k or so, I feel as if I have weights around my ankles. Then that feeling slowly dissolves and I end up picking up speed. That is why the pace of my 8ks is slower than that of my 13ks.
Also of note, in terms of total distance, I think this week will be my longest running week.
Next week: Iheya Moonlight Marathon (21.1k)
Week of Oct. 2 - Oct. 8
10/3: 8k, 48:45
10/4: 13k, 1:16:45
10/5: 8k, 51:47
10/7: 13k, 1:16:11
10/8: 29k, 3:22:02 (pace - 6:58)
Total: 71k, 7:35:30
Average Pace: 06:24
Labels: running
I had a great running week. Not in terms of time (last year I ran 26k in 2:44:20), but in terms of lack of fatigue. Two weeks ago I felt like quitting. Last week, I felt a bit better, but this week I feel great. That's one reason why I like running, it makes me feel awesome. I hit a barrier and crossed over it. Accomplishment.
I read a quote a few days ago that I liked: Sweat is fat crying.
Week of Sept. 25 - Oct. 1
9/26: 6.5k, 40:36
9/27: 13k, 1:21:47
9/28: 6.5k, 40:21
9/30: 13k, 1:20:05
10/1: 27k, 3:03:07 (pace - 6:46)
Total: 66k, 7:05:56
Average Pace: 06:27
Labels: running
I only ran 4 days this week with lower mileage (killoage?) than last week, and boy did I need the extra rest. I have a half-marathon race coming up in 3 weeks. This week's run should give me an idea of what I will run it in. Hardly any time improvement compared to last year, but I feel a lot better doing it. (No cramps)
Week of Sept. 18 - Sept. 24
9/24: 21k, 2:22:28
Labels: running
Week of Sept. 11 - Sept. 17
9/16: 11k, 1:11:23
9/17: 24k, 2:56:15
Labels: running
Next week's long run is 24k. Last year during training I ran that in 2:45:58. My goal for this week is to do better.
Week of Sept. 4 - Sept. 10
9/9: 11k, 1:06:59
9/10: 22.5k, 2:38:30
Labels: running
9/02: 9.5k, 58:10
8/03: 14.5k, 1:34:26
Labels: running
Week of Aug. 21 - Aug. 27
Labels: running
8/20: 17.5k, 1:52:10
Labels: running
Due to a typhoon, the Ogimi festival was pushed back a week to last Friday and Saturday. This also happened to coincided with the obon weekend, so the crowd was bigger than usual.
The best day to go is always on the final day. There is a tug-of-war tournament where the winning team gets a goat.
(1st prize) |
But the best part of the evening is the fireworks and the eisa that follows:
(I love being tall) |
Week of Aug. 7 - Aug. 13
8/13: 9.5k, 59:58
Labels: running
Week of Aug. 1 - Aug. 7
My 5k runs are still not at the level they were at the end of training last year (24:03), but I was happy with my long run last Saturday. I ran a 14k in the beginning of training last year in 1:42:20, so it's good to see some improvement.
Also, knock on wood, I have yet to experience the side cramping that plagued me last year.
Labels: running
Week of Jul. 25 - Jul. 31
7/30: 13k, 1:28:07
Labels: running
Well, it's that time of year of again.
Last month, I started getting ready for this year's running season by buying new attire, selecting what races I want to run, and scheduling my runs for the next 4 months accordingly.
Attire shopping started with running shoes. I always have trouble finding shoes in Japan, so this year I e-mailed Asics, which is a Japanese company, and asked them if they had size 14 (31cm) in stock somewhere, anywhere, in Japan. Their answer was no. It would be easy if I could just order a pair from some store in America and have them ship it to me, but for some reason, all the running shoe sites I could find would not ship out of the country. I thought I would have to mail them to my mom and have her ship them to me again...until I had an idea. Instead of searching online for a store in America, I decided to find an online store based in the UK.
This led me to wiggle, which not only had my size in running shoes, but also offered free shipping to Japan!
(too hot for me) |
The sports companies must have caught on, because I have yet to find a simple pair of running shorts with an inner lining. One has to either buys shorts without lining ($40) plus tights ($40), or buy shorts with mini tights sewn in, like this:
(no thanks) |
Finally, I wanted a pair of awesome sunglasses. Check.
(looks cold) |
Labels: running
On Tuesday, after 6 long years, the 5th book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series was finally released.
(revel in its awesomeness) |
Moving to Japan changed me. Knowing my time in Ogimi was limited, I learned to live lightly. Having a book collection is an inconvenience for someone who has to move around a lot. When I moved here, I literally had two suitcases filled with books. After that endeavor, my book collection that I had been so proud of began to seem like an unnecessary luxury.
I decided to part with my books. As I finished a book, I would either give it to another JET or mail it to someone who had requested it on BookMooch. This was a fine system because I was able to get rid of the books I had brought with me one by one.
Then, two Christmases ago, I visited the US and bought Stephen King's Under the Dome. Coming in at over 1000 pages, it was a beast of a book. Not only did it take up all the space in my carry-on, but trying to snuggle up with it, on an airplane no less, proved to be impossible. After I finished, I listed it on BookMooch. That left a bad taste in my mouth because I had bought a $30 book, read it in a month, and then paid the shipping fee to give it away.
Fast forward to earlier this year, and the release date for A Dance With Dragons was announced. I knew I was in trouble. After waiting 6 years since the last book, there was no way I was going to wait another year for it to come out in paperback. Like Under the Dome, the book is a door-stopper at over 1000 pages.
I knew it was time to buy an e-book reader.
I went with the new Nook for a couple of reasons: it has touch screen, has no physical keyboard, and it fits in my pocket. Also, it is built on Android and supports the ePub format. The ePub format seems to be what the standard for e-books is heading towards. There are many arguments for a standardized format, which I won't get into here, but think of it this way: when I buy a music CD, it will play in any CD player I put it in. When I buy an e-book, I want it to do the same and work on any device, whether it is a Nook, iPad, or Kobo.
If I had gone with a Kindle, it would have been like buying a CD that will only play in, say, Sony CD players. I don't want to be forced to use a platform, and with the Nook, I thought that not only would my money be going to supporting the ePub format, but I would also be able to read my books on other devices should I ever choose to upgrade to something new.
Oh, how ignorant I was...
As the release date for ADwD approached, I pre-ordered it at Barnes & Noble...only to have my order cancelled. After e-mailing a customer service representative, I was informed that even though I was using a US debit card with a US billing address, I was not physically in the US, and therefore I could not buy the book. Purchased e-books can be downloaded anywhere in the world, but if one tries to buy a new one with a non-USA IP address, they will be denied.
Because I couldn't use the B&N store, I had to come up with some other ideas.
1. Download the book through the iBookstore.
The iBookstore on iTunes uses ePub, and all ePub books are the same, right?
No.
After some intense Google-ing, I discovered that Amazon was not the only company to lock its e-books to a specific device. I came to the following scientific conclusion:
Calibre is a nice little program that organizes my books on the computer and transfers them to and from my Nook. It can also convert between many various formats. I figured I could download a Kindle or iPad version of a book and just convert it to ePub with this program.
It turns out I can't do that either. E-books purchased from Amazon, Apple, and B&N have a DRM lock on them, and Calibre can only convert non-DRM'd books.
I found methods for stripping the DRM from e-books, but the process seemed like way too much trouble for something as simple as buying a book. In the end, I decided that I would just...
3. Pirate it.
I didn't want to do this. I have been a fan of this series for a long time, and I wanted to give Mr. Martin my money. I tried searching several 3rd party e-book sites, but none of them were selling the book. At this point, I was fed up. I had done a lot of work to find a way to give the book publishers my money, but the system would not let me. It was like I had bought a CD player, only to be told I was not allowed to purchase the CD I wanted to play on it.
A friend suggested that if I pirate the book, I should send Mr. Martin a check. I thought that was a good idea...but I don't own any checks, and I don't know how he would feel about Japanese Yen.
Then I had one final idea...I found a friend online who lives in the US and asked her to log into my B&N account and purchase the book for me. She did and it worked. It took all of two minutes, and when it struck midnight on the east coast, I logged in and download the book.
Success! |
This morning, one of my teachers told me that her mom is 86 years old. Then she amended that to say she is 88 in Okinawan years.
For you Japanese dorks, this is called 数え年 (kazoedoshi). I'm not sure if this is limited to just Okinawa, but the teacher did say "In Okinawa, she is 88."
Where do these two extra years come from?
First, the clock starts at conception, so by the time a baby is born, he or she is already one year old.
Second, people in Japan tend to give their age by how old they will be in a given year, regardless of whether or not their birthday has occurred. For example, if I am 27 now, but I have a birthday in November, I will tell people I am 28.
For this teacher's mother, she is currently 86. A year is added to that because her birthday is later in the year. Then another year is added for the time she was in the womb, and now she is 88.
As an extreme example, imagine a baby who was born on December 31. On that day, they are already 1 year old. The next day will be the new year, so another year is added because the baby has a birthday in December. So this baby, who is only 1 day old, is now 2 years old.
Today I attempted to do the impossible: find a size 14 running shoe in Japan. While I came up empty handed, I did stumble upon this awesome shirt.
The rainy season in Japan is known as tsuyu, or 'plum rain', because it coincides with the ripening of plums. For most parts of Japan, the season lasts for a month beginning in mid-June, but in Okinawa, it begins in May.
I actually kind of like the rainy season because it makes for great reading weather. However, it does not make good weather for riding a motorcycle.
Here is what two weeks of no riding has done to my shoes:
Labels: mold, rainy season, shoes, tsuyu
I never did get around to making a post about my trip to Hawaii. After coming back, the new school year started and kept me busy. I have also been using my free time to finish up my iPhone app. So instead of going through the details of a trip I took a month ago, I will instead post pictures. Enjoy!
Every month, my kindergarten has a celebration day for all the birthday boys and girls of that month. In January, that included all of one boy. As someone whose birthday is in January (and a born again Sagittarius), I got to be included.
I'm the one in the middle with the pink bow.
Labels: birthday
About two weeks ago, it was that time of year again, where the kindergartners harvest the potatoes they had planted the previous year. Ogimi kids have it made as they can just walk outside and start digging. The kids in Naha (the big city), however, have to make a 1.5 hour trip north to Yomitan. Suckers.
Labels: kindergarten, potatoes