Tokyo Marathon

We flew back Monday night from Kyoto, and left Thursday after work for Tokyo.  Let's just say Narita is not a convenient airport, but flight prices were cheap!  Friday after a medical appointment at Yokosuka (I've got a surgery scheduled for mid-March - yuk!), we trained back to Tokyo to register for the race and then to the New Sanno.

Saturday was a sunny day and not too cold that we were able to spend most of the day outside at this neat kid obstacle course.

The Tokyo Marathon was fun, very well organized and a scenic course. 36,000 runners ran surrounded by huge buildings, near the Tokyo Tower, over bridges, past thousands of fans and impressive temples.  There were bands, drummers, cheerleaders, and running police with backpacks that though they were probably 5'2" could have karate chopped me to the ground!  Security was on high alert, but as orderly as everyone it didn't feel as if there was any danger.  There were probably 3-4 volunteers for each runner - the sides lined with people carrying trash bags and runners using them to dispose of finished goos or discard clothing.

The race started with a slight downhill, and I started feeling strong hoping to run faster than Kyoto but by about half way knew that wasn't going to happen so slowed down.  At the end I had enough energy to finish fast with a 3:41.  Jeff and the girls were impressive and able to find me 6 times on the course, and tried at another 2 spots but I was lost in the crowd.

Monday we hit a temple and a 100 Yen store (they are all different and super fun to check out!), and then flew home.  The kids didn't have school Monday so they ended up just missing one day.

Thanks Jeff for the mid-week massages to get me back in race shape!

race expo - Race Motto - the Day we Unite

my name is somewhere in the pink near the corner of my race number

we saw people wiping out, getting wet, and sinking!  Bella kept going back and forth which was fun.... until she dropped her cell phone (one of our old ones she plays with)...  

us watching as Jeff balances on platform to retrieve cell phone!

Morgan pulling herself across.  Wanting to try after we literally saw someone fall in!

Pre-race goofiness

Kyoto Marathon - President's Day Weekend

I got into the lotteries for both Kyoto (odds 5:1) marathon and Tokyo (12:1) and the races were back to back weekends.  I had applied last year for both and didn't get it, but then was very lucky this year.  Though I wouldn't want to run two races so close together, it was a fun challenge to see if I could ever run an ultra...  and I think the answer is no!  ;-)

Kyoto was a quick trip. We flew Friday after work into Kensai airport which I didn't know existed as I thought we were flying into Osaka.  We ended up being about an hour further from Kyoto.  Saturday was cold and rainy, so we laid low.  We walked to the registration area passing by a few huge temple complexes.  It's hard to go anywhere in Kyoto without passing amazing UNESCO or World Heritage sites.

Sunday was the race and it was cold.  Jeff and the girls stayed with me as long as possible so I could continue to wear my down jacket.  It was literally freezing and at points snowed on the course.  The course was a little more hilly than expected - not flat - with a slight uphill end.  I started out fast and the 2nd half was a little slower - actually on purpose as I didn't want to push too hard with Tokyo the next weekend.  I ran a 3:37.

Just before the race, I found a tall European kid and was chatting with him.  I typically try to find people I can follow or have a similar finish time so I can pace myself. I'm one of the few it seems that doesn't wear a smart or pacing watch so I really have no idea how fast or slow I'm going.  I like that freedom to run totally according to how my body feels.  This guy was working in Hong Kong and said he wanted to run a 2:48.  I thought it was joking since that is super fast and he was in my starting block.  We chatted a little and then the race started and he took off.

I did have another friend from San Diego running the race and at the end we met up for a beer.  Ironically as we were leaving Monday morning, after hitting the Daiso (100 Yen store) in Kyoto and sprinting to make a earlier train to the airport I saw the kid from Hong Kong.  It seemed like a wild coincidence and he had a great run finishing at 2:51.  He commented on the uphill finish.

Jeff and the girls tried to find me on the course, but it was hard with all the road closures.  Kyoto is services primarily by bus.  I did run by a few sites I recognized including the Air B&B we stayed with my parents at in Thanksgiving.  We also ran by a few old people homes and there were ladies lined up in wheelchairs covered in blankets with huge smiles as we ran by.

Home Made Valentine's Day cookies with Love from Mom - Carbo loading!

Hostel Ginkakuji - convenient, full kitchen to share which we used, and near grocery store

Morning of the race - start time 9 AM - trying to get to start before road closures

Just past half way mark

friend Rob and his family