Daily miles

Another short update on my running life.

Very low mileage this week due to commuting. Still able to keep up my daily runs.

Took a plunge and bought a treadmill over the weekend. It should arrive in a couple weeks.

Weather got pretty strange last week, with three really chilly days. When it is colder in March than in January you know something is off. Nice for running though. It’s now back to normal, with suffocating heat and humidity, plus heavy rain on some days.

With no race in mind, I’m just running for the fun of it at the moment.

Sadness

I have returned to regular running. Legs are nearly back to normal. Fighting the heat as usual. Rain makes it hard too.

Due to change in work schedule, I am contemplating buying a treadmill. Otherwise, I would have to run after work and get home late. Running is a simple activity that really shouldn’t cost much. However, sometimes it’s just not realistic or safe to go run outside everyday. If I want to keep up with my training, I just have to invest.

Things are bad in Japan. I am sad for the Japanese people. The scale of the disaster is incredible. Thousands of people have died from the multiple earthquakes and tsunamis. Many have lost everything and are living in shelters with limited food supplies, in freezing cold temperature.

Imagine waking up that day, having all these plans in your head. In matter of minutes, the world turns upside down. You lose everything. Your house, your car, your possession, and your loved ones. It’s harsh.

The country will bounce back without a doubt, as they have high-quality people. But now, it’s a very, very difficult time.

Life is a fragile thing. Live each day as if it were your last. Do things you enjoy. Don’t waste a day. That’s all one can do.

Rest period

About 10 days after my Japan adventure, my legs are feeling tight still.

After two days of complete rest, I have started to run lightly. The hamstrings won’t allow anything besides easy and slow runs.

Plus, the weather has become warmer and more humid, entering what is expected to be another hot summer. That means it’s taking-it-easy time.

Tokyo

Last Sunday, I ran in Tokyo Marathon. It is one of my dream races and I had spent the past 4 months thinking about it everyday. Apparently the training paid off, as I achieved a new personal best of 3:27.

I started off conservatively and tried to get a feel of my legs. Original goal was a 3:45-3:50 finish. However, once the first few km were done at near 5 min/km pace with good feeling, I knew I have to attempt for a 3:30 finish.

After a smooth first half, things got increasingly tough. I told myself to keep going. My energy was gradually depleting. My feet were numb. My quads and hamstrings were hurting. But they were normal marathon pains. I didn’t stop for toilet even though I needed to use one, for fear of losing time and cramping up. Thanks to the bananas and Amino drinks given out, I was able to keep going and finish strong. 28 minutes improvement over my Bangkok Marathon 2009 time. I am thrilled.

splits:

• 5km: 0:26:15
• 10km: 0:50:21 (0:24:06)
• 15km: 1:13:44 (0:23:23)
• 20km: 1:41:45 (0:23:11)
• 25km: 2:05:24 (0:23:39)
• 30km: 2:30:02 (0:24:38)
• 35km: 2:55:08 (0:25:06)
• 40km: 3:20:59 (0:25:51)
• 42.195km: 3:26:51 (0:10:42)

saturday night ramen. my pre-race dinner.

We runners were quite lucky in terms of the weather. For me at least, the cool temp made a huge difference. It was nice 6 C at start and 17 C when I finished. The day after the race, it was raining all day and very chilly.

Another big boost for me was the crowds. They were amazing throughout the course. Their cheers definitely helped keep me going.

3 min from finish line

*update: I finished in the 2,605th place of 24,658 male finishers.

After a short downtime, I will resume my daily runs. But the next marathon probably won’t come for a while. My next race will probably a half marathon somewhere local.

it was a good day.

Besides the race, my wife and I had a wonderful vacation in Tokyo. It was my first vacation abroad since I started working over 5 years ago. It also had been more than 20 years since I last visited Japan. Sayounara and arigato to the beautiful country.