Dedicato a voi.....Buon Natale!

lunedì 26 novembre 2007

Tanzawako Marathon






Tanzawako Marathon was meant more for a day trip out of Tokyo than a race. In fact, having just come back from Ohtawara, I was undecided if to go or not until the very last minute and this indecision took me there just 10 minutes before the race start! My warm up was from the bus stop to the desk to collect the race number, run back to the start line, pass all my clothes to my son and run! I joined the 5K and finished 5th in the over 40 category in 17:39. Quite few ups and downs since Tanzawako is in the five lake region near Mt Fuji in Kanagawa prefecture.The day was a beautiful warm day with an explosion of nature. Mother Earth was giving a feast of autumn colors to all her creatures. The view of the lake surrounded by the mountains was very refreshing and the classic snow covered top of Mt Fuji was adding the final touch at the a stunning view!Many food stalls as well in the school compound. I have tried everything they had to eat. Tongiru (a soup made of pork, miso and vegetables) but with a variant of having "wild boar" instead of the pork. Barbecued fish on a stick: simply delicious!....oranges, yuzus, kaki and few types of sweets.A race to remember only for the atmosphere, the view and the colors. I hope the pictures can transmit the reader the beauty of the day


sabato 24 novembre 2007

Ohtawara Marathon 10K & Mochitsuki

I felt good from the beginning and kept a steady pace throughout the race, passing in 18:22:07 at the 5K mark and, always according to my watch, finishing the second 5K in 18:22:04

The wind has been quite nasty throughout the 10K race and at the turnaround point (about 6.5K) , when everyone was expecting to receive a bit of help, actually it get worst!

Finished 9th in my age category in 36:46 just to make it to the podium for one of the medal.

On an interesting cultural note, it was nice to observe the preparation of "Mochitsuki".

"Mochitsuki" is a classical Japanese tradition present at any local
festival. A Japanese custom fundamental to the Japanese character.
It is literally translated as "pounding the mochi".

"Mochi" is the paste obtained from boiling/steaming a particular type of rice (glutinous rice) and then pounded into a paste of a chewy and soft consistency.It is usually served with "kinako" a powder obtained from toasted soya beans. Sugar is usually added when "kinako" is served with "mochi"

Making "mochi" is not a solitary activity, it requires many hands from
boiling the rice, pound and shape the "mochi" paste.

So making the "mochi" is emblematic of bringing the community together to have fun and socialize in a community project.


Find more videos like this on Running Marathon and Track Races in Japan

lunedì 19 novembre 2007

Toda Saiko Marathon


Sports & food stalls, free products as giveaway and a perfect organization that went from Half Marathon, 10K, 5K to the 2K for parent and kid and kids only for a total of 6306 entrants. Toda Saiko Marathon, definetely an event to recommend to join.
Just before starting my warm up I realized I did not bring my running watch and I decided to take the race as it would have come and to run by feeling instead of by time.
The 10K course was one big loop with two hills and mostly flat, with each KM marked and three water stations.
I went out at what I felt a good pace trying to avoid starting fast. I adjusted at a comfortable speed and kept going. 5K mark came quite quick and just before the mid-race mark an 180 degree gave me vision where I was in the race: about 15 people ahead of me. I remembered that from the brochure this seemed to be quite a competitive race so I imagined that the leading group were fast guys running at 32/33mins final time and being not so far from them I deducted that I was running at a good pace.
At 7K my right side started to bother me as it usually does just before stitches blast out so I reduced a bit the pace and after a while a guy passed me. He definetely looked over 40 so I decided not to let him go too far.
Around 9K another over 40 runner approached me and passed me.....with about 800m left to the finish line I decided that stitches or not I would have give everything I had into a final kick.
I passed a first runner, a second runner and with 300m to the finish line even a third one. I closed keep kicking as much as I could!
The finish was a bit of drama for me because I had no watch and I clearly saw 16:20 on the clock but with a big sign saying 5K and I thought I also saw another clock saying 36:16 for the 10K. Two clocks on two different sides and for a one eye guy like me this can be a challenge, especially when you are passing the finish line sprinting!
I kept wandering in the sport and food stalls untill they called the names and mine was the 6th. I moved to the result board just to feel sad when I did not see my name in the sixt position and instinctively I started to look downward...7th...8th...9th...my name was not there!
"Let's have a look upward" I said to myself and with great surprise I found my name in the first position of the over 40 category with a time of 36:17 on 501 finishers! This is a 1m30s improvement from my previous 10K PB in TYO Marathon.
Overall I finished 13th on 1294 men and 438 women. A nice Mizuno orange bag, a diploma and a thick, heavy gold medal was presented to me by Yuri Ichihashi.
A day to remember!