Tokyo Marathon 2008

I had a blast today running an "unofficial half" at the 2nd Tokyo Marathon.  For me it was a big "moving party" on a sun-splashed morning running sequentially with Stu, Rie, Yuka, Paddy, Gerard, Joachim, Martin, Bob, Steve, Brett, Omar, Yoshida-san,  Christian roughly in that order.

I am delighted with my times given my erratic pace and the dodging and weaving past the "A" group throughout all of the first 4 kilometer.  Here are my rough 5k splits:
 5k -  21:10
10k - 18:45
15k - 18:16
20k - 18:41
Half - 1:20:35

I felt rather sheepish about only doing half of the real event.   I kept wanting to apologize to the other runners and the spectators cheering so emphatically for the gaijin.  "Sumimasen - I am really not running 2:41 marathon pace - don't be impressed."  One of the biggest challenges was dropping out at the halfway area in Ginza where some of the largest crowds gather and the spectators seemed so enthusiastic in their "Gambatter Namban" cheers.  I was relieved to spot Mutsumi and suddenly have an excuse to stop.  Naturally a part of me wanted to keep going, but I didn't have the endurance in me today to go much farther today.  

Why did I give up at the halfway mark?  I have so many excuses, I don't know where to begin.  My soft, suburban US upbringing?  My 38k average per week training?  The inconvenience of the Odaiba finish? The lack of scenery from the 30k mark out through the Tokyo Bay industrial wasteland?  Fear of being beaten by Rie?   My general anti-marathon running philosophy?   The fact I needed to catch a 1:30PM bus to Narita Airport from central Tokyo?

Winter running mileage

Here is my recent running mileage: 

Midlife Training Crisis

The Yoga Master keeps warning me about the cumulative effect of running.  Given my earlier injuries, inherent inflexibility and some 50,000 kilometers of running over 25 years,  some would argue that I am facing a looming running breakdown, after which I will be forced to live out my days in a rocking chair in front of the fireplace, talking incessantly about how great I did chasing Motozo down at the 2006 Sado Triathlon.  

Here is the Yoga Master's response to my question about the body being like an automobile - capable of only so many running miles:

About your concern that you've already expended your allotment of miles at age 44: this is my basic thinking on such matters:

* Every body is different
* Hard exercise takes a cumulative toll on the human body
* To a degree, the body is regenerative
* The regenerative capacity of the human body declines with age
* An exercise program with diversity, including strength, cardio and flexibility training, is best

It's common sense, not rocket science. If a 40ish runner is too stiff to bend over and tie his shoes without creaking in the hips and knees, his overall quality of life at 60 is going to be worse, not better, unless he makes changes in his program.

I like to think that my body is quite regenerative and has adapted to running, especially given how light I am.  Nonetheless this kindof thinking has contributed to my cutting out my "marginal running"  -- those extra weekly maintenance runs, and extra mileage on tempo and long runs - extra running which I did not particularly enjoy anyway. I look forward to my first 5k loop of the Tokyo Palace, but why slog out another one if it is just destroying me.   So instead of 80 kilometers per week, I am doing 30-40k per week along with more swim, indoor cycling and yoga.  

Unfortunately this attitude is rather de-motivating.  I miss the sense of purpose and progress that accompanied my more hell-bent training regimes.

Bike: Short Layoff, Long Comeback

After the Suzu Triathlon last August I completely stopped cycling.  23
weeks of zero cycling - ending today with 60 minutes on my indoor trainer.

I had hoped that 40k per week of running along with my weekly swims
would allow me to maintain most of my cycling strength, but I felt
like was operating on maybe 30% of last August's level.  According to
this recent NYT  article "if you want to keep your ability to row, or
run, or swim, you have to do that exact activity".   Running is not enough, runners propel
themselves by calves and ankles, while cyclists primarily use
quadriceps.

The exercise physiologists suggest that it would not have taken much
time to maintain my cycling fitness - the key is to substitute
intensity of effort for time: "the training needs to be almost like
racing".  Next winter I will try to do one intense hour per
week.

For now though, with Ironman China only 10 weeks away,  I need to
start doing much more specific (bike) training.