Fuji Mountain Climbing Race

Last Friday I participated in one of the quintessential Japan running experiences - the Fuji Tozan climbing race.  By the time I learned about the registration it was too late to enter the climb to the summit and I settled for the run to the 5th station. The Summit Race is 21 km with an elevation gain of 3,000 meters, and the 5th station race is 15km with an elevation gain of 1,480 meters.  I was pleased to be forced to select the easier event - the 5th station race is more of a running endeavor (as opposed to a climbing/crawling, oxygen deprivation experience), and the summit race requires scrambling back down a long painful trail. 

But when we arrived in the town of Fuji-Yoshida at the base of the mountain and I looked up at the awe-inspiring site of Mount Fuji looming above us - I could not help but feel that strange compulsion to make it to the top.  I felt that even more so at the starting line with the 

The cutoff times for Fuji Tozan are absurdly strict - for the Summit Race you must reach the 8th station within 4 hours.  More than half the entrants are cruelly turned back after climbing for 19km - and runners who make it to the finish are considered conquering heroes. 

I ran reasonably well - finishing the 15k course in 1:40:46 which was good for 21st among the 480 finishers in the 5th station event. 

I went out easy on the course's flat section (all 500 meters of it) from the starting line at Fuji-Yoshida city hall to the first turn.  Then as we begun the relentless climb, I started to steadily pass people.  Fortunately much of the first 11km is on a smooth paved road where we enjoyed shade and splendid scenery.  

I managed to get into a nice running rhythm despite the elevation gain.  I did have to fight back negative, panicky feelings ("if I feel bad, now just wait until we really start to climb later"). Fortunately the Fuji Tozan 5th station race does not  torture us with the ever-increasing  steepness of  Ohyama Tozama -- a race which I have done 3 times and which haunted me throughout.  

The first water stop was 35 minutes into the race at which point dehydration was taking a toll.  The water and cafe latte gel I carried gave me renewed strength and I passed Jin at this point. I thought I might keep only passing runners all the way to the top, but then when we reached Umagaeshi at 11km, the course becomes steeper and the terrain more uneven, and suddenly a series of gaunt, elderly men begun to scamper by me.  It seemed apparent to me that these guys were a different breed of hill climbing runners and that they lived to climb these steep rugged slopes.
  
I reached a 13km marker at 1:15 on my watch and thought I might break 1:30.  I begun to walk on steeper sections where I felt that little extra time could be gained by running.  I was surprised that it took so long to get to the finish but felt pretty strong as we crossed the finish.  

Now I feel I must do the Fuji Summit Race some day. I think I would be relatively less competitive at the summit event, but who cares - the challenge and uniqueness are compelling.

Kamakura 5k Open Water Swim Report

I complete my first open-water swim event on Saturday in Kamakura - swimming 5 kilometers in exactly 90 minutes.

One of my goals for 2008 was to compete in a pure swim event - partly because it would encourage me to improve my swimming for the triathlon, but more importantly because it struck me as an interesting new challenge in itself.

I was mentally prepared to finish dead last among a group of muscular, former lifeguards, water polo players and collegiate swim champions. However upon arriving at the beach I immediately struck up a conversation with a fellow competitor - a slight, older Japanese triathlete who told me he had been running for years and the swim was his weakness. I managed to bite my tongue and avoid saying I was of the same type.

Two-hundred competitors lined up for a beach start - a start that was remarkably relaxed compared to the frenzied thrashing starts at triathlons. Most of the field, including myself, waded out into the ocean at a leisurely pace - seemingly in no hurry to actually start swimming. I found plenty of room on the outside and launched into a smooth pace - trying to avoid the numerous jellyfish blobs. The first half of the first of the three 1600 meter loops seemed to take forever - 18 minutes to 850 meter mark. After that I got progressively faster and passed other swimmers most of the way.

A boat at the turnaround buoy handed us water and some strange food-like substance that tasted very good after all the ocean water. I was a bit dehydrated in my wetsuit on the 28 degree morning, and these water stops saved me. I also ate my Cafe Latte Power Gel at the halfway mark which also seemed to help.

The other swimmers seemed to emerge on the shallow beach at the same leisurely pace we entered the water. However hoping to hit 90 minutes and being more of a land animal, I furiously porpoised through the shallow water and sprinted up the beach to the finish.
My time of 1:30:00 is much faster than my 1:27 for 3.8k at Ironman. I place a respectable 105th out of approximately 200 total participants.

Later in the afternoon along with teammates, Dave Sims and Oleg from our Tokyo International Waters Swim Club, I participated in a 3x750-meter relay. We finished 10th out of 41 teams. Unlike the 5k I entered the water at a full sprint after taking the wristband from Dave, and I found myself gasping for breath on every stroke for much of my leg. My pace was slower than in the 5k, partly because of the overly fast start and partly perhaps because of fatigue from the 5k.

Remarkably though, two day later I feel very little soreness and fatigue from the longest swim day of my life.

I have no intention to abandon running and cycling and devote my life to open-water swim, but I had a blast on Saturday and look forward to doing another open-water swim event next summer.

Countdown to 5k Open Water Swim

Only 16 hours until my swim marathon.   I feel increasingly anxious - but this anxiety could be caused by other things in my life.  Anyway I need to focus on keeping my stroke smooth and long and consistent tomorrow. 

I anticipate swimming for up to 2 hours - a long time to be working in the open seas.  My rule in running/triathlon events is to eat every 30-minutes on any endurance event over 60-minutes.  So I am thinking to tuck a gel or two inside my wetsuit.  I have not practiced doing this, so I have no idea if eating in the middle of the swim will be do-able. 

As is often before a big event I find myself thinking - "I really should have done one more real long training swim..."

My race goal?  Really just to finish and have fun.  I have been averaging 2:00 on 100 meters in pool for 20 reps, but when I get out in the open water the workouts do not seem as relevant.

My other goal - not to make excuses and tell other participants "I am not really a swimmer".  Tomorrow I am a swimmer.

Takamizu trail run

My teammate Gerard tells me what a fine job I do not over-training.

Ironically he is telling me this as we race up the side of Mount Takamizu - a 30k trail run (about my average weekly mileage) with over a 1,000 meters of elevation gain, on a day when I have had little sleep, the weather is terribly humid and I am carrying no water.

I felt reasonably strong through about 22 kilometers of the run, but at this point we begun to climb the last big uphill and for the next 8 kilometers I staggered along in an exhausted, dehydrated daze.

So much for not over-training.

Shore Run

At the last second I decide to enter the 6.7 mile Shore Run on Sunday in Seattle.  It is a splendid weather, a scenic course, a good cause, and unlike at the Seattle track workout everyone seems friendly.  

I had been feeling strong on my runs in Tokyo and went out ridiculously fast - 5:32 for the first mile.  (Whatever a mile is.  I didn't realize miles were still used to measure running events and miles no longer means anything to me.)  

Anyway this pace is unsustainable - my second mile is 5:40, my third is 6 minutes and then we start climbing some hills, I am feeling terrible in so many ways, and 3 women pass me in succession.    The third lady to pass me is a woman I had chatted with before the race who looks very much like the actress Sarah Jessica Parker and (naturally) I make an effort to keep up with her.

As we approach the finish line I start to feel a bit stronger again.  I briefly consider kicking past "Sarah Jessica" but I think to myself that I already look bad enough and I will really look like a dick if I start sprinting to the finish.  So I cruise across the line in a time of 41:38.

Fortunately I still manage to finish first in my age division and 9th overall out of 540 runners, and win various prizes.  God bless America - the running events are much less competitive. 

All the local Seattle people are carrying on about how incredibly hot they think it is (about 25 degrees), and I feel like saying this weather is nothing compared to China IM or Suzu or Obuse, etc. but I bite my tongue.  Still it is hot enough that I jump in the adjacent Lake Washington after the race.  I seem to be the only runner that feels compelled to enjoy a swim in the lovely lake (I need training for Kamakura Swim) and to take advantage of the lakeside showers for shampooing and bathing.  Running in Japan has conditioned me for public bathing (and this is good practice in case I become a homeless person).