Spring 2025 Races

While I obsess over Hyrox training, I manage to do several events this spring: 

HUA HIN 10.5k RUN 

Another lovely sightseeing run that turns into interesting competitive challenge.  

I start out conservatively then settle into a pack on a long out and back stretch. 

You can see from my splits and map how I enjoyed long stretch on hard packed sandy beach around the 9th kilometer.  At this point I was confident I had age group victory wrapped up.

But then I spotted an old guy gaining on me (he turned out to be 59). I accelerate through the streets on the final stretch to hold onto my lead among over 50s, and finish 6th overall out of some 900 runners 

Spartan Super 

I regretted signing up for the Spartan obstacle race - paying $135,  then having most of my teammates decide not to join, then enduring the long train/bus journey, followed by long registration lines, the whole time dreading thought of  screwing up various obstacles I have no real opportunity to practice, having to do penalty burpees, and listening to my gerontologist warning me again about risk of traumatic  injury falling off obstacle.  

I decide this will be my last Spartan race. 

But it goes well.  I finally succeed on the dreaded Twister obstacle (which is thankfully the first obstacle) insert pix

The monkey bars and rings at end seem easy. 

I feel strong on the sandbag and barrel carries. 

I do struggle on Olympus and Stairway to Sparta, but only fail the spear throw

My net time is 1:35 – so most likely I would have finished a close 4th (out of 30 total) in my age group and suffered agony of being just off the podium, so I guess maybe it is better that I did the afternoon wave. 

Hyrox Training

My endurance sports training this year is totally centered around training for a Hyrox race on August 9th. 

 Hyrox is a relatively new event which combines 1-kilometer running segments with eight different functional workout stations.   

I obsess over Hyrox training and am relatively less consumed with triathlon, Spartan, and various run events. 

As passionate as I may be about the training, the training regiment itself has been chaotic and ad hoc.   Hyrox training lacks the simplicity of, say, marathon training (essentially add steadily more miles to Sunday long runs).  

Though it is much easier to do Hyrox event specific training than Spartan, it is challenging to specifically train for all EIGHT stations.

I have been trying to do two full gym sessions per week plus make effort to add certain exercises during runs.  I have cobbled together various venues in effort to cover the different stations as best I can -- 

1.    Club360 – Only chance to do sled push, sled pull, ski-erg (and utilize whole array of different weights). 50-minute coached session for 3,500 yen.  Have managed to make it to four sessions

2.    Tokyo Public Gym – Rowing machine, plus dumb-bells for use on farmers carry and lunges

3.    Apartment – I purchased a 5 kilogram medicine ball which I use at home for wall-ball training on bedroom wall and weighted lunges across living room.

4.    Park – Trying to do burpee broad jumps

I have limited expectations for how well I will place at Hyrox.  I am not particularly competitive at many of the stations - it has been taking me 8 or more minutes to complete burpee broad jump, lunges, or wall-balls - well over the 5-minute standard for the average Hyrox male finisher. 

 It is hard to gauge much improvement over the last couple months, but hopefully I am building a base of fitness in these exercises.  And improving my overall health. 

Togane Half Marathon 2025

 

I return to Togane Half Marathon to improve on time from last year and try to win big prizes again.  

 

I succeed on the latter- capturing first place, but am unable to improve on last year's  time.  In fact I am over a minute slower, clocking 1:28.

 In my Togane post last year I made snide, critical comments about my teammates using the wind as an excuse for slower performance.  This year I am totally keen to blame the wind. 

I have read that for run performance, the negative impact of a headwind is 2x the benefit one receives from a tailwind.  I am sure most runners would feel that the negative ratio is far higher.  I felt limited benefit from the tailwind during the first half of race, sitting comfortably in the large 4-minute per kilometer pack, trying to resist speeding up beyond my goal pace. 

 

I was feeling confident about staying with pack and on pace as we approached 11k.  Then we turned back toward start and I was shocked by strength of wind.  And unfortunately the large pack had spread out by this point, just when I needed it.   

We faced a constant, stiff headwind through 17k, which I mostly struggled against, until I caught up with a petite girl who ultimately was 3rd place female. 

At least I am smiling at the end this year's Togane event.  Happy to win my age group.

I had thoughts of doing another half-marathon this year and trying again to clock the time I think I am capable of based on my training.  But my knee ached so much after event.