5k Time Trial - 17:14

My teammate Yoshida-san announces that he hopes to break 17 minutes at last night's monthly running time trial, and I reluctantly stick with him despite this overly ambitious pace (for me).  I need someone to establish a pace or else I will indulge in an easy jog, and I seek to stay ahead of the rapidly improving Paddy, the Irish Wonder. 

Thanks to Yoshida-san I run 3:22, 3:25, 3:29, 3:32, 3:26 (kicking past Yoshida-san with 700 meters to go) for a 17:14, my fastest 5k in about 5 years.  

Laser focused on open water swim race

Only 7 weeks until I compete in the 5,000 meter open swim race in the tumultuous seas off Kamakura.  So I am focusing my energy on preparing for this epic event. 

This past weekend I joined Anthony, Keren, Mary and David at Hakkejima and swam some 3 kilometers, my longest swim since ironman two years ago.  I swallowed a lot of saltwater, my goggles leaked irritating my left eye, and my wetsuit scratched up my neck.  But covering 3k made me feel better about my chances of surviving the 5k swim in July.  

Sagamiko to Yamanakako

I have long heard glowing accounts of the cycling route from Lake Sagami to Lake Yamanaka through the mountains west of Tokyo.  Last Saturday I finally did the 115 kilometer up-and-back ride along with Chris, Fabien, Adam, Mika and Keren.

The route was even more scenic than I expected, with lush green hillsides soaring around us.  Even on a day when Mount Fuji was largely shrouded in clouds the course was stunning.  From Sagamiko the course climbs gradually for about 45k then rises sharply for about 5k before dropping down to Yamanakako.   We did one loop around the lake before returning.  The ride took about 6 hours including several long stops.   

I highly recommend the route.  By catching the Chuo special express, Chris and I made it from Roppongi to Sagamiko in less than 90 minutes.  According to Chris there is significantly less traffic on Sunday and weekday mornings.

Fuji Susono Half-Marathon

On Sunday I ran a 1:20:18 half-marathon near Mount Fuji. It was wonderfully cool weather (11 degrees) after the wretched death slog in the 35 degree heat at China Ironman.

I stayed behind my ultra-marathon teammate Yoshida-san for the first 5k and when I heard our split of 21:45 I was not optimistic about my ultimate finishing time. Thanks to Yoshida-san's comfortable pace, the long uphill climb on the first 5k did not actually seem so difficult to me. So when we got to top of the hill I accelerated, running 18:54 for my second 5k. I pulled within about 20 seconds of younger, faster teammate Gerard and was pulled along by my effort to keep him in sight.
At 14k I started to weaken a bit. This is usually when a half-marathon starts to get painful for me. But here is the wonderful thing about the Fuji-Susono course: since the last 4.5k is downhill, I merely needed to survive until about 16.5k and then I could cruise. And cruise I did -covering the last 5k in approximately 16:30. I have always assumed that you cannot make up time on the downhill that you had lost because of running slower on the uphill, but somehow at Fuji-Susono I did make up lost time (even though I do not consider myself a strong runner on downhills). I finished 4th in 40-49 division.

Needless to say, I would have liked to break 1:20, but given training and conditions I was delighted with my race. My time was very similar to my Tokyo (half) Marathon time in February - in both cases I started out at a slow pace and enjoyed a relatively comfortable run. The shift to more bicycle and swim training over the past few months did not seem to slow me down.

Ironman China 2

Still admiring the coconut prize a week after IM China. It is more impressive than my times. Given the variables in a triathlon it is more difficult to compare performances than in say a 5k track run. I am convinced IM China was my best triathlon to date.

Questions:
1. Was is it the heat or the bike ride that killed me on the run?
2. Was the swim really 1.8k as other swimmers claim?
3. Would my friend from SVTC have lasted 100 meters if he wore his "Free Tibet" shirt?
4. Where on earth can I find a half-ironman that is not so absurdly hot on the run?

Half-Ironman seem inherently hot because the run starts at mid-day in places warm enough to attract people to an open water swim. I would gladly trade off a few minutes of shivering during body marking on a cold morning in exchange for hours of cooler weather all afternoon (but I seem to the exception in this respect). I also kept suggesting to everyone I saw at Ironman China that they start the half-ironman at 2pm and finish under the lights rather than start us at 9am. But I only get blank stares in reply. Teammates Keren, Mika, and Michael are all planning to Singapore 70.3 in September, but I would rather do almost any other event - even Escape from Alcatraz where I could count on the cold summer weather in San Francisco.

Ironman China Report

Wow - I actually won an award in a triathlon - a coconut trophy. I am so pleased - I feel like when I won a blue ribbon at field day in elementary school. I have won trophies in running events, but never expected to finish above the middle of the pack in a triathlon. Somehow I managed to capture 3rd of about 20 guys in the 45-49 division.

My swim was really solid. I swam straight, had few collisions, and was generally able to concentrate on my stroke. I was even first out of the water among the Nambanners in a time of 30 minutes 42 seconds (the course was short - call it 1500 meters? - maybe a bit more).

My bike was close to my most optimistic goal time as well - 3:06:42 - I maintained my target of 30k per hour on the flat stretches despite limited training.

The amazing thing is that I placed so well despite the fact I was not able to even run effectively. I decided right at the start of the run I was going to have to walk early and often. For the first 8k I managed to run for 4 minutes and walk for 30 seconds, but by the bridge at 14k I was walking more than I was running. I was a bit concerned about heat exhaustion (my friend Kyle from Silicon Valley Triathlon Club collapsed and had to get an IV during the race -- he still managed to finish). When teammate Mika Kume blew past me on the uphill section of the bridge and exhorted me to run with her, I just smiled and kept walking. My run time was 1:59:42 and overall time was 5 hours 45 minutes and 27 seconds.

Running in the heat was pure misery, but overall I was delighted with Ironman China experience, more happy it seems than most of my teammates. The bike course took us through the narrow streets of a traditional Chinese village packed with villagers screaming "Go Go Jia Yo!" and out into countryside past water buffalo and throngs of baffled farmers and coconut plantations. I would imagine most of the participants would have been happy to keep the course on the flatter, faster highway but I am glad the organizers took us through the village. The event was well organized for a first time organization.

More later

Caffeine Taper 3

..Not that my bike training for China Ironman is the important thing.  What really matters is the caffeine taper. 

And I did it!   I made it through a whole day with no caffeine.  

After six weeks on only 100 milligrams of caffeine per day, I inadvertently made it through yesterday with only minimal withdrawal effects.  Now we will see how the 700 milligram caffeine loading helps next Sunday.    

Ironman China Training

Here is my triathlong training (weekly hours being the best proxy for triathlon training):



Swim - Half dozen solid workouts along with my easy weekly swims at spa
Bike - Only three (THREE!) outdoor rides. I am doomed
Run - I seemed to hold up well for 35k at Ome despite limited miles.

Ome Takamizu 35k Trail Run

I ran surprisingly well in yesterday's Ome Takamizu trail run, covering the hilly 35-kilometer course in 2:59:23 and finishing 13th out of over 900 starters. 
http://www.gem.hi-ho.ne.jp/kfc-onishi/

Twice before I had run this race.  Two years ago when the course was only 30 kilometers, I finished in 2:30.  The extra 5-kilometers added some beautiful trail sections, but made the run significantly more difficult.  I am not sure how I managed to improve on my previous effort given my recent lack of mileage in general and lack of trail running in particular. 

As usual, I intended to go out slow and enjoy feeling stronger later in the race.  But I joined my teammates near the front at the starting line and after the gun went off I quickly settled into the top 20 as we climbed the initial hill.  By about 8k I felt worn out and wondered if I was in trouble - an uphill portion of the new section was so steep that I used ropes to help pull me up. 

For almost the entire 3 hours I found myself passing a group of 6 other runners on the flat, uphill and paved sections and then watching in dismay as they simply blew by me on the steep downhill trail sections.    When we arrived at the temple at the top of Mount Takamizu I made a point of ringing the gong and admiring the scenery (as the familiar group passed me yet again).  At this point I was in 20th place.  I suffered various cramps and stomach discomfort and sore thighs and hip pain and a wrong turn, but none of these  slowed me down tremendously, and having done long triathlons I have grown more accustomed to working through various mid-race issues.  For the last 15-kilometers I concentrated on working through one section at a time, uphill, downhill, ridge, etc., and managed to pass and maintain my lead over the group around me (including the fastest woman and a 52-year old guy).  I was completely drained by the time I hit the finish.  

I was one of the few runners not carrying water.  Most other runners carried backpacks.  It was a warm Spring day, but the 6 aid stations were adequate replenishment for me.  If I could find a really small, tight water belt I would probably wear it on a day like yesterday, but am glad I did not lug my current belt which drives be crazy bouncing up and down.  I did carry 3 gels and a power bar and was diligent about eating every 30 minutes which seemed to help. 

I seem to be more competitive overall in trail races than road runs, yet within the trail races my strength relative to the other participants is overwhelmingly on the more flat, paved sections.  

Swim Squad 2: Waterboarding experience

After swim squad last night I understand why waterboarding was such an effective form of torture at Guantanamo and has outraged human rights activists.

We did one-arm swim drills and rotating, arm-by-side drills for 4x50 meters each. Soon I was inhaling water and experiencing the process of drowning, and death seemed eminent. My teammate Mary expressed concern to me when I finished each lap gasping and sputtering. "Jay - take it easy, I am getting worried about you - your face is turning blue" she kept saying.

Still I managed to recover and do the subsequent 8 x 200s in an average of 3:50, which is a big improvement for me. After the swim squad session I again felt a nice sense of accomplishment and am pretty sure that the waterboarding-like experience did not cause too much brain damage from oxygen deprivation or will lead to post-traumatic stress

Cross-training 2: Balance

I always thought I had pretty good sense of balance.  So it has been a rude shock to start yoga and find myself teetering and toppling over during balance poses, while the other yoga participants perch effortlessly on one foot like ballerinas.

So, just as I noted in my previous post on strength, I was intrigued to stumble across an article on the importance of balance, and moreover to find it contained another test to assess how I might rank against everyone else in this regard:

The test entails standing straight with arms folded across chest, raising one leg, bending the knee about 45 degrees and closing your eyes.  You measure how long you can hold this position on each foot -- a 20-49 years old should be able to stay balanced for 24 to 28 seconds. 

Alas my results were consistent with a 70-79 year old.  Apparently one's balance steadily deteriorates from one's 20s.  Perhaps running and cycling accelerates this decline?   Fortunately it is apparently easy to restore balance if you work on it a bit, so I have been trying to stand on foot each day as I brush my teeth.   Will try to follow-up on my progress in a later post.

(Follow-up note on strength - I am still stuck on about 40 push-ups)

Cross-training: Strength

I have consistently heard that strength training is valuable for triathlon/running performance (and for any one's overall health). But maintaining a regular weight training regime is a tiresome hassle for me, and apparently weight training sporadically is of no value.

So as part of my effort to do 10-minutes of "yoga" every day, I have recently started doing push-ups, and was intrigued to read this NY Times article on the value of the simple push-up. The article characterizes the push-up as the "ultimate barometer of fitness".

What really intrigued me though was the benchmark provided: the "experts" recommend that 40-year old men should be able to do 27 push-ups. Naturally I had to see if I could hit this target, and I immediately managed to struggle to 32 pushups. Since then I added one a day before hitting a wall at 41. My goal now is to work up to 50 - or even better yet, double the benchmark and manage 54.

Swim Squad

For over a year now I have procrastinated about joining swim squad - a group training session with a coach - Greg Watson.  I find swim squad grueling and painful and counter to the happy, easy triathlon training style I have pursued recently which entails relaxed, steady swims and leisurely lunch at the spa.  

Last week Greg asked me if I wanted to be taken off the swim squad mail list and I told him I would try to join the swim workout at least once this spring.  At Tamako Ekiden, yesterday my teammate Motozo mentioned he was going to swim squad in the evening and so reluctantly I decided to participate.

And it was brutal.  

3,000 meters of frenzied gasping and thrashing. Not only was this the farthest I have swam since Ironman in May 2006, it was the fastest.  In swim squad you follow the previous swimmer by 5 or 10 seconds.  I desperately tried to keep up with Mary and stay ahead of the guy behind me who kept bumping into the bottom of my feet.  We did 100-meter intervals in 2 minutes, with 10 second rest, which was bad enough.  However it was the 25 meter drills keeping our head above water and 25 meters of keeping our arms extended in front of us and just propelling ourselves by kicking that really killed me.

I felt really satisfied when the workout was over.  Greg said my stroke looked better and I was quicker than a year ago and my times were faster.

Tamako Ekiden

Seeking camaraderie in a festive spring ekiden (relay race), I traveled to lovely Lake Tama today with 20 Namban teammates for the 19th annual Tamako Ekiden. 

Coming from rain-drenched Seattle, I have never had a problem running in the rain.  The challenge today was not running in the rain, it is all the changing clothes in an open field in the cold rain and waiting around to run in the rain.  

I ran pretty well - 21:20 for the 6k course which contains two cruel U-turns followed immediately by severe uphill climbs.  I ran second on Namban's four man B team and managed to pass a dozen or so (mostly college/high school runners) while about 3-4 runners passed me.  

As far as camaraderie and team spirit, I did make an earnest effort to cheer on my mates a little bit, but I found myself spending so much of my time and energy just trying to untie my shoe laces with my frozen fingers that I missed most of teammates Paddy, Steve and Bob's heroics.

Still it was a worthwhile morning all in all, and we received an enormous souvenir "18th Tamako Ekiden" toenail clipper which I have been needing.  

Caffeine Taper 2

The weather is growing warmer and I have started to contemplate actually training for Ironman China in 5 weeks. But I have been too preoccupied with my caffeine taper to think too much about bicycling. Without enough caffeine, my mind is simply too addled and woozy to think very much about anything.

I have somehow managed to reduce my average caffeine intake from 540 mg (two 12-ounce "tall" cups of coffee per day) down to only about 150 mg per day (for example today a small 4-ounce cup of decaf/caffeinated mix in the morning and half of a cappuccino in the afternoon).

Cutting down of coffee was surprisingly easy at first - cutting my consumption in half was no problem. I even managed to fool myself with the blend of decaf and caffeinated coffee I would make. But I am no longer fooled by the dreadful tasting decaf stuff. Moreover in the week ahead I need to be reasonably sharp to deal with some looming issues at work, not to mention an upcoming Ekiden.