With the marathon now history, Keiko and I have rested and will be off touring the city and visiting with family and friends. High on the to-do list is eating at some of our favorite places.
Today is dedicated to ramen noodles! As noted in a recent NY Times article:
Still unclear? Well, combine New Yorkers’ love of pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers, throw in some Southern barbecue mania, and you’ve still only begun to approximate Tokyo’s obsession with ramen.
Check out one of the many ramen blogs for my insights (for example, Ramenate!) Happy noodle slurping!!
Lost by some in all the excitement of the marathon experience was Keiko’s performance in the 10K race run simultaneously with the marathon. Congratulations Keiko on a personal best time of 59:29! A great run in the difficult weather conditions.
The Tokyo Marathon was a fantastic experience. Without question, the most unique and exciting way to tour the fabulous city of Tokyo Japan.
My unofficial time was 5:10:09 under very extreme cold and wet conditions. In fact the hardest part of the race was standing in the rain for one and a-half hours before the race started; the sun appeared about mile 16. Getting 32,500 runners organized and to the start required a massive organization and logistical effort.
My Garmin GPS watch displayed an average pace of 11:50/mile, just 20 seconds off my race plan. My fastest mile was #1 (9:34 – I was so cold I ran very fast to get warm!). The slowest mile was #12 (13:00); the final mile pace was 12:14. I believe better conditions would have yielded better results … I really wanted to break 5 hours … but I have no regrets. At mile 21 I decided to alter my race plan (I actually walked very little of the time this race, all in just about 3 miles) and be sure I finished the race in good health with a still respectable time. I had crossed the start line about 18 minutes after the gun and passed the 5:30:00 pace setters at mile 21, so I knew I was within range of my personal goal. I sprinted the last kilometer. Keiko found the Marathon’s web site video of my finish and it was fun to watch the morning after.
The event itself, despite the weather, was an unbelievable experience. The number of people and their support was beyond imagination, cheering crowds, bands and other musical performers every step of the way. The marathon volunteers and support staff were fantastic.
Keiko and her family were there at four stops along the way to cheer me on. The most memorable image I have of the race was the long approach to the “Thunder Gate,” an iconic Tokyo landmark in the Asakusa district (mile 18), with Japanese drums providing a mystical cadence as we ran. As I turned the corner at the gate there was Keiko and her family with signs, UMaine pom-poms and a hugh American flag to send me on my way to the finish.
A sincere thank you to everyone who wished me well and supported my quest. I carried photos of my family on the journey. The thoughts and confidence of my daughters Jodi, Jessica and Alissa were a very special part of this extraordinary experience.
Keiko and I had a wonderful trip to Japan. The good feelings about the trip started when we arrived at New York’s JFK airport. Delta had changed equipment and our previously selected bulkhead seats disappeared. At the gate I asked the agent if it might be possible to correct the situation. She did get us reassigned and asked why we were traveling to Japan. I mentioned a family visit and running the Tokyo Marathon. When we went to board the aircraft another agent said we had been upgraded to Business First …. with good luck on my run! It was an absolutely fabulous beginning to our journey.
We spent Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday relaxing and visiting with family and friends. A special treat was being with some dear friends, former colleagues from Avaya Japan. The photo shows some members of what we call “The Kamakura Gang”, members of my Avaya FIFA World Cup team who introduced me to the pleasures and excitement of Japan. They have remained good friends and we never visit Japan without seeing them. Thank you Kase, Chiho and Miki.
On Wednesday (2/24) we depart for Tokyo with the marathon set for Sunday (2/28). It has been a long, cold winter of training and I am looking forward to running in the more temperate weather predicted for Japan. My goal is to finish the event in good health in 5 hours or less. How much less will depend on the weather and, like any athletic competition, what I bring to the party that morning. If I am able to build on my 11:30 training pace, a time between 4:30 and 5:00 is possible. But 26.2 miles (42.1 kilo) is a long way and many factors can impact my performance.
For those who are around next Saturday evening or can’t sleep, you can visit the Tokyo Marathon web site and check my 5K splits. The starting time of 9:10AM Sunday Tokyo time means a 7:10PM Saturday time on the USA east coast.
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