MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803
Happy IceAss Day HC..Jay - for keeping track of laps around the 1.1 mile loop used for the weekly Wednesday marathons and bi-monthly ones around the two stadiums of the Hiratsuka Central Park, the All-Japan 100-Full-Marathon Joyful Running Club has large (~6"x3"), plastic tallywacker counters on a table for each runner to advance after each lap. The bimonthly Takebashi Imperial Palace Marathons in Tokyo just have a tally chart with runners names to pencil off each lap. It's the honor system but, with thousands, seemingly millions of 7-11 and other convenience stores open 24/7 everywhere all around the country, sometimes several on the same block, never getting robbed, I guess it works..However, almost all runners nowadays have various electronic gadgetries to keep track of the laps for them, to say nothing of number of steps, calories, pace, heart rates, etc. MikeMP has one that produced a walking map to the starting line for him more than a mile from the Hiratsuka Train Station so he didn’t get lost as happened the last time in 2009 in Tokyo when someone <<<(that would be me)>>> gave him directions to Sakurada-Mon instead of Takebashi-Mon. Sorry mike but it was in 2009..At a one hour out-and-back once and at various expos, I’ve met Boston Billy but never met his brother, if he even has one. I thought I had met him yesterday though when MikeMP showed up so slim-and-trim for the Joyful’s end-of-the-month Getsurei Marathon at the Hiratsuka Central Park. .
As I well know from when he fast-walked me to my fastest lap in the Dizzy Daze 50K at Green Lake last year, Mike was almost as much on the heavy side as I am and as I seem to remember Divechief was even more before he started running his three-and-a-half hour marathons. Mike’s reported on his lifestyle and eating habit changes herein but, even in the culinary paradise called Japan, he’s keeping off those 30-40 pounds right below 150 pounds, if not more. .It shows too as, of some 30 runners yesterday, Mike’s 3:33:26 garnered top spot by a minute and one second. Congratulations Mike and Good luck in the major Yokohama Marathon you’re doing in March. Did you find any of the Joyfuls who might be registered too? When I ran the Yokohama Marathon in 1985, it turned out to be a 10K as, in Japanese parlance, “marathon” can mean any road race, ergo the Joyful’s “full Marathon” teminology Are you sure the Yokohama one's real?.ps - after a long work week when people in both time zones think you're up-and-awake, I overslept in one of the shallow sleeping pools of Hiratsuka Green Spa and missed the early start so only made it around the park 18 times with another slowbie but, especially with Mike getting into the Japan marathon scene I loved so much during a four-year sojourn in the eighties, it was a great day for me, and for Mike too, I think,with three more years to go for him, for him and DW. lucky.
"Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)
usandtoto-2@msn.com
Looks like a lot of cold, icy and snowy weather in the states. Be careful out there running, especially when you ass ices up.
All this talk about oatmeal. Never liked it and still don't no matter what is added to make it taste like something else. Glad someone out there likes it. You can have my portion too.. lol
Was finally able to meet up with Jon yesterday for a fun run. I used "find my phone" app when I made my way from the train station to the Hiratsuka City Park. So much easier to ensure your walking in the right direction when everything is in Japanese. Met up with Jon, walked a lap with him then started my run at 9am. Its a very nice park with a wide white painted line to follow so you don't get lost. Though one must watch where one is going as many more people also use the park. Translates into weaving around dogs, kids, bicycles and grownups. As Jon mentioned I'm running the Yokohama Marathon (full) in 6 weeks so this was more of a training run. Wanted to run about 20 miles at 8:00 m/m pace then run easy or walk to finish. Was doing pretty good until my garmin lost tracking at 14.2 miles. Later I figured I ran the next 6 miles at about 7:30 pace. I did have a very enjoyable run.
When I finished, I was made a large cup of ramen and also a bean paste type broth and was asked if I liked beer. Well yes, I said and was quickly handed 3 local beers in addition to the food. Good thing I was taking the train. Afterward, I walked a few more laps with Jon. Lots of good conversation flowed. As we were finishing I asked Jon how many laps had I walked with him. He told me five, quickly doing the math, meant I had just finish a very impromto ultra marathon (50K). Thanks Jon for a great day and for the pink Joyful hat.
I will be doing more of these runs
Marathon Maniac #530 Mike (My Indian name is "Runs for Beer")
Marathon Maniac #957
My trail group had our coldest run this season this morning, starting at 3°F. I was putting on my hydration pack in the car, not realizing I'd accidentally opened the valve when I reached over into the back seat to pick it up. Dumped a whole bunch of water into my lap! Nothing like trying to levitate out of the seat as it ran between my legs. As I had on wind pants, it didn't soak in much, but the water on the backside of the pant froze pretty quickly when we got going, so the gang started calling me "Icicle A$$". We got in a slow 10 miles in 3" of fresh snow over icy trail.
Brrr! I have to admit I would be hard to talk into a long run in 3 degrees WITHOUT having wet parts, and a spill like this might make me turn around and go home. You are TOUGH!
Tet - what is a sleeping pool?
Rasmussen - great run, and awesome that you got to meet up with Tet. I sure wish we had a "joyful marathon" tradition around here.
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
Holly - the urban spas and hot springs they try to emulate are so relaxing that there are shallow wading-pool like options that have head rests just out of the water line and chrome mini railings along side to hold on to (and keep you from floating into someone else's space if you fall asleep. Open all night, they are the perfect solution to overcoming jet lag. Hope you get to try one someday. The Joyful's plan at least one of their awards meetings at a different hot springs resort every year. The lay-out jacuzzis featuring both bubble and water jets for tired musclsa are especially popular, . . .cold water tubs too for those so inclined, etc.
. Have fun in Yokama in March Mike.