Notes
I usually like to build up to the final result, but here's the short version for those who don't want to read the whole thing:
I finished in 3:08:47, a BQ in my 2nd marathon and first BQ attempt.
I wanted to post this earlier, but I had to go out to celebrate I think most of you were still sleeping anyway.
General comments
Overall, I think this was a very great race. The organization, crowd support, and volunteer support was excellent. The course was very flat and scenic. At times, I was very overwhelmed by all the crowd support and couldn't control my pace. At other times, I was enjoying the crowd so much that I forgot that I was racing and slowed down too much.
I'm very impressed with such a great show they put on, especially since this was only the third year.
The start and pre-start
I woke up at 5:00 and had some bread and iced green tea for breakfast, then had a warm-up shower. I headed to the start at around 6:45.
I was a little concerned about the race today because:
A - I accidentally got drunk 3 nights before the race, and
B - My friends were smoking too much at dinner last night and then we went to a very smoky cafe afterwards. I was very congested when I went to sleep last night and I felt like I smoked half a pack myself.
That was all my fault though.
I made sure I pee'ed many times before heading to the starting block, but I still had to go about 30 minutes before the start. It was too late because it was too crowded. I decided to go early because I thought it would be easiest to start again while fresh, but I never ended up going. I held it for about 4 hours (maybe it made me run faster).
The temperature was probably around mid-50s at the start. It was a windy day, more than ideal, but manageable. There were however, some corridors which were super windy.
Race details
Although my time is not official, I think it's pretty safe to say I got my BQ. The times are from the tracking website.
First 5k - 23:29 - The start was very crowded. I think it took about 5:15 to go through the first km. I'm just glad I didn't waste energy freaking out trying to weave around everybody. The crowd thinned out after the first km.
10k - 22:24 - The pace didn't feel good the first 10k, but I stuck with it, knowing that I usually take too much time to get warmed up. I started feeling better at this point. The 10k finish was at Hibiya Park, where my friends met me to cheer me on.
15k - 22:07 - Still feeling strong, but can I keep this pace? It was along this stretch that we first saw the elites, as there was a 5k out-and-back portion here. There was a 180 degree turn at the 15k mark, but it was wide so no problem.
20k - 21:40 - My friends chose the 10k point to meet me because they could easily cross over to the other side to see me again at 20k. I was really starting to get concerned about the pace, but I decided that I could just enjoy the race if I blew up.
25k - 21:58 - Still going too fast. We saw the elites again on the other side at around their 31 or 32k mark.
30k - 22:18 - Came to terms with the pace and realized that I could hold it to the end. Could I go sub-3:08 today? My emotions almost started to take over, but I told myself that it wasn't in the bag yet, and really put my head down and focussed on nailing this BQ.
33k - Surprised to see my friends at Ginza. It was really good to see them at that point.
35k - 22:46 - It was windy, it started to rain, and I thought this was a stupid place for one of two hills, this one being the most substantial. Come on, fight!
37k - This is where the pace really started to slow as it got really windy and the wind even blowed my sideways at one point. This isn't going to be that easy.
40k - 23:06, elapsed time - 2:59:48 - Although I only have 2.2k to go and have about 11 minutes to do it, I knew it wasn't in the bag yet due to my fatigue and the weather condition. I actually felt like walking it the rest of the way in.
last 2.2k - 10 minutes flat. I raised my arms as I crossed the line.
The volunteer organization was so great. They had hundreds of volunteers lining the entrance to the exhibition hall solely for the purpose of clapping and saying "otsukaresama deshita", which means good job or thank your for your hard work.
I got my medal, race towel, some kind of foot spray, food, drinks, and went inside and collapsed on the floor before having a foot bath.
Thank you for reading, and thanks for all of the support and encouragement the last couple of months. When I fell to the ground in the exhibition hall, all I could think about was retiring from marathons, but I think we all know I'm just getting started. The most important thing I learned today is that I'm just beginning to test my limits, and based on how I felt today, I think 3:05-3:06 is well within reach in the near future.
What's next?
1. Do some shorter stuff in the late spring, and then build a proper base before training for Boston.
2. Recover, and then gear up for a fall marathon to get more experience before heading to "the show".
I think I can benefit from either choice. What do you think?
Vacation
I'll stay here for a few more days before heading to Nagoya and then to Osaka and Kyoto. Still about 3 weeks left. Yes, this section of the report was to make you all jealous.