Notes
2015 HM 8
2015 Race 10
Tenth (completed) race for the year! Well, I gotta say I am using the term "race" a tad lightly...
In Sapporo for the day on Saturday, but out for the local half-marathon (first annual?) on Sunday. A little crazy, but had to get it done. Signed in at 8am...and then went straight back home. I actually live really close to Santaland. Pretty awesome that.
Anyway, back out at 10:40am or so to get ready for the start. Weather was looking good. Warm even. Word down at the surf point was that it was good down there too. With the road by the ocean closed to traffic, the local surfers had gone in early to support the runners/score an uncrowded session. Nice.
The race started at 11am and there were a lot of people lining the streets. A LOT. Totally felt I was running too hard at the start though. Rush of blood, I guess. The course basically went right past my apartment too. Mariko didn't come to the start or finish, she just stepped out the door and walked twenty meters to see me pass by.
Down the main road, again a lot of people, and then the first water station at the end of the main drag at 2.5K for the 5K turnaround. Was actually feeling really thirsty so stopped to drink. Then a small drop down before starting to run by the ocean. That would be tough on the way back! Still felt I was running a little too fast, so just tried to cruise. Pretty weird running through the tunnels, or on that road in general, as it usually gets a lot of traffic. In fact, I would never normally run there. It would be freaking terrible!
Got to the next water station at 4.6K. Drank my jelly drink, water and kept going to 5K at 28 minutes. Okay, definitely a little faster than normal. This is about where the surf point is and with not much wave action, they were actually doing a pretty good job supporting the runners. Me, in particular. A long line of high fives pumped me up...right when I needed to slow down... Oh well...
Another water station at 7.5K and then kept on to Oshirabetsu. Hit the 10K at 55 minutes and then the halfway point at 58. Pretty good pace, really needed to chill out though... Wasn't intentional, I just knew too many people in the race, supporting or acting as race officials... Didn't want to look bad! They had bananas at the 10K water station right at the harbour, but I flagged that for my second jelly drink and more water. Did a couple of little loops in Oshirabetsu then back on the ocean road back to Hiroo. Feeling good, but still running a little too fast. Got to the 13.5K water station, which an old friend from the town office was working on, ran pretty hard and zeroed in on him and felt a little twinge in my calf... Cramps... After that I definitely slowed down!
Hit 15K at 1:25, but I was starting to take short walk breaks when there was no one around to save myself up for the run down the main street, not to mention passing the surfers again. Got another big boost there, but I slowed right down when I got out of sight of them! Felt like I might cramp up again. I also didn't want to injure myself!
The little rise going back up on to the main drag was tough, walked some of it. Some guy I didn't know at all mistook me for my successor (a skinny, short, bald guy with a lot of facial hair). I completely ignored him. No time for that. Hah! Got back on to the main street and cruised it back, past my current apartment, the bus station, my old apartment, up the slight rise by the pool and then down through the Santaland gates and into the finish at the local elementary school.
High fived the guest runner at the finish, high fived my old boss, but with Mariko not there waiting for me, I had to go organize my stuff myself. Couldn't exactly think straight, but got it done. A banana and water at the finish, then fish eggs on rice, pork soup and meat off a spit. The food was pretty impressive (I could only eat the banana and drink the soup though), but there was no race towel, t-shirt etc.
And I won a Santaland tree in the raffle. Real tree style...which actually means it's a real tree. Sounds like it's fake though.
They also had a pretty good festival going there with beer in plastic cups (you even got a 500 yen coupon), but I didn't even use it as I got talking to too many people. One of my doctors from Obihiro (I beat him, how does that work? Hah!), judo training partner, old office worker from the JHS and my predecessor (the only other foreigner in the race). And the random Hiroo guy who was at Bibai. He kinda freaked out again. Using sign language way too close to my face to get his message across. Sigh... Friendly enough though.
Great course, if the weather is good. Seemed to be well organized too. Pretty good event, I must say. Was actually a little surprised at that...
Nice to be able to get back home after a two minute drive with lunch waiting. Real nice.