Notes
Registration was between 7-9am, so we rolled in at about 6:30 to get a spot in the main carpark. Didn't want to have to park across the busy road in the Self-defense Forces carpark again. Major hassle if you forget something and is rough walking back to after the run as well. Got registered, but no names I recognized in the guidebook. So many people living in and around Beer River, but only like three foreigners ever take part. Oh well.
As I was walking back some random guy nervously says "nice to meet you" to me. He seems like he wants to talk, but he hasn't actually even met me yet. Usually you start with hello. Come on! And why does he only think it is nice to meet me?! Should be "Awesome to meet you!" In my case. Jerk.
So.., I didn't stop to chat to random guy. I smiled and nodded like he hadn't mortally offended me though.
McDs was sponsoring this and Ronald was in attendance. Speaks very good Japanese. No accent even. Yet I failed to get a photo with either him or the Beer River mascot before the race. Never going to Maccas again.
Race started at at 10am. Thought it was going to be sunny, ended up being cloudy, cool and windy. Easy running down by the river though. My first goal was to make it to the first water station without stopping. This is a total mental thing now and got it done in 27:18 or thereabouts. Felt like I wanted to stop about 15 times though...
Walked through the station, hit some Seicomart jelly, before running up the hill and turning around to head back... Into the head wind! Wasn't sure how I was going to go on the way back so I picked a guy and tried to just hang on. Green Shirt Guy seemed a good choice and tried to stay with him back to the stadium. At about 8K I started to slip off the pace though. Kept him in view, but he started to pull away a bit...
Love how they kept telling people to run to the left to give the front runners in the half-marathon space on the right. There's always a few who just run wherever they want to. No big deal, but kinda stupid.
Anyway, after 8K was a bit tough, but still managed to keep running without stopping. Missed the mini tomatoes, but there was another water station just near the end, took a drink and kept at it. Wasn't planning a big finish, but I had to break out of this group of five or so people in order to give MHM a chance to take my photo. Little surprised that I had any gas left and passed a whole bunch of people in the process, including the guy in the Uniqlo 3/4 pants and this other guy with a face mask. Allergies? Gotta be tough during a race. Or maybe he's trying to stop himself from catching swine flu. Who knows?!
Of course, I was DONE at the finish line, but being a 10K, I was kinda good five minutes later - after hammering the Seicomart-brand chips MHM had bought, that is. Stoked with the time though. Thought I could go under an hour, but wasn't expecting to do it so easily. Five weeks until Obihiro though. Can I get this done?!
Still didn't manage to get a photo with that jerk Ronald, but did get a photo with the city mascot. Must be telling me something here. Beer River has love for the Rooster. McDs couldn't care less...
No beer on tap here. Thinking about it, Biei does (right?) as did Shibetsu. By chance(?) there was a festival going on beside the Cape Nosappu half-marathon last year, which had beer on tap. None in Beer River, only canned beer and some udon out the back. Snacked randomly all the way home, didn't feel up to an actual meal - karage kun, for sure though!