Gambatte kudasai! Heard this over a thousand times during my six hours on the Tokyo Marathon course in less than ideal weather conditions. The phrase and the people thus inspired make this marathon especially memorable. To truly enjoy the Tokyo experience, one does not race for oneself, for a personal best, for a medal (although everyone who finishes gets one), or a gold star in your running log. This is a unique chance to enjoy immersion into a profound and inspiring culture, and its incredibly friendly and enthusiastic people.
I'm writing from my Japanese style room in the New Sanno (yep, got one at the last minute), just about to bed down into my futon on the tatami mats. This will make an interesting study, being the first marathon eve when I've slumbered Japanese style. How will it affect performance?
I am ready to go. Bib number and timing chip are properly affixed. Garmin Forerunner and iPod fully charged. The latter is suitably programed with Podrunner mixes and a final hour's mix of Eagles, Abba, and Queen. If I've set it up right, I'll be crossing the finish line to "We Are the Champions!" Finally, after much debate and discussion with my fellow runners on what the weather will actually bring, I've decided on my attire for what should be a cool, breezy, and perhaps rainy day: shorts, long sleeved shirt, running vest, hat...and running shoes, of course.
I've eaten my Mediterranean pasta dinner and consumed my proper amount of water. Power bars and power gels are in place for the morrow. All is ready.
Have I ever mentioned how running a race is much like flying to me. I love the planning and preparation almost as much as the actual event. Judging from the crowd at the pre-race Expo today, the Japanese share the relish.
I haven't run in five days. I am neither injured nor depressed, which is often what causes a runner to pile up days of non-activity. I will admit that outside temperatures in the upper 30s with wind chills around freezing have not exactly been motivators. Plus a high ops tempo during our first week back in port has kept me off the treadmill in the ship's gym, or even the bike trainer in my stateroom/office.
BUT, the real reason for this seemingly uncharacteristic running stoppage is the Tokyo Marathon that will take place in a little over a week. I am certainly not a long distance running expert...this will only be my 6th marathon overall and 3rd Tokyo run...but I find I prepare best by avoiding overuse and minimizing injury in the last two weeks before the big race. This practice flies in the face of the real experts' advice, which suggests a gradual tapering of distance and effort over the last two weeks, so that one stays in shape while at the same time restoring muscle glycogen or whatever for the mass expenditure of calories that will occur on race day.
These experts, however, often don't really have a life beyond running and writing about running. We mere mortals with real lives are now on the sixth month of trying to balance those long, and often boring, training runs into our work and family routines. And, since I seek no record or personal best ("A finish is a win"), I've no interest in whether my personal tapering routine will cost me another five or ten minutes off my total time. I lose that much time on bathroom stops during the run anyway. So my goal for these final two weeks is to simply relax and not overstress my mind or body to the point of not being able to enjoy the event for which I've trained since last summer
This non-conformist routine has worked for me before, ever since my first marathon (New York City) in 1986 when I sprained my ankle and couldn't run more than a couple of miles for a full month before the event. It was still a highlight of my life. Every marathon I've run since has been a similar thrill. The joy is in simply doing it, enjoying the crowd and the other runners, and crossing the finish line. Time? Like age, it is all relative.
