One month down

So I'm almost one month into my Marathon training regime and I'm 32km's done for the month but somewhere well over a 100 beers, that might just be the last two weeks. Can't quite remember exactly how many beers precisely (funny how I can remember every kilometer run) but last week was pretty intense with 2 of my firms Directors in town and the previous week in the US. I know the month is not yet over but since I'm flying to Hong Kong on Tuesday I don't think there is much chance of me getting another run in before the month is out.


However, I did get out for a run this evening, which, despite the heat, wasn't too bad although the pace was a bit slow. Unlike last Monday when I got a quick 6km run in, at least that is what I was hoping for. It just happened to be one of the hardest runs I've ever been for. a stitch after the first 0.5km that never went away, a headache from the heat and jet lag from my flight back. For the rest of last week, Tuesday through Saturday, I found myself down the pub either with friends, clients or most often both. Doing this marathon might just need a lot of effort and is going to be damn hard! 


So with next week in Hong Kong that'll be another week lost where the ratio of beers done to kilometers run will tip ever more in the favour of beers done. It may be fun now but some serious training is going to have to start and soon. I'm hoping the following week the weather will cool, the humidity will drop and I'll have less work commitments in the evening (a.k.a. pub visits) so I can get out running and increase both my distance and pace.

O'Hare

So here I am sat in O'Hare airport wating for my flight back to Tokyo, and it couldn't come sooner. Not that I don't like the US. On the contrary, my week in New York and Chicago has been fantastic. It's just my waisteline cannot take the portions of food any more and the amount of red meat consumed, often combined with cheese, must surely be enough for the rest of the year for me.

All those good intentions of getting out for a run or using the hotel gyms fell by the wayside so consequently no training done but a fair few more beers done. I hope that when I get back to Tokyo on Saturday afternoon that I will be able to glue the Adidas shoes on to my feet and go for at least one short run this weekend.

Well better run now (no pun intended) as my flight is being called. See you on the otherside.

199 Days To Go...

So there are 199 days left to go until the Marathon start day. I've now "officially" started training but I won't know if I get a place in the Marathon until mid-October. All I do know is that the Marathon is already over subscribed, so it will be down to a lottery. Fingers crossed, but I've also heard that Johnny Foreigner has a better chance of getting in as the Mayor of Tokyo wants to make Tokyo look a more international city.


So back to the training. Sunday and Tuesday nights were out for short 6.5km runs. In this heat and humidity, and being out of shape like me, that is enough to get started on for sure. Monday night was squash so the week was looking good in terms of fitness regime. Hang on though, the old "Beers Done to Kilmoters Run" ratio was beginning to look like not enough "Beers Done". To redress this balance I decided to have a large one on the tiles last night (Wednesday) taking advantage of a colleagues leaving do for an excuse. I think I must have notched up 10 to 15 beers after running in to some wild clients later on in the evening. This of course leaves me far too tired on a Thursday night to even contemplate training.


Next week sees me depart these shores for a business trip to the USA for 1 week. Good intentions are there and I will be packing my running gear but I'm sure the temptation of all that American style steak houses, pizza parlours and burger joints will not bode well when looked at in contrast of spending the evening in the hotel gymnasium, not to mention the bars and clubs! My only hope is for jet lag to kick me out of bed early enough in the morning to get a training run in. Wish me luck...

The Great Weigh In

So I played squash this evening, which I won of course, but like all great prize fighters, I decided to use the gym scales to find out quite literally what my weigh in is. It's nice to know how much I'm lugging around on these training runs. Well, I tipped the scales at a thoroughly impressive 103kg's (227lb's or 16st 3lb). A little too big even by my standards. I don't fancy running with all that for 42 kilometers so hopefully I'll shed a bit between now and Feb.


Back on to the more important calculation though of "Beers Done v Kilometers Run". I reckon 45 minutes of squash at least qualifies for the equivalent of 6 kilometers run. So by that reckoning the count stands at:


Beers done = 35 / Kilometers run = 12


Comment below on this post if you think I'm cheating.

Beers Done v Kilometers Run

So today I got round to my first training run since submitting my application for the Marathon. With the heat at 30 celcius +, and humidity around 80%, it didn't make for very pleasant running conditions. Anyway 6.5km's done at a rather sedate pace of 41 minutes. You can see the trace of the run here courtesy of my Nike+ and Nike Sportband:


http://go.nike.com/0q8pbnc


It was whilst I was out on the run and thinking as you do that I was wondering if I were to keep record of the amount of beers I drink against the kilometers run in training for Tokyo Marathon 2011 which would be greater? So starting from the beginning of this month, when I submitted the application, and being conservative with the beers, I think it would be something like:


Beers Done = 35 / Kilometers Run = 6


Since half beers don't count, they just never have done and never will, then half kilometers don't count either. It will be interesting to see how this ratio of "Beers Done to Kilometers Run" progresses over time. I'll try to keep mental note and update from time to time.

Poll Results & News

So a spread of results so far from the poll with 1 person stating 3 hours (probably impossible), 1 for 4 hours (ever the optimist), 5 for 5 hours (my target time) and 1 won't finish (there's always 1!). Poll still open so come on and get your votes in.


Of course I'm desperately hoping I can even get a place in the marathon as subscriptions are going through the roof. Apparently Japan is experiencing a bit of a boom lately in running as the news article below, courtesy of the Yomiuri Shinbun, shows:


http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T100806004528.htm


So fingers crossed for October when the lottery is drawn and in the meantime I best start getting some training in.

Shock of realising I've just submitted my application

Me in the office after I’ve just entered my application for the Tokyo Marathon. 26 miles and 385 yards or in new money 42.135 kilometers!

Registration - 207 Days To Go

So I’ve finally done it. Yesterday, after deliberating about entering the Tokyo Marathon in 2009 and 2010, I submitted my application for the Tokyo Marathon next year to be held on 27th February 2011. Not sure what I have let myself in for other than blood sweat and tears Any others masochists, fools and idiots out there that want to join me can also apply here:

http://www.tokyo42195.org/2011/index_en.html

Subscription closes 31st August 2010. According to the latest update on the site subscriptions have already exceeded the total places available. Places will be decided by lottery with the lucky 32,000 applicants being notified of a place by mid October. Fingers crossed that I’m one of them... on the other hand...