Imizu Triathlon 2013: Report

This was my second trip to Imizu City in Toyama prefecture to take part in the annual triathlon there. Last year I wrote an entertaining story about my first visit there, titled “The Road To Ebie“, which you might like to read if you’re considering your first triathlon. Instead of a story this time, I’m going to step through each stage of the event, comparing this year with last. The […]

Great Mount Norikura Marathon: Report

I’ve just got back from a weekend away in Japan’s Nagano prefecture, where one of the country’s highest and most magnificent mountains, Mount Norikura (3,026m) played host to two races: a 12km trail run through the forests and a 30km road race up the mountain. Day One – The 12K Trail Run Yoshio and I left Gifu early on Saturday morning and with only a brief stop at a hot […]

The 145km Giant Salamander Ride

I’ve said before that I have a tendency to overdo things, and despite being so restrained over the last few weeks I got carried away and made a sudden decision to cycle farther than I ever have before. With little planning, I left home just before 5am and headed north into the mountains on my Giant Defy road bike. The idea was to head towards Gujo, cross the Otoge pass […]

Training Update – May 19th, 2013

It’s been five weeks since I wrecked my body at the Kakegawa Marathon. The first couple of weeks after that were quite painful and I wasn’t able to do very much at all in terms of exercise. Since the beginning of May, I’ve managed to start running again and am making steady progress towards my next big event, the Mount Norikura Heavenly Marathon on the weekend of June 22/23. Running […]

21K Kakamigahara Alps Hike

The forecast was cloud with light rain, ideal for taking on the Kakamigahara Alps full hiking course. Last year I did it twice, but both times tried to run it. The first time, also in the rain, I bailed out with two mountains to go. I got lost, was freezing cold in t-shirt and shorts, and didn’t have the will to continue. Two months later, on a hot day in […]

Open Proposal for a Gifu Runners Marathon

This post is directed at members of the Gifu Runners Facebook Group, a group of runners living in or around the Gifu region of Japan. There is a clear lack of full marathon options for us in Gifu. In fact, there are only two marathons that I know of: the hugely popular Ibigawa Marathon and the almost unheard of Kisogawa Marathon. Both events have their merits, but wouldn’t it be […]

Kakegawa Marathon Race Report

Shizuoka’s Kakegawa may be a small city, smaller than where I live, in fact, but it has a very nice castle, an exotic birds zoo, and of course, the Kakegawa “New Tea” Marathon. I originally decided to run Kakegawa because I wanted to run a 3 hour, 30 minute marathon and couldn’t do that in last December’s Nara Marathon because I was injured. Kakegawa was not so far from home […]

Race Plan for the Kakegawa Marathon

With just four days to go until the Kakegawa Marathon, I’ve been thinking about race strategy. First of all, I’m following the advice of a friend who told me to set three time goals so if you miss the first you can still aim for the second and third. My goals are: sub-3:30, 3:45 and 3:57:26, the last being my current PR which I set in the Nara Marathon last […]