Tazawako Lake Marathon Race (The 22nd)

Date: Sunday, September 16, 2007 Weather: Rainy

Location: Senboku City, Akita Pref.


Details of RaceRefer to the 17th Tazawako Lake Marathon Race.


IMAGE

 
T-shirt


Records & Impression

• Saturday, September 15
  
  
  
  • I got on the overnight bus bound for Morioka at 22:40 from Ikebukuro. The bus was fully occupied.
  • I could not sleep well since the ride quality was not so good. Anyway, I waked up around 5:30 AM.
  • The driver said it took much time to get out of metropolitan area. Therefore, the bus arrived in JR Morioka Station around 6:50 AM. It was a delay of 30 minutes. It glazed over in Morioka.
  • I got off Morioka for the first time. The station was bigger than I expected. I looked for the restaurant for breakfast around the station.
  • All I could found was "Matsuya" restaurant only since it was so early in the morning. I was forced to enter there. The taste of breakfast set was not so good as I expected. I preferred McDonald's, but I couldn't find it.
  • When entering into "Matsuya", I saw three young ladies putting on their faces with single-minded devotion at the counter. I was surprised to see it. Maybe, they had just arrived by overnight bus. I couldn't understand the behavior of recent young people.
  • After the breakfast, I started to stroll the town of Morioka. First, I headed for Iwate Park. It took only 15 minutes after crossing Kitakami River. It was a spacious park with only castle ruin of stonewalls.
  • Then I walked to HOONJI-temple, where woodcarving 500 Rakans are put on the shelves of RAKANDO (Statues Hall).
  • I reached the temple at 9:00. No one was there except me. I worshiped 500 Rakans together with Rhushana-butsu in the dark RAKANDO. I felt strange atmosphere standing alone in the dark RAKANDO. It was completely silent world. I devoted myself completely to the world of different dimension for a while.
  • Speaking of Iwate Pref., Takuboku Ishikawa, a poet, is famous. Therefore, I went to see the house where Takuboku spent only a few months when he just got married.
  • A simple house was conserved beside the broad street.
    
     
    HOONJI-temple RAKANDO Kitakami River
    
    
    Ishikawa's house
    
    
    
  • I got on train of the Akita Shinkansen at 10:26 bound for Akita.
  • I reached Kakunodate at 11:15. It was fine and hot there.
  • I deposited by luggage to the hotel and started strolling the town of Kakunodate. It was so hot like mid-summer.
  • Kakunodate is famous sightseeing site and a lot of tourists were visiting there. Especially, the area of old samurai residences was crowded.
  • I visited all famous samurai residences. However, I was disappointed to see many souvenir shops and restaurants for visitors in samurai residences. I could see commercialism there.
  • Finally, I strolled alongside Hinokinai River. There was a row of cherry blossom trees on the bank. It seemed that cherry in full bloom would be marvelous. I could see clear stream of the river. A lot of anglers were enjoying Ayu (sweetfish) fishing.
  • I felt asleep while walking owing to lack of sleep in the overnight bus.
  • I checked in the hotel at 14:30.
  • I decided to go to "Kakunodate Hotspa" which I found while strolling. The guests of Spa were a few and the old lady of fee collector's stand seemed to be idle.
  • I only took a towel for Spa; however, I was at a loss to learn that there was no soap and shampoo available in the bathtub. I told to the old lady that I did not have soap and shampoo, and then she gave me a pack of soap and shampoo free of charge in secret. I thanked her.
  • It was still daytime and no one was in the bathtub except me. I enjoyed hot bathing. When returning to the hotel, I bought a canned beer and drank it. I felt very good.
  • I visited the restaurant just in front of the hotel for dinner. I found a bowl of rice topped with famous local boiled chicken and eggs in the menu and ordered it. It was delicious, but the chicken was a little bit hard.
  • I had a good and gracious time today.
    
     
    Samurai houses Entrance of house Hinokinai River
    
    
    Cherry Trees
    
    
    
  
  
• Sunday, September 16
  
  
  • I got up around 5:00 AM. It seemed that the rain just started.
  • According to the weather forecast in the morning, the chance of rain was 100% in Akita Pref. Furthermore, heavy rain and thunderstorm warning was issued! Oh my God! I don't like thunderstorm!
  • I had been joining the marathon races in the rain since Tokyo Marathon Race.
  • The rain started past 6:00 AM. Then It rained heavily.
  • I checked out at 6:45. Fortunately, the rain stopped while walking to the station.
  • I took on the local train at 7:22 and arrived in Tazawako Station at 7:41.
  • I took on the free shuttle bus. It seemed that the rain almost re-started. It took 15 minutes to reach the marathon site. The rain started.
  • After registration, I hastened to the tent for runners. The tent was crowded with runners and I managed to get the place for changing wears. The heavy rain continued. I could not get out of the tent. I was forced to wait in the tent by 10:00 AM for start.
  • The rain fell more gently around 9:30. I lined on the start point around 9:45. The rain almost stopped.
  • On starting, the drizzle started, but it was hot and humid.
  • In the first half, runners had to run to JR Tazawako Station and return to the starting point. The intermittent rain continued. It had been hot until I came back to the staring point. When joining the race previously, it was fine and hot and I was exhausted in the first half. However, this time, the condition was better than that of previous one. The cheers of gallery served as a source of encouragement. I responded them by waving my hand.
  • However, this was the first marathon race of this reason. Thus my running condition was not well prepared as yet. The time at 20km was 1 hour 51 minutes. There was no mark at the middle point, but my passing time might be around 2 hours. I thought it might be impossible to finish the race within 4 hours.
  • Anyway, I decided to complete the race regardless of finishing time.
  • It was very hard to run up the last slope to Tazawako Lake. I managed to reach the entrance of the round-trip course of Tazawako Lake.
  • Intermittent rain still continued. It was getting cooler and it was good for running.
  • At first, I enjoyed seeing blue water of Tazawako Lake and green of the road. However, I was getting tired of them owing to lack of changes.
  • I devoted myself to running. I felt it was so long to reach 30 km point. The distance to the Tatsuko Girl Figure was 32 km. I felt exhausted. My running pace drastically slowed down.
  • Long slope started from the point named "Kappa Deep". A lot of runners started to walk. I ran up as slowly as possible. The pace was almost the same as that of cow.
  • Then the sharp descent started. There were several ups-and-downs in the round-trip course. I was completely exhausted.
  • The running pace further slowed down until 40 km point. many runners passed me, but I could not catch up with them.
  • Only banana was available at each aid station. But I could get a rice ball at 40 km aid station.
  • I got energy with rice ball and refreshed. My running pace recovered and rushed to the goal.
  • However, the finish time was 4 hours 29 minutes contrary to my expectation. I had never walked. The condition was better than that of previous time, but the finishing time was worse.
  • Heavy rain started as soon as I finished. I got free rice and Miso soup. I took them under the tent. I completely got wet to the skin. I had a plan to take a bath at hot spa. However, I gave up it owing to heavy rain.
  • I hasened to change the wears and got on free shuttle bus to the station.
  • The bus reached the station at 15:40. I took on the local train bound for Morioka just 30 seconds before start. I almost missed the train. I didn't have a time to buy a canned beer.
  • The train stopped many times and finally arrived in Morioka Station at 16:46.
  • I had a return ticket of overnight bus. But I cancelled it and bought a ticket of Shinkansen,
  • I bought the following three souvenirs: Nambu iron kettle, Nambu rice cracker, Nambu beautiful lady (Name of local sake). I took Morioka cold needle as supper before entering into Shinkansen.
  • I enjoyed drinking canned beer and Japanese sake in the train as usual.
  • I safely got home around 23:00. I got tired.
    
    Records
    
    

    05 km	27 minutes
    10 km	54 minutes
    15 km	1 hour 22 minutes
    20 km	1 hour 51 minutes
    Middle point	??
    25 km	2 hours 22 minutes (?)
    30 km	2 hours ?? minutes
    35 km	??
    40 km	4 hours 13 minutes
    Goal	4 hours 29 minutes

    
    
    
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