Tazawako Lake Marathon Race (The 26th)

Date: Sunday, September 18, 2011 Weather: Cloudy occasionally heavy rain shower

Location: Senboku City, Akita Pref.


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


IMAGE

 
T-shirt


Records & Impression

• Saturday, September 17
  
  
  
  • This time, I used Shinkansen outward and homeward. I lodged at Ohmagari. According to weekend weather forecast, it would rain heavily in Akita Prefecture. I was worrying about it.
  • Anyway, I got on the train at 13:34 from Ueno Station. The seats were fully occupied owing to consecutive holidays.
  • As forecasted, it became rainy when the train entered into the Tohoku District. I could see the dull-colored sceneries from the train window.
  • I arrived in Ohmagari at 17:22. It was also rainy there and already darkish. I checked in the hotel beside the station.
  • After checking, I went to the nearby supermarket to get the food and drink. I could see no pedestrians and the market was also quiet. I wondered if the situation was normal. If so, how desolate it was.
  • After returning to the hotel, I drank locally brewed Japanese sake and had a box lunch as supper.
  • The weatherman said it would be rainy next day and heavy rain warning was announced in Akita Pref.
  
  
• Sunday, September 18
  
  
  • I got up past 5:00 AM. I heard the sound of heavy falling rain during the night. It was still rainy in the early morning.
  • According to the morning weather forecast, the situation was the same as that of last night.
  • I took simple breakfast and check out the hotel around 6:40 AM. When arriving in the station, the rain stopped. I took on the local train bound for Morioka. The train left at 7:01. I could see a lot of runners in the train. I could also see the yellow field of rice ready for harvest from the window.
  • The train arrived in Tazawako Station at 7:41 AM. I rushed to the bus stop of free shuttle bus. A lot of runners rushed in the bus. Unfortunately, the bus was so crowded that I could not get the seat.
  • I thought it would take only 15 minutes to the marathon site. However, owing to heavy traffic jam, the bus could move unbelievably slow pace. Although 1 hour passed, the bus could not reach the terminal. One standing runner shouted, " I would like to get off the bus. I would rather walk!" A lot of runners followed him including me.
  • I could reach the marathon site around 9:00 AM. The opening ceremony was already started. The rain was falling more gentry, but the ground of the marathon site was under water.
  • After registration, I looked for the place to change the wears. I decided to sit under the roof of resting hut close to the lake. That's the only available place to keep out the rain.
  • All marathon races started at 10:00 AM all together.
  • I went to the staring line around 9:40 AM. The runners of full marathon race were around 1,200. It was not so many runners.
  • Just before the start, it rained, but when started, it stopped. The loss time was 20 seconds.
  • It was announced that the temperature was 21 degrees Centigrade. However, I felt muggy and thus I decided to wear no-sleeve T-shirt. It was a good decision. Owing to high humidity, I started to sweat very much immediately after the start.
  • I finally got a boost around 10 km. However, suddenly, I was caught a first heavy shower. But I felt cool because of a sudden shower. I saw muddy stream flowing in the river owing to heavy rain.
  • Until I returned to the lakeside of 22 km point, a lot of people cheered the runners, which encouraged me.
  • When entering into the lakeside course, the cheering ceased and the lonely and quiet running started.
  • On reaching 25 km point, driving rain shower started. Big drops of rain hit my arm and I felt pain. The road was full of water and thus my running shoes were drenched and I felt my feet were floating. The shower continued until I reached 28 km point. This was the heaviest rain shower I had never experienced among my marathon races. Nevertheless, all runners ahead and behind me made nothing of it and continued to run
  • In spite of repeated heavy rain showers, I could manage to reach 30 km point.
  • However, I met again heavy rain shower at 35 km point. Driving rain from the lake hit me and the rain drops might enter into my ear hole. To make matter worse, a long steep slope just started. Owing to heavy rain, the water flowed down on the road like waterfall. It was almost impossible to run up the slope. At last, I started to walk up the slope, but the rain did not stop until I arrived in 36 km point.
  • Finally I reached the 5 km point to the goal. However, I started to feel tired. What is worse, upward course continued. I started to walk and run.
  • When approaching the 3 km point to the goal, I felt extraordinary thirsted. I could not run any more and started to walk again until 40 km point. To my regret, I lost a lot of time.
  • I gulped down the water to appease my thirst at the water supply point past 40 km. I saw rice balls there for the first time, but it's too late to eat. (Only bananas were served at previous points.) I wished rice balls should have been served at more previous points.
  • I continued to run with my last energy during the last 2 km.
  • I almost reached the goal, but the goal was soaked with water and so muddy. Anyway, my goal time was 4 hours 37 minutes.
  • I could keep the running pace of 6 minutes per one kilometer until 30 km point; however, I was forced to walk intermittently at the end of the race. I was once wondering if I could complete the race within the limited time (5 hours). I was happy that I finished the race within 5 hours.
  • When I retuned to the resting hut, no one was there. All gone!
  • As soon as I reach the goal, a heavy rain started again. The rain continued for a long moment and thus I could not get out of the hut.
  • Since I heard that next free shuttle bus would leave at 16:00, I went to the bus stop around 15:40. I could get on the bus immediately. To my surprise, the bus driver said, "Let's start though the time is a little bit early." and the bus left around 15:50. I might miss the bus if I arrived at the bus stop just before 16:00. I wondered if some runners missed the 16:00 shuttle bus.
  • Differently from the morning bus, there was no traffic jam and it took only 10 minutes to reach the station.
  • I took on the Shinkansen from Tazawako Station at 17:01. The train was not so crowded. I bought the box lunch (Yen 1,000) of ox tong steak to be heated by pulling string just before tasting. It was delicious, but the volume was not enough for me.
  • I got home around 22:00. It was too hot in Tokyo!
    
    Records
    
    

    05 km	30 minutes
    10 km	59 minutes
    15 km	1 hour 29 minutes
    20 km	1 hour 58 minutes
    Middle point	2 hours 05 minutes
    25 km	2 hours 30 minutes
    30 km	3 hours 03 minutes
    35 km	3 hours 40 minutes
    40 km	4 hours 20 minutes
    Goal	4 hours 37 minutes

    
    
    
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