‚X�jSaturday, March 25, 2006 Weather: Cloudy, then sunny Checking cherry blossoms in Higashi-kurume

• The cherry trees started to bloom in early this week at metropolitan area. It is said that the bloom of this year was one week earlier compared with that of average year although this winter was severely cold.
• I intended to check if the cherry blossoms started to come out here while jogging.
• It was cloudy and cold this morning, while the weatherman said the maximum temperature would be 15 degrees Centigrade today.
• First I went to the Hakusan Park, where is the nearest park for cherry blossom viewing from my home. To my regret, almost all trees were not in bloom.
• I could find several trees with some cherry flowers and thus I could shoot some of them. The willow trees are coming into leaves.
• There are several rows of cherry blossom trees alongside the Kurome River. However, almost all trees have still buds.
• I could see Thunberg's spireas were in full bloom alongside the Ochiai River. It looked like a fountain of flowers.
• Drooping cherry tree also started to bloom, whose flowers were pinky and pretty.
• Almost all cherry trees may be in full blossoms next weekend. I look forward to it.
• I refrained from long distant running today since I have to run 42.195 km tomorrow at Sakura Marathon Race. The total distance was only 12 km.
  
  
  Cherry flowers at Haklusan Park Leaves of willow tree
  
  
  Thunberg's spireas Drooping cherry tree
  
  
  

8)Tuseday, March 21, 2006 Weather: Sunny Flowers in spring

• We had a spring storm last weekend.
• Petals of Ume flowers had been blown by the storm.
• It seems that it is breezing today and thus I decided to shoot the flowers of spring while jogging.
• I ran alongside the Nobidome Irrigation, Heirinji Temple, Kurome/Ochiai Rivers.
• The most outstanding flower now is magnolia. The contrast between white flowers and blue sky is so beautiful.
• Yellow and white flowers of daffodils are also in full bloom. Big flowers are prominent.
• Flowers of crocuses are pretty. Yellow flowers of forsythias are noticeable.
• I could hear Japanese nightingale singing alongside Kurome River.
• Buds of cherry trees are getting bigger. Cherry blossom may come out next weekend. The season of cherry blossom viewing party will start soon.
• This winter was long and freezing.
• Running distance of today is approx. 22 km.
  
  
  Magnolia Crocus
  
  
  Forsythia Buds of cherry flowers
  
  
  

7)Saturday, March 11, 2006 Weather: Sunny Spring like weather

• The temperature of this week changed reciprocally every day. One day was warm and the next day was cold!! It was cold and rainy all day yesterday.
• On the contrary, today is very warm and the maximum temperature is to be 16 degrees centigrade like spring.
• I wanted to run in the early morning as usual, however, I had a work to be done today. Therefore, I was forced to stay home. Finally I finished the work and was able to start to run from 3:00 PM.
• I decided to run alongside Kurome/Ochiai Rivers. The distance was 10 km. It was really warm and I could run with short-pants.
• Owing to the warmth, the Ume trees are finally in full blossom. Nice fragrant of Ume flowers were smelling near the Ume trees.
• A lot of walkers were strolling on the walk side. I ran slowly and enjoy the warmth of spring. I sweated a little.
  
  
  Ume flowers
  
  
  

6)Saturday, March 4, 2006 Weather: Sunny Running on the bank of Arakawa River

• It's already March, however, it's still cold somehow. It was freezing this morning.
• I intend to join the Sakura full marathon race late in this month and thus I have to prepare for it. I decided to run to Arakawa River after a long interval.
• I left home around 6:00AM. The temperature was almost zero degrees Centigrade. But the sky was already bright in early March around 6:00 AM. I found the fields were covered with frost. The lowest temperature should have been below zero this morning. My hands were numb with cold although I wore gloves.
• It was fine today after a long interval. Soon the sun was rising and I felt a little bit warmth.
• I headed for Arakawa River via Ohizumi Central Park.
• The cold wind had been blowing and my body did not warm up even while running.
• Finally I reached the bank of Arakawa River. I continued to run northward on the bank. The cold wind blew me on the bank.
• While running, I happened to find a horsetail at the slope of the bank. I was a little bit surprised since I did not expect to see a horsetail owing to abnormal coldness of this year. The spring is delayed. Then I carefully looked around and I found several horsetails. The spring has already come under my feet!!
• Now is the season of pollen allergen. I started to suffer from pollen allergen from February this year again.
• I read an article that the extract of horsetail is very effective to pollen allergen on the newspaper in February. Therefore, I have a plan to collect horsetails when they are available. Thus I immediately picked them up. However, it was too early to gather them. The volume of horsetails I got was not so many.
• I tried to enter the bank of Kurome River to go home, however, the bank was still under construction. The entrance was prohibited. I was forced to detour.
• There were a few other construction sites on the bank of Kurome River, I also had to detour a few times.
• I carefully look for horsetails on the bank of Kurome River, where I could gather a lot of horsetails last year. However, I could find nothing!! I wonder why??
• I passed the woods of Ume trees in Niiza City. White Ume flowers started to bloom. However, it will take time to full bloom.
• I was exhausted since I ran totally 38 km after a long interval. I still need training to complete full marathon race.
• On return home, I ate horsetails boiled down in sweetened soy. I wonder if the cooked horsetails would be effective to my pollen allergen. (The article says the ratio of effectiveness is 60% of the eaters.)
  
  
  Horsetail Ume Ume
  
  
  

5)Sunday, February 12, 2006 Weather: Sunny Allspice & White Ume Flowers

• It was warm yesterday like spring. (The maximum temperature was 12 degrees Centigrade.) However, it was freezing this morning and cold north wind was blowing. It's still winter!! The maximum temperature would be expected to be 7 degrees Centigrade.
• I started to run at 7:00 AM.
• While I was running on the Tamako Lake Cycling Road, I found several Robai trees with yellow flowers in the
• Higashi-murayama Central Park over the Seibu Tamako Line. I immediately went to the park to take photos.
• The contrast between yellow flowers and blue sky was marvelous and I devoted to take photos in the cold weather.
• Then, I decided to run to the Koganei Park after a long interval, because I thought it might be a season of Ume flowers.
• Owing to cold weather of this winter, almost all trees were in buds although the display of the park said
• "The Ume flower festival starts from February 1."
• However, contrary to my expectations, there were a few Ume trees with small number of Ume flowers.
• "Feeling a small amount of warmth with only one Ume flower."
• It would take time to be in full bloom.
• I managed to complete 30 km running today.
• I will join the race after a long interval next Sunday. I intend to enjoy running without minding the record.
• Anyway, at the initial stage, owing to crowd, it would not be possible to run my own pace.
  
  
  Allspice Allspice White Ume
  
  
  

4)Saturday, February 4, 2006 Weather: Fine 30 km Trial Run

• I resume running in earnest for Ohme Marathon Race to be held on February 19, 2006. So I tried to run 30 km after a long interval.
• I left home past 7:00 AM. It was fine and freezing although it was the first day of the spring by the old calendar. The maximum temperature would expected to be only five degrees Centigrade.
• The cold piercing wind blew to my cheek. My running condition was not so good owing to coldness.
• When I reached Shin-Ohme Highroad, my body had finally warmed up.
• I continued to run alongside the Karabori River. I found that the surface of the river with small amount of water froze over.
• I saw a several daffodils in bloom at the Kiyose Kanayama Green Park along side the Yanase River.
• After passing 20 km, I felt tired and my running pace slowed down.
• I also found one Ume tree with red Ume flowers in the sunny spot alongside the Ochiai River.
• The sky was clear and thus I could see Mt Fuji with snow clearly far away from the bank of the Ochiai River.
• I managed to complete 30 km, however, I was exhausted. It was a long distance for me at this moment.
• It was really cold day!! I look forward to warm weather.
  
  
  Karabori River Red Ume Flower Mt. Fuji & Ochia River
  
  
  

3)Saturday, January 28, 2006 Weather: Sunny Giving up Tateyama-Wakashio full marathon race

• I went to see eye doctor again this week and had been fully examined.
• The result was OK and I was permitted to run and join the race again. However, I was told to have a periodical check every 3 months.
• However, the running distance of last December was almost none and that of January is only 112 km.
• Under the circumstances, I have no confidence that I will be able to complete the 42km race now.
• Thus I decided to give up the race to be held on January 29, 2006.
• Presently, the race I will join next time may be Oume marathon race (30 km) to be held on February 19, 2006.

2)Monday, January 9, 2006 Weather: Sunny & Cloudy 20 km Trial Run

• I tried to run 10 km again on January 7 and managed to complete.
• Therefore, I tried to run 20 km on the last day of three consecutive holidays. Of course, the running pace was slow.
• It had been very cold this winter. Although I started to run at 9:00, it was still cold!!
• I planned to run to Wako Forest Park alongside Ochiai & Kurome Rivers.
• I met a lot of junior high school students who were walking for winter training on the bank (Distance --- 20 km?). I passed many groups one by one. My body did not warm up since I ran slowly.
• Anyway, I could reach the park after a long interval. Many people were walking or jogging in the cold park.
• I took digital camera, but there were no objective flowers while I was running.
• When coming back, I came across the students again.
• After passing 15 km, I felt tired and it was getting hard for me to continue to run. One month blank heavily affected my running condition. I realized that I became soft through lack of exercise.
• I happened to meet Mr. S, a member of Father's Club, who was running alongside Kurome River and said hello!!
• I could manage to run 22 km anyway. I have to increase the running distance little by little.

1)Tuseday, January 3, 2006 Weather: Sunny and cloudy. 10 km trial running

• I went back to my home country, Okayama Pref., during the year-end thru New Year holidays.
• Contrary to the weekly weather forecast, it was fine and mild on the New Year day in Okayama.
• I devoted to walk during the holidays.
• I came back to Tokyo yesterday. The weatherman said it would be fine and warm today and thus I decided to run after almost one-month interval.
• I tried to run as slowly as possible.
• The running pace was so slow that I felt that 10 km was so long.
• I felt that the energy spent by running was more than that of walking in my bones.
• I could complete 10 km running, but it took more than 1 hours. I sweated a little after a long interval.
• I will try to run 10 km for a while as rehabilitation.