Japan Day 2: Tokyo Marathon

Good thing this was a "fun run" because I actually considered not starting. It was about 35-40 degrees at the start and pouring. Everything I had on (jacket, shirt, shoes, socks, hat, etc...) was absolutely soaked before the race even started. We stood in the starting corral for at least 20 minutes. My uncontrollable shivering had me worried about hypothermia and I was seriously considering dropping out. Fortunately (I think) the gun went off and we started the 26.2 mile slosh-fest; actually they measured the race course in kilometers so I guess I should say "42.2K".

It took me about 5 miles to finally feel warm. Too bad that's when Steve decided he needed to take a potty break. We skipped a few potty stops because the lines were incredibly long (20-30 people), but finally stopped at one at around mile 6. There were about 40 people in line so we spent about 15 minutes waiting. By the time we started running again I was back to shivering.

Miles 6-15 were a bit of a blur. I was a bit agitated because I couldn't warm back up and the course at mile 15 seemed no different than what it looked like at mile 1. Tokyo is a completely urban course. While it does pass a few sites such as the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Tower, it all looked the same to me.

The 4 hours of sleep I had gotten the 2 nights prior to the race where starting to catch up with me in a bad way. I needed to take a bathroom break around mile 16 but was so worried about getting cold again that I didn't want to stop. This resulted in me not drinking anything for a few miles which I knew would result in me being dehydrated which would lead to cramping. After almost having a meltdown at mile 18 (thank you jetlag for making me an emotional mess), Steve convinced me to stop at a restroom stop at mile 19. It was another 15 minute stop but fortunately when we got back on the course, the sun was starting to break through the clouds. In case you're wondering, they don't take any time you spend in the bathroom or at the rest stops into consideration. Once you cross the start line, the clock doesn't stop until you cross the finish line.

Miles 19-26.2 were the best miles of the race for me which is absurd since these are typically the hardest miles for everyone. I guess the first 19 were so miserable that I was just relieved to finally feel normal.

My experience with the Japanese people so far was that they were very polite and quiet. No one carries on loudly and no one talks on the phone while on the subway; heck, they even have signs telling people to put their phones on vibrate or turn them off while on the trains and subways and people do. Having said this, I was really surprised to see these mild-mannered citizens cheering wildly along the entire course. I got high-fives and fist-pumps from more spectators than any of my other races.

This marathon was part Halloween parade, part all-you-can-eat buffet, with a splash of running. Spectators were handing out all sorts of food: everything from candies and pastries to what looked like corndogs. I had to laugh at Steve since he seemed to be treating it like a buffet sampling whatever foods he thought looked interesting. Whatever he didn't stuff in his mouth, he stuffed into his running belt as if he were trick-or-treating. It's no wonder he had heartburn towards the end of the race.

The number of costumed runners in this race was far beyond any other race I've ever done. We saw a guy in a full business suit, Winnie the Pooh, Michael Jackson impersonators, several Minnie Mouses, and an assortment of anime characters. At one time we had Santa, a tiger, and a moose running in front of us. A girl we met got a picture of someone dressed as Jesus carrying a cross. They may seem serious out on the streets, but it's good to know they don't take their running too seriously (click here for a sampling of pictures).

We were exhausted after the 3+ hour commute to our hotel which was less than 8 miles from the finish so we showered, grabbed dinner at a nearby restaurant, and called it a night. Yes, it takes a looooong time to get anywhere in Japan.