JANUARY 2012

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

JANUARY

• The Tanigawa Mari Half Marathon (Mari is a still-popular former top marathoner) was held along the Arakawa River on the 8th. 7 Nambanners battled the wind for half the race, although otherwise the weather was good. Tsutomu Ishida ran a 1:21:07 PB, followed closely by Dan Newman in 1:21:26, Don Roxbough in a PB 1:27:43, Paul Mundt in 1:28:36, Pat Higase in 1:46:05, Thomas Sawada in 1:47:40 and Adrian Ringin in 1:51:57.
• Bob Poulson ran the Ushiku City Marathon 10K on the 9th, finishing 5th in his age group out of 204 with a 38:08.
• On the 15th, Yoshiko Katakura, who gets stronger as she gets older, ran the Frostbite Half Marathon (Yokota) in 1:30:07, placing 2nd out of 364 in her age group.
• The Chiba Marine Half/10K on the 22nd was not blessed with good weather, as 12 Nambanners suffered persevered through cold, rainy conditions. Nevertheless, PBs were run by Harrisson Uk in 1:18:40, Stan Chow in 1:25:00, Kylie Breeze in 1:31:30, Padraig MacColgain in 1:32:41, Arnout Baneke in 1:38:48, as well as by Mike Rayner (39:45) and Thomas Sawada (46:42) in the 10K. Also freezing their tails off were Paddy O’Connor, Chika Kanai, Keren Miers, Geraldine Nogami, Mary Eckstein and James Midgely, whose pre-race strategy of drinking champagne until 3am proved that sleep is over-rated as he ran a 1:24.
• On the 29th, many of us watched the Osaka Women’s Marathon on TV, as Shigetomo ran an excellent 2:23 and Fukushi blew up once again. Two Namban ladies also enjoyed the good weather and good Osaka course: Yoshiko Katakura ran a great 3:12:26 (1st 50-year-old?) and Mika Tokairin a very good 3:19:41 off not much training. There was also a half marathon that Tom Boatman enjoyed.

FEBRUARY

All Namban workouts at Oda Field from 7:25pm.
• 1 Namban 5000m time trial
• 5 Kanagawa Half/10k
• 8 600/800/1000/1200/1000/800/600
• 15 1200/1200/1000/1000/800/800
• 19 Ome Marathon 30K/10K
• 22 1000 x 6 (pace runs for Tokyo runners)
• 26 Tokyo Marathon
• 29 Leap Year 5000m time trial

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

Tokyo Marathon
Looking forward to fast times
And the post-race bash!

DECEMBER 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

DECEMBER

• The first Sunday in December is always the Okutama Ekiden, a 6-men/3-women road relay that takes place in the Okutama hills 90 minutes west of Tokyo proper. Namban has entered every year since 1988, and this year we had a large presence with 3 men’s and 3 women’s teams. We tried to have teams of equal strength (i.e., not put all the fastest people on one team) to enjoy some inter-club competition, but even so, our top men’s team placed 44th out of 111 teams and the top women’s team, 17th out of 50 teams (inc. fast college and HS teams). With sushi and beer afterwards, a great time was had by all! (Report and photos to the right.)
• December 4th was also the day of the Yokohama Half Marathon and 10K, attended by 10 club members. PBs were run by Pat Higase (1:45:32), Padraig McColgain (1:34:43—PB by 2 minutes!), Harrisson (36:20), Satoe Aoki and Khalfan (report to the right).
• Jay Johannesen was in Thailand on Dec. 4th, for the Laguna Phuket Triathlon, which he completed in 3:21:24, placing 8th out of 100 in his age group and 92nd overall. And David Rubenstein was in Honolulu, where he ran the marathon for fun in 4:44.
• On the 10th, two Namban teams of four runners challenged the four-minute mile, finishing in 3:56 and 4:12 (report to the right).
• Amazingly, on the morning after the bonenkai (year-end party), the 11th, Stan Chow and Chika Kanai were way out in the mountains of Okutama for the Mitake Trail Run. The weather was pleasant but the course had ice and snow on some sections. Stan finished in 1:37:30, good for 131st our of 747 finishers.
• Ultramarathon man Paul Mundt outdid himself on the 17th, participating in Japan’s first 24-hour indoor ultra, which was run on a 260m concrete “track”!! Why he did this is known only to Paul himself, but he seems to enjoy this type of thing. And he’s good at it. He ran 110K in about 13 hours (including “an hour or two” at 4:30/k pace), when disaster struck in the form of a very painful metatarsal (foot bone), which caused him to stop despite otherwise feeling fine. He still placed 26th out of 48.
• A 3-Hour Relay Marathon was held in the National Stadium in Gaienmae on Dec. 18th. Nambanners Adrian Ringin, Cory McGowan, Thomas Sawada, Chika Kanai and Satohi Numasawa formed a team and enjoyed running 1.4km laps around the track and grandstand, finishing a very impressive 31st out of 383 teams.
• Yoshiko Katakura joined a number of Japanese elites running the Hofu Marathon on Dec. 18th. She finished in an excellent 3:19:24, and looks forward to the Osaka International Women’s Marathon on Jan. 29th.
• On Dec. 18th Yoshitaka Ishikawa, Masako Onishi and Christophe Dewulf ran the Takao Tengu Trail Run. Yoshitaka, running the 10K in an afro wig, won his age group in 1:03:06 and was 5th overall. Masako was the 4th woman and Christophe finished in 2:01:00 on the 18K course.
• The Dec. 28th Namban 5,000m time trial brought out the best in a number of club members. PBs were set by Harrisson Uk (17:04), Stan Chow (18:29), Padraig McColgain (19:56, breaking the 20:00 barrier!), Arnold Baneke (20:09), and Hemant (27:35). Also Taro Oguchi ran a yearly best in 19:44 and Jon Morrell showed he is recovering from a long injury with a 19:49.

JANUARY

All Namban workouts at Oda Field from 7:25pm.
• 4 Namban workout 1000 x 6
• 8 Tanigawa Mari Half Marathon
• 9 Ushiku City Marathon
• 11 Namban workout 1000 x 6
• 15 Yokota Frostbite Half Marathon
• 18 Namban workout 600/800/1000/1200/1000/800/600
• 22 Chiba Marine Half Marathon
• 21 Namban club half marathon on the Arakawa
• 25 Namban workout 5000m time trial
• 29 Osaka International Women’s Marathon

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

As the sun rises
On a new year of running
Our hopes rise with it

NOVEMBER 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

NOVEMBER

• Harrisson Uk and Satohi Numaswa ran in the Shonan Half Marathon on November 3rd. Held on a course that hugs the coast south of Yokohama, this year’s edition had little wind but considerable warmth — about 18C and the start and 20C at the finish. Harrisson ran a 90% effort but still recorded a PB of 1:20:45. Satohi ran about 1:43. not recording an official time because the Half is a special race with a time limit of 90 minutes! The full marathon has about 18,000 runners.
• The 13th saw the 3rd annual running of the Namban Half and 10K, plus barbecue as an added attraction. 44 people participated, 22 in each race, aided by a large group of great volunteers organized by Phil Ryan. Half honors went to Richard Dawson in 1:25:22, with Greg Stevens 2nd in 1:25:34 and James Midgely 3rd in 1:26:33. Half women’s winner was guest Rowena Crouch from Sydney in 1:32:03. Kylie Breeze was 2nd and Rie Onodera 3rd. The 10K men’s winner was Brett Larner in 37:28, women’s victor was Rieko Trees in 47:22. There was also a terrific kid’s race for future Nambanners.
• Bob Poulson ran the Toda Half Marathon in Saitama on the 20th, finishing in 1:25:26, good enough for 2nd in his age group out of 207 men.
• The Ohtawara Marathon and 10K in Tochigi pref. was held on the 23rd with about eight club members joining. Taro Oguchi ran to a PB of 3:28:18. Placing in 10K age group categories were Rieko Trees in 7th, Chika Kanai in 8th and Mike Trees in 7th.
• 11 Nambanners ran for charity (breast cancer) in the Run for the Cure on the 26th. Natalie Darbon won the women’s 10K in a quick 40:25, while Ed Clease, Richard Dawson and Michael Tandler were 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the men’s 10K. Pat Higase ran a PB 47:17.
• The day after her 10K victory, Nathalie ran 1:59:10 for 27K at the Kawaguchiko Marathon (which also has a 27k race, for some reason).
• The Tsukuba Marathon, a very popular race (8,000? spots filled up in 6 hours) was run on the 27th with Cory McGowan and Don Roxburgh enjoying the course, but not having great days. Let’s just say they’ll do better next time!

DECEMBER

All Namban workouts at Oda Field from 7:25pm.
• 4 Okutama Ekiden
• 4 Yokohama Half Marathon
• 7 Namban workout 1000 x 6
• 11 Mitake Trail Race
• 14 Namban workout 600/800/1000/1200/1000/800/600
• 21 Namban workout 1200, 1200, 1000, 1000, 800, 800
• 28 Namban workout 5000m TT (the track will be open!)

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

Last month of the year
Last chance for running glory
This year, anyway

OCTOBER 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

OCTOBER

Racing season in full swing — lots of results!
• Alex Fluery, now back in Denmark, ran the Budapest Marathon on the 2nd. His time of 3:27 was slower than hoped for due to temperatures as high as 30C, but he enjoyed the course through the lovely city.
• Cory McGowan took part in the Arakawa 30K/50K on the 8th, finishing the 30K in 2:04:25 and placing 39th overall out of 1,500 men. Other than warm weather and a rather dull course (except for Arakawa river fans) he enjoyed all aspects of the race, including the free food and beer at the end.
• Tsutomu Ishida was in Hawaii on the 8th, representing Namban Rengo at the Ironman World Championships. Despite hot, humid, windy conditions, he improved his time by 30 minutes from 2010, completing the swim/bike/run in 10:33:19, good for 768th place. His marathon time was 3:26! Most of us can’t run that in the heat, much less after a 3.8k swim and a 180k/5.5 hour bike ride.
• Over in the US, Brent Millicam traveled from Texas up to Chicago for the marathon on the 9th, finishing in 3:15:29 - a PB by 7 minutes and a Boston Qualifier!
• The 16th saw Nambanners striding along next to the Arakawa, at the Turtle Half/10K/5K (12,000 in the Half, 4,000 in the 10K). Conditions were not ideal, as it was a very hot day. Bernd Plagge ran an excellent 1:33, but Padraig MacColgain, Paddy O’Connor, Paul Mundt, Anthony Kraft and Jon Holmes were disappointed with their times. Christophe Dewulfe paced his wife to a sub-2:00 finish. Juergen Wittstock, who had arranged for free entry for the group, ran 41:38 in the 10K, finishing in the top 40! And Frank Arnaud Mehl placed 3rd in the 5k in 18:50.
• Also on the 16th, Saara Pekkarinen, our flying Finn, traveled out to Chichibu and came back with a first place trophy for her 1:26:07 half marathon win.
• Down in Singapore on the 16th, Leng Leng and Mika Kume ran the North Face 50K as Team Compact Dynamite, the perfect name for them!
• The Suwako Half, a popular race around Lake Suwa in Nagano pref., was held on the 23rd. Nambanners did well, with three under 1:24—Richard in 1:23:06, Cory in 1:23:26 and Paddy in 1:23:57. Phil Ryan ran a 1:46, and Taeko Hara, Geraldine Nogami and Maya. Photos in the Reports section.
• Over 50 runners showed up for the Namban 5,000m time trial on Wednesday the 26th, which many treated as an all-out race effort. We were led by Joe Stowe’s 16:04 and there was at least one PB that we know of, Padraig’s 20:34 - well done!
• Pat Higase didn’t run the 5,000, as she was in California running the Healdsburg Marathon, up in the wine country above San Francisco. The very hilly course proved to be a tough one, as she finished in 4:18, well outside her goal of 3:51. But she vows that the next one will be better!
• The 30th saw the first running of the Osaka Marathon, with seven club members taking part. By far the smallest and fastest was Chika Kanai, racing to an impressive 3:24:58. She was closely followed by Carol Cunningham, up from Melbourne, who ran a slower-than-hoped-for 3:26, but vows to be ready for Tokyo in Feb. Anthony Kraft finished in 3:51:10 with leg cramps and Laci Demko also broke the 4:00 barrier in 3:56:42, a 32 min. PB! Congrats to Thomas Sawada who ran his first marathon in 4:42:47. Adrian Ringin ran 5:10:56, a good effort since he was slowed by foot and ankle pain. All praised the race organization, especially the many water and food stations, where they enjoyed (?) cakes, candy, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and pickles. There was also an 8.8k “Challenge Run”, which saw Namban’s Simon Fisher crossing the line first! (two others had faster net times, but still…)
• Jay Johannesen was in Seattle on the 30th for the hillyPumpkin Push 5K, which he ran in 17:36, finishing 6th out of 636.
• Also on the 30th was Namban Rengo’s famous “marathon” (39k) around the Yamanote train loop in Tokyo. Always a fun event, this year saw 29 loopers taking part, with 8 going the entire distance. See photos on right for half of the group and the official t-shirt.

NOVEMBER

All Namban workouts at Oda Field from 7:25pm.
• 2 Namban workout 1000 x 6
• 3 Shonan Marathon
• 9 Namban workout 600/800/1000/1200/1000/800/600
• 13 Namban Half and 10K
• 16 Namban workout 400/1000/1200/1200/1000/800/400
• 20 Toda Half Marathon
• 23 Ohtawara Marathon and 10K
• 23 Namban workout 1200, 1200, 1000, 1000, 800, 800
• 26 Run for the Cure (Imperial Palace, can sign up on the day)

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

The marathon is long
You think they’ll get easier
But they never do

SEPTEMBER 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

SEPTEMBER

• The 4th saw Jay Johannessen and Omar Minami in Singapore for the Safra Bridge Run (half marathon). Jay ran 1:24 (3rd in Masters) and Omar…ran. Subjected to intense heat and humidity, they were more concerned with finishing and not melting, than with their times.
• The 7th was Lars Uehlin’s last night with Namban, as he has now returned to Germany.
• Adrian Ringin, Daniel and two of Adrian’s friends participated in the Number Do Ekiden in and around the National Stadium. They fought the heat and finished very well in 71st place out of 408 teams.
• On the 17th Cory McGowan, James MIdgely and two friends ran in the Saista Ekiden based in Saista Stadium in Saitama. Another great result, as they came in 14th out of 367 teams.
• In news from Australia, Jon Holmes, Tamami Koike and Mutsumi ran a hilly 8km cross-country race on the 24th. Tamami recorded a PB.
• As you can see in the main news report, six Nambanners journeyed out to Watarase for an enjoyable half marathon on the 25th.
• Paul Mundt, Namban’s intrepid ulta-marathoner, ran the Karisaka 143km race on the 25th (I think). The course went from Kofu, into the Chichibu mountains and finished in Kawagoe. With a 24-hour deadline, Paul finished in 23:20, good enough for 85th out of 225 (113 didn’t finish). I think this is a race of which we can truly say, “Every finisher is a winner.” Two of Paul’s comments stood out for me: “one runner whose limp body I had to navigate around—not sure if he made it or was ever heard from again” and “Highly recommended.” If you say so, Paul….
• Stan Chow was back in Canada for two weeks and ran two races. The first was a 10K in Toronto in 41:04 (23rd out of 840). He met Christian who was volunteering as a race marshal and who will be going for a marathon PB in Toronto in October. The second was the scenic Montreal Marathon in which he ran a huge PB of 3:29:34 despite humid weather.

OCTOBER

All Namban workouts at Oda Field from 7:25pm.
• 2 Murakami Triathlon
• 5 Namban workout. 1000 x 6
• 8 Arakawa 30k
• 12 Namban workout. 400, 1000, 1200, 1200, 1000, 800
• 16 Katsunuma Fruits & Wine Marathon, Turtle Marathon
• 19 Namban workout. 1200, 1200, 1000, 1000, 800, 800
• 26 Namban workout. 5,000m time trial.

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

Cool, crisp morning air
Flocks of runners everywhere
It’s racing season

AUGUST 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

AUGUST

Not much racing happened in August. We had good turnouts to workouts, however, with more than 40 runners each week and 50 on the 10th.
• On the 27th, Michael Tandler and Yoshitaka Ishikawa ran the Utsukushigahara Trail Run (about 36km). Out of 470 runners and walkers, Yoshi finished 7th in his age group and 11th overall. A great result! His time was 4:26:21. Michael was 47th age group, 50th overall, time 5:07:50. He said, “Landscape was really nice and enjoyable. The course was challenging, especially the last long downhill of about 8km and 1,000m difference in altitude descent.”
• Also, congratulations to Yoshida-san on getitng married!

SEPTEMBER

All Namban workouts at Oda Field from 7:25pm.
• 7 Namban workout. 1000 x 6
• 11 A team led by Adrian will run an ekiden in Chiyoda-ku.
• 14 Namban workout. 400, 1000, 1200, 1200, 1000, 800, 400
• 17 A team led by Cory will run an ekiden in Saitama.
• 21 Namban workout. 1200, 1200, 1000, 1000, 800, 800
• 28 Namban workout. 5,000m time trial.

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

September is here
But the heat does not depart
Maybe October?

JULY 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

JULY

• A new Namban Rengo member came into the world as David and Meg Rubenstein celebrated the birth of their son Ty on July 6th. Congratulations!
• Yoshitaka Ishikawa finished the tough 44km Kita-Tanzawa trail race in 5:41:43:27, 16 minutes faster than last year. He was 46th in his age group out of 604 and 69th overall out of 1,286. Impressive!
• Namban alumnus Adam Osbourne was the third runner on the UK team in the European Mountain Running Championships on July 10th, coming in 47th and helping the UK team to a 5th place finish (out of 17 teams). Also, Gerard Robb finished 4th in the Australian Mountain Running Championships, so will be on the Aussie team for the world championships in Albania in September, as well as the Commonwealth Championships in Wales.
• The 17th was the popular Obuse Mini Marathon (Half) in Nagano pref. Taking part from Namban were Terry (1:33), Bernard (1:38), Anthony (1:42), Gary, Geraldine, Taeko and Chika 1:43, 6th in women’s 30 age group).
• On the 17th, Ultramarathoner Paul Mundt completed the Ontake 100km trail race in 14:35:24. This is one of the biggest ultras in Japan with 600 participants. He was 19th in his age group and 136th overall. Awesome!
• July is the month for mountain races, finishing up with the Mt. Fuji race on the 23rd. Finishers of the race to the summit (21km, 3000m ascent) were Yoshitaka (2 weeks after Kita-Tanzawa!) in 3:23:14 (84th out of 2,576), Michael (3:43), Harrisson (4:18:13), Stan (4:18:43) and Wojtek (4:24). Cutoff time was 4:30. Rie was ever-so close missing the cut-off by just 6 minutes (4:36). Racing up to the 5th stage (15km) were Laci and Yukiko.

AUGUST

All Namban workouts at Oda Field from 7:25pm.
• 3 Namban workout. 1000 x 6
•10 Namban workout. 400, 1000, 1200, 1200, 1000, 800, 400
• 17 Namban workout. 400, 800, 1000, 1200, 1000, 800, 400
• 24 Namban workout. 1200, 1200, 1000, 1000, 800, 800
• 31 Namban workout. 5,000m time trial.

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

Training in the heat
Why would anyone do this?
Fast races in fall

JUNE 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

JUNE

• Satohi Numasawa, Adrian Ringin, Laci Demko and Harrisson Uk flew to Sapporo, then drove out into the countryside for the Biei Healthy Marathon on the 12th. Harrisson, Laci and Adrian ran the Half in 1:28:20, 1:45:16 and 1:54:38, respectively, and Satohi placed 3rd in the 1/8th marathon in 22:09.
• Carol Cunningham ran the Christchurch Marathon on the 12th, finishing in 3:21 with a negative split! Great that she went there to help support Christchurch, which is still suffering the after-effects of the big earthquake.
• A group of 8 Nambanners ran and biked in the Oshima Duathlon on the 12th. Jay Johannesen placed 12th out of 250 in 2:07:11 (4th with handicap) and had the fastest 5K in 17:12. Kimm Seunghoi was 22nd in 2:09:38, Reza Alwadeen was 25th in 2:10:22, Stan Chow was 36th in 2:14:25 and Mika Tokairin was 3rd woman (1st with handicap) in 2:21:51. Also Kylie Breeze, David Rubenstein and Caroline Tien placed 2nd overall (!) in the relay in 2:16:42.
• Padraig Harrington traveled back to the Ould Sod for the Dublin Docklands 8K on the 21st. It was worth the trip, as he finished in 35:04, 15th out of 121 in his age group and 206th out of 2,100 overall.
• Christian Butzek and Nathalie Darbon left Japan on the 22nd, to Toronto and Hong Kong. Both were very strong runners, we hope they continue to improve (Christian ran PBs of 2:47 marathon in April and 16:20 5K in May).
• Keren Miers and Geraldine Nogami participated in the Gamagori (Aichi pref.) Olympic Distance Triathlon on the 26th. Keren placed 6th in his age group in 2:39:41 and Geraldine won hers in 3:20:55.
• Alex Fluery ran a barefoot marathon on a beach in northern Denmark in 3:55:32, placing 26th out of 172.

JULY

All Namban workouts at Oda Field from 7:25pm.
• 6 (Wed) Namban workout. A & B: 1000 x 6.
Bob’s One Point Advice: What kind of training should I do?
• 13 (Wed) Namban workout. A & B: 400, 1000, 1200, 1200,1000, 800, 400. Bob’s One Point Advice: Effective core exercises.
• 17 (Sun) Obuse Half Marathon. About 9 Nambanners will enter.
• 20 (Wed) Namban workout. A & B: 400 x 12 (3 sets of 4).
• 27 (Wed) Namban workout. 5000m time trial.

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

No more cool running
Over thirty every day
Who turned on the heat?

MAY 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

MAY

• Great Namban turnout at the TELL (Tokyo English Life Line) charity 5&10K on the 7th. 21 people, 9 of whom won great prizes.
• The annual trip to the Fuji Susono Half and 10K on the 8th was attended by Chika (age group 6th in the Half), Caroline, Elsie, Naoko, James, Laci and Anthony, with support from Kylie, Gary, Mami and baby Anzu.
• Also on the 8th, Cory McGowan ran the Kanuma Satsuki Half in 1:51 pacing a friend…barefoot!
•May 14th and 15th saw Nambanners take to the hills in the challenging 100km Oxfam Japan Trailwalker. A report is to the right.
•Cyrille and Stan had a bizarre race experience at the Lake Toya Marathon in Hokkaido on the 22nd. They set off on a 42.195km run without realizing (due to not paying attention to the announcement in Japanese) that the race had been changed to 20k due to a landslide. Big surprise! They still managed to enjoy their marathon pace run and the Lake Toya scenery.
•Yoshitaka Ishikawa ran a terrific 1:19:58 in the Naruki Forest Trail Run on the 23rd, finishing 12th out of 384!!
•Barry Bergman ran the Stockholm Marathon on the 28th in 3:58 and commented, “The most beautiful marathon I have ever run.”
•Namban fielded two teams in the Green Ekiden on the 29th. Held around the Imperial Palace, the race format had teams of 4 running 5k, 2k, 3k and 5k. Rain did not dampen our enthusiasm, as the team of James, Shinobu, Laci and Bob finished 8th in 61:00, just edging out (sorry, Satohi!) the team of Harrisson, Stan, Nathalie and Satohi (9th in 61:03). 116 teams participated.

• Prize winners at the TELL race:
Men’s 10K: Brett Larner 4th in 36:11, Paddy O’Connor 8th in 38:44.
Women’s 10K: Mika Tokairin 6th in 47:24, Mary Eckstein 8th in 48:50, Taeko Hara 10th in 49:32.
Men’s 5K: Risto Filippi 7th in 17:39, Harrisson Uk 9th in 18:15.
Women’s 5K: Satohi Numasawa 2nd in 21:53, Yuka Tsukahara 3rd in 22:16.
Also running were Kanna, Pat. Shinobu, Stan, Adrian, Yoshida, Omar and Steve. Supporters were Chika, Naoko, Chiba and Gareth. Bob was the race director.

JUNE

All Namban workouts at Oda Field from 7:25pm.
• 1 (Wed) Namban workout. A & B: 1000 x 6.
• 7 (Sat) TELL Charity Runathon 5K and 10K. You can sign up on the day from 9:00.
• 8 (Wed) Namban workout. A & B: 1600 x 2, 1000 x 2, 400 x 2.
• 15 (Wed) Namban workout. A & B: 400 x 12 (3 sets of 4).
• 18 (Wed) Namban workout. A&B: 1200, 1200, 1000, 1000, 800, 800.
• 22 (Wed) Namban workout. A & B: 2000, 1600, 1200, 800, 400.
• 29 (Wed) Namban workout. 5000m time trial.

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

Ducks, frogs and runners
Don’t mind the weather at all
June rainy season

APRIL 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

APRIL

• Yuka Sato ran her first race in Shanghai on the 10th. The 8K course had distance marks at places like 4.9k and 6.3k. She finished in 37:58, good for 16th place among women.
• Satohi Numasawa, Carol Cunningham and Leng Leng Koh ran in the London Marathon on the 17th. They all enjoyed the experience, especially Leng with a 3:18. Satohi and Carol were not happy with their times, which we will not report, but look for these two tough women to bounce back in their next marathon.
• Also on the 17th, the Harriers club held a Marathon Time Trial. Mainly for those who had registered for the cancelled Nagano Marathon, the event also offered a 10K, 20K and 30K. 12 Nambanners took part, led by Christian Butzek, who ran an amazing 2:47:15 by himself, and Lars Uehlin who achieved sub-3 with a 2:58:53
• Geraldine Nogami, Mika Tokairin, Mary Eckstein and Keren Miers journeyed far south to Miyakojima for the Strongman Triathlon (near Ironman distance) on the 24th. All four placed well in their age groups (Geraldine 1st). Congratulations!

MAY

• 4 (Wed) Namban workout. A: 1600 x 3, 800, 400. B: 1600, 1200 x 2, 800, 400.
• 7 (Sat) TELL Charity Runathon 5K and 10K. You can sign up on the day from 9:00.
• 8 (Sun) Fuji Susono Half and 10K. At least 11 club members will challenge “The Hill.”
• 11 (Wed) Namban workout. A&B: 800, 1200, 600, 1200, 600, 1200, 600.
• 18 (Wed) Namban workout. A&B: 1200, 1200, 1000, 1000, 800, 800.
• 25 (Wed) Namban workout. 5,000m time trial.
• 26 (Thur) Multi-club 5,000m time trial at Oda Field. Probably from 7:10pm. Run in 3 sections - good competition!
• 29 (Sun) Green Ekiden at Imperial Palace. Namban will have two teams of four people.

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

Warm sun on your skin
Mornings are no longer feared
Running in Springtime!

MARCH 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

MARCH

America has its 9/11, Japan now has its 3/11, the day the Tohoku earthquake struck. This event profoundly affected, and continues to affect, everyone in Japan, and for that matter, around the world. Namban Rengo responded with a charity run held on March 19th to raise funds for the people of Tohoku. More than 80 Nambanners and friends came together and raised 692,000 yen, which was donated to the Japan Red Cross.

While those of us in Tokyo and the rest of Japan are fortunate to have escaped the worst of nature’s fury, one effect of the disaster has been the cancellation of virtually every race in eastern Japan in March and April. Hopefully by the fall season things will be back to normal, at least as far as racing goes.

APRIL

The only news then, concerns overseas races.

• On March 20, Bob Poulson ran the Los Angeles Marathon, finishing 2nd in his age group in 3:10:55. By some freak of nature, the Tokyo and LA marathons switched weather this year, Tokyo being fine and LA cold, rainy and windy. In fact, LA was pounded with the most rain in one day in its history. You just never know what’s going to happen on the day of a marathon….
• Looking ahead this month, the 17th will see Satohi Numasawa and Carol Cunningham in London for one of the world’s great marathons. Good luck to them!

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

Even though ground moves
Even though lights grow dimmer
Runners persevere

FEBRUARY 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

FEBRUARY

• Rie Onodera represented Namban Rengo at the prestigious Beppu Oita Marathon in Kyushu, also on the 6th.
• February started off with the Kanagawa Half & 10K on the 6th, a race that Nambanners have a love/hate relationship with. The course is not the most beautiful in Japan, the weather can be extremely harsh and you have to line up 30 minutes before the start. But each year about 10 people participate and generally run pretty well. Tadhg ran the 10K in 38:19 (8th in age group), Frank and Adam ran the Half in 1:25:59 and 1:30:46, respectively, and Naoko ran her first Half in 1:58. 7 others also took part.
• The 6th also saw the running of the prestigious Beppu Oita Mainichi Marathon. Previously for elites and semi-elites only, the race allowed women to enter for the first time this year, and Namban’s Rie Onodera accepted the challenge. She came through with a 3:22:38, a very respectable time, but a bit slow for Rie, who reports that she has gained some weight recently (although it does not show!). She slowed from 25k, but even so, her split from 35 to 40 was faster than the previous two—she’s tough!
• Shosaku Yamada ran 1:39:27 in the Arakawa Half on the 13th.
• Another very old (45 years) and popular race took place on the 20th — the Ome Marathon. Conditions were perfect: about 8°, cloudy, no wind. Running in the main 30K race were Kuri (1:51), Mark F., Terry (2:15), Kimm, Anthony, Taeko (2:41), Geraldine and Satohi. In the 10K were Bob (38:10, 4th in age group out of 774 men) and Patrick (a bit under 40:00).
• Yoshiko Katakura ran 3:22:48 in the Yokohama Women’s Marathon, just three weeks after running 3:17 at Osaka. (And Rie ran Tokyo 3 weeks after Beppu, also in 3:22.) Namban women are tough!
• Paul ran the Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon with 65,000 people, finishing in 3:43. Is this the world’s largest marathon?
• On the 27th, four members journeyed out to deepest Saitama for the Fukaya Half, also known as “the leeks race.” And yes, they brought back leeks. All three men ran PBs: Harrisson 1:22, Kimm 1:28 and Stan 1:30. Caroline ran 1:42, not quite a PB, but looked much better doing it than the other three.
• And finally, of course, the big running event of the year: the Tokyo Marathon, also on the 27th. 24 Nambanners took part (including Rie again!), with the men led by Jay in 3:03:57 and the women led by Chika in a PB of 3:22. More details and photos are in the main report. PS. Spotted in the race: one barefoot runner (stocky foreigner) and a fast man and woman in Vibram Five Fingers (now on sale at Art Sports).

MARCH

Key events to mark in your diary:

• 2 (Wed) Namban workout. Yoyogi Park kiosk inside entrance in back of Harajuku station at 7:25pm. 1000m x 6.
• 9 (Wed) Namban workout, same time and place. 3000m, 2000m, 1000m.
• 16 (Wed) Namban workout, same time and place. 2000m, 1000m, 2000m, 1000m.
• 23 (Wed) Namban workout, same time and place. 1000m x 6.
• 30 (Wed) Namban workout, same time and place. 5000m time trial.
March races? We don’t know of any. If any Nambanners are running one, let us know and we will update this.

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

Hotaru tobu
Shizen no hanabi
Natsu yasumi

Translation:
Flitting fireflies
Nature’s fireworks display
Summer vacation

— Courtesy of Risto, dreaming of summer in snowy Vermont.

JANUARY 2011

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

JANUARY

• Namban Rengo said Sayonara to Yuka on the 8th with a final Palace run. 15 people joined the run and lunch afterwards. Yuka left the next day to join Jon in Shanghai.
• Nine people had fun doing a 30k run along the Tamako cycling path, and relaxing afterwards in the Hanakoganei Ofuro no Osama onsen.
• The club field fielded five teams at the Shibuya Ekiden.  Held on the 16th in Yoyogi Park, it saw teams of four people running 2.8km each. See the front page news for more details.
• A group of 13 Nambanners fought the wind at the Frostbite Half Marathon on Yokota Base. Despite the conditions, reports indicated general happiness with the race and several good performances. Most outstanding were Yoshiko, who won the Women’s 50 and Over in 1:31:25 (out of 270) and was 14th woman out of 1,373, and Caroline, who was 5th in the Under 29s in 1:42:37 and 110th overall.
• Five club members took part in the Calfman Duathlon in Shinrin Koen in Saitama. The event consisted of a 4k run, 31.5k bike and 5.03km run (why .03, we wonder?). The group was led by Keren, who won the Men’s 50s in 1:34:22 and was 37th overall. Also notable was Kimm’s return to racing in 1:33!! Geraldine, Stefan and Chris also raced.
• January 30th saw a group of four participate in the Shinjuku Half. At 4 degrees but warmer in the sun, conditions were said to be “good.” The five who looped several times around the course were Padraig (in *another* PB of 1:36:47), Stan, Jaynie and Paul.
• Anthony ran 10k and Tadhg 5k in the hilly Inagi Green Verdi race on the 30th.
• Two of Namban’s elite women, Mika and Yoshiko, represented the club in the Osaka Women’s Marathon. Mika finished in 3:17:07 and Yoshiko in 3:17:25, but excellent times considering the extremely cold and windy conditions. In fact, Yoshiko said that it was the windiest marathon she has ever run, and she has run 34 of them!
• Attendance is up at the Wednesday evening training sessions in Yoyogi Park. We have gotten accustomed to our 1k+ loop and have had 30+ runners show up each week. If you’re in Tokyo, hope to see you there!

FEBRUARY

Key events to mark in your diary:

• 2 (Wed) Namban workout. Yoyogi Park kiosk @7:25pm. 1000m x 6.
• 6 (Sun) Kanagawa Half. Chiba, Kylie, Juergen, Michael, Satoe, Mike, Owain, Tadhg
• 6 (Sun) Beppu Oita Mainichi Marathon. Rie Onodera. One of the oldest and most prestigious marathons in Japan, allowing women to run for the first time. Watch it on TV!
• 9 (Wed) Namban workout. Yoyogi Park kiosk @7:25pm. 3000m, 2000m, 1000m.
• 16 (Wed) Namban workout. Yoyogi Park kiosk @7:25pm. 2000m, 1000m, 2000m, 1000m.
• 20 (Sun) Ome Marathon. Satohi, Chika, Anthony and Taeko (30k), Bob and Geraldine (10k).
• 23 (Wed) Namban workout. Yoyogi Park kiosk @7:25pm. 5000m time trial.
• 27 (Sun) Tokyo Marathon. The Big One. 20 Nambanners will run, many more will cheer. Clear weather, please!

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

Quiet winter lake
Ice chimes gently in the waves
Runner’s secret bliss
— Courtesy of Phil Ryan. Explanation available upon request to Phil or Bob.

DECEMBER 2010

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Highlights for the month…

• Eighty-four people attended the bonenkai (year-end party) in the British Embassy, made possible by Jaynie. Club captain Bob presented awards to the best runners of the year (Jay and Yoshiko) and most improved runners of the year (Padraig and Meg). Bob awarded Terry and Chika with the most unusual race destination (Pittsburg Marathon) and recognized Chiba-san, the website committee, and everyone who organized races, trips and other events for services to the club.
• Namban Rengo participated in the Okutama Ekiden on December 5th. Two men’s teams of six members per team and three women’s teams of three members per team . The men’s teams finished 49th and 59th out of 108 teams, and the women finished 25th, 35th and 41st out of 49 teams. With the tough running in beautiful rural Okutama followed by sushi and beer afterwards, a good time was had by all!
• A group of 14 Nambanners enjoyed warm weather and a flat course in running the Yokohama Half Marathon on the 5th.
• Tamami ran 1:44:28, a PB, finishing as the 26th woman in the Itabashi Half Marathon, also on the 5th.
• Stan and Reza went all the way to Mexico to participate in the Cozumel Ironman. By all accounts they enjoyed this event immensely, despite having to swim 3200m, ride 180km and then run a full marathon!
• We held our 5,000m time trial on the 29th. Our first run in Yoyogi Park, where we will be on Wednesday nights for the next 3 to 4 months while the track at Oda Field is being re-surfaced. Fifteen people ran over the inner loop course perfectly measured and marked by Gareth.

JANUARY

Key events to mark in your diary:

• 5 (Wed)  Namban workout. Yoyogi Park kiosk @7:25pm. 1000m x 6.
• 9 (Sun) 30km run starting from Hanakoganei station at 10:00. Trip to the nearby onsen afterwards.
• 12 (Wed) Namban workout. Yoyogi Park kiosk @7:25pm. 3000m, 2000m, 1000m.
• 16 (Sun) Shibuya Ekiden and Yokota Frostbite Half Marathon. At least 13 Nambanners are registered.
• 19 (Wed) Namban workout. Yoyogi Park kiosk @7:25pm. 2000m, 1000m, 2000m, 1000m.
• 23 (Sun) Chiba Marine Half Marathon.
• 26 (Wed) Namban workout. Yoyogi Park kiosk @7:25pm. 5000m time trial.

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

Freezing winter winds
White frost on the morning ground
Runners rise and run