Namban Rengo interval training at Oda Field, Shibuya every Wednesday evening, 7:20 for 7:30 start. The last Wednesday of the month is a 5 km time trial. Access is a 10 minute walk from Harajuku Station. Lockers & showers available (free but lockers take a 100 yen coin, returnable). Cost of the workout is free. Just turn up and join in. All levels catered for.
The Namban Spotlight column is an occasional feature in which we profile or interview a member of Namban Rengo.
Yoshiko Katakura is one of Namban’s favorite daughters. A tough and fast competitor on the track or road, she is also one of the most pleasant and popular. She always has a smile for her cheering supporters, even when fighting pain late into a full-marathon, and is never shy to offer advice to less experienced runners. Spotlight caught up with Yoshiko recently and put a few questions to her about racing, training, and her history with Namban Rengo.
Namban Spotlight (NS): First of all, you are running as a veteran these days aren’t you, but you don’t seem to have slowed down much. In fact I understand that you have had a string of great results over the past 6 months.
Yoshiko Katakura (YK): Yes, I turned 52 last October. But it’s a secret laughs.
NS: So what have been your podium successes over recent months?
YK: I won my age category in the Frostbite Half Marathon in January (1:30:43) and Ome Marathon 10 km in February (42:30). I also won the ladies division of the Yokohama Kanazawa-ku Road 5-km in 21:23. That was also in February.
NS: They are great results and times. What other races have you done?
YK: I ran Osaka Women’s International Marathon on the 31st of January in 3:13:29 and the Honolulu Marathon last December (3:31:28).
NS: Wow, that’s excellent. So age has not slowed you down?
YK: Well, I never used to be a top 3 kind of runner, but the running boom means that race fields are larger and organizers have started adding more age categories. I know for sure that I am a slower runner today than I was 10 years ago, but maybe not so different than 5 years ago. And certainly I have been in pretty good shape this season. I guess that the number of stronger lady runners falls away more quickly in our 50s, and I have just held up better than many.
NS: Have you got a favorite moment as a runner?
YK: There are many favorite moments. But probably I would have to name my 3:13:29 at Osaka this year. I was celebrating afterwards with some friends who came from Tokyo to cheer. They were more excited than me and one of them deeply impressed me by saying, “I wish someone could make a toast to celebrate my achievement.” It hit me then, that yes, I had achieved something worth celebrating.
NS: Well a 3:13 marathon is a fantastic time even for a lady half your age! What kind of training do you do to keep in such good shape year in and year out?
YK: When I was younger, all I had to do was put in the distance. But I need more than that now. I do a lot of core strength training as well to increase my resistance to injury. I run about 260 km in the peak month of marathon training and run five times a week. I usually do the core strength exercises for 15 minutes before running to get the blood flowing. During summer I tend to stay away from the running track, avoid racing, and cut back on the core strength work. My body doesn’t react well to heat and I think we all need a break from heavy training from time to time.
NS: And you are still enjoying your running as much as ever?
YK: Absolutely! I love planning out my marathon training programs and following them. When the results are good I get a lot more satisfaction by the fact that I have planned and executed it all by myself.
NS: Tell me a little about your history with Namban Rengo.
YK: Well, I joined almost by accident in January 1998. Bob [Poulson, Namban’s long-time captain] moved into my neighborhood and we started to talk to each other when out running. He invited me to join the workouts on Wednesday nights. I remember the first thing I asked Bob was, “How far is one loop of the [400-m] running track?” It must have seemed such a stupid question. Basically I had just been running as a jogger for a long time, and I’d never been anywhere near a proper running track.
NS: Did Bob laugh at you?
YK: No of course not laughs. He was very kind and patient.
NS: So you have been with Namban for a little over 12 years. What’s kept you here so long? Aren’t you sick of us yet?
YK: laughs No, I love Nambanners because they run very enthusiastically and appreciatively. I grew up as an athlete by joining Namban Rengo and of course improved so much. Being a runner also enriches my daily life. It makes me feel healthy and strong, picks me up when I feel down, and if needed I can run to catch a train. Traveling to races also provides opportunities for sightseeing and relaxation. Running is such a part of my life now that I just can’t imagine not doing it. I hope to be running into my 60s and 70s.
NS: Well, if you do, I am sure there will be many more podium finishes for you. I know there are a few younger Namban ladies who are waiting for you to slow down so they can beat you.
YK: laughs Well, I will just have to do keep doing my best
NS: Yoshiko Katakura, thank you for your time.
YK: Thank you. Let’s go for a run!
Notes
(The above is a composite of several email and face-to-face interviews.
With thanks to Satohi Numasawa for assistance with translation and Shoji Shimomitsu for photos)
Two dozen Nambanners enjoyed the annual weekend excursion to the foothills of Mount Fuji for the Fuji-Susono Half-Marathon & 10k on May 8-9. It was a festive, family-friendly party with shopping, singing, feasting, skating and water-slides — not to mention the hilly half-marathon.
Three Nambanner achieved podium finishes - Leng in 4th place, and Mary and Jay both in 5th in their respective categories.
Photos reproduced by kind permission of Chiba-san
1 May 2010. The annual TELL charity race around the Imperial Palace was a great success for Namban again this year. Conditions were almost perfect, if a little warm. Almost 1,000 people took part in the various events. Congratulations to all who ran and came out to support their teammates.
Nambanners who won prizes:
10K Men
Omar Minami - 2nd in 35:02
Robert Kloepper - 9th in 37:03
(James Midgely 11th - too bad!)
10k Women
Satohi Numasawa - 3rd in 43:12
5K Men
Yoshitaka Ishikawa - 8th in 18:32
Paddy O’Connor - 9th in 19:03
5K Women
Rie Onodera - 2nd in 19:52
Jaynie Maddock - 4th in 21:47
Yuri Kanbara - 5th in 21:50
Yoshiko Katakura - 6th in 22:14
Photos courtesy of Shoji-san
28 March 2010. Four Nambanners enjoyed the pageantry and international diversity of the Jeju Ultramarathon Race in South Korea. The 50k and 100k events followed Jeju’s rugged shoreline. 3 members lined up for the 50k, while Yoshitaka attempted the full 100k. Jay captured a fantastic 1st place and Matthias an excellent 4th in the 50k. Unfortunately Michael had to retire with an injury but was able to encourage his teammates. Race officials generously provided Nambanners with 5-star hotel accommodations, free race registration, as well as sharp-looking, pink jackets.
(L-R) Jay, Mattias, Yoshitaka and Michael
Keren and Geraldine ran Shinjuku Half marathon on January 31. Here are their reports, in a slightly unconventional format it has to be said.
Sunday 17th January, 2010 saw the running of the 29th Frostbite Half Marathon. It’s held in Yokoka Air Force base in western Tokyo. Eight club members ran the race officially, although a few others were spotted on the course but appeared to be running under cover. The organisers of the event – Yokoto Striders – helped squeeze of few Nanban runners in with only a few days notice which was much appreciated. Conditions were perfect, a little chilly, calm and the sun was shining. The course is run in and around an airfield and as a result is very flat. In a rare case, the race had to start 30 minutes early, some jet was due to land and wasn’t waiting for backmarkers.
A number of PBs were recorded on what – at least according to a number of GPS devices – was a course shy about 200-300 meters of the official 21.1k. No reason not to celebrate them, but that’s what was recorded. There was a great lively atmosphere around the base. Huge BBQ grills were working overtime to cook burgers and hotdogs for the 10,000 or so runners and their supporters who turned up.
Results:
Yoshitaka: 1:20:10 (PB)
Paddy: 1:21:14 (PB)
Lars: 1:29:00 (PB)
Jon: 1:30:09 (PB)
Yoshiko: 1:32:22
Keren: 1:42:37
Phil: 1:43:10
Geraldine: 2:06:46
In our last race report for 2009 we have something a little out of the ordinary. Diminutive Singapore-based Nambanner Mika Kume performed an incredible feat this past October when she ran a six-day team-race through the Sahara Desert. Just stop for a moment and absorb that. Six days. Through a desert. The Sahara Desert! Mika may be small of stature but she is a giant when it comes to effort, determination and pure grit. And she did not just finish—her team finished second overall and she was the second fastest woman!
Her team, which went by the name “Mixed Bag”, in addition to Japanese Mika, comprised Swiss and Singaporean veteran male adventure racers and clocked 42 hr 2 min 55 s in claiming its 2nd placing. Mika’s incredible achievement is one in which all her Namban friends take great pride.
The Sahara Race is a six-day, 250-km footrace divided into daily sections of about 40 to 80 km. Each individual must carry his or her own gear, food (minimum of 14,000 kcal in total) and clothing in a backpack. The only provisions from the organizers were plenty of water, tents and medical assistance. The average backpack weighs about 20 pounds (9 kg). Mika recalls the six days: “No telephone, no electricity and no shower for a week but I didn’t miss anything. Maybe we don’t need any of them. When it got dark around 8pm, we would go to sleep in sleeping bags. We needed a good rest for the run the next day. We felt like animals living in the wild. Another month or so, and we may have all grown tails!” she joked.
This simple life of run-eat-sleep may have suited Mika as she weighed in 3 kg heavier after the 250-km run. “Maybe I was the only one who gained weight as all the men got skinnier and hairier every day. I wonder why my body was swollen after the long run. Not only my legs and feet, but also my face and hands, everywhere was swollen. The first time I saw myself in the mirror in the hotel room after six days, I screamed when I saw my ‘round’ face. Probably it was due to poor blood circulation as a result of the extreme fatigue”.
Will she do this again? Mika thought “No way!” when she remembered suffering from the 49-degree-Celsius heat, the deep sand and dunes, the daunting challenges when two fellow-competitors dropped out early in the race—faster, fitter physically superior males, or so she believed—not to mention her screaming Achilles tendon that reduced her to walking over the last sections of the race. However, Mika also remembered when she finished her first Ironman race (3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, 42 km run) in Langkawi 2002; she thought she would never do it again. Yet, earlier this year she completed her 9th Ironman race in Zurich. “This is just like when you’re suffering from a hangover, you think you will never drink again. But maybe you find yourself in the pub a week after,” she reflects. “We all forget the pain and only remember wonderful memories.” Mika said she will never forget the night sky in the Sahara. One night when she looked up at the sky, she was speechless; she had never seen so many stars in her life before.
Anybody who has met Mika knows that she herself is the biggest star of all. And as we contemplate her many achievements, it is we who find ourselves speechless.
Seven club members made the short trip down to the picturesque port city to take part in the race. All ran the half marathon. It was dry, but when the wind blew it was quite bracing and everyone was reluctant to change into their running gear until the very last moment. The race starts alongside the lovely Yamashita Park but immediately heads southwards and within minutes takes runners into the concrete and container-filled desolation of the Yokohama dock area. Those who enjoy sterile bleakness of the Kanagawa Half will love this course. Scenery aside, it is almost completely flat. There were only three water stations, no sports drinks, on the course which most felt was too few. No PBs were recorded, but Satohi had a great run, finishing 9th in her category. Mary and Adam also were very pleased with their efforts. A well deserved all-you-could-eat Chinese was enjoyed afterwards. Yoshiko-san joined us after a grueling 40km training run that morning. Chiba-san also joined us after a grueling train journey from Saitama.
Paddy: 1:25
Satohi: 1:31
Adam: 1:32
Chika: 1:38
Mary: 1:42
Peter: 1:49
We had a fantastic turnout for the innagural Annual Half Marathon and 10K Race and BBQ on Sunday November 1 down by the Arakawa river near Akabane, in the North of Tokyo. Perhaps it was the lure of a BBQ cookup by the river afterwards, but the event proved wildy popular, with 30 runners in the 10k race, 22 runners in the half marathon, and almost 70 people joining the post-race BBQ. Thanks to everyone who joined for making it such a fantastic and memorable day out. And to everyone who missed out this time - never mind, we will be doing it again no doubt.
Over 50 runners lined up for the start, as both half marathon and 10k races started together racing 5km out and back along the Arakawa cycle path. Half runners then hunkered down for a more lonely second lap + alpha. Despite the very hot conditions and lack of competition compared to bigger races, we had some fantastic performances.
Winning times:
10K Mens:
1st - Mike 35:40:01
2nd - Jay 37:34:34
3rd - Juergen 39:16:69
10K Womens:
1st - Lynne 42:06:16
2nd - Masako 43:30:33
3rd - Taeko 47:54:33
Half Marathon Men’s:
1st - Mattheus 1:20:56
2nd - Yoshitaka 1:25:28
3rd - Terri 1:28:30
Half Marathon Womens:
1st - Rie 1:32:49
2nd - Meg 1:36:37
3rd - Mika 1:39:51
And special “Ganbarisho” prizes to Sase (1:48:54) and Hitomi (2:02:26)
It was a successful day last Sunday, October 25th, at the Katsunuma Budou kyo Marathon in scenic Yamanashi-ken with two strong efforts by Nambanners Rei Onodera and Chika Kanai. Rei-san held on bravely for second place in a great time of 1:29:36 in the half marathon after leading until the 12km mark. Chika-san also made the podium in the 10km race after taking 6th place with a time of 44:48. Both ladies were very pleased to win 4kg boxes of grapes and bottles of wine, along with large medals.
Katsunuma throws up a scenic but challenging hilly course that winds its way through hill side vineyards and past many wineries. The day was overcast but dry, with little or no wind, making conditions near perfect for running. Even though there was a clash of dates with the popular Edogawa 10km race in Tokyo, the small contingent of Nambanners at Katsunuma thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of this festival type event. After hitting the finish line some of the Nambanners were seen to indulge themselves in the free flowing local white wine or non alcoholic grape juice that was served up to the thirsty runners. There were also piles of locally grown Koshi grapes to eat as well as bento lunch boxes and miso soup that was included in the entry fee. As a further bonus, twenty or so wineries offered free samples of their wines for tasting. With a 5km, a 10km and a half marathon, a half bottle of wine as the “memorial gift” and all of the after race benefits, Katsunuma is set to become an annual highlight on the Namban Rengo race calendar.
Finishing times/positions
Rei Onodera 1:29:36 – 2nd woman in the Half Marathon
Ma Rowan1:44:38 Half Marathon
Chika Kanai 44:48 – 6th woman in the 10km
Kiki Tanaka 50:36sec in the 10km
Keren Miers 42:29 in the 10km 51st male
There were also good results posted by Teruyuki-san, Yukari-san and Owan-san whose times are not to hand.
The Edogawa 10k is a popular annual event for Nambanners. Perhaps it is becoming too popular - this year it filled up in 5 days. Eight Nambanners did register in time and enjoyed the pageantry, the flat windy course and the traditional post-race Mexican food.
Photos courtesy of Tamami
A small group of Nambanners made their way to Watarase for the inaugural Smile Half Marathon earlier today. Watarase is located in the far north of Saitama where it borders Tochigi, Ibaraki and Gunma prefs. The course is three loops around a large reservoir. It’s a great location — very green and tranquil. It is pancake flat on a good tarmac surface and based on GPS readings is very accurate.
For late September conditions were quite good. There was little or no wind, was dry, overcast, but the temperatures still reached the 22-25c range with relatively high humidity. A guess on the total field was about 1,000. The winning time was 1:12. This is an excellent little race which is worth thinking about next year.
Finishing times/positions
Paddy O’Connor 1:21:17 (PB) – 11th overall
Tsutomu Ishida 1:21:25 (PB) – 4th in age group (40+)
Jon Morrell 1:36:06
Jon Holmes 1:36:39 18th in age group (50+)
Padraig MacColgain 1:44:30 (PB)
Tamami Koike 1:46:20 7th in age group (40+)
Photos courtesy of Akiko MacColgain
19th July 2009
A total of 15 club members took part in the 7th Obuse MiNi marathon. The half marathon saw a record 7,500 runners compete this year. Despite being very overcast when the team left central Nagano at 5am, as the race was about to start at 7:30 the heat of the sun had rapidly burned through most of the protective cloud cover. This made for a tough start as runners made their way into the only real uphill section, between 4-6km. Thankfully after about 40 minutes some clouds re-appeared above the course which helped reduce the temperature, even if just a little.
As usual there was incredible support all along the course, with water/sports drink stations almost every kilometer. Not to mention the various local fruits, juices and wines on offer too. The race route saw some minor alterations this year, the main one being the removal of the large loop near the end. All race veterans agreed this was a welcome improvement. Another common sight were the water fountains near the finish which again were packed as competitors did their best to cool-down after another tough but very enjoyable mid-summer Obuse race.
Paddy O’Connor 1:24
Teruyuki Minegishi 1:30
David Motozo Rubenstein 1:36
Simon Fisher 1:36
Chad Clark 1:39
Phil Ryan 1:44
Megumi Hirasawa 1:46
Hiroshi Sase 1:51
Taeko Hara 1:53
Wendy Kelder 1:55
Ma Siu Fong 1:57
Gary Chandler 1:58
Kazuo Chiba 2:10
Geraldine Nogami 2:21
Daniel Seite: 2:31
Photos with thanks to Mami Chandler
A large group of club members (30+) made the journey to the foothills of Mount Fuji for the Fuji Susono marathon. The undulating course on a clear and hot day made for a challenging race but it seems all who took part finished with smiles on their faces. The clear conditions meant spectacular views of Mt. Fuji could be enjoyed for much of the race.
The course, the high temperatures and the pre-race sausages didn’t lend themselves to PBs for the 10k or Half-marathon, but that was hardly the point. Given the photographic evidence everyone had a fantastic time. In fact a more suitable title might be “The Official pre-Namban Beer Mile Fuji Susono Intensive Training Camp”!
This event was the last for Nicole and Chris to enjoy with Namban as Japan residents. Good luck to you both and we hope to see you back in the not too distant future.
Thanks to Joachim Dirks, who made a real sacrifice, to bring us these action photos.
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