I participated in the Tohoku Miyagi Reconstruction Marathon 2023 as a runner
The other day, I participated in the Tohoku-Miyagi Reconstruction Marathon 2023 held on Sunday, November 5 as a runner and ran. What I write here is written in the form of a diary for myself rather than showing it to others. The general content is a summary of the application for the marathon, the preparation period, and the contents of the marathon on the day.
* The banner below is a link to the official website.
How did you decide to participate in the marathon?
First of all, I found out about this race before I decided to participate in it, but there was a TV commercial about the marathon and the entry. At first, I was just looking at it with a "hmm". I didn't have any particular trigger, but I applied because I suddenly thought, "How much can I run if I were the person I am now?" I don't think there was anything else that made me want to run.
However, I came to this decision quite late, and I applied around August, during the late entry period.
Preparation period
What we have prepared
I didn't think there was any reason not to prepare at all before the race, so I first tried to get everything I needed for the run. When I looked it up on the Internet, it seems that there are various things that I need. I didn't know if I really needed all of them, so I tried to get the minimum amount of things I thought I would need.
The new ones I bought this time are as follows.
- Running Shoes
- Short-sleeved shirt
- Shorts
- socks
- Running Bottle
- West Porch
- Supplementary food
"Smartphones", "bags" and "towels" are diverted from what you already have.
In addition, there seemed to be "masks", "caps", "sunglasses", "arm covers", "calf sleeves", "running watches", etc., but I didn't buy them because they didn't seem to be a problem.
I bought nearly 10,000 decent running shoes. It's the most important item in the items we will prepare this time, so I'm a little excited. If you hurt your feet because of bad shoes, you won't be able to get back to it.
I've never worn running shoes like this before, and the first time I wore them, I was surprised at how light they were that I could double jump. Even when I ran, I felt like I was bouncing so much that the expression "bouncing" was perfect. It was clearly different from soccer cleats, and I felt that they were shoes made for running.
I bought the "short-sleeved shirt" and "shorts" at an adidas specialty store, but they somehow looked like soccer uniforms. The shorts were made with more pockets so that I could hold as many things as possible, but in the end I didn't use them much. I think it doesn't matter if it's up or down as long as it's suitable for exercise. There are even people who run in costumes.
I bought a "waist pouch" for running, so the capacity that could be put in was surprisingly small. The only things that could be put in were running bottles, smartphones, and a few small items. Well, I think that even if you put too many things in it, it will get in the way when you run, so this may be just right.
A "running bottle" is a bottle that holds water to rehydrate while running. I bought a waist pouch earlier, so I bought 250ml as a size to fit there. You may think that it is quite small, but 500ml is surprisingly large for running, so 250ml is enough. If you run out of money on the way, you can simply replenish it at the aid station.
Most of the "supplementary food" is jelly-based, but this time I put about 3 individually wrapped solid foods in the waist pouch.
Start Practicing
I'm sure people with running experience will be angry, but I actually started practicing a month ago, in October. I don't think I was doing any exercise before this. As far as I can find out from articles and videos on the Internet, it seems that it is normal to start about 3~6 months in advance. I didn't do that much research at the time, so I started without thinking about it.
And a nightmare from arrogance
On the first day, combined with the lightness of the shoes, I was running hard near the house. When I was a student, I was in the athletic club, so I thought that I could regain enough physical strength that I lacked, and when I was running and felt like I was about to reach the limit of my physical strength and leg muscles, I actually felt like I could mentally overcome it.
However, after a few days, I started to feel discomfort in my legs. Day by day, there were more and more days when I thought, "I'm going to run lightly today, and I'm going to finish it," and eventually I started to have pain in both knees that made it difficult for me to walk. I thought I would be able to manage my strength and strength, but I didn't think about my knees at all, so I was completely overwhelmed.
Knee measures
If I continued practicing like this, I wouldn't be able to run in the actual race, so I thought I'd do something about it. On the premise of resting, I decided to buy a "knee supporter" that suddenly came to mind.
I did a lot of research, but I didn't know which manufacturer was good or what kind of supporter was good. Even if it is described in detail in the article, you will not know whether it will be effective until you actually put it on, and if it is not effective, it may be wasted. Still, if I don't do anything, I won't get any effect, so I bought it first.
The first one I bought was the Zamst RK-2 (knee supporter, both left and right). I waited about five days for delivery and tried to put it on, but it was very tight despite the large size, and to be honest, it was not something that I thought I would wear. Furthermore, when I bought this, I assumed that I had enough for both legs, but in fact it was only for one leg. Well, this is a lack of confirmation. I think supporters should be tight, but I removed them from the list when they couldn't be easily put on and taken off. In fact, I only wore it once and the rest is shelved.
The next thing I bought was "ZAMST FILMISTA KNEE (knee supporter for both left and right)". The manufacturer is the same as the previous one, but this is not a type to wear, but a type to be attached with Velcro, so it can be easily put on and taken off. I didn't have time, so I bought two at the same time without trying this one. To be honest, it was hard to understand that it didn't seem to be effective, but I tried to use it until the actual performance.
Building physical strength
I thought it would be bad to not do anything just because I couldn't use my knees, so I tried to build up my physical strength as much as possible. However, I can't run, so I was looking for something else and found out that there was a lot of equipment in the training room. It wasn't that close, but I decided to use it because it was a system where you pay a fee one time.
There is a treadmill, but of course I didn't use it because it put a strain on my knees. As a result of trying various other devices, I felt that "cross trainers", "step machines", and "fitness bikes" did not put a burden on my knees. The "fitness bike" was a little tough because there were many movements that bended the knees deeply, so I mainly used a "cross trainer".
The other half of the equipment was for muscle training, so I only touched it when I had a little extra time.
By the way, I didn't use the training room every day, but about once every two days. I had been doing this before the performance, so as a result, I didn't practice running until the actual performance. I think the longest run was probably about 2~3km on the first day.
Instead, thanks to resting my knees as much as possible, the pain in my knees when walking had decreased considerably about a week before the performance. I was scared that if I just ran, it would get worse again. In fact, I tried running a little, but the pain and discomfort in my knee remained.
The day before the performance
I think it was a day to adjust for the actual performance, but I didn't change anything special from my usual life. I went to bed a little early and walked and ran for about 10 minutes. Of course, I am preparing what I need tomorrow.
On the day of the marathon
We traveled to the venue on foot and by train. I tried running lightly on the way, but I still felt a little discomfort in my knees. Knee-twisting movements seem to be the most damaging.
On the way from Sendai Station to the venue, there were quite a few people walking who were clearly dressed as if they were going to run a marathon. When I saw something like this, I felt excited. I think those who understand will understand.
The start time was 9:10, but we arrived at the venue about an hour before. After arriving, you will have to walk quite a bit, check your luggage, change clothes, wait for your turn, etc., so I think it is better to have plenty of time. In fact, the venue is crowded as shown in the photo.
start
With more than 10,000 people participating this time, it is impossible to start at the same time. For this reason, people are divided into blocks, and the fastest people start in the A block at the top, and the next fastest person starts in the B block. It's a system where slow people don't get in the way of fast people. This system itself has been applied to other full marathons as well.
Since this was my first time participating in the race, I didn't know the estimated time to finish, so I set it as 6 hours. So I started from the M block at the back. In fact, I think it took about 6 minutes for the people in Block M to get to the position of Block A. It may have a slight impact on those who are aiming for a record, but I don't think it will be much of a problem because the people behind are not people who are aiming for a record in the first place. However, please note that it affects the closing time, which is called a barrier on the way.
Immediately after the start, the people in the front started running normally, but the people in the back seemed to be gradually moving forward, so it was basically on foot. I think it was a little past the starting point when I finally started running continuously.
1km is surprisingly long
My knees have been in good shape since I started running, thanks to the fact that I have been able to rest properly and pedal my bike in vain. I've had some discomfort in my knees even after running for a while, but I honestly think I was lucky to be able to imagine myself running because of the slow start.
You may think that 1km is not a big distance because you think that 1km is a distance that you would normally walk even in your daily life. If you are running just for the purpose of running, you will feel that the distance is surprisingly long. Every 1km you run, you will see a signboard, and you will feel the length as you go 2km, 3km, and 4km. I was worried about my physical strength, knees, and leg muscles, but I was able to get through it safely because my speed was slow overall. Even if you want to speed up and get to the front, it's difficult to get out in front because you're in a dumpling state at this stage.
About 2~3km away, there were two people (Hidetaka Kano and Takahiro Ogata) from "Kaoga Handiken" who had come to the TV broadcast.
I thought I had run a decent amount of time, but I thought, "Is it still 3km?" That's what I thought. The first half continues like this for a while.
Gradually, the knee begins to be affected.
At first, I thought it was quite a bit, but after about 4~5km, I started to have pain in my knees. Until now, I had pain in my right knee, but this time the pain in my left knee was stronger. It may have been because I was running with my right leg covered. I've never done 4~5km in practice, so I didn't know what it would be like to run from here on out.
There is a bridge with a difference in height between the 5km and 9km marks, but I tried to walk there considering the burden on my knees both up and down. After all, unlike flat ground, the burden on the knees is strong, so I thought it would be better than having a broken knee and not being able to run. I was still in a dumpling state, so I was overtaken to a certain extent, but I had passed a certain number of people while I was running, so I wasn't in a situation where I was that far behind.
Around 6km. This is where the long straight line began, and I started to get anxious, including the pain in my knees.
It is a bridge near 9km. It looks like there are still a lot of people, but the surroundings are sparse enough to be somewhat spaced. Compared to the beginning, it feels like the difference between the front and back is widening.
It is around 10km. I was able to rest to some extent because I was walking on bridges, but as expected, the burden piled up and I was driven to stop and rest. Actually, I haven't taken many photos since this. Up to this point, I had taken about 10 photos per kilometer, but after this, I fell into a pinch all at once.
Devil's Toilet Waiting Time
There was a fifth toilet point around 11km, and although it was not very urgent, I had a slight urge to urinate. I was at a level where I could run as it was, but I wanted to run as clean as possible, and I wanted to rest my legs soon We decided to take a bathroom break. This was the beginning of the nightmare.
There were five men's toilets, the most than any other place, so I thought it wouldn't take that long. There were more people in line than I expected, and as a result, I think I was in line for more than 10 minutes. Because of that, I should have been running a marathon in a group when I started lining up, but there were almost no people running on the course after coming out of the bathroom. We were completely behind the curve.
The problem with this is that in a full marathon, there are several "barriers" in the course, and if you cannot reach them within the time limit, you will be disqualified. Since we are running a marathon by blocking ordinary roads, we cannot block them forever. So, if you walk or run, you will get stuck in the barrier and you will not be able to finish the race.
While waiting for the toilet, the people around me were having conversations like, "Isn't it pretty close?" or "If you run as much as you can, you'll be able to make it in time." I was very anxious as I watched the number of people on the road gradually decrease.
The condition of my legs recovered slightly because I was resting after the toilet break, but on the other hand, it seems that the gap difference in the burden when I ran too much rest did not have much effect in the end. I have a theory, but if you want to recover your legs, I feel that it is better to recover while walking than to stop and rest. If you walk, you can gain a little distance.
And when there are almost no people, the heart-wrenching marathon begins to run on a wide road.
Passing through the third barrier
I was running to pass them one by one, but I was starting to think that if I didn't make it to the barrier in time, I would be fine. To be honest, my knee was in bad condition and I didn't think I would be able to finish the race. From this point on, I was not in a state of running all the time, but I was running and walking at about half time. The people around me felt the same way, and I think I felt like I was being left behind by the group due to my poor performance.
There were quite a few people who turned around at the T-junction in front of the third barrier, so I thought, "Maybe if I work a little harder, I can catch up with this group!?" I thought, but in fact, the turnaround point was quite far away, and I was happy for a short time, and in the end I just drove endlessly on the side of the road where there were few people.
And the third barrier of fate after the turnaround. The time limit was set at 11:10, but I got through it around 11:07. Well, I managed to get out of it, but there were almost no people in the opposite lane after turning around. And there was a bus running to accommodate those who had run out of time. I was a little scared because it felt like Attack on Titan and Demon's Wall were approaching from behind. Of course, those who did not make it to the gate in time will be accommodated on this bus.
By the way, you can see the scenery of this turnaround point on Youtube below. You can see everything from the runners in first place to the runners who were not accommodated in the third and final barrier. At this point, the gap between first place and last place was 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Cutting through high mode
If you run more than 10 km and the pain and fatigue increase, the sensation will become strange. For example, your knees hurt so much that you shouldn't be able to run, but the pain becomes "normal." Therefore, you will be able to run normally while in pain. However, if you have symptoms such as "broken knees" or "stiff legs", you are clearly not in a condition to run, so please deal with them properly.
Thanks to this feeling, when you start running from walking, you may have a mysterious feeling that you can continue running for a while. I arbitrarily call this state "high mode". It's not a spec-like "high" but a "high" for "high tension". Unfortunately, the specs do not go up in the middle of the marathon.
If you're a sports player and have ever run or moved to the limit, you may have had a similar feeling. However, it's just a personal feeling, so I'm not sure if this kind of situation is normal. Well, I think you should practice in advance so that you don't end up in this situation in the first place.
Well, I managed to move forward by using this feeling to secure time to run, and when my physical strength decreased, I repeated the process of walking and recovering and gaining distance. From around 13km to around 26km, it was almost a straight line and the view was good, and I could see the people walking and running well, so the feeling of anxiety disappeared a little. In terms of pace, I was able to run at a speed that passed the crowd, so I was able to afford it to some extent. In fact, I arrived at the 4th barrier at about 12:07, so I was able to secure about 13 minutes to spare.
I had a little more time to spare, so I took a picture of the 20km. It seems that there were a lot of people who took pictures as a souvenir. I haven't taken any pictures so far, but you can see that people are already quite sparse.
This is a photo of the fourth barrier.
I thought it was useless, but I finally ran halfway to it.
However, fatigue has accumulated and it has become impossible to recover even after walking. In addition, I was a little confident in the fatigue of my leg muscles, so I didn't have any problems so far, but sometimes my calves were in a state just before they were tight, and the time I could run was much reduced. Gradually, as you progress through the barrier, the remaining time decreases.
innocence
The long straight line is over, fatigue has accumulated to the limit, and the walking time has become much longer. I was almost unable to use the high mode, and I couldn't move forward because of "knee pain," "numbness in my arms," "leg pain," and "fatigue in my whole body." "Numbness in the arms" is when the nerves are stretched and numb when the arm is raised and lowered many times while running. It's similar to the feeling of numbness in your arm when you hit something in the gap between your elbows. Then, as if to add to the pressure, runners who entered the "turning lane" and turned around ran on the other side one after another and put pressure on them. Moreover, the second turnaround lane is twice as long as the first, so you will be forced to drive a considerable distance.
So, instead of "high mode", I tried practicing running with "mindlessness" as a secret to continuing to run. What to do is to "not think about anything", "run while looking down", and "do not look around". This allows you to run at your own pace without being influenced by your surroundings. You don't have to worry about being pulled out at all. You may wonder what it would be like from the perspective of running while having fun, but to be honest, I can't help it because I'm close to my limit and I can't think about it anymore. At this point, the desire to finish the race becomes stronger, and conversely, the anxiety about the deadline of the barrier increases.
By the way, I don't take any more pictures from here. This is because we can no longer afford it. In fact, I think there were about 6 minutes left in the 7th barrier. To be honest, I don't remember much about it. I remember seeing a convoy of buses coming from the opposite lane after I turned around.
Enduring it all
You often hear the phrase "I ran with my feelings at the end," and I think that was true. When I think about the remaining time and distance, I somehow understand the time I can walk and the time I have to run. To be honest, I wanted to walk all the rest of the way, but then I wouldn't be able to finish the race, so I still had to run to some extent. I sometimes think that if I put on the last spurt at the end, it's okay to walk until then. I couldn't imagine myself being able to put on the last spurt in my current state, so I just kept thinking about running as much as possible and running as much as possible.
For example, I divided my goals into small parts, such as running to the person in orange in front of me, and then running to the person in green. I was quite worried that I would not be able to finish the race because I couldn't gain the distance, so I tried to run as much as possible.
In fact, at the 8th barrier, there were 4 minutes left, and the attendant heard the voice of "It will close in 0 minutes left!" in 2 minutes or 1 minute, and I was running in a super hurry. It was really bad for my heart.
There was a sign saying 6km and 5km to go, but it felt horribly long. Normally, I wouldn't pack 1km It took me a long time to run, but I felt like I had finally made 1km. I also thought that I might have measured the distance incorrectly.
By the way, I didn't look at the clock at all while running. Basically, I only saw the time at the barrier, so I basically imagined the remaining time in between.
I don't dare to write the title
If I write the title, the result will be revealed in the table of contents, so I don't dare to write it. For the time being, I finished the race. The result was around 6 hours and 20 minutes. The time limit is 6 hours and 30 minutes, so you must finish 10 minutes early.
When I glanced at the mobile phone that the person running next to me was looking at at 1~2km before the goal, the time was displayed as 15:23, and I thought it was over. The marathon had a time limit of 6 hours and 30 minutes, so I always thought that the end time would be 15:30. Later, when I thought about it, I realized that the marathon started at 9:10, so the deadline was actually 15:40. I didn't want to say goodbye in front of the goal, so I ran insanely, thinking that it was over. (But in the end, I didn't have the physical strength and walked on the way.)
When I applied for the marathon this time, my goal was to "finish" the race, and before I hurt my knee and ran the marathon, my goal was to "finish" To be honest, I hardly thought I would be able to finish the race while running. I think it was around the 6th barrier that I started to think about finishing the race, but in the end, including the events before the finish, I was skeptical until the end.
But I'm glad that I was able to finish the race in the end. If I had been sent to the bus in the first half, I would have given up, but if I had been sent to the bus near the goal, I must have been frustrated, thinking, "If I had worked a little harder, I could have made it to the goal." There have been a lot of problems so far, but I realized that I can finish the race depending on my efforts.
By the way, the photo below was given as a finisher award.
I received many other things, but I'm not sure if only those who finish the race or everyone who participates will get it.
present
I'm writing this article two weeks after the tournament, and as expected, the next day and the day after that, I could hardly move. Well, I had taken a day off beforehand and was teleworking, so there were almost no problems.
The muscle pain was completely cured in about 1~2 days, but the knee pain has not gone away yet. In terms of condition, I think it is similar to the state that I hurt in training before the marathon. I can walk for the time being, but I still have pain, so I haven't exercised at all since then.
from now on
The reason I participated in the full marathon this time was to see how far I could run. I don't have any particular desire to run another marathon. Maybe in the future, you may change your mind and think about practicing properly and participating. Anyway, I can't move like this unless my body is completely healed now, so I think I'll wait and see for a while. Well, I used to go to the training room, so I may go there moderately. I bought a lot of clothes and shoes.
For those who are new to the marathon but are thinking of running a full marathon
If you've read this far, you know how hard it is to run a full marathon. If you want to participate and run, I think you should follow the following points for the time being.
- Before applying for a marathon, first try to run a certain amount to see what you are capable of
- You can check in advance whether you really have the ability to participate. If you can't do it, just don't apply.
- Once you apply, there is a high possibility that the participation fee will not be refundable, so it would be a shame if you decided to quit after all. Equipment is also required, so a lot of things are wasted.
- If you don't usually run, start jogging about 6 months before the competition.
- When practicing, start with a light amount of practice. If you start going all out of the blue, you may break your body. If you break your body, the amount of practice will decrease relatively.
- It's a good idea to know what it feels like to run a distance close to a full marathon at least once during the training stage
- The most burdensome part is the feet. Choose a pair of shoes that are reasonably good for a marathon.
- If you are behind in the rankings, there are times when you run out of drinks at the aid station. Just in case, it's better to have a replenishment drink even if it's about 100ml.
- Always use the toilet before running. It can't be helped if you are in an emergency during a marathon, but if you use the toilet, there is almost no waiting time after the middle of the race.
- In the first half, there is a lot of waiting time, and it is difficult to run fast and find time, so it affects the time limit quite a bit