Jogging 40: Last Long Training

Hazy orange glow
Chased away by drab grey clouds,
Race against the rain.

(20-25k with steep hills)

Friday morning I went for my last long training before the Kyoto Mountain race. Except for a few drops, the rain didn't start until evening, so I guess I won the race! Wanting to cover a good distance I decided to go from Suma to Shin Kobe on the all-Rokko mountain trail. It didn't get any easier, especially since I was pushing harder than last time, the distance being shorter. It was good training for climbs and descent, but since the Kyoto race is 'easier' to run on, perhaps I should have chosen something closer to the race. Oh well, I'm sure doing something tougher will be useful in the end.

Maybe because of my stronger pace, some of the hills seemed tougher, especially in the beginning. Mt. Kikusui and the climb to Futatabi weren't that hard, even if I had to stop once or twice to catch my breath. Actually, it was the first few hills that seemed tougher, even if I passed a number of hikers of all adult ages. From Futatabi to Shin Kobe, I met a number of students on school outings and groups of disabled people enjoying the beautiful scenery.

By the end of my course, I was starting to have a headache and it stayed with me pretty much all day, followed b a bit of fever. I think it was from dehydration since I drank a lot during throughout the day after and barely went to the washroom. I'll have to be careful the next times.

And when I got back, my registration had come it. I have bib number 2238. Having it completed it in around 4 hours and not having much muscle pain 24 hours later (but stairs are no fun and I live in a 3-story house...), I feel confident I can finish the Kyoto race in 4:30, my objective this year. It'd be nice if I could finish it even faster but I'm not going to make any projections here.