Thank you, kids

RRC member interview

Text: Shun Sato

8th Cool C Team (target: sub-4) MVP: Miho Yoshioka

Caregiving that lasted for six months

I was kind of aiming for the MVP (laughs).

I only run a marathon once a year, so I thought I had to set a new personal best at the Tokyo Marathon, and it worked out perfectly (laughs).

I took a six-month break from RETO last year, from May to October, and returned in November. During that time, I was caring for my dog. I don't have any children, so my dog ​​was like family to me. I was blessed with a Papillon couple and three children, but my youngest went to live with a friend, and my second son was the last one to stay with me. When I needed care, I was only able to sleep about three hours a day, and this continued for six months. I had been physically strong thanks to running with RETO up until then, so I was able to support him somehow, and I'm glad I kept running.

Why I started running again

At the end, we took him for a walk in the park and I was there to see him off, and I was able to accept that I had been able to say a good farewell. I returned to RETO because he encouraged me by saying, "There's no point in continuing to cry like this. Do what you want to do," and I also wanted to look forward in life.

The painful journey to Tokyo

One of the reasons I returned from the 7th course was that I thought I might be able to make it in time for the Tokyo Marathon. However, when I actually returned, the people from my previous team had been promoted to higher teams, and new people had joined, so I felt a bit out of place (laughs). I had barely run at all for the previous six months, running 10 to 20 kilometers per month, for a total of about 100 kilometers over the six months. Naturally, I couldn't keep up with the training sessions, and I knew I would fail if I continued like this. Anyway, I started attending training sessions, started Tamken training to get back into the habit of running, and began participating in self-training.

Believe in yourself and get started

I participated in the Futtsu training camp in January to check my current condition, but I couldn't do the 1km intervals, and I was barely able to run the long run the next day, so I had to retire, which was really depressing. In February, I ran Odakama at a faster pace than usual, which helped me regain some confidence, but I developed bone spurs on my feet and they were really painful. So I talked to Nana-chan (Nozaki Nanako) about it, and she said, "External shock wave therapy might be good," so I gave it a try, and to my delight, the pain went away after just two sessions. Since I hadn't felt any pain since then, I decided to just trust myself and start the Tokyo Marathon.

Thank you to the children

For the race, I wore a ring made with the ashes of my children inside it, and put the socks my youngest son wore when he was in a wheelchair in my pocket. I was energized by the support of my RETO friends and family, and it felt like my children were running with me, which helped me to persevere until the end. I cried my eyes out after crossing the finish line at last year's Nagoya Women's Marathon, but this time, although my heart was full, there were no tears, and I felt refreshed and happy that I had run.

Ready to lead the way with C

My big goal this season is to break 3 hours 45 minutes, but first I want to be able to run at the front of the C team. In practice, I start by running at a set pace, and then the last lap is free. If I'm running at the front, I can't help but feel like I'm in the way when someone overtakes me. Right now, I don't feel like I can beat the others in the free lap, so once I'm able to run, I want to be able to run at the front and finish practice at the front even in the free lap. This isn't about trying to beat younger people; I'm in my mid-50s, but I want to show people that even at that age, if you put your mind to it, you can do it, and that you can work hard no matter how old you are if you have a goal. I hope to continue enjoying running this way.