In my head, 80% of it is marathon

RRC member interview

Text: Shun Sato

10th Course A2 Team (Goal: Full marathon sub 3 hours 10 minutes) MVP Nanako Iizuka

Running resumed after a 7-year absence

I was a little surprised that I was able to shave almost 40 minutes off my time from my first full marathon in Honolulu (last December) to the Mito Man'yu Marathon in less than a year.

I did track and field in junior high and high school. However, there was no track and field club in junior high, so we ran relay races with a motley crew, and in high school I joined the track and field club and specialized in middle and long distance running. After graduating, I would jog whenever I felt like it, and it wasn't until June of last year that I started running again. Asami (Matsushita) and I work in the same workplace, and I decided to run because I was on a diet to attend her wedding, so I participated in the 10k Vegetable Marathon. I hadn't run properly for about seven years, but I thought, "I can run surprisingly well," and it started to be fun, and from then on, Asami and I started running together.

Achieved sub-4 time in first full marathon in Honolulu

After that, I wanted to run a full marathon, so I went to Honolulu by myself and managed to achieve a sub-4 time. People around me told me, "It's not a race you'd aim for, so it's a shame," but I wanted to run a sub-4 time in Honolulu. I was determined to run a sub-3.5 time in my next race, so I started going to training sessions where I could do key practice points. That's when my running switch flipped. In February of this year, I achieved a sub-3.5 time (3 hours 23 minutes 30 seconds) in the Osaka Marathon, and broke 15 minutes (3 hours 13 minutes 41 seconds) in the Mito Man'yu Marathon.

Focus on injury prevention

The reason I was able to improve my personal best in Mito was largely because I quit my medical training shift in March and started working again in September, which meant I had more time to run during that time. In terms of monthly running distance, I was running around 270 to 300 kilometers. During that time, I was careful not to push myself too hard, as I absolutely did not want to get injured. When I felt tired or uncomfortable, I took a rest or reduced the distance I ran. I also try to eat a lot. When I lost weight, I wasn't feeling very well, so when I ate, I felt healthier, and I didn't catch a cold or suffer any serious injuries.

Osaka International is my motivation

RETO started its 8th term in February. A big part of the reason I'm running now is because I'm inspired by my fellow RETO members. I have many opportunities to train with Yamasu (Yamamoto Asuka) and Tomoyo (Takewa), and we're working hard together with the aim of competing in the Osaka International Marathon. The training menu is tough, but the sense of accomplishment when we can complete it by encouraging each other is the best.

During a training camp in June, Seiya told me, "Maybe you can aim for Osaka International," so I started thinking about Osaka International. When I ran the Osaka Marathon this year, I didn't think I could run at a level that would get me there, but now I have a strong desire to participate. Mami (Niizato) and others motivate each other by saying, "Let's all do our best at Osaka International," but if I had run alone, I probably wouldn't have thought about aiming for Osaka International.

The axis of life

Now, marathons take up over 80% of my mind, and my life revolves around running. When I was thinking about changing jobs, I wanted a job where I could have weekends off because there are races on the weekends and personal training sessions, and where there are no night shifts because night shifts make me feel unwell. People at work are shocked when they ask me, "Did you run again today?" or "Are you going to go running now?", but running is really fun.

Running enriches your life

-Why do you run?

To make my life more fulfilling. Also, my job as a visiting nurse involves going to clients' homes alone, which is a huge responsibility, and I often have to work overtime, so I sometimes run to relieve stress. After a run, food and alcohol taste better. I run to enrich my life itself.