Luckily, however, I think the main reason I couldn't run very fast was not so much that the course was tough but rather that I lacked the energy to run it. Last night's baseball game wore me down, and I hardly ate or drank anything afterwards or this morning, which certainly didn't help. Just before I ran, I ate a bunch of junk to try to fuel up, but I don't think my strategy worked too well.
Anyway, I ran part of the course about as fast as I wanted to, which is a good sign, but after about 10K, I really burned out. I just hope that I will have the energy, determination, and will power to run a fast half-marathon come Sunday. I've only run one other half-marathon in my life, and that was about one month ago. The problem with that race is, it was unofficial. What I mean is, the actual race got canceled, but I ran on my own anyway. Since I didn't know where the exact turn-around point was, however, I think I only ran 20.5K or so (of the 21.1). My time then was 1:32:41, which is pretty darn fast, but obviously not as good over 20.5K as over a full half-marathon.
My time to beat on Sunday is 1:35:07, because that's the time a buddy of mine in the US finished in a half-marathon one week ago. I have no idea if I can beat his time. Based on my practice times, I know I can, but practice is one thing and the real deal is another. Based on my run this morning, I'd say there's no way I can beat his time, on the course I'm running, anyway. We'll see what happens.
Even though the event on Sunday is technically a race, and even though there's really nothing at stake here besides a bit (a lot?) of pride, I consider the "run" a "race" and will therefore be incredibly nervous at the starting line. Regardless of my time, if I finish in one piece, I will be very proud of myself. Of course, beating my friend's time would be nice, but heck, this is my first half-marathon, so my goal is simply to finish. No matter what, I will be setting a PR!
***************
The other big event of the day was shopping at Costco in Fukuoka. A buddy of mine flew back from Europe today and originally planned to take the bus back home, but since we both wanted to buy food at Costco, I decided to pick him (and his bicycle!) up, instead.
So many people I know who, it is important to note, do not(!) live in Japan often tell me they are jealous that I get to eat such great Japanese food every day. Well, folks, you're dead wrong! The food here really is not "all that," so being able to shop at Costco, where I can get a ton of delicious food from home, makes life a whole lot better. Luckily, there are also a few websites that deliver food from Costco right to your door here, which saves the hassle (but not necessarily the expense) of driving all the way to Fukuoka, which is nearly 3 hours away.
Besides the great bulk food that I buy at Costco, I also love to buy a slice or two of their pizza, since it's also much, much better than any pizza I've had in Japan. The pizza alone practically makes the drive worth it.
In case you're wondering, here's a partial list of what I purchased:
Onion and cinnamon-raisin bagels
Tortilla chips and salsa
Quaker granola
Havarti cheese
Cheddar cheese
Colby jack cheese
Frozen ravioli
Cereal bars
Mixed nuts
Indian food mixes
Some of the stuff I bought, such as dark chocolate and spaghetti sauce, I can also get in Japan (or at least something quite similar), but the prices are usually much better at Costco and having familiar brands sitting in my kitchen simply helps me get by on some of my tougher days.
Viva Costco!
The other big event of the day was shopping at Costco in Fukuoka. A buddy of mine flew back from Europe today and originally planned to take the bus back home, but since we both wanted to buy food at Costco, I decided to pick him (and his bicycle!) up, instead.
So many people I know who, it is important to note, do not(!) live in Japan often tell me they are jealous that I get to eat such great Japanese food every day. Well, folks, you're dead wrong! The food here really is not "all that," so being able to shop at Costco, where I can get a ton of delicious food from home, makes life a whole lot better. Luckily, there are also a few websites that deliver food from Costco right to your door here, which saves the hassle (but not necessarily the expense) of driving all the way to Fukuoka, which is nearly 3 hours away.
Besides the great bulk food that I buy at Costco, I also love to buy a slice or two of their pizza, since it's also much, much better than any pizza I've had in Japan. The pizza alone practically makes the drive worth it.
In case you're wondering, here's a partial list of what I purchased:
Onion and cinnamon-raisin bagels
Tortilla chips and salsa
Quaker granola
Havarti cheese
Cheddar cheese
Colby jack cheese
Frozen ravioli
Cereal bars
Mixed nuts
Indian food mixes
Some of the stuff I bought, such as dark chocolate and spaghetti sauce, I can also get in Japan (or at least something quite similar), but the prices are usually much better at Costco and having familiar brands sitting in my kitchen simply helps me get by on some of my tougher days.
Viva Costco!
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