JULY 2012

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

JULY

• Mika Kume, Jay Johanessen and Kimm Seunghoi traveled to Germany for the Frankfurt Ironman on July 8th. This is a big event with 2,500 participants and 50,000 spectators. Unfortunately the weather was terrible: cold, raining and very windy for the bike ride, then hot for the marathon! Mika toughed it out and finished in 14:43 (8 hours on a bike getting blown around by the wind — can’t even imagine it). Kimm did a great 11:31:46 and Jay had a good swim, a decent bike leg and a “death slog” marathon.
• A week later on the 15th, Jay was in Fussen (Bavaria) for a 10K, which he ran in 37:52, winning his age group. He was visiting Joachim and Christiane, who also ran, Christiane coming in 2nd in her age group.
• Namban runners posted great results in the Salomon X-Adventure Trail Run in Nozawa Onsen on July 15th. Satohi Numasawa was 1st female, Mike Kume was 5th female and Harrisson Uk was 4th overall.
• The popular Yumenoshima Vegetable Marathon (5K and 10K) on the 16th saw nine Nambanners brave the heat to receive their vegetable prizes. See the news report to the right.
• Gerard Robb came up from Australia for the race up Mt. Fuji on July 27th. A member of the Australian national mountain racing team, Gerard was using this race as training for the world championships in Italy in September. He ran the half marathon in 3:29, pretty good when you’re running up a mountain.
• On July 29th in Melbourne, Brett Whiteoak ran in “The Age – Run Melbourne Half Marathon”, timing 1:22:59 and winning his age group.

AUGUST

Namban workouts on Wednesday nights at Oda track from 7:25pm.
• 1 – 1000 x 5, 400
• 8 – 1200, 1200, 1200, 800, 800, 400
• 15 – 1600 1000 1000 800 800 400
• 22 – 1200 1000 800 1200 1000 400
• 29 – 5000m time trial

HAIKU OF THE MONTH

“It’s hot, isn’t it?”
I’m so tired of hearing
“Atsui des-ne?”