Last jog

It was the last day of 2012, and I jogged long for the first time after the race of 23 Dec. According to my GPS watch, I ran 18.78 km in 1h46m03s. The course was one of my most familiar paths, and I recalled a lot of running activities of this year. Hot days, chilly nights, steep slope, comfortable wind on the road along a small river, sudden fall and injury, those I passed, those passed me...and so on and on. 

Last fishing

As usual, my last fishing in the year was offshore yellow-tail fishing in the Sea of Japan. I could catch a total of 17 fish, nothing so big but I enjoyed a lot. They're good to eat, and all of my family members also like them very much. 
 

Analysis

Since I ran with my GPS recorder (Garmin 910XT) yesterday, I analyzed my performance during the race after I got home. The recorded distance (each 1 km) included my meandering in the course, so it was always a little shorter than the certified distance displayed on the road. I corrected my pace in accordance with the certified one.
My plan before the race was that keeping 4m50s/km from the start to 35 km, 5m20s/km to 40 km, and 5m40s/km to the end. My actual pace was not too bad, staying constant except for the time loss going to the toilet and slowing down caused by fatigue and bad condition after 35 km. The split time of the first half was 1h40m52s and that of the last half was 1h42m55s. These were much closer than I expected. Anyway, I never walked, and it was the best race I've ever run. 

Finished a marathon, sub 3.5

I finally reached the end. I finished a full marathon today, and I could fully enjoyed it. Just one years ago, I was a drowned mouse at the same race, and I was thinking I'd like to get revenge someday. Then, I seriously started working out for this race in August, and thanks to all the hard training I did (and of course the strong help from my family), I could post a good time at this race (personal best, 3h23m48s NET). I could reduce longer than 20 minutes compared to my previous best record, and I'm a little moved by the fact that I can physically improve myself at this age of life. Yes, please play the theme Rocky for me.

Mentally, I'd like to thank a tall runner running just in front on me after 35 km. His T-shirt says 'Orenai-Kokoro', meaning 'Uncrushable Mind' or 'Hang in there!' in English, on the back. In the abrupt bad condition with strong upwind and sprinkling rain, I decided I would never walk looking at his back more than 100 times. I slowed down after 40 km, but the race was just too good.

 

It's December already

Old Snagproof Frogs

The arrival of winter seems to be earlier than I expected this year, and my bass fishing season is already over. I keep my eyes open to fishing tackle I'm interested in for the next season, and I spare my time to overhaul my reels, rods, and lures. At the same time, I'm feeling excited to imagine how I'll run the marathon race at the end of this month. I ran a total of 300 km in November (I can say it's rigorous for me), and now I'm tapering off the strength of daily training. Today, I ran 2 hours very slowly and felt comfy. I'd like to enjoy the race as much as possible.

In the woods

I'm going to run a full marathon race on 23 Dec, and it is now one month before it. I've run about 68 km in these three days, and was feeling a little tired around my lower body. In this afternoon, I decided to take a walk in the woods near my place to rest my legs, and I took my wife, daughters and dog. Most leaves were turning yellow or red, and we enjoyed watching them. It was a good beautiful fall day.

Mosaic of nature

It's getting colder and colder. I though I would have only one or two chances to go bass fishing this year, and I decided to go to a deeper pond where you can expect warmer water. Some leaves turn red, some not, and the woods were showing a beautiful mosaic of nature.

I used many lures, but only one that fish paid attention was Lucky 13 in GRA color. The water was muddy, much muddier than I expected, so I guess this bright color worked fine. I got reactions three times, and caught a small bass.

This fish made a spring at my lure in a great way with a lot of splash, and when I set a hook hard, I felt a good response. I believed a big one, but... the line won't move. Yes, my lure was caught on submerged branches together with the fish when I set a hook! Anyway, I kept my line tight, got close there, and managed to catch the fish. It's pretty good to be able to enjoy topwater fishing in November.

Today's tackle: ABU Record 5000 (BLK), Phillipson Challenger (9055 rebuilt), Stren 14lb (clear/blue fluorescent), Heddon Chugger Spook, Zara Spook, Wounded Spook, Lucky 13, 210, etc. 

BF=19/28

Memo-1: I attended the school music concert of my daughters' on 9 Nov. They really grow like a weed.

Memo-2: I ran 26.6km today, and maybe because of bad combination of shoes and socks, I got 7-8 blisters on my fingers. I have to take care of them.

New addition to my mice collection

Thanks, Ron!

Go on

What're these reels?? The answer is 'ABU Ambassadeur F.I.V.E.' I'm holding a lot of memories about ABU F.I.V.E. reel. When I first visited the US in the late 1980s, I picked up one in K-mart store in Ohio. It was one of the cheapest ABU Ambassadeur reels there, but I wanted a black ABU Ambassadeur reel then, and decided to buy it. After I was back to Japan, I used it in Lake Biwa and other waters and caught a lot of fish.
Today, I put the handmade decals on the rims to decorate them tastefully. I'd like to use them again in my next fishing season.

I also made a decal (so-called face sticker) for my ABU Ambassadadeur Royal Gold LE. I'm not sure, but guessing LE means 'Limited Edition'. This is similar to ABU 4600C or Royal Express I, but the frame is gold.

And extras.

By the way, I had a slight cold on Thursday and Friday, and could not run a meter. I have not attained my monthly goal (300 km in total) in October, so I ran 23 km each yesterday and today. I have to finish strong for more three days to go.

Improved cosmetically

Old ABU decals (stickers) are getting more and more difficult to find these days. If you can't buy what you want, just try to make it by yourself! I've just made some ABU decals using an aluminum sheet. The fonts and colors a little different from original ones, but they're not so bad. With these small but nice items, my reels are improved cosmetically, as well as mechanically after regular overhauls.

 

Incidentally, my good friend in the US just sent me this beautiful lure (Walkin' Diddee, 3/4 oz) to me. I like it very much and am very happy to have it in my collection. This color is called a 'Jim Pfeffer's Shiner' or 'Spotted Ape', and I believe one of the coolest colors painted in many lures such as Southbend, Heddon and others.

WTB lures in this color:  Southbend Bass Oreno, and Smithwick King Snipe

Blue, Yellow, Swedish

Yesterday was parents' day of our daughters' school, and I could have no chances to go out for fishing this weekend. Today, I ran as usual (about 22km), and then cleaned up my reels in the evening (which reminded me that I washed my dog, too). These may look junk reels, but still mechanically work very smoothly. I believe ABU Ambassadeur reels made before the early 1980s are much tougher than later reels. The Swedish decals (blue/yellow) are very cool.

It's difficult to master.....

It's always very difficult to master what you're bad at. You may grasp a technique at a mere moment, or you may be able to learn by doing. I've kept casting double-prop lures this fishing season to learn how to use them. At long last, I can now often catch fish with these lures, but stick lures and chugging lures are still much easier to use for me.

Heddon Wounded Spook SD (Shad) color

Fishing in the evening

I'm a morning person, and generally feel no difficulties to get up early, but today was different. I ran longer than 30 km yesterday, and I was very tired today. In the morning, I went do the shopping with my wife and a daughter, and then I cleaned my room. In the afternoon, I could spare a couple of time, so I decided to go fishing for kickes (I seldom go bass fishing in the evening). I was afraid that most ponds near my place got muddy because of the typhoon that passed last week, so I went to a mountain pond. No special fish, but but it's very nice to be floating on the water in the warm evening of a fall day. I caught a few small bass with a Heddon Wounded Spook and Chugger Spook, and I enjoyed a lot.

Today's tackle:

ABU Ambassadeur 5500CA, Fenwick Woodstream blank custom rod (SP634), Daiwa #4 line (red), Wounded Spook, Chugger Spook, Brush Popper, Zara Spook, etc.

BF=17/26

Sweet potato farm shop

My wife and daughters wanted to go to a farm shop near my city and dig sweet potatoes. The farmers said that you could dig three vines for JPY 600 (one person), and they did their best to shovel all the potatoes from the earth. I was a little sleepy and stayed in the car with my dog, and was watching them enjoy the farm work. They harvested many potatoes, and we enjoyed them for dinner.

Pond full of water vegetation

I visited many ponds from early in the morning today. In the first and second ponds I fished, I got skunked, though small bass touched my lures several times. Then I visited more, but the water level of them was very low because of drought. The last pond I visited was not so bad. The water surface of it is covered with vegetation (named "hishi" in Japanese), and it has a lot of water to enjoy fishing there. I cast to limited spots where the vegetation was not so thick and I could catch two small bass. I'd like to go there first thing in the morning next time.
 

  

After I enjoyed fishing, I ran a 16 km build-up. The monthly total distance I ran in September covered longer than 250 km, just as long as I scheduled.

Today's tackle:
ABU Record 5000 (Red, gray spool & drag wheel), Phillipson RC 60L, Stren 12lb (Hi-Vis Gold. I should have used 14 lb), Wounded Spook, Chugger Spook, Jointed Jitterbug, AC Plug, etc.

BF=16/25

Bait frozen shirimp on a hook...

As always, we caught many different species. It's a lot of fun to imagine how bait shrimps (dead and frozen) on the hooks behave in deep water and fish get interested in them.

Luhr Jensen AC plug

The water was very muddy in the first pond I visited, so I gave it up to keep fishing there. Then, I drove to the second one, where the water quality was not so bad. I got some bites with my Wounded Spook, but I could not hook them up at all (presumably very small bass). I tied the Luhr Jensen AC plug that I tuned up last week. The meandering action of it worked very attractively, and I could catch this nice bass with it. Not very big, but fought hard.
 

Just before finishing the fishing, I cast an old spoon for the first time in these 4-5 years for bass fishing. I couldn't believe it, but I bought many bites with it and hooked a small bass, though I just retrieving it slowly. I find it is nice to discover new things by taking lessons from old things. 

Today's tackle:
ABU Record 5000 (BLK), Phillipson Challenger (9055 rebuilt), Stren 14lb (clear), Zara II, Wounded Spook, Chugger Spook, Zara Spook, Jointed Jitterbug, AC Plug, Ginzan (spoon), etc.

BF=15/24