I did it

Today, I ran 18.5 km and totaling 304.8 km during January. I covered twice of >30 km running, three times of 20 km, and four times of 15-20 km, and more times of shorter ones. It's already the end of Jan, and I don't have to run anymore this month!

Nothing in the real world is as beautiful as the illusions of a person about to lose consciousness. Haruki Murakami

Making a short list of WTB

On the new year's day of 2012, I decided to run 300km in Jan. I've run 202km so far including an exercise of 30km running I underwent today in the rain. I routed an about 5km course around my house, and I ran around it 6 times. My pace in each lap was 04:55, 04:50, 04:53, 04:50, 04:49, and 04:42, which was, all in all, so-so as I expected. 
Recently, I want a running GPS watch badly, because I can know how far and how fast I run very easily with it. I'm checking Garmin website to find one suitable for my use. I'd rather like one with a water-resistant covering (I may wear it when I go fishing), but such models are made for triathlon races and very expensive. For instance, their brand-new high-end 910XT looks extremely gorgeous, but would cost me more than $400 at least.

-------------------------------------------------------
This reminds me, I'd like to list up some items I'm interested in or WTB during 2012.


Vintage Lures
 Heddon
   210 (wood, nice colors)
   200 (RH, GE)
   Original Zara Spook (SO, PSWB)
   Magnum Torpedo (BH, RH, BLKH, GRA, SO)
   Zara II (NF, XRW, XBW)
   Lucky 13 (14KCD, XBW)
   Baby Torpedo (XRS)
   Crazy Cralwer (NF)
   Wounded Spook (RH, BH, XRS)
 Gilmore
   Spooker (large)
   Jumping G (large)
 Smithwick
   Gandy Dancer
   Wood Chug
   Chug Horse
   Carrot Top
 Boone
   Zig Zag Jr
 Southbend or Evans 
   Bass Oreno (silver/black)
 Cotton Cordell
   Crazy Shad (large)


Other fishing tackle
Daiwa Certate 2004CH, 2506H
Daiwa Cardia 2004
Knipex 2053-125, 2505-140, 2505-160, 2506-160
G-sakai Sabiknife

and so on and on and on.....

Make ready, one by one

I'm still running long almost every day (about 70 km/week), and will keep doing so until my fishing season starts in March. When I can spare time during weekends, I'm getting my tackle ready, one by one. I recently got another ABU reel and I overhauled it today. I used no special parts and no special lubricants, but just carefully cleaned each inner-part and oiled (Shimano spray oil). I took this video for my future reference, and you can see how smoothly the spool turns around. Though the spool works less smoothly after I attach the level-winder and related gears, but I believe you never have stress when you cast using this reel.

Last run

Today I ran 16.6 km, totaling 202.2 km during this month. I've kept running 200 km or more per month since October (three months in a row), and I'd like to keep this pace for a while more. Since I was not satisfied with my latest race, I decided to run another race (full marathon) in February. It will be my first race in 2012, and I'm looking forward to it.

Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Last fishing 2011

We (I mean we as some fishing friends and I) make it a rule to charter a fishing boat on 29 Dec to enjoy the last fishing for the year. We look forward the fishing trip every year, but it is in mid winter, so the weather doesn't permit every year. This year, we're very lucky to go out to be on the sea, though it was very windy and the wave was large. Fish (about 2lb yellowtail) were very active to chase our lures (3-6 oz metal jig), and we could catch as many as we could fill up our ice box. I caught more than 30 of them in the forenoon. Unfortunately, we could not catch a special large one, but we could enjoy a lot. After I went back, I started to clean the fish I caught, but I gave it up on the way...too many to finish. I have to get up early tomorrow and do it again.

Finished a full marathon, but...

I'm believing that the aim of long distance running is almost over when you stand at a start line of a race, because you must have kept doing everything what you can for months, or for years, in order to run the race. I finished a full marathon today, and my time was 3:46:04. The time was not too bad, but I totally could not race well. I did finish the race, but could not run all through it. After 35km, both of my legs sometimes cramped up, so I had to walk very often (even as I NEVER wanted to walk). I tried to stretch the muscles with my hands, but they did not say yes to me. Many runners passed me away, and I was just like a drowned mouse.

I can call many reasons for my failure to mind. I caught a cold just before the race, after the half-marathon I ran early this month. The air temperature was very low during the race, and I could not fully address it. The road surface was unexpectedly hard and deteriorated (the race was held along a big river and the road looked as paved long before). My pace was too fast during the first half. And more and more. Anyway, the most crucial thing is that I could know my exercise was not enough to finish sub-3.5 hours (I secretly tried to finish within 3:30:00). I'd like to get revenge someday, as soon as maybe.

Finished a half marathon

I ran a local half marathon today. My goal is a full marathon held soon, so I just ran this race to condition myself. I tried to keep pace running until 18 km from the start, and then built up the speed and pressed on toward the finish line. My time was, 4'45"/km (0-5 km), 4'38"/km (5-10 km), 4'39"/km (10-15 km), 4'24"/km (15-20 km) and 4'03" (20- km), totaling 1:36:35 (net, my personal best). In the last 2-3 km, I still had some energy to go the distance, and I passed many runners (I was passed by only two, who both were women 10 km runners belonging to a different category from mine). In almost all the races I have so far run, I slowed down after hitting the three-quarters point, and I felt very sorry to hear 'Hang in there!' from the audience before the finish line. But not so this time. It was an exhilarating race for me.

I used Simms Windstopper Half-finger gloves today, and I find they're super good for not only fishing but also running during cold season.