Last Sunday, 4:00 AM, in the early morning before there was even a hint of sunrise. I left Nagoya, which had just seen its first snowfall and recorded its coldest day of the winter, and headed for Ise.
I was going to participate in the Ise Forest Trail Running Race 20km, my second official trail running race since the Mt. Tado Trail Run this past April.
After about two hours, I arrived at the venue, finished registration, and was shuttled to the starting line by bus.
Runners waiting for the 8:15 AM start. You can really feel how much larger the running population is compared to the cycling community. People say cycling is expensive, but that can't be the only reason.
The first part of the course takes us through the streets leading up to the Naiku (Inner Shrine) of Ise Jingu, one of the highlights of this event. Running through streets usually crowded with tourists is a privilege reserved just for us at this time.
After that, we passed briefly through the Ise Jingu grounds and finally entered the trails.
With 700 participants, the first half was quite congested, making it difficult to pass runners in front. Just like in a cyclocross race, it's crucial to be as close to the front as possible at the start, and I found myself regretting not lining up earlier. Ah, well, too little too late, I suppose. Sorry about that...
I thought the first 10km would be mostly climbs and the second half mostly descents, but the tougher climbs were actually in the second half. That was the hardest part. As you can see, everyone is walking. By the way, the person in the red jacket in front is Shiga-chan.
My gear for the day:
- Shoes: Of course, Altra / Superior
- Tops: Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Hoody
- Pants: Patagonia Strider Pro Shorts
- Gloves: Patagonia Wind Shield Gloves
I chose this gear based on advice from a friend who ran it last year, but it was a little cold given the strong winds at the summit this year... Everything else was fine, though, and my Altra Superiors supported my feet well once again. Thanks, Superior!
In the second half, there were stretches where I was running on my own. This part is a battle with yourself—trying to keep moving forward without stopping, even if just a little. Man, it was tough. I couldn't see anyone in front or behind me. Everyone else is struggling too! If I don't give in to myself and keep moving, no one will catch up, keep it up me! I remember being completely in my own world...
Shiga-chan running in front. The heavy breathing you hear is, of course, mine.
The red Patagonia Houdini Jacket Shiga-chan is wearing is mine. If it was going to be that cold, I shouldn't have lent it to him...
Up to a certain point, Shiga-chan and I were running as a pack, taking turns leading, but after we finished the longest descent past the 15km mark, he slowly pulled away, and I ended up finishing three minutes behind him.
The result was 136th out of 502 male runners. Not bad, but I'll do my best to get into the top 99 next time.
Now that the trail run is over, I'm shifting my focus back to cyclocross!
※Postscript: For some reason, this song was looping in my head while I was running the race.