Race information...

I just checked the race information and want to let you know some facts about the course. The web site is not well updated, race organizers tend to send out a lot of paper with detailed description about parking area, bus/train schedules, etc. The phone no. of the pick up area for BIB no. is not recognized by our car navigation, so I had to search by address (everything in Kanji). Somehow, I managed that and I am a little proud that I could put in the address into the navigation. Interestingly enough, it's 105 km by car to the race. Coincidence? The 112k course circles counterclockwise -from right to left- all five Fuji lakes: Yamanaka-ko (where Start and Finish are located), Kawaguchi-ko (I ran a Marathon there in 2006), Sai-ko, Shinshi-ko and Motosu-ko. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the area: Mt. Fuji is located where the two runners are in the picture above. Mt . Fuji can be easily seen from all of the lakes. Elevation differences are moderate compared to Kubikino but surely I will feel not only the 200m incline at the very end of the course. Temperatures are predicted to be around 22 C, a little too warm for my taste. On the other hand, I expect the temperature around 3 C at the start. Thanks for all your encouraging comments, emails, personal wishes, hugs and puffs, my friends. I will try to follow the Race Motto and "Rocket over the finish line"...!