Ueno Area Shopping for runners

I finished my Sunday run around Ueno park exhilarated and excited to get a new pair of kicks. After my "french shower" of a wet towel and Axe, I met up with my wife for cheap eats at one of the seafood rice bowl restaurants along Ame-yoko. I had the fatty tuna(ootoro don= 500-yen!) and my wife had the tuna and scallops. If your a runner, no trip to Ueno can be complete without a stop at the running shoe/gear stores South of the station in the Ame-yoko and Gokachi-machi areas. Here are the good stores heading from the south exit of JR Ueno station.

1) B&D- Most stores have a combo of running and soccer gear. This one is just OK and doesn't compare to some of the others. They have a point card and some big sizes(mostly in Nike), but this one is going away from running stuff it seems. Running shoes are to the left just as you enter and go up the steps.

2) Zyuen(pronounced "Shyuzen")- This is my favorite of the shoe stores as it has the largest selection. There are ４ shops in the area(I've only been to two) with the main/original shop being the furthest away from Ameyoko on the other side of the railroad tracks. The 10.5(28.5cm)-sized Mizuno Idaten 4s(see upper-left image) were purchased for 4500-yen. With the mileage I run, I tend to go for price-performance. I love these shoes as they are light at 8.1 oz, but have decent cushioning and a wide toe box for the orthotics. They don't skimp in the stability area with the plastic wave bridge being decently long and thick, yet they aren't a motion control shoe and are fairly neutral(see no dual density EVA or heavy post. The color is alright, but they could lose the sparkly laces that adorn Mizuno racing shoes. I ran Biwako in these years ago and the cushion is OK for this 160-lb body for the marathon distance.

3) Art Sports- From now to next week(ends 2/22) they are having a closeout sale here. Nice prices, but they always have a small selection of sale shoes in large sizes. This has a somewhat better "jogger" shoe selection than Zyuen. It is a little more sanitary and the help here is better, but more expensive for sure. They also have a store that I frequent in Shibuya near the south exit of the station next to work. The layout is more tidy and easier to shop in, but you find better bargains elsewhere.

4) London Sports- Some of their multitude of stores in Ueno carry shoes at bargain basement prices, but if you have large feet, you'll be pressed to find your size. However the main attraction here is their apparel. It is massive. You have to hunt and fight for your deals with the 4 ft grandma in such closed quarters, that a claustrophobic would be brought to tears. The secret, if you know any Japanese, tell the store person(mise no oniisan) your size and what you are looking for and he will dive into the 3-meter high stack without abandon. Deals from 60-80% off of anything from your common sweats to running gear can be found. Things are hangers are generally a bit more expensive. Also, after your first purchase you receive a coupon for an extra 10% of the total bill each time you shop there. I got the above amazing Jacket for 2600 yen off a retail price of 18000-yen.

That's the skinny. Let me know if you have any other suggested running shops in your area.

Ueno Park Running

Today, the wife and I took the dog to Ueno . After a walk, I had a longish run of 1:30 planned. Wore the Nike air zoom speed light. They are 6.3 oz w/o my orthotics. It is a nice shoe, but collects small rocks etc. and today was making a convenient click each time my right foot struck the ground. Anyway, it was certainly helpful seeing that it was a Sunday, so all the tourists and families were out in the park and I could warn them that I was coming with my click-click-clicking.

Outside the Keisei Line going away from the park is a McDonalds, which I hit up for their 120-yen coffee. I'll take that price over a Starbucks any day and the quality and taste have really improved. That and the slight inspiration sparked by the Women's Olympic mogel. It was the first event of this year's games that I watched and US women won gold and bronze, followed by the cute and friendly Japanese skier Aiko Uemura who just missed a medal in 4th position.

There is a public bathroom conveniently placed right outside the east exit of the Keisei Ueno station where I changed. Across the street is a coin-locker for 200-yen. After depositing my change of clothes, etc. I headed out around the Shinobazu pond. There are some beautiful mallards swimming amongst the dead reeds of water lilies there. After winding around the pond, the Ueno Zoo is to your front and center. You can take a right here for smaller loops around the pond, but today, I was doing the 2.8mi/4.5km loop, so I continued out the park to the left.

Here is a map of the course. Basically, it is an easy loop to remember. You just keep the park to your right. There is a nice short hill at 1 mi. You pass a few high schools and universities. At the first T, take a right. Head down 200m to the next T where you take a left(at the Tokyo National Museum Heisei building). At the next T, there is a temple on your left, but you take a right here. The sidewalk is cobbled, but fairly even. You'll continue with the museum grounds to your right. At the line of taxis, take a right and the grounds are still in sight. At the T at the National Science Museum of Japan, cross the street and take a left. Go about 100m and take a right at the light. This is the western border of Ueno Park. Follow it until you see the station on your right and instead of continuing in the park, head down the one-way street with traffic facing you(very little traffic). Continue with the station to your right and down the hill. At the intersection turn right and you'll see the Keisei station on your right. Turn a right after the station and follow the road to the first entrance to the park(Shinobazu pond) west entrance. Where I started.

It was overcast and about 45F during the run today. Didn't go that great. Ran 5+ loops to make a total of 1:30:21. Was averaging about 18:00 per lap. Picked up the last 1km at 3:45, but didn't feel great. The right hammy and calf were really tight, but averaged 4 min/km. Did 23 km total to finish off my down week after 3 straight weeks of around 180 km/wk.

You can extend the length of the course/loop, by continuing onto and through cemeteries to the North near the Nippori and Uguisudani JR stations. I always love running in cemeteries in Japan and I'll highlight some of the other spooky courses in later blogs.

This is a great running loop for travelers looking to get one last run in prior to their flight out of Japan. The Keisei Line is a departure point/terminus to and from Narita Intl' Airport. You can take either the Narita Skyliner or the Keisei Express train there. I suggest the express option as there is only a 10 min difference, but a 1000-yen cost difference. Since it is the start, you can sit on either option, but you are guaranteed one on the Skyliner. The other difference is a toilet, which can be a big one if you've been loading up on green tea.

I'll follow up this blog with a look at the Ueno area running shops, of which there are a plethora. Stay tuned.

Sleet feet.

I don't know if it's appropriate to start out blogging on a negative foot, but it is a cold mother out there in Japan today. I had planned to get in a nice tempo run this morning, but after the morning ritual of coffee and pastry when we took the dog out for a walk, I couldn't muster it. The run has been put off until the afternoon due to inclement weather.

In my youth, I would have shrugged off the cold and gotten the run out of the way. But now, the bones ache a bit more and post-walk, I rushed the dog back into the warmth of our Setagaya apartment. It was sleeting out and the damp cold reminded me a bit of where I was born and raised in Oregon. What we have here, that we didn't have there, are electrically heated toilet seats. A throne that my cold booty could appreciate.

So to the point of starting this blog; needing more motivation that ever to get out there and beat the streets, I thought there may be a lot of those similar to me out there. It's a blog for those that were once wanting to take on the world, shooting for PRs, undaunted by the extremities... who may have found that now, it is just getting out the door that is the real challenge. After a hard day or week at work, the most difficult thing is to get on the running gear and take that first step. There is no team to run or converse with while blazing the course. It is now just me and Jay-z on the ipod taking on the course and the outside world/traffic. No, I definitely need more inspiration to get my ass in gear than before. How does one just "do it?"

Nowadays, in preparation for the run, I have a new ritual. My workplace offers free lunch and snacks to employees. So, at the end of the workday, what was once a pre-run cup of coffee has become several. Usually, if I've had sufficient sleep, I limit consumption to a double-shot of espresso with some kind of carbo-laden snack to wash down the joint-soothing 1500mg of glucosamine. The fifteen-minute bike ride from the workplace in Shibuya to our apartment serves as a nice warm-up and definitely injects a necessary adrenaline boost. If you have never been to Tokyo, while it's not New York; cab drivers, buses, domestic cars, the ever-increasing motorcycles, scooters and bikes share the same CO2 choked roads. Rule 1 of the roads- the biggest vehicle has the right-of-way. Helmets are not readily available at retail stores, so if you desire a brain bucket, you'll have to make a special order or hit up the Tokyuu Hands department store to choose from their limited supply. To add to the mix, I was unable to find an affordable road bike to fit my 6'1" frame and purchased the largest 24-inch mountain bike the cycle shop had in stock(the seat post is quite a bit taller than the bike frame). In summary, battling the traffic and taking calculated risk result in the exhilaration of daily near death experiences which get me ready for the run.

By the time I reach home, I've built up a sweat- the ride providing an excellent warm-up. When I get home, I towel off and stretch. Next, since I have properly assessed the current weather conditions, I change to appropriate, dry gear. Then it is on with the Voltaren analgesic rub to further easy any aches and pains. My groin/upper thighs are as thick as old-growth Oregon timber and have always been an area that has suffered from abrasions. Thus, a dollop of Vaseline serves as a prevention for such wounds. After that, a belt to help support the lower back gets strapped on. Since it is dark and I'm going back into the adverse "man vs. machine" world, I don the reflective vest and an arm band sporting a blinking l.e.d. What were once racing flats have now been replaced with by a pair of orthotics in a rotation of well-cushioned shoes. To further motivate, a variety of playlists now litter my Itunes and the choice of the day has been synced to my new ipod shuffle(I've lost too many of these to count). I remember laughing at people who used these things, and I still cringe at seeing someone in a race with them on. Though I still would never wear one when toeing the line, it's a semi-essential piece to my running equipment arsenal. By now, the espresso has kicked in and since the toilet is strategically positioned just outside our entrance way, I do the necessary, last-second pit stop on the aforementioned throne. With my body weight now imperceptibly lightened, I step out the door and descend our stairs. Stairs are a great place to stretch for me as I can get in a litany of them in one place. Including: calf and Achilles stretches in conjunction with hamstring or quad stretches and a multitude of others. The rails provide a great place to grip for some of the stretches and doing them outside gets me colder, reminding me that I have to start moving. I can't wait to get back to the hot bath that is awaiting me.

A warm-up that was once five to ten minutes is now twenty to thirty. But once warmed-up, I feel as good as ever. Running at night always has been fun for me. One feels as if they are moving quicker than in reality. I usually start with a light jog to warm-up, moving to the beat playing on the ipod. At the start, my brain may be clouded by the day's struggles or stress at work. However, it soon dissipates as my body takes over for my brain and my arms and legs move in unison. The running rhythm takes over for the music coming through the earphones and the pace gradually quickens. Soon I am remembering ripping out intervals and I'm racing with those returning home on their bikes. On these days, I realize that I wasn't born to "jog." I was born to run.

Basically, this blog is for those of you who are out there that used to be light of foot and quick of stride. For those that need a little extra push to get them out the door. If you're just getting back on the horse after an extended break, with a little patience and consistency, you may be surprised by how quickly you get back into running fitness. I have pleasantly surpassed my expectations thus far...

*image supplied by FreeFoto.com