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Reiko Tosa Happy to Run Matsue Ladies 10 km as Guest Runner, But Admits to Being Out of Condition

http://www.asahi.com/sports/update/0317/TKY200803170002.html

translated by Brett Larner

Beijing Olympics women's marathon team member Reiko Tosa (Team Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) ran as a guest runner in the 10 km competition at the Matsue Ladies Half Marathon on March 16. Although Tosa was not racing the event, it was her first appearance in a race of any kind since winning the bronze medal at last summer's Osaka World Championships marathon.

Tosa reached the goal in 33:30. Afterwards she smiled, "Wow, my legs are soft and lifeless. I have a long way to go to get in shape for Beijing." In May Tosa will be heading to a training camp in Boulder, Colorado for the first time in 7 years. "Coach Suzuki thought I should go back to the place where I first became fast," she explained. By returning to her roots, Tosa hopes to move on to a medal.

Translator's note: As this article mentions, Tosa has not raced since the World Championships last summer. She suffered from anemia and other health problems through the fall and has reportedly had difficulty doing speedwork during subsequent training.

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Roberto said…
Doesn't sound as though she's going to be ready for the most important race of her career ...
March 19, 2008 at 9:15 AM
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