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Showing posts with the label St. Moritz

Kawauchi's Youngest Brother to Join Fujiwara's Arata Project Post-Graduation

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2014/07/02/kiji/K20140702008487440.html

translated by Brett Larner

The civil servant runner's youngest brother is set to become the part-time job runner.  On July 1 it was announced that marathoner Yuki Kawauchi's youngest brother Koki Kawauchi (21, Takasaki Keizai Univ. 4th-yr.) will continue his career as an athlete following his graduation next spring by joining the Arata Project led by London Olympian Arata Fujiwara (32, Miki House).

Koki is already training with the other members of the Arata Project group and went to Switzerland last summer to train with Fujiwara at his altitude training camp in St. Moritz.  "Yeah, it's probably better if he trains with Fujiwara than with me," commented Yuki.

Depending on his race results, as a member of the Arata Project Koki will begin to receive financial support from the project beginning next year.  However, he will rely mainly on income from a part-time job at another company wher…
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"If Kenyans Are Saying 'Wow, Man' Then I Have to Feel Confident" - Fujiwara On Training in Kenya Ahead of Australian Debut Vs. Kawauchi at Gold Coast Airport Marathon

by Brett Larner
photos c/o Arata Fujiwara

Arata Fujiwara (Miki House) is just about the most unpredictable elite runner in the world, a 2:07 marathoner who has run slower than 2:20 and even 2:30 as many times as he has hit it out of the park. An independent who, without a sponsor after quitting Japan’s rigid corporate team system in 2010, became just the fifth Japanese man in history and the first in over 20 years to win a marathon outside Japan sub-2:10 when he set a 2:09:34 course record at the 2010 Ottawa Marathon with support from JRN. His 2:07:48 at the 2012 Tokyo Marathon, again sponsorless, made him all-time #7 in the Japanese record books and got him both sponsors and a place in London, but he flamed out when it most counted at the Olympics.

Jumping into Fukuoka on a whim a few months later for an impromptu duel with Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref. Gov’t), Fujiwara beat his fellow indy rival by nearly a minute to take 4th in 2:09:31. After that 2013 was mostly a bust, the only …
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Noguchi and Fukushi Arrive in Moscow

http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/sports/athletic/wc/headlines/article/20130806-00000075-kyodo_sp

translated and edited by Brett Larner

World Championships women's marathon team member Mizuki Noguchi (Team Sysmex) arrived in Moscow on Aug. 6, her tanned face creasing in a smile as she said, "More than nervous I'm excited.  It's been a long, long time since I got to compete at the World level and I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm looking forward to it."

Noguchi, the queen of the 2004 Athens Olympics marathon and the Japanese national record holder, trained at altitude in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the month of July.  In Frankfurt, Germany for her final preparations, she had her hair cut short.  "Now I'm psyched," she laughed.

The women's marathon takes place on the first day of the World Championships, Aug. 10.  Noguchi's teammate, half-marathon national record holder Kayoko Fukushi (Team Wacoal) also arrived in Moscow from Frank…
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A Bolder Arata Fujiwara Talks About the Training and Pyschology Behind His Return From Olympic Breakdown

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZZO48561770Y2A111C1000000/

translated by Brett Larner
photo by Dr. Helmut Winter

Running the London Olympics marathon as the ace man on the Japanese team, he crossed the finish line a hollow and defeated 45th in 2:19:11. Now, four months later, 2:07:48 man Arata Fujiwara (Miki House) is readying himself for a return to racing at the Dec. 2 Fukuoka International Marathon. Seiichi Yoshida talked to Fujiwara in-depth about what has been inside him as he has focused on Fukuoka.

You've said that at the Aug. 12 London Olympics marathon your form broke down, but one more time, could you analyze that failure and talk about how you interpret it and rationalize it to yourself?

When I went to St. Moritz in Switzerland to do altitude training (at 1700 m) my body got very strong, but I couldn't get into the kind of motion I have when I'm in one of my good cycles.  The London course had an extremely large number of curves, abundant in variation, and it wa…
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Arata Fujiwara - His Olympic Marathon Defeat in His Own Words

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZZO45177410Q2A820C1000000/

translated by Brett Larner - published by Nikkei 8/22/12

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For men's marathoner Arata Fujiwara (Miki House), the London Olympics ended with a 45th-place finish in 2:19:11, 11 minutes and 10 seconds slower that winner Stephen Kiprotich (Uganda).  Defeated by the sudden dissolution of his speed after 30 km, how does Fujiwara now analyze his performance?

Beginning July 5, I trained for a month at 1700 m elevation in St. Moritz (Switzerland) before travelling to London on Aug. 4.  There was no need for any more hard workouts, so all I had to do was just wait for the big race on the 12th without worrying about it.  I think now that I should have been more careful about the process of coming down from altitude and re-acclimatizing to sea level.

If you train at altitude one product is that your cardiovascular system and whatnot get stronger. When you come down to sea level it feels great to run even if you…
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Olympic Marathoner Fujiwara Leaves for Altitude Training In Switzerland

http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nsp/item/311177

translated by Brett Larner

London Olympics marathoner Arata Fujiwara (Miki House) left Tokyo's Narita Airport on July 5 for altitude training in St. Moritz, Switzerland, confidently telling reporters, "I'm not worried about anything.    All I can say is I'll give it my best."

Since mid-June Fujiwara has been based in Hokkaido, where he ran a large number of races in quick succession.  Taking the bull by the horns, the rapid-fire series of competitions has put him in position "to be a realistic challenger for a medal."

The aim of the Swiss training camp will be to recover from the fatigue of four races in a week while running cross-country and doing hill sprints to load as much final strengthening work into his body as he can.  Fujiwara will not return to Japan before the Olympics, currently planning to travel to London on August 4.  Looking toward the final day of the Olympics on August 12, he said, "I…
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Fujiwara Leaves for St. Moritz Ahead of World Championships

http://sports.nikkei.co.jp/index.aspx?n=SSXKG0190%2001082009
http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/news/f-sp-tp0-20090801-525953.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

Arata Fujiwara in Narita Airport Aug. 1. Click photo for full-sized version.

Berlin World Championships marathoner Arata Fujiwara (Team JR Higashi Nihon) left Tokyo's Narita Airport on Aug. 1st for his final preparations at a high-altitude training camp in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Asked if he is looking to finish in the medals Fujiwara looked relaxed and happy as he replied, "Of course, that's why I'm going. I'm going to run the best race I ever have."

It was clear that Fujiwara's condition has improved since last month's Sapporo International Half Marathon where he was 98th. In his training in Hokkaido since then he has focused on making adjustments to his form and has ironed out the problems he was having. "I've gotten all my mileage in, and now [at altitude in St. Moritz] I'…
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Still Unable to Run, Mizuki Noguchi's Chances for Berlin World Championships Comeback Unclear

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/etc/news/20080903-OHT1T00100.htm

translated by Brett Larner

On Sept. 2, Athens Olympics women's marathon gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi (30, Team Sysmex) went for her first public run since pulling out of the Beijing Olympics women's marathon shortly before the race with an injury to her left thigh. Feeling that she is not yet healed, Noguchi withdrew from her planned participation in the October 12 World Half Marathon Championships in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

The run marked the first time the marathon queen has shown herself in public since returning from Switzerland, jogging slowly for two hours on the afternoon of Sept. 2. Approached for an interview at the end of her run, Noguchi brushed reporters aside, saying, "Excuse me, I'm still practicing."

Noguchi injured her biceps femoris and semitendinosus on July 25 while training in St. Moritz, Switzerland. She cut the Swiss training camp short to return to Japan for medical treatment on…
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Satoshi Osaki Out of Olympic Marathon With Hip Injury (updated)

http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/NewsPack/CN2008082301000765_Sports.html
http://www.daily.co.jp/general/2008/08/23/0001366258.shtml
NHK News broadcast, 8:55 p.m., 8/23/08

translated and edited by Brett Larner

The JOC announced on the evening of Aug. 23 that Beijing Olympics men's marathon team member Satoshi Osaki, 32, of Team NTT Nishi Nihon, has suffered an injury to his left hip and has withdrawn from the Aug. 24 competition. Osaki began to experience discomfort in his left hip during his final training session on Aug. 20, the day before he travelled to Beijing. The pain became progressively worse, and while jogging on Aug. 22 it developed to the point at which he could no longer run. Osaki made the decision to withdraw early in the day on Aug. 23.

In the women's marathon, defending gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi of Team Sysmex withdrew from the race shortly beforehand leaving only two team members to compete. Osaki's withdrawal leaves the men in the same position, with only Tsuyos…
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Mizuki Noguchi Considering Dropping Out of Olympics After Hospitalization for Fatigue

http://www.asahi.com/sports/update/0809/TKY200808090164.html

translated by Brett Larner and Mika Tokairin

On Aug. 9 it was revealed that defending Olympic women`s marathon champion Mizuki Noguchi (30, Team Sysmex), who is attempting next week in Beijing to become the first woman to win two Olympic marathon gold medals, was hospitalized in Kyoto after secretly returning to Japan from her high-altitude training camp in St. Moritz, Switzerland on Aug. 4, three days earlier than planned. Noguchi is not injured but rather suffering from severe fatigue. Her management is cautiously considering whether or not she should run the Olympic marathon on Aug. 17.

Noguchi was hospitalized in Kyoto primarily for a health check, receiving a battery of MRI tests and examinations to determine how the accumulated fatigue she is experiencing is affecting her muscle condition. She has now been released and is being advised by a team of doctors. Officials stated, "We are now trying very hard to get her to…
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Noguchi Back in Japan After Cutting Swiss Altitude Training Short

http://dailynews.yahoo.co.jp/fc/sports/noguchi_mizuki/?1218072699
http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2008080700420

translated and edited by Brett Larner

An unexpected change has struck the queen of the marathon. On Aug. 6 it was revealed that Athens Olympics women`s marathon gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi (30, Team Sysmex) cut her altitude training in St. Moritz, Switerland short, returning to Japan on Aug. 4 rather than Aug. 7 as originally planned. Noguchi was experiencing feelings of fatigue related to being at a high elevation and opted to relocate to a more moderate altitude. She will continue her training in Hokkaido until her departure for Beijing on Aug. 13. Noguchi is trying her hardest to become the first woman to defend an Olympic marathon gold medal, but with 10 days to go until the main event the slightest doubt has surfaced.
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Mizuki Noguchi Celebrates 30th Birthday in Kobe

http://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/sports/0001197915.shtml

translated by Brett Larner

Beijing Olympics women`s marathon favorite Mizuki Noguchi of Kobe-based Team Sysmex spoke at a press conference at Kobe`s Crown Plaza hotel the morning of July 3rd. Noguchi addressed a crowd of 220 supporters including Asics` master craftsman Hitoshi Mimura, who made Noguchi`s shoes for the Beijing Olympics. July 3rd also being Noguchi`s 30th birthday, the Olympic champion told her audience, "Having the Olympics to start off my 30`s is the best present I can think of."

Having just returned from a series of test runs of the Beijing course, Noguchi commented, "My spirits are high and I`m feeling confident to defend my title. I think I can break the mark I set in Athens, but the important thing for me is to be relaxed during the race."

Noguchi leaves for her final altitude training in St. Moritz, Switerland on July 4th.
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Beijing Olympic Marathoner Sato Cancels Swiss Training Camp Due to Exhaustion

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/other/080626/oth0806262146023-n1.htm

translated by Brett Larner

Beijing Olympics men`s marathon team member Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) has cancelled his planned July high-altitude training in St. Moritz, Switzerland and will instead remain in Japan for his final preparations. Suffering from exhaustion, Sato finished 35th in the June 15th Sapporo International Half Marathon with a time of 1:04:01.

Sato`s coach Yasushi Sakaguchi explained that in the past Sato has had a tendency to overwork in high altitude training, leading to poor results. As Sato is already showing signs of overwork, Sakaguchi opted to cancel the St. Moritz camp. Instead, Sato will do his Olympic training in Shibetsu and Abashiri, Hokkaido.
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Atsushi Sato Returns From Beijing

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/080618/spg0806182001001-n1.htm

translated by Brett Larner

Beijing Olympics men`s marathon team member Atsushi Sato (Team Chugoku Denryoku) arrived at Tokyo`s Narita Airport on June 18 after returning from a preview of the Beijing Marathon course. This was Sato`s second time to test-run the Beijing course, having participated in April`s official pre-Olympic competition. "I got a thorough feel for the course," commented Sato. "I had the impression that the pavement in the second half is softer."

Sato will be training in Hokkaido for one week beginning June 19. He will then go to support his wife Miho Sugimori (Team Natureal) in the 800 m at the National Track and Field Championships in Kawasaki. Afterwards Sato travels to St. Moritz, Switerland for a one-month training camp. "The most important part of my training starts now," he told reporters. "I am completely focused."

Translator`s note: Sato ran 1:04:01 in …
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Mizuki Noguchi at "China-Free" Sugadaira Training Camp to Rebuild From the Ground Up

http://www.chunichi.co.jp/chuspo/article/sports/news/CK2008060202014342.html

translated by Brett Larner

Beijing Olympics women`s marathon team leader Mizuki Noguchi (29, Team Sysmex) has begun her "China-free" main Olympic preparation in Nagano Prefecture`s Sugadaira Takahara region. Noguchi arrived in Sugadaira on June 1 to begin an intensive training camp. Her coach Nobuyuki Fujita (67) told reporters that Noguchi has abandoned plans to attend a training camp in Kunming, China which was scheduled to begin June 12 and will instead remain in Sugadaira for the rest of the month. Noguchi will take advantage of the area`s arduous up-down terrain to strengthen her lower body in order to withstand Beijing`s hard road surfaces.

In the lead up to Beijing Noguchi`s support and coaching team made the decision to avoid China, with Fujita instead selecting a domestic base for Noguchi`s training. "Kunming`s main advantage is its elevation," said Fujita. "This time, however, …
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At Age 29, Going for a Comeback and Talking to Her Body, Mizuki Noguchi Ready for the 2007 Tokyo International Women`s Marathon

http://www.asahi.com/sports/spo/TKY200711130086.html

translated by Mika Tokairin and Brett Larner

The golden singlet Mizuki Noguchi wears is fading into the sunset in the mountains of Kunming, China. A 40 km run at the end of October. Her training is almost at completion.

At last April`s London Marathon, race organizers presented defending Olympic gold medalists Stefano Baldini of Italy and Mizuki Noguchi of Japan with golden singlets. Baldini wore his singlet during the race but Noguchi was not able to compete due to an injury to her left Achilles tendon which she suffered in January. She missed the opportunity to display this gift in a race and it became part of her training wear.

Noguchi was also unable to run Berlin last year because of an unrelated injury to her left leg. This weekend`s Tokyo International Women`s Marathon will be her first marathon in 2 years, her first since setting the Japanese national record of 2:19:12 at the `05 Berlin. "I was shocked because I have never …
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