Day 2’s adventure was spent getting acclimated to the new environment, after a late arrival. Customs and transportation from the airport went smooth. Everything in Japan is so orderly and filled with rules upon rules. One thing I have noticed so far is that there is no sense of “rushing” on the streets. Sometimes I feel my Midwest go-go-go attitude coming out when I’m breezing by people just casually strolling to their next destination. Another aspect has been the fact that everyone in Japan dresses up – like women in suits with heels and men in full 3 piece suits. It’s overwhelmingly during high traffic times because it’s like a sea of men in suits! The only thing I can think of is the “Men in Black” movie.

We also have navigated the Tokyo train system, which is fun trying to understand how to load a Pasmo card in a different language!  The actual transit from Shinjuku to Tokyo Big Sight South Exhibition was easy, thank goodness to Google Maps!  Navigating platforms and transit lines wasn’t too bad.  And a little nap on the train was refreshing as I dozed in and out between stops.

We went to the Tokyo Marathon Expo to get my race bib, show my temperature app, present a handful of QR codes, and get the essentials for race day like my shoelace timer. The lines were easy and fast moving for the bib area. I’m also finding that most Japanese volunteers are so helpful and welcoming. The lines for the rest of the expo were ridiculously long at the vendor booths. However, it was at one booth that I ran into my old running friend, Dave H., from Running Lab. We took a quick selfie and then went our separate ways. I also met a runner from metro Detroit who told me about his suitcase nightmare. All-in-all, the expo was less than thrilling and took about 6 hours of time, but the race day essentials part of the expo couldn’t have gone smoother!

My favorite highlight from the expo was also collecting my 2020 medal. It’s like finally seeing a closure to the pandemic in some ways. In 2020, I was two weeks away from the Tokyo Marathon finish line when the pandemic started. Instead of Tokyo, I crushed the hills of the Atlanta Marathon – a race that I still remember vividly. In 2021, I did a virtual Tokyo Marathon race when they sent me my 2020 bib packet. So, in some ways, finally getting that 2020 medal was like filling in the void that was still left empty. Despite multiple countries all dropping into Tokyo for this marathon, we just smiled when we passed by each other, with our 2020 medals on display.

If there’s one take-home point for today’s blog, it is that you have to be relentless in the pursuit of your goals. You absolutely cannot have one obstacle stop you! You have to show up every day and give it what you got on that day. Even if it takes 3+ years to get to your goal, the ability to endure life and fight harder with an indomitable spirit definitely will help you see your goals to completion. I fought through a lot of unplanned detours in 2021 but rebuilt my foundation in 2022 to be here, in Tokyo, for the 2023 marathon — something that started in 2019 with that one lottery entry. And you can bet, I am going to reach that finish line on Sunday, no matter what it takes. I’ve come this far and I’m not tossing in the towel until I use it to dry the sweat off from my marathon success.

My final thoughts for today:

What is one goal you’ve always wanted? When will you see it to completion? Now go get after it. A little success accumulating each day can add up to something pretty magnificent!