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An Interview With World Championships Marathoner Kentaro Nakamoto

http://www.yaskawa.co.jp/activities/track-field/movie/interview01.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

What kind of training have you been doing this summer?
I've been doing mileage in Kokonoemachi, Oita, for weeks.  The course is really difficult, so the focus has been on building up my legs and improving my stamina.  It's hard before a marathon, but I feel like things have come around pretty well.

How did you feel about the Sapporo International Half Marathon?
I did it coming right off training so I had some fatigue, but the goal was to go out hard and see how long I could hang on.  That's what I did, but partway through I started to gradually lose touch and drop back.  I think working on that part of the race has been the focus of my training since then.  Foreign athletes and top-class Japanese athletes ran it, including two other guys who will run the World Championships marathon, so there were really a lot strong people there and I was pretty nervous, but it went well. [Nakamoto finished 17th in 1:05:02 ahead of World Championships teammates Yoshinori Oda (Team Toyota) and Yuki Kawauchi (Saitama Pref.).

What does your final training schedule look like?
[After Sapporo there was] one more training camp in Kokonoemachi, Oita, then up to Hokkaido for a week or so for another camp.  In August the same thing again, a training camp in Oita prefecture's Kokonoemachi then another in Hokkaido for my final training.  I've focused on solid mileage and getting ready to deal with the heat of a summer marathon.  Of course my main goal in the time that's left is to fine-tune my body to be absolutely ready for the marathon.

A training camp means the environment changes, but more than just being exciting it means that you can get good training done, that the quality is going to go up.  That means that you have to take good care of yourself, and Oita prefecture is famous for hot springs so I've been using them to help recover when I'm worn out.

Do you have a message for all your supporters and fans?
Things have been going according to plan and my base is there the way we wanted it, so in the time left I want to put on the finishing touches to my training and arrive at the start line in the best condition possible.  Thank you all for your support and please cheer for me in the race.

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