Julia Fordham’s ‘Swept’ on vinyl—a serendipitous find
Last February, as I finally got to listen to a vinyl copy of Julia Fordham’s Swept, I realized that its lyrics could not have been more serendipitous. Getting “swept up in it all” pretty much describes my protracted project to run the Tokyo Marathon.
Mementos of the author’s five-year marathon dream
Back in March 2020, I was all set to run one of the hardest marathons to get into, when COVID-19 forced its organizers to postpone the event. Little did I know that, in addition to the pandemic, life would throw more wrenches at me.
First came the unexpected medical diagnosis that required the deft intervention of reputable specialists. Then came the decision of the sports tour provider to refund what would have guaranteed my entry to the next Tokyo Marathon. And just when I thought things could not get any worse, I struggled with Achilles tendonitis and a hamstring issue. Would I ever get around to running the Tokyo Marathon? It was a nagging question that kept me up most nights.
Good thing that, just as the liner notes in Swept clearly show that Fordham was ably assisted by others, so too does my marathon story underline the fact that I had a lot of help.
At the Tokyo Station with the author’s home crew: ‘I swear I never was so cynical’
For morale support during my long runs, I turned to my wife Elaine and our kids Hannah, Colin, Liam, and Diego. On the medical front, I relied on the data-driven advice of Dr. Edu Tin Hay and the weekly rehab sessions by PT Niccy Aguirre of ReHub. To sort out my training plan, there was Coach Alex Monroe at Runcoach. Lastly, to cement my commitment to finish the race, I volunteered to run and raise funds for Kokkyo naki Kodomotachi (i.e., Children without Borders).
Surely with such support, you’d think that the odds stacked up against me would have already met their match. I actually thought so too, until I realized one month before the event that I completely forgot about yet another hurdle.
View from the starting line at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building in Shinjuku
Alvin Ang, the author’s brother-in-law, who nudged him about the cut-offs, shown here with his 2024 Tokyo Marathon finisher’s medal
You see, the Tokyo Marathon is the only world marathon with eight cut-offs. If you miss any of the cut-offs, the organizers will pull you out of the race. You can imagine my panic when I only remembered this after a nudge from my brother-in-law Alvin Ang, who is himself a fellow world marathon aspirant. Alvin then advised me to cut out a paper bracelet on which to write the target cut-offs. Not being good with my hands, I settled for a laminated list of the cut-offs. It was then that I realized “swept” can also connote something terrifying: I can literally get swept off the course!
Thanks to a timely pep talk from Elaine, I then proceeded to transform my remaining practice runs into simulations to beat the cut-offs.
In search of material to steel my resolve, I read about Russell Winwood, a.k.a. the COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) athlete. Unlike me, he ran marathons with only 30% percent lung capacity. But like me, he too had limited resources. So, when I heard him say in a documentary, “The greatest fear for me is not finishing something I started…I’m not coming back if I don’t make the cut-off, ” it really hit home.
Elaine, Hannah, and Colin flashing a message that would later buoy the author’s spirits at Km 35
In the end, I ran the Tokyo Marathon without glancing at my laminated list of the cut-offs. Winwood’s “I’m not coming back if I don’t make the cut-off” was more than enough. It was what was playing in my head as I comfortably finished my first 5K, and it continued to play in my mind when I breached Km 35.
The only bus no runner would ever want to board (Photo by Alvin Ang)
Just as interesting to note here is the fact that the Tokyo Marathon race course had several turning points. These allowed me to see the sweepers as they chased the back-of-the-pack runners. From a distance, they could be mistaken for pacers. But as they came nearer, you’ll realize that in lieu of target paces, the letters S-W-E-E-P-E-R were printed on their pacer flags. At that point, I swear that Winwood’s confession reverberated the loudest in my head, making me run even faster.
When I finally crossed the finish line, I couldn’t quite believe it when I realized that of the seven marathons I’ve completed, this turned out to be my fastest yet—notwithstanding my injuries and undertraining.
Puzzled no end, I emailed Coach Alex, who replied thus, “I have seen runners have the build-up of their life and tank the race. I’ve seen others have awful builds and they nail the race. Ultimately, my conclusion is that running is so mental.”
Now I think I know what getting “swept up in it all” can make possible.
