I found out recently that astronauts are not allowed to get jet lag.
It makes sense. They travel, literally, all around the world on missions that cost billions of dollars. To be sure, very little of their time is spent beyond the Earth’s atmosphere; they frequently travel terrestrially as well. There’s a lot at stake and making an error due to the lethargy brought on by quickly traversing many time zones simply won’t do.
I learned this as I was researching strategies for mitigating the effects of jet lag upon my trip to Japan for the Tokyo Marathon. After landing I had only a few days to acclimate and I really didn’t want to be groggy during the race. We’re talking about a time shift of 17 hours between Seattle and Tokyo.
There’s a science to overcoming the malaise, astronauts practice the method routinely, and there is an app for it — Timeshifter.
The basis of the science has to do with the brain’s circadian clock and the trick is to reset this clock to be in sync with the new time zone as quickly as possible. Once that is done, the brain will once again instruct the body to sleep at night and be energetic during the day rather than on a schedule that is a skewed holdover from one’s time zone of origin.
Light exposure is the critical factor and the most important thing that the Timeshifter app does is tell the user when to avoid light and when to bathe in it. Light enters the brain through the eyes and a signal as to its presence is transmitted directly to the circadian clock (otherwise known as the SCN or suprachiasmatic nucleus) in the hypothalamus. Melatonin and caffeine usage are encouraged and scheduled by Timeshifter for when they can be most effective at keeping to the plan.
Some steps in the plan are awkward. For example, the app suggested I start the adjustment a few days before the flight by wearing dark sunglasses upon waking up, a sight that caused my wife to burst out laughing as I kissed her good morning.
And my time on the plane was spent mostly blindfolded. That didn’t necessarily mean I was sleeping, it just meant that I had to be in the dark (although I took melatonin to encourage some sleep). It’s odd to spend eleven hours on a plane without reading or taking advantage of the hundreds of in-flight video entertainment options.
But it worked. Jet lag was minimal in Tokyo and in Seattle when I returned the day after the marathon. I was out running again two days after the race.
In retrospect, this is not too surprising. My entire experience with Parkinson’s disease has shown me that the human brain can be hacked to great benefit. One just needs to know which levers to push.
I mentioned in previous posts the various regulations imposed by the Tokyo Marathon Foundation that triggered anxiety among many of the runners preparing for the event.
Every runner was required to bring their cell phone to the Start Area configured with a data plan that would allow access to the Global Safety app that must be installed on the phone.
Each runner was also required to record their daily body temperature and the results of two consecutive COVID-19 antigen tests into the Global Safety app.
The data on the Global Safety app would be checked at entry to the Start Area. Non-compliance with any of the instructions would result in disqualification.
Restrictions were placed on what was brought into the Start Area. Water bottles, hydration packs, and most foods were prohibited. However, unopened commercially available items were allowed.
Clothing was not to be discarded during the race. Anything worn to the Start Area must be carried by the runner to the Finish Area. Also, we were instructed to carry all trash with us while running. Handing trash to course volunteers and using the refuse bins at the aid stations was not permitted.
Runners were not to relieve themselves anywhere other than the toilet.
Apparently, the Tokyo Marathon Foundation received a lot of feedback about the rules. To their great credit, the Foundation demonstrated flexibility towards accommodating the desires of the runners. For example, they capitulated on the topic of extra clothing brought to the start area. As is the case at most marathons, they installed bins in the starting corrals to allow runners to discard excess warm-up clothing to be donated to charity.
Also, they set up a Wi-Fi network at the Start Area so that international runners did not have to worry about whether their roaming plan would work in Tokyo.
My intent was to get to the Start Area early because I suspected that there would be delays during check-in associated with the Global Safety app. On the way I passed by a few portable toilets that were labeled “Western Style”. I took a photo of them because I was curious about the need for specifying the style (Figure 1 left).
I got clarification shortly afterwards in the start area when I entered one that did not have that sign. Figure 1 on the right shows the interior of the “Non-Western” Style. Fortunately, a helpful placard on the back wall described the proper way to straddle the unit.
My concerns about the Health Check turned out to be overblown at least for those of us who entered all the data properly into Global Safety. I suspect that the Wi-Fi system worked fine also but I didn’t need it. My phone uses Google Fi and that worked seamlessly throughout my trip. I did not have to explicitly connect to the Start Area Wi-Fi.
At check-in, large signs with QR codes were displayed (Figure 2). Scanning the code while in the Global Safety app called up a go/no-go image (Figure 3). I waved this image at a volunteer and zipped through this stage in seconds.
I had some trouble at the Security Check (Figure 4 left). I carried very little with me hence no issue at the metal detector. But an enthusiastic volunteer demonstrated by crossing his arms into an “X” sign that my packaged Untapped Maple Syrup gels were forbidden. “No food,” he said.
However, I explained to him that unopened food packaged by the manufacturer was allowed as per the Runner’s Handbook. I let him inspect some of these packets. He agreed and gave me the necessary sticker to prove it (Figure 4 right).
It took me a total of 20 minutes to walk the quarter mile from the hotel to the entry gate and pass through Health and Security checks. Everything was very well planned and executed.
Next step was to use the toilet before getting into my corral. As luck would have it, I got on the same queue as my friend Erika (also from West Seattle) and we chatted for a bit. Erika had gone skiing in December and tweaked her Achilles. The injury derailed her training for the race. She was also going for her Sixth Star Medal and had been at it for 12 years. After all this time she was determined to finish Tokyo even if it meant walking partway. She’s a tough lady and though she had hoped to do better she finished with a nifty 3:43:18 damaged Achilles and all.
While waiting in the corral, it was apparent that at least one rule was openly flaunted. With over half an hour of time to wait before the starting gun, some of the men chose to pee on the side of the road rather than wait for the first on-course toilets (Figure 5).
You may wonder why I get so preoccupied with toilet practices at these races. Trust me, though, that for a marathoner it’s a serious concern. Most of us are out on the course for at least four hours. The downsides in terms of physical discomfort and the potential hit to our finish times encourages us to minimize the possibility of needing a pit stop mid-race.
For elite runners, stopping to enter a portable toilet during the race can eliminate (sorry) any chance of achieving a podium spot. In 2005, Paula Radcliffe won the London Marathon and set a women’s world record. But while doing so she stopped along the side of the road and pooped in full view of thousands of spectators. One does what one must.
Those of us not headed to the podium are nonetheless hoping to get the best result we can. In Tokyo, where the portable toilets are often a fair distance from the course with, consequently, unseen queue lengths, stopping can be distressing.
To be sure, relief from an overfull bladder can come without resorting to a toilet break. With proper choice of running shorts in terms of style and color, no casual observer would be the wiser. Just saying.
The Start Area efficiency set the tone for the race itself. Volunteers dispensing hydration were polite and efficient. But the course lacks the energy of some of the other majors. Spectators lined the course and cheered but it was nothing like the volume and intensity of New York City. Also, the scenery lacks the iconic landmarks like those of NYC or London.
The course did have one thing that I have never experienced in a marathon. It consists of multiple segments wherein the course doubles back on itself. Runners entering these segments can see faster runners passing them by as they exit in the other direction on the other side of the road.
In this manner, for the first time ever, I witnessed the lead pack of runners as they ran by when I was at 14.8 kilometers and they were at 30.8 (I worked these distances out after the race by comparing timing mat data).
It was a remarkable view. These runners flew by effortlessly. Sigh.
Otherwise, in many ways, Tokyo was much like any other Major I’ve run. The feared strict enforcement of rules didn’t turn out to be a factor. To some extent they were unenforceable. Would a volunteer really feel empowered to disqualify a litterbug runner?
My guess is that the unfailing politeness of our hosts meant that no one would be disqualified for such violations. 38,000 runners wield a lot of power and when all is said and done, marathoners will be marathoners.
One rule though — the mandatory seven hour cutoff time with its associated mid-race checkpoints — did not yield. Although I did not witness any of this, I’ve seen reports of some slower runners being “swept”; their race days ending early.
My own performance was less than I had hoped. I entered the race believing that my training had never been better and I entertained the thought of finishing significantly better than four hours. I was on track for that at the halfway mark but then the wheels fell off at about mile 16.
The last 10 miles got progressively harder although, as most runners do, I was able to pick it up just a touch for the last two miles. My finish time was 4:16:37.
Although I’m not sure what went wrong it has all the trappings of hitting the proverbial wall which means I was under-fueled due to insufficient carbo loading. Or my legs are weak. Or I started out to fast.
Gotta fix this. Boston is coming up in less than six weeks and London is a week after that.
I felt miserable at the finish line but felt a bit better while picking up my Six Star Medal and chatting with some of the other runners doing the same. Back at the hotel I soaked in a hot bath for half an hour, took an hour nap, and then feeling mostly recovered, headed out to the post-race parties.
My entry was through Marathon Tours and Travel and they hosted a post-race party at our hotel. There was a lot of food and drink but I was not ready to eat yet so I spent the time chatting with other runners about their day. Many of them thought they could have, should have, done better (I know the feeling) but were happy nonetheless to get the job done.
Although the Michael J. Fox Foundation did not host any entries in Tokyo, there were several Team Fox runners in Tokyo (Natan, Bill, Margo, and I). We met up the day before the race and then Natan, Bill, and I went to the party for Six Star Finishers at Hard Rock Cafe in Roppongi, one of the Tokyo neighborhoods.
Bill ran his race with a broken rib that he got from an aggressive golf swing. He had concerns over the cutoff time but I have learned over the years not to underestimate Bill. He beat the cutoff with plenty of room to spare.
Natan and his wife Caroline had spent the week before carting their toddlers, Arthur and Lillian around Tokyo with the help of a local nanny. Natan joked that the race was actually his time to rest. Caroline joined us at the Hard Rock as did Robin and Kristy, friends of Bill who also got their Six Star Medals.
The next day I was to fly home to Seattle but I had some time in the morning to do some gift shopping before heading to the airport. I decided to go to Isetan, a large department store a short bus ride from the hotel.
Shopping was a lot of fun. The salespeople were very polite and helpful despite the fact that we had no common language. One saleslady used a voice-to-text translator on her phone to communicate with me and with that I was able to get some lovely stuff for the folks at home.
One of the salesmen walked me upstairs to an office that helped me to get the tax on my purchases refunded as a discount to the purchase.
While I waited for the gifts to be packaged suitably for transport, I loaded the voice-to-text translator on my phone so that when the whole transaction was done I was able to have my phone tell the sales people “Thank you very much, you have been very helpful” in Japanese. They loved that and we parted with a lot of smiles and bowing.
One last story:
I brought 30,000 yen in cash (about $240) with me to Tokyo and had some of it left over. Haneda Airport had an efficient currency exchange right after security that allowed me to turn the remaining yen into dollars. They would only exchange whole dollar amounts so I still had 137 yen to use up.
Marathon Tours gave all of the runners Suica cards preloaded with 2000 yen to be used to ride the subway and I still had a balance on mine. In Tokyo, Suica cards can also be used in the ubiquitous vending machines. Hence, between the Suica and the 137 yen I was able to load up on snacks to take on the plane. In the end, I was able to bring my unusable leftovers down to 57 yen, which is about 40 cents. Not bad.
In 2023, I will be running for Team Fox again. You can donate to my London Marathon campaign (click this link). I could really use your support. If you share the passion that The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) and I have for finding a Parkinson’s cure please consider contributing. All donations are meaningful and greatly appreciated.
Alternatively, if you would like something tangible in exchange for a contribution, you may purchase my book Run With It: A True Story of Parkinson’s, Marathons, the Pandemic, and Love. I’ve heard it’s a good read. Most of the reviews are coming in at four to five stars and it recently was named a Finalist in the 2022 Wishing Shelf Book Awards contest. (Winners will be announced the beginning of April.)
All profits from its sale are donated to MJFF. It can be found on my authors website and Amazon. It’s cheaper on my author site (for domestic shipping), a larger percentage goes to MJFF than for Amazon sales, and you get the option of having it signed by the author.
