Todays video post of the day

Ok, I have to set this up:

This was from the Osaka International Marathon (1/27/2008)

My thanks to http://japanrunningnews.blogspot.com where this was taken from

"Osaka's other major pre-race favorite, Japanese national 3000 m, 5000 m and half marathon record holder Fukushi, had a disastrous but courageous debut. Fukushi took the lead from the first km, going out completely alone at an aggressive sub-2:20 pace while the large pack settled around 2:23 pace. Fukushi held roughly to 3:20/km for the first 25 km, looking relaxed, smooth and powerful, laughing at teammates' messages written on her drink bottles, gargling with her special drink, and repeatedly waving off camera bikes that came too close. Naoko Takahashi's Sydney-era coach Yoshio Koide commented on-screen that he thinks Fukushi has the potential to run 2:16 in the future, but that the truth of her debut would come in the final 10 km.

After 30 km she began to show signs of strain, slowing to 3:42 during the 32nd km versus a 3:21 by the chase pack of Yamauchi, Morimoto, Julia Mombi (Team Aruze), and fellow 1st-time marathoner Madoka Ogi (Team Juhachi Ginko). During the 33rd km Yamauchi broke away from the other runners with a 3:18 km. Fukushi rapidly lost her lead of over 500 m, surrendering 1st place to Yamauchi at 34.63 km and to the others shortly before 35 km. She continued to slow to 6 minutes per km and beyond.

Her final km was a replay of that of Hiroyuki Ono in the final km of this year's Hakone Ekiden 5th stage. Fukushi staggered, almost falling several times before finally going down in the last 800 m. She got up and continued, but after entering the stadium she abruptly fell flat on her face. After struggling to stand and pausing to regain her bearings, Fukushi resumed running. With less than 200 m to go she fell again, laughing as she got up and continued on only to fall a final time 10 m from the finish. She once more forced herself up, laughing and bleeding, and crossed the finish line in 19th place with a time of 2:40:54, a humbling demonstration of the marathon's power."