The 2012 Ultra Music Festival kicks off this weekend in Miami, and we caught a sneak peak of the party about to explode here in South Florida. Swedish House Mafia appeared for a surprise performance at ABSOLUT Greyhound bash in Miami on Wednesday night. We were invited backstage to meet the guys and special guest Gabrielle Union, who looked as beautiful as ever as you can see from the photos above.

After hanging out a bit backstage, we went back and joined the crowd as we sipped down some tasty ABSOLUT cocktails. The crowd was totally amped for this event and Swedish House Mafia blew them away! We experienced Ultra a couple of years ago and this surprise concert gave us a taste of what to expect this weekend. The crowd was filled with all of the amazing sights you expect to see in Miami as all the South Florida hotties were decked out in tiny dresses and shorts for the evening of dancing. The crowd at Ultra is definitely different than what you would see at a rock festival!

Greyhound is a collaboration between ABSOLUT VODKA and Swedish House Mafia – check out the video here!

If you’ve never been down to Austin, Texas for South by Southwest (whether it’s for the music and film festivals or the interactive conference), it’s something that you need to experience at least once, because the city exudes a vibrant and welcoming energy that makes it very hard not to have a good time. This year marked my third consecutive trip to the SXSW film festival, and though my virgin voyage was a bit of a baptism by fire, I was practically oozing the confidence of a grizzled veteran this time around. I knew exactly what to pack, how to plan and what to expect when I got there.

At least, that’s what I thought, but Mother Nature has a funny way of messing up your plans. From airline-wide delays that had me sprinting across Dallas-Fort Worth airport to catch connecting flights, to the miserable weather that I was greeted with when I arrived, it wasn’t exactly the greatest start to my trip. Apart from the almost non-stop rainstorms that put a damper on the opening weekend festivities, the only thing that could have made it any worse was if the movies I had chosen to see weren’t very good. And sure as the rain continued to fall (from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon, with hardly a break in between), there were more duds than normal at this year’s event.

It’s not that I expected to love every movie that I saw at the festival (you’d have better luck winning the lottery), but some of them – including star-studded comedies like “Nature Calls,” “Frankie Goes Boom” and “Small Apartments” – were so terrible that even a direct-to-DVD release would be more than they deserve. “Nature Calls,” in particular, is so egregious that I almost left before the first act was even over, and I’ve never walked out of a movie in my life.

Fortunately, I was able to catch a number of really good films as well. In addition to the long-delayed horror comedy “The Cabin in the Woods” and director William Friedkin’s controversial crime thriller “Killer Joe,” there were three movies that I enjoyed so much that they’ll likely end up on my Top 10 list by year’s end. Below are highlights from my reviews of those films:

1. “Sleepwalk with Me”

Most stand-up comics probably only dream about making a movie as funny and honest as Mike Birbiglia’s “Sleepwalk with Me,” let alone one that marks their directorial debut. Reminiscent of Woody Allen’s films in a lot of ways… if you weren’t a fan of Birbiglia beforehand, you will be afterwards.

2. “Safety Not Guaranteed”

A character-driven dramedy with equal parts humor and heart, “Safety Not Guaranteed” is a beautiful film about the human spirit that is impossible to ignore. [It’s] original, humorous, heartfelt and, perhaps most importantly, filled with immense hope.

3. “The Raid: Redemption”

“The Raid” is an unrelenting, action-packed can of whoop-ass that delivers one of the most crowd-pleasing moviegoing experiences of the past decade. This is about as close to non-stop, wall-to-wall action that I’ve ever seen… including what is easily some of the best close-quarters combat ever committed to film.

The week got better as the weather improved, and although I didn’t carve out nearly as much free time to explore the city as I had originally planned, I did happen to stumble upon a cool sports park operated by Nike in support of their new FuelBand, a USB fitness bracelet that tracks your activity throughout the day. Taking up nearly an entire block, the park featured a basketball court, a miniature skate park, and a turf soccer field that allowed me to blow off a little steam in between screenings. I even spoke with one of Nike’s on-hand representatives about the new FuelBand, and was so impressed by the short demonstration that I contacted the company about getting one of the in-demand devices to review for Bullz-Eye.

It was nice to get out and kick the soccer ball around for a while, but it was one of just many small thrills during my trip. I also had the pleasures of meeting director Bobcat Goldthwait (who was at the festival with his new film “God Bless America”) during a random encounter at local hangout The Highball; I had the chance to interview Matthew McConaughey, Gina Gershon and Jamie Chung, among others; and I enjoyed the many delicacies that Austin has to offer, including personal favorites like Freebirds (think Chipotle but better), sandwich chain Schlotzsky’s, and of course, the delicious $5 milkshakes at the Alamo Drafthouse. My trip may have had some hiccups along the way, but as has always been the case with SXSW, the one-two punch of some great movies and that inescapable Austin charm made it yet another festival to remember.

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The estimate for this year’s attendance at the Arnold Sports Festival (ASF) was 175,000. Well, it seems that there is no end in sight for the popularity of this weekend event. Even the most conservative estimate I’ve heard was that over 200,000 people had shown up to enjoy the festivities.

It’s easy to understand how the ASF has grown year after year. Once you attend the event, you just have to go the following year while encouraging others to make the trek to Columbus, Ohio.

The ASF, with more than 18,000 athletes competing in more than 45 sports and events, is the largest multi-sport event in the USA. It all began when Arnold Schwarzenegger was invited by Jim Lorimer to compete in Columbus in the 1970 Mr. World Contest. Arnold of course won, and their friendship began. Arnold vowed that once he retired from competition he would promote bodybuilding in Ohio with Jim Lorimer.

Arnold kept his word, and together their passion for fitness has spanned four decades. In 1989, the Arnold Classic and the Miss International brought professional bodybuilding to Columbus, Ohio. The event’s growth and popularity spawned the birth of the Arnold Fitness EXPO (AFE) in 1993.

The AFE is the largest health and fitness expo in the USA, and is a must see. At $10.00 in advance, and $15.00 at the door, it’s the best value in sports entertainment. This year featured 700 booths of the latest in sports equipment, apparel and nutrition. The AFE attracts the top companies in the industry who put together elaborate displays.

STS is a brand you can trust

The Expo stage hosts the Arnold Strongman Classic, the prejudging for the Ms. International, the Fitness International and the Figure International Competitions. Other highlights include Arnold Armwrestling, the Arnold Amateur Strongman and the Arnold Amateur Bodybuilding finals.

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It started, as these things invariably do, with an email from a publicist.

The situation was thus: the fine folks from Harley-Davidson were looking to shine the light on the ’72 Harley, the latest and greatest model from their Dark Custom Line, with an all-expenses-paid trip to Chicago’s Wild Fire Harley-Davidson. Fair enough…except for the fact that I don’t own a motorcycle, it’s been more than ten years since I’ve ridden on a motorcycle, and, given that the ride in question – on the back of my brother-in-law’s bike – was so goddamned terrifying (he turned a corner, my feet dragged on the ground, and I was convinced that both our asses were about to hit the fucking pavement) that I’ve never thought for even so much as a moment about buying a motorcycle.

Ah, but the pitch wasn’t just about motorcycles. Indeed, the phrase used to describe the expedition was “a jam-packed day of ass-kicking and whiskey drinking.” Now, not being much of a scrapper, I can take or leave the former, but when you bring up the latter…? Sir, you have my undivided attention.

And that, my friends, is how I came to get…

Because of the designated start time on Saturday and the terribly unhelpful flight times from my home base from Norfolk (ORF) to Chicago, it was agreed that the most convenient time for me to arrive into O’Hare would actually be on Friday…and after this was agreed upon, I then begged, pleaded, and ultimately annoyed my hosts into getting me on the earliest possible flight, so as to be in Chicago for as long as possible.

Coming down the escalator, I was met by a driver holding up a card with my name on it, which is an experience that every flier should have at least once in their life. In short order, I had been deposited at the front door of The Drake Hotel, a gorgeous establishment right in the heart of the city, and – to my utter amazement – I was able to check in immediately, go right up to my room, drop off my bags, and hit the streets of Chicago.

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If anyone, including myself, questioned women’s MMA, the Showtime event on March 5 in Columbus should have changed everyone’s minds. The women were the stars. They weren’t just good women’s fights; they were good MMA fights. Just as men’s MMA took some years to grow into its current greatness, women’s MMA is certainly coming around.

With stars like Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, Sarah Kaufman and Alexis Davis showing up and performing like they did, more and more world class athletes will join the women’s ranks. This will only bring more competition and excellence.

But let’s not forget the men. There were some outstanding performances by Kazuo Misaki, Roger Bowling, Pat Healy and Ryan Couture. All in all it was an excellent night of exciting fights. Check out the recap and pics below.

Couture vs. Heun

The preliminary card at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, prior to the Showtime televised event turned out some of the most exciting fights of the evening.

Ryan Couture, son of UFC Hall of Famer and MMA icon Randy Couture, proved just how well rounded a fighter he is. Both fighters threw a slew of kicks and punches in the first round with Couture getting the best of Heun with knees to the legs and head. Heun ate a few big punches standing in the center of the ring, one opening a big gash over his left eye.

Couture again took the advantage with striking in the second round with Heun scoring a huge takedown midway through. Both fighters showed excellent offensive and defensive tactics with strikes and submission attempts with no real damage being done.

At the start of the third round, it was evident Couture had shown up in superior condition. Being relentless in his attack, Couture forced the fight to the mat, culminating in mounting Heun’s back, allowing him to drop bombs of elbows and punches and ending in a TKO. Pics.

The stoppage was at 2:52 of the third round.

Fodor vs. Healy

Both fighters wasted no time, opening with punches from the start. Fodor landed a shot to the chin which stunned Healey. Fodor scored a takedown and immediately unleashed a ground and pound, but Healy hit a back-door escape and tripped Fodor to the ground. The round ended with Healy scoring big with punches from Fodor’s guard.

In the second round, Healy again went for the takedown, keeping Fodor on his back with a less than impressive pace. Nonetheless, Healy took advantage of the mount and unloaded as the round closed.

Healy’s impressive wrestling stood out in the third round. About 1:50 into the round, Healy attempted an arm triangle, but Fodor showed good defense and escaped, going for a leg and looking for a submission. Healy escaped and returned to the arm triangle, which ended in a tap-out at 3:53 in the third.

Bowling vs. Saling

The first round quickly turned in to a slug fest, with both fighters being dazed early on. Bowling took the fight to the mat and secured a crucifix position, unloading a relentless barrage of punches and elbows and opening several cuts on Saling’s face.

In the second round, the fight quickly went to the mat. Again, Bowling returned to the crucifix position and dropped devastating shots. Saling was unable to escape or protect himself, and the fight was stopped at 1:15 in the second.

Kaufman vs. Davis

In an effort to reclaim her belt in the featured preliminary card attraction, Sarah Kaufman first had to get through Alexis Davis, which proved to be one of the most exciting fights of the evening.

The fighters were toe to toe, both landing punches. Kaufman, though getting stunned, got the best of Davis doing obvious damage to her face. The ref called for a timeout for a doctor’s examination of the three-inch gash over Davis’ left eye.

Despite the gash, the fight continued. Both fighters traded heavy shots for the rest of the round. Davis returned the favor by opening a cut of her own with a forearm strike. At the close of the round the crowd went wild showing their appreciation for both fighters.

Relentless connections continued in the second round, with Kaufman proving to be the stronger fighter.

In the third round, with no slowing down of action, Davis scored a takedown. A combination of elbows and punches ensued, with Kaufman in defense. Davis attempted an arm bar but returned to what worked and delivered combinations of strikes. Without Davis getting the stoppage she needed, Kaufman picked up the “W.”

Davis’ ground and pound

Souza vs. Marunde

Unlike the preliminary card fights, this fight opened slowly with the fighters eventually in a clinch and exchanging strikes with nothing really landing until Souza connected with a knee and a right hand, managing to take Marunde’s back standing. Marunde went to all fours while Souza threw multiple shots. Marunde fell to his knees and the ref stood them up, warning Souza for punches to the back of the head. As the action continued, Souza attempted a guillotine but couldn’t synch it. The round ended with the fighters clinched against the fence.

The second round began with a series of strikes, with Marunde wobbling from a left hook. Souza briefly took Marunde’s back and ended up on the mat, but Marunde quickly escaped but got hit with a hard shot to the body. Souza took a hard outside leg kick.

In round 3, Souza grabbed a leg and tripped Marunde, then landed multiple strikes from the top. After taking Marunde’s back, Souza locked in an arm triangle, forcing Marunde to tap out.

Smith vs. Sayers

Sayers took early control, scoring a takedown and landing punches to the head. Sayers eventually let go and jumped to his feet before landing a big shot. Smith tried to lock in a standing choke, but Sayers picked Smith up and dropped him hard to the mat. Shortly thereafter, Sayers sunk a guillotine and Smith tapped out.

Daley vs. Misaki

The fight opened with solid leg kicks from Daley and punches from Misaki. Misaki scored a takedown. As the fighters got to their feet, Misaki landed solid knees. As the fight progressed, Misaki proved to be the more aggressive fighter, though Daley got his own takedown and landed a few solid lefts.

In the second round, Misaki hurt Daley with a knee to the body and a big left, and then scored a takedown. Daley got back up and got the better of a brief exchange. Daley took Misaki’s back, but Misaki reversed it and initiated some ground and pound. The ref, however, stood them up with 10 seconds left. A light exchange ended the round.

The third round started with an aggressive Misaki countering Daley’s strikes before Daley scored a double leg takedown. While on the ground, Daley opened a huge cut above Misaki’s left eye with e left elbow. With blood all over his upper body, the ref called time for the doctor to look at what appeared to be a wide open four-inch gash. The fight continued as the crowd cheered like crazy, with Misaki pressing Daley and an ensuing great exchange against the cage as Daley began to show signs of being gassed. Misaki literally stalked Daley, throwing a flying knee, walking through a few punches and defending a takedown attempt. As the round ended, Misaki threw a flurry of punches while Daley tried a meager takedown attempt.

Misaki won by split decision.

Thompson vs. Noons

With this fight being a co-main event, you’d expect much more than it delivered. This was one of the worst fights of its level that I’ve ever witnessed. Even the winner Josh Thompson admitted, “The fight was shit.”

Thompson won a unanimous decision while earning an $80,000.00 flat fee for this “shit” fight, The highest for the evening.

Tate vs. Rousey

Rousey, despite her callousness after the fight toward Tate’s injuries, is a world class MMA fighter and has all the ingredients to become a star. I would hope in the future, Rousey will learn you can be competitive and not like your opponent, but still show class. Showing concern about her opponent’s welfare is not weakness, and would go very far in propelling her to stardom in the future.

Tate, now the former champ, obviously did not have the best game plan. Instead of going toe to toe and striking, which is Rousey’s weakness, she seemed hell-bent on taking the fight to the ground. You have to commend Tate for having confidence in her own grappling, and pressing an Olympic Judo Champion. Tate has nothing to be ashamed of. It will be interesting to see how Miesha Tate rebounds from this. I have confidence we will see a better, more prepared Tate in the future.

The first round began, and Tate came out swinging. Rousey eventually took Tate down and executed an early armbar, which looked to dislocate Tate’s elbow. Tate showed her poise and athleticism, and miraculously escaped to top position, delivering a few strikes.

On their feet, Tate continued to press Rousey. Strikes were thrown by each, with not much landing. Tate scored a takedown and got Rousey’s back with no real damage done. The fighters took to their feet again before Rousey hip-tossed Tate, moving into a mount that morphed into a devastating armbar to end the fight at 4:27 in the first round.

Miesha mistakenly closing the distance

After the fight, when questioned about Miesha Tate’s arm, Ronda Rousey stated, “I don’t feel that bad about it,” showing no concern for a worthy opponent. Miesha Tate, on the other hand, showed true professionalism and class by giving props to Rousey despite hearing such trash talk.

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My wife was worried. My mom was worried. Even my nine-year-old daughter was worried. And yes, I too was a little anxious as my departure date for Tokyo drew closer.

I’d never been to Japan before, so the thought of making my own way through customs and then from the Tokyo Narita airport to the Keio Plaza Hotel more than an hour away was a bit concerning. Would I find people who spoke English? Would I have any trouble exchanging my dollars for yen? Would I get on the right shuttle bus to the right hotel? Even though I assumed everything would work out fine, it all was a little intimidating for an Ohio guy who spends most of his days working from home and carting his kids to and from school.

And then, there was that whole marathon thing to worry about. I spent a couple hours in a local ER getting treatment for severe dehydration following the Chicago Marathon last October, and my body powered down for a quick nap in the chute after the Arizona Marathon in January. Needless to say, I was hoping to avoid any such experiences in the Tokyo Marathon, considering I would be in a foreign-speaking country more than 7,000 miles from home. The less post-race drama, the better, and I hoped my body would more easily handle 26.2 miles the third time around.

The good news is, I didn’t wind up in a Tokyo hospital last weekend. Even better, I had no trouble finding my way to the Keio Plaza Hotel upon my arrival, and I even found a small Italian restaurant for a traditional pre-race meal Saturday night. The people of Tokyo — from the hotel staff and the workers at the Shinjuku train station to the more than 2 million spectators who lined the street during the race — were friendly, helpful, patient and incredibly gracious. Many of them even spoke English (to varying degrees), which was a bonus for a Yankee like me who only knew how to say “thank you” in Japanese, and I even screwed that up repeatedly on my first day.

© TOKYO MARATHON

The bad news? I didn’t run as well as I’d hoped, but after the unbelievable week I had in Japan, I’m not really complaining. I’ve learned something about marathon running in each of my three races, with the main lesson from Tokyo being that I can never just assume that I’m drinking enough water along the way. I went into the race confident that my modified hydration and nutrition plan was sound and would help lead me to a PR if I just ran a controlled race, but evidently I didn’t take in enough water in the later stages and faded badly down the stretch before battling severe nausea once I crossed the finish line. The Japanese version of Gatorade brought me back from the dead, thankfully, and ensured that an otherwise fantastic day would not end on a very unpleasant note. I’m frustrated with the finish, but it didn’t tarnish the experience.

Race day started with some photos of our press tour group and, soon after, a realization: Wow, it’s cold out here. Colder than we expected. Fortunately, I had chosen heavier clothes than I otherwise would have, thinking I could ditch a layer prior to the start if I overdressed. Instead, I kept every last stitch on throughout the day, including the earband and gloves. In my right pocket: my little Canon Powershot camera, which I would soon learn is the perfect size for photorunning. (Someone asked if I coined the word “photorunning.” Considering how many photo opps unfold on a typical run, I doubt it, but I like it either way.) A suggestion from a friend convinced me the best method to document the race was to take shots on the move rather than stopping to compose the photos, with the resulting crooked and/or occasionally blurry pictures suiting the event well. Second-best decision of the weekend. (The Japanese Gatorade was #1. Easily.)

More than 36,000 runners gathered in the street in front of and around the corner from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, a majestic two-tower structure that now has served as the starting point for each of the six Tokyo Marathons since 2007. At 9:10 am local time, we heard the starting gun from all the way back in corral G and slowly made our way toward the starting line. Eight minutes later, my race had officially begun.

The energy at a race of this size is always intoxicating, but the amps seemed to be cranked up even more Sunday morning. The whole city was buzzing, and I felt honored to be in that place, in that moment, however insignificant my role would be. I snapped a few pictures as we crossed the starting line, went to deposit the camera back into my pocket and then realized I was better off strapping it to my wrist and just keeping it on standby. Every curve in the road brought a new memory begging to be captured, from the sea of runners rising and falling in front of me and the 10,000 cheerful volunteer members of McDonald’s Team Smile, to the landscape of colorful buildings and street signs and the spectators lining the course in crazy costumes, holding up homemade signs and taking high-fives from any runner willing to give them. The runners themselves took part in the fun, with countless participants dressed up in outrageous gear, including one guy who ran as Jesus Christ, cross and all. (The proof is in the slideshow at the top of the page.) And every few seconds, I heard someone yell “Ganbatte!”, a traditional word of encouragement loosely translated as, “Do your best!” The word still echoes in my mind almost a week later.

My head was on a swivel, enjoying the sights and sounds with a goofy grin on my face and taking picture after picture after picture (after picture), all while darting through the heavy congestion and trying to stick reasonably close to an 8-minute per mile pace. Unfortunately, there were no mile markers on the course, as we’ve all grown accustomed to here in the States, so I tried to settle into a pace of about 25 minutes per 5km, a plan that worked well in the early stages and allowed me to largely ignore the clock as I made my way through Tokyo, passing the Imperial Palace, the Tokyo Tower (above) and the Zojoji Temple along the way. Before I knew it, I was 20km into the race with the halfway point approaching.

Because I was just six weeks removed from the Arizona Marathon, my legs weren’t as fresh as I’d hoped coming into Tokyo. I held up fine through 25km but began to lose some steam after that. I wound up taking more than 300 photos during the race — many of those unusable shots of the road or of blurry landmarks sitting behind even blurrier runners — and considering how few of those came during the second half when I had trouble finding the energy to raise, point and shoot, I’m guessing the photorunning at least partially contributed to my slow finish. Still, I wouldn’t do things differently if given the opportunity. These pics will last a lifetime — I even stopped at one point when another runner offered to take a picture of me in front of the Tokyo Sky Tree (below). I’ll have other chances to run a PR, but I wouldn’t have had another chance to get that shot.

As usual, the last several miles were a struggle, made even worse by the creeping dehydration. I’m a sweater — not in a Bill Cosby kind of way, but in a “what’s with all the crusted salt on your face?” kind of way — and apparently I need to take in even more water than I thought during a marathon to avoid crashing and burning. Nevertheless, I eventually dragged my carcass across the finish line in 3:59:25, fought back against my gurgling stomach and then slowly made my way through the chute to the gear check area, where volunteers applauded every runner as they came through to pick up their bags. On my way out, I noticed crowds of runners enjoying some time in an ashiyu (“foot bath”) and minutes later, I pulled up a spot and dipped in my feet. Ahhhh…. Who do I talk to about bringing these to the US?

I was still feeling the post-race effects in the hotel lobby Sunday evening when a Japanese man approached and asked if he could take a picture of the medal hanging around my neck. He told me (through an interpreter) that he was one of the more than 300,000 people who applied for the 2012 Tokyo Marathon but he wasn’t accepted. He stared at the medal, awestruck, telling me that I was fortunate to have been one of the 36,000 runners on the course that day. He said he hoped to get the same opportunity someday soon, and then asked how I ran. When I told him my time, his eyes widened and he provided me with my biggest laugh of the weekend, asking if I was a professional runner.

Not wanting to insult him, I hid my amusement as best I could and thanked him for the compliment, but told him there were many, many other runners who finished ahead of me. His reaction to seeing my medal and his deep desire to run the Tokyo Marathon himself one day proved that the organizers of this young race have built something special in a very short time. We learned during a symposium Friday night that the Tokyo Marathon hopes to one day be listed among the other World Marathon Majors, alongside legendary races like the New York and London Marathons. After what I experienced last weekend, I’d say it’s only a matter of time.

Of course, I can’t end this without thanking the Tokyo Marathon Foundation and our guides during the weekend for their incredible generosity. When I signed up for my first marathon a year ago, I never would have guessed I’d be given the opportunity to run a race halfway across the globe. I met so many amazing people, including several runners who have competed in dozens of races around the world. I can only hope to be fortunate (and healthy) enough to try something like this again someday, but after spending the past year training for one marathon or another, I’m just looking forward to a break.

(My official results can be found here. The site has me at 4:02:38, but whereas I stopped my watch when I chose the wrong porto-potty line during an early pit stop, their clock kept ticking. Hence, the discrepancy.)

I’ve only run three marathons, but one of those was Chicago, one of the five World Marathon Majors, and Tokyo sits atop my admittedly short list. Granted, the race today was a wholly unique experience for a foreigner like me, but the 2012 Tokyo Marathon was energetic, welcoming, challenging and tons of fun, a sentiment that everyone from our press tour (pictured above) shared as well.

I’ll be posting a more detailed recap next week, along with a boatload of pictures (I snapped more than 300 alone during the race today), but that opinion won’t change. The more than 2 million spectators were thrilled to be cheering on 36,000 runners this morning, no matter their nationality, and there were all sorts of costumes and signs alongside the course to help the runners briefly take their mind off the demanding task at hand.

The course itself was spectacular, and though we took a guided bus tour of the course yesterday afternoon, there were still so many things that caught my eye (hence the 300 photos). From all the colorful signs in the various parts of the city to the Tokyo Tower (below), the Imperial Palace, the Tokyo Sky Tree and Thunder Gate, there was no shortage of landmarks and other memorable sights to grab the attention of even the most focused marathoner.

Unfortunately, I didn’t run as well as I had hoped, finishing at 3:59:25 (unofficial), but as I’ve said all along, this race was about much more than my watch time. This is one I’ll remember for the rest of my life, as I was wowed by the hospitality of the people of Tokyo and the surrounding areas. The race was fantastic, and the city is even greater. As the Tokyo Marathon positions itself to join the list of the world’s elite races, any marathoner has to put Tokyo on their to-do list.

In just about 11 hours (7:10pm EST Saturday night), the 2012 Tokyo Marathon will begin, and I’ll be one of the 35,000 runners in the field. It’s still hard to believe that I’m here, sitting in my hotel room at the Keio Plaza Hotel, waiting to a marathon in Japan. The experience so far has been everything I imagined it would be, and we haven’t even hit race day yet.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the members of the press tour began our day with the International Friendship Run, a 2K fun run set up to allow international runners (and their family and friends) a chance to meet one another the day before the marathon. I won’t lie — the weather was downright crummy, with temperatures in the low-30s combined with steady rain making for a dreary morning — but the organizers, as they have all weekend, still put on a great event. Hopefully the weather cooperates for future International Friendship Runs, but if it was going to rain at all this weekend, we’re all glad it happened Saturday and not Sunday.

After we all toweled off and changed, we were taken on a bus tour of the marathon course, led by our tour guide Maya san, who did a marvelous job showing us all the sights Tokyo has to offer along the course. We stopped for a traditional Japanese lunch and took some photos outside the amazing Thunder gate in Asakusa, which I’ll post with my recap next week.

The tour wrapped up at the finish line for the race, and we all piled out of the bus and into the race expo at Tokyo Big Sight. I’ve been to my fair share of race expos, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one quite like this. The building was buzzing as runners from all over the world made their way through the various booths, with highlights including the newest offerings from Asics as well as an impressive display at the BMW booth. We picked up our race bibs (I’m #36054, if you’re curious) and made our way through the sea of people at the Tokyo Big Sight, picking up some mementos along the way.

Then it was back to the hotel for a little R&R before race day. I managed to find a small Italian place around the corner from the hotel for my usual carbo-loading dinner before heading back to the hotel to get all of my gear ready for the race and, well, to write this blog post.

I’ve met a ton of great people from all over the world this weekend, with representatives from places like Italy, Spain, the UK and Australia also taking part in the press tour. Now comes the hard part: the race itself. The weather should be cold but clear, which is welcome news after this morning’s sogginess. I have a time in mind that I’d love to beat but I’m more focused on enjoying the moment and taking in as much of the experience as I can. If I can do all three? Well, that would be the perfect end to an amazing weekend.

As if running a marathon isn’t stressful enough, I’m traveling more than 7,000 miles this week to run another 26.2. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about participating in the 2012 Tokyo Marathon this weekend (the race begins Sunday morning in Tokyo, Saturday evening in the States), but I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t insanely excited. I’ve never been to Japan so the trip alone will be a thrill, but running a marathon on foreign soil will only add to what is sure to be a memorable experience.

In my Tokyo Marathon Preview, I outlined the basic schedule for this race weekend, with a full slate of events as a member of the press tour culminating Sunday morning at 9:10 local time with the start of the race. As that starting line approaches, I feel fortunate to be worn out but generally healthy after 12 straight months of marathon training and countless Sunday long runs. However, while I have my health heading into the sixth annual Tokyo Marathon, I also have some concerns.

© TOKYO MARATHON

For starters, I’ve never been much of an Asian food fan, which poses a potential problem when trying to fuel my body in the days leading up to the race. That’s not to say I won’t try different foods while I’m in Tokyo – when in Rome, right? – but as picky as I tend to be with my meals leading into a big race, I’ll be on the lookout for chicken and noodles more often than not. I’m also packing a few food comforts from home in case I have more trouble than anticipated with the local fare.

I’m also curious to see how my body reacts to the 14-hour time change. If my trip to South Africa a couple years ago was any indication, I should adjust relatively well once I’m in Tokyo and be grab a couple good nights of sleep heading into Sunday morning. If not, well, I’m sure I wouldn’t be the first sleep-depraved person to run a marathon.

My goal is simple: Enjoy the moment. As I mentioned previously, I’m planning on snapping a few pictures during the race, and rest assured I’ll be taking in as much of the city as I can during my free before and after Sunday’s festivities. I’m still in the process of figuring out what my body needs to compete at a high level during a marathon, and I’m hoping my new in-race nutrition plan (thanks to my triathlete buddy for the advice) will help me shave some time off my Arizona Marathon PR of 3:44:10 from last month, but I won’t be too concerned with my watch, not when I’ll be adjusting to a multitude of unique circumstances. I just want to finish, and have a blast doing it.

Be sure to check in throughout the weekend as I update this live blog with some details from my Tokyo visit, and then come back on Friday 3/2 to read my complete recap with some photos from the trip! In the meantime, I figured I’d share the view from my hotel room in downtown Tokyo. Time to get some sleep!

Following on the heels of the North American Auto Show, the Chicago Auto Show is the showcase for many brands’ revised products and a few concept car surprises as well. From work vans to sports cars, the Chicago Auto Show showcases every corner of the automotive world.

With meaningful updates added to Nissan’s GTR on almost a yearly basis, Nissan decided to give some attention to its other sports car, the 370Z. While no power has been added, the 370Z has been given improvements with an updated look and performance. In the looks department, Nissan has fitted a new, smoother-looking bumper, LED running lights, a revised wheel design, and two new paint colors. As for the performance side, the 370Z receives the same shocks that are fitted to the European version in order to offer better ride and handling. These small improvements freshen up the 370Z just in time to face a round of fresh-faced contenders.

To celebrate 20 years of SVT performance, Ford unveiled a new version of the car that started the line: the Cobra. Following the debut of the monstrous coupe, Ford unveiled the convertible version here at the Chicago Auto Show. Retaining the same 650hp supercharged V8 and track upgrades, this version is sure to more than mess up your hair with the top down — it might just scalp you. This model will be plenty exciting even though this model has been limited to 155mph from the coupes’ top speed of 202.

As a Motley Crue cover band screeched in the background, Kia unveiled their Track’ster concept. Based off the Kia Soul, the Track’ster deletes two doors, adds all-wheel drive, more power, and a healthy dose of alcantara to the interior. The Track’ster is supposed to represent the “dream” of the ultimate Soul. Excessive wheel size, marketing buzzwords, and styling details aside, the Track’ster may see production in order to provide a sportier version of the Soul.

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