Why Marathon Training in Japan Went HORRIBLY Wrong!

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Jake Barraclough, aka "Ran To Japan"
⚠️ Train Harder, Not Smarter.
🇬🇧 Documenting my life ‘on the run’ in Japan!
After racking up well over 1000km of running, during my 4 week altitude training camp in the Japanese mountains... something went horribly wrong! When I returned to Tokyo my performances started to plummet, I was constantly knackered and was struggling to recover after training sessions. All the signs were pointing to an iron deficiency, because it couldn’t possibly be that I was just overtraining - right?! 📉

[@okisweirdstories]

This is my favorite channel right now. I love your enthusiasm and insane work ethic. Really motivating stuff!

[@RanToJapan]

Thanks for following along bro! 👊

[@Enlightened_Mint]

Oh shit my worlds are colliding lol

[@stevenlay2379]

The fact that you still slogged out a 2:18 marathon with an iron deficiency is absolutely wild! The sky's the limit! Keep going mate 💪

[@RanToJapan]

Cheers mate! Buzzing to see how the next year goes - hopefully it’s all up from here 💪

[@MedicineRunner]

Bro, I thought moving to a diff state in the US on my own and putting myself through the medical field was hard but moving to a new country and learning the language and culture on your own while slamming 175 mile weeks is nuts. Nuts, but admirable. I’m subbed man.

[@jammersanimovieblog]

Joke’s on you. In sorting out that iron deficiency problem, you’re training harder AND smarter. 😮

[@RanToJapan]

Daaamn time to change my motto 🤯

[@Sennsationn]

Glad to hear you got it sorted man!! Looking forward to watching the Tokyo Marathon block :D

[@Aley676]

So much respect,.i remember when i had my iron infusion i was knocked out for a week feeling so bad recovering from it. Youre an absolute unit

[@InspireEverything]

Honestly really appreciate you showing the phone call and struggle of interacting in a different language. As someone also living abroad it’s so validating.

[@ktellusastory1403]

Good on you for first trying to call the clinic in Japanese, its quite daunting but the more you put yourself out there, the better you get. And you are already quite good! Benkyo harder, not smarter

[@corinnenunn8326]

I so look forward to your videos. Congratulations on your recovery. You certainly got that sorted. Excellent 🙌🌟

[@RanToJapan]

Cheers, appreciate it! 🔥

[@rockylopez1198]

lol that clinic “what’s up?” Super casual

[@RanToJapan]

I was cracking up watching that back 😂 The shift of formality from Japanese to English is crazy

[@rockylopez1198]

@ it’s the office token English speaking Japanese person who studied abroad for 1 year and only picked up casual English lol

[@BajoJajoBajoJajo2]

It’s really something special that you were able to be cheerful about all this in the last few videos!😮

[@MonkeyShoulders1337]

Your enthusiasm is contagious. Really routing for you!! Stay healthy and inhury free and train harder, not smarter 💪🙏🍀 All the best mate 🙏

[@furiauna2321]

This channel is NICE, your content is awesome. Thanks for sharing your insight, greetings from Argentina

[@andrewharlow84]

Haha amazing mate! Infusions are a game changer! I've been having them for the last 5 years as my body doesn't absorb iron effectively. Before I realised that was the case, I just thought I was getting too old to hit the same (very modest) times any more! Turns out I was fully anaemic without even realising 😂The positive effect of them is almost immediate. I hope they are as beneficial for you 💪

[@RunningOtaku]

So cool! I didn’t know the IV drip was a thing!

[@TimdeZwart-w1f]

Love your channel, good that you found out what was wrong. I ran my first (and only) marathon 1.5 years ago. Just after that I found out that my ferritin level was at 7, which later turned out to be caused by not being able to absorb any iron due to celiac's disease. On top of that, I also had a Morton's neuroma (swollen nerve in my foot). It's all sorted out now, so seeing you improve so drastically really wants me to go and get out again. Thank you for the motivation and great content!

[@Simply_Auds]

Can completely relate to the iron deficiency problem, struggle a lot with it and it’s not fun! Glad I’ve come across your channel, can’t wait to watch more of your vlogs!! 🙌🏼

[@nagokuro]

Thanks for great videos, I can really feel your enthusiasm and I hope you're still enjoying your stay. I'm not sure if this makes much difference to an athlete but there is something called Tetsutamago (鉄卵), literally meaning "iron egg" that you put in a kettle or a saucepan to boil your drinking/cooking water to consume more iron. It probably wouldn't make your coffee taste great but it's recommended for people with iron deficiency problem. I live in Japan and I'm happy to help if you need any help from a Japanese person😊

[@vickiy9786]

I enjoy your channel very much and your enthusiasm. Glad you found out it was an iron issue as it can impact your daily life too - hair falls out, depression etc. Very coincidental after I saw your iron issue , on another channel Philly Bowden found out she had the same issue too. I suffer from low iron, vitamin c helps with absorption. I’m going to run Tokyo marathon but at a goal time of 4:45😀

[@RanToJapan]

Cheers! I saw her video too - funny timing that we both had the same problem. Nice one getting into Tokyo and good luck with the training block! 🔥

[@gabem.2249]

Mate, you saying "injecto" 😂 like an addict begging for dope😂 love your videos👍🏼

[@GOD-lb2bz]

😂

[@TheFODRunner]

Madness mate, those levels are so low! Only up for here… more reason to train even harder 😂👊💪

[@RanToJapan]

There’s really no excuse not to hit 300k weeks now 😂 Let’s goooo!

[@gordonkirkpatrick8090]

I am a doctor and recreational runner in Sydney and regularly gives appropriate patients iron infusions, and I’m so glad you got it as that’s exactly what I would recommend for someone like you, so well done! If you ever come down to Sydney and need a top up dope (Sydney Marathon?), let me know and I’ll hook it up for you :-).

[@bchanger]

Love the channel! See you in Tokyo!

[@martinamartancikova6165]

love your videos, keep up the work :)

[@Enlightened_Mint]

The 2:18 marathon is even more impressive now, great work.

[@Grimer-h6r]

From my experience taking iron supplements in conjunction with vitamin C seemed to help speed up recovery from iron deficiency. Scientific literature is not conclusive that this improves absorption but it seems like it helped me. Another good tip is to limit fluid intake ~30 before meals. Drinking too much water for example dilutes the stomach acid and makes it harder to extract out nutrients like iron from food

[@jameschaves5723]

You are a Legend!! This content is banging

[@jacktudor6745]

Genuinely look forward to these videos brother. Awesome to see you on the up!

[@RanToJapan]

Thanks mate, appreciate it! 🙌

[@joejackson6146]

great vid! super high production quality/filming! very impressive

[@MrTheCoffs]

Great videos. There's been some research about iron in recent years and one of the main takeaways is that taking iron will reduce your ability to absorb more iron in the short term and give you more side effects. Some places recommend taking it alternate days and have shown increased absorption than every day dosing. Might be worth looking into and trying it yourself if you're still planning on taking oral supplements

[@ryanmoon3947]

Love your videos man! Keep going 🙌

[@paulmacht]

always looking forward to your videos

[@carrisi]

Great vid as always, but basically that dodgy polish iron test was bang on

[@RanToJapan]

Yeah it gave the correct ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer - but it’s good to put an actual number on the ferritin now!

[@amjid300]

Great video and really helpful too.

[@ulterior_web]

Happy to help you make calls lol but also happy to see you struggle through them 😂

[@Kithkanann]

You got me to schedule an iron levels test next week myself, haha. Judging from your experience, taking this seriously really can make a huge difference... Can't wait to see you run a sub 2:15 Tokyo Marathon now!

[@jblizzard962]

When you donate blood you can get your Iron levels checked regularly for free and also help people.

[@jecktongtan6258]

You are probably the world first sub 210 youtuber!😁As always positive and nice video!

[@RanToJapan]

🙌🙌🙌

[@Marco-dr2on]

Jake is fast and I love his channel, but among youtubers, @ArchivesOfMarathon is the fastest I know 🤪

[@leewellstead2305]

Really interesting video. I am going to get a iron test myself as I am feeling a bit tired from running. Your results from the iron drips look impressive. I don't like needles, so will have to go the supplement route. I'm a vegetarian as well.

[@JackGaffey]

Nice work on the recovery! Can’t wait to run the Saiko Half Marathon in Saitama and see if this lives up to the channels hype!

[@RanToJapan]

Actually never heard of that one - you’ll have to lemme know what it’s like! Good luck 💪🎌

[@avhcraft]

Realizing this might be my issue lately. High mileage, sleeping in an altitude tent, less red meat than I used to eat, and some lousy races the past year… it all points towards this. Gonna get that checked out thanks for the insight!

[@mikeobst1]

If the iron supplements cause gut issues try different ones. You can get iron in different forms. I found iron polymaltose (used maltofer brand) much better than the usual ferrous sulfate and ferrous fumerate. Worth experimenting.

[@alexanderholm4289]

Train harder (lot of mileage), run softer (less hemolysis) and eat "harder" (iron-dence food) and BOOM! Jake ,The Iron Man, runs 2:14 at his next Marathon ;)

[@mihaelam8339]

Thank you for recording that phone call. As someone learning multiple languages, I know how cringe phone calls can be. I've actually started learning Japanese, pray for me.😅 I hope you'll get those iron levels back up again. Looking forward to your videos.

[@MItzySmith-q4z]

some iron pill types are easier on your stomach than others. You picked (what I would think) is a tough kind. E.g try "gentle iron" brand, iron glycinate, not sulfate. Also vitamin deficiencies can be associated with iron defic, such as vitamin D, folate, B12, and vitamin A.

[@BrothBoss]

It’s good that you spelled out the joke for those of us from the most comedy dense country in the world. Much appreciated

[@RanToJapan]

I gotchu 😂😂

[@vivpm]

Onwards and upwards 💪🏻

[@BM-lw8bz]

You need to try liquid iron with some orange juice. It helps with the absorption of iron. The pills basically don’t work. I know what track you are on…could you tell me what hours are public hours? I’m not there currently but always good to know 😊

[@RanToJapan]

Cheers for the suggestion! I’m actually not sure about the hours, my mate goes to that uni and basically said as long as I use it when the team aren’t there (in the afternoons on weekdays) then I’m all good. So I just go in the mornings and had no problem 👌

[@vince0was0here]

Great news! Onwards and upwards

[@forgetful212]

New slogan: "Train Harder AND not lose too much red blood cells!"

[@joakimlandhage5611]

Sounds like you can do 10k running a week and still pb in Tokyo if you raise your iron levels to normal.. Jokes aside, your content is pure quality will be fun to see what you can do in Tokyo! Really nice motivation to follow you, aiming for a more modest sub 3 myself in Copenhagen in May. //🇸🇪

[@RanToJapan]

Thanks for following along! Good luck with your Copenhagen training block 🦾

[@ShinSuperSaiyajin]

1:50 this is the reason why I followed you in the first place: Good old British Sarcastic Humor 😂😂😂

[@ChrisDrysdale16]

We are so back! LFG

[@threatened2024]

A couple female friends got an iron infusion and they said they felt like they were juicing afterwards - the boost was huge. One needed two to get the levels up though.

[@Wildbrooker4304]

Great content Jake, doing Gold Coast marathon again? I’ll pencil you in for a 2.12 ⏰

[@RanToJapan]

It’s on the radar, need to lock that bad boy in 👊

[@borisoglebskaia]

Btw you can buy heme iron supplements as well, maybe not in every pharmacy but it's the one I get now. Just in case clinic visits aren't good as a long term solution for any reasons.

[@Ammerstol]

I thought the phone call to the clinic for an injection was hilarious :D Definitely my favorite channel at the moment. Ben is Running coming a close second... But flippin' h@ll, level 17 is already low for "normal" people. When you take your normal iron supplement, do you take anything for your stomach? Probably you know it already, but when taking iron supplements, it's wise to take with e.g. fruit which contains vitamine C.

[@RanToJapan]

Yeah cheers for the suggestion, I’ve been taking the Vit C at the same time as the iron. Actually the doctor said I can stop the supplements completely now that I’m having week IV drips 👌 And what an honour to be put on a level with Ben, he’s the man!

[@tonos99]

Your hair colour matches the colour of the leaves. Looks very nice

[@Dudewhoswinning]

Good to see you can keep upping the training volume 🤣. It gets me every time when your solution is just to run more. Glad it was only an iron issue btw. Now I'm expecting to see 50k a day. Im curious - how old are you? I'm assuming you're young, and if you are then this is definitely the way to go. And if youre not, then fair play too. At 30, no way am I just pumping up volume like that. But at 20 hell yeah I would be. On another note, i saw on another video that you listened to way of the runner and it inspired you to come here. There's another book I've just seen that came out about 15 years ago in Japan called "Run with the wind" by Shion Miura. It's just been translated to English. It's about some uni guys starting a run club and trying to compete in the hakone ekiden. Really inspiring stuff. It was also adapted into a manga and anime of the same name. I fully recommend it as something to listen/read /watch and also something you can then use as "japanese study" too.

[@RanToJapan]

50k? Liiiight work 😂 I’m 27, theres defo no way I could’ve handled the mileage when I was younger so I’m actually glad I only started taking running seriously in the last 2 years! I’ve actually watched the ‘run with the wind’ anime! I’m usually not a fan of anime but really enjoyed this one. Maybe my next challenge will be to attempt to read the book!

[@gabriel-c3p]

Loving it

[@saralien]

お注射 (ちゅうしゃ) chuusha is injection! thank you for the fun videos and I hope you get back to training at 100%!

[@pelmers]

10 minute walk to convenience store, in tokyo??? 🧐 nice that you're feeling better, good luck!

[@RanToJapan]

True, my next door neighbour is actually a Family Mart 😂

[@kemalluxia8305]

Next time call the dr again. I want to hear " what's up Jake " 😂 it would be hilarious for an intro. Btw what does runner need other than iron in their body, i really want to know what supplements and other thing that runners actually need. Health improves performance after all. Keep cruising jake ❤

[@RanToJapan]

Such a funny line - caught me by surprise 😂 I wouldn’t say runners ‘need’ anything if they’re eating well balanced meals. It all depends on your diet, location, training etc. though. Coming from the UK, where we get basically no sunlight in winter, I take vit D. Plus vit c and b12 now to help with the iron issue

[@CamMci]

It baffles me that you can find it hard to hit a pace in speed session that you can sustain for a 10k.

[@RanToJapan]

Well that’s cos I’m fresh, tapered and surrounded by other runners in a race… it’s a completely different story on these sessions!

[@CamMci]

Ahh ok, I thought you meant for a 10k training session.

[@runs.long_notfast]

People are different. When I ran with a club some people I trained with would hit every pace in sessions but underperform in races. I struggled to get near race pace in training but would find it far easier in a race....for shorter distances anyway. Not the same for marathons 😅

[@Ali94749]

Good luck in Tokyo marathon!

[@maxsmith4234]

I've been meaning to get iron test done for awhile bc I would go on runs I need to stop part way because it would feel like I'm fainting. Just booked it

[@conradburdekin722]

I’m really enjoying your channel. Do you work in Japan or are you sponsored to run? Very interesting re: iron levels!

[@RanToJapan]

Thanks mate! I’m on a scholarship program so I’m being supported to be here til March

[@conradburdekin722]

@ fantastic!

[@knifejail]

They say chicken liver とりレバー and beef liver ぎゅうレバー　have huge amount of iron and vitamin A, B and C. (Basically excellent nutrition for generating red blood cells) Maybe you can go to one of the yakitori place to eat them. Thank you for the great video and wishing you the very best on your endeavor.

[@watchmefail314]

2 things: 1) Please talk to a doctor about your iron deficency! If this persists, get it checked out deeper. It can be caused by colon cancer. You can basically have a slow-bleeding growth that looses iron over time. You seem to be too young to have colon cancer, but better safe than sorry! 2) When you make a call and hear waiting music - sometimes the people on the other side can still hear you! ;-)

[@TerriblyNice_Not]

Do you need a TUE for ferritin or infusions?

[@RanToJapan]

No haha it’s perfectly legal!

[@Chahan456]

We literally have the opposite problem. My ferritin levels were at 1000 at one point. I literally have to donate blood to lower it back down. Train harder not smarter 💪💪

[@elisanyafunnels]

Sup brother, brit living in Tokyo myself, hit me up if you need any help with Japanese related stuff. Just got into running myself this year, gonna try hit a first marathon this year. Gl with the training.

[@RanToJapan]

Cheers for the offer mate, appreciate it! If I’m ever clueless about something (which is highly likely) in the future I’ll hit you up. Enjoy the marathon journey 👊🇬🇧

[@stank_it8114]

Bro, you should start a Patreon or unlock channel memberships and offer exclusive content. Give people a way to support your journey directly. Your channel is gaining traction now, so there’s no reason to delay making that move, in my opinion. Cheers!

[@RanToJapan]

Thanks a lot man! At the moment I just don’t really have the time to make extra content and I don’t wanna rip people off (like if I do a membership or summin I’d wanna actually give people some value!). I’m working on some brand deals atm so hopefully they’ll sort me out and everyone can keep watching the channel for free 👌

[@1likebagels]

Great job running your second fastest marathon with an iron deficiency!! Think of the possibilities now 🎉🎉

[@RichardThompson-nk4gj]

What kind of kit are you wearing in the cold weather in Tokyo? This series has inspired me to visit from Vietnam. Its 35 degrees here every day, just like the summer in Tokyo... so I need to buy some winter stuff.

[@RanToJapan]

I’m wrapped in layers for easy runs like tights/jacket/gloves - it’s pretty chilly but not horrendous (I guess compared to 35 degrees it might be tho!)

[@ictogon]

I started taking iron supplements and my stomach is 100% fine. Guess im built different

[@uMsubathi]

I was shocked that you were not taking iron supplements running that much!!! 😅 When you get to +100 ferritin, you'll be running sub 2:10 or 61 minutes half. Will inbox you with iron for dosage.

[@VileVanGogh]

Telephone call was hilarious. Just got back from China where even less people speak English and even though I don't think my iron levels have been as low as yours before, I feel your pain. By the way, you should consider a trip to China. I was in Chengdu and they have miles and miles of running lanes with running track material throughout the city.

[@RanToJapan]

Defo wanna visit at some point while I’m here - I need to try and line up a race in China!

[@spacemanstanly]

Lean red meats and leafy greens like spinach, bok choy, kale are all decent sources for iron in your daily diet and have much better absorbtion rates than iron supplement alone. I wouldn't drop the supplements I'd just add in those iron rich foods as well, like you say train harder and that can include the gut! Also if you do any of your own cooking cast iron cookware imparts absorbable iron into whatever you cook on it!

[@Jevanko1]

Did you do a more broader blood test, or just for iron deficiency? If you are iron deficient it might make sense to rule out other deficiencies too.

[@RanToJapan]

Full blood test just to be safe - getting those results back today

[@noelthatcher1996]

I hate to say I told you so but….😃 Loved the phone call. Daiwa scholarship well spent:-)

[@RanToJapan]

Good call mate 👏 Hahaa they’ll be delighted to know I’ve fully ‘mastered’ the language now

[@TwiinStar1224]

As someone who lived in South Korea with far less fluency in the language than yours in Japanese, I'd have gotten a Korean to make the appointment for me lol. That's what friends are for!

[@Raf_Mac]

It'd be great if you cared to explain why the "at home" test looked dodgy, in case there was a better reason than the fact that it was a Polish product. Was its result in line with your follow-up test?

[@RanToJapan]

The fact I can’t read Polish so I obviously could’ve messed up the test or the results 😂

[@jon735]

Uk guidance is one tablet every other day for iron as you can’t absorb any more than that and will just wreck your gut.

[@ZoeCooke-d9f]

Yes - my GP advised the same. Take the iron supplement (usual dose for iron repletion is around 100mg) every second day as it's better absorbed and will have less GI effects. Iron in the form of iron polymaltose is also meant to be gentler on the stomach. Good luck with your training block!

[@sakarituomisto3440]

Most millenial reality challenge ever, making a phone call.

[@RanToJapan]

It’s less the phone call aspect, more the old Japanese…

[@orangetwelve3462]

Yeah I thought you looked a little pale! 😝 Scary!! Looks like your concern shouldn't have been run times but not dropping dead! 😱 Glad you're on the mend!! Take good care of yourself!

[@RanToJapan]

Death before dishonour… running always comes first! 😂

[@orangetwelve3462]

@@RanToJapan That's the spirit!! 🤣🤣🤣 Kamikaze indeed! 😂

[@LandedAFewHeelflips]

Bro is gonna smash 29 in the 10k oh my days

[@pah4955]

250km weeks are rookie numbers. You need to up it to 300!

[@MichaelLoweAttorney]

So all you have to do is figure out how to run without your foot striking the ground?

[@ictogon]

1 meter stack height should do the trick

[@icrlp0570]

280k with an iron deficiency = at least 350k with that sweet juice surely? HARDER NOT SMARTER LETS GOOO

[@RanToJapan]

Come on put some respect on my name… 400k MINIMUM, I might actually start trying now

[@traviskruger2263]

Hahah. "Take the sensible option....."

[@joshuarusselldagastino9439]

No one is a sub-10 marathon until they run a sub-10 marathon. My first one I ran a 3:02:32 5 years ago. I've gotten way faster in other races, I don't exactly want to say that I ran a sub 3 until I actually do it. What are your thoughts?

[@ictogon]

I think you say you are in sub 3 shape at least

[@tomatopastefever3769]

If you have watched all his vids, and it's not a lot at this point, you should already be familiar with his kind of humor.

[@RanToJapan]

I was only joking! Yeah obviously until you run the time you can’t call yourself a sub-X runner but you could hypothesise that you’re in that shape if your training indicates it

[@biblohudson9425]

Holy moly thats a low iron. I reckon the 2.08 estimate isnt far off

[@RanToJapan]

It’s early days still ahah but appreciate the confidence!

[@alessandrorossi3268]

Love the channel! Please do a full blood lab test every three months or so, that is even recommended for hobbyjoggers.

[@RanToJapan]

🫡🫡🫡

[@WoodCat]

Every 3 months is ridiculous

[@DMGC529]

Wow, I am so surprised …..

[@alax_bruno]

uhuuuuuu mais um video

[@matthewwaker839]

Vitamin C helps improve iron absorption BTW!!!

[@tuhnutuhnu4257]

You would think less iron would make lighter runner.

[@lol-gb5vt]

there's less than a nails worth of iron in the blood I hope this is satire lmao

[@LucasH567]

Kofuzi recommended your channel in his live stream, and he was right… great content! Subscribed!

[@RanToJapan]

Oh awesome, that’s cool he gave a shoutout! Cheers for watching 🙌

[@jysm3302]

not sure if japan has liver pate. or chicken liver. these are iron rich

[@LiamRedmondOne]

Start eating ground bison as your main protein source, loads of iron