Monday, November 28, 2016

5-Minute Chest and Core Exercise

My right calf still hurts a little.
To avoid making the condition worse,
I hit other parts of body that are up for a challenge:
chest and core.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5atx8WM080

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Yotsukaido Gas Light 10 K Road Race 2016

Yotsukaido Gas Light 10 K Road Race 2016 took place in Yotsukaido City in Chiba Prefecture.
I ran the race and finished at 42 minutes 47 seconds, only 4 seconds short of my personal best that I had recorded back in 2011 when I was 45 years old.

It was a beautiful sunny day.
There was little wind,
which was perfect for running.
But day time highs were expected to reach 21 degrees Celsius,
which was not too favorable for runners.
The night before the race,
I did some math,
and I knew that to finish at 42 minutes I had to keep my pace at 4:12 per kilometer,
to finish at 43 minutes at 4:18, and to finish at 44 minutes at 4:24 respectively.

The race started at 10:45 a.m.
As you can see in the graphic below
the first 2 K is going down.
I rushed down the two down slopes to shed as many seconds as I could
off my kilometer pace.
I missed the 1 K sign,
but when I saw my lap at the 2 K mark,
my watch said 8:12.10.
It meant my pace per kilometer was 4:06.05.
It was a good start. Just as I had planned it.
Then from the 2 K mark to the 5 K mark
it was generally going up.
I wanted to save energy for the last 5 K,
so I was going to keep a steady pace of 4:18/K for three kilometers.
When I checked my lap at the 3 K mark,
I saw 4:25.02 on my TIMEX. A bit too slow.
I cranked up the pace for the next two kilometers
to mark 4:16.38 and 4:16.71 for the 4th and 5th lap respectively.

Once I hit the halfway point, from the 5 K mark onward up to the 8 K mark,
it was going down. I was planning to surge a bit in these 3 kilometers,
again, in order to shed as many seconds as possible.
However, I wasn't able to change my gear smoothly;
I was a bit fatigued from increasing the pace between the 3 and 5 K mark.
So it took a while for me to finally successfully change into the top gear.
The laps between the 5 and 8 K mark were as follows:

5~6 K: 4:17.74
6~7 K: 4:12.27
7~8 K: 4:12.59

The party was soon over, though, when I hit the 8 K mark.
A long upward slope was insight--the biggest challenge in the final phase of the race.
I shifted my gear immediately and tried to take shorter and quicker steps in order to minimize my energy loss.
Take shorter steps I was able to do, but quicker steps I wasn't!
My legs were too heavy and wouldn't move as I wanted them to.
Runners overtook me one after another.
I felt bitter, but I grit my teeth and kept on saying to myself,
"This is not a competition against them. My goal is to do the best I can."
When I finally reached the top of the slope,
I was so exhausted. The 9th lap was 4:39.95,
which clearly shows how much the hill took a toll on my legs.
I was supposed to take advantage of the downhill,
but by now my whole body felt like it was in serious oxygen debt.
I gasped for air, but each breath felt like crumbled paper choking in my throat.
And my legs felt like they were made of lead.
I wish the remaining course were flat,
but one final upward slope came closer and closer with each step.
Each step was so painful that I wanted to cry.
I was overtaken by one runner after another.
I felt miserable.
The oxygen debt condition worsened with each step.
After what seemed like an endless journey up Mt. Everest I finally found myself out of the slope. Suddenly I was surrounded with a wall of cheerers on both sides of the street.
The crowds roared with yells.
Smiles and hand claps were everywhere.
Guided by the pointing hand of a guard on the side of the street,
I cranked up the pace once more.
A voice was heard that said, "Three hundred meters to go."
But it felt like the longest 300 M that I had ever run in my whole life.
The arch of the finish didn't seem to come nearer,
no matter how hard I ran.
I closed my eyes, ran ten steps, and opened my eyes again,
hoping that the arch would look nearer, but it didn't.
I tried it again.
This time it looked bigger, just a little bit.
So I did it again. And again. And again,
to finally find myself crossing the finish line!
I stopped my watch.
I was blank for a moment.
Then I turned around and faced the course
that I had just finished running.
As I took off my sunglasses, a bight sunlight met my eyes
as if to congratulate me on the mission just completed.

Today's laps are as follows:
Start~2 K: 8:12.10
~3 K: 4:25.02
~4 K: 4:16.38
~5 K: 4:16.71
~6 K: 4:17.74
~7 K: 4:12.59
~8 K: 4:12.59 
~9 K: 4:39.95
~Finish: 4:15.03
Total: 42:47.79

Saturday, November 19, 2016

3 K Pace Run Canceled

I canceled the 3 K pace run scheduled for tonight,
because I thought it was good for the race tomorrow.
I massaged my calves earlier this evening,
and they were still a bit sore from the 10 K time trial
this past Thursday night.
Plus, I didn't have enough sleep last night.
I thought I must fully recharge my body's batteries,
and the best way to do it is by giving myself enough sleep.
Hopefully when I wake up tomorrow morning,
I will feel like a new man,
with my legs feeling as light as a feather.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

3 K Build-Up

With three days remaining before the 10 K road race this coming Sunday
I did 3 K build-up training.
The purpose of this training is to stimulate different systems
that get activated at different running speeds.
The distance is limited to 3 K
so as not to fatigue leg muscles too much.

I aimed at 4:30 for the first K,
4:20 for the second,
and 4:00 for the last,
but ended up 4:36 for the first lap,
4:23 for the next one,
and 3:52 for the final lap.

I ran in Vibram Five Fingers.
The sole is a bit thinner and harder
than that of MUTEKI,
but that didn't affect my running at all.

I am going to do some stretching tomorrow.
I may also do some core training if I'm in the mood.
My next running training is this Saturday.
It's 3 K pace run.
I hope to run in the morning.
But I may run at night after work.
'Cause I always feel very sleepy on Saturday morning
because I finish work very late on Friday night,
and then I need to wake up early to teach a lecture
on Saturday morning.
It all depends on how I will be feeling then.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

10 K Time Trial

I ran 10 K for a time trial on Tuesday night.
I finished at 42:45.34.
This is only 2 seconds short of my personal best of 42:43
at Sanspo Chiba Marine Road Race 2011.
I was 44 years old back then.

Tonight I aimed at running each lap of 650 M at 2:51.00
(which is equivalent to running 1 K at 4:23.00),
hoping to finish under 44:00.00.

Today's result is as follows:
650 M: 2:38.66 
1300 M: 2:48.54/5:27.20
1950 M: 2:44.83/8:12.03
2600 M: 2:46.92/10:58.95
3250 M: 2:45.91/13:44.86
3900 M: 2:47.80/16.32.66
4550 M: 2:50.15/19:22.81
5200 M: 2:46.61/22:09.42
5850 M: 2:49.36/24:58.78
6500 M: 2:48.05/27:46.83
7150 M: 2:51.24/30.38.11
7800 M: 2:53.34/33:31.41
8450 M: 2:49.96/36.21.13
9100 M: 2:50.22/39:11.59
9750 M: 2:43.39/41:54.98
10000 M: 50.36/42:45.16

I'm not going to run any longer than 3 K until Sunday
when the race takes place.
My next training is 3 K build-up training scheduled on Thursday night.
My final training is Saturday morning,
which is 3 K pace run just to stimulate my cardio-vascular system
as well as my leg muscles without making them too tired.
Very excited to keep the promise I have made with myself.




Thursday, November 10, 2016

1 K by 13 Sets Interval Training Again

Nov. 10, 2016
8 degrees Celsius
Occasional rains and chilly northern winds
Shoes: MUTEKI

Four days after my first try at 1 K by 13 sets interval training this past Sunday
I did exactly the same training for the second time tonight
with a new personal goal of finishing under 4 minutes in at least six out of the entire 13 sets.

The result is as follows:
1st lap: 4:10.54
Active rest: 2:00.08
2nd lap: 3:46.74
Active rest: 2:00.21
3rd lap: 3:55.82
Active rest: 2:00.29
4th lap: 4:04.28
Active rest: 2:00.28
5th lap: 3:54.21
Active rest: 2:00.11
6th lap: 4:06.72
Active rest: 2:00.05
7th lap: 4:06.79
Active rest: 2:00.21
8th lap: 3.55.69
Active rest: 2:00.24
9th lap: 4:14.84
Active rest: 2:00.10
10th lap: 3:51.02
Active rest: 2:00.19
11th lap: 4:07.89
Active rest: 2:00.34
12th lap: 4:14.90
Active rest: 2:00.46
13th lap: 3:50.81
Total 13 K: 1:16:22 (Exactly the same time as in the previous session if you can believe it!!)

I was able to achieve my personal goal.
One thing different about today's achievement is 
that today the under-4-minute sessions are spread across
the entire 13 sets.
In the previous session most clustered in the first half.
Though I finished under 4 minutes in six sets,
three of the remaining sets show rather pathetic times.
Though I have no interval session with 13 sets anytime soon,
I would like to combat these over 4:10 sessions somehow.

My next training session is this coming Sunday.
I am going to have a 10 K time trial.
Cannot wai!

Saturday, November 5, 2016

1 K by 13 Sets Interval Training Inspired by Rio Olympics Gold Medalist Mr. Eliud Kipchoge

Today is a special day,
because I did something that I would never have imagined I would be able to do a year before:
1 K by 13 sets interval training at 4 minutes for each lap.

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday.
The park was crowded with families having a picnic, playing sports, and just relaxing.
It was pleasantly warm, so I went out in my no-sleeved top and thin running shorts.
And the shoes were MUTEKI, the minimalist sock-like shoes with little cushioning.

I started off for my first lap at a brisk pace and finished at 3:53.51.
My legs were a bit heavy, but the next four laps were finished
under 4 minutes.
Lap 6 through 10 were so so.
I wasn't able to finish under 4 minutes in any of them.
Also, I could feel that lactic acid was slowly building up in my legs,
making it gradually difficult to sustain a decent pace.

Lap 11 and 12 were disastrous.
As I ran Lap 11 I found myself regretting
that I didn't insert another 1 K by 10 sets session
prior to putting myself to this challenge
to allow for a more gradual development of endurance.
I was talking to myself as I ran:
"Oh, man. This sucks. Should I quiet? Or should I go on and finish miserably?"
Los Angeles Olympics bronze medalist Charlie Spedding once said that it's bad for self confidence to be forced to slow down after starting too fast...
I remembered that, and almost quit to avoid the negative influence of my pathetically slow lap on my self confidence.
But then another side of me said something else.
It said I should go on, because I am not training for a medal.
I am training to become a stronger version of myself.
And my definition of strength includes your ability to accept your present weakness.
So I decided to continue.

Final lap came surprisingly earlier than I imagined.
I was tired.
And a two-minute active rest wasn't long enough to re-set my motivation.
Before I knew I was on the road again.
I grit my teeth and bore the misery of both of my legs no longer capable of responding to orders from my will.
I was gasping for air to allow my systems to keep on functioning.
I felt sleepy from a shortage of energy.
My form was more haphazard than carefully controlled.
And my right sole hurt because of a blister developed in Lap 11.
I felt like an ancient locomotive about to retire...
But then I heard my inner voice say, "Do what you can no matter how small it may be."
So I changed the gear and took shorter strides to minimize energy loss from halfway point on,
and in the last 200 M mustered up all the energy that was left in me,
and surged to the goal.
My watch said: 4:00.68.
It's not under 4 minutes, but I thought I did a pretty good job for the final lap of the entire 13 sets!

Today's result is as follows:
1st lap: 3.53.51
Active rest: 2:00.35
2nd lap: 3:54.06
Active rest: 2:00.18
3rd lap: 3:52.23
Active rest: 2:00.57
4th lap: 3.57.31
Active rest: 2:00.25
5th lap:3:54.78
Active rest: 2:00.01
6th lap: 4.04.92
Active rest: 2:00.11
7th lap: 4:00.02
Active rest: 2:00.30
8th lap: 4:05.97
Active rest: 2:00.14
9th lap: 4:07.37
Active rest: 2:00.16
10th lap: 4:04.50
Active rest: 2:00.06
11th lap: 4:11.14
Active rest: 2:00.12
12th lap: 4:13.04
Active rest: 2:00.23
13th lap: 4:00.68
Total 13 K: 1:16:22

Next training is this coming Thursday.
I'm going to do exactly the same training again.
It marks the end of my 5 interval training sessions.
Once it's done, a 10 K time trail is scheduled next Sunday.
I will probably run at midnight when traffic is little.
I am thrilled to see how I will do there.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Culture Day 1 K by 10 Sets Interval Training

Nov. 3, 10:00 p.m.
9 degrees Celsius.
Almost no wind.
Footwear: MUTEKI sock-like sock-like shoes with no chusioning.

10 × 1 K at 4 min.

The result is as follows:
1st: 3:55.27
Active rest: 2:00.88
2nd: 3:48.54
Active rest: 2:00.57
3rd: 3:56.27
Active rest: 2:00.86
4th: 3.59.66
Active rest: 2:00.22
5th: 4:00.16
Active rest: 2:00.56
6th: 4:05.30
Active rest: 2:00.58
7th: 4:08.54
Active rest: 2:00.64
8th: 4:04.51
Active rest: 2:00.63
9th: 4:04.87
Active rest: 2:00.50
10th: 3.59.26
Total 10 K: 58:07.82

I am very happy to finish under 4 minutes
in half of the ten sets.
I felt serene when I got home after the training.
I didn't feel any tension or whatsoever
in any part of my body.
I cooked 'hayatouri', a kind of cucumber with pork and shiitake mushrooms,
and ate it for my post-training meal.
For a moment I thought of having a glass of wine.
But then I dropped the idea.
I felt so detoxified and clean.
I didn't want to contaminate my systems with alcohol.
Not forever, you see, but at least for tonight.
I wanted to cherish this mental serenity,
which is almost like a completely smooth surface of a vast lake among a forest...

My next training is scheduled this coming Sunday.
It's 1 K by 13 sets interval training,
which is inspired by Rio Olympics Men's Marathon Gold Medalist
Mr. Eliud Kipchoge.
That's his most favorite training.
Though my lap is a lot slower than his,
I feel great excitement in rising to the challenge of
doing exactly the same training as the Olympic medalist's.