Race Report: Tateyama Wakashio Marathon 2017

Takeyama Wakashio Marathon 2017 took place on Jan. 29 in Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecture. I finished at 3:52:13 gross and 3:50:42 net. I fell short of my original target of coming under 3:46:00. Nonetheless I feel very proud of myself for completing the race.

Here is a report of how I ran the race.

I arrived at the venue about an hour and half before the gun went off.
I went to the reception to pick up my number bib and IC chip, and fixed them on my running shirt and right shoe respectively. I did some stretching while waiting for the start. Half an hour to the start I went to the starting area with a friend of mine and waited for the gun to go off. Last year he and I was at the end of the section for runners aiming to finish under between 3:30:00 and 4:00:00. This year we were at the very front of it. This strategy was good, because last year we lost almost five minutes due to a congestion created by crowded runners, but this year we lost only two minutes because there were far fewer runners before us, and almost all of them were a lot faster than us. Congestion was brief, and there was immediately smooth passage.

According to Mr. Tetsuhiko Kin, who is a well-known running trainer, the key to success is not to increase your pace too much between 15 and 20 K where the course is relatively flat. The reason is there are a series of uphills awaiting runners from 20 K on. An early increase in pace can take a toll on your legs, and you can run out of stamina to overcome them. I kept that in mind when I finally reached the 15 K mark. I was overtaken by quite a few runners, but I didn't care much, feeling fairly optimistic about the prospect of catching up to them in the latter stage of the race.

Between 15 and 20 K you run along a straight road along the Heisaura Beach. There is no shade, and the temperature was high. I rolled up my shirt to the upper chest first for ventilation. But eventually I pulled both of my arms through the arm holes, and hang the shirt around my neck to cool off my body. I ran this way until I reached the 31 K mark.

Although I thought I applied Mr. Kin's advice, and carefully kept my pace in check, I realized that my legs were a lot more damaged than I thought when I started climbing the first uphill after the halfway point. It becomes harder for me to keep the 5:25 pace I had aimed for. I tried not to fatigue the legs too much because otherwise the last quarter could be extremely hard. But the fatigue in my legs already reached a point where there was no good strategy to manage it well. I started slowing down. When I finally reached the top of the heart break hill near the 30 K mark, not only was I significantly slow, but also I was terribly exhausted. I still remember how full of energy I was still at the same point; I was with two sub-four pacemakers. I was determined not to be left behind no matter what. This year I was far ahead of sub 4 pacemakers. And I was also well behind sub 3.5 pace makers. There was no one to follow. I was all by myself. The race became a war of attrition. 

With the heart break hill behind me, past the 32 K mark, I was just before a right turn leading to the coastal road. Once you hit this road, there is only 9 K left. But right after taking the left there is a steep downhill. With the surface of the asphalt rather rough, and my legs fatigued, and the sole of my shoes only 5 mm in thickness (I was in minimalist split-toe shoes MUTEKI!), controlling the speed was extremely hard, and I sense a first ominous sign of cramp in my left hamstring. It was a matter of time that it could get cramped. The last 9 K is not as hilly as the third quarter of the race. But it is still rich in moderate undulation. 

   

Shortly after the 33 K mark I stopped  for the first time in the race. I did some stretching for my legs to give them a temporary relief. I did it altogether 5 times in the last quarter of the race. Each time I lost 1 to 2 minutes. When I finally saw a sign that said one more K to go, I couldn't believe the race was finally about to be over. The last quarter was that much painful. There was a wall of cheerers on either side of the street, waving at and shouting words of encouragement to runners. Running across the bridge just before the gate into the stadium, with 200 meters remaining, I grit my teeth and bore all the pain in the legs to put of a spurt. Swinging my arms strongly like Rio Olympics Men's Marathon Gold Medalist Mr. Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, I sprinted to the finish line on the homestretch that was dusty from the steps of runners. The finish banner came nearer and nearer with each swing of the arm. When I finally came under the banner, I threw my arms up in the air and cried, "やったー！"

The race was over. The clock said 3:52:XX. I didn't achieve my original goal of finishing under 3:46:00. But it wasn't as bad was I thought. At least I renewed my previous personal course record. I went to an aid station to grab a cup of wheat tea, and drank a gulp. It warmed my body from within. I heard a voice from behind. I turned around. A guy was standing. He was in a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. He said, "Those are MUTEKI, aren't they?" I said, "They are. You're in Vibram. How long have you been running in minimalist shoes?" He said, "Two years." We said congrats to each other and parted. It was nice to see a runner who is interested in running with minimum protection.

The race has given me many valuable lessons. One of them is that it's very important to keep your pace in check especially in the first half. I didn't realize it while I was running, but the data shows that I reached the halfway point nearly 8 minutes earlier than last year. The significant decrease in pace in the second half can be attributed to this. But there is also a very good lesson. That is, you can run a full marathon without relying on shoes with cushioning. Human beings lived millions of years, running around without shoes. And modern humans can bring out that potential through hard training. 

My next big race is on Feb. 19. I'm running Ohme 30 K Road Race 2017 in Ohme City, Tokyo. It is one of the highlights of my 2016-2017 running season. There are only two weeks to get ready for the race. I will give myself a full rest for the coming few days. When I have completely recovered from the fatigue, I will start with a 7.5 K jog in my neighborhood. And then after that I will slowly increase distance. I will try not to overdo training to get injured.   

Park Workout: Pull Ups & Dips

Just because your legs haven't fully recovered from a long and strenuous race
doesn't mean there isn't any exercise to do.
If your lower body is fatigued, why not train your upper body.

https://goo.gl/i3aWSM

Movie Review: "Wild at Heart" (1990)

Wild at Heart is a 1990 drama starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern.

Without giving too much away the story is about two lovers, Sailor (played by Nicolas Cage) and Lula (played by Laura Dern). One day Sailor kills a man and goes to jail. When he gets out of jail on parole, they meet each other again. Lula's mother, who is jealous of them, disapproves her daughter's relationship with Sailor. When they ran away, Lula's mother asks her boyfriend to kill Sailor. While the boyfriend has trouble finding the couple, Lula's mother hires another man to kill Sailor. Meanwhile, a rainbow spectrum of sex between Sailor and Lula during their runaway makes her pregnant. With the prospect of being father and diminishing cash in his pocket, Sailor is persuaded by a local crook to participate in an armed bank robbery. If he fails, he'll have to go back in jail again. If he goes back in jail again, what will happen to Lula and their child in her body?

What I find particularly interesting about this film has nothing to with the story line, but the fact that when I first looked for the DVD at a store, I couldn't find it anywhere, so I asked a clerk for help. She checked the registration number on their computer and guided me to a section that was labeled "CULT". Though I don't deny that the film contains many disturbingly violent as well as shamelessly obscene and shockingly freaky scenes, I had always regarded it as a story of true love.

All in all, the DVD is worth watching, because it overwhelms you with the power a young and beautiful couple's true love can have. 

https://goo.gl/ZG7i5Y

Race Report: Sanspo Chiba Marine Marathon 2017 (Half)

I ran Sanspo Chiba Marine Half Marathon 2017 this past Sunday. I finished at 1:41:15 gross, and 1:39:29 net.
Gross-time-wise I renewed my PB.
Net-time-wise I fell 15 seconds short of my PB from the same event two year before.

The Laps are as follows:
0~2K: 12:13.91
~3K: 4:50.42
~4K: 4:32.17
~5K: 4:37.75 / 26.14.25
~6K: 4:38.16
~9K: 14:15.55 (avarage 4:45.00/K) 
~10K: 4:42.35 / 49.50.31
~11K: 4:33.58
~12K: 4:41.07
~13K: 4:38.95
~14K: 4:46.42
~15K: 4:43.18 / 1:13.13
~16K: 4:36.69
~17K: 4:42:61
~18K: 4:41.99
~19K: 4:44.48
~20K: 4:45.07 / 1:36.44
~21.1K: 4:31.24 / 1:41.15 

Overall it was a good race, though. The pacing was well under control. My breathing was steady except in the last one kilometer where I mustered up all of my power to put on a spurt that led to a strong finish.
It was one of the most memorable races in my athletic life.
I would like to write a brief report of how I ran the race.

<Morning>
I woke up at six to have a very light breakfast. I hardly ever eat a lot on the morning of any race. Much of the energy needed during the race comes from the meal on the previous night. I had a very good dinner that was both filling and nutritious. So there was no need to charge myself with so much energy. Plus, too large a breakfast would only make you heavy, and want to go to the men's room before the race. When nature calls shortly before the race, and all the toilets are occupied, you get to panic. I don't like it. So I eat lightly.

My breakfast is miso soup, a few cuts of fruits like apple, orange, and persimmon. I almost never drink coffee before any running races. It only makes you want to pee more.

<Travel>
I caught the 7:24 express train to get to Tsudanuma, where I changed to Keisei Chiba Line. I got off at Keisei Makuhari Hongo, one stop from Tsudanuma. Direct buses were available from the station to the race venue. I took one to reach the destination around 8:10 am.

<Registration>
ZOZO Stadium where the race started was packed with runners and cheerers when I arrived. I picked up my number tag and a small gift from the organizer. It was a white running cap with a green lining. It was so unfashionable that I was left wordless...

<Warm Up>
Some of my friends were also running the race, and I was soon joined by them who arrived at the stadium one after another. An opening ceremony was going on while me and my friends chatted with each other while waiting for the start. We had been most concerned with the weather because the race had taken place in the worst of weather conditions last year with strong winds. But this year the sky was cloudless, and day time highs were expected to reach 13 degrees Celsius. There were a few contradicting forecasts about winds that morning. One said mild southwestern winds later in the afternoon, and another predicted fairly strong winds. There was almost no wind in the early morning, and I hoped it would hold, but mentally I was prepared for the worst.

<Race>
The gun went of at 9:50 am. There were almost 10,000 runners. The crowd didn't dissolve easily at first. I was in Block G, which was way behind the start line. It took me exactly one minute and sixteen seconds to finally reach it. But once I got there, runners around me slowly picked up the pace, and in no time I was in a stream of runners flowing into the ocean competition!

On the previous night I did some math and knew that to finish under 1:40:00, I had to keep a 4:44/K pace. In the first 2 K I was significantly slower mainly due to congestion. But once the runners spread wide, easy passage through other runners enabled me to catch up. I passed the 5 K mark in a fairly good condition, with no major discomfort in any part of my body. I hydrated at the first water station. Distance marking was rather irregular between 5 K and 10 K and I was a bit worried if my pace was right. But I just followed my gut feeling and decided that I was at the race pace. There was another water station before the 10 K mark, but I ignored it and moved on. Near the 12 K mark Sydney Olympics Women's Marathon Gold Medalist Ms. Naoko Takahashi known by the nickname of Q-chan was giving high-fives to passing runners. I received one, saying thanks Q-chan.

Shortly past the 13 K mark, the course took a left into the Inage Kaihin Koen Park. From that point on for almost four kilometers you ran a winding road inside the park. Some parts of the road went though small woods, which gave runners shades. Last year I felt so cold in the shades. But this year I felt relieved running there because they provided a brief escape from the heat. It was increasingly getting hotter.

Near the 15 K mark there was the last water station. I took a small gulp from a cup and moved on. In no time I was out of the park and back on the main road leading straight to the goal. Four more kilometers to go, and this is the highlight of the race. Four kilometers probably sounds like nothing to most runners. But there's a lot to think about with these remaining 4 K. If you increase your pace too quickly, you can run out of gas before a final surge. The risk is especially high with this course, because there is a bridge around 2 K before the finish. It's almost 400 meters long. The incline is not so steep, but it's 200 meters uphill, and another 200 meters downhill. It's not easy for tired legs that have already put up with countless shocks of landing. I decided to delay my surge at least until I got over the bridge. In fact, I was overtaken by quite a few runners while running the bridge, but I didn't care. I stuck with my pace. Soon I found myself on the other end of the bridge. The 20 K mark sign was in sight.  Here came the deciding moment. I mustered up all of the remaining energy in my body and shifted my gear. My strides got slightly wider. My legs turned over faster. My arms swung much more strongly. There was no one around me who could keep up with my surge. A powerful female runner who overtook me on the bridge didn't seem to have the same sort of explosive strength. She was soon left behind. I overtook one runner after another who put on a spurt a little too early. The course took a quick left into the driveway leading to the stadium. There was a wall of cheerers on either side. One of them shouted, "Less than 1 K to go!" I tried to overtake more runners, but as I approached the stadium, the road got narrower, which made difficulty my smooth passage through runners before me. I tried to look for the best passage through in a blurred vision, but it wasn't easy. 
Suddenly two runners right in front of me seemed so slow. Trying to avoid bumping into them, I almost tripped over my foot and fell down. But I didn't. I was so relieved. And a moment later, there opened up some free space on my left. I quickly sneaked into that space and got ahead of the struggling runners. A quick turn right got me on the home stretch leading to the finish arch. Once inside the stadium, the roar of the spectators was suddenly so loud. And the hard concrete road was all of a sudden replaced with artificial lawn. I lost repulsive force. But now it was more comforting than of negative influence on performance. There was only 50 meters left. I swung my head right and left with my eyes half closed, and ran, and ran, and ran. Several seconds later, I was on the other side of the finish line. The race was over. I looked up at the sky, which all throughout the race had never ceased to exist a single moment and kept on watching all the runners,  but which I hadn't paid much attention to, looked so dramatically cloudless and blue. I felt so glad that I ran such an exciting race on such a beautiful day.

<Party>
Later my friends who finished the race came back one after another. We excitedly exchanged comments with each other. One of them finished under 2 hours for the first time in his life. Another renewed his personal best in his late fifties. Others were just content that they ran and finished the race. There were so many woos and wows among us, which put a big smile on my face as well as on others'. Later we went to a Hub and partied. We had fun conversation over good beers. Food was mostly fried and shockingly oily, but we all agreed that it's ok after burning more than 1,000 kcal in the race.

<Coda>
It was only after I left everyone and check my database that I learned that I renewed my PB (Gross) by one second. I was very happy. My next race is this coming Sunday. I am running a full marathon in Tateyama, Chiba Pref. I want to run in my split-toe running shoes MUTEKI. But I'm not sure yet. This half marathon slightly hurt my second toe. It wasn't unbearably painful, but certainly discomforting. What'll happy when the distance doubles? Well, I'll give myself a few days before making my final decision.

For my personal half marathon record progression, please see below. It will shed light on how a man can strive athletically in his late 40's to eary 50's.

<Personal Record Progression (Gross/Net)>
[Age 45]
2012.01.15 The 31st Frostbite: 1:49:41 / 1:45:02
[Age 46]
2012.12.02 The 31st Hadano Tanzawa Minasegawa: 1:42:33
2013.01.20 The 37th Sanspo Chiba Marine: 1:54:03 / 1:50:52
[Age 47]
2013.12.01 The 9th Hadano Tanzawa Minasegawa: 1:41:58
[Age 48]
2014.12.07 The 10th Hadano Tanzawa Minasegawa: 1:43:25 / 1:42:49
2015.01.18 The 39th Sanspo Chiba Marine: 1:41:16 / 1:39:11
[Age 49]
2015.12.06 The 11st Hadano Tanzawa Minasegawa: 1:49:36 / 1:49:17
2016.01.24 The 40th Sanspo Chiba Marine: 1:43:54 / 1:42:30
[Age 50]
2016.12.04 The 12nd Hadano Tanzawa Minasegawa: 1:42:45 / 1:42:16
2017.01.22 The 41st Sanspo Chiba Marine: 1:41:15 / 1:39:26

3 K Build-Up

I did 3 K build-up training on Thursday night.

In this training you start off at a comfortable pace first,

and once you have covered your first 1 K,

from the next lap on, you slowly increase your pace

after each lap.

I did this training to quickly stimulate my cardio-vascular system

without tiring my legs too much.

The laps were as follows:

1st K: 5:09.40

2nd K: 4:53.05

3rd K: 4:26.31

Total 3K: 14:28.76

My next training is on Saturday night.

I'm planning to do 3 K pace run.

In this training I'm simply going to run 3 K at an even pace of 4:30,

slightly faster than my half marathon pace.

Again, the purpose is pretty much the same--stimulate cardio without tiring the legs.

It's going to be the last training session before the half marathon race this coming Sunday.

Heavenly Ritual: Hill Interval Training 1 K by 13 Sets Inspired by Rio Olympics Men's Marathon Gold Medalist Mr. Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya

I did hill interval training consisting of 1 K by 13 sets.
For the course I chose today, please click the link below.
https://goo.gl/g3AjMV
It makes you sick to the stomach just to think about it.
And when you actually do it, it makes you feel like throwing up.
But then when you accomplish it, you feel like you are in seventh heaven.
And that's exactly how I am feeling now after accomplishing it,
taking a shower, and relaxing in the living room with a can of beer in my hand.

The result of tonight's training is as follows:
1st K: 4:01.18
Rest: 2:00.13
2nd K: 4:13.64
Rest: 2:00.13
3rd K: 4:15.73
Rest: 2:00.43

4th K: 4:29.59
Rest: 2:00.54

5th K: 4:26.94
Rest: 2:00.24

6th K: 4:32.19
Rest: 2:00.09

7th K: 4:25.40
Rest: 2:00.55

8th K: 4:40.45
Rest: 2:00.32

9th K: 4:23.40
Rest: 2:00.29

10th K: 4:32.89
Rest: 2:00.90

11th K: 4:31.22
Rest: 2:00.42
12th K: 4:39.56
Rest: 2:00.20
13th K: 4:25.02
Total 13 K :1:21:41

Though I did 1K by 13 sets interval training twice before last November,
they were both on a flat course.
Tonight the course had one 180 M steep hill and one 250 M less steep hill.
Finishing under 4 minutes was hard right from the start.
And my time kept on deteriorating as I went through the sets.
I finished close to 4 minutes, but in the next set my time got worse suddenly.
A number of factors can be attributed to this sudden worsening of time.
One, I hadn't completely recovered from the cold.
Two, I had heavy jogging shoes on with cushioning
because I had had my right ankle injured from my previous 30 K run,
and I didn't want to make it worse a week before a big race.
Three, I took cough medicine half an hour before the run.
Anyhow, I had a stomachache during my fourth set,
and that continued during the next few sets.
I was talking to myself while running: "Should I call it a day after doing 7 sets,
and do the rest tomorrow? What's the point of continuing when you time is so bad.
You can't even call it interval training if your time is this bad."
But another side of me said another thing: "Well, Gak, you are not running for time.
You are running for discipline, both physical and mental.
By not quitting, you'll be keeping the promise you have made yourself.
Also, if you complete the entire 13 sets, you'll definitely develop an enormous amount of endurance. Go for it, no matter how slow you may be."
I really didn't know which choice to make until I finally finished the 7th set.
A good thing about the 7th set is that it finishes at an end that's away from home.
It means you have to come back anyway.
I thought: "You might as well do another set as just cruise back home."
So I decided to do at least another three sets to make it total 10 sets.
I also decided to forget about time and do the best I could.
Once I accepted my inability to improve on time, I suddenly felt less stressed.
But that didn't make the training physically less challenging.
It still continued to present an excruciatingly painful challenge
since when you ran back to where you started off the first set,
you needed to climb the 180 M steep hill.
It makes your thigh sore just to walk up.
When it comes to running up it, the challenge increases insanely.
You curse your body weight when you run up a hill.
The best thing you can do, though, is to run in short and quick stride.
That I did. But the fatigue level had reached the where even making that much effort
was painful.
I felt miserable to see my Ironman watch that said: 4:40.45--the worst time out of all eight sets.
I took a sip from my bottle that I had kept in the bush by the road.
Breathing was difficult, and my heart rates didn't come down easily.
I gazed up at the moon, and took a deep breath. The icy air filled my lungs,
and after a few more attempts to get the freshest air made me ready for another set.
When I started off for the 9th set, I said to myself, "OK, let's just do two more sets.
If I feel tired then, I'll call it a day. Ten sets is awesome for a man who's still trying to shake off nasty cough."
Once I said to myself, the next two sets were over fairly quick.
At least that's how I felt.
I was back to the start line once again, with ten sets already accomplished.
Should I call it a day? Or should I go for another three sets to keep the promise
I made myself?
I chose the latter, saying to myself, "OK, Gak. Think of the next three K as the last three K of a full marathon you are just about to complete. Would you quit after having already run 39 K?"
My answer was obvious. "Hell no!"
So I hit the road again for yet another set.
Once I was done, I said the same thing to myself: "Think of the next two K as the last two K of a full marathon. No one will quit here."
It certainly did lifted my spirit, but my body wouldn't responded so conveniently as I wanted it to.
As I mentioned once, the return set is more challenging than the going set because of the steep hill. I felt pressured at the prospect of the approaching formidable penance. But in no time I was right in the middle of it. My stride got shorter and quicker, but the resistance to the thighs never seemed to be smaller. There was a lamppost to make the end of the hill, but it looked so far away, and never seemed to come closer no matter how hard I turned over my legs.
I pretended as if there were a much longer distance to the top than there actually was.
And I counted down by saying, "180 M. 170 M. 160 M" so that I would feel happy
to reach the top when I thought there was more to climb to reach the top.
The 11th set was over in no time.
And there was only one more to go. Everything seemed so much easily now.
The going set was less challenging. I mustered up all the energy that was left in me,
and embarked on the final lap. The initial 100 M is flat, which suddenly switches to a steep down hill. I shift my upper body only slightly backward to control the speed and minimize the shock of landing. Once you read the bottom, it goes up slightly for another 100 M and goes down again for 150 M. Then comes the 250 M uphill, not as steep as the other one, but much longer. I count my steps as I go up to keep a steady rhythm. Running fast isn't required when you go up. Rhythm is more important. That's a lesson I learned from a pacemaker who helped me finish a full marathon under 4 hours. I grit my teeth and bear the discomfort of oxygen debt resulting from pushing beyond your aerobic capacity. Soon the hill was over. What remained was a 220 M straight. I shook my head right and left to sprint to the finish, pretending to be my hero and 1970 Mexico City Olympics Men's Marathon Silver Medalist Mr. Kenji Kimihara who was well known for the same mannerism. The finish line was in sight. It's a large intersection on Route 16. Three cars were waiting for the traffic light to turn green. I ran past them, and finally completed all of the entire 13 sets of hill interval training!
Suddenly my body felt light though everything had felt heavy only a second before.
And breathing was suddenly easier when only a minute before I had felt like my lungs were filled with sand. Oh, what a tremendously exhilarating sensation! One K by 13 sets hill interval training. Mission accomplished!

My next training is this coming Thursday. I'm doing 3 K build-up training just to activate my cardio-vascular system.


.

Interval Tralining by Bike: Four Minutes by 10 Sets

To maintain my cardio-vascular capacity
without taking too much of a toll on my slightly injured left knee and calf, and right ankle,
I did some intensive cycling training.
I covered 1.8 K in four minutes.
I did the first four sets on the highest gear,
the next two on the second highest,
the following two on the next lower gear,
and the last two on the fourth one from the outside.
The pressure on the injured leg parts was minimum,
and the training session was challenging but almost pain-free.
I'm very much satisfied with substituting my originally scheduled running training
with cycling one for the purpose of protecting the injured areas.

https://goo.gl/KhWmxD

When the Lord Closes the Door, Somewhere He Opens a Window.

I have never found myself so stupid as I did today.

Here is why.

I had not been able to see a solution to a problem for so long

when it was just under my nose.

I don't know why I couldn't.

But when I finally found it,

I couldn't help realizing that when you are under pressure,

that you can lose sight of a large picture and end up trying to choose a solution

from among the choices that are already there.

Let me illustrate my point below.

Two days ago I went for a 30 K run.

I am expecting a full marathon on the last Sunday of this month,

and it was vitally important to run this distance three weeks prior to the big race.

I had a small concern, though.

I had had nasty cough for almost ten days, and been unable to do much training.

I considered two choices:

1) settling for a shorter distance and build from there another day

2) going all the way to cover 30 K 

I chose 2).

The result was slight pain in my left knee, fairly serious soreness in my right calf, and major pain in my right ankle.

I panicked.

They were more than discomfort. 

I hated to admit it, but I had to say that I was seriously injured.

If the pain didn't go away soon, I wouldn't be able start training again,

and I couldn't train, I would be in big, big trouble in this half marathon race

scheduled a week before the full marathon!

What should I do?

Full-scale training was of course impossible.

I could make my condition worse.

But if I didn't train, I could very quickly lose my cardio-vascular capacity 

that I had developed up to this point...

The choice I took earlier this morning was to take a short quick walk in the morning

in the park near my house.

The ground is covered with wood chips, so it's easy on your legs.

Also, I put on my regular jogging shoes with cushioning to minimize the landing shock;

the injury of the right ankle was primarily attributed to running on paved roads.

I walked 2 K at first, and felt reasonably warmed up, so slowly jogged half a kilometer.

It was not a perfect solution, but I thought it a good compromise 

until I fully recovered.

But deep down I knew walking couldn't possibly be a substitute for a strenuous running training.

I was worried until I was just about to leave work

when I stopped for a moment and said to myself,

"Wait a minute. There IS something you can do to strength your legs and cardio

without hurting your knee and ankle joints as much as you do when you run.

Cycling!"

Luckily, I am a cyclist as well as a runner.

I have two decent road racers.

I am going to hit the road on one of them.

And I am going to do something equivalent on the bike to interval training 

that I had originally been planning to do on foot.

Problem solved.

I am a happy man again!

New Year's 30 K Run

I ran 30 K on Tuesday night.
I ran in sock-like running shoes MUTEKI.
I ran a near-triangular route in my town four laps.
Each lap is 7.5 K.
7.5 by 4 makes 30.

The result was as follows:
1st 7.5 K: 38:38.11
Hydration & p break: 2:58
2nd 7.5 K: 39:10.34
Hydration break: 23.42
3rd 7.5 K: 40.56.05
Hydration break: 20.66
4th 7.5 K: 48.12.10
Total 30K: 2:50:39

The 7.5 K course is rich in undulation, preparing myself well for two races
that I am expecting at the end of January and in late February.
As you can see the first two laps were a pleasant run.
I kept my pace in check, especially controlling my pace in uphills.
If you increased your pace there, it could affect your performance later.

The first sign of pain appeared in my right knee,
shortly before I reached 20 K.
I wasn't surprised because that's where I would always feel pain
when I ran longer than 20 K in the past.
But yesterday I had to deal with another pain
which was in my right ankle.
This had been lingering for quite a while. A little longer than a month, perhaps.
It was presumably caused by running in the least protective shoes such as MUTEKI.
Running on concrete roads was also probably responsible.
I didn't pay much attention to it, though, saying to myself that it was part of the growing pain
associated with making a transition to running in the less protective footwear.
Plus, the pain during practice was usually bearable, often forgotten while dealing with other discomfort resulting from hard endurance training.
But yesterday it continued to distract me during the whole session,
and I considered quitting after running three laps.

I didn't, however, as I definitely wanted to cover 30 K three weeks prior to my first full marathon
scheduled on the last Sunday of this month.

The result was rather painful, and far from rewarding.
There was definitely a feeling of accomplishment;
I could have quit, but didn't, and handled all the pain with courage.
Of course the gain is not limited to psychological.
On a practical level, there were many gains, too.
I learned to minimize leg pain by changing my form, strides, arm swings, breathing even,
and all sorts of other things.
In a real race this is something you must do unless you decided to quit.
Now I know what to do if I need to deal with the same sort of pain and discomfort in real races.

But there was a significant minus as well.
My ankle now is so sore and painful, even after sleeping nearly eight hours,
that I am afraid I may not be able to do any decent training for several days.
I hope I am wrong. But I am mentally ready for the worst case scenario.

One reason I pushed myself beyond a hazardous pain is
that I had been down with a could since New Year's Eve,
and I wanted to make up for a shortage of training.
At this point I am not sure if that was a wise choice.
If the pain subsides within a few days and I feel comfortable enough,
I may put on regular jogging shoes to project my legs from injury
to do some speed-focused interval session;
I hardly ever experience any joint pain in interval training somehow.
Discomfort associated with this type of training is mostly cardio and breathing.
If the pain stays..., well, I really haven't decided what to do.
I may cruise the following two races instead of giving them all I've got,
so that I can condition myself well for the more important race in February:
the Ohme 30 K Road Race.