Interval Training: [1 K @ 4/30 + 1-Minute Rest] by 15 Sets

Jan. 16, 2019
Warm Up 4.2 K: 26:04.87
Rest: 1:00.05
<Interval Training>
1st K: 4:29.69 (slightly longer than 1 K due to a few wrong turns)
Rest: 1:00.32
2nd K: 3:59.19
Rest: 1:00.43
3rd K: 4:19.61
Rest: 1:00.12
4th K: 4:20.99
Rest: 1:00.29
5th K: 4:20.66
Rest: 1:00.42
6th K: 4:28.18
Rest: 1:00.23
7th K: 4:18.73
Rest: 1:00.24
8th K: 4:25.53
Rest: 1:00.43
9th K: 4:23.46
Rest: 1:00.21
10th K: 4:28.20
Rest: 1:00.31
11th K: 4:23.90
Rest: 1:00.28
12th K: 4:21.53
Rest: 1:00.59
13th K: 4:22.61
Rest: 1:00.29
14th K: 4:20:54
Rest: 1:00.00
15th K: 4:17.50
Rest: 1:00.00
********************
Warm Down 4.2 K: 29.11.94
Total 23.4 K: 2:16:40

Inspired by men's marathon world best record holder Eliud Kipchoge's legendary pre-Berlin Marathon training of 1 K @ 2:50 by 15 sets with a two-minute rest between sets, I had a go at a similar session at a much slower pace of course, but with a shorter rest between sets.

I jogged to the Kashiwai water treatment plant, and did intervals around a new 1 K loop near the plant that I measured on Google Map.

To make a long story short, I completed it. It's an incredible confidence booster. I felt exhilarated when I finished the last lap. 

The biggest challenge was not so much the pace. 4:30/K isn't such a big challenge for me any more by itself. But when it comes to repeating it over and over again, it's a whole new story. Six is the number of reps I was most used to recently. Tonight I did 9 more reps.  

Naturally, the first lap beyond the 6th was tough. My body wasn't ready. I felt lactic acid building in my legs. I ran economically by taking shorter strides lest I should be burned out. 

When I finally hit the 10th, there was a surge of endorphins in my brain in response to the feeling of accomplishment associated with finally reaching a two-digit number.

But the remaining five sets were not easy. I told myself to imagine that the last fives sets were the last 5 K of the Tateyama Wakashio Marathon that I'm running in ten days. How could I give up there?

The new 1 K loop contains several intersections where I had to watch out carefully for possibly coming cars. It was a bit stressful especially when you are exhausted after doing many 1 K repeats. But it was late at night, and traffic was limited, so loss of energy caused by frequent traffic check was minimum. 

On my way back home I felt light, and I felt calm, steadily taking small steps forward, thinking of the race I'm running in ten days. 

I listened to Brian Tracy's lecture while running. A couple of things still remain on my mind. I will write about them sometime tomorrow.