9 K Morning Run in the Rain in Hakata

May 21, 2019

I'm in Hakata. I have a seminar between 13:45 and 16:00. I flew into the city last night on a 5 o'clock flight departing from Haneda.

It's drizzling over here in the city of spicy cod's roe. But that doesn't stop me from running.

I had breakfast prior to training. Meal was offered only until 9. I didn't want to rush.

Once I finished my meal, I hit the road immediately.

The streets in Central Hakawa were already crowded with students and business people on their way to school and work. I went northeast until I hit the Mikasagawa River. Then I ran along it southeast, then took two right turns in less than 300 meters to return to where I started off. I ran this loop three times, and added three loops around the Nakahie Park, and also one extra loop around some block. The total running distance was probably around 9 K or thereabout considering my pace, and also the time it took (50 minutes).

While running, a man overtook me from behind. He looked slightly older than me, and carrying a backpack on his back. He was in athletic outfit, and running briskly. He looked like a well-trained citizen runner whose PR is presumably between 3 and 3.5 hours. His cadence was high, and he had muscular calves. And when he passed me, his breathing was easy. I was like, "Good Heavens! How the hell can he do it? He's carrying a backpack looking so heavy considering the way it thuds every time he lands on the ground. Amazingly strong man. And he looks like a man in his mid 50s!"

I don't have the intention to compare me and him. But it certainly is a good motivator to see someone older than you who apparently looks stronger than you. I thought, "Hey! I want to be strong like him!"

Fartlek: 5 Sets by 650 M @ 2:36 (4:00/K) Intermixed With a 1-Minute Jog Between Sets

May 29, 2019
Warm Up 3.4 K: 20:00.00
1st 650 M: 2:33.33
Jog 200 M: 1:01.08
2nd 650 M: 2:21.93
Jog 200 M: 1:00.81
3rd 650 M: 2:34.77
Jog 200 M: 1:00.14
4th 650 M: 2:32.24
Jog 200 M: 1:00.94
5th 650 M: 2:32.09
Jog 5 K: 30:03.75
1 K: 3:55.39
Total 13.45 K: 1:10:36.47

A week ago when I first gave a go at 650 M repeats @ 2:36 with a minute's rest between sets, I already failed to achieve the target in the second set, and I had no choice but taking a longer rest to sustain the training. But a week later I was able to run all of five sets under the target. I renewed my confidence in human ability to adapt to a stimulus given.

After the fast run session, I cruised along the 6 K shuttle course above in bare feet as I held my shoes in my hands. It was tremendously refreshing to run without shoes at an easy pace especially after the hard and strenuous speed training.

But with 1 K remaining, I remembered the teaching by late Yoshio Koide, and put on a spurt and kicked to the finish.

I ran the last K well under 4:00. 

Running at a faster pace is becoming less difficult. My next question is, "How often can I repeat it?" And also, "How far can I continue to run at the same pace?" My tentative answer is, "At least one time more." In the next fartlek session I will aim for 6 sets. Same pace. Same rest. 

Fartlek Again: 5 Sets by 650 M @ 2:36 (=4:00/K) with a 90-Second Rest Between Sets

May 23, 2019
Warm Up 3 K: 20:01.25
1st 650 M: 2:34.94
Active rest (jog): 1:30.39
2nd 650 M: 2:30.51
Active rest (jog): 1:30.85
3rd 650 M: 2:32.96
Active rest (jog): 1:30.60
4th 650 M: 2:31.30
Active rest (jog): 1:30.29
5th 650 M: 2:29.50
Warm Down 3 K: 18.33.18
6th 650 M: 2:38.60
Total 10.25 K: 59:54.37 

Last night I tried my own modified version of fartlek, which is the Kenyan term for interval training. I aimed at running 650 M at 2:36 and repeat it total 15 times with a rest of one minutes. 

The result is a total failure. I was already unable to keep the pace in the second set, and was barely able to sustain the effort by resting 90 seconds after the second set. Although I was able to keep the target pace in the 3rd and 4th set, I got bonked out there, and couldn't go on.

Twenty four hours have passed since then. I have my body's batteries fully charged, and decided to give it another try. My goal tonight is to rest 90 seconds between sets, but repeat the fast run at least one time more than last night, namely minimum 5 sets. Of course, meeting the target pace is given. 

Another difference between training tonight and the previous one is that tonight I warmed up enough by jogging for 20 minutes before the interval session. That helped me make a smooth transition into intervals. 

I was a bit tense in the first set. But from the second set on I felt increasingly relaxed, and was able to keep a brisk pace with far less effort. I paid particular attention to my breathing. I tried to breath through the nostrils rather than through the mouth. I read that it helps sustain the hard training with much less effort. Though I still haven't fully appreciate the benefit of it, I've at least learned that it's doable, and it certainly makes me feel that I'm in control. I will continue to focus on my breathing as much as my running form and pace. 

Fartlek: 4 Sets by 650 M @ 2:36 (=4:00/K Pace)

May 22, 2019
650 M: 2:22.74 (target: 2:36=4:00/K)
Active rest (jog): 1:02.83
650 M: 2:41.77 (target: 2:36=4:00/K)
Active rest (jog): 1:30.86
650 M: 2:31.55 (target: 2:36=4:00/K)
Active rest (jog): 1:30.30
650 M: 2:31.55 (target: 2:33.96=4:00/K)
Active rest (jog): 2:02.24
Total 2.6 ~ 3.5 K: 16:16.25

While I was browsing through Facebook, I came across a variety of fast-paced interval sessions called fartlek done by men's marathon world best record holder Eliud Kipchoge and his teammates. I found them inspiring, so I immediately came up with my own training regimen based on my present capacity and goal. It's a 650 M fast run @ 2:36 (4:00/K pace) repeated 15 times.

I wanted to put my ability to the test right away, so as soon as I got home, I changed into my athletic gear and hit the road. 

I skipped warm-up jog, and only did jumping jacks and high knees to warm up. Once it's done, I set off for the first set. It's been a while since I last aimed at 4:00/K pace, so I wasn't sure how fast I was going, but I WAS sure I was going a lot faster than usual. Halfway though, my legs started feeling heavy from oxygen debt. Breathing was hard too. I saw my watch to check my lap. 2:22.74. Almost 14 seconds faster than the target. No wonder it was tough.

I jogged for a minute and ran fast again. This time the lap was  2:41.77. I paid the price for going too fast in the first set. 

When the second set was over, I was so bonked out that I couldn't go on without taking a longer active rest. I jogged a minute and a half, 30 seconds longer than after the previous set. 

Thanks to the longer recovery time, my third lap was 2:31.55, a few seconds under the target. 

Feeling confident that this combination of pace and recovery time may be sustainable, I went for another set to run it in 2:33.96. Again, I made it under the target. 

However, when the fourth set was over, I had to admit to myself that I was burned out for the day. 

Next time I do this training, I will probably work with a 90-second rest right from after the first set to make it sustainable 15 times. 

26.2 K Barefoot LSD in the Rain

May 20, 2019
13.1 K: 1:14:52
13.1 K: 1:07:59
26.2 K: 2:22.52

It's three days after 15 K build-up training. With a hectic Saturday and Sunday tied up with an annual mechanical check-up of my motorcycle, I haven't been able to make time to do a long run. But tonight I finally did.

My goal tonight was two. One, to run more than 25 K. Two, to run a negative split.

The course tonight is the same as what I ran two Sundays ago. What's good about this course is that there is tap water and a public toilet available at regular intervals. Also, it's rich in undulation, so I can train different muscles, and practice strategically changing my running form according to the degree of incline. 

The neighborhood around the water plant has seen a steady decline in population recently, and therefore it's very quiet, and traffic is little. It's perfect for a night run. 

 The park across from the water plant offers both a public toilet and tap water. Two Sundays ago I ran the 1 K loop first and then the 2.2 K square loop around the water plant after than to cover 3.2 K in the neighborhood, added that to the 19.8 K covered by running the shuttle course between the water plant and home to make it a solid 23 K run session.

Tonight I ran the 1 K  & 2.2 K combo twice to add 6.4 K to the shuttle course to cover 26.2 K.

I ran the first 13.1 K in 1:14.52, and the latter half in 1:07.59 to finish at 2:22:52.

By the way, while running the second half, it started raining, and it got stronger as time went by. In the past I didn't enjoy running in rain. But these days I kind of welcome it. Two Japanese athletes showed a fantastic performance in rainy races. They were able to do so because they trained in rain often. Therefore they were accustomed to the condition. I want to be accustomed to it too. After all, you have no control over the weather. If you regard it as a limiting factor, you end up being affected by it. But if you learn to adapt yourself to it, it's no long a limiting factor. You simply cope with it. And if you are used to coping with sudden increment weather conditions, you are no longer controlled by it. 

Anyhow, tomorrow I will rest to recoup. And on Wednesday I will probably jog 10 K and put off the intervals until Thursday.

15 K Barefoot Build Up

May 17, 2019

6.3 K: 32:27.49 (5:05/K)
5 K: 24:43.86 (4:49/K)
4.3 K: 19:06.48 (4:26/K)
Total 15.6 K: 1:16:17

40-Minute Barefoot Tire Park Workout

May 17, 2019

20 Tire Throws (both forward and backward) 
& 4 reps of 30-second tire run with a 15-sec rest : 12:30.13
1st 188 M barefoot sprint: 32.04
Rest: 1:00.33
2nd 188 M  barefoot sprint: 30.12
Rest: 1:00.34
3rd 188 M barefoot sprint: 33.02
Rest: 1:00.18
4th 188 M barefoot sprint: 29.95
Rest: 1:00.10
5th 188 M barefoot sprint: 32.83
Rest: 1:00.12
6th 188 M barefoot sprint: 30.53
Rest: 1:50.52
3 K Barefoot Jog: 16:53.91
Rest: 30.67
7th 188 M barefoot sprint: 32.49
Rest: 1:00.16
8th 188 M barefoot sprint: 32.49
Total 41:57.75

Barefoot New Interval Training: 3 Sets by 2.2 K With 30-Second Rest

May 15, 2019
Warm Up 4.1 K: 27:22.44
<Intervals: Target Pace=4:30/K=9:54/2.2 K>
2.2 K: 9:52.75
Rest: 30.80
2.2 K: 9:15.66
Rest: 30.36
2.2 K: 9:00.76
Warm Down 4.1 K: 26:23.10
Total 14.8 K: 1:22:55

It's that time of the week again--interval night! The goal tonight is to run 2.2 K at 4:30/K pace, rest only for 30 seconds, and repeat it two more times.

My legs were heavy and I was reluctant at first, but as I jogged to the Kashiwai Water Treatment Plant, I felt warmer, and my legs started feeling lighter. 

By the time I reached the water plant, I was totally ready to go for the first set, so I started off immediately without taking any rest after reaching one of the corner of the park across from the plant where there is a water tap available. 

I paid particular attention to my running economy. I especially focused on friction between the sole and the road surface. Increased friction is a sign of inefficiency. It can later result in hypersensitivity in the sole.

Luckily both soles withstood three sets of fast run, I came home with undamaged soles. It's a great improvement, compared with the days when I would do intervals in minimalist running shoes for sole protection. Tomorrow I will jog for an hour. But first I want to take a walk in the morning to loosen up my leg muscles that will have been tense from the training tonight.

30-Minute Morning Workout

May 15, 2019

It was another beautiful day in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. I woke up at 8, but felt a bit sluggish at first, so stayed in bed half an hour, and got at around 8:30. After changing into my athletic gear, I walked to the nearby park with an old tire in my hand just as every other morning.

I threw the tire 20 times both forward and backward for total body workout. My heart rates were raised significantly. I was ready for a run. I jogged about one K, and then threw the tires again 20 times both forward ad backward.

After the intensive tire throws, I wanted to relax, so I jogged around the internal track inside the park and ran 2 K.   

After the slow run, I wrapped up my morning workout with two 160 M sprints across the park. They got my heart pumping and blood running.

I took a quick shower after coming home from the workout, and fixed myself a simple breakfast of fruit, veggie soup, and grilled fish. Everything tasted incredibly good after the workout.

Sunday Night Long Barefoot Run (Negative Split)

May 12, 2019
9.9 K: 52:35.53
3.2 K: 15:59.72
9.9 K: 47:24.57 (4.9 K:23:36.72 + 5 K: 23:47.85) [4:47/K]
Total 23 K: 1:55:59

My goal tonight was two. One, to run more than 20 K. Two, run a negative split. I achieved both goals. I'm happy. I ran in bare feet. They look intact after the run. I feel my soles are becoming tougher. Not sure if they can withstand road conditions a lot worse than what I had tonight, though. I want to acquire an undamageable pair of soles.  To do that I should be barefooted more often. And that's exactly what I'm planning to do. Not only will I run barefooted, I will work out without shoes whenever possible.

Sunday Morning Workout

May 12, 2019

It's been a while since I started trying to run before breakfast, but this morning I was just too tired to do anything without having something to eat. I had a brutally tough schedule on Friday, and I just couldn't recoup enough after 8 hours of sleep on Saturday night. So I had a solid breakfast of fruits, veggies, grilled fish, and brown rice. I relaxed for a couple of hours as I watched a Japanese chess match on NHK. When the program was over, I got out to wash my Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 ABS.

When that was done, I felt fully awake and ready to hit the park to work out. I quickly got changed into my exercise gear and walked to the park in bare feet with an old tire in my right hand.

There were already quite a few groups of people. Some were families, and others were kids or young people. Some were on a picnic, and others were playing catch.

I found myself a little open space and started throwing the tire. After doing 15 throws both forward and backward, I did 4 sprints across the park. I used to do it in shoes. But I enjoy doing it in bare feet these days. It just feels irresistibly refreshing to run on the grass barefooted. I can never imagine doing it in shoes again unless I have good reason, such as that the park is covered with thumbtacks or else, like there is a sign that says, "No Shoes, No Running."

At the fifth sprint, I felt bonked out, and gave up.

I jogged around the track inside the park 6 times to cover 3 K. 

Finally I did tire runs, where you hold the tire with both your arms above your head, and run for 30 seconds. You take a 15-second rest, and repeat until you get bonked out. It took four runs before I ran out of gas. 

I walked back home with the tire in my hand, feeling refreshed.

After taking a shower, I went to a local grocery store to buy tomatoes, and a few kinds of green veggies. I also got two tomato seedlings and planted them in the backyard of my home.

Tonight I want to have a long-run session.

Business Trip to Aomori: Aomori English Model

May 9-10, 2019

On May 10 a workshop took place at Aomori Prefectural School Education Center. Eighteen teachers in various leading roles gathered from all regions of the prefecture. Some are engaged in elementary school education, others junior high, and yet others senior high education. I was invited to the event as a lecturer as well as a facilitator of discussion.

The workshop started at 9:50. My part started at 10:05 and ended at 12:05. It was a two-hour event.

Though my part was just two hours, I came to the city on the previous night to prepare for the morning start, taking a little more than three hours one way.

Thanks to ample mental rehearsal on the previous night in my quiet hotel room, I was able to present two model lessons energetically, and facilitate active and focused discussions.

Mr. S, who organized today's event, is very keen to improve the overall teaching competency of English teachers in Aomori so that students can benefit from their improvement and eventually can demonstrate their (=students') improved competency in reality as well as numerically such as in English proficiency tests.

Mr. S and all the participants were genuinely motivated to create something positive from the event. They are particularly interested in establishing what they call "Aomori English Model," an effective teaching model that all English teachers in Aomori can follow as the Polar Star. They are also concerned about how to share effective teaching methods and common educational values with all the remaining teachers working in every corner of the prefecture.

I presented two model lessons that addressed their two biggest concerns:
1) How to enable junior high students to manipulate target English to speak about themselves
2) How to make reading lessons more communicative in senior high level

They seemed to enjoy both of my demos. I got good feedback from a number of participants. Also, they seemed to trigger some good discussion.

I gave them a complete written scenario of both lessons so that they can review and reproduce them later if they want to.

Though I left there past noon, the teachers were scheduled to have discussion in the afternoon among themselves, based on what they saw and learned in my two-hour session. Hopefully, something good will come out of it.

Barefoot Hill Intervals

May 8, 2019
3 K: 18:42.67
<Hill Intervals>
1st K: 4:52.77
Rest: 30.15
2nd K: 4:32.96
Rest: 30.25
3rd K: 4:29.98
Rest: 30.27
4th K: 4:23.86
Rest: 30.44
5th K: 4:19.62
2.1 K: 6:48.30
0.9 K: 3:37.64
Total 10 K: 53:48.91

I was in a mixed feeling. I felt too lazy to just jog. But I wasn't motivated enough to do solid speed-focused training. Every time I feel this way, my recent solution is just to start running without deciding exactly what to do. Sort of like a go-with-the-flow kind of approach.

 I left home at a snail pace, jogging along the first half of the 6 K shuttle course.

Much of the first 2 K of the course has good road surface. It's well-paved, and it feels good on the sole. Then the last 1 K is hilly and the first downhill has a rough road condition. I carefully minimized landing shock to protect the sole.

By the time I reached the halfway point of the 6 K shuttle course, I felt warmed  up enough to do some fast runs. I turned around and picked up pace to go back where I came from for a 1 K fast run. There is a long downhill in the first half, and there is a steep uphill in the latter half. Friction suddenly increased between the sole and the road surface. It took a while to figure out how to run fast without much discomfort. 

The first time was well over the target of 4:30. But from the second rep on, I slowly got accustomed to running fast in bare feet. I did 5 fast runs, but finished the last one at the best time. 

I headed back home, jogging, but then with about one kilometer remaining, I felt like running faster again, so I injected pace and continued on that way till I reached home.

It was a solid 10 K run with a lot of change of pace, and rich in undulation. It was a very satisfying one too. It's quite unexpected. I wasn't so motivated at first. But as I went along, I felt better and better. A fast run feels tough at first. But there is always a tremendous feeling of accomplishment when it's done. It fuels my motivation further. And before you know, you have become a fire ball that keeps on rolling, unstoppable! 

Morning Workout: Body Weight Circuit & 200 M Sprints

May 9, 2019

<Body Weight Circuit>
1. Plank (regular position): 30 seconds
2. Towel Row: 30 seconds
3. Plank (half-flexed push-up position): 30 seconds
4. Back, Shoulders, & Hamstrings: 30 seconds
[1+2+3+4]×3 Sets
15-second rest between exercises and sets.

2 K Jog: 13:07.17
Rest: 1:00.17
200 M: 35.39
Rest: 1:00.33
200 M: 36.81
Rest: 1:00.22
200 M: 36.31
Rest: 1:00.21
200 M: 37.74
Total 19:34.77

Morning Exercise

May 7, 2019
Exercise: 31:56.97
Walked to a nearby park.
Jogged around the park three times.
Did dynamic arm hangs on the monkey bars. Total 80 times.
Jogged back home from the park.

Double Training: Tire Training & 1-Hour Jog

May 6, 2019

<Early afternoon>
Tire throws:
1) Backward: 20 times
2) Forward: 20 times
Barefoot tire runs: 7 sets by 30 seconds
Barefoot 160 M sprints: 5 sets

<Late evening>
Barefoot run:
7.6 K: 28:42.65
3 K: 12:56.43/41:39.08
2.5 K: 14.49.62/55:28.70
Total 13.1 K: 55:28.70


I had a slight cold in the morning. But by the time it's evening, I had shaken it off. I was ready for a run. I jogged to the Kashiwai Water Treatment Plant, which is 3.7 K away from home, ran a 1 K loop in its neighborhood and a 2.2 K loop around the plant, and returned.

While returning home, with 3 K remaining, I injected the pace to run it under 4:30/K pace. If I did it, I would cover it in 13:30.

When I got home, my watch said 12:56. It means I ran each K under 4:19. Not bad!

I was originally planning to finish for the day after that 3 K surge. But I added a 2.5 K jog to wrap it up. I love that refreshing feeling that comes to me a few minutes after a fast run. Breathing becomes easier, and you feel a lot lighter.

Suburban Cross Country?

May 2, 2019
Jog: 27:34.07
650 M: 2:30.32
Jog: 1:13.69
Total 31:18.08

I ran on Thursday morning. Running in the morning is something I've been trying to do more often recently. I'm nocturnal. So it's not easy for me to be active right after I get up. But there have been many benefits reported of running before even having breakfast. Plus, that's what my athletic hero Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya and his teammates do. So I want to give it a try.

I had gone to bed in running wear on the previous night, so as soon as I climbed out of bed (or Japanese 'futon' to be more precise), I put my feet into a pair of split-toe minimalist shoes MUTEKI, and hit the road.

I left home without any specific route in mind. I just followed my nose. It was fun to explore streets that had not been previously run very often. It made my mind alert and sensitive. Some of the streets were familiar paths that I had walked numerous times in my younger days to go to my junior high school. They brought back some past memories...

I went through many inclines. It was a pleasant surprise that there are so many good inclines in unexplored parts of my neighborhood. I thought I should run them more often.

After running for about 25 minutes, I was back around the park near my house. I did one fast run around it to stimulate my legs and cardio.

The park was filled with locals, mostly elderlies, doing radio calisthenics. I was surprised to see so many active elderlies. In fact, I saw quite a few elderlies taking a walk while I was running. Many were men. They looked like lonely widowers. They were doing their best to stay in shape. Ten or twenty years down the road I'll be one of them?     

5 Principles to Keep in Mind to Run a Sub-3 Marathon （サブ３達成５つの基本ルール）

I was reading a book by late Yoshio Koide when I came across a line that says "joy of aiming at a sub-3 marathon". It's not phrased as "joy of running a sub-3 marathon" but as joy of aiming at it. I couldn't nail exactly why, but something about the sound of it made me want to at least give a go at it.

According to the book, there are 5 principles to achieve the goal. They are all regarding a 3-month training program leading to the actual race. They are as follows:
1) Three days a week you need to do high intensity training that puts greater stress to your legs and cardio-vascular system. The remaining three days are for active rest such as jogging. And you should set aside a whole day for complete rest.
2) You may need to train nearly 2 hours even on weekdays.
3) You are advised to set aside two weekend days for high intensity training, and at least one day should be spent on running a long distance.
4) The first 10 weeks of a 3-month period are for strength-building training, and the last 3 weeks are for conditioning.
5) In the strength-building 10-week period, you are advised to increase the level of challengingness  every two weeks while in the last-phase conditioning weeks you lower the level of intensity every week.

With these five principles in mind, my tentative goal is to run a sub-3.5 marathon. And in order to achieve it, I first want to get accustomed to the average target pace of 4:58/K to run a 3:29:34 marathon, and also to another target pace of 4:45/K to run a negative-split.

To achieve the goal above, I am planning to do more of tempo runs. To be specific, when I ran 10 K, I will aim at 49:40 (24:50/5K).

When I get used to that, I then increase the distance to 15 K, and run the last 5 K @ 47:30/10 K pace, which enables me to cover that distance in 23:45.

To sum up my target time for a 15 K tempo run will be 1:13:25.

13.8 K Build Up in Bare Feet

 May 1, 2019
13.8 K: 1:14:47

Six days have passed since that majestic victory by Eliud Kipchoge in London Marathon 2019. His overwhelming power rubbed off on me, I've been fidgety ever since, dreaming of someday running strongly like him...

Quite contrary to my ambition, though, when I got up this morning, I was a little sore from high intensity workout I had done on the previous morning. I was hungry also. I almost had a quick bite of banana or apple. But then I remembered the respectable marathon maestro and his teammates always have breakfast after their morning run. I threw myself into my running gear, and hit the road.

It's been a while since I ran last. I was afraid I had lost some of my fitness. But the affect was minimum. I was afraid my soles had gotten softer because they were inside wet boots for so many hours during rainy-day bike rides. But they were still strong enough to withstand the roughness of the initial section of the course today.

A couple of kilometers of warm up run got my body's key joints aligned nicely. Once I felt reasonably warmed up, I enjoyed changing pace every now and then. I increased both cadence and pace when going up an upward incline and slowed down to recoup on flats. 

Around the 6 K mark there is a park. I had always thought there was no tap water available. There was none visible from the street I ran. But I found out today that I was wrong. There was. It's only that I took a better look across the park, and I spotted one. The park will be my first aid station from now on when I train on this course...

Past the park I took a left turn into a large loop around Yukarigaoka's residential district developed by general contractor Yamaman Corporation. At another park along the loop I took a right turn into the residential area, cutting across it toward north. A brief run across that neighborhood took me the northern tip of the loop. I then took a right again back into the loop, and from there continued down the road to the south until I hit Route 296, where the remaining distance is around 3 K. 

I injected the pace, applying the advice by late Yoshio Koide who passed away at the end of last month. He's known as the coach of Naoko Takahashi who brought the first Olympic gold medal to Japan in the history of women's track and field. In his book he recommends trying to push the pace toward the end of every practice run. 

To my surprise, pace increase was not too hard to handle. I kept the faster pace with ease. Occasional stops at traffic lights and a railroad crossing were frustrating. But even without them I would have been able to go on without running out of gas. 

I enjoyed running at a pace a lot faster than that at the time of start. I was constantly thinking about breakfast when I took off. But by the time I was back home, I found myself completely having forgotten about it. A positive feeling associated with a good morning run overshadowed the basic survival need. 

But when I took a warm pleasant shower, all of a sudden I was hit with a hunger attack. I quickly fixed a simple breakfast with steamed brown rice, beaten raw egg, and fermented soy beans, and enjoyed it to my heart's content. Though the meal was simple, I tasted a lot more delicious than breakfast I have with no exercise done before it.