15. 6 K Run in Huaraches

Aug. 31, 2019

6.3 K: 32:06.02

5 K: 25:05.86

4.3 K: 23:52.65

Total: 15.6 K: 1:21.52.65

I ran 15.6 K in a pair of haraches I had made with flip-flops from a dollar shop. It was OK. The sole is too fluffy for me, but I wore them to protect the painful area, so it worked favorably for that purpose tonight.

I jogged the first 6.3 K at a comfortable pace. I ran carefully not to damage the blistered area. 

Once I reached the 5 K loop in Yuhkarigaoka, I picked up the pace to aim for 4:55/K. If I kept the pace, I would make it at 24:35. I returned in 25:05. I was about 5 seconds slower than the target pace per K. But considering I had not run for 11 days until yesterday, I thought I could pat myself on the shouder.

Ordinarily I would increase the pace even further for the remaining 4.3 K, making it solid build-up training. But tonight I was pretty much burned out after the 5 K pace run, so I slowly jogged back home, enjoying the exhilarating feeling after the sustained faster paced attempt.

After taking a shower, I relaxed on the sofa and checked the blister. It was still slightly painful, but the surface looked soft and dead, so I tried to cut it off with scissors. It required several attempts, but most of the dead skin was removed. The new skin underneath looked thin and pinkish, and fairly sensitive, but I gathered it will be normal in a week or so. I am pretty sure I won't have any problem with the sole when I ran my first official race in Race Season 2019-2020 on Sept 15.

10 K Run in MUTEKI

Aug. 30, 2019

5.1 K: 29:24.40

5.1 K: 26:12.36

Total 10.2 K: 55:36.76

It's been a while since I ran last. My last post is dated Aug. 19. I hadn't run for 11 days! Why? The reason is I had a serious pain in the ball of my right foot. There was a thick blister that had been bother me for months. And after the last running session, I finally decided to do something about it. I bought this over-the-counter medical tape from a local drugstore, and applied it on the blister. It's supposed to make the dead skin soft, and eventually come off. 

A few days after the application, a layer of dead skin did come off, and it appeared that the area was going to heal. But then under the removed dead skin appeared yet another layer of thick skin which looked like a mini callus. My heart sank in dismay. I put a small piece of medical tape on in, and a couple days were about to pass when the area suddenly started hurting. I removed the tape. Under it appeared an area which turned white because of some agent in the medial tape. It looked thicker than before. But it wasn't soft. It was, in fact, hard, and didn't appear to be easily peeled off. And it hurt! 

I panicked. If the pain remained, I wouldn't be able to train. If I couldn't train, I would be able to prepare for the race in mid September. 

I immediately stopped applying the medial tape, and left it at that while putting kinetic tape on it for protection. 

A whole day passed. The pain didn't completely go away, but it somewhat receded. I decided to go for a short slow jog in shoes. 

As soon as I hit the road, though, the pain that I had left while walking, seemed less distracting. I increase pace to find out a slight increase in pace didn't bother me so much. 

I continued to run at a comfortable pace, and since I didn't feel any major pain, I decided to run a negative split by injecting pace in the second half. 

 In the final K I increased cadence and put on a spurt. When I stopped my Ironman at the finish, I realized that I ran almost 3 minutes faster in the second half.

It's almost an hours now since I got home from the run. The pain that I didn't feel much while running probably because of adrenaline rush is back. It's amazing that now I must limp just to go to the kitchen from my room, and yet that while running pain was largely manageable. It's one of many wonders of mind-body!

3 Sets by 6 K Pace Run @ 4:55/K Pace

Aug. 19, 2019
6 K: 27:23.21
Rest: 1:30.08
6 K: 29:25.26
Rest: 1:30.23
6 K: 29:36.59
Total 18 K:1:29.25 

Yesterday I aimed for 18 K, but gave up after running only 6 K. Tonight I was determined to make up for it.

I got out in running socks by Oleno.

It's been a while since I wore them last. The running socks by Oleno are made with a durable material, and do not easily rip. They lasted for about three months before I got my first hole in one of them. It's equivalent to about 15 times of use. It means each use costs 252 yen. It isn't very cheap, in my opinion. I wish it had lasted much longer. But my running form was probably not so efficient back then. There must have been a lot of friction with the road. If I get a brand-new pair now, they will probably last much longer as I am more accomplished as a barefoot runner now.

Tonight I aimed to run 6 K three times @ 4:55/K pace with a short rest between sets. My target time for the first two sets was 29:30, and that for the last set 27:30. But I ended up running the first set the fastest, the second set a little under the target, and the last a bit over the target.

I got two bloody blisters in my right toe. What does that tell you? Well, by wearing sock for protection, my running form was slightly off. To be more precise, I kicked the road more than usual to gain momentum. It's not good. Forward movement should be created by smooth shifting of the center of gravity into the direction I'm going.

Anyhow there is a big callus on the ball of my right foot, and it's bothering me. I will continue to wear something while training to keep it from getting worse. Now I have two blisters in the toe, so I will be wearing split-toe minimalist shoes MUTEKI this week. Hopefully, the callus will have been gone by my first race on Sept. 15.

Barefoot 6 K Pace Run

Aug. 18, 2019
6 K: 29:28.99

In order to run a sub-3.5 marathon, I must run each K in 4:55. I need be used to this pace. And I need to be able to repeat the lap 42 times. Tonight I ran at that pace for 6 K. My pacing was nearly perfect. But I was drenched with sweat. Repeating it five more times seems next to impossible at least now. But the race day is in early December. The temperature will be a lot lower. It won't be this tiring.

Tonight I was originally planning to run 18 K, hoping to run the last 6 K @ 4:30. But I ran out of gas. It may be due to the speed training I did in the morning. Also, I had a little too much to eat for dinner, especially too much fiber. 

Tomorrow I want to do pace run again. But I'm also interested in doing 6 K repeats with a short rest between sets, where I run the first set in 30:00, the following two sets in 29:30, and the last set in 27:30. This way I can reset my motivation after each 6 K run, and can have a go at another with renewed motivation. I'm not going to work out in the morning. I will run at night. I will save energy until then. 

Tire Throws & 190 M Sprints

Aug. 18, 2019

The day after the last 5-hour seminar for school teachers was over, I had the entire morning hours to myself. I got out in flip-flops and walked to the nearby park with my old tire in my right hand. 

There were only two people in the park, a son and father practicing soccer.

As soon as I got there, I took off the flip-flops, and started throwing the tire. I threw it 50 times forward, and the same times backward. I then jogged 3.5 K in about 20 minutes. Next, after taking a short break, I did tire walks. You hold up the tire above your head and walk for 30 seconds. Rest for 15 seconds and repeat. I did it 10 reps today. 

Finally after taking a break for about two minutes I wrapped up today's morning workout by doing 190 M sprints. I did 8 sets with a minute break between sets.

100 Tire Throws: 19:53.59

3.5 K Jog: 21:51.05

Tire Walks: 10 Sets by 30 seconds with a 15-second rest between sets.

<190 M Sprints>

1st: 34.02

Rest: 1:00.03

2nd: 35.69

Rest: 1:00.13

3rd: 33.50

Rest: 1:00.04

4th: 35.37

Rest: 1:00.25

5th: 33.74

Rest: 1:00.10

6th: 38.38

Rest: 1:00.03

7th: 35.09

Rest: 1:00.12

8th: 39.21

Total: 1:03:05

Pre-5-hour Seminar 30-Minute Barefoot Run

Aug. 17, 2019
5 K: 27:19.05
1 K: 3:40.64
Total 6 K: 30:59.69

Today I have the last of five 5-hour seminars held over a period of five days. It starts at 10:30 a.m.

So that I can make a good start, I hit the road to get my heart pumping and blood running.

I ran 6 K in bare feet. I ran a hilly shuttle course to get ready for the first official race of my 2019-2020 race season. It's held in September. It has an altitude difference of over 300 M between the start and finish point.

In the first half with the sun on my back, and in the second with it on my face, I had such a refreshing session.

To apply the advice by late Yoshio Koide who trained Sydney Olympics women's marathon gold medalist Ms. Naoko Takahashi, I injected the pace significantly in the last 1 K to run it in 3:40.64. I was a bit surprised how fast I ran, because I didn't feel like I was running that fast, which is a good sign.  A pace that used to be impossible to sustain for a kilometer has become not entirely unmanageable. I feel I'm getting stronger.

Hot Summer Night Hill Intervals

Aug. 14, 2019
3 K jog: 18:45.73
1st K: 4:25.39
Rest: 1:00.32
2nd: 4:18.76
Rest: 1:00.24
3rd: 4:23.63
Rest: 1:00.20
4th: GIVE UP!
2 K jog: 13:30.18
Revenge K: 4:19.56
Total 9 K: 52:44

After teaching a 5-hour seminar in Central Tokyo I came home in Chiba around 8 p.m. I had a light dinner, because I wanted to run. On the previous night I ran 10 K by running a 2.5 loop four times. But in the last K of the last two rounds I increased pace significantly. I didn't realize then but tonight when I went for interval training, a consequence of the surge was evident. I barely came under the target of 4:30 right from the first set. The following two sets went all right as I had warmed up after the first. But when I set off for the fourth after taking a minute of break, I felt so weak that I came to a complete halt after going only 20 meters or so. I gave up, because I was expecting to get up early the following morning to teach yet another 5-hour seminar. You got to get your priority straight. Work first. Training next.

I weakly started jogging back home. Ordinarily it would only take a few minutes before the heart rates come down to normal, but tonight I continued to feel weak no matter how slowly I ran. When I finally reached the park near my house, I had a choice between going straight home and doing another fast run, this time on a flat road. (Note the three sets I had done was on a hilly shuttle course.) 

I was hesitant for a moment, afraid that I might run out of gas before completing the full distance. But a second later I heard another part of me saying, "What the heck?" You have nothing to lose even if you give up halfway. It'd still be better than not trying and gaining nothing." Before I knew it, I found myself hammering down the road. As soon as I started running, I realized with dismay that recovery from the slow jogging was limited, and my legs remained as heavy as lead. But I pressed on. Finally I reached the finish line, and stopped my wrist watch. It said 4:19. Not the best time for the night despite running the flat area. But nonetheless I felt good about myself because I pushed myself beyond what I was easily capable of doing.

10 K Barefoot Run

Aug. 13, 2019
2.5 K: 14:32.61
2.5 K: 14:16.92
2.5 K: 12:53.41
2.5 K: 13:06.09
Total 10 K: 54:49.03
Ave.: 13:42.25

Intervals: 5 Sets by 400 M in 'Jikatabi' Split-Toe Shoes

Aug. 11, 2019

A couple of hours after having dinner I felt like hitting the road again. I wasn't in a mood to run a very long distance. But I definitely wanted to run longer than I did this afternoon.  I also wanted to run fast. My answer was 400 M intervals. If I run @ 3:30/K pace, I finish in 1:24. If 3:45/K, 1:30. And if 4:00, 1:36. I came under 1:24 in all five sets. Of course, it doesn't mean I can keep the same pace for another 600 M. But if I'm to renew my PR of 41:02 for 10 K, I should be accustomed to running under 4:05 per K. Once I get used to this speed, I should be able to rest less and yet be able to keep the same speed, and also be able to repeat it more often. 

Intervals: 5 sets by 400 M
Warm Up 540 M: 3:36.90 
1st 400 M: 1:16.50
Jog 400 M: 2:48.63
2nd 400 M: 1:17.72
Jog 400 M: 2:41.26
3rd 400 M: 1:17.26
Jog 400 M: 2:43.34
4th 400 M: 1:22.45
Jog 400 M: 2:52.96
5th 400 M: 1:22.73
Warm Down 940 M: 13:55.04
Total 5.08 K: 35:14.79

Tonight I ran in the split-toe shoes traditionally worn by construction workers in Japan. They are called 'jikatabi'. They are comfortable all right. But once I started running fast, they felt heavy. I'm afraid I'm used to running without shoes so much that even the lightest of minimalist shoes feel heavy for me. 

Post Solo Motorcycle Trip Barefoot Park Workout

Aug. 9, 2019

I came home from my solo motorcycle trip in northeastern Japan early Friday morning. I took a nap right away because I only slept for a few hours in the parking lot of a rest area on the Joban Highway, and I slept first on concrete, and later on the lawn with my protecting gear on because I was too exhausted to take it off when I got too sleepy to carry on with my ride. But a few hours of rest made me feel like a new man. After having a light breakfast of fruits and veggies, I changed into my athletic gear and hit the nearby park to do some exercise. I hadn't run for such a long time, and I just couldn't do without something to get my heart pumping. The following is my answer.

Warm up: 42.06
①
500 M jog: 2:50.04
180 M sprint: 33.09
②
500 M jog: 3:01.50
180 M sprint: 33.25
③
500 M jog: 3:16.36
190 M sprint: 36.98
④
500 M jog: 3:08.55
190 M sprint: 36.25
⑤
500 M jog: 3:33.20
180 M sprint: 38.02
⑥
500 M jog: 3:18.72
180 M sprint: 35.37
⑦
500 M jog: 3:55.33
180 M: 47.31
Rest in a shade: 5:05.81
<High Intensity Cardio: 4:28.37>
①Jumping Jack: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
②High Knees: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
③Jumping Leg Lunges: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
④Knee to Elbow Push Ups: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
⑤Jumping Knee Tucks: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
⑥Burpees: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
Rest in a shade: 5:00.21
<Body Weight Back & Core Workout: 10:40.37>
①Towel Row: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
②Crossover Knee to Elbow Plank: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
③Swimmers 1: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
④Knee to Elbow Plank: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
⑤Swimmers 2: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
⑥Marching Plank: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
⑦Prone Cobra: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
⑧Mountain Climbers with Bent Elbows: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
⑨Alternate Single Hand Plank: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
⑩Reverse Jack Knife: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
⑪Alternate Single Elbow Plank: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
⑫Swimmers 3: 30 sec + 15 sec rest
Total 53:20.79 

Barefoot Sprints: 180 M by 10 Sets

Aug. 11, 2019

Summer is perfect for high intensity cardio. It's wherever you go, and you get sweaty no matter how you try to avoid it. So you might as well get out and sweat on purpose by running like a mad dog in that scorching heat.

I did 10 sets of 180 M sprint in a nearby park. It only takes about 25 minutes, but it makes you feel like you'd rather be dead than alive toward the end of the training. Short, intensive, and effective, it's one of the best exercises you can do in summer, especially during summer vacation when you can so easily be unfit from overeating, over-drinking, and lack of exercise. If you don't have a park like the one in the picture in your neighborhood, you can just get out and hit the nearby road and run between two electric poles. It's as simple as that.  

<180 M Sprint>

1st: 33.92

Jog: 2:13.58

2nd: 31.46

Jog: 2:17.11

3rd: 30.36

Jog: 2:06.27

4th: 30.11

Jog: 1:34.94

5th: 31.92

Jog: 1:31.79

6th: 33.65

Jog: 1:52.22

7th: 32.31

Jog: 1:50.66

8th: 32.93

Jog: 1:30.86

9th: 31.24

Jog: 1:32.95

10th: 32.88

Warm Down: 3:49.42

Total 25:40.55

10 K Build Up Training

Aug. 2, 2019
2.5 k: 12:33.98
2.5 k: 11:54.47
2.5 k: 11:29.88
2.5 k: 10:44.30
Total 10 K: 46:42.63

How many different methods of re-igniting your motivation do you have? I've never counted mine, but as far as motivation management the more methods you have the better.

As a citizen runner, I've always thought that one easy way to stay motivated is to have many different course choices. Sometimes it's too boring to keep on running the same old course. Variety is the spice of life as the saying goes. When you feel sluggish, running a new course can be a motivation booster. Changing pace is another method.

Today, in addition to the methods I just mentioned, I discovered yet another way. That is to run a flat course at a slightly faster pace than usual a few days after high resistance training such as hill sprints or intervals. There comes a moment when you suddenly feel light, having recovered from the lingering fatigue resulting from high resistance training, you feel like capable of running a lot faster than before. And often you can.

Today I went for a 10 K build up. I ran a 2.5 k loop four times. I aimed at sub-4 marathon pace for the first lap, sub 3.5 pace for the 2nd and 3rd, and sub 3 pace for the last. The results are as shown above.

I ran in split-toe minimalist shoes above for minimum protection of my right sole. There is a callous (=thick dead skin) on the ball of my right foot, and it was bothering me a little. 

I started off at a comfortable pace, but when I checked my lap after the first round, I was a lot faster than my original target. I was a bit afraid that I was going too fast to increase pace later. But it turned out not too hard to steadily increase pace in the second lap, and keeping the same pace remained manageable through the third lap.

Then came the last lap that I was going to run the fastest. I increase the cadence and worked my arms more than before. Breathing became harder. I was afraid of running out of gas before a final surge. I didn't want that to happen. I always want to finish strongly. But if you relax too much, you cannot meet the goal. There is a fine line between relaxing too much and relaxing just enough to keep the perfect pace. I breathed through the nose to keep that perfect pace, because if you breath through your mouth, you can temporarily get more oxygen, but precisely by virtue of it you can get too fast to hold the right pace long enough. 

So I carefully controlled my pace by nose breathing. And when I turned the last bend and came into a 200 M stretch I finally switched to mouth breathing and put on a spurt. I took longer strides and swung my arms like a track athlete. The last 50 meters or so was run in complete oxygen debt. I was almost suffocated when I stopped my watch. But all the discomfort was soon forgotten when I saw 10:44.30 on my watch, which is well under my original target of 11:15.00.