Park Workout: Jog + High Intensity Cardio + Jog

May 31, 2020

4.2 K Jog: 20:16.06

Rest: 5:21.99

6-Minute Non-Stop High Intensity Cardio: 6:26.85

Rest: 1:46.72

5 K Jog: 27:27.21

Total 9.2 K: 1:01:18 

Barefoot Hill Sprints: 10 Sets by 140 M

May 27, 2020

The moment I hit the road, I regretted doing so because I felt tension in my hamstrings, but I continued to run, hoping that greater discomfort of hill sprints would make me forget about it! And the strategy worked like a charm.

Warm Up: 2.3 K: 13:23.96

＜Barefoot Hill Sprints: 10 Sets by 140 M＞

This 140-M upward incline may not be the longest, but probably the steepest hill that I can find in my neighborhood. It's 2.3 K from home. It's a good distance. By the time I reach there I will usually feel sufficiently warmed up .

The road condition is not so good. There are rough areas here and there, but I consider it good, because it forces me to check my form more carefully. If the form is not good, it hurts. If it doesn't hurt, my form is probably not so far off the mark. 

Today I was determined to do 10 sets. But after 2 repeats my will power already started waning. It was tough. But after each sprint there is a brief active rest of jogging back down where I ran up. During this period, my willpower batteries will be slowly recharged, and by the time I hit the bottom of of the hill, once again I feel like I can attack it again. It's all mental battle, and how you can trick your mind to keep on going until you achieve the goal you set for the day. 

1st: 46.75

Jog: 1:42.75

2nd: 46.22

Jog: 1:47.50

3rd: 47.67

Jog: 1:42.84

4th: 46.25

Jog: 1:46.74

5th: 46.53

Jog: 1:42.92

6th: 47.82

Jog: 1:47.54

7th: 46.45

Jog: 1:41.49

8th: 45.80

Jog: 1:53.74

9th: 46.47

Jog: 2:05.20

10th: 48.59

**************

Jog: 5:33.20

Forearm Challenge: 3:52.20

Jog: 6:30.31

Total 7.12 K: 53:18.94

As soon as I got home, I hit a shower, and then had an awesome home-made dinner with lots of veggies and rich in protein. After dinner I went straight to bed and took a nap for a couple of hours. Those hours were a sheer bliss. When I woke up, I felt like a new man, ready to restart some creative work that I'd been doing before the exercise. 

 

Recent Training

May 21, 2020

Warm Up 770 M: 5:25.18
<5 K Build Up>
2.5 K: 12:47.24
2.5 K: 11:53.95
Rest: 2:00.17
1 K Fast Run: 2:15.73 & GIVE UP!!

May 24, 2020

4 K Barefoot Jog: 20:03.10
Rest: 3:45.25
High Intensity Cardio: 5:21.77
Rest: 56.91
4 K Barefoot Jog: 22:37.25

May 25, 2020
<Midnight 1-Hour Barefoot Jog>
11.7 K: 1:06:59
1 K: 3:58.89
Total 12.7 K: 1:10:58

Double Training: Late Afternoon 8 K Jog + Midnight 23 K Jog

May 17, 2020
<Late Afternoon>
4 K: 21:04.67
Rest: 1:21.99
Tire Throw: 60 times (13:02.07)
4 K: 22:37.19
Sub-Total 8 K: 43:41.86

<Midnight>
23 K: 2:22:58
Daily Total 31 K: 3:06:39.86

Double Training: 4 K Jog + 6 K Tempo Run @ 4:34/K Both in Bare Feet

May 14, 2020
<Afternoon>
Barefoot 4 K Jog: 20:27.71

<Evening>
Warm Up 880 M: 6:06.34
Rest: 45.79
Barefoot 6 K Tempo Run: 26:53.26   (Target=27:24.00)
Warm Down 880 M: 5:55.20
Sub Total 7.76: 39:40.59 
Total 11.76 K: 1:00:08

I finally did it!! I ran 6 K under 4:34/K pace! It's a small step, but a giant first step to running a sub-3.15 marathon. My next goal is to do it again, this time more effortlessly. The success tonight owes a lot to the interval training two nights ago. Thanks to running at a pace that's a lot faster than the race pace, breathing felt a lot easier, and my legs far lighter than in the previous training session of the same kind.

Midnight Intervals with a Mask On: 6 Sets by 1 K @ 4:13

May 12, 2020

Did intervals with the target pace of 4:13 per K. Finished under the target in all six sets again. This is the second consecutive success. Should I increase the challenge either by doing more sets or extending running distance after intervals? 

Warm Up 4.2 K: 23:16.05
Rest: 1:00.77
**************
<Intervals: Target=4:13/K>

1st: 4:04.15 
Active Rest: 1:00.33
2nd: 4:12.88
Active Rest: 1:00.25

3rd: 4:10.83

Active Rest: 1:00.57
4th: 4:04.85
Active Rest: 1:00.62
5th: 4:12.70
Active Rest: 1:00.57
6th: 4:02.62
**************
Rest: 1:00.56
Warm Down 3.5 K: 21:12.30
Total 13.7 K: 1:16:20

Midnight 23.1 K Jog in New Minimalist Shoes

May 8, 2020

22.1 K: 2:01:33
1 K: 4:05.09
Total 23.1 K: 2:05:38 

Bought a new pair of minimalist shoes for interval training. Test-ran in them for two hours. A bit tight around the left toe, but other than that they are comfortable.

Originally aimed to run just 10 K, 'cause I have an early start tomorrow, but felt good as I went along, so went for a half marathon.

Took a break at a couple parks for hydration, but other than that kept a steady pace except for the last K where I surged as usual, though I was not as strong as usual because running more than 20 K had already taken a toll on my legs.

Don't feel too exhausted for the distance I ran, mainly because the pace was easy. 

Barefoot Park Workout: Tire Walk 15 Sets by 30 Sec + 7 Sets by 100 M

May 7, 2020

Tire Walk: 15 reps by 30 seconds with 15-second rest between reps.

Walked with a tire held up over the head to hit shoulders, traps, tri-ceps, and core.  Easy at first, but then gradually became tough. Tri-ceps were the first to cry. They are small muscles. 

4 K Jog: 20:49.29

Rest: 1:00.33

<100-M Sprint>

1st: 15.59

Rest: 1:00.21

2nd: 15.70

Rest: 59.99

3rd: 16.16

Rest: 1:00.11

4th: 16.74

Rest: 59.99

5th: 17.33

Rest: 1:00.20

6th: 16.73

Rest: 1:00.18

7th: 17.77

Rest: 1:00.46

3.5 K Jog: 22:02.10

Total 8.1 K: 52:48.88

Did 100-M sprints. Not sure if a minute's rest is too short or too long. Seem to run out of glycogen fairly quickly after the 4th rep. From that point on, it's hard to increase speed. Didn't take a longer rest, 'cause I thought the effort to sustain the training in discomfort would improve endurance. If the focus is on speed, I should take a longer rest and go for a better time. Today the focus was both on endurance and speed but inclined toward endurance. I'm a long-distance runner, not a sprinter.  

Tire Walk: 4 reps by 30 seconds with 15-second rest between reps.

Did a tire walk from the park back home. The shoulders and traps were pumped like crazy to make me look like some brutal street fighter. 

Double Training: 6 K Tempo Run @ 4:34/K

May 3, 2020

Warm Up 900 M: 6:00.74
6 K: 28:36.42 (Target=27:24.00)
Walk 900 M

Almost 11 hours after doing 2-hour LSD, I did 6 K tempo run to improve my ability to keep my new target race pace even when fatigued.

The result? Far from achieving the goal!! I was very disappointed, because I successfully completed interval training two days before, and I was expecting to see some improvement. But then I realized that running training is a lot like learning foreign languages. There is no quick fix.

I always believe there is a great benefit when you push yourself hard when you are tired. That's exactly what I did today. I may rest completely, or slowly jog for an hour or less tomorrow depending on my mood.  I got one bloody blister on my right sole from the barefoot run earlier this morning. So there is no hard running. It may take a couple of days for it to heal. I may do exercise that I can do even with a blistered sole, like throwing a tire for instance. But the weather won't be so good, according to the forecast, so it may be something I can do from home.       

Barefoot 2-Hour LSD with a Mask On

May 3, 2020
19.7 K: 2:00:56

Ran for 2 hours without shoes. It was sunny and hot. Soon the road will be too hot to run on. Then I will need to limit myself to night runs when running barefooted.

Checked out a new course reaching the Kotehashi Park near Kotehashi High School. Looks like a nice park though I didn't get in to have a close look. Public toilets seem available. So is tap water. Can use it as a rest station while jogging.

The road condition wasn't particularly good in some parts of this new course. Had to tip-top for a while, or run on the painted center line when traffic was absent though I knew I shouldn't do it. 

Hadn't done LSD for a while because I prefer shorter, but more intensive training. But it wasn't bad, mainly because I was listening to "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tracy. His lecture is always motivational and useful. It reminded me how important it is to get on with the most important task first, rather than easier, but less important ones. Also, I was reminded of the importance of writing out your daily tasks first before starting anything. And that I'm just about to do.