Recent Training: Intermittent Tempo Run

Combining jogging and body weight muscle training has been going well. I feel pumped as before. And insertion of muscle training after each short jog helps me reset my motivation to continue a slow run that is usually boring. 

Also, I discovered a new approach to tempo run. I'd call it 'intermittent tempo run' because it's a pseudo-sustained effort broken into several chunks. I accidentally reached this approach when I found it difficult to keep the target pace of 4:35/K when I reached 3.52 K. In the past I might have quit training altogether if I wasn't able to execute the planned training regimen. But tonight I switched to jogging to recharge my batteries, and when I felt strong enough, I re-started tempo run. When it became hard to keep on going, again I switched to jogging instead of just quitting the whole event. I'm not saying that this is the ideal way. I'm simply saying anything is better than total abandonment. This approach, incidentally, has an added bonus of gaining running volume. The jogging part doesn't feel like serious running compared with the faster part, so you end up running much longer than you originally planned to run by inserting jogging as an active rest between tempo runs. 

July 28, 2020

<10 K jog + body weight muscle training>

Warm up 600 M: 3:18.61

Body weight muscle training: 4:30.41

Lying pull-ups: 3 sets by 12 reps = 36 resp

Pike push-ups: 12 reps + 10 reps + 8 reps + 6 reps = 36 reps

2.6 K jog: 156:01.10

Body weight muscle training: 5:16.87

Lying pull-ups: 20 reps + 20 reps = 40 resp

Pike push-ups: 12 reps + 10 reps + 8 reps + 6 reps = 36 reps

2.6 K jog: 14:44.88

Body weight muscle training: 5:42.37

Lying pull-ups: 3 sets by 12 reps = 36 resp

Pike push-ups: 12 reps + 10 reps + 8 reps + 6 reps = 36 reps

2.6 K jog: 15:02.53

Body weight muscle training: 4:00.87

4 push-ups: 7 resp + 6 reps = 13 reps

Lying pull-ups: 20 reps + 17 reps = 37 reps

2.6 K jog: 15:04.90

Warm down 600 M: 3:36.87 

Total 11.6 K: 1:26:19

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

July 30, 2020

<Intermittent tempo run @ 4:01.08/880 M>

Warm up 810 M: 5:36.94

1st 880 M: 4:03.07

2nd 880 M: 4:01.96

3rd  880 M: 4:01.18

4th 880 M: 3:56.30

Active rest 1.3 K: 8:40.02

5th 880 M: 4:02.91

6th 880 M: 4:01.19

7th 880 M: 3.55.27

Active rest 1.3 K: 8:57.04

8th 880 M: 3:59.56

9th 880 M: 4:05.63

Active rest 1.3 K: 9:12.58

10th 880 M: 3:57.62

Warm down 810 M: 5:34.24

Total 14.32 K: 1:18:05

Midnight 10 K Barefoot Jog Combined with Lying Pull-Ups

July 27, 2020

My upper body had shrunken significantly over the last year, mainly because I reduced the amount of upper body muscle training to be lighter as a marathoner. According to some marathon trainer, one extra kilogram accounts for 3~5 additional minutes in a marathon. A bigger upper body simply means carrying extra weight that has nothing to do with leg action. So I trained less in terms of upper body. But then, quite predictably, that led to reduced basic metabolism, which made it harder for me to maintain my weight. It's especially hard when I'm busy with work, and cannot go for a long run. And extra weight, as I said earlier, inevitably leads to a slower marathon, which is the last thing I want. So I started body weight upper body exercise while jogging. I'm not sure of the total fitness benefit of the way I did what I did. But it at least made the training fun, and it was easier to stay motivated, because each time I came back to the park to do lying pull-ups, I kind of re-set my mind, and was able to go for another set of short jog, feeling refreshed.

Warm Up　600 M: 3:26.50

Lying Pull-Ups: 3 sets by 12 reps: 1:56.50

2.6 K: 15:52.63

Lying Pull-Ups: 2 sets by 30 seconds: 3:52.23

2.6 K: 16:36.53

Lying Pull-Ups: 3 sets by 12 reps: 1:59.18

2.6 K: 16:09.68

Lying Pull-Ups: 2 sets by 30 seconds: 2:07.62

2.6 K: 16.32.94

Lying Pull-Ups: 6 reps with eccentric phase extended by 4 seconds with a single arm: 1:10.81

Warm Down 600 M: 3:45.25

Total 11.6 K: 1:23:29

Sports Day Double Training: 6 K Barefoot Jog & Intervals: 7 Sets by 1 K @ 4:10

July 24, 2020 (Sports Day)

The Tokyo Olympic Games were originally supposed to start today. The Japanese government had shifted national holiday Sports Day to today from its original day in October to commemorate the occasion. The event, however, has been postponed until the summer of 2021. People in Japan celebrated the advancement of sports and health without the Olympics. But many TV programs and commercials as well as newspapers featured a good number of Olympians highly respected in the country, and I renewed my hope that the corona pandemic will be under control soon, and that the apex of all athletic events will be held one year from today as scheduled.

◆Afternoon Training◆

6 K: 34:13.06

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

◆ Night Training

Warm Up 600 M: 5:00.43

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

<Intervals: 7 Sets by 1 K @ 4:10>

1st: 4:00.33

Active Rest: 1:00.55

2nd: 4:06.13

Active Rest: 1:00.44

3rd: 4:11.13

Active Rest: 1:00.13

4th: 4:08.58

Active Rest: 1:00.94

5th: 4:09.96

Active Rest: 1:00.28

6th: 4:02.78

Active Rest: 1:00.13

7th: 4:03.09

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

Rest: 1:10.38

Warm Down 6.6 K: 43:51.10 

Sub-Total 14.1 K: 1:24:46

Today's Total 20.1 K: 1:58:59

Rainy Midnight 1-Hour Jog in Aqua Shoes

July 21, 2020

11.3 K: 1:05:11

My calves were stiff from the 10 K build-up yesterday. I wanted to go for a slow recovery jog. It started drizzling shortly before midnight. I hit the road in bare feet, but soon realized that the sole was still a little too sensitive from the fast run on the previous night, so just to be on the safe side I put on a pair of aqua shoes for minimal protection. 

In addition to running for recovery, I needed another reason to motivate myself, so I Googled a new course for a change. The new course is 11.3 K, and much of it overlaps with the roads I usually run. But there is a brief additional loop between 2.7 and 5 K. This loop is part of the course that I would run every month when I was in junior high. It was a monthly athletic event of my school. Back then I was on the tennis team. But the training was insanely tough. Some of it included long-distance endurance training. So many members had pretty good cardio. Many of us, including myself, would often run well. Not as fast as those on the track & field team, but not so far away.  As I ran that part of the new course, those memories were fondly remembered. 

Tonight I kept two things in mind:

1) leg turnover

2) breathing

As far as leg turnover, I aimed at between 180 and 190 per minute. Those are good indicators of running economically. 

In terms of breathing, I aimed at 8 beat, inhaling with 4 steps and exhaling with 4 steps. This is my norm for easy jogging.

Tomorrow I will take a rest. On Thursday night I am planning to run the same course again to check my cadence and breathing. Then on Friday, I would like to do intervals.  

Midnight Barefoot 10 K Build-Up

July 20, 2020

Warm Up 3.25 K: 16:29.02

<10 K Build Up>

2.5 K: 12:18.54

2.5 K: 12:01.22

2.5 K: 12:12.09

2.5 K: 11:32.40

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

Warm Down 3.25 K: 20:36.72

Total 16.5 K: 1:25:09

My previous training was last Tuesday. I hadn't done any running since then. I walked about 2 K yesterday. And I walked another 4 K this afternoon. But their athletic benefit is almost negligible. So had I done some regular running training in the past few days, I would have got straight into tempo run, but instead I did build-up. I started off at an easy pace, and increased the pace in the last 2.5 K. That worked. I kept a sub-3.5 marathon pace in the first 7.5 K and increased it to a near sub-3.25 pace in the last 2.5 K. 

Originally I was planning to do a tempo run at 4:35/K pace. But in the last two attempts, I failed. I felt I wasn't ready to maintain the pace for 10 K yet. The build-up training tonight is going to be a good temporary alternative until I become truly ready to tackle the tempo run at the more challenging pace.

Rainy Midnight Intervals: 7 Sets by 1 K @ 4 :10

July 15, 2020

Warm Up: 3.4 K: 20:05.80

Rest: 1:00.01

*********

<Intervals: 7 Sets by 1 K @ 4:10>

1st: 4:02.07

Active Rest: 1:00.33

2nd: 4:01.79

Active Rest: 1:00.25

3rd: 4:05.98

Active Rest: 1:00.20

4th: 4:08.28

Active Rest: 1:00.16

5th: 4:08.64

Active Rest: 1:00.35

6th: 4:07.07

Active Rest: 1:00.28

7th: 4:00.53

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

Warm Down: 3:6 K: 23:17.89

Total 14.5 K: 1:18:59

Rainy Midnight Barefoot 12.7 K Run

July 13, 2020

High Intensity Cardio: 10 Sets by 1 Minute

July 14, 2020

Rainy Midnight Barefoot 12.7 K Run

11. 7 K: 1:04:24 

1 K: 3:54.86

Total 12.7 K: 1:08:18

Rainy Day Tire Throw

July 9, 2020

Warm Up 3.5 K Barefoot Jog: 21:22.04

Tire Throw 60 times: 13:18.03

Total 34:40.07

It was raining when I got to the park. Not a single soul could be seen as far as the eye could reach. I was the only person there, not to mention the only person throw a tire.

I warmed up a little by running the 500 M track 7 times in a little longer 20 minutes. And after that I got straight to the tire throw.

I couldn't muster up the strength to give a big throw at first, and thought it's probably due to an insufficient carb intake. Excessive carb intake can quickly give you a few extra inches around your belly. But not enough is as bad. But I made up my mind to reach at least 60 reps. 

The lawn was freshly mowed, and it felt good on the naked sole. I reached the target in about 13 minutes, washed my feet with tap water, and got home. 

Had lightly grilled bonito, steamed edamame, brown rice, tomato, mushroom soup with chicken breast, okura, 'hijiki' seaweed, and poached egg. They all hit the spot, permeating throughout my body like the rain water gets quickly absorbed in the dry soil. 

Double Training: 6 K in the Afternoon & 13.8 K at Midnight

July 7, 2020

<Afternoon Barefoot Jog>

6 K: 36:50.25

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

<Midnight Barefoot 13 K Build-Up>

6.9 K: 38:35.31

6 K: 28:14.17

0.9 K: 11:00.00

Sub-total 13.8 K: 1:17:49  

Between 4 and 5 K is the hardest of the 6 K loop that I ran tonight. There are two steep hills that are extremely demotivating. Also demotivating is the first 10 % of the last K; the road is poorly maintained and the surface is rather rough. I need to slow down significantly. The best part is the last straight leading to the finish. The road surface is smooth, and it's slightly going down. I tried to make up for the loss in the previous K, but the gain was not enough to allow me to achieve the target of tempo run: 27:30. But I guess it's close enough, considering that I did some massive high intensity cardio & muscle training yesterday, and was not completely recovered. 

The daily total reached 19 K, thanks to a brief jog in the afternoon. 

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

Daily total: 19.8 K: 1:54:39

Rainy Midnight 10 K Barefoot Jog

July 3, 2020

10.5 K: 1:00:12

I ran in the rain with no shoes on. It felt awesome. I had no energy in the afternoon. The tempo run on the previous night took a toll on my whole body. I took a nap for a few hours in the late afternoon. I wasn't entirely refreshed even after the nap. But soon after dinner I finally felt like getting out to hit the road. 

It was raining only slightly when I left home. But as time went by, the rain got heavier and heavier. Soon puddles turned up across the road. But it didn't bother me at all as I was barefooted.

I felt light at first. But about 3 kilometers into running, I felt my internal organs, especially the cardio-vascular system, were still a bit fatigued. I slowed down and kept a comfortable pace. 

Looking back on it, I have been pushing myself a little too hard over the course of few months. The main reason is my new goal of running a sub-3.25 marathon (running a marathon under 3 hours 15 minutes). I raised the hurdle of intervals and tempo run, both of which are a must, of course. But then I made my jogging pace faster too. Now I realize that jogging is an important component of my overall training in that it is kind of an active rest between two hard speed sessions. So it's got to be easy. If it's not easy enough, my body continues to be strained, with little time for full recovery. 

I am going to use "jogging" in a more positive way. Hopefully, this will help improve my performance in the tempo run.  

Midnight 10 K Tempo Run in MUTEKI

July 2, 2020

Warm Up 880 M Walk

*********

<10 K Tempo Run: Target pace=4:35/K; Target lap for 2.5 K=11:27>

1st 2.5 K: 11:52.53 (+25)

2nd 2.5 K: 11:48.83 (+21)

3rd 2.5 K: 11:55.96 (+28)

4th 2.5 K: 11:43.31 (+16)

Sub-total 10 K: 47:20

Warm Down 3.38 K: 26:03.79

Total 13.38 K: 1:13.24

I did tempo run. I was originally planning to jog, but I felt sufficiently recovered from a long run three nights ago. But when I saw my lap in the first 2.5 K, I was shocked that I was running much slower than I thought I was.

I tried to pick up the pace, but I couldn't. I thought of giving up, but then if I did, quitting could become a habit. I went on. The lap continued to suck until the end. But facing a miserable self is an important part of becoming a stronger version of myself, so I kept on running until I finally reaching the target distance of 10 K!

Tonight I learned the hard way that I need at least two days of easy run between two challenging sessions, such as intervals, tempo run, and LSD.      

Rainy Night 10 K Jog in Aqua Shoes

July 1, 2020

11.7 K: 1:03:46

1 K: 4:04.16

Total 12.7 K: 1:07:50 

It was wow! Simply wow! No sooner had I hit the road than it started raining cats and dogs! For a moment I thought of heading back. But I kept on going until I covered the distance I had originally planned to cover.

In fact, running in the rain isn't as bad as you may think. It can be kind of fun. The worst part of a rainy day run is that you shoes get soaked. But I ran in aqua shoes tonight, which never absorb rain. It drains it because the sole is meshed.

Visibility was poor, which sucked. But that didn't cause much of a safety problem, because there was hardly any traffic late at night. 

I felt a bit cold when I started running, but when the body temperature reasonably rose ten, twenty minutes into running, I felt perfectly comfortable running in the ran, temperature-wise, except that visibility remained rather poor throughout the journey with rain drops covering my glasses, and sometimes falling straight into my eyes behind the glasses.

I kicked in the last K as I always try when I can, to run it in 4:04.