Aug. 17, 2023
I've been training for the 39th Kyono no Oka 18.3 K Road Race. It's scheduled for Sept. 17. The training has been good overall. But it's been a bit irregular due to a number of factors. First, the extraordinary heat of this summer was too exhausting. I often chose rest over training. Secondly, I had an issue with my left hip joint in early August. I stopped running altogether and switched to cycling temporarily. Also, I had my summer vacation from the 10 to the 17. I gave priority to other things.
Thanks to the temporary break from running training, the hip joint is much better now. On the night of the 16, I went for a short run to see how my legs would respond. The response was good enough. I didn't feel any pain. So I am going to start my running training again. There is only one month left. Any injury after this point can be unrecoverable. I need to train carefully. I should not push too hard. The hip joint issue mentioned earlier occurred several days after I did significantly long runs. I didn't take baby steps. I suddenly increased my training distance from 10 K to 20 K. I wasn't patient. I guess I wanted to prove to myself that I could still do it. Well, I DID prove that I could do it. But with a price. And that is a price I wouldn't have had to pay if I had been more sensible.
Well, a lesson has been learned. I will be wiser in the remaining time till the race day comes.
My recent sessions are good examples. I was careful not to overdo it. The one on the night of the 16 was brief and easy. I chose the out-and-back 6 K course near my house. With 1 K remaining, I felt strong, so I added an extra route to run 8.7 K. I kept my pace in check. I adjusted my stride and cadence when running up hills. I went barefooted just to see how my soles would respond. They got slightly sore, but not too badly. They've been spoiled quite a bit after weeks of shoe-clad training.
The following night I went out for exercise again. This time I mainly walked. After a barefoot run, I wanted to rest my once-injured/now-basically-recovered left knee. But at the same time, I didn't want to give it a full rest. I'm sure my knee is better than that. A good long walk is my solution. However, a walk alone doesn't satisfy me completely. Its intensity is low. There is little challenge in terms of resistance either. So I took a route that allowed me to visit parks where I could do body weight muscle exercises like pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, and push-ups, using iron bars and swings. This enabled me to significantly increase the total number of calories burned in the session. They help me build the core strength needed to keep a good running posture.
Twenty-four hours have passed since the walk and park workout training session on the night of the 17, I feel my chest a bit sore. (Which is good. It's a sign that there were micro tears.) But that is a condition that doesn't affect running. So I am going to hit the road soon. It's cool outside now compared with a few nights ago. The mere prospect of being alone on the road thrills me. I love that awesome feeling of keeping the entire road all to myself in the still of the night in the pitch dark.
