Minimalist Runner's Year-End 15 K Challenge: 20 Sets by [1-Minute Fast Run + 1-Minute Jog] + Jog

I did alternate runs around the Imperial Palace today. I did it with two of my runner friends. In the alternate run you run fast for one minute, and jog for one minute. Today we repeated it twenty times. We did the first ten sets without break. We then jogged for ten minutes for recovery; the other two runners were novices in this kind of training, and progression should be gradual. After jogging for about ten minutes, everyone was sufficiently recovered, so we started doing the alternate run again. I suggested doing it three more reps. Setting too high a goal could have been demotivating for first-timers. Three seemed manageable, so we aimed for it. When it was done, I suggested to my runner friends, doing it two more reps to make it all together 15 sets. They immediately agreed, because 15 seemed like a good number for them. So they tried it, and made it. We were all very happy with our achievement. I suggested jogging the rest of the way, and they agreed. They looked relieved that I no longer talked about the alternate run. But when we reached the highest point of the course, I asked them if they are ready for just one more set on a downhill. I said it would be much easier to do it when we were going down. They agreed, so we did it again. When it was done, I suggested doing one more set because we were still on a downhill, and they agreed it's less stressful to run fast down the hill. In no time we were done with the 17th set. I asked them if they wanted to call it a day, or if they were up for the challenge of completing 20 sets. They said they wanted to continue until the 20 sets. So we went on with the alternate run, and in exactly 6 minutes, we completed 20 sets of the alternate run. By the time we were finished we had lapped the circular course around the Palace twice to cover total 10 K. One of us had her daily target of running 15 K for the day, we went along with her for another lap to cover a total of 15 K. My friends looked excited about their achievement. I was very much impressed that they didn't give up until reaching the 20th set.

After the training, we went to an Italian restaurant on Corridor Street between Shinbashi and Yurakucho, and rewarded ourselves for the feat with a big fat dinner.