Intervals: 3 Sets by 1 K @ 4:00/K Pace

Nov. 1, 2018
Warm Up 3 K: 20:23.32
Rest: 36.28
<Intervals>
1st K: 3:37.59
Rest: 1:00.15
2nd K: 3:47.02
Rest: 1:00.24
3rd K: 3:58.66
*************
Rest: 1:00.36
Warm Down 3 K: 22:04.12 
Total 9 K: 57:38.54

My personal goal today was originally doing six sets of 1 K @ 4:00/K pace, and finishing under 3:50.00 in at least two sets. The result is...I came under 3:50.00 in the first two, and came under 4:00 in the third, but got burned out there and couldn't go on. Is it a failure? I don't think so. I pushed beyond my limit, esp. in the first lap. I ran as if there was no tomorrow. This is something I didn't used to do before. In the past I would pace myself from the start so that I would be able to complete all six. Completing had a priority. But today I didn't care if I couldn't complete it. I just wanted to run fast! And I wanted to continue to do so till I got burned out. And burned out I did get. And that's OK. Next time I do it, I would like to run faster in the first set. And I hope to do it just one more set.

Hill Interval Training: 2 Sets by 1 K @ 4:00/K with One-Minute Rest

Oct. 26, 2018.
3 K Jog: 19:08.04
Rest: 52.32
1 K Fast Run: 3:55.97
Rest: 1:00.08
1 K Fast Run: 3:46.13
Rest: 48.11
3 K Jog: 19:23.11
Total 8 K: 48:53.76

I did intervals for the first time after Aqua Line Marathon 2018. I did two fast runs with the target lap of 4:00/K. I consider this as the pace required for me to beat my own PR for 10 K. Also, I did them on a hilly course, because the 10 K race I'm running next month has a hilly course. In both of the fast runs tonight I finished well under the target time. But I was completely out of breath after the second one, and couldn't go on any more. If I want to beat my PR, I need to do it at least 8 more! Even if I did it ten laps, that would not be equal to the race itself, because in the real race, there is no rest between sets. How would I be able to do ten, when I'm already completely burned out after two? Well, the longest journey starts with a single step. Tonight I only did two. But next time, I'll make it three or more.

Final Phase Conditioning: 1 K Interval Training

Oct. 18, 2018

2.5 K Jog: 14:30.88

1 K: 3:56.50

Walk: 1:28.49

2.5 K Jog: 14:07.94

Total 6 K: 34:04.81

Three days to go before Aqua Line Marathon 2018. Again, loosely following the training advice given in a book by ultra marathon former world record holder Mr. Takahiro Sunada, the training scheduled for tonight is interval training. The recommended number of laps is either one or two. I settled for just one lap, because I have a super early start tomorrow that is followed by a seven-hour corporate seminar. I could have skipped my training entirely, hitting the bed to give myself a longer rest, but I chose to do it, because I believed that sticking my original training plan would be a confident booster. And it turned out I was right!

By reducing the amount of warm-up by 25 %, I made the whole training session tonight manageable. When it was over, I was so glad that I didn't skip the training.

While jogging after the fast run, I felt so light, and stress-free. I ran 2.5 K in 14:07.94, and I felt like I could go on forever at that pace. Should I be able to do it in the race, by the way, my projected finish time will be approximately 3:59:18. 

Hill Intervals: 2 K + 2 K + 1 K

Oct. 4, 2018

It's 3:11 a.m. I'm at McDonald's in the Makuhari Rest Area on the Keiyo Highway about 13 K from home. I came here on my Kawasaki Vulcan S 650. This short midnight bike ride is a little reward for myself for accomplishing tonight's mission: 2 K + 2 K + 1 K intervals at 4:30/pace with a one-minute rest between runs. 

Just as usual, I started the training tonight with jogging. But instead of doing intervals on a flat course, I did them on a hill shuttle course. Me legs were heavy from high intensity cardio workout last night, but I pressed on, hoping the slight discomfort would dissipate as I continued to train. I ran all the way to the halfway point of a 6 K shuttle course, turned around, and ran back 1 K to cover a total of 4 K in 25:11.97. Then I began the first 2 K session immediately without a rest. The course begins with a slight upward incline, not so steep at all, which lasts for about 100 M. The it dives down suddenly and keeps on going down for about 200 M. Once it hits the bottom, it goes up again, and stays that way for about 100 M, and starts inclining downward and stays that way for about 100 M. That's the first half of the course. And for the remaining half, the first 300 M is a long, and not too steep upward slope. And once you reach the top, it's all flat, and that continues for 200 M. That's the first half of the 2 K course. The remaining half is just going back where you came from. I hammered down the downward slope, ran economically with shorter strides when going up, and adjusted my breathing when running on flat areas. In the following log you find the laps for all of the three fast runs I did tonight:

Warm Up 4 K: 25:11.97

2 K: 8:35.98

Rest: 1:00.01

2 K: 8:47.52

Rest: 1:00.16

1 K: 4:10.27

Warm Down 3.65 K: 24:00.00

I finished under the target time in all three fast runs. I'm glad. After all, the initial discomfort that I had felt in my legs were soon forgotten once the fast-run sessions started rolling. I was so into it there was room for a petty physical concern. 

Tomorrow I'm hoping to jog for an hour in bare feet if there is no pain in my feet. They seem a bit over-trained so I need to be careful not to overdo it. If slight discomfort remains, I will rest and recover so that I can do some quality training on the weekend.  

Three Weeks Before Aqua Line Marathon 2018

Sept. 27, 2018

It's been four days since Road Race Chikura 2018. And it's also three weeks to Aqua Line Marathon 2018. Ever since I ran my last full marathon in Sakura last March, I've been loosely following this training regimen recommended by former ultra marathon world record holder Mr. Hirotaka Sunada. It's a combination of jogging, intervals, pace run, and LSD. I do not strictly follow his recommendation, because I find it too challenging for my aging body. Instead I have set some priorities. Interval training is one of them. It's a fast-paced 1 K run repeated certain times with a brief active rest between runs. I'd tried several different kinds of intervals before trying his. But in the one recommended by Mr. Sunada, the rest between sets is brief: only one minute. Before trying his approach, I would usually take a two-minute rest between sets, but the target pace was faster: 4:00/K. And I did minimum seven repeats, sometimes ten, or even thirteen. In Mr. Sunada's regimen, the number of sets is six, and the target is a lot slower: 4:30/K. But when I did it, it was more challenging than I thought. I was surprised to find out that although the target pace is not so challenging, that you can increase the challenge of the training by reducing recovery time. I was drenched with sweat when I first completed six 1 K repeats the way he recommended.

As the race comes nearer, Mr. Sunada gradually introduces slight alterations. For example, what used to be six 1 K repeats becomes a 3K + 2K + 1 K session. The target pace and the recovery time remain the same. When I first did it, I couldn't complete it. First, in the first 3 K session, I could make the target time of 13:30.00. I remember it was 13:45.XX or there about. Then during the next session, the 2 K one, I gave up, because I couldn't stand the metabolic challenge that was new to me. When I tried it for the second time, although I completed it, I fell behind the target time either in the first 3 K session, or the following 2 K session. I was still not strong enough to face the new challenge. But at the third time around I was finally able to meet the target in all three.

The 3K + 2K + 1K session was then followed by a 5 K + 1 K session. A mere prospect of running such a long distance at such a fairly challenging pace (for me at least!) without a rest made me feel nervous. But to my surprise, I met the challenge at the first attempt. I realized that I had become strong enough to do it while I was struggling to complete the previous program: 3K + 2K + 1K. I deepened my trust in Mr. Sunada's system.

Anyhow, back to talking about tonight's session, it was 2K + 2K + 1K. I began with a light 20-minute jog. And then after a brief active rest I started intervals. The first 2K was OK. I came under the target time of 9:00.00.  But I felt rather weak, not so much in terms of physical condition; but rather in terms of motivation as I mentioned earlier. I didn't feel focused. But while I was on a break, I kept saying to myself those words by German poet Goethe: "Just begin, and your mind grows heated. Continue, and the task will be completed." Only action ignites motivation. 

The lap for the second run was better although I was still fighting with low motivation while running. The better time in the second session gave me the motivation to do the last run. The time was well within the target of 4:30.00. I was glad. 

I walked back home to drop a bottle of water, and hit the road again for a warm-down jog. I was originally planning to run just 20 minutes, but I felt good, so I extended the distance just a little to run 4 K in 24:32.39. Find the details of my training tonight below:

Jog (3.4K): 21:15.61

Walk: 4:10.24

1st 2K: 8:51.48

Active Rest: 1:00.15

2nd 2K: 8:26.70

Active Rest: 1:00.20

Last 1K: 4:00.24

Walk: 3:49.49

Jog (4K): 24:32.39

Total 12.4K: 1:17:06

Again, I met the target in all three fast runs. I feel glad. But it was never easy. The biggest challenge was motivation. I found it hard to maintain it. It was mainly because I was still a bit burned out from the Road Race Chikura. I ran an official half marathon entirely without wearing shoes. There was a great feeling of achievement. But that created a temporary vacuum in my motivation. I probably needed a complete rest for a while, but with another race coming soon, my mind was not completely relaxed. I hadn't completely been refreshed. So while I was running the 2 K, I was constantly thinking about food, not the run. I guess I was trying to motivate myself by thinking about how to reward myself. I do that sometimes, but the intensity was incomparable tonight.

Thursday Night Intervals: 5 K + 1 K

Sept. 6, 2018

Thursday night is interval night! With only ten days remaining before the first race in my 2018-2019 race season, I did 5 K (4:30/K)+ 1 K (4:30/K) intervals for the first time in my life. I was so nervous before I did it that I felt my stomach contract a little at a mere prospect of doing this feat (to me at least). But once I started off, I was so focused on completing the mission that all my anxiety immediately evaporated. I finished running 5 K well under the original target of 22:30.00. And I finished the last K under 4:00.00. Overall, it was an awesome practice run that helped me build confidence for the race.

Tomorrow I may go for a slow jog if I'm in a mood. If I feel fatigued, I will skip training, and recharge my body's batteries for a long pace run on the weekend.

The details of the training tonight are shown below:

Warm Up 3.5 K: 21:24.82

Walk & Rest: 5:22.38

5 K: 22:11.41

Jog & Rest: 1:00.11

1 K: 3:58.43

Walk & Rest: 4:00.11

Warm Down 4 K: 25:30.38

Total 13.5 K: 1:23:27

Thursday Night Intervals: 3 K + 2 K + 1 K

I did intervals after jogging for twentyinutes.

It's 3 K, one-minute break, 2 K, and another one-minute break, and 1 K.

Target pace is 4:30/K in all three sessions. The target time for 3 K therefor is 13:30. That for 2 K is 9:00.

Tonight for the first time I came under the target time in all three:

3 K: 13:07.68
Rest: 1:00.60
2 K: 8:45.71
Rest: 1:00.15
1 K: 4:05.95

I was so happy that I jogged a little longer after the intervals than I originally planned. I ran 26 minutes instead of just 20 minutes, and ran 4 K instead of just 3 K which is how long I ran for warm up.

Tonight I ran 13 K in total, six of which are from the intervals, and seven are from jogging.

Tomorrow I will jog 6 K. And this weekend I am going to skip training, because I have other priorities such as hosting a friend from Australia and going for a drink with my runner friends and so on. But hopefully next Monday I will run 25 K to make up for the absence of training on the weekend.

Double Training: Total 19 K

I ran 6 K in bare feet this morning in 37:05.38. I also had a practice run in the evening after coming home from work. Together they made double training.

In the evening session I did intervals. I began with a 20-minute jog as usual. After a brief break of 2:32.14, I started off for the first fast run: 3 K @ 4:30/K pace. Should I be able to keep that pace, I will finish at 13:30. But it took me 14:08.69. It means I ran each K at an average pace of 4:42/K. It's far slower than what I aimed at. It's probably because I controlled the pace too much, because last time I did intervals, I did the first 3 K run too fast, and ran out of gas in the middle of the following 2 K run. I didn't want that to happen again. So I tried to save the energy to survive throughout the entire three runs. And I ended up saving too much.

But thanks to the slightly slow pace in the 3 K run, the following 2 K run after a short break for one minute was good. I ran it in 8:54.85 while the target was 9:00.00.

The last ran was 1 K. And although the minimum target is 4:30/K, I'm supposed to kick if I can, trying to go beyond my limit. But as soon as I set off, my legs were heavy due to building lactic acid. I wanted to cry with frustration, but I grit my teeth and carried on, and in the last stretch leading to the finish, I kicked, taking wider strides than before to increase the pace. My watch said 4:14.19 when I finished. At least I came under 4:30. I was glad I didn't give up.

After taking a short break for 2:14.40, I jogged for 20 more minutes to warm down.

So I ran 6 K in the morning, and in the evening jogged 3.5 K, ran 6 K fast (intervals), and jogged 3.5 K after that. So the total distance has reached 19 K today. Not bad.

Tomorrow I will jog for an hour or so if I'm in a mood. If I feel fatigued, I will do some stretching and skip running training to save energy for the weekend.

Thursday Night Intervals

It's that time of week again! Thursday night intervals. I was a bit hesitant to do it at first, because I have a corporate seminar starting at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow night, and I should take a good rest for the event. But at the same time I want to keep the promise I have made with myself. So I decided to do it.

The training began with a 20-minute job in split-toe minimalist running shoes MUTEKIs. I had some water after this warm-up run, and walked to the nearby park to do intervals. Tonight's target is 3 K, 2 K, and 1 K all at 4:30/K pace. If I finish in 13:30, my goal is achieved. Last week when I did it, I came back in 13:45, 15 seconds later than the target. So I ran the first lap around the 880 M loop a bit faster than usual. I felt strong because I gave myself a full rest for two days after a 30 K run on Sunday. I maintained the pace and finished the first two laps at a brisk pace. Then I got into the 650 M inner loop to lap it almost twice to cover 3 K. Slowly it became harder to maintain the pace, so I slowed down a little to save some energy for the final kick in the last lap. When I stopped my watch, it said 12:37. That's 53 seconds faster than planned. I ran at 4:18 pace. I was glad. But then the effect of the faster pace immediately showed in the next 2 K session. As soon as I started running after one-minute break, I couldn't pick up the pace at all. I knew a minute was too short a rest to enable a fast run. I decided to give up at 650 M from the start. Instead of carrying on, I chose to do a wrap-up jog twice longer than usual. I ran 6 K in 35:53 without shoes.

The intervals were a miserable failure, but I ran 12 K with a good fast 3 K run in it. I'm not overly exhausted after the training. I'm sure I will wake up tomorrow morning, feeling great.

Thursday Intervals: 3 K + 2 K + 1 K

Thursday night is interval night. Today I did something I had never done before: 3 K + 2 K + 1 K. The biggest challenge, of course, is that you need to keep the target pace of 4:30/K three times without taking a rest after each K. Also, after running the first 3 K, you move onto the next 2 K run with only an interval of one minute, not any longer than when you run 1 K six times with a rest of one minute between laps. Finally, you try to run the last K as fast as you can, instead of just trying to finish under 4:30.

I began with a 20-minute jog in MUTEKI, minimalist split-toe shoes by Kineya. Then after a short rest I began the intervals around the 880 M loop, and the 650 M loop inside the larger one. The laps are shown below:
3 K: 13:46.55
Active Rest: 1:00.13
2 K: 8:56.88
Active Rest: 1:00.24
1 K: 4:16.57
Total 6 K: 32:10.76

In the first 3 K run I fell short of the 4:30 target by almost 5 seconds for each K. But that's expected. It was my first time. My body wasn't used to the challenge. But the second run, which was 2 K, was good. I came under the target of 9:00.00. The last run, which is 1 K, was even better. I came almost 14 seconds within the target. Someday I hope to come under 4:00.00 after doing the first two runs in longer distances.

After the intervals, I took off the shoes and jogged barefoot for twenty minutes. It was the most refreshing and pleasant part of tonight's training session. Nothing can beat the overwhelmingly liberating feeling of running without shoes.

Thursday Night Intervals: 6 Sets by 1 K

Thursday night is an interval night. I jogged for 20 minutes in split-toe minimalist shoes MUTEKI to warm up, and after that went to a nearby park to do intervals around a 880 M loop around the park and an adjacent block. The target lap is 4:30/K. The interval is 1 minute. The results are shown below:

Jog: 20:00.00

1st: 4:15.56

Jog: 1:00.26

2nd: 4:15.42

Jog: 1:00.10

3rd: 4:18.79

Jog: 1:00.18

4th: 4:22.99

Jog: 1:00.01

5th: 4:18.22

Jog: 59.99

6th: 4:11.95

Walk: 3:47.84

Jog: 20:00.00

Total 13.4 K: 1:14:30

Tomorrow I hope to jog for an hour or so if I'm in a mood. If I don't feel recovered, I will take a rest and recoup for a long run on the weekend.  

Thursday Night Intervals: 8 Sets by 1 K @ 4:30/K Pace

I did intervals after coming home from work. I did the first jog and intervals in Baretrek. And I did the last jog in bare feet. I'm too exhausted to write anything else but the lap for each K.

20-Minute Jog: 3.2 K
Intervals:
1st Lap: 4:28.84
Jog (120 M): 1:00.22
2nd Lap: 4:14.02
Jog (120 M): 1:00.50
3rd Lap: 4:19.34
Jog (120 M): 1:00.32
4th Lap: 4:27.70
Jog (120 M): 1:00.15
5th Lap: 4:18.39
Jog (120 M): 1:00.27
6th Lap: 4:23.62
Jog (120 M): 1:00.28
7th Lap: 4:22.45
Jog (120 M): 1:00.33
8th Lap: 4:10.87
Jog (380 M): 4:00.91
20-Minute Jog: 3.6 K
Total 16.02 K: 1:26:03

Thursday Night Intervals: 1 K by 7 Sets

Thursday night is interval night. I got straight home after work without stopping by the Ohedo sushi restaurant. As soon as I got home I changed into my running gear. Tonight I put on a pair of Baretrek. They are minimalist running shoes made by Tesla with little cushioning. They are designed for Westerners' feet, and very narrow. They are a bit tight for me, but not to the point of being uncomfortable.

I began my training tonight with a 20-minute jog to warm up. I ran very slowly mainly to check my running form. When it's done, I took a brief water break and walked to a 880 M loop around the park near my house. I run around it once and run extra 120 M to cover 1 K. The target time for each lap is 4:30. I then jog back to the starting point. The interval between laps is one minute. I did it seven sets. That is one set more than usual. I finished under 4:30 in all seven sets. In the last one I finished under 4:00. The details is shown below:

Warm Up: 20:00.00
Interval: 4:00.00
1st lap: 4:17.35
Interval: 1:00.10
2nd lap: 4:22.41
Interval: 1:00.16
3rd lap: 4:23.60
Interval: 1:00.13
4th lap: 4:21.48
Interval: 1:00.21
5th lap: 4:25.17
Interval: 1:00.11
6th lap: 4:22.35
Interval: 1:00.33
7th lap: 3:51.51
Interval: 4:00.70
Warm Down: 20:09.49
Total: 14.7 K: 1:20:00

Tomorrow night I will jog for one hour in bare feet. On Saturday I will give myself a rest. And on Sunday I'll have a go at a 25 K pace run at 4:55/K pace in bare feet.

Intervals: 1 K by 6 Sets

Thursday is interval day. So I was planning to go home early to hit the road. But then I got new reading assignment from Boss, so I worked extra one hour. By the time I got home, I felt stressed out, and wasn't in a mood for running. But knowing motivation only rises from action, I threw my feet into MUTEKI, my minimalist split-toe sock-like shoes, and slowly started jogging. After jogging for twenty minutes, I felt warmed up. So I decided to do what I was originally scheduled to do: 1 K by 6 sets intervals with one-minute jogging between sets. The result of the training tonight is shown below:

Jog: 20:00.56
Rest: 5:28.58
1st K: 4:33.19
Jog: 1:00.14
2nd K: 4:17.87
Jog: 1:00.07
3rd K: 4:18.92
Jog: 1:00.17
4th K: 4:26.27
Jog: 1:00.31
5th K: 4:24.80
Jog: 1:00.24
6th K: 4:28.07
Rest: 2:00.11
Jog: 20:00.61
Total 13.6 K: 1:18.59

I was still sore from muscle training I did yesterday and this morning. Much of the nutrition seems taken away to fix micro tears in the muscles targeted in the training. I didn't feel that my legs were sufficiently fueled as I went through the sets. Hopefully, I'll have fully recovered by the weekend so that I can do a long run either on Sunday or Monday.

Intervals: 1 K by 6 Sets @ 4:30/K Preceded by a 20-Minute Run @ 4:55/K

I did intervals after coming home from work: 1 K by 6 sets @ 4:30/K pace. I ran for 20 minutes to warm up at sub 3.5 marathon pace of 4:55/K. I got back home after that to take a pee break. About seven minutes after the warm up run, I went to the park near my house and used a 650 M quarter-pie-shaped course around the park to do the intervals. My butt was sore from doing leg lunges two days before, and my condition wasn't good. I almost gave up after the third lap. But I decided to stick to my original target of 6. I was going to jog for another 20 minutes to warm down. But when I finished the 6th lap, I was totally burned out, so I called it a day. After taking a shower, I felt like a new man. The result of the intervals is shown below:
1st lap: 4:14.62 
Rest: 1:00.28
2nd lap: 4:39.64
Rest: 1:00.33
3rd lap: 4:33.32
Rest: 1:00.28
4th lap: 4:37.77
Rest: 1:00.13
5th lap: 4:23.76
Rest: 1:00.14

6th lap: 4:27.28

I ran 6 K in the morning. I jogged 4 K before the intervals. And I ran 6 K in the intervals. So today's total running distance is 16 K. Not bad.

Intervals: 1 K by 7 Sets Preceded and Followed by a 20-Minute Jog

Last night I didn't feel like running presumably because I was still a bit sore from upper body muscle training I had done two mornings before. Tonight I finally fully recovered from the fatigue, so I decided to do intervals instead of the regular 6 K run usually scheduled on Wed. night.

I ran 20 minutes at 4:50/K pace. It's a lot faster than my usual pace of the short run before the intervals.  I had a bite of some sponge cake once I got back home, had some water, and walked to the nearby park where I always do intervals. The target pace was 4:30/K. The interval was one minute. Keeping the right pace and keeping the interval short are both important, but my mind was more on improving the bio-mechanical efficiency of my running from. The laps tonight are shown below:
1st lap: 4:17.46
Jog: 1:00.34
2nd lap: 4:23.49
Jog: 59.97
3rd lap: 4:31.29
Jog: 1:00.13
4th lap: 4:20.77
Jog: 1:00.12
5th lap: 4:21.49
Jog: 1:00.21
6th lap: 4:21.01
Jog: 1:59.98
7th lap: 3:57.15

Ever since I started doing intervals with a one-minute rest, I had been doing only 6 laps, but tonight I did an extra lap with a two-minute rest before it, because I wanted to run at a faster pace at least one lap. I finished slightly under 4:00. I was out of breath, but felt good.

The warm-down jog after the intervals was begun after resting for 6:45.47. I ran at a brisk pace, but slightly slower than the pre-interval one. But this one I ran barefoot. The sole was a bit sore after doing the intervals, but it only helped me become more careful with my running form. With nothing to protect the sole, any instance of inefficiency inevitably resulted in discomfort or pain. Tonight I think I did a pretty good job of avoiding both discomfort and pain. I feel like I'm slowly but surely mastering the art of barefoot running.

Intervals: 6 Sets by I K @ 4:30/K Pace With 20-Minute Jog Before and After It

I did intervals tonight. They are usually scheduled on Thursday night. It was Thursday yesterday, but I went out for a drink at night because it was the night before a hour-day holiday, so I skipped running training. Today I made up for it. The result is shown below:
1st Set: 4:26.17
Jog: 1:00.17
2nd Set: 4:25.23
Jog: 1:00.18
3rd Set: 4:28.90
Jog: 1:00.21
4th Set: 4:23.19
Jog: 1:00.24
5th Set: 4:26.25
Jog: 1:00.30
6th Set: 4:31.53
Total: 31:42.37

I ran in split-toe minimalist shoes MUTEKI. 

I jogged 20 minutes before and after the intervals to warm up and warm down respectively.  

I also did high intensity cardio using an old car tire in the afternoon tonight.

https://youtu.be/oWNq6Jf27RM