Midnight Jog in MUTEKI

Dec. 17, 2021

I went to the Furumoto Orthpedic Clinic earlier in the late afternoon. I got my 5th hyaluronic acid injection in my recovering left knee. I had a brief conversation with my doctor friend. He says it's OK to run, but talked me out of running on the concrete road in bare feet. I promised not to. Not on training days at least. 

I hit a nearby park later at night. I ran with the split-toe minimalist shoes on. They are called MUTEKI. When written in Chinese characters, it looks like this: 無敵. It means "invincible". 

The mid-December night was very cold, especially when there were strong northern winds. I listened to Brian Johnson's philosopher's note lecture while running. 

There was a slight discomfort at first. But it soon went away as I warmed up. After running 4 K, I felt a minor discomfort in my right knee. I could have continued. But I decided not to. Getting the other knee injured was the last thing I wanted to do. 

I slowly jogged back home from the park. Brian's lecture was about making a good habit by making a mini victory. I decided to settle for a modest distance for tonight. Maybe next time I will run a little longer. I'll be careful not to make a huge step forward all at once. Intensity discipline is key to success, as sports scientist Stephen Seiler says in his TED talk, who specializes in endurance sports. 

Double Training: Midnight 12 K Run in MUTEKI

Jan. 25, 2021

12.05 K: 1:09:58

Seven hours after the park workout, I finished everything that I had wanted to accomplish for the day. To reward myself for the good job done, I went out for a night run. I ran the same course that I run for a 10 K tempo run.

All the roads were completely deserted. Not even a can was seen. I was the only soul breathing under the starry sky. It was freezing. But there was no wind. Nothing disturbed my lonely effort to become a stronger and more endurable version of myself. I love running in the still of the night...

I ran 8 K in the afternoon. Tonight I added 12.05 K more to it, which makes my daily total 20 K+. It's a good distance for a day about 12 weeks before the race. I want to gradually increase my daily training volume. First to 25 K. Then 30. Exactly one month prior to the race, I want to run more than the race distance of 42.195 K, not at one go of course, but in two sessions. I've done it before. I believe I can do it again. 

Midnight 12.6 K Run

April 15, 2020
11.6 K: 1:07:22
1 K: 3:56.78
Total 12.6 K: 1:11:18

Jogged for a little longer than an hour. It always feels good to hit a deserted road at midnight. Not a soul could be seen. Just me and the road. Carefully checked my running form as there was a slight stiffness in the right calf resulting from sprints on the previous afternoon. Ran a new 5.2 K loop that I had found on Google Map recently. It's a pretty treacherous course, rich in undulation and having some rough road surface in an area where street lamps are scarce.

Listened to commentaries from past Olympic races. Women's 10,000 M from the London Olympics, Men's 5000 M from the Athens Olympics, and so on. Visualized my favorite top athletes such as Hicham El Guerrouj, Eliud Kipchoge, and Kenenisa Bekele on the men's side, and Terunish Dibaba on the women's.  

In the last K as I often do, I put on spurt, identifying myself with those heroic middle-distance and long-distance athletes crossing the finish line for the gold medal in triumph!

Variety is the spice of life. This new course will hold my interest for a while for sure. It's got everything I want: a short steep uphill, long upward inclines, a short steep downhill, long downward inclines, flat straights, a U-turn, right angles, and bends. Will prepare me for all kinds of courses.