Meniscus Tear Rehab Midnight 10 K Jog in Minimalist Shoes

Sept. 15, 2022

5.1 K: 31:42.25

5.1 K: 29:51.04

Total 10.2 K: 1:01:33

I hit the road after work. My glutes, hamstrings, and adductors were a bit sore from weighted leg lunges on the previous afternoon, but I guessed that as long as I kept an easy pace, it would not bother me.

In fact, it did bother me slightly at first. But as I kept on running, the initial discomfort gradually became negligible. And about 45 minutes into it, there was a significant rush of some kind of natural pain-killer, be it β-endorphin or dopamine, I felt numb to all sorts of discomfort and soreness, and from that point on, I just kept on going like a locomotive.   

After I got home, I took a quick shower, and had a light meal consisting of tofu, natto, and brown rice. After the meal, as I was writing this blog post, I was engulfed with deep satisfaction. Can't wait to run again....

Midnight 10 K Jog

 Jul. 1, 2022

It was sizzling hot today. I waited until late at night for the temperature to come down to a level that's good for a run. But at some point I gave up 'cause the temperaure stayed rather high till around midnight. So, I just went ahead and hit the road while it's still hot and humid. 

I tried a new route to discover a new regular training course. I had a few conditions on my mind. One is I don't want to go too far from home. Two is I'm always close enough to a public toilet and tap water. Three is it's rich in undulation. In other words, it's not boreingly flat. 

As a result, I found out the out and return course shown in the map above. The farthest point from home is 3 K out, and it's still 2 K to the nearest convenient store. So, it's not too far. Much of the time I run around home. So, if I don't feel right, or nature calls, I can easily go home and take care of myself. I like the new course!

I am still in rehab mode, so I took short strides and ran very slowly, paying careful attention to my running form, especially to the alignment of the legs. My left foot tends to land slightly inward rather than straigntly downward. When that happens, the medial meniscus receives greater pressure than when the foot lands perpendicularly from the hip joint. So I kept that in check while running.   

Overall, the session was good. I felt exhausted toward the end though the pace was pathetically slow. But there is no shame in that. It's only natural. I've been away from running for so long. What I lost over a long period of time, I need to recover by spending exactly the same amount of time for it to be lost. I'm going to go slow. 

10 K Jog in Vibram 5 Fingers

Apr.26, 2021

5.1 K: 30:12.66

5.1 K: 28:43.62

Total 10.2 K: 58:57.28

With legs sore from a tempo run on the previous night, I had a choice between giving myself a complete rest and taking some kind of active rest. I went for the latter. The result? I feel awesome! 

As always, there was a slight discomfort in the right knee. But then once I ignored it as my sub-conscious' vain attempt to avoid training, it soon disappeared like water evaporates in mist... How mysterious! 

Once I settled into a steady pace, I just kept on rolling like a bird gliding in the sky. I love jogging a day after intensive training. 

Midnight 10 K Jog in MUTEKI

Feb. 23, 2021

0.5 K: 2:53.06

10 K: 55:47.20

0.9 K: 5:19.05

Total 11.4 K: 1:03:59

I ached all over from a forearm challenge yesterday. Afraid that inaction could make it worse, I went out for a slow run. I ran the same route as yesterday, but from the opposite direction. 

Running the same course twice from two opposite directions allowed me to fully analyze the variation in undulation throughout the entire 10 K distance. It would take a little while to come up with the best strategy to tackle this challenging course.

One downside of this new course is that there is one section where traffic is busy even late at night, and that there is one section that has garbage scattered on both sides. It's demotivating to run through a mountain of rubbish...

There are more twists and turns in the new course, and there are more traffic lights too. Maybe I'll simply go back to the original 10 K course and persistently tackle it until I can finish under the target with ease. 

Exploring a New Course (10 K Jog)

Feb. 22, 2021

0.5 K: 2:53.27

10 K: 58:39.55

0.9 K: 5:19.48

Total 11.4 K: 1:06:52

Google-mapped a new 10 K course, and test-ran it tonight. It was much richer in undulation that I thought. There is a very steep uphill near the end. Quite challenging to run it under 45:50.00 in a tempo run, but I want to give it a try soon.

10 K Jog Combined with Body Weight Muscle Training in the Scorching Summer Heat

August 3, 2020

As my birthday comes closer and closer, I feel a tremendous amount of energy well up from with in. Though the sun was high and heat was unbearable to most this afternoon, I found myself throwing myself into my running gear when I got a part of    a project finished, and marching toward the nearby park in flip-flops, which were soon to be taken off once I got there.

The park was empty except for a young man who was working on agility by maneuvering with quick steps through plenty of round yellow objects placed on the ground at regular intervals. He appears to be one of those people who enjoy training when most others don't. I felt slight kinship with the young man.

There is a little platform in the park next to the parking lot. As soon as I got there, I took of my flip-flops, put them on the platform, and set off for a jog. One lap around the walking track in the park is 500 M. My goal today is to 4 laps to cover 2 K and then do some body weight muscle training, and go back to run 2 K again, and then do another kind of muscle training, and repeat this cycle until I hit 10 K.

To make a long story short, it was good training. The details are shown below:

2 K: 10.55.89

Body weight muscle training (1): 20 jumping squats: 45.05

2 K: 14:16.66

Body weight muscle training (2): 20 hand-clap push-ups: 59.35

2 K: 11:42.47

Body weight muscle training (3): isometric training 10 reps by 3 kinds:1:36.14

2 K: 11:51.56

Body weight muscle training (4): crossover knee-to-elbows 20 reps by 2 sets:2:38.70

2 K: 12:28.46

Body weight muscle training (5): pike push-ups 12 reps + 10 reps + 8 reps +6 reps=36 reps: 2:17.43

Total 10 K 1:09:31

When I stepped on the scale after a shower, I weighed 61 kg. That's 1 kg lighter than my regular weight. I didn't feel light, but there seems to be some tremendous fat-burning effect in combining long-slow cardio with high intensity body weight muscle training. I think I should do it more often.

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

June 4, 2020

5.1 K: 28:29.57

5.1 K: 26:49.21

2.5 K: 11:47.79

Total 12.7 K: 1:07:06

Two days after a barefoot LSD I felt recovered, so I decided to go for a jog. There was a slight discomfort in the right foot after the previous training session, but it's gone, so I hit the road without shoes. But of course in a more positive sense I wanted that direct contact with the ground.

The streets were deserted. I saw tired office workers coming back from work only a few times, but other than that I kept the midnight streets all to myself. It felt good.

I opted for a 5.1 K round-trip course with a long slope right before and after the turn point. I run the course when I don't feel like to go too far away from home, but want to run at least 10 K. It goes round and round in a relatively small area to cover a long distance. It's also rich in undulation, allowing you to develop various running skills and develop cardio.

After reaching the turn point I picked up the pace a little, hoping to run a negative split, which I think I did successfully. 

When I got home, it was still within one hour, and I was still full of legs, so I went on to run another 2.5 K near my house, surging in the last K as is recommended by late Yoshio Koide, former coach of Naoko Takahashi who is the gold medalist in the women's marathon of the Sydney Olympics.

Overall I felt significantly lighter than before the LSD two days ago. Breathing was much easier. Keeping a brisk pace felt easier also. Tomorrow night I want to do some speed training. It will be either intervals or tempo run. Cannot wait.

Negishi Forest Park （根岸森林公園）

Feb. 11, 2020

Five days till the race. I'm in the tapering stage. It's National Foundation Day today. It's a national holiday. I have a day off.

I rode my bike in tandem with my bilingual companion to the Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama. She and I had buffet lunch at Fisherman's Market operated by Kirin

After lunch we went to Negishi Forest Park. They charge you 300 yen for parking a car for every two hours, but there is no charge for motorcycles. 

It was packed with families with kids and people with dogs. Some were playing catch. Others were kicking a soccer ball around. Yet others were putting their legs up and relaxing. Some even put up their tent here and there. Looks like it's allowed. 

I took off my boots and ran barefooted. It felt awesome. 

Negishi Forest Park is hilly. I ran up some hills several times. My heart rates were immediately raised, the heart pounding like a drum.

The sky was cloudless. The winds were a bit chilly, but the sun was strong, and it kept me warm enough even with my sweater off after ten minutes of jogging and hill sprints. 

After leaving the park, I dropped my bilingual companion off at JR Negishi Station, and headed back home, driving along the Yokohane Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, and later into the Wangan Line.

At night I jogged 10 K in aqua shoes. 

10 K Jog with Park Workout

Sept. 25, 2019

Since I did leg lunges on Monday my hamstrings and adductors had been so sore that it felt like I was wearing underwear made of tin. I almost skipped training, but then I remembered advice that Mr. Tetsuhiko Kin gave to senior citizen runner in NHK's running program. He said when your legs are sore from strenuous training, it helps to run slowly instead of skipping training totally. I applied his advice and ht the road. The result is...he was right. The soreness is almost gone. I no longer feel like wearing tin underwear!!

Jog: 8:09.80

<Park Workout 1: 3:51.00>

Hand-stand: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Dips: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Hammer Arm Hang: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Pike Push-Ups: 30 seconds

Jog: 15:55.51

<Park Workout 1: 4:02.64>

Hand-stand: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Dips: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Hammer Arm Hang: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Pike Push-Ups: 30 seconds

Jog: 15:40.43

<Park Workout 1: 3:48.39>

Hand-stand: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Dips: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Hammer Arm Hang: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Pike Push-Ups: 30 seconds

Jog: 15:15.48

<Park Workout 1: 3:40.01>

Hand-stand: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Dips: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Hammer Arm Hang: 30 seconds

Rest: 15 seconds

Pike Push-Ups: 30 seconds

Jog: 8:44.94

Total 10 K + 4 sets of park workout: 1:19:08

10 K Jog in Huaraches

July 14, 2019
10 K: 52:28.99

The day following a 20.6 K build-up session, I ran 10 K at a very easy pace just to relax the leg muscle and check the running from.

I ran in the huaraches above. Their cushioning is too soft and I don't like it. But the soles were a bit sore from the previous training, and I needed minimum protection to run 10 K without worrying about injuring them. 

I ran the 2.5 K loop above four times. It's almost completely flat, with occasional changes in undulation almost imperceptible. 

I was originally thinking of going farther. But then my desire to watch the Wimbledon final got better of me, and I called it a day after running 10 K.

10 K Jog

April 12, 2019

10.2 K: 1:08:35

Two days to go before the race. The training tonight is the last session before the race. The main purpose of jogging for about an hour is just to keep the cardio-vascular system nice and alert. The pace is strictly kept slow so that I won't get irrecoverably tired. 

I ran the 10.2 K shuttle course below, taking much longer than usual.

I felt hungry and weak while running. Then I realized that my carb intake was low today, so it's only natural. 

I kept a steady pace, and never increased it until I got home. Once I was home, I felt refreshed, and I was glad that I didn't take a shortcut to finish earlier than scheduled.

After taking a shower, I had vegetable soup, half an apple, a kiwi fruit, and a small baked sweet potato. 

Tomorrow I am going to take a full rest. I'm just going to come home early, eat good dinner, and hit the bed early to get ready for an early start on Sunday morning.

10 K Jog in the Rain

April 10, 2019

10 K: 57:28.47

It's four days until Kasumigaura Marathon 2019. It had been raining since morning, and the temperature remained low throughout the day. Most would cancel training, but I didn't. Mainly because rain wouldn't stop me from running in the race. Also, in Tokyo Marathon 2019 Japan's best record holder Suguru Osako dropped out due to cold weather because he wasn't trained under that kind of weather condition while college runner Horio ran strongly through the bad weather to be the first Japanese runner to cross the finish line. Later he said in an interview that he trained regardless of the weather, so the cold rain didn't bother him at all. I think it's important to be ready for all kinds of weather conditions even as a citizen runner.

I ran in aqua shoes above because they are the best choice for a rainy day run. The sole is meshed, so it drains water even if it gets wet. The upper is polyurethane. It blocks rain and keeps the foot warm.

I ran the 2.5 K loop near my house four times to cover 10 K. I aimed at a 6:30/K pace, but finished much earlier. I was afraid that running at too fast a pace could lead to unrecoverable fatigue, but the faster pace was produced spontaneously, not by some conscious effort, so I'd say it's OK.

I listened to an audio lecture by Robert Kiyosaki about financial intelligence. According to the lecture, there are five financial intelligences that you need to have to live in modern age. According to Robert, it's because money is no longer money because of some important event that occurred in 1971. Later I went online to find out he meant Nixon Shock, the most significant implication of which being that the US dollar stopped being convertible to gold. Further implications of this are beyond my scope of explanation, so let's leave it at that for now. But Robert says money became "currencies" at this point, and the act of "saving" became less important as a result. He goes on to say you need five different intelligences in order to increase your financial wealth. But my understanding is still too limited to give you a further lecture that is informative to you. I will continue my homework and hopefully some time down the road I will share with you something that you may find useful. 

My next training is tomorrow. I will do short interval training. It's going to be my second last training session before the race. 

HIIT & 10.5 K Jog

April 4, 2019
High intensity cardio
10.5 K Jog: 1:00:02

There are only ten days remaining before Kasumigaura Marathon 2019.  At this stage there isn't much you can do to dramatically improve your overall speed nor endurance. The only thing you can do is to best maintain your condition until the day of the race. One thing you want to avoid is training too much, and you end up feeling not totally recovered on the race day. So the longest distance I run is up to 10 K or so. And the longest time I run is max 90 minutes. Anything harder than that will be avoided to feel fresh and ready to go when the gun goes off.

Tonight I ran the course rich in undulation mainly to keep myself motivated. I increased pace when running slopes both going up and down to keep the training from being too monotonous. 

Tomorrow night I may jog the same route at the same pace, or may do a 10 K pace run. Or a 10 K build-up perhaps. I can benefit from all of them. I'll just do whichever I'll be in a mood for when the time comes.