Midnight One-Hour Recovery Run

Feb. 11, 2021

11.4 K: 1:09:45

Two nights after massive hill intervals. Still not completely recovered. So took a short nap after dinner. When woke up, felt fully charged to get out and hit the road. 

The street was deserted. The stars were less visible than usual because of clouds. But thanks to them, the drop in temperature was limited because they trap the air underside of it. 

Ran in aqua shoes in the photo below. Removed insoles to allow myself to directly feel the impact of landing. Insoles are good for protection. But sometimes being too protective is not good for you. One down side is that your running form may be crooked. Why? Because when your feet are protected, it doesn't hurt much even when your running form is not good. On the other hand, running barefooted or in minimalist shoes with little protection allows you to immediately detect a slight glitch. I hardly ever get my legs injured, running barefooted, and that's exactly why I don't. When you are in bare feet or minimalist shoes, you simply cannot continue to run in a form that can lead to injury, because you get the immediate feedback of pain if something is wrong with your form.  

Tomorrow night I want to have one more easy run for an hour or so if I feel strong enough. But I'm not sure. I have a lesson until 10:30 p.m. I come home past midnight. I have an early start on Saturday morning. I must be at the office in Tokyo by 9:00. It takes minimum an hour and a half between home and the office. I may skip training and rest. If I skip training tomorrow night, my next training will be Saturday night. I'm going to have either another easy run, or a tempo run, depending on how strong I feel.  

Rainy Midnight 15.7 K Run in Aqua Shoes with No Cushioning

Oct. 22, 2020

15. 7 K: 1:29:38

My legs were sore from interval training on the previous night. So I decided to go for a slow jog to alleviate their tension. I wanted to run a course that I don't usually run. I did a significant amount of brain work throughout the day, and my brains craved for something novel. I Google-Mapped the course below. It's a 15.7 K loop except the first and last one kilometers overlap. 10 K seemed too short. 20 K seemed too long. 15.7 K seemed just right for a midnight jog.

I ran in aqua shoes with no cushioning. They are the same shoes in a different design that saw my PR earlier this past January at Tateyama Wakashio Marathon. They are super light. The sole is made of a mesh fabric and drains water immediately when it gets wet. It's cold when I step into a puddle, of course, because the water directly reaches my feet. But the shoes never get heavy, and dry pretty quickly. I usually have a huge advantage over shoe-clad runners when a race is held on a rainy day.

I love the feeling of running in shoes with minimum protection. I feel I am moving forward with my own effort. I feel reassured that with each step I take, I am getting stronger. My purpose of running is not improving my PR. Not that I'm not happy when I renew my PR. I do. But my primary purpose is to become a stronger version of myself. I want to be more endurable, both mentally and physically. I feel a tremendously amount of satisfaction when I become capable of doing something that I wasn't capable of doing in the past. Luck doesn't contribute to my feeling of satisfaction. Only constant effort does. So the minimalist shoes are one of the  indispensable elements of my fitness endeavor. 

I jogged at a comfortable pace tonight with particular attention to my cadence and running form. I think I watched both pretty well. 

I surged in the last K as it is recommended by late Yoshio Koide who coached Sydney Olympic Women's Marathon gold medalist Naoko Takahashi. It's not always easy to finish strongly because you get more tired the longer you run. But when you can, it feels great. It's a major confidence booster, and physically it feels awesome after taking a shower after finishing a long run with a strong kick. 

As always the case with all running training, it felt like shit before I began, but when it was done, I felt like I was in seventh Heaven.

Midnight 10 K Tempo Run in Aqua Shoes

June 11, 2020

Warm Up: Walk 770 M

<10 K Tempo Run (4 Laps by 2.5 K @ 11:22)>

2.5 K: 11:23.17 

2.5 K: 11:21.59

2.5 K: 11:22.82

2.5 K: 11:01.53

Sub-Total 10 K: 45:09.11

Warm Down: Jog 770 M

Total 11.54 K 

After doing intervals last Friday I gave myself two days of full rest before I finally felt recovered enough to go for a slow jog. But then after jogging two nights, I still didn't feel ready for another kind of speed training: tempo run. 

In fact, I needed to rest a whole day on Wednesday before I finally felt like it, feeling as if all the clouds were gone from the sky. It's funny, because it didn't come gradually. It came in a flash when I finished writing a syllabus for a new educational event. So I guess our body and mind are inseparably connected. Hence, caveman's mindbody quest!

I hit the road in my thinnest adidas singlet, and shortest adidas running shorts, 'cause I knew it's going to be a tremendously sweaty session.

I tried to go easy in the first set as I knew that as I went along, it would be inevitably harder with each lap. The goal tonight is running 10 K at sub-3.15 marathon pace, which is running 1 K in 4:33. Tonight's loop is 2.5 K, so the target for each lap is 11:22. The first lap was 11:23. Not bad. Only one second behind. 

In the second lap, I didn't increase the pace right away. I knew my pacing was right. I focused on my running economy and saved energy for the latter half. I paid particular attention to not being too bouncy. It takes a toll on your legs. The second lap was 11:21. Bang on time! So far so good.

As I was running the third lap, I was beginning to be surprised at how even each pace was. I wasn't trying to be. I hardly ever look at my watch. I only see it once after each lap. And that's it. And yet my body keeps hammering out the almost exact same time each time round. I figured my pace setting in interval training proves optimal. The third lap was yet again bang on time. I set off for the last lap.

In the last 1 K of the last lap I wanted to surge, so in the first half I ran economically by taking shorter strides, but slightly increased cadence. Running in wider strides allows you to gain speed, but exhausts a lot of energy, and you can end up running out of gas when you need it most. I mentally tricked myself by saying there is 1.5 K more to go when there is actually just 1 K left so that when the finish line is in sight, it looks a lot closer that you thought it would be. With 100 M to go, for the first time in the training tonight I widened my strides and rolled on to the finish! The watch says 11:01! The best lap for the night, and well under the target.

I slowly jogged back home, satisfied with the achievement. Interval training is paying off. I want to increase the number of sets from 6 to 7 next time. Hopefully this will enable me to complete a tempo run for a longer distance such as 12.5 or 15 K in the near future. 

I will continue to believe what Eliud Kipchoge's mantra: "No human is limited," which in my case may be more accurately put, "No old man is limited."  

10 K Tempo Run @ 4:55/K Pace

Jan. 19, 2019
750 M: 4:38.43
<10 K Tempo Run @ 4:55/K Pace: Target Time=49:10.00>
2.5 K: 11:44.25
2.5 K: 11:35.99
2.5 K: 11:48.68
2.5 K: 11:01.58
Sub-Total 10 K: 46:10.50
750 M: 4:42.78
Total 11.3 K: 55:31.71

Hooray! The last speed training has been successfully completed! And well under the target. I feel relieved.

I was originally planning to do it last night. However, I felt too exhausted to run right after I came home. I took a nap after dinner, hoping to get up around midnight to hit the road. Next time I opened my eyes, it was the following morning. 

I still didn't feel completely recovered from lingering fatigue, so I went to bed again and gave myself another few hours of sleep.

When I woke up again around 11:00 a.m., I felt refreshed. I changed into my athletic gear, and jogged to the start point of the tempo run.

I started off for the first 2.5 K run, aiming at 12:17.50. I came under the target. I eased the pace little in the second lap, but the time was faster. I was running faster than I thought I was. I dropped the pace significantly in the 3rd. But the lap was still well under the target. In the last 2.5 K, I no longer tried to slow down. Instead I maintained the steady pace, and surged in the last 500 M. 

Tomorrow night I am planning to do LSD for 90 minutes.

Midnight 12.8 K Jog in Aqua Shoes

Jan. 14, 2019
6.4 K: 38:44.27
6.4 K: 34:04.26
Total 12.8 K: 1:12:48

It was a productive day. I got a lot done. I went to the office a little earlier than originally scheduled. Once at my desk, I immediately got on with my top priority task. It's preparation of a 7-hour seminar next week. I re-wrote scripts for demo videos, and suggested re-video-shooting. Boss agreed. I requested cooperation from a few co-workers, and set a date for the job.

I got on with prep for another seminar as well. It's in the last week of this month. I still have time. The prep requires analysis of data, whose arrival I'm still waiting for. 

I practiced English listening by reading out loud a short passage on my way to work. And I did the same with a short conversation on my way home. Each practice is 30 minutes, so together it's one hour. I also listened to a lecture on time management by Brian Tracy while jogging tonight. He speaks on 21 keys to successful time-management. I haven't learned all 21 by heart yet, but I've already been practicing some of them. One of them is start working on the most important task no matter how difficult it is. Ever since I applied this method to my daily operation, I've been a lot more efficient than before. Time-management, according to Brian Tracy, all boils down to one thing: self-discipline. I like it. I truly believe the more disciplined you are, the more freedom in life you can enjoy. In fact, men's marathon world best record holder Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya says the same thing about self-discipline and freedom, and he's the best runner in the history of marathon running. I'm convinced it's true.

Tomorrow I'll do the last interval training before the race. I already feel so excited to do it, because I know I'll keep the promise I've made with myself. 

13.8 K Build Up

April 21, 2019

13.8 K: 1:12:49 (5:17/K)

Today is Sunday. I had plenty of time all to myself, so I began it with high intensity cardio after having late breakfast. 

Later at night I was finally in long-distance running mode, so I threw myself into running gear and hit the road. It was warm enough to run in shorts. I put on the pair of aqua shoes below for minimum protection of the sole.  

I ran the new 13.8 K course below. It's a slight modification from the 15.8 K course which is a combination of a 10.5 K course and a 5.3 K one. One advantage of this course is I have earlier access to tap water and a public toilet. They are important for a 10 K + run.

The course is rich in undulation.  I picked up pace in both downward and upward inclines, and slowed down to let heart rates come down when it leveled off. It kept me motivated.  

With 3 K remaining, I increased pace and kept it until the end, imagining that I was running the last 3 K of a full marathon. I always feel it's ideal to finish a marathon strongly by running the fastest split in the last quarter.

Tomorrow I take a business trip to Nagoya and give a seminar in Toyota City. I stay over night in central Nagoya and give another seminar on Tuesday. I'm not going to run on Monday night. But I'm going to run the same course on Tuesday night.

My training still roughly follows the program by former ultra marathon world best record holder Mr. Sunada, but I'm beginning to slowly push myself beyond my previous norm. I'm thrilled to see how far beyond it I can get.

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. 

90-Minute Jog in Aqua Shoes

April 7, 2019

15.5 K: 1:32:53

One week to go before Kasumigaura Marathon 2019. Still roughly following former ultra marathon world best record holder Mr. Sunada's program, I jogged 15.5 K taking an hour and 32 minutes. I ran in aqua shoes below.

This pair is highly recommended for minimalist runners. It gets you results. I ran Tateyama Wakashio Marathon 2018 in them, and ran my PR of 3:43:08 (net). The sole is meshed runner, so it protects your sole from edgy pebbles, but lets moist out, and doesn't get heavy even when running in rain. The upper is spongy, so it's elastic and never hurts your foot. A pair costs 1,000 yen or so. One usually lasts for half a year. They are quite durable. 

Tonight I combined my favorite 10.5 K course and a new 5 K loop in Yukarigaoka to make it a solid 15.5 K course, perfect for a 90-minute jog.

My weight is kept around 60 kg, so I felt very light. There is no pain in any of my leg joints. There is no back pain or anything. I've never had backache in my life, and I don't think I will for the rest of my life. Backache is largely psychosomatic. I've learned some major emotional causes of back pain, and I don't think I need to deal with those emotions by relying on physical pain. 

According to Mr. Sunada's program, you give yourself a full rest following a 90-minute jog, but I already gave myself a full rest on Saturday night, so I will jog for an hour, which is recommended for the day following the rest day. 

Post-Typhoon Half Marathon in Aqua Shoes

By 10:00 p.m. the typhoon had gone, and it had stopped raining. The air was cool and the streets were deserted. It was perfect for a night run. My soles were just a little bit sore from a 24 K run yesterday, so I hit the road in a pair of aqua shoes for minimum protection. 

I added two laps of a 650 M quarter-pie-shaped loop to my regular hilly 6 K shuttle course to make a new course that is 7.3 K in total. I ran it three laps tonight to cover half marathon distance. The result is shown below:

1st 7.3 K: 36:38.56

2nd 7.3 K: 36:56.68

3rd 7.3 K: 34:47.53

Total 21.9 K: 1:48:22 

I am glad that I ran the last lap the fastest of all three.