Weekend 15 K Run in Vibram Five Fingers

I ran 15 K in Vibram Five Fingers today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbsSXZl4VDs
I was originally scheduled to run barefooted.
But the blisters from my previous training run hadn't completely healed,
so for the purpose of protecting the still slightly painful areas,
I decided to wear my Vibram for minimum protection.

Today's laps were as follows:
2.5 K: 11:46.60
5 K: 11:01.61 / 22:48.21
7.5 K: 11:06.41 / 33:54.62
10 K: 11:00.54 / 44:55.16
12.5 K: 11:07.62 / 56:02.78
15 K: 10:35.47 / 1:06.38

I'm glad I finished strongly just like in the previous training run,
with the final lap being the fastest of the six.

This marks the last of my distance based training.
Tomorrow I will jog for 30 minutes to relax my legs.
And the next major training run is next Thursday night.
It's going to be 1 K by 7 sets interval training.
It marks the beginning of my speed based training.
With or without shoes on, I haven't decided yet.
I will probably wear either MUTEKI or Vibram for safety
if I run at night,
and run without shoes if in the daytime.

So far I feel I am getting stronger with each training run
both in terms of cardio and leg strength.
There is no pain in any of my joints.
And I feel more refreshed than tired
even after running as long as 15 K at a good time.
I am thrilled to see how I will have changed
after completing all the interval training sessions
that are scheduled in the coming two weeks.

Thursday Night 12.5 K Barefoot Run

Mission complete!

I just came back from a 12.5 K barefoot run scheduled for tonight.

It was a satisfactory training run.

I was able to keep a good pace 

in all of the five laps (1 lap is 2. 5 K),

and finished strongly with the last lap being the fastest of the five.

I got two minor blister ruptures, and one new blister.

But they all appear not too serious.

Inside both of the ruptures there already developed new skin.

They were old blisters that had reabsorbed.

And the new blister looks small and is expected to reabsorb soon (I hope!).

The laps are as follows:

1st: 11:38.65

2nd: 11:06.34 / 22:44.99 (5 K)

Hydration break: 13.60 / 22:58.59

3rd: 11:08.39 / 34:06.98 (7.5 K)

4th: 11:08.90 / 45:15.88 (10 K)

Hydration break: 13.47 / 45:29.35

5th: 10:30.32 / 55:59.67 (12.5 K)

Next training is Sunday.

I am going for 15 K.

If the new blister remains painful,

I may put on "MUTEKI" or Vibram Five Fingers

to keep it from getting worse.

Thursday Morning Upper Body Workout

I woke up this morning to feel great.
It's been two days since I stopped having a late night meal,
and I always feel a big difference.
I feel much more energetic in the morning,
and motivated to work out.
Click the link below to check out the exercise I did
before breakfast.
You don't need to eat anything
before doing this much.
I will eat some fruits shortly,
and a major breakfast comes a couple of hours after that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8O-wJB4itc

Total Body Park Circuit Training

Thanks to stopping to eat late at night,
I felt totally refreshed and full of energy
when I woke up this morning,
so I went to a nearby park
to do some circuit training
to get my heart pumping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhUusoLAyjI

High Intensity Cardio: 1-Minute × 10 Sets

I did high intensity cardio after work:
1-minute by 10 sets.
I used to do it a lot,
but then I stopped doing it,
because long-distance running training became more important to me.
But I felt that I was losing muscle mass quite a bit,
which is an inevitable consequence of doing a lot of long slow cardio.
So just to see if I still can do now what I used to do a couple of years before,
I gave it a try.
To my pleasant surprise,
I completed ten sets only with a designated short break of 15 seconds
between sets.
Glad to see that my cardio is still of decent level.
I believe the intensity of my running training is high enough
for it to have been a substitute for the kind of high intensity cardio that I demo-ed tonight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTcbeWOKzEo

A Song I Like: "What Can You Lose?"

"WHAT CAN YOU LOSE?" from "Dick Tracy" (1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3-7BTQQjzs

What can you lose?
Only the blues
Why keep concealing everything you're feeling?
Say it to her, what can you lose?
Maybe it shows
She's had clues, which she chose to ignore
Maybe though she knows
And just wants to go on as before
As a friend, nothing more
So she closes the door

Well, if she does
Those are the dues
Once the words are spoken
Something may be broken
Still, you love her
What can you lose?

But what if she goes?
At least now, you have part of her
What if she had to choose?

Leave it alone
Hold it all in
Better a bone
Don't even begin
With so much to win
There's too much to lose

何を失うって言うの
たかが恋わずらい
何を失うって言うの
もうバレてるかも知れないし
なんども探りをいれたけど、スルーされた
たぶん分かって
今まで通りにしたいんだ
友達のままで
だから部屋に入れてくれない

もし部屋に入れてくれないなら
理由は君の言うとおりだ
言葉にした瞬間
何かが壊れることもある
それでも彼女のこと愛しているんでしょ
何を失うって言うの

でももし去ってしまったら
今のままなら少しでも一緒に居れる
無理に白黒つけなくても
放っておこう
我慢すればいいんだ
失うよりましだ
やめた
このままにしよう
試すだけ損だ

Monday Morning 5 K Barefoot Run in the Rain

On Monday morning when I woke up,
it was raining,
so after quickly making myself a bowl of ramen in salty and sour soup
and sharing it with Madam Fumiko,
I changed into my athletic gear and hit the road.
I ran 5 K barefooted.
A rainy day like today is perfect for barefoot running
for a number of reasons.

One, there aren't many people running,
so I can have the road all to myself.
The feeling of occupying my entire athletic territory is refreshing.

Two, it feels less painful.
When the roads are wet,
friction is minimum between the pavement and your sole.
I can avoid blisters and minor cuts.

Three, I feel less tired.
This is because the rain allows you to radiate body heat
more effectively than when you run in dry condition.
You stay cool throughout the run,
so you can keep a good pace more easily.

Today I ran a 1 K circular course 5 times.
The laps are as follows:
1st: 4:48.25
2nd: 4:47.46
3rd: 4:43.01
4th: 4:54.71
5th: 4:36.89
Total 5 K: 23:50.32

After the training run,
I hit a shower, did the laundry,
had a cup of coffee, and left home to meet my bilingual companion
to have dinner together.
I'm hoping to have something nutritious.