Interval Training: 6 Sets by 1 K @ 4:25

Dec. 4, 2020

Warm Up 3.68 K: 20:54.42

Rest: 45.35

<Intervals>

1st K: 4:19.58

Rest: 1:00.36

2nd K: 4:16.12

Rest: 1:00.38

3rd K: 4:21.56

Rest: 1:00.47

4th K: 4:11.92

Rest: 1:00.33

5th K: 4:20.26

Rest: 1:00.49

6th K: 4:18.10

Warm Down 3.4 K: 20:40.32

Total 13.08 K: 1:13:09

I ran under the target of 4:25/K in all six sets. It feels awesome! It started feeling tough around the 5th set, but up to that point my body felt a lot lighter than before, and breathing was notably easier. I think it owes a lot to the completion of the 10 K tempo run the other day. 

8 K Midnight Jog in MUTEKI

Nov. 30, 2020

4 K: 22:53.48

Body weight upper body training:

3 sets by [arm hang oblique hold (20 sec) + 10 eccentric single-handed push-ups]

4 K: 22:33.68

Total 8 K: 52:47.91

I wanted to listened to the audio of some You Tube videos, so I recorded them on my IC recorder and listened to it while jogging. You feel so focused when you listen to something while running. It's the best time to learn, review, and re-enforce something important. I listened to one lecture on fitness by Jeff Caveliere, another on the importance of habit, which is Brian Johnson's review of a book entitled "Superhuman by Habit",  and yet another on the importance of power-posing by Amy Cuddy. 

10 K Tempo Run (Target=4:35/K)

Nov. 28, 2020

Warm Up 0.7 K: 3:57.02

2.5 K: 11:49.06 (+22)

2.5 K: 11:40.93 (+13)

2.5 K: 11:31.36 (+4)

2.5 K: 11:24.56 (-3)

Subtotal 10 K: 46:25.91

Warm Down 2.02 K: 11:24.56

Total 12:72 K: 1:03:17

The biggest limiting factor in self-development is self-doubt. The fear that you are not getting better for all your effort deprives you of motivation. The easiest way to prove you are wrong is to put yourself to a test, to do what you did in the past now and compare the results. As simple as that.

But that's easier said than done. One side of you is reluctant to do it, because it does not want to face the reality that you are not able to do what we were able to do in the past. It'd hurt your ego. But if you accept this side of you, and avoid facing the reality, there is no growth. The door to improvement is forever shut. 

So you need to listen to yet another side of you. It says, "What have you got to lose? After all, no single human being can continue to physically grow stronger forever. Even if you reach a watershed, and from that point on all you do is descent, there is no shame in it. All great athlete go through it" This is the realist side of me. I listened to it today, and decided to put myself to the test, whether I'd do it well or not.

The result? Better than I thought. I felt certain that my training is getting results. Slowly but surely I am getting strong enough to hold a faster pace longer. 

9.9 K Barefoot Jog & Body Weight Upper Body Training

Nov. 25, 2020

3.7 K: 20:15.18

Body Weight Upper Body Training: 12:55.24

Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Single-hand push-ups

3.7 K: 20:33.20

2.5 K: 13:27.44

Total 9.9 K: 1:07:11

I completed the first draft of a project whose deadline is next Monday. It will be checked by the boss, and needs revising after that. But nonetheless I am a little ahead of schedule. To celebrate the early completion I went out for a short barefoot jog. 

The road was wet from the rain in the daytime and felt chilly on the sole, but after running for a few minutes, both of the soles got numb to it. 

I did some body weight exercise in the park at the halfway point of the out and return course. I hit my upper body using the monkey bars and did some single-hand push-ups to hit the chest and core. 

I took a slightly different route to the park tonight. The road surface is a little smoother on the new route, but that adds to a little more distance, 200 meters or so. The slope is less steep than in the previous route. 

I ran a 2.5 K loop after running the out and return course to cover 9.9 K. The sole feels just a little bit sore, but I didn't get any blister mainly because the pace wasn't so fast. I checked my form carefully when climbing a hill. I tend to slouch when I get tired. I kept that in check, and push my belly forward and kept my torso upright. I also tried not to hop much, because that exhausts more energy than you should in your calves. In a short run, it doesn't cause much trouble, but in a marathon you end up paying a huge price in the last quarter of the race.  

Interval Training: 4 Sets by 1 K @ 4:25

Nov. 23, 2020

3.4 K Warm Up: 18:11.64

Rest :1:00.30

1st K: 4:17.46

Rest: 1:00.21

2nd K: 4:10.71

Rest: 1:00.38

3rd K: 4:12.94

Rest: 59.57

4th K: 4:10.48

Warm Down 3.4 K: 19:40.45

Total 10.8 K: 58:44.14

One important task of a big project was completed today. Also, I had a good mental rehearsal for an important seminar scheduled for tomorrow. I feel so good. To reward myself for accomplishing two of my top priorities for my day off, I went out for interval training. 

Though my legs were heavy from running at a fast pace the last quarter of the training last night, fatigue slowly went away as I warmed up. 

I finished under my target of 4:25/K in all four sets. I could have done more sets, but I decided not to, because I need to save enough energy for the event tomorrow, where I am going to facilitate a two-and-a-half-hour all English group session. 

14 K Barefoot Run

Nov. 22, 2020

3.5 K: 18:48.68

3.5 K: 18:11.32

3.5 K: 18:11.91

3.5 K: 16:50.97

14 K: 1:12:02

It's been 4 days since I ran last. In the previous training there was a brief body weight muscle training session after the first and third 3.5 K. Tonight I wanted to keep on running without any intermittent disruptions.  

I started off slowly. The legs felt heavy and breathing hard. I felt bad about not being able to run for the last few days due to preparation for an important corporate seminar. 

But once I hit the first 3.5 K the initial heaviness of legs was mysteriously gone. I kept on going almost in a metronomic tempo.

In the last 3.5 K I increased the pace to cover it under 17 minutes. More than half of this out and return course has poorly-maintained road surface, which prevents me from picking up the pace, but where the road surface was smooth, I surged like I do in a race, which resulted in one big blister in the right sole! But that's OK. It's one of those things. It happens all the time. It'll be all right in a few days, and the sole will have been toughened by then. 

Midnight Barefoot Jog Combined with Body Weight Muscle Training

Nov. 18, 2020

It was warm for the season. I dressed lightly. It's been a while since I last hit the road in bare feet. The course tonight is very poorly-maintained, and not very friendly to a barefooted runner. But nevertheless I went out without shoes, because I wanted to test my endurance. Or to be more precise, the endurance of my soles. 

As expected, much of the out and return course tonight was not comfortable to run on. But this discomfort is exactly what I asked for. Only outside the boundary of your comfort zone can you meet a stronger version of yourself. So I kept telling myself, I lapped the course twice to cover 14 K. 

Though 14 K is more than I usually jog for a daily routine, it didn't feel so long, mainly because the course is rich in undulation and landscape varies significantly along the way. 

Tonight I did some body weight muscle training in a park at the turn point of the our and return course. There are monkey bars there. I did pull-ups and chin-ups to hit lats, forearms, and bi-ceps. There is a significant amount of core engagement while holding a good hanging posture, also. 

I ate like a horse after coming home from training.

3.5 K: 20:27.87

Body weight muscle training: 7:16.08

3.5 K: 20:59.88

3.5 K: 20:29.58

Body weight muscle training: 7:48.16

3.5 K: 20:54.72

Total 14 K: 1:37:56