Too Damn Hot

Week of July 19 ~ 25

Plan: 25/20/25/15/20/35 = 140km
Ran: 25/17.2/30/15/30/0 = 117.2km / 73 mi. 10:42

The week got a bit screwed up by trips on Friday and Sunday, and the HOT weather.
By the way, the temperatures I give are all in the shade. I don't even want to know the heat in the sun. They are on my own thermometer, but FYI I just read that "official" temperatures are measured at a height of 2 meters, above GRASS. Since most of us spend most of our time outdoors on asphalt or the like, actual temperatures are much hotter. If the weather report says it's 33C out, you're actually baking in 38 or 40 degree heat if you go out. And kids and dogs closer to the ground are even hotter! Good to keep in mind....

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
11:30 - Weights and core at the gym.
1:00 - 10k in 28:57/28:03. Legs stiff. 34C/93F
5:15 - 15k. 1:20:20. 28:52/26:41/24:47 @5:47/20/4:58 Tired going out but then felt ok last 5k. It cooled off to 32C/90F!

Wednesday
1:30 - 8k in 45:57 @5:44. 34C Pressed for time, but felt too hot to run more.
7:30 - at the track. 800/1200/1600/1200/800/400
3:25/4:57/6:40/4:53/3:10/93 (jog 200m after the 800s, 400m after the others).
1600 @ 4:10/k, others a bit faster. Legs ok, not running hard. Last two barefoot. 31C/88F

Thursday
30k. 2:32:51 @5:06
Knew I would not be able to do a long run on Sunday, so wanted to get a bit of extra distance.
27:32/26:33/26:11/24:46/23:53/23:54
@5:30/18/14/4:58/47/47
Felt ok after 5k and better after 15k. Stopped for water 5 times and drank a lot. Still lost 1.2kg/2.6lbs.
Time: 4:30
Weather: 33C/91F > 31C/88F 40%
Shoes: 182g. Running in light shoes is nice.

Friday
15k. 1:23:04 @5:32
28:28/27:30/27:06 @5:41/30/25
Legs stiff and tired, but not sore. Thought it would be 5:40 pace all the way, so not bad.
No time for gym in the morning.
Time: 5:00
Weather: 32C/91F 40%

Saturday
Planned 10/10, ran 10/20.
9:30 - 10k 29:50/28:46 32C/90F
4:00 - 20k 1:57:56 @5:54
30:28/29:54/29:08/28:15
Legs tired, hot! Did well to pick up last 5k and finish. Tough run, even though mostly in the shade.
34C/93F > 32C/90F

Sunday
Rest
Went out in the afternoon. Planned 15 in the morning, but legs were too tired and it was too hot.
Will run Monday, although next week I will cut back to 100k or less. Have a time trial on Wednesday and a run in the hills on Saturday (so no long run on Sunday).

140K With Two Good Runs

Week of July 12 ~ 18

Plan: 25/20/25/15/25/30 140k
Ran: 25/20/25/15/20/35 140k / 87 mi. 12:48

Finally got to 140k! Which is much more satisfying to say than 87 miles.
And felt good at the end of it!
Only running in light shoes these days, and with no insoles. Feels good, no problems.

Monday
Rest (So important - gotta have a rest day!)

Tuesday
10:00 - 10k 30:34/28:43 @5:55/k (24C/75F, rain)
11:30 - weights and core at gym
4:00 - 15k 1:15:54 @5:03
26:22/24:39/24:54 @ 5:15/4:57/59
Felt real good after 4k warmup. Had to force myself to run slower than 4:50. Two runs are better than one on easy days. The one in the morning is kind of a slog, but the one in the afternoon feels great.

Wednesday
11:00 - 12k 34:33/33:28 @5:40
7:30 - 8k 400 x 4 x 3 sets
1:48/39/39/39/39/42/32/29/36/33/35/24
Running easily, legs felt fine. Last two barefoot.
Club divided into 6 groups of 6-8 people, everyone enjoyed the workout.

Thursday
4:00 - 25k 2:03:51 @4:56
5 x 500m hills in the middle.
27:41/26:16/23:34/22:09 @5:32/15/4:42/26
Middle 5k of hills was 3 up hard, 2 down hard.
Up - 2:16/13/13/41/49 Down - 2:34/34/36/1:54/56
Last 5k was 4:30/30/30/26/15. Didn't think it would be so fast! Quads felt ok.
This was a good workout.
Weather: 28C/82F, 55%
Weight: 60.1kg

Friday
11:00 - weights and core at gym
4:30 - 15k 1:24:52
29:03/27:52/27:56
Legs tired, as expected, from yesterday. Very hot day, but cooled a bit, with a breeze, from 4:30
Weather: 31C/88F > 28/82, 55%
Weight: 60kg. I seem to have come down from around 61 to 60.

Saturday
11:30 - 20k 1:56:27
59:30/56:56 @5:49
Legs tired, very hot. 2 water stops.
Wanted to run 10/15, but had to go out in the afternoon.
Along Tamagawa Josui (shady, next to a stream), so distance not quite exact. I should map this carefully on Map My Run.
30 > 32C/90F, 50>40%
Weight: 60kg

Sunday
3:30 - 35k/21.7mi. 3:17:25 @5:38
29:30/24/16/04/28:28/26:30/25:04
Tamagawa Josui. Total distance and splits approx, but very close, esp. first and last 5k.
Legs felt ok and surprisingly good last 10k. Tired last 5k, but quads ok and could run 5min kilos.
Wore Nike fuel belt and drank lots - refilled all four bottles.
Weather: 31C/88F > 27, 45% > 60%
Weight: 60.9kg (bigger than usual breakfast and lunch)

I will try another 140k week, then cut down the following week.

Not 140K But a Good Week

Week of July 5 ~ 11

Plan: 25/20/25/15/25/30k 140k / 87mi.
Ran: 25/19/25/15/22/30k 136k / 84.5mi. 12:31

Too tired on Sunday to add an extra 4k!

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
10:30 - weights and core at gym.
4:00 - 25k. 2:08:21 @5:08
28:16/25:57/25:06/24:34/24:26
@5:39/12/01/4:55/53
A progressive run without trying to!
First 5k WU, then felt ok. Last 10k not pushing, felt slower than 5:00. Drank no water, was ok.
Weather: 28C/82F, 60%...humid!
Weight: 60.7kg
Shoes: 210g/7.4oz Nike Cage2

Wednesday
10:00 - 10k very easy 30:30/28:44 Typical morning shuffle.
7:30 - 9k with 1000m x 6
4:43/27/25/25/29/18 (200m abt. 3:30 in bet.)
Actually felt pretty good - cruising easily. Last one barefoot, also 600m jog.
Temp. was comfortable.

Thursday
4:00 - 25k 2:15:37 with 5 x 500m hill
29:04/28:43/26:06/26:03 @5:49/45/13/12
5 500m hills in the middle (after 11.4k) - Up: 2:35/33/31/25/21 Down: 2:41/39/39/41/30
Legs tired going out (and hot). Stretched for 4' after 10k and felt ok on hills. Expected 2:35 each one, but got faster. Drank water before and after hills, Tired last 3k.
Weather: 30C/86F, 45%
Weight: 60.8kg
Shoes: 275g/9.7oz Biom

Friday
11:30 - weights and core at gym
1:00 - 15k 29:56/29:32/28;53
Legs very heavy and didn't want to try to go faster because hills Sat. and long Sun. Also very humid, with some rain.

Saturday
2:15 at Kamakura with Jay, Keren and Michael.
22k. 1:57
Distance probably a bit less, but about 15 mins of steep hills in the beginning.
Beach to Zushi Marina, up hill to "Beverly Hills", back to beach road, almost all the way to Enoshima (against the wind), back to beach. Hot but not brutally hot.
Shoes: 182g/6.4oz Nike Zoom Air

Sunday
3:30 - 30k. 2:44:02 @5:28
29:05/27:38/03/26:25/33/27:16 @5:49/31/24/17/18/27
Felt ok first 20k, taking it easy, but legs got tired last 10k. Thought I might add an extra 4k to make the week 140k, but too tired. (Adding extra k at the end of long runs almost _never_ happens.)
Water at 9k, 21k, 24.5k.
Weather: 28C/82F > 26C/79F 60%>80% But it rained 3 times, so why isn't it 100%?

Anyway, 136k is a good week (especially with the hills on Thursday), the most I have ever run.
I'll try for 140k next week....
Good running to you all.

5K TT and 35K Run

Week of June 28 ~ July 4

Plan: 0/25/20/0/25/15/35 120k / 75mi.
Ran: 0/25/20/0/20/25/35 125k / 78mi. 11:24
Had been having some pain in my left shin, although it's ok after warming up, so decided to take Thursday off (also due to an all-day business trip).

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
9:30am - 10k 60:17 Hot and very humid (27C/81F, 80+%) - like running in a steambath.
11:30 - weight machines and core exercises
4:30pm - 15k 28:42/27:18/26:01 @5:45/27/12
Picked up pace at halfway and felt ok.
Weight: 60.5kg
Weather: 26C/79F, 70%

Wednesday
12:30pm - 10k 29:40/29:00 Legs heavy and tired.
7:30pm - 5000m time trial in 19:19 3:52/52/53/53/48.
Legs felt really tired in the afternoon. Got to the track early and lay down for 10 minutes before warming up. (Yes, lay is the past tense of lie.) But after warming up and stretching I felt ok and got into a nice pace at 3:52 with 3 other guys and held it.
Shoes: 182g
Weight: approx. 60.3kg.
Weather: very warm but not oppressive - 25,6C?

Thursday
Rest

Friday
9:00am - 20K. 29:05/27:52/24:36/24:26 @5/49/34/4:55/53
Sluggish going out, but stretched for 2mins at halfway and was able to run back under 5:00 pace.
Not enough time to run 25k.
Weather: 25C > 28C/82F, 60%

Saturday
11:00am - 25k. 2:14:56 @5:24
28:20/27:13/26:16/26:10/26:56
Very tired last 5k.
28C/82F
Only needed to run 20k for the planned 120k week, but I guess I didn't realize that.

Sunday
3:15pm - 35k. 3:12:02 @5:29
28:10/27:42/34/29/14/03/26:49 @5:38/32/31/30/26/24/21
Felt ok first half. Hard rain at 18k, then steady rain, cleared last 3k. Legs tired last 10k, but held sub 5:30 pace and picked up last 2k - 5:20, 5:00. Hard, but not as hard as I thought it would be.
Drank 6 6oz. bottles of sports drink and water, ate 5 Gu Chomps.
Shoes - 240g.
Weight: 60.4kg
Weather: 31C/88F, 50% > 26C/79F, 75%