5,000m TT - Slightly Better

Week of July 17 ~ 23

7:32, 72.2km

Monday and Tuesday - 60 minute runs

Wednesday - Track workout 1200, 1000 x 2, 800 x 3, 400
4:50 (4:04 1000), 3:52, 3:53, 3:10, 3:06, 3:03, 87 (3 mins jog/walk after 12 and 10s, 2:30 after 8s)
Felt good on the 1000s and still fairly good on the 800s.
27C, 60% but didn't feel too hot.

Thursday - 90 mins
Friday - Rest, gym
Saturday - 13k with 2k x 3 in 9:10, 9:11, 9:13 (4 mins. walk)
Very hot (34C) but worked hard.

Sunday - 9:00: 30 mins. with my daughter, visiting from Singapore.
3:30: 60 mins.

July 24 ~ 30

5:28, 53.7km

Monday - 60 mins
Tuesday - resting for TT tomorrow, gym

Wednesday - 5,000m time trial
Wanted to go under 21:00, but ran 21:02.
Splits were 4:12/17/11/14/08
Felt pretty good - 2nd 1000 was too slow as I was following a guy and he slowed down. Went around him when I realized the pace was too slow. Kicked as well as possible on a very humid night (actual humidity 99%). 27C
Still have hopes of going under 20 on a cool day in the fall.

Thursday - 60 mins on stiff, heavy legs.
Friday - rest and gym
Saturday - Club trip to seaside town of Kamakura for a 9.8k run up in the hills. Very easy pace first 2k, then 3 2k loops each getting faster and pushing the uphills, then 2k back as best I could in the heat. It was very hot!

Sunday - 90 mins and legs didn't feel too bad.
Monday - 60 mins.
Tuesday - may do a short run in the morning if I have time. Leaving for Portland, Maine about 11:00am. Beach to Beacon 10K is on Sat. Aug. 5. Seems like the weather there is cool - around 20C/68F in the morning. Hoping for a good run.

2 Good Training Weeks

Week of July 3 ~ 9

8:06 running time, 74.4km

Monday - 90 mins.
Tuesday - 60 mins. + gym workout

Wednesday - Interval workout 1000m x 6 in the park because the track is closed for two weeks.
4:10, 3:59, 4:02, 4:05, 4:05, 4:00
26°C, 98% humidity (after a typhoon just missed Tokyo)
Warmed up the first one, then felt fairly good.

Thursday - 90 mins.
Friday - Gym
Saturday - 10k with 2k tempo x 2
8:40 and 8:45.
Felt just ok. Very hot - 34°C, in the shade.
Only did two to save my legs for the trail tomorrow.

Sunday - 2:11:13 running time of constant up and down a trail - 17.4k - with 8 others.
Going at an easy pace - walking (climbing) up most of the steep parts (of which there are a lot). The heat - 32° didn't make it easier, even though it's mostly in the shade. As always on this course, ran the last 2.8k all out - no steep parts but continual ups and downs.

Weight was about 59kg all week.

Week of July 10 ~ 16

6:10 running time, 61.1km

Monday - 60 mins.
Tuesday - Gym - need two days of rest this week.

Wednesday - In the park, 2000, 1000 x 3, 500 x 2
8:21, 4:02, 4:06, 4:02, 500s about 1:56
30°C and 77% humidity made for tough conditions. Felt ok and worked hard.

Thursday - 90 mins
Friday - Gym
Saturday - 6k tempo run in 28:09, which averages to 4:42/k
Well, it was hot - 35-36° (95-97F). Tried to keep pushing the pace.

Sunday - 90 mins. and legs felt pretty good.

Temperatures were 32 and above every day. Weight was about 59kg.

Sunday evening went to the annual samba festival in my town. Not of course, to ogle the girl dancers, but because I feel it's my duty as a good citizen to support the town's big event.

Sinusitis, Time Trial

Week of June 19 ~ 25

After having a cold, or probably some type of virus since colds don't last that long, I developed sinusitis on Wednesday. This occurs when you have a cold/virus, and your sinus cavities fill with fluid. Germs get into the fluid and the area becomes infected. The result is pain in the sinus area, the left side in my case, which can be quite intense. As it was on thursday, when it radiated all the way down to my jaw, causing my back teeth on the left side to be extremely sore - like, sore to the touch and impossible to chew on that side. I just kept popping ibuprofen until the pain was manageable.
Needless to say, I didn't run thursday or friday. By saturday it was not too bad, so was able to do a long interval workout of 4K, 3K, 2K at around 4:30-4:40 per k. I still had chest congestion and it was very hot as well.
Did an easy 90 mins. on Sunday, with some coughing and slight sinus pain.

Note: There are home remedies for sinusitis, like breathing in steam, but they don't work very well on a bad case. Antibiotics work, but I stay away from those. And it can last for many weeks. Hopefully mine won't, but one week later and I still have discomfort when I lie down - it's ok when I'm upright. Unfortunately, you have to lie down to go to bed.

Week of June 26 ~ July 2

Monday - 60 mins.
Tuesday - 60 mins. and gym workout.
Wednesday - 5,000m time trial, but I took it easy (23:21) because the big multi-club time trial is tomorrow.
Thursday - 5,000m time trial in 21:15. Not bad, but not particularly good. I felt ok, but just didn't have it to go faster. Had people to run with, too. I still have some chest congestion, so that might have been a factor, along with warm, humid weather. Not hot, though, it was at 7pm.
I hope I can run faster at the end of July, to set myself up for the 10K race on Aug. 5 in the US.

Friday - 50 mins, gym workout. Legs felt ok.
Saturday - 70 mins. including 3k x 2 at 4:39 and 4:37 pace. Felt ok, but legs a bit tired. Just after a rain, so VERY humid.
Sunday - 120 mins. A long, tiring run.
Totals for the week were 7:45 running time and 76.8km.
My weight is down to 59kg and staying there, so that's good.