Today's Half 1:28:27, 4th in Age Group

Week of Nov 11 ~ 17
55.5km / 34.5 mi.

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
11:30 - Gym workout
2:00 - 12k with 4k warmup, 8k in 33:49 @4:13/k
4:18,25,14,14,13,15,06,03
A bit chilly and windy, so took a while to get going. But felt good last 2k.
Weather: 13C/55F, 50%
Weight: 57.7kg

Wednesday
7:30 - club track workout.
1200,1200,1000,1000,800,800
5:03, 4:55, 3:51, 3:50, 3:18, 3:19 (2:30 jog after 12s, 2:00 jog & 1:00 walk after 1000s).
Cruised 1200s, moderately hard 1000s, easy 800s. Legs felt good
Weather: 9C/48F, very chilly
Weight: 56.8kg

Thursday
2:30 - 12k easy in 1:06:37 @5:34/k.
Weight: 57.1kg

Friday
Gym workout. Resting for Sunday.

Saturday
Resting
Weight: 57.8kg

Sunday
Toda Half Marathon (in Saitama pref., just north of Tokyo).
Beautiful day for running, chilly in the morning, then warmed up. Temp was 17-18C/64F at the finish (12:00), which is my preferred temperature - I don't like cold weather.
This is my favorite race in Japan. It's big, but not huge, there is good competition in each age group, it's a basically flat course on a wide, smooth asphalt surface, it starts at 11AM (the later, the better for me), it's in a nice green area and goes around a lake, and is very well organized. Also, there are two places with 180° turns after long straights, which I like because you can see who is ahead and behind you, and by how much (if you are trying to finish high in your age group) and also wave hello to your friends who are running.
I ran a Half on Sept. 29 in 1:31:30 @4:20/k (26°), so wanted to run 4:10 pace today - 1:27:54.
Went out a bit slower than that - just seemed comfortable at 4:14 or a bit more, but that was ok, as I was planning to pick it up at 15k. Had a few people to run with or behind most of the way and basically just felt real good the first 15k.
Planned to pick it up at 15k and I did - just put the hammer down. I felt good and fortunately got into a good rhythm with another guy and we ran side by side for 4k. Managed to pick up the last k a bit more and had a good kick - in fact, I outkicked the first woman on the track at the end - sorry!
I had noticed an "old guy" running a little ways ahead of me at about 8k, so I put in a little spurt at 10k (the 4:03) and passed him. He apparently also figured I was in his age group, so he pulled back ahead. This happened twice more, after which I was content to just cruise behind him, feeling pretty sure that I would leave him at 15k - and I did. Beat him by 1:15 (he was 5th). At the awards ceremony he said he was rather shocked when I ran away from him.
So, 1:28:27, which is not great, but not bad. And I felt good the whole way, which was the best part. No hint of pain in my knee or anywhere else.
60s winner was 1:26:05. Actually, when I was 60 I won the age group in 1:23:30. 3rd was only 20 seconds ahead of me - next year!

1k splits: 3:59, 4:18, 14, 14, 20, 14, 14, 15, 18, 20, 03, 13, 19, 15, 18, 03, 08, 03, 11, 10, 3:53, 0:23 (.1k)
5k splits: 21:05, 21:22, 21:08, 20:34 (16K to 21k: 20:25)

Participants:
10K men: 1,780
10k women: 841Half men: 2,740Half women: 650
There were 264 in my age group. I got a Mizuno shoe bag for finishing 4th.

A Solid Week of Training

Week of Nov. 4 ~ 10
89 km / 55 mi.

Monday
2:00 - 12k with 4k warmup, 8k tempo in 34:09 @4:16/k
Still felt a bit sluggish even after the warmup, but felt good the last 4k after getting fully warmed up.
4:20/26/17/17/13/12/11/12
Weather: 18C/64F
Weight: 57.8kg

Tuesday
Gym workout

Wednesday
7:30pm - club track workout. 1000m x 6
3:41/38/42/41/42/31 (jog 2', walk 50")
Felt very good and ran well. Pushed each one and kicked strongly on the last one.
Weather: 17C/63F
Weight: 58 (but 56.8, somehow, before the workout)

Thursday
3:00 - 12k easy in 1:07:00 @5:35/k
Weather: 14C/57F
Weight: 57kg

Friday
11:00 - 8k easy in 45:33 @5:42/k.
12:00 - Gym workout
3:45 - 12 easy in 1:07:24 @5:36/k  (34:32/32:52)
Felt hungry!
Weather: 16C, 18C
Weight: 57.3kg

Saturday
3:00 - 14k with 3k warmup then 5k, 3k, 1k hard
5k - 21:16 @4:15/k (walk 6:00)
3k - 12:21 @4:07/k (jog 1k in 6:36)
1k - 4:01. Disappointed. It felt faster and I wanted to get under 4:00.
Weather: 13C/55F, cloudy and felt chillier.
Weight: 57.2kg

Sunday
11:00 - 8k easy in 47:27 @5:56/k
3:30 - 12k cruising in 1:06:32 @5:33 (33:52/32:39)
Felt good in the afternoon.
Weather: 13C, 18C
Weight: 57.1kg

Next week: tapering from Wednesday for the half marathon on Sunday.

18:57 5K — I'll Take It

Week of Oct. 28 ~ Nov. 3
72 km / 44.7 mi.

Monday
Rest - recovery from 9K "race" on Sunday

Tuesday
Rest and gym workout

Wednesday
7:30pm - 9k with club 5,000m time trial
18:57. Splits: 3:47/47/49/51/43
Felt great. Had three guys to follow, which helped a lot. Surprisingly, went past them all in the last k. Even had a good kick. So while it's not "fast,' given my past performance, it's the best I've run in quite a while so I'll take it.
Weather: 18C/64F. felt cool. This is the ideal temperature for me….
Weight: 57.4kg (56.8 before the run).

Thursday
3:00 - 12k easy in 1:07:18 @5:36

Friday
11:00 - 8k easy 44:15 @5:32
2:00 - Gym workout
3:30 - 12k easy in 1:05:45 @5:28. Legs felt fine.
Weather: 18C/64F
Weight: 56.7kg

Saturday
2:00 - 13k with 3k warmup, 4k, 3k, 2k hard.
4k in 16:48 @4:12 (walk 6:00), 3k in 12:15 @4:05 (walk 5:00), 2k in 8:08 @4:04.
Felt good. A little soreness in hip joint the last 500m, so abandoned the plan to do 400 x 2, 200 x 2.
Weather: 16C/61F
Weight: 57.5kg

Sunday
11:00 - 6k easy in 35:11
2:00 - 12k easy in 1:04:17 (different course, may have been a bit short).
Weather: 17C/63F
Weight: 57.2kg
Getting ready to watch Kawauchi in the New York City Marathon. Great live feed on abclocal.go.com

Good Run, Short Course

Week of Oct. 21 ~ 27

Highlighted by the Namban Rengo club 10K/Half, which turned out to be 9K/20.1K due to an abysmal measuring job by the race director (not me!).

Monday
2:30 - 12k with 4k warmup, 8k tempo in 33:31 @4:11.5/k.
Felt a bit "weak" at first, but ok after 2k and got down to 4:03/05 for the last 2k.
Weather: 20C/68F
Weight: 57.1kg

Tuesday
Gym workout

Wednesday
7:30pm - club track workout 1200, 1200, 1200, 1000, 800, 400.
4:39, 4:31, 4:34, 3:38, 3:14, 1:36
Felt ok, legs fine. Ran 1200s fairly hard, pushed the 1000, eased off on the 800 and 400.
Weather: 18C/64F, 70%
Weight: 57.6kg

Thursday
12:00 - 12k easy in 1:07:45 @5:39/k

Friday
Rest
Saturday
Rest

Sunday
11:30 - 13k including 9k race.
Time was 35:36, which would be 39:33 for 10k.
I was hoping for about 39:00, so this was ok. It was quite warm, at least 20C and sunny, so probably warmer. It was also extremely windy (course was along the banks of one of Tokyo's large rivers, the Arakawa). This was very helpful for about 5k, not helpful for about 4k.
I went out at a good but not overly ambitious pace for about 2k, turned and ran pretty well into the wind for 4k, then really got into a nice brisk rhythm for the last 3k, enabling me to catch and pass 3 guys who had been about 100m ahead. It was a shock to reach the end and see 35 on the watch. How he managed to be so far off, I don't know, but no sense moaning about it and it was only a club run anyway. There were about 30 in the 10K and 25 in the Half. I had 2 people to run with early and 3 people to catch late, which is nicer than being all by yourself.
It was a good, hard effort and nice preparation for my goal Half on Nov. 17.
BBQ afterwards with about 80 people, so it was an enjoyable day.
Weather: 20C/68F ?
Weight: 58kg

Feeling Good at 90K per Week

Week of Oct. 14 ~ 20
88.6km / 55 mi.

Well, almost 90k — 88.6 being close enough.

Monday
3:30 - 12k with 4k warmup, 8k tempo in 33:44 @4:12/k.
Felt good, ran well, no pains, no problems.
Weather: 23C/73F, 45%
Weight: 57.4kg

Tuesday
11:00 - Gym workout

Wednesday
7:30pm - Track workout. 11.6k with 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1000, 800, 600.
2:17, 3:03, 3:44, 4:40, 3:43, 3:08, 2:19
Thought I felt good, but ran only so-so. Left calf got tight on first 1000, so held back on the next 1200, 800 and 600. 1000s should be faster....
Weather: 20C/68F, 43%
Weight: 57.9kg (56.7 before running)

Thursday
11:00 - 8k easy in 46:12 @5:46/k. Slight tightness in calf.
4:00 - 12k in 1:07:56 (34:52/33:03) @5:39. Tightness for 4k, then it went away.
Ran twice due to planned BBQ on Sunday with friends.
Weather: 19C, 20C, 40%
Weight: 57.1kg

Friday
10:00 - 8k easy in 46:27
11:30 - Gym workout
4:00 - 12k in 1:04:33 (32:51/31:42) @5:23
Not trying to run "faster", just felt ok.
Weather: 18C, 19C
Weight: 57.2kg

Saturday
3:00 - 2k warmup (legs felt good) then 5k, 3k, 1k tempo
5k: 21:16 @4:15 (6:00 walk), 3k: 12:27 @4:09 (6:20 jog), 1k: 3:55
Drank too much last night, but recovered by 3:00 and felt ok.
Weather: 17C/63F, 50%
Weight: 57.2kg

Sunday
3:30 - 12k in 1:06:27 (34:15/32:14) @5:32.
BBQ canceled due to rain. Was only raining lightly at 3:30, but then unexpectedly got heavy again after 6k. Chilly also. Well, into each life, a little rain must fall.
Weather: 13C/55F, rain.
Weight: 56.9kg

I got a heart rate app for my iPhone - you just put your finger over the camera - so I will take my HR each morning before getting up. This morning it was 36.

Next Sunday is the club 10K/Half and BBQ. I will run the 10k as a race - interested to see what I can do it in.

Good Week of Training

Week of Oct. 7 ~ 13
98.9 km / 61.5 mi.

Monday
3:30 - 11.2 k with a 5 mile tempo run (8.05k) with 5th and 6th x-country varsity boys who wanted to run 6:36 miles. We ran 6:43/38/38/39/37 - close enough, I think. This came to 33:16 or 4:09/k pace. Quite a good tempo run for me (have been doing 6k @4:20).
I felt fine the whole way, not an easy run, but not too hard either.
Weather: 26C/79F
Weight: 57.1kg - light!

Tuesday
3:30 - 7.4k. Normally a rest day, but there was a 2.6k fun run at school, so jogged that with the team and then did another 4.8k with the girls at an easy pace.
Weather: 26C/79F
Weight: 56.9kg

Wednesday
7:30pm - club track workout. 1200, 1200, 1000, 1000, 800, 800
4:30, 4:26, 3:38, 3:39, 2:57, 2:52 (200m jog, 3:00 after 12s and 10s, 2:24 after 8).
Felt good, ran hard. Wanted to run faster times, but maybe the temp. and humidity slowed me.
Weather: 25C/77F, 70%
Weight: 56.9kg

Thursday
3:30 - 14.3k. Easy 8.3 with the kids, then another easy 6k in the park.

Friday
7:30am - very easy 8k.
11:30 - gym workout
3:30 - 12k in 1:10:38 @5:53/k
Weight: 56.5kg - getting too light!

Saturday
3:30 - 14k. 3k, 5k x 2 tempo, 1k
5ks in 21:49 and 21:35 (21:40 is 4:20/k). 7:00 walk in between.
Felt good. Planned to run about this pace.
Weather: 28C/82F, 40%
Weight: 56.7 (early am, as are all weights)
Note: after the run and a bath at the local hot spring, I weighed 55.9 and my stomach was hurting a bit from hunger. Ate a lot, drank a beer and then felt ok. I think I should stay above 57kg.
Note 2: HS cross-country finals in the morning. Girls were 4th (top girl fell and finished 9th, 2nd girl had off day), boys were 1st, by one point, which was a great result. Our top boy ran 15:21 for 4.4k, or 3:27/k, but it's a tough course and it was hot - 28 or 29C. In fact, it got up to 31 in Tokyo, a 98-year record!

Sunday
11:00 - very easy 8k
3:30 - 12k in 1:07:43 (35:10/32:33) @5:51/5:26.
Cruising easily in the afternoon and felt fine.
Weather: 25C/77F, 25% in the afternoon, lovely day.
Weight: 57.3kg.

Recovery Week

Week of Sept. 30 ~ Oct. 6
45.5km / 28.3 mi.

After my half marathon last Sunday I made sure to take a good recovery week. This was because after that race in 2010 I went right back to hard training and two weeks later tore my calf muscle.
I'm finally learning....

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
Rest

Wednesday
7:30 pm - club workout in Yoyogi Park, as the track was closed.
11.5km. 1000m x 6 - cruising in 4:16/22/20/21/26/25 (2:30 jog/walk).
Legs were basically ok, but kind of stiff. Left quad was a bit sore.
Weather: extremely humid!
Weight: 58.1kg

Thursday
Rest

Friday
11:00 - 12k very easy.
Weather: 19C/66F
Weight: 57.3kg

Saturday
4:00 - 12k with 6k easy at just under 6:00/k, 6k easy tempo in 31:18 @5:13/k (planned abt 5:20).
Weather: 19C/66F, light rain
Weight: 57kg

Sunday
3:00 - 10k in 55:48 @ 5:36/k
Just cruising easily. Will do a hard tempo run tomorrow with x-country team boys. Would like to do 8k at 4:10/k pace.
Weather: 24C/75F, beautiful day
Weight: 56.9kg