Short Week & Awa Odori Videos

Week of Aug. 22 ~ 28

Plan: 0/20/10/15/20/20/0 - 85km
Ran : 0/20/10/15/16/16/0 - 77km / 48 mi. 7:28

And went to watch the great Awa Odori Festival (videos at the end).

Planned a slightly easy week, with Sunday off as I will start running with the American School X-country team from Monday. Also had a very hilly trail run on Saturday.

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
11:30 - machines and core at the gym.
3:30 - 20k in 1:48:57 @5:27
29:20/28:26/25:50/25:18 @5:51/40/10/03
Wanted to run last 10k at about 5:10 pace.
Weather: 28C/82F, 65%
Weight: 59.9kg

Wednesday
7:30pm - Club track workout: 1200/1200/1000/1000/800/800
4:34/4:24/3:34/3:34/2:51/2:52 (3:00-3:30 jog)
Felt pretty good.
Weather: 27C/81F
Weight: 59.9kg

Thursday
3:30 - 15k easy in 1:21:10 @5:25
28:34/26:37/25:58

Friday
11:30 - machines and core at the gym.
2:00 - 16k in 1:26:03 @5:22
28:39/27:45/25:13/4:25 @5:44/33/02
It started raining at 8k, so turned around. Very strong wind, but rain didn't get hard (it did in downtown Tokyo, where several areas were flooded).
Felt ok but not great. Ran a good last k.
Weather: 31C/88F > 24C/75F
Weight: 59>6kg

Saturday
1:30 - 16k trail run - lots of very steep up/downs over rocks and roots in the hills above Kamakura (seasind town south of Tokyo). Easy pace, but not an easy run. Ran the last 600m back to the beach very fast.
22 people came out, about 10 of us did the entire trail run. Lots of beer and food on the beach afterwards.

Sunday
Went to see the Awa Odori in Koenji, a Tokyo neighborhood 20 minutes away by train. This is a famous Japanese dance festival, the main one being on Shikoku, the smaller island south of Japan's main island. The one in Koenji is the second largest in Japan, with about 200 dance groups and thousands of dancers. It's on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and tens of thousands of people go to watch, the streets are packed for a few kilometers. Awa Odori is colorful, musical and a ton of fun to watch. It's very simple, and the object is just to have fun. The song goes: Odoru aho ni, miru aho. Onaji aho nara, odorana son son.
The dancers are fools, the watchers are fools. If we're both fools, why don't you dance?
Here are three videos:

An Average 100K Week

Week of Aug. 15 ~ 21

Plan: 0/15/10/15/24/10/30 - 104km
Ran: 0/15/11/15/20/25/15 - 101km / 63 mi. 9:15

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
11:30 - Machines and core at the gym.
4:30 - 15 easy in 1:22:18 @5:29
Quads a bit tight, hot day.
Weather: 33C/91F, 50%, sunny
Weight: 60kg

Wednesday
7:30pm - track workout.
400/800/1000/1200/1000/800/400
Warmup/2:54/3:34/4:25/3:39/2:54/82
Plus a slower 400 barefoot.
Hot but felt ok and worked pretty hard. 2-4 people running the same pace made it easier.
Temp: 30C/86F on the track.

Thursday
4:00 - 15k easy in 1:25:37 @5:42
Legs stiff and it was hot!
Weather: 35C/95F, 40%
Weight: 59.5kg

Friday
Have to adjust 3-day schedule due to various commitments.
AM - hard rain
3:30 - 20k in 1:49:22 @ 5:28
29:16/28:18/25:59/25:50 @5:51/39/12/10
Planned to go faster last 5k, but quads sore. Anyway, a hard run tomorrow.
Weather: 23C/73F, 70%, some rain

Saturday
2:00 - 25k in 2:08:30 @5:08
29:02/27:25/27:31/22:22/22:09 @5:48/29/30/4:28/4:25 Last 2K 4:22/4:10
Legs stiff at first, but stretched 3 times and worked hard last 10k. A good effort.
Weather: 25C/77F, 50%

Sunday
4:30 - 15k in 1:21:06 @5:24
Out: 42:43, In: 39:23
Legs felt tired, but not sore.
Weather: 20C/68F, misty

Slogging on in the Heat

Week of Aug. 8 ~ 14

Plan: 0/20/11/15/24/15/30 - 115km
Ran: 0/15/10/15/24/15/30 - 109km / 68mi. 9:46

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
11:30 - machines and core at the gym.
4:45 - 15k in 1:25:34 @5:42/k
29:58/28:58/26:37
Very hot and I knew my quads would be stiff and heavy from Sunday night, so did an easy 15k. Stretched after 10k and picked up last 5 with difficulty.
Weather: 32C/90F
Weight: 59.8kg

Wednesday
7:30pm - Namban club workout on the track.
400/1000/1200/1200/1000/800/400
WU/3:41/4:32/4:32/3:36/2:51/83. Plus extra 400 with slower people in 91.
200 jog +1min rest after 1000s, 400 after 1200s (water after 2nd 1200).
30C/86F on the track! But felt pretty good and ran fairly well.

Thursday
8:30pm - 15k in 1:23:50 @5:36
Ate dinner at 5:00. Quads a bit sore.

Friday
10:30 - machines and core at the gym.
5:00 - 24 in 2:03:48 @5:10
26:50/26:33/25:14/24:37/20:30 @5:22/17/02/4:55/4:53
Wanted to run 5:00~5:15, so perfect. Felt ok.
Weather: 32C/90F, 50%
Weight: 59.7kg

Saturday
4:00 - 15k in 1:27:00 @5:48
Different (shady) course. Might be a bit long. Legs tired and heavy.
Actually 12k is enough for a hot Saturday recovery run.
Weather: 32C/90F, 50%
Weight: 59.5kg

Sunday
4:15 - 30k in 2:39:38 @5:19
30:00/29:13/28:04/26:12/22:22/23:45
@6;00/5:51/36/14/4:28/4:45
Heat and heavy legs made first 10k slow. Felt better next 10k. Last 10k, program called for MP (4:20), but planned to be happy with 4:40. Surprisingly, the first 3k was at 4:20, but then slowed to 4:40. *Totally* exhausted at the end.
Stopped at water fountains at 7k, 13.7k, 17.9k, 27.2k (didn't plan to stop at 27, but dying of thirst). Also took energy gel cubes 3 times and stopped to stretch after10k and 20k.
Weather: Guess what? 32C/90F, 50%. 30 at finish.
Weight: 59.9kg

I think I will cut down the Tuesday and Saturday distances a bit so I can run hard on Wed., Fri. and Sun.

Pretty Good Week

Week of August 1 ~ 7


Plan: 0/20/10/15/20/15/25 - 105km
Ran: 0/20/11/15/20/15/22 - 103km / 64 mi. 9:15

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
4:45 - 20k in 1:43:55 @ 5:12
28:50/26:30/25:18/23:16 @5:46/18/03/4:39
The plan was to run the 2nd 5k at 5:15, 3rd at 5:00 and 4th at 4:40 and basically accomplished that. I felt ok after 5k and good the last 5k (rain second 10k made it a bit cooler).
Weather: 26C/79F, cloudy then rain
Weight: 59.8kg

Wednesday
7:30pm at the track. 1000m x 6
3:51/37/40/41/43/29 (200m jog, total time 6:30; 8:00 and water after 3rd)
Felt good from the 2nd, pushed the last one, feeling good.
Weather: 27C/81F at the track

Thursday
5:00 - 15k in 1:25:03 @5:40
Legs tired.
Weather: 28C/82F
Weight: 59.4kg

Friday
11:30 - machines and core at the gym.
1:30 - 20k in 1:45:46 @5:18
28:48/27:19/25:57/23:40
Hot. Hard to run fast on the last 5k.
Weather: 31C/88F, 50%
Weight: 59.8kg

Saturday
1:30 - 15k in 1:25:02 @5:40
Very easy - hot....
Weather: 32C/90F, 70%

Sunday
9:45pm 22k in 1:57:35
5k - 12k with 1.5k hard, .5k easy x 6 - 5k
5k: 30:19, then:
7:10/3:23/6:44/3:38/6:53/3:23/6:07/3:29/6:20/3:34/6:17/3:16
5k: 26:54
Heavy rain in afternoon, so had dinner at 5:30 and ran at 9:45. It was cooler and pleasant to run. The bicycle path is pretty well lit, so no problems. Felt stiff at first and still heavy from dinner. The original program called for the 1.5ks in 4:00, but that is obviously too fast, at least in the summer. First 1.5k was at 4:45 pace, then felt better. 3rd one was mostly uphill, 4th was mostly downhill, but even so, 6:07 (4:03/k) was surprising. 5th and 6th were pretty good, too.
22k is long enough for this workout (original plan was 25). Even so, the last 5k feels very long. On a hot day, you could reduce the intervals by one. It's a very hard workout.
Weather: 25C/77F, 70%

115K Week with "Not Bad" Time Trial

Week of July 25 ~ 31

Plan: 0/20/10/15/24/15/35 - 119km
Ran: 0/20/10/15/15/20/35 - 115km / 71.5 mi. 10:26

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
11:30 - Machines and core at the gym.
3:30 - 20k in 1:49:22 @5:28
29:11/27:29/26:03/26:37
Knees and quads stiff and a bit sore. Took it easy so maybe I can run a decent time trial tomorrow night.
Weather: 29C/84F, 50%, cloudy
Weight: 60.7kg

Wednesday
7:30pm - 10k with 5,000m time trial at the track.
19:05 3:46/46/51/55/47 last 400 in 85
Felt pretty good, but it was hot and I was running alone (well, there were 100+ people on the track, 50 in our club, but no one running with me). Not bad for a warm, humid night.
Temp: 28C/82F
Weight: 60.1kg

Thursday
4:00 - 15k in 1:23:12 @5:33
Legs a bit heavy.

Friday
3:00 - 15k in 1:18:37 @5:14
27:56/27:24/23:14 Last 2k 4:26/4:14
Felt "weak" going out. Drank a bunch of water and felt ok after the turn, then felt good the last 5k (rain made it a bit cooler).
This was supposed to be a 24km day, but I didn't have enough time to run that far.
Weather: 29C/84F, 60%, light rain last 5k
Weight: 59.6kg

Saturday
3:00 - 20k in 1:57
59:00/58:00. On a course near my father-in-law's place, so distance approx, but very close.
Just an easy run, legs tired. Rained 3 times, once very hard.

Sunday
2:00 - 35k in 3:06:28 @5:20
29:37/28:07/27:52/27:15/25:38/24:16/23:09
@ 5:54/36/33/27/07/4:57/38
Good progressive run. Felt ok after 10k. Knees (quads? - I can't really tell) a bit sore the last 5k, but not too bad. Light rain (heavy mist) most of the middle 20k, but it didn't bother me. Stopped for water twice.
Weather: 24C/75F, 70%, some rain
Weight: 60.1kg

A Nice Run at the Beach

Week of July 18 ~ 24

Plan: 0/20/10/15/20/20/20 - 105km
Ran: 0/20/10/0/20/20/20 - 90km / 56 mi.

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
12:00 - Machines and core at the gym.
3:00 - 20k in 1:47:43 @5:23
29:30/27:20/25:58/24:54
Could do no better than 5:00 pace last 5k. Legs felt heavy and it was very humid, with rain the second half - edge of typhoon.
Weather: 26C/79F, 80%, rain
Weight: 60.7kg

Wednesday 7:30pm - club workout on the track
6 x 1000 4:00/3:45/45/45/39/38 (200m jog, total time 6:30)
Very humid from typhoon. Felt ok the last two.
Weather: 24C/75F, light rain

Thursday
Rest. All-day business trip and did not feel like running in the rain early in the morning.

Friday
11:30 Machines and core at the gym.
3:30 - 20k in 1:46:21 @5:18
27:40/27:05/25:29/26:06
Felt ok after 3k. Took it easy last 5k - saving myself for tomorrow.
Weather: 25C/77F, 40%, sunny
Weight: 60.1kg

Saturday
3:00 - in Kamakura (beach town 1hr south of Tokyo). Run with 26 club members.
From beach - 7k loop. About half up into a very hilly community, very easy pace.
Back to beach, then 13k on a sidewalk along the waterfront with Paddy O'Connor. Out at about 4:50/k, back at under 4:30/k but into a strong wind. Hot, but not brutally hot. Total time 1:50:15
Then beers and Thai food and bikini watching on the beach!

Sunday
4:00 - 20k in 1:43:30 @5:10
27:51/26:21/25:00/24:18 @5:33/16/00/4:52
Felt ok after 5k and fairly good coming back. Last k in 4:25. Nice to feel that good after yesterday's hills and good pace. My legs must be pretty strong!
Weather: 29C/84F, 50%, sunny
Weight: 60.2kg

Hot, Hot, Hot

Week of July 11 ~ 17

Plan: 0/20/10/15/20/15/25 - 105km
Ran: 0/20/10/15/24/10/25 - 104km / 64.6mi. 8:56

Carefully worked out a schedule and then didn't look at it! Thought I was running 24k on Thursday, but it was supposed to be 20k. So ran less on Friday. It was *extremely* hot every day.
Came up with the "perfect' interval workout (Wed.)

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
11:30 - machines and core at the gym.
4:15 - 20k in 1:42:50
28:41/27:17/24:56 @5:44/27/4:59
5:01/4:09/16/22/05 4k average: 4:13
Legs very stiff first 5k. Program called for starting at 5:15-30, but can't do that - especially in the heat, when it is harder to get going. Felt pretty good the last 4k. Original program was for marathon pace (4:20) on Tues and sub-MP on Fri, but decided to reverse that (or slower - see Friday).
Weather: 31C/88F, 40%, sunny
Weight: 60.3kg

Wednesday
7:30pm - At the track - 400/1000/1200/1200/1000/800/400
I have decided that this is the perfect interval workout. The first 400 is not run all out, but as a warmup. Then you get up to speed on the 1000, then work hard on the 1200s. (I know some people like 1600s, but I think they are just a bit too long, especially for the slower runners, many of whom are women, in our club.) Then you get progressively faster with 1000, 800, 400. Total distance 6,000m, which is also "perfect."
95/3:37/4:30/4:32/3:41/2:59/79
90 sec. after the 400, then 200 jog/walk in about 3:45 after the others.
Legs felt a bit tired. The 20k tuesday is harder on the legs than I thought. Worked hard.
Weather; 27C/81F on the track

Thursday
4:30 - 15k in 1:22:30 28:31/27:07/26:50
Weather: 32C/90F, 40%, sunny
Weight: 60.2kg

Friday
10:30am - 24k in 2:06:50
28:28/27:40/26:05/25:16 4:50/47/51/45
WAY too hot to run marathon pace for the last 4k. Happy at 4:50. But for a hot morning run, I felt pretty good.
Weather: 30C/86F —> 34C/93F, 40%, sunny
Weight: 60.4kg

Saturday
5:00pm - 10k in 58:08. Legs felt very heavy.
Weather: 30C/86F, 40%, sunny
Weight: 59.9kg

Sunday
4:30 - 25k in 2:12:05
This workout is supposed to be: 6.5k easy, 6 x [1k@3:50/k, 1k@5:30/k], 6.5k@whatever
"whatever" meaning faster if I feel good, slower if I feel bad.
However, it's way too hot to run 3:50 pace. So the times were:
28:50/8:32 then 1Ks in 4:10/5:30/4:41 (uphill)/5:50/4:22/5:44/4:22/5:30/4:01 (rolling hills, felt great)/5:25/4:20/5:40
Last 6.5k in 8:18/26:56.
Felt ok once I started going fast and was surprised by the first 4:10. Stopped for water at 5.4k and before the 10th 1k. Legs VERY tired last 6.5k.
It's too hot for a workout this hard (actually, this is an extremely tough workout - not recommended unless you are in really good shape). Have to run the fast Ks slower, or less distance, or both. I'll probably slow the Ks down to 4:40s.
Weather: 32C/90F, 50%, sunny
Weight: 60.3kg
Shoes: 185g Asics SkySensorNeo