Snow!

Week of Feb 3 ~ 9

Saturday brought the most snow in Tokyo in 45 years — 27cm, and it seemed like more.
I shoveled 90 minutes today, in front of our house and a ways down the street, and it was wet, heavy snow. That was a good workout, so I didn't run - would have had to run on a treadmill in the gym anyway - most roads and paths are not clear.

Monday - Back from Bangkok
Tuesday - More rest, also rain and some snow.

Wednesday
7:30pm - Club track workout.
6 x 1000, but cut first 2 to 800 since my knee was quite sore.
3:31/3:29 4:19/08/09/11 (walk in between).
It was freezing cold, so hard to run, and I didn't feel good anyway.
Weather: 2C/36F, windy so felt colder.
Weight: 59.5kg (up from pre-Bangkok weight, but not so much)

Thursday
3:45 - 12k in 1:05:06. Out 36:03, In 29:02 @6:00/4:50
Felt good coming back.
Weather: 5C/41F, cloudy
Weight: 58.7

Friday
12:00 - Gym workout W/ core
3:15 - 16k in 1:23:10
Out 46:02, In 37:08 @ 5:45/4:38
Last 4k in were 4:40/40/20/07, so last one was faster than Wednesday night.
Felt good, knee was not too sore going out, and fine coming back.
Weather: 7C/45F, sunny
Weight: 58.4

I realized that I really need a long warmup, with several walks and light stretching, before my knee feels ok. This is my problem on Wednesday nights - I only warmup up about 2k. I need to get there earlier and do a 5 or 6k warmup.

Saturday
Heavy snow all day
Sunday
Snow shoveling

Next Sunday is the Ome Marathon 10k - a race only for masters, so a bunch of good runners show up in each age group (10 year age groups). I hope to run a good race. Will do a pretty easy tapering week, after Monday.

Back from BKK

Got back from Bangkok (and Krabi) yesterday, had a great trip. Ran 8 out of the 11 days, with 4 hard workouts. Ate a lot, of course, but only gained 1.5kg, which should come off soon, I hope.

I generally ran in the late afternoon, in about 31C heat, but it didn't bother me - in fact, I loved it (it snowed in Tokyo today - I didn't run). And if you wait until 5:30 - 6:00 it cools off quite a bit.

I ran in Benjakitti Park, just in back of the central Sukhumvit area, which has a 1.85k loop around a nice lake, marked every 100m. Did a few hard interval workouts there...lots of joggers…probably the first time anyone has run fast there for years.

We had no problems with the protests/demonstrations, except for being inconvenienced a bit. Actually, that is mainly what they are doing - inconveniencing people, especially drivers, by blocking several main intersections. It's pretty silly.

They say these protests are by the elite and middle class, but I'll tell you, most of them don't look middle class. They look like laborers and even young toughs. Well, they're obviously unemployed, since they're camping out for weeks at a time. But even the ones who bus in look like "the lower classes". The weekend parades and concerts (which they have a lot of, to keep the campers entertained) do draw ordinary people, though.

One night some of my daughter Jennifer's co-workers said, Are you going to the show? Jennifer asked what show? They said there would be various popular singers at such and such an intersection, where a big stage is set up. They weren't going to protest, just to hear the show. But of course the leaders announce, 40,000 people came to the protest.

The Krabi coast was nice, Koh Phi Phi and all those little islands are cool. Nothing to do there, just chill out at a resort, but that's fine with me. Of course, we took the tour to Phi Phi to see "The Beach." Our tour guide was funny, he kept referring to Leonardo Cappuccino. I had a nice road through the countryside and along the ocean to run on.

Were there this many people on "The Beach" when Leo was there?

It's a tough life, but someone has to do it….

86K Week - Not Bad

Week of Jan 13 ~ 19

86 km / 53.4 mi.

Switched my Thursday and Sunday runs from two times (8k and 12k) to one time (16K with 400m walk in the middle). It's hard enough to run once in the cold and wind, much less twice. And by going out at 6:00/k pace and coming back at close to 5:00, it's almost like two runs.

Monday
12:30 - 6k in 37:13 @6:12/k
3:30 - 12k in 34:57/31:12 @ 5:49/5:12
Mileage was low the last two weeks, so did an extra run. And THEN decided not to do anymore two-a-day.
Weather: 9C/48F, 6C/43F
Weight: 58.5kg

Tuesday
Weights and core.

Wednesday
7:30pm - club track workout.
3k warmup, 1000, 1200, 1000, 1000, 800, 800, 200 x 2
4:10, 5:08, 4:00, 3:50, 2:58, 2:57 (200m walk in between)
1st one knee was very sore from 700m, so stopped at 1000 (shd hv bn 1200).
By 3rd, it was only slightly sore, from 4th it was ok. Felt good on the 200m pickups at the end!
Weather: very cold
Weight: 59kg, but 58.2 before running

Thursday
3:30 - 12k in 1:06:39 @5:33. 36:32/30:06 @6:05/5:01
Coming back I thought I was running about 5:30 pace, but it was 5:00, so that's good.
Weather: 7C/45F, 30%, sunny
Weight: 58.7kg

Friday
3:00 - 16k in 1:27:33 @5:28
46:02/41:31 @5:45/5:10 (400m walk and stretch in between)
Knee a bit sore, but felt ok.
Weather: 8C/46F, 30%, sunny
Weight: 58.6kg

Saturday
3:30 - 12k with 4k warmup, stretching, 8k in 35:29 @4:26.
Felt good, wanted to run faster, but couldn't, somehow. Too cold? Also, knee was sore, which doesn't prevent me from running this pace, but maybe sub-consciously causes me to take it easy.
Weather: 7C/45F, no wind.
Weight: 58kg

Sunday
3:00 - 16k in 1:25:48 @5:22
45:54/39:52 @ 5:44/4:59 (400m in middle).
With the wind coming back. Felt good coming back. Wore an elastic brace on my knee and it seemed to help.
Weather: 6C/43F, a bit windy
Weight: 58.5kg

Next week I'm off to Bangkok on Thursday for 10 days, to visit my daughter. Looking forward to running under a warm (ok, hot) sun. Probably won't post next week, so talk to you in two weeks.

Getting Back Into It

Week of Jan 6 ~ 12
68.2km / 42.4 mi.

This week I felt like I was still recovering from the holidays. Also the cold and wind and slightly sore knee are de-motivating. Finally had a decent run on Sunday.

Monday
3:00 - 12k in 1:06:56 @5:35/k.
About 6:00/k going out and 5:00/k coming back (with the wind).
Weather: 8C/46F, windy
Weight: 58.6kg

Tuesday
Gym workout (always includes about 30 minutes of core work)

Wednesday
7:30pm - Club track workout 1000m x 6, total 9.2km.
4:07/3:58/55/51/52/46 (walk 200m in between)
Chilly rain, slight wind, although not terrible for running.
Was not warmed up for the first one, knee was a bit sore for the first three, but fine the second three. Happy with the last one.
Weather: 7C/45F, rain
Weight: 58.4kg

Thursday
3:30 - 10k easy in 57:32 @5:45/k
Weather: 9C/48F, windy so felt colder.

Friday
11:30 - Gym workout and 5k on the treadmill.
Too damn cold (5C) and windy, also knee was sore.

Saturday
12:30 - 8k easy in 47:35 @5:56/k
3:30 - 12k in 1:07:17 @5:36/k.
Out @ 5:50, in @ 5:22, felt ok last 6k.
Weather: 5,7C, 30%, sunny, no wind.

Sunday
3:00 - 12k with 4k warmup, a bit of stretching, then 8k tempo.
34:57 @4:22/k.
4:24/35/18/19/20/24/25/12.
Felt good after I got warmed up on the first 2k.
Weather: 9C/48F, 40%, no wind.
Weight: 58.4kg

I Like 12Ks

Week of Dec. 30 ~ Jan. 5
65.5 km / 40.7 mi.

It seems like 12k has become my preferred distance. It's not too short, not too long, doesn't overly aggravate my knee, and doing 6 easy out and 6 faster back makes for a good workout.

Monday
4:30 - 11k with 2k warmup, 2k x 4 hard, 1k warmdown.
2ks in 8:52/49/32/02.
Felt a bit sluggish the first two, but felt good the last two.
Weather: 9C/48F
Weight: 58.5kg

Tuesday 31st
Out to dinner with wife's cousins and drinking til 12:00 together in a hotel in Tsukuba.

Wednesday - Track closed for New Year's holiday.
AM - watched corporate New Year Ekiden (won by Konica-Minolta).
Back home at 4:30pm.
5:00 - Easy 6.5k
Big dinner for New Year's.

Thursday
AM - watched Hakone collegiate ekiden
3:00 - 12k in 1:05:15 @5:28/k
35:07/30:08 @5:51/5:01
With wind coming back. Knee sore going out, which is usual, still a bit sore coming back, which is not good.
Weather: 10C/50F, windy
Weight: don't want to know

Friday
AM - watched Hakone collegiate ekiden
2:30 - 12k in 1:08:39 @5:43
36:23/32:16 @6:04/5:23
Weather: 8C/46F

Saturday
3:30 - 12k in 1:07:13 @5:36
37:07/30:06 @6:11/5:01
Back with wind, but planned to come back at a decent pace. Last 2k @4:35.
Knee quite sore going out, but ok coming back.
Weather: 10C/50F, 30%, windy
Weight: 59kg

Sunday
3:00 - 12k in 1:06:52 @5:34
36:06/30:46 @6:01/5:08
Planned easy 12k, but felt ok coming back so ran first 4k @ 5:15, then 2k @4:53.
Should have run twice, but it's hard enough to get out once when it's cold (I hate the cold). Also, there were two NFL playoff games on in the morning (that's American football, Aussies!).
Weather: 7C/45F, 20%, sunny
Weight: 58.3kg

Ending the Year in (Fairly) Good Shape

Week of Dec, 23 ~ 29
82.2km / 51 mi.

As of the end of the year I'm running well, with my legs in fairly good shape. I still have a torn meniscus in my right knee, but aside from a bit of pain during the first 3 or 4km of runs, it doesn't bother me. Arthroscopic surgery would probably fix it, although I just read an article on Yahoo with many comments that said the surgery is not infallible, sometimes does not help at all, and in fact some people have gotten worse after surgery.  So as long as I stay away from long runs, which definitely stress the knee, I think it will be manageable, i.e., will not get any worse.

Hope to be running some good 10K and Half Marathon races in 2014. I would really like to run some races in the US, as I'm sure I'm near the top of my age group, but of course travel to the US is time- and money-consuming. I do have a tentative plan to go to Portland, Maine in July for the Beach to Beacon 10K, one of the top 10Ks in America…we'll see.

Monday
11:30 - 8k easy in 47:42
3:30 - 12k in 1:04:03 @5:20/k with splits of 32:44, 31:41.
Felt good coming back.
Weather: 7C/45F, 8C/46F
Weight: 57.7kg

Tuesday
Rest
Big dinner - Xmas dinner at home.

Wednesday
7:30pm - Club 5,000m time trial on the track.
19:29 @3:54/k. 3:50/57/56/54/50
Felt ok, but not great. Decent last km. Quite cold, which I don't like.
Weather: 7C/45F…or less? Felt very cold.
Big dinner - Brazilian BBQ with clubmates.

Thursday
1:00 - 12k in 1:08:59 @ 5:45

Friday
12:00 - Gym workout
3:30 - 14k in 1:16:57 @5:30 (5:40/5:20.
Felt ok - good coming back.
Weather: 7C/45F, cloudy with some rain.

Saturday
2:30 - 14.2k with 4k warmup, 4k x 2 tempo, 150m hill x 8.
4k in 19:14 @4:48 and 17:37 @4:24. Walk 4:30 in between.
Sluggish first 4k but then felt surprisingly good on the second one.
Ran up the hills hard. Start of my plan to incorporate some short hills and short sprints into the training week, to try to improve my "speed."
Weather: 8C/46F, felt colder.
Weight: 58.8kg

Sunday
3:00 - 12k in 1:07:37 @5:38
Knee always a bit sore the first 4k, then ok. Felt fine coming back.
Weather: 8C/46F, sunny
Weight: 58.7kg - Christmas and New Year's are for gaining weight. I'll take it off in January.

Thanks for reading my blog. Here's to good running in 2014!

Recovery Week

Week of Dec. 16 ~ 22
41.6 km / 25.8 mi.

Monday and Tuesday
Rest after 10k race. Knee sore.

Wednesday
7:30pm - track workout - 9.6km.
1200, 1200, 1200, 800, 800, 800
4:36/28/28 2:58/56/55
200m jog after first 2 1200s, then walk rest.
Felt pretty good and ran well despite cold and rain.
Weather: 6C/43F, rain
Weight: 58.6kg

Thursday
Meetings all day, but knee sore also.

Friday
Cold rain - good excuse to rest the knee another day.

Saturday
11:30 - 12k with 6k easy in 33:43 @5:37/k, 6k fairly easy tempo run in 27:28 @4:35. Pace went from 4:45 to 4:20.
Felt pretty good coming back. Faster than I thought I would run, actually.
Weather: 7C/45F, sunny

Sunday
10:30 - 8k very easy
3:30 - 12k in 1:03:19 @5:16/k. 5:24 out, 5:08 back (with wind). Felt good.
Weather: 8C/10C, windy
Weight: 58.1kg