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%

Longer and harder

Week of June 21 ~ 27
Comes with a revelation.

Plan: 20/20/24/15/20/30km 129km / 87 mi.
Ran: 20/20/24/15/20/30km 129km / 87 mi. 11:27

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
20k @5:13 1:44:17
28:05/27:01/24:30/24:39 @5:36/24/4:54/57
Knees very stiff first 5k. 3mins walk & stretch after 10k, then felt better.
Time: 2:30
Weather: 30C/86F, 50%
11:30 - Wts and core at gym

Wednesday
12:00 - 12k. 6k@5:55, 6k@5:27 Knees stiff.
7:30pm - 8k. Another new workout for the running club. 1200 at a moderate pace, jog 100, run 300 fast. x4.
B group did 800m for the last 2. About 3:30 rest between each. That's a tough one on a hot night.
I ran with the B group and took it easy, but still a good workout. Ran the last 1600 barefoot. Felt good!

Thursday
24k. 2:01:22. This was the "harder" part of the week. In the middle of the 20k run (8.6k going out), there is a 500m hill. It is not extremely steep, but steep enough, and continuous. So I ran 10k out, then 1.4 back, then turned around and ran up and down the hill 4 times (an extra 4k). Running hard up and easy down. The ups & downs were 2:20/18/16/15 and 2:36/35/37/35. Pumped my arms hard the last 200m of each hill - that's what weight training is for!
The 20k was 28:51/26:13/23:23/23:21. @5:45/15/4:40/4:40. So the last 10k was pretty good, especially after 4 hills.
Last k was 4:32. Very tired, but quads were ok. Took 3 stretching and 2 water breaks.
Time: 4:00
Weather: 28C/82F, 35%
Weight: 61kg

Friday
15k. 1:21:22 29:05/26:59/25:16 @5:49/24/03.
Legs felt very tired at first. 6th k was 5:56, so I said this is ridiculous and picked up the pace. Then I felt better. Felt surprisingly ok the last 5k.
Revelation: Wore my lightest shoes, which are an old pair of Nike Zoom Air Racing that weigh 182g/6.4oz. - with no insoles! They felt really good! This could be an easy way to achieve "minimalist" footwear - light shoes with no insoles.
Time: 1:00
Weather: 31C/88F, 30%
11:30 - wts and core at gym.

Saturday
20k. 1:51:46. @5:36. Distance approximate, but very close. In Tsudanuma, at my father-in-law's. Ran a different course than usual for the first 10k. Have to measure it by car the next time I go there. Legs tired. Wore my Nike Air Zoom Cage+ with no insoles. I used these for the Santa Barbara and LA marathons, but I now realize they are too soft, especially with insoles. Without insoles they feel much better.

Sunday
30k. 2:38:00. @5:15
28:22/26:27/26:03/25:02/26:04/26:00
@ 5:40/18/12/00/12/12
At planned pace thru 20k. Wanted to go fast last 10k, but legs too tired and temp too hot to go under 5:00. Did very well to stay at 5:12, thought it would be 5:20 or more. Drank 2 160ml bottles of Aquarius, plus stopped and drank a lot of water at 21k, and refilled one bottle. Legs VERY tired and did well to pick up last k to 5:00.
Time: 2:30
Weather: 29C/84F, 60% (felt like 90%)
Weight: 60.2kg (finally got the weight down near 60. Can I keep it here?)
Shoes: 210g old Nike Cage 2 with no insoles. Felt fine.

129k is not my longest week ever, I did two 130+ weeks in 2008, but much of that was twice a day easy 10k runs. So this was my hardest week ever!
Next week: 135k including a 5,000m time trial.

Pretty Good Week

Week of June 14 ~ 20

Plan: 20/15/15/20/20/25k = 115km / 71.5 mi.
Ran: 25/18.5/12/20/15/27.5 = 118km / 73 mi.

Finished the week with a nice long trail run. Legs tired but not painful, so training is going ok, I guess.

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
7:15am - 5k 28:19 2.5k@6:18 2.5k@5:00
Thought I would try an early morning (for me) run to see if I should do this more in the coming weeks to add mileage. First half at very easy 6:00 pace, stretch a bit, then pick it up to 5:00. It felt ok.
4:00pm - 20k @5:14 26:55/26:40/25:23/25:40 @5:23/20/05/08
Ok going out, legs kind of tired coming back.
Temp,humidity: 28C/82F 50%
Weight: 60.9kg
11:30 - weights and core. 3 workouts!

Wednesday
12:00 - 12k @5:33 5:54/5:13
Pace as planned. Ok, but legs heavy.
7:30 (track) - 400 x 4 x 3. First 2 sets very easy at 1:50, then 1:40, last 2 @1:30. Last 4 barefoot - felt good.
Gave the club members some speed work on a hot night. Broke into small groups (6-8) and had different people lead each 400. Worked very well. Even slower people ran much faster when they were the leaders - great motivational technique. Everyone enjoyed the workout (if they didn't, they didn't tell me...).

Thursday
12k @5:27 5:56/4:58
7:15am. 4 mins. walking/stretching in between the 6ks.
Actually, I now realize that if I am not running the Wednesday night intervals hard, Thursday should be a hard day and not an easy day. (Although today I had to go to Epson in Nagano prefecture.) Then Friday easy, Sat moderate and Sun very long.

Friday
20k @5:09 1:42:55
27:10/26:05/24:49/24:49 @5:25/13/4:58/58
Felt ok but quads a bit sore last 6k.
Time: 1:00
Temp/hum:29C/84F, then rain
Weight: 60.8kg
AM- weights and core at gym

Saturday
15k @5:25 1:21:17
27:33/26:51/26:53 @5:30/22/23
Easy day. Legs quite tired so took it real easy.

Sunday
27.5 2:46:36
Long run on the trails in the hills above Kamakura (very old, cool town an hour south of Tokyo) with two other club members. Then the last hour on roads, including a looong (9-minute) hill. Distance approx because a good part of it was clambering up, down and over big rocks, roots, etc. Actual distance was shorter but I was working much harder than a flat run, so 27.5 is a good approximation of the effort. (The Garmin wearer's battery failed - I don't have one). Cool and pleasant up in the hills, with a good breeze. But a very tiring run.
We tried to go to Ajisai-dera (hydrangea temple) to see the flowers, but since they are in full bloom, the place was PACKED, including about 100m of the road leading to the place. A laughable amount of people. Ah, Japan....

Total for week: 118k / 73.2 miles. 10:56
Next week...130k?

Up to 100km

Week of June 7 ~ June 13

Plan: 20/15/15/20/15/25k = 110k / 68 mi.
Ran: 20/16/15/20/14/15k = 100k

Cut back the last long run because my quads are sore.
Planning to run nothing under 5:00/k pace (except Wed. intervals). Decided I don't need to run "fast" when I am building up distance. It just makes the legs more sore.

Monday
Rest

Tuesday
20k @ 5:11 26:41/26:08/25:22/25:26
Felt. ok. Ran the pace I wanted to.
AM: weights and core at gym.
Weight: 61.1kg

Wednesday
12:30 - 8k @5:31
7:30 - 8k. Warmup then 1000/1000/1500/1000/1000
4:25/4:33/5:36/4:14/4:18 (1500 @ 3:44/k)
The objective of this workout (for club members) was to run 2 1000s at 15 secs. slower than usual pace (jog 200), then a 1500m time trial (walk 200), then 2 1000s at usual (hard) pace. I decided to let the runners try a 1500m time trial and this seemed to be a good way to do it. I think it was a good workout. I took the 1000s easy and ran fairly hard on the 1500. However, this caused a bit of hamstring tightness over the next few days. From now on, Wednesdays will be easy.

Thursday
15k @ 5:42 28:50/27:55/28:39
Quads stiff first 10k, sore last 5k. Any pace was ok...just for the mileage.
15k is a long way when your quads are sore and you are running at a slow pace.

Friday
20k @ 5:29 27:32/27:20/27:14/27:34
Kept the pace easy. Quads a bit sore the last 3k.
AM - weights and core in the gym.

Saturday
14k @5;22 26:43/26:22/22:04
Last 4k @ 5:32 as quads got sore.

Sunday
15k @ 5:36 (different course, no splits)
Legs tired and right quad sore.
Well, 100k is ok for the week.
Weight: 61.2kg

Total for week: 100k / 62 mi. 9:14
Nice weather every day but next week is supposed to be rainy (start of the rainy season).