Sunday Afternoon 1 K × 7 Sets Interval Training

As soon as I woke up on Sunday morning,

I watched a Japanese chess match on NHK.

A player holding 6th dan beat one with 8th dan.

As I watched the game, 

I had a light breakfast consisting of nuts, fruits,

and some leftover from the previous night.

I was careful not to fill my stomach too much.

I had my interval training scheduled right after that.

After the breakfast, I gave myself half an hour of rest

before getting out to have the training.

I was a bit tired from hard work throughout this past week,

so I didn't push too hard.

My first lap wasn't good.

The second was so so.

But by the time it was over,

I was reasonably warmed up,

so I took of my long-sleeved jersey off,

and ran the remaining sets in a short sleeved shirt.

I finished under 4 minutes in the third lap, 

and finished under 4 minutes in two of the remaining four laps as well.

The result of today's training is as follows:

1st: 4:13.42

Active rest: 2:00.09

2nd: 4:00.81

Active rest: 2:00.30

3rd: 3:53.41

Active rest: 2:00.23

4th: 3:53.95

Active rest: 2:00.33

5th: 4:05.46

Active rest: 2:00.34

6th: 4:05.28

Active rest: 2:00.43

7th: 3.56.87

Total: 40:10.92

Next interval training is on coming Thursday.

1 K by 10 sets interval training is scheduled.

I would like to rest well so that I can execute the training

with concentration.

Interval Training: 1 K × 7 Sets

I had a two-hour corporate seminar with a group of a little less than 40 participants.
It went well, and I left the venue with a great feeling of achievement.
Once the seminar was done,
I went to my favorite steak restaurant in Higashinakano.
https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1319/A131901/13042647/
I was scheduled to do 1 K by 7 sets interval training tonight,
and I needed to charge my body's batteries.
Charge the batteries I did by having a mountain of steamed rice
and thick and large pieces of beef weighing 200 g.

When I got home, it was chilly in Sakura where I live,
but I put on a short sleeved T-shirt and a pair of shorts,
because tonight I was ready to elevate my heart rates to max.
That's the whole purpose of tonight's 1 K by 7 sets interval training.

The first set began.
The air felt chilly on my arms.
But as I sped, the coldness was immediately forgotten.
I took short quick strides, tracing the form
that I had been practicing for the last few weeks.
The first lap was 4:00.16.
Not bad.
But I wasn't completely warmed up, yet.

Between sets there is an active rest for two minutes.
In today's training the start and finish point are different.
About 100 M apart from each other.
So I jogged back to the start point,
hydrated myself, and waited for the start of Round 2
as I stretched here and there of my body.

Soon came the time for the second set.
I started off.
My body felt lighter as it had reasonably warmed up.
I maintained the short quick strides so as not to exhaust myself too early.
Though I didn't expect it, I finished well under 4:00.00.
The time was 3:51.01.

Naturally, I was already quite out of breath,
so I decided to slow down a little
so that I could spread out my energy consumption
evenly throughout the remaining five sets.

Then came Round 3.
The lap was almost the same as the first one: 4:00.18.

Four more sets to go.
My left calf was tense, but I wasn't too worried.
I generally don't worry too much about physical discomfort.
Especially ever since I read Dr. John E. Sarno,
I believe many of our muscular and skeletal problems are psychological in origin.

The following four sets went smoothly,
except that my time continued to deteriorate as I went on,
and it was in the last set
that I was finally able to come under 4:00.00 again.

Tonight's result is as follows:
1st lap: 4:00.16
Rest: 2:00.38
2nd lap: 3:51.01
Rest: 2:00.20
3rd lap: 4:00.18
Rest: 2:00.07
4th lap: 4:03.98
Rest: 2:00.42
5th lap: 4:06.28
Rest: 2:00.39
6th lap: 4:04.86
Rest: 2:00.30
7th lap: 3:54.33
Total 7K: 40:02.56

I am very happy with the result.
My next training is this coming Sunday.
It's going to be exactly the same training: 1 K by 7 sets interval training.
I hope to finish strongly just like I did tonight.

Yotsukaido Gas Light Road Race Test-Run

I test-ran the course today that I am scheduled to run barefooted on Nov. 20.
I was so glad that I did it today.
Here is why.
The course is not good for barefoot run.
The road condition is not suitable for it.
The pavement is not smooth enough,
and there is too much fine gravel.
You could damage your sole before reaching the 1 K mark.
I give up on running the race barefoot.

Weekend 15 K Run in Vibram Five Fingers

I ran 15 K in Vibram Five Fingers today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbsSXZl4VDs
I was originally scheduled to run barefooted.
But the blisters from my previous training run hadn't completely healed,
so for the purpose of protecting the still slightly painful areas,
I decided to wear my Vibram for minimum protection.

Today's laps were as follows:
2.5 K: 11:46.60
5 K: 11:01.61 / 22:48.21
7.5 K: 11:06.41 / 33:54.62
10 K: 11:00.54 / 44:55.16
12.5 K: 11:07.62 / 56:02.78
15 K: 10:35.47 / 1:06.38

I'm glad I finished strongly just like in the previous training run,
with the final lap being the fastest of the six.

This marks the last of my distance based training.
Tomorrow I will jog for 30 minutes to relax my legs.
And the next major training run is next Thursday night.
It's going to be 1 K by 7 sets interval training.
It marks the beginning of my speed based training.
With or without shoes on, I haven't decided yet.
I will probably wear either MUTEKI or Vibram for safety
if I run at night,
and run without shoes if in the daytime.

So far I feel I am getting stronger with each training run
both in terms of cardio and leg strength.
There is no pain in any of my joints.
And I feel more refreshed than tired
even after running as long as 15 K at a good time.
I am thrilled to see how I will have changed
after completing all the interval training sessions
that are scheduled in the coming two weeks.

Thursday Night 12.5 K Barefoot Run

Mission complete!

I just came back from a 12.5 K barefoot run scheduled for tonight.

It was a satisfactory training run.

I was able to keep a good pace 

in all of the five laps (1 lap is 2. 5 K),

and finished strongly with the last lap being the fastest of the five.

I got two minor blister ruptures, and one new blister.

But they all appear not too serious.

Inside both of the ruptures there already developed new skin.

They were old blisters that had reabsorbed.

And the new blister looks small and is expected to reabsorb soon (I hope!).

The laps are as follows:

1st: 11:38.65

2nd: 11:06.34 / 22:44.99 (5 K)

Hydration break: 13.60 / 22:58.59

3rd: 11:08.39 / 34:06.98 (7.5 K)

4th: 11:08.90 / 45:15.88 (10 K)

Hydration break: 13.47 / 45:29.35

5th: 10:30.32 / 55:59.67 (12.5 K)

Next training is Sunday.

I am going for 15 K.

If the new blister remains painful,

I may put on "MUTEKI" or Vibram Five Fingers

to keep it from getting worse.

Thursday Morning Upper Body Workout

I woke up this morning to feel great.
It's been two days since I stopped having a late night meal,
and I always feel a big difference.
I feel much more energetic in the morning,
and motivated to work out.
Click the link below to check out the exercise I did
before breakfast.
You don't need to eat anything
before doing this much.
I will eat some fruits shortly,
and a major breakfast comes a couple of hours after that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8O-wJB4itc

Total Body Park Circuit Training

Thanks to stopping to eat late at night,
I felt totally refreshed and full of energy
when I woke up this morning,
so I went to a nearby park
to do some circuit training
to get my heart pumping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhUusoLAyjI

High Intensity Cardio: 1-Minute × 10 Sets

I did high intensity cardio after work:
1-minute by 10 sets.
I used to do it a lot,
but then I stopped doing it,
because long-distance running training became more important to me.
But I felt that I was losing muscle mass quite a bit,
which is an inevitable consequence of doing a lot of long slow cardio.
So just to see if I still can do now what I used to do a couple of years before,
I gave it a try.
To my pleasant surprise,
I completed ten sets only with a designated short break of 15 seconds
between sets.
Glad to see that my cardio is still of decent level.
I believe the intensity of my running training is high enough
for it to have been a substitute for the kind of high intensity cardio that I demo-ed tonight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTcbeWOKzEo

A Song I Like: "What Can You Lose?"

"WHAT CAN YOU LOSE?" from "Dick Tracy" (1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3-7BTQQjzs

What can you lose?
Only the blues
Why keep concealing everything you're feeling?
Say it to her, what can you lose?
Maybe it shows
She's had clues, which she chose to ignore
Maybe though she knows
And just wants to go on as before
As a friend, nothing more
So she closes the door

Well, if she does
Those are the dues
Once the words are spoken
Something may be broken
Still, you love her
What can you lose?

But what if she goes?
At least now, you have part of her
What if she had to choose?

Leave it alone
Hold it all in
Better a bone
Don't even begin
With so much to win
There's too much to lose

何を失うって言うの
たかが恋わずらい
何を失うって言うの
もうバレてるかも知れないし
なんども探りをいれたけど、スルーされた
たぶん分かって
今まで通りにしたいんだ
友達のままで
だから部屋に入れてくれない

もし部屋に入れてくれないなら
理由は君の言うとおりだ
言葉にした瞬間
何かが壊れることもある
それでも彼女のこと愛しているんでしょ
何を失うって言うの

でももし去ってしまったら
今のままなら少しでも一緒に居れる
無理に白黒つけなくても
放っておこう
我慢すればいいんだ
失うよりましだ
やめた
このままにしよう
試すだけ損だ

Monday Morning 5 K Barefoot Run in the Rain

On Monday morning when I woke up,
it was raining,
so after quickly making myself a bowl of ramen in salty and sour soup
and sharing it with Madam Fumiko,
I changed into my athletic gear and hit the road.
I ran 5 K barefooted.
A rainy day like today is perfect for barefoot running
for a number of reasons.

One, there aren't many people running,
so I can have the road all to myself.
The feeling of occupying my entire athletic territory is refreshing.

Two, it feels less painful.
When the roads are wet,
friction is minimum between the pavement and your sole.
I can avoid blisters and minor cuts.

Three, I feel less tired.
This is because the rain allows you to radiate body heat
more effectively than when you run in dry condition.
You stay cool throughout the run,
so you can keep a good pace more easily.

Today I ran a 1 K circular course 5 times.
The laps are as follows:
1st: 4:48.25
2nd: 4:47.46
3rd: 4:43.01
4th: 4:54.71
5th: 4:36.89
Total 5 K: 23:50.32

After the training run,
I hit a shower, did the laundry,
had a cup of coffee, and left home to meet my bilingual companion
to have dinner together.
I'm hoping to have something nutritious.

Sunday 5 K Run & Reunion

I ran 5 K this morning.
I ran my favorite 2.5 K circular route twice.
Today's laps were as follows:
1st: 12:12.41
2nd: 11:29.35
Total: 23:41.76.

After the training run,
I quickly hit a shower,
got changed,
and left home to meet an old American friend of mine and his wife
in Central Tokyo.

I was supposed meet them in the lobby of the hotel they were staying at
at 12:00 noon,
but I got there about ten minutes earlier.
No sooner had I called the friend on an internal phone,
than he answered it.
We exchanged a few quick words to express to each other
how excited we both were about hour reunion
after more than twenty years.

He and I first met when I was 20 and he 18.
That's 30 years ago.
We were both students at Purdue University in the State of Indiana
which is in the "in the Mid West region of the US.
I was a temporary exchange students
who took several classes in anthropology and linguistics.
My friend eventually got his degree in agricultural economics.

Soon after I called him,
he came downstairs to the lobby to see me.
He was by himself.
We excitedly exchanged greetings, which was then followed by sincere hugging.
Soon we were joined by his wife,
and soon after that the last of our party, Yoshi,
a mutual friend of ours joined us three.

We left the hotel to head for Shinbashi,
where the American friend wanted to get some help with his pre-paid SIM card.

After visiting a smart phone shop,
we took a walk through Ginza and eventually all the way to Tsukiji,
where we dropped by a Japanese restaurant and enjoy having
bowls of steamed vinegar rice topped with fresh seafood.

Once our stomachs were filled,
I took another short walk back into Ginza,
and made a stop at a mont-bell shop in Kyobashi,
where the American friend's wife wanted to do some window shopping.

After window-shopping briefly in Kyobashi,
we walked through Yurakucho to Corridor Street,
where we dropped in at a bistro and had dinner.

All throughout the walk and dinner,
we just talked and talked
about all kinds of stuff
from our jobs, family, hobbies, health, politics, philosophy, anthropology, agriculture,
to name a few.

Time flied,
and before we knew it, it was late.
Before walking the American guests to the train station,
I quickly showed them to my birth place near JR Shinbashi station,
where a karaoke building now stands.

Then came the moment of farewell.
We promised to meet again somewhere, sometime,
but not too far ahead,
either in Japan again,
or in the US.
Hopefully in the US,
because it seems more fair
as they came to Japan this time.

All in all, it was an awesome re-union,
which lifted my spirit tremendously.
I kept on thinking and speaking in English for 9 hours,
but my mind is more fulfilled than tired.
I felt some of my vocabulary was still occasionally not quite appropriate,
and my grammar a little bit broken,
but 90 % of the time my English was sufficient
for me to get my message across to the old friend and his wife.
I was very happy about my improvement in the language.

Friday Morning 6-Minute Upper Body Workout

On Friday morning, Oct. 14, 2016
I went to Shinobazu Park in Ueno, Tokyo
to do some upper body workout
using some facilities in the park.
Click the link below for details.
After the workout I collected ginkgo nuts there.
I am going to roast them tonight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTAHrJGaphE

Thursday Night 10 K Barefoot Run

I came home a little earlier than usual tonight
because I went to work early this morning
and I'm allowed to adjust my finish time accordingly.
As soon as I got home,
I had a light meal.
Once the meal was finished,
I put on my athletic gear,
and went for a training run.
Today's goal was running 10 K barefooted.
My last barefoot run was a week before.
I ran 7.5 K.
Though I was in fairly good condition,
the pace was good,
and time was satisfactory,
I got a blood blister in my left sole.
It hadn't completely healed yet,
but there was no pain.
Plus, it had reabsorbed and looked dry.
I believed it would not be much trouble.
I started off at a comfortable pace,
taking short and quick strides
so that the landing shock would be minimum.
I ran the first 2.5 K in 11:48.43.
I carried on at pretty much the same pace for the second 2.5 K,
and finished it at 11:22. 04, a bit faster.
I then took a short hydration break
before getting into the third lap.
The break was 10.60.
I ran the same route in the opposite direction
so as not to lose count.
The third lap was 11:10.41, even faster than the previous lap.
I got right into my final lap without taking a hydration break.
In the final lap I felt light, and my legs were still full of power.
I stuck with short strides and took quicker steps.
Even after increasing my pace, my breathing wasn't so difficult,
lactic acid didn't seem to develop in my legs.
I pushed on and on to finish the last lap at 10:16.46, the best lap of all four!
Total time was 44:47.94, well under 45:00.00.
I am happy.
My next training is this coming Saturday night.
I am scheduled to run 10 K again.
I was originally going to run barefoot,
but I'm not sure.
The blister is back, and it's bumped up again.
The light sole is slightly sore too.
I may put on the "MUTEKI" sock-like running shoes
for minimum protection.
It depends on how quickly my soles will recover.
Let's wait and see.

Sports Day 6.1 K Run in Tokyo

On the night of Sports Day I ran 6.1 K
in Central Tokyo.
It took me 32:40.54.
I was occasionally interrupted by traffic lights
and constructions,
but over all, the roads were deserted
and I was all alone.
It was a pleasant run.
After coming back to my hotel room,
I took a quick shower and enjoyed a small piece of sponge cake
with a glass of Spanish red wine.
It's called MIRADA.
The wine is made from two of my most favorite kinds of grapes:
tempranillo and shiraz.
It's quite affordable.
You should try it.

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/dir/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%9E%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB%E3%83%9B%E3%83%86%E3%83%AB+%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%A9%8B%E4%B8%89%E8%B6%8A%E5%89%8D/35.6859019,139.7758002/@35.6787505,139.7521003,14z/data=!4m59!4m58!1m55!1m1!1s0x6018895430ab646d:0x6b682d5bd2c0efe6!2m2!1d139.7760685!2d35.6862161!3m4!1m2!1d139.7744681!2d35.6844714!3s0x6018895675d748dd:0xfce1fcb23f886e88!3m4!1m2!1d139.7720308!2d35.6800877!3s0x60188bfd42fd96a1:0x2431404ad9c9d9d8!3m4!1m2!1d139.7695914!2d35.6762653!3s0x60188be30f155dd7:0x5236efe1e44dd1c9!3m4!1m2!1d139.7651869!2d35.6775564!3s0x60188bfae001d7ab:0x76eb2632f96c7bcc!3m4!1m2!1d139.7645452!2d35.6802408!3s0x60188bfa2fb7d4cd:0x1ce21be8bddead55!3m4!1m2!1d139.7631022!2d35.6805202!3s0x60188bf9f9887627:0x720f2ec862b08055!3m4!1m2!1d139.7633893!2d35.6816542!3s0x60188bf9c311234f:0x777023d63ae4fae6!3m4!1m2!1d139.7615255!2d35.6805734!3s0x60188bf747446d5f:0xc9ee4d2ad829a1d!3m4!1m2!1d139.7652159!2d35.671556!3s0x60188be67de8a071:0x1763dac1ee0f7a37!3m4!1m2!1d139.7745805!2d35.6850813!3s0x60188955dbdeb529:0x61b9e9f28192987b!1m0!3e2

Thursday Night 7.5 K Barefoot Run

Fully charged with energy after having a 200 g steak at "ステーキハウスおはかいっぱい"
(https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1319/A131901/13042647/)
in Higashi Nakano, Tokyo, I went for a training run as soon as I got home.
I ran 7.5 K tonight, and I ran barefoot.
There were two important goals in today's training.
One was testing durability of my sole when I ran barefoot beyond 5 K.
The other was practicing the so-called "nanba" form of running.
In the most common from of running,
powerful arm swings are encouraged
in order to create powerful strides.
On the other hand, in the nanba form
shifting of the solar plexus comes first,
and your forward strides follow that shift one after the other.
It is a more economical from of running,
and therefore it was recommended by a friend of mine
who is an orthopedic surgeon.

The result in terms of the first goal is rather pathetic.
I got a miserable blood blister in the left sole.
Hopefully it will heal by next Thursday
when a 10 K barefoot run is scheduled.

As for the second goal,
the result was fairly satisfactory.
I was able to keep a good pace
until the end.
The details are as follows:

1st 2.5 K: 10:58.92
2nd 2.5 K: 10:51:68
Hydration stop: 8.90
3rd 2.5 K: 10:18.35
Total 7.5 K: 32:17.85 (avarage 4:18/K)

Weekend 21 K Jog

I ran the route below in 1:50:37.
It was a pleasant run in a beautiful landscape,
though soon after I started running,
I was engulfed in serenity and darkness.

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/dir/%E5%8D%83%E8%91%89%E7%9C%8C%E4%BD%90%E5%80%89%E5%B8%82%E8%A5%BF%E5%BF%97%E6%B4%A5+%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%95%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B1%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%83%BB%E5%8B%9D%E7%94%B0%E5%8F%B0%E5%BA%97/35.7129617,140.1328353/@35.7404153,140.1043274,12z/data=!4m49!4m48!1m45!1m1!1s0x602286faa513c215:0xc5b51e2aba52c06c!2m2!1d140.1325415!2d35.7128895!3m4!1m2!1d140.1187346!2d35.7118503!3s0x602286de80a7821f:0xe046998baf605254!3m4!1m2!1d140.1096316!2d35.763196!3s0x60227de5d9ff7feb:0x821013a974236acd!3m4!1m2!1d140.1259667!2d35.7726898!3s0x60227d95c0e03fd5:0x3d40000d1d9dd2b6!3m4!1m2!1d140.1543657!2d35.7566482!3s0x6022878f8ad1235b:0x245122c8130b2224!3m4!1m2!1d140.1586774!2d35.7453104!3s0x602287beac6a8529:0xa454039c88fc9801!3m4!1m2!1d140.1526419!2d35.7262022!3s0x6022864d92e8f117:0x5e8f3f8b137a02b7!3m4!1m2!1d140.1577077!2d35.7152956!3s0x602286417fbd5065:0xff8a17fba8c28a9b!3m4!1m2!1d140.134676!2d35.7128967!3s0x602286f09a90ba73:0x1034455a10d2b9f8!1m0!3e2

Sunday Projects

Today is Sunday.
I have a number of personal projects lined up.
First on the list is gardening.
My backyard had been a mess for quite a while
as it rained on and off, and I wasn't able to get out and take care of it.
It cleared up today,
so I was finally able to attend to my tomato plants and some other stuff.
In the backyard a number of different kinds of tomato plants are growing.
The mini tomato ones are still nice and robust,
but the one on which large tomatoes grow are getting weaker and weaker each day.
I uprooted some of them.
Also, all of them had significantly grown over the last several weeks,
and the leaves were all tangled up.
I tied many of them on to supporting poles,
while getting rid of all the dead and dying leaves.
The backyard now looks a lot more spacious and orderly.

The second on the to-do-list was making breakfast.
As I may have mentioned before,
breakfast is important to me.
I do not eat a lot, but I eat good stuff.
This morning, just like on many other mornings,
I made miso soup.
I made the broth with dried sardines, a few small sheets of kelp,
and a small bag of fine bonito flakes I got from a student of mine
in return for a DVD I lent her.
I put beaten egg, and strings of 'eringi' mushroom,
some pieces of tomato, and some leaves of  'moroheiya' in it.
The tomato and horoheiya were fresh from the backyard. 
The soup was enjoyed between me and Madam Fumiko.

The third on the list was exercise.
I was a bit sore from the one on Friday,
so I didn't push myself too much.
Especially, I avoided hitting the areas
that were worked out then.
I hit the shoulders and bi-ceps today.
I used rubber bands to create resistance.
I could use dumbbells, but I don't.
Two reasons.
One, they are expensive.
Two, they are heavy.
On the other hands, rubber bands have many merits.
One, they only cost a dollar.
Two, they are light and easy to carry.
Three, they are easy to throw away when they are out of use.
One big demerit, of course, is that rubber bands cannot be used as a weight
when you pickle Chinese cabbages in winter..
Anyhow, I exercised for about twenty minutes,
and felt pleasantly pumped up.

The fourth on the list was buying sushi for Madam.
Madam worked out real hard at the gym this week,
plus she did some significant amount of yard work yesterday.
She looked exhausted last night when I came home from work.
She stilled looked not completely recovered.
I thought fuel injection was important.
And sushi was the best fuel for her.
Luckily, on Oct. 1 the ban on takeout of shellfish was lifted
at Katsugyo Ohedo Ueno Nigohten in Ueno, Tokyo.
So I am going to go there to get some fresh sushi
including some good shellfish stuff that Madam likes.

Later in the evening,
I hope to hit the road to have a training run.
I would really like to burn many calories.
But there are so many different approaches to achieving that goal.
Interval training is one.
Pace run is two.
Or I just go for a long slow jog for many many miles.
Right at the moment many miles of long slow jog sounds like a plan.
The sky is high, the air is cool.
The leaves are just about to turn yellow,
and the whole landscape is charmingly filled with an air of early autumn.
I love running in the changing seasons...
So we'll see.





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