Finally ran at Oda Field again

It had been about 4 months, but I finally made it out to Oda Field to run again. I'd forgotten both how fun it is and how hard it is - I couldn't even finish the final 800m effort.

I can't go next week, but I'm going the week after that for the 5km time trial.

twitter.com/KankiKnight

11 days until Tokyo Marathon

I did a track workout today. 1,200; 600; 1,200; 600; 1,200. I tried out a second pair of new shoes and liked them, so they'll be the ones I use on the 22nd.

I'm still not feeling 100%. My first 1,200 felt awful.

I tried to use my new Garmin 405, but it's not at all intuitive, so I had no idea how to even get to stopwatch mode (does it even have one?)

A good 5km

I turned up to Oda Field in Yoyogi Park on Wednesday dreading the idea of running 5km. My neck was hurting a lot - some kind of glandular pain - and I felt weary. But I figured I'd give it a go.

Then, after running 2km, my shoelace came undone, but I kept going.

And I was rewarded with a half-decent time - 17.33. My equal second best time. Of course, now I wish I'd run just a bit faster. Sub 17.30 would have been nice. But all things considered, I can't complain.

Did a good 2 hour run the next day.

Oda Field in the rain

Bit of an odd night of training tonight - it was cold and very wet.

The plan was 2km, 1km, 2km, 1km - but I missed the start of the first 2km, so I ran it as a warm-up.

Then I ran 3.09, 6.51, 3.14.

I felt OK, but I didn't realised my 3.09 was actually rather quick.

My achilles is just bothering me a little.

Getting fitter?

In June last year I did a 6 x 1,000m session at Oda Field. My times were:
3.23, 3.17, 3.22, 3.27, 3.22, 3.27.

Last night I ran:
3.19, 3.19, 3.13, 3.12, 3.19, and pulled out of the last one after 500m with stomach pain.

But if I can overlook the last effort it seems to show a definite improvement.

New 5km PB!

Today, at Oda Field in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, I ran 17.32 for 5km. The time is only 1 second faster than my previous PB, but it's a major breakthrough for me. It felt easy all the way and I never went into oxygen debt - so I know I can do a faster time. I've upped my weekly mileage and lost weight - and now I can see it's paying off. This was my only PB of the year.

I'm doing Okutama Ekiden on Dec. 7; Shibuya Ekiden on Jan. 18 and Tokyo Marathon on March 22. Hopefully, my times will keep improving.

5km in 17.57

I was glad to do a half-decent run tonight at Oda Field. Had awful stomach cramps but managed to hang on for an OK time.

Oh, and in case I don't blog again before the U.S. presidential election

ø„¸¨°º¤ø„¸¸„ø¤º°¨¸„ø¤º°¨
¨°º¤ø„¸ Obama „ø¤º°¨
¸„ø¤º°¨ for president`°º¤ø„¸
¸„ø¤º°¨¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤ø„¸ ¨°º¤ø„

I just wish the world got a vote.

Oda Field track session

I tried out running spikes for the first time last night, and found them both easier and harder to run in than expected.
I had expected they would force me to run on my toes, but they didn't, I was able to run normally for the kind of distance I'd be using them for (1km, 1 mile etc). However, at speed they showed up my poor running technique. While racing flats are forgiving and soak up a poor landing of the foot, spikes magnify even the smallest mistake. I found myself acutely aware of every foot fall - and how bad my running style becomes as I tire.

I'm not going to do a lot of track work, as right now my focus is on distance. The next 12 weeks need to be about mileage, while also 'listening' to my knee for any signs of trouble.

Oda Field - 5 x 1,200m

Tonight's session at Oda Field is my favourite. I enjoy the speed at which 1,200s are run.

Tonight, as usual, I got there late. But I only missed two efforts (which I made up at the end).

My times were: 3.57, 3.58, 3.58, 4.09 (and it hurt), 4.19 (I didn't try hard enough).

I'm getting a lot of aches in my stomach and chest. Maybe I've got IBS back, or maybe I need an ECG to test my heart.


Now, time for a quick rant. I picked up a copy of the U.S. magazine Running today. It used to be my favourite magazine, but it was recently sold to Rodale publishing - and now it's gone all preachy and god-bothery. They subject readers to their faith all the way through the magazine. I wish they'd focus on what unites runners, whether they be in Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Japan, rather than preaching what sounds like an evangelical sermon in each of their pieces.

Oda Field

Ran the 5km time trial at Oda Field on Wednesday night. 18.03. Felt uninspired before the run, and I think I've got an old stomach ailment back. I had to go out the night before for a colleague's going away party, but I limited myself to two half pints. I guess the late(ish) night still had an effect. Since the run I've felt really tired and worn out. The heat maybe?
Also, I realised post run, when I was trying to work out what time I had done (my watch didn't stop) that I was saying I had finished about 20 or so meters behind Jay. I'll put that down to being a bit tired and out of it, I was more like 150-200 meters behind Jay. He was a speck in the distance.

So my plan to take off 11 seconds each time I run the 5km has been thrown into disarray. I think I'll actually go back to plan A - which is to run a 5km doing steady 1.23 laps. That should see me break 17.30 on a good night. A 4 second improvement is better than a failed attempt at 17.22 that exhausts me after 7 laps.

Knees were fine, but I've got a tendon (?) strain behind my right knee on the inside. Hurts at low speed, fine running fast. Oh, and I'm still getting intermittent chest pains.

Oda Field - stomach cramps

Only did 2 runs at Oda Field last night. The plan was 1,200; 1,000; 800; 600; 400; 200. I just missed the start of the 1,200 but ran it midfield. I had an OK run in the 1,000 (but forgot my watch - no time), then my stomach started feeling bad in the 800, but I ran OK, but I knew the 600 would be tough. Somehow I figured going out even harder would make me forget the stomach pain, so I raced to the front in the 600, but at exactly the 400m mark I had to pull out. I couldn't line up for the last two. Not sure why I had the pain, I hadn't eaten since 1pm. Maybe I had drunk too much water near the race time.

Oda Field - with a cold

I'm tired and run down. I dragged myself to Oda Field tonight to see if my lethargy was all in my head. I guess it sort of was because I ripped through my first 1,200 in 3.55. Then I ran a 400 in 1.06. But then i tried to do another 1,200 and packed it in after 800 meters. I just didn't feel like it.

Now my glands are up in my neck and I feel really tired. I've felt a bit tired since last week. I ran Wednesday then missed four days, ran an easy hour Monday, missed yesterday then ran today.

Oh, and the 400 meters made my right hip hurt.

Tonight we did 6 x 1,000m at Oda Field

But I turned up late, so I only did two efforts with my club mates.

Ran a 3.23 to get settled in.

Then a 3.17.

Then had to do four by myself: 3.22, 3.27, 3.22, 3.27.

I really tried on the last one, I was gutted it was so slow.


(I edited some of these times. I think my brain was frazzled when I first wrote them!)