Training's going really well

I daren't tempt fate, but my training is progressing better than ever before. I'm injury free bar a few little niggles (including a left ankle that's felt tight for months) and I'm getting stronger and faster quickly.

My weight has dropped to the low 59kg range (from 62-63 only four months ago) and I've managed six weeks in a row doing at least one run of more than 2 hours each week plus other long runs of around 90 minutes. This week, I've done a race, then 2 hours, 90 min x 70%, and 90 min x 90% (until I cracked at 83 minutes and slowed).

Tokyo Marathon is around 12 weeks away - a bit less - so I can fit in 10 weeks of solid training if my body continues to let me and, hopefully, my weight also will continue to fall.

Running again

Back to regular long runs. Still have a bit of a problem with my ankle, and my hip (piriformis) is very tight, but I can run every day without any major issues.

running again - just

My achilles pain has gone on the right side, but it's just there on the left - 2 out of 10 pain when I'm NOT running and no pain when I am. Did 1 hour today and yesterday. Seems to make no difference to the pain I feel. Yesterday my legs felt really tight, today they felt OK, but not good.

If my left leg was a car...

...I'd have to take it to the wrecking yard. Ran again this week, because my achilles had improved. But three 30 minute runs later and I've got pains in my ankle, foot and both sides of my knee - all on the left side.

Injured

My achilles is not getting better, and my massuer is getting worried, so I can't run. Today, I did a 35-minute walk. I felt like such a loser - walking sucks. I did learn some new things about my area though - fashion designer Issey Miyake's factory is near my house - I never knew that. And I found quite a big temple too. So maybe there are some good reasons to slow down - you get to see stuff. But all in all, I feel about as happy as the little guy above...

Missed events

In Australia and England there are a lot of running and cycling events you can enter on the day, or maybe just a week before. But in Japan, running events sell out months in advance. So I'm always finding out about events too late.

This week, I found out I missed a chance to race at Oi Wharf in an amateur bicycle race that will be run before the Tour of Japan arrives. Then yesterday, I found I had missed the cut-off date to run at Nittaidai University on June 1 in a 5,000m time trial - I'm going to enter the next one though.

If you'd like to run at Nittaidai, check out the list of times, distances and dates below. There are different categories for different runners - but it seems they're all quite fast. (Click on the information to make it bigger).



I'm mildly injured again. My achilles got worse Sunday, so I took yesterday off and I won't run today either.

Running update

I haven't hit my planned weekly mileage yet - life has got in the way a few times. But my mileage is still up on five weeks ago. Felt a twinge in my left achilles this morning. I think it will be OK

Look what I found in Australia

On my recent trip back to Australia I found some parts I'd left in my dad's shed - a small black bag was filled with chainrings and cogs. And it was quite a find - a Suntour Superbe NJS cog and, even rarer, some BIA-stamped cogs (BIA was the stamp of approval for keirin racing parts before the NJS marking was introduced). I even found a BIA-marked lockring.



The chainrings I found included a Campagnolo Record 48 tooth 151 BCD ring dating back to about 1974. I can't use it, so I think I'll try to sell it. One went for £77 on an auction site recently.



Lots of cogs - including one made in England



Suntour NJS 15T



Shimano Dura-Ace BIA lockring



A rare-as-hen's teeth 12T cog



Suntour Superbe 13T BIA cog



Campagnolo Record 14T



Shimano 16T BIA cog



Shimano 16T NJS cog



Today, I went to Shinjuku (to go to a bicycle shop of course) and spotted these three bikes parked close to each other. I can't work out how anyone can ride a bike with the seat pointing down - don't they slide off the front? The San Rensho is a great looking bicycle.







Training update
Injured my foot on a two-hour run today.

Terry Fox fun run 2007

I ran the first 5km of the 10km Terry Fox fun run today. I didn't take it too seriously. My watch didn't work, so I don't know what time I did - but it was about 19 minutes. Jay came through a bit after me in a bit over 19 minutes.

I had to go to work at 11am, so although I felt a bit bad having to tell the official who was leading me on a bicycle that I would be pulling out, I had to end it after 5km.

Then it was like a duathlon. I ran back to Hibya Park, got my bag, then had 7 minutes to cycle to work. I didn't quite make it on time (not very acceptable in Japan). But I was only 5 minutes late.

My ITB is tight on my left knee. I could really feel it, like a hard lump, when I was cycling after running. Feet were fine.

40 minutes

Another easy run tonight - 40 minutes. But I tried out a few of Arthur Lydiard's 'bounds' uphill. Only 3 sets, just to get the feel. The technique is quite difficult.

The basics of the method can be found here: http://www.lydiardfoundation.org/training/hilltrainingdvd.html (thanks again, Steve).

I think it's as much about landing as takeoff. Also, I found my body twisting - something that obviously needs to be ironed out.

40 minutes - easy

Ran with my wife tonight. An easy 38 minutes.

Foot hurt a tad.

Sakamoto

I took a day off running yesterday. I spent most of the day at the InterCommunication Center (ICC). Tokyo has some brilliant galleries and art spaces. The ICC is a great place to take kids. There's lots of games to play and interactive stuff.

At the moment, though, there's also an installation by Ryuichi Sakamoto. It's impossible to explain, but using video projections, dry ice, water and sound he creates an amazing visual experience. Definitely worth seeing.

Running
Today, I went for a 40 minute run. No problem. My back's a bit tight, that's all. Knees and feet were and are fine. I just wonder if I'm going to get bored of doing the right thing all the time. I'm itching to throw in a few 1km reps, or do some hill sprints - but I know it's too early for that.

Sunday saw the running of the City to Bay fun run in my hometown of Adelaide. 23,000 people ran this year, with the winner completing the 12km event in 34mins 24 seconds. A very good time. Some of you may have heard of the very good Australian marathoner Lee Troop. Well Lee went in the run a year or two back and could only manage 4th place, which shows how competitive it is.

Anyway, I was checking the results for the different age groups and I noticed that the winner of the M37 age group last year ran the 12km in 41.12. And the winner of the M38s did it in 44 minutes. Now, I reckon with a year of solid training under my belt I could give 44 minutes a good shake, and 41 minutes would be a possibility. So I'm seriously considering flying out to Adelaide just to run it. Or at least I'm seriously dreaming of doing it. Let's see how the training goes.

Pointing the finger

I rarely talk about politics on this blog, but one thing has been winding me up lately. The finger point. Politician goes on stage and gets told to find someone they know (or don't know) in the audience, point and them and mouth something banal like "Wow! You're here!".





With the U.S. and Australian elections on the way we'll be seeing a lot more of this fakery. I wish politicians could think of a way to get photographed without doing it.


Running
Did 40 minutes tonight. Left foot started hurting a bit, both knees feel iffy. Should be fine though.

41 minutes

Tonight I guess I did everything right. Ran at a fairly easy pace (I realised I have no idea what 4.30 pace feels like) and did an out and back course, turning around at 20 minutes (Steve's idea - to stop me 'racing' the course). Legs felt OK. But the bloody Starbucks keema curry pie I had for lunch came back to greet me a few times. Why do those things take 6 hours to digest?

Foot pain was good while running, feels odd now.

32 minutes...

...it was meant to be 38, but I ran too fast. I was floating. (Sorry Mr. Lacey - I know I'm not meant to go fast - got a bit carried away). Foot was OK.

40 minutes

Did another 40 minutes today. It feels easy, but let's see if I'm still saying that in a week or two before I increase the miles. My foot soreness is odd. It's just behind the big toe on my right foot. Running on my toes helps. The heel strike and roll seems to be hurting the front of the arch. Knee's OK, but the ITB just over the knee is one solid hard lump.

Oh, and no Oda Field. Being sensible.

Ran 40 minutes

Took it easy today. 40 minutes along the river. I changed my innersoles which is helping a bit with my foot pain. My left knee is so close to being injured. I must find ways to strengthen it.