I managed to retire four pairs of running shoes yesterday. It wasn't as sad as usual: two Adizero CS2 (they served me well but gave me some big blisters recently), one pair of Asics DS Trainer (never liked them) and some old Adidas flats. And of course that made me feel justified enough to restock my fleet!
I went to the recently opened Asics store in Ginza and picked up a pair of O'Hanaracers yesterday. They're not really flat flats as they offer a bit more support for marathon races in the sub 3 region. I figure they'll do well on my daily 7 milers. Also I want to try if I am able to do more mileage on lighter shoes.
When you spend 15,000 Yen there you can become a member and try the locker and shower facilities inside the shop three times. The short distance from the famous Imperial Palace 5k loop could make this interesting. After the trial you can use the facilities for 2,000 Yen per month. Well, nice try Asics but there are more convenient and cheaper options I think.
I tried the new racers on the Tamagawa 10k loop. A friend of mine lives down there with his family. There's a lot of space for all sorts of activities by the river and it's rare to see a little bit of nature in Tokyo. It's not exactly pretty by most standards but after having spend now a few years here I actually appreciate it a lot. Nonetheless, in most parts of Europe they would probably make trash-dump out of an area like this.
The racers felt very good, although running them on gravel was actually not such a good idea for fragile beauties like this. I had to pull a few stones out of the sole today. I first jogged 3 mile with my mate and then took off for my 7 miler (@ 4:03 min/k or 6:32 min/ml; 83% HRmax), finishing with another 3 mile warm-down. I had a good feeling throughout the entire run, the weather was great and spring finally seems to be breaking through here. Cherry blossom is only two weeks away!
I got another run done during lunch today @ 4:01 min/k or 6:28 min/ml; 84% HRmax. It's day 15 into the Base Level Test and it's getting harder. I tend to go out a bit fast these days and fade a little on the last 3 miles. At the moment I average 4:01 min/k or 6:28 min/ml (83% HRmax) for all runs so far but I am not sure if it's the right approach to average these results in the end.
About Me
- Ingo
- ... on my quest to become a more complete runner, or simply the best runner I can be.
Personal Bests
- 5k 17:43 (Oda Field Mar 2007)
- 10k 38:39 (in 2000)
- Half 1:23:01 (Shinjuku Jan 2007)
- Full 2:58:02 (Hamburg 2000)
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3 comments:
Gee, a lot of territory covered in that post, Ingo. Firstly, I think the 2000 yen/month is actually a pretty good deal if you compare it to the cost of a sento. Five visits to the sento costs 2150 yen. If you used the Asics shop every working day it would be costing in the vicinity of 100 yen per shower. That's gotta be pretty hard to beat.
I sometimes run from home down to nikotama and along the river, but have always stayed on the Tokyo side. Bad things could happen to an impressionable young man like me over there in Kawasaki I reckon. I have run up to the Odakyu line and back and last time ran right down river a km or two past Gas Bashi.
Your average speed for your 7-mile circumnavigations of the palace is pretty darn fast if you ask me. I am very interested in whether the base level test is meant to see you adjust the pace from run to run, either up or down, to try to find that sweet spot. I wonder if that is the point of the 21 days, to allow enough time at each adjustment to see what sort of a difference it makes over several days. Anyway, seems you are going well with it and I am envious watching you get stuck into it. Take care of those feet and keep at it!
Ingo, Looking at your post so far I would guess 4:15/Km (6:50/Mi) is your base level. If you keep it up I may arrange for you to recuperate in Bad Driburg with someone who can really drink beer.
But Steve, if you go the Asics store every day you will buy at least two new pairs a months which is more money than you will ever leave at a sento in a year!
On the base level test, I think the real pace will show up in the end and it's obviously wrong to average it the way I did. I started this test fully recovered and tapered so the first week should be discounted anyway.
Mystery Coach knocked me down to 4:15/k which is a bit disappointing buy very likely right (then why the heck am I still pushing myself to run 4:00ish/k paces I wonder).
Thing is, if you had asked me before the test, I'd have said my base is somewhere between 4:20-4:30/k. So 4:15 is actually a good result - but it now seems sooooo slooooow when you run faster every day.
Mystery Coach, thank you again a lot for your input and be sure I'll take you up on your beer offer (I think Steve would love to join the partyt too)! But where on earth is Bad Driburg? Must be some hidden place back home. I'll find out!
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