I just finished watching a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angels Angels (of Anaheim). I love the Red Sox day games as it starts at 6 p.m. here in UK (so practically a night game for me, except, er, it is a daytime in Boston). This was actually a makeup game from 15 April, which was rained out. I was there! It was a day before the Boston marathon, and I had a ticket to go to the Fenway Park. Moreover, there were supposed to be marathon-related ceremonies (as they always do on marathon Sundays). I was told the ceremonial first pitch would be thrown by a famous Japanese marathon runner Toshihiko Seko - I grew up watching him! Alas it all came to naught as there was torrential rain from the start of that day. It was actually coming from the big storm, which continued right up to the start of the Boston marathon next day.
Back to the baseball game, this game marked a major league debut for the Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz. He threw solid six innings (4 runs, 3 earned, 8 hits, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts). It was a very impressive performance against the strong Angels line-up. And he got the first major-league win - congratulations, Clay!
Today: 7 miles
Weekly mileage: 66 miles
Friday, 17 August 2007
Thursday, 16 August 2007
Six days
At the start of the week I wrote this could be my longest week in terms of training mileage. As expected this has been a very tough week, but thankfully I am still on course.
As I complained last week, Thursday is the hardest day of the week. And since I have been hell-bent on accumulating as many miles as possible throughout the week, I felt especially tired today. The good news is it is over now - the hardest day of the hardest week. I will only do a recovery run tomorrow, followed by a long run in the weekend. Actually I am grateful that a week has seven days, well actually six days for my training because I don't train on Sundays. I mean, just as I come to the point where I think I can no longer go on (normally on Thursday), the end comes in sight (Saturday). I am therefore very grateful that God decided a week must have seven days. Maybe he was a marathoner!
Today: 13 miles
Weekly mileage: 59 miles
As I complained last week, Thursday is the hardest day of the week. And since I have been hell-bent on accumulating as many miles as possible throughout the week, I felt especially tired today. The good news is it is over now - the hardest day of the hardest week. I will only do a recovery run tomorrow, followed by a long run in the weekend. Actually I am grateful that a week has seven days, well actually six days for my training because I don't train on Sundays. I mean, just as I come to the point where I think I can no longer go on (normally on Thursday), the end comes in sight (Saturday). I am therefore very grateful that God decided a week must have seven days. Maybe he was a marathoner!
Today: 13 miles
Weekly mileage: 59 miles
Wednesday, 15 August 2007
Blowin' in the wind
Yesterday I wrote I don't really mind running in the rain. Unfortunately when it rains, the wind is always blowing hard. For me that's a bigger problem. This morning the rain was much lighter, only the drizzle, but the wind was stronger than yesterday.
Usually a marathon course is a loop since you start and finish at the same point, so even when it blows you can find an easy stretch where you can get the tailwind. A notable exception, of course, is Boston where the course is almost a straight line. When I ran there for the first time last year, I received a push from the back all the way through (which contributed greatly to my personal record). This year, however, was the opposite and the constant headwind was killing my legs. The Loch Ness Marathon is also a straight course; the Loch Ness is a long lake, and we will start at the other end of the lake and run towards Inverness which is situated by the sea. And I am pretty sure I will get the headwind in the Loch Ness. Yes, the heavy rain and easterly wind is Yasushi's weather forecast for Inverness on 7 October!
Today: 16 miles
Weekly mileage: 46 miles
Usually a marathon course is a loop since you start and finish at the same point, so even when it blows you can find an easy stretch where you can get the tailwind. A notable exception, of course, is Boston where the course is almost a straight line. When I ran there for the first time last year, I received a push from the back all the way through (which contributed greatly to my personal record). This year, however, was the opposite and the constant headwind was killing my legs. The Loch Ness Marathon is also a straight course; the Loch Ness is a long lake, and we will start at the other end of the lake and run towards Inverness which is situated by the sea. And I am pretty sure I will get the headwind in the Loch Ness. Yes, the heavy rain and easterly wind is Yasushi's weather forecast for Inverness on 7 October!
Today: 16 miles
Weekly mileage: 46 miles
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Rained on
It was just starting to rain when I went out for a run this morning. The rain got heavier as I ran, and soon I was soaked to the skin. I should still consider myself lucky, however, given the weather we are having this summer because I think this is the only second time that I got completely wet since I started training in May.
Besides I don't really mind running in the rain. Actually I quite like it! I don't know why, but somehow I don't feel tired when I run in the rain (well, shall we say I feel less tired...) On the other hand, my pace tends to be slower so that is a drawback (and perhaps it explains why I feel less tired at the end of the run)
Strange enough (or is it my destiny?), of the six marathons I have run so far, I got rained on in three of them. I ran under the sun only once (Reykjavik in 2004) while the Boston Marathon in 2006 was a perfect condition of clouds and no wind. My first ever marathon, in Reykjavik 2003, I received a baptism of horizontal rain throughout 26.2 miles. The rain in Stockholm in 2005 and Boston in 2007 was light in comparison. And I can safely bet it will rain heavily again in the Loch Ness on 7 October!
Today: 13 miles
Weekly mileage: 30 miles
Besides I don't really mind running in the rain. Actually I quite like it! I don't know why, but somehow I don't feel tired when I run in the rain (well, shall we say I feel less tired...) On the other hand, my pace tends to be slower so that is a drawback (and perhaps it explains why I feel less tired at the end of the run)
Strange enough (or is it my destiny?), of the six marathons I have run so far, I got rained on in three of them. I ran under the sun only once (Reykjavik in 2004) while the Boston Marathon in 2006 was a perfect condition of clouds and no wind. My first ever marathon, in Reykjavik 2003, I received a baptism of horizontal rain throughout 26.2 miles. The rain in Stockholm in 2005 and Boston in 2007 was light in comparison. And I can safely bet it will rain heavily again in the Loch Ness on 7 October!
Today: 13 miles
Weekly mileage: 30 miles
Monday, 13 August 2007
Week 7 - the longest week?
This is Week 7 in my training calendar. Technically speaking there are 8 weeks left before the marathon, but the last week (called "Race week") does not really count as training.
Now I know this is a bad karma, so I am not saying I am going to do it, but my book says you are supposed to run the longest distance this week. I find this interesting; if I am left to my own devices I would probably have put in the longest distance just before the marathon. Indeed week 3 has the second highest mileage, but this week has the highest. So I will do my best, but please remember I am not promising I will succeed!
Today: 17 miles
Weekly mileage: 17 miles
Now I know this is a bad karma, so I am not saying I am going to do it, but my book says you are supposed to run the longest distance this week. I find this interesting; if I am left to my own devices I would probably have put in the longest distance just before the marathon. Indeed week 3 has the second highest mileage, but this week has the highest. So I will do my best, but please remember I am not promising I will succeed!
Today: 17 miles
Weekly mileage: 17 miles
Sunday, 12 August 2007
Music and running
Yesterday morning I was running in the Victoria Park, and on the other side of the park there was a festival going on (Field Day). Three weeks ago there was another festival whose site occupied a large part of the park, but Field Day seemed to be smaller in scale. I did ten loops yesterday, and each time I ran beside the festival site I could hear the music coming from the stage. It was very pleasant, and helped me finish the two-hour run on a hot day.
That being said, I never listen to music when I run. Nike introduced a while ago the small chip that goes into the shoes, which tells you on the iPod display the distance, speed etc. This was very tempting, but still I didn't feel like listening to music when I run. I don't know why - I have iPod and take it wherever I go, but except for the running. I guess I just prefer tranquility when I run; I find it has a calming effect on me. There is a practical side, too, since I started on this new route along the canal. The passage along the canal is very narrow in parts, and when you go under the bridge you cannot see who is coming from opposite. Especially dangerous are cyclists, but most of time they let you know they are coming by ringing the bell. So you have to listen out for these bells, otherwise you risk a collision with a bicycle!
Yesterday: 15 miles
Weekly mileage: 62 miles
That being said, I never listen to music when I run. Nike introduced a while ago the small chip that goes into the shoes, which tells you on the iPod display the distance, speed etc. This was very tempting, but still I didn't feel like listening to music when I run. I don't know why - I have iPod and take it wherever I go, but except for the running. I guess I just prefer tranquility when I run; I find it has a calming effect on me. There is a practical side, too, since I started on this new route along the canal. The passage along the canal is very narrow in parts, and when you go under the bridge you cannot see who is coming from opposite. Especially dangerous are cyclists, but most of time they let you know they are coming by ringing the bell. So you have to listen out for these bells, otherwise you risk a collision with a bicycle!
Yesterday: 15 miles
Weekly mileage: 62 miles
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