Running in Okinawa

Morning run
I ran a comfortable 7.3 miles this morning, but was cautious in doing so. I stayed close to the starting point in case something happened. I felt great after all. No worries. I was excited that I completed the run w/o pain.

Afternoon run
I came home early to take my kid to the doctor, and my wife took the car and left me at home to relax. I played a game for bit, and decided I’d better get my run in before they come back. So off I went. I felt good enough to stick to the regular training menu since this morning went well, so I set out for a 9.5 mile course. There must have been a holiday today because after 3:30, kids from kindergarten to high school were getting out of school early. They crowded the sidewalks, so I had to hop on and off the busy road more than a few times. Overall the run felt great, and I was finished just after my wife and kid got home. We went out to got her car back after getting it JCI’d, and then we ate out. It was very fun, and I’m looking forward to spending more quality time for our next vacation which is coming soon!

Thank goodness for Mama-sans!! I was hurtin today, so decided to take it easy, and jog the kinks out. I was still hurting after my jog, and spoke to one of the kids’ Mom who is a masseuse. She gave me a massage right there on the spot. My wife and Reiko were there watching. The first thing she checked was my balance. She said it was really bad. She showed them that my left leg was longer than my right (I already was told that by the chiropractor, so no surprise there). She hit places my chiropractor never does. It felt so good to have her work those neglected areas. When she was done, she checked my alignment again, and showed my wife and Reiko the difference. Both legs were even now! There was a three inch difference when she started, and she fix it. I wanted to ask where she works so I could make an appointment, but it was getting late, and she was in a hurry. She said it may be because of running the same direction on the track so much. She’s probably right.

I told Hase how messed up my alignment was, and how much difference she had made. I asked him, “Why does this happen?”

He said, “Bo-Tai-So, yatteru?” (are you doing the bo exercises?)

I said, “NO!” and immediately I realized that I had forgotten all about Bo-Tai-So. Bo-Tai-So is the core of FreeRun training.  It is a set of bo exercises that strengthen the body’s core and alignment.

I know what I need to do.

Midday Run
Ran at lunch time today because I was too tired to wake up at 5. It was the hottest part of the day, and believe you me, Okinawa can get HOT!! I did 45 mins at a comfortable pace.

Active Recovery Steps taken today:

1. iced after morning run – I used a paper cup of ice to massage my legs (something I learned in high school).
2. read about my injury – I finally opened a book I bought last year. Kinetic Anatomy by Robert S. Behnke, a Professor at Indiana State University. I read one the first chapter on movement, and learned the general concepts, but then flipped to chapter 10: The Hip and Thigh. I found out that the muscle(s) that’s been bothering me is called the Psoas major and possibly the Gracilis also which runs from the pelvis to the knee.
   
3. I did a Power Stretch video with my wife. The video is by Madeleine Lewis, and takes about 20 minutes. I feel like I’m working muscles that I don’t normally use because I feel mild soreness afterwards in my quads and back.
   

Late Evening Run
I ran nice and slow for 30 minutes.  Felt good.

I enjoyed sleeping in until 6:30 am today.   It’s nice to get that extra hour of sleep in to start the week off feeling refreshed.

I tried something new this evening.  I tried Yoga and later on some Power Stretching.  I noticed my body imbalances when doing the stretching.  I was more flexible on my right side than my left.  I plan to continue exploring stretching and power exercises until I find a routine that works for me.

I set off this morning on a two and a half hour slow solo jog only to have problems half way through.  I felt a familiar sharp pain in my left glute when I was 11 miles out.  I knew it was time to stop, so I walked to the nearest convenience store, bought an onigiri and a sports drink, and took a cab home.  The pain I felt was sharp.  Most likely onset from not running regularly, stretching, and/or not doing any strength exercises lately.  I really upped my mileage this week, and started doing hard quality workouts again.

Later on in the day, while my wife and daughter were taking a nap (she was sleepy from going to the beach today), I decided to go to the Seikotsuin (chiropractor/message place) to get started recovering from this ongoing nuisance of an injury.  It felt great, they really worked some kinks out that had been bugging me for a while, especially in my shoulders, back, and neck.  Afterwards they hooked me up to an electric machine that pulses through your muscles causing them to contract.  I think its to strengthen the muscles.  Now I’m realigned, strengthened, and ready to recover from a hard week.

3k – 9:36
2k – 6:16
1k – 3:00
3k (did lap extra so 8.5 laps) 11:39
felt on verge of injury so stopped here.

The track was closed today, so we ran on the park course. 2k out, u-turn, and 2k back.  It was nice to be off norm for while (not running the track).  I was on my own for this workout which was also a plus – no pressure.  Hase was tuning up for his race at Sendai Half Marathon this weekend, so he was doing 400s.

My pace was pretty good, and I felt decent.  I kept all my K’s under 3:30 with my last 2k being 3:20 and 3:10.  I remember as I was coming in for the final 1k, I felt like I was running in a tunnel that outlined my body.  I don’t think my form could have been any better.  This is the type of feeling I want to have during a race.

After two months of less training and more studying, I’ve passed my exams, and am ready to get back into running two-a-days starting next week. I wasn’t in good enough shape to do the full workout today which was 12k at 3:20 pace (5:20 per/mi). I kept pace until 6k, and decided that was enough for the day. I ran a 66 second kick lap to finish up the 6k. after a fast start. Hase and I traded off 1k’s, which means I would lead one, then he would lead one while Seth did 1k repeats, and the new guy did 400s. The youth B group did their own workout of 4000m x2, and the youth C did 400s.

My alarm didn’t go off early enough to get a run in this morning, so I only did one recovery run after work.  I ran 4 miles down to a “go green store” that I’d heard about earlier today.  The prices there were unbelievable!  They wanted more than $5k for a wind turbine that costs only $500 on the internet.  Isn’t that insane?  I was really looking for a gadget that could maybe power a t.v. or home appliance.  It’s hard to find anything small that can give you affordable solar power.  The turbine is best I could find.  Anyway, I’m glad I went, and I enjoyed my 4 mile run back.  I felt pretty strong doing strides afterwards.

I took the baby for a run in our new used jogging stroller in hopes to give my wife a break from kid duty.  I ran at the Ginowan Convention Center where there is a nice 3k path that I ran for about 40 minutes.  My daughter seemed to enjoy it, especially when we’d run under the flags that are displayed for Kid’s Day which is a holiday sometime this week.  They look like Carp (the fish), and when the wind blows through them, they get bigger.  The holiday is called Kodomo no Hi, and the flags are called Ko no bori.  Another amusing thing was when I ran past a group of junior high kids.  They were all doing some tennis drills, and counting in Japanese – ichi, ni, san, shi.  My daughter is so smart.  She started counting with them,  “go, shich, hach,” and she’s only 1 year old!