Running Log: Week 12

Week of Oct. 18 - Oct. 24
10/19: 6k, 33:00
10/20: 13k, 1:23:10
10/21: 8k, 45:00
10/23: 19k, 2:10:00

Total: 46k, 4:51:10
Average Pace: 06:19

The typhoon that recently hit the Philippines caused rain in Okinawa ALL WEEK LONG. I was only able to time myself on Wednesday. The other times are guesstimates. I really should invest in a watch, but I don't want to spend the money.

Overall, I wasn't happy with any of my runs. I cramped on most of them, specifically half-way through my Saturday run, which forced me to walk the final 7k. It wasn't a good way to end the week.

6 weeks to marathon.

Kijoka

(from air)

(from land)

Level Up (Green Belt)

I tested for my green belt in late September and I got it last week. September also marked 3 years of doing karate.

初段

準初段 (black)


１級


２級 (brown)


３級


４級 (green) <-- ME


５級


６級 (yellow)


７級


８級 (orange)


９級


１０級 (blue)

初級 (white)

I am on track to get my black belt in October 2012, but unfortunately, my JET tenure ends in July 2012. I'm wondering if I can convince my village office to hire me for a 6th year.

Running Log: Week 11

Week of Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

10/12: 6k, 32:38

10/13: 13k, 1:17:53

10/14: 6k, 32:30

10/16: 26k, 2:44:20

Total: 51k, 5:07:21

Average Pace: 06:01

Had some good runs last week (for me). 

• On Thursday, I ran my fastest min/km by doing 6k at an average of 05:25.
• My average pace is the lowest average pace yet.
• I ran 26k faster this week than I ran 24k last week.

What amazes me the most about all this training is that I am actually doing it. Last week was my longest yet (51k!), and it has turned out to be my best. I find that unbelievable. I have some tenderness on the sides of my shins, but other than that, my body seems to be holding up well.

Only three more weeks until my runs peak at Week 15 (Hell Week), before tapering down the final 3 weeks before the marathon. 

Running Log: Week 10

Week of Oct. 4 - Oct. 10

10/05: 5k, 28:21

10/06: 11k, 1:05:21

10/07: 6k, 35:03

10/09: 24k, 2:45:58

Total: 48k, 4:54:43

Average Pace: 06:24

Running Log: Week 9

Week of Sept. 27 - Oct. 3

9/28: 5k, 28:38

9/29: 11k, 1:04:10

9/30: 6k, 35:10

10/02: 16k, 1:45:47

Total: 38k, 3:53:45

Average Pace: 06:09

Highlight of the week for me was my 11k run, where I averaged 5:50 per km. A mini-goal of mine has been to run 10k in under an hour, which is what I finally did last Wednesday.

Third Time's the Charm: Part 2

In August, I took a kanji test called the Kanken. I went for level 5, which is equal to a smart 6th grader's kanji ability, or 1006 kanji. I have failed it on my first two attempts, but I found out last week that I finally passed on my third try. Passing is 140/200. I got a 146/200.

The hardest part about the test is not the kanji, but the vocabulary. It's like a spelling test for a bunch of words you don't know. It's hard to spell out the antonym/synonym of a word you don't even know the meaning of.

For those who might be interested, here is the breakdown sans translation:

読み: 18/20
部首と部首名: 10/10
画数: 10/10
漢字と送りがな: 10/10
音と訓: 12/20
四字の熟語: 10/20
対義語・類義語: 16/20
熟語作る: 4/10
熟語の構成: 16/20
同じ読みの漢字: 8/20
書き取り: 32/40