Track Training

I had been hoping to find a tartan track in Japan that I could train on. The benefits of being able to train on a track are enormous, in terms of being able to build the speed-endurance needed to set new PBs (personal bests). For the last two months, I’ve been training on a cinder track about 1 mile away from my apartment. Although this has been useful, particularly as I've been building up my base level of fitness, it's not as good as training on tartan. The cinder track has become rutted in parts due to the typhoon that hit Kyoto Prefecture about a month ago. Also, it is difficult to run even splits as there are no track markings every 100M, like you have on a tartan track.

This week’s track session was a simple 4x1200M reps, with a few striders thrown in. I can’t get to the nearest tartan track during the week, mainly because it is locked up at around 5pm. So track sessions will have to be weekend affairs. Friday evening happened to be my first enkai (work party) in Japan. It was at a Korean restaurant close to Kyoto City. The atmosphere was a little stiff and formal at first. Once the beer started flowing, however, it became a very lively affair indeed. According to some of the travel guides to Japan that I read before I came out here in August, Japan is often seen as a rigid, formal society, with Japanese people being largely inscrutable. This is a picture of Japan that is unrecognisable after attending an enkai. My work colleagues were incredibly friendly, warm, entertaining and hospitable.

 

A track session on Saturday would have been more preferable, but after the excesses of the work enkai the night before, I was content with an easy day and an easy run. Heading to Kyoto Tamba for my first tartan track session this (Sunday) morning, I was a little apprehensive. I know I’ve gotten fitter and stronger over the last month or so, but I wasn’t sure of the level that I’d reached. I knew this session would reveal this and show what I can realistically aim for in my first race in Japan, which is in 3 weeks’ time.

The session started well. I was aiming for 80 seconds per 400M lap pace. I did this comfortably for the first rep. I failed to hit this target for the next three reps! This was an eye opener. It was hot and I finished the session dehydrated. However, I can’t blame the weather. I now know that I’m well short of the fitness standard that I thought I was at and I’m aiming for. Whilst this is useful to know, it means that I have months of slogging away to try and get back to the sort of standard where I can start aiming to beat my PBs. This is a bit daunting, but I’m undeterred. I’ll be back at the track next weekend.