Day 14 — Diary of a week’s adjustment to compete in a half marathon.
I’ll definitely train hard, including restricting my diet, to achieve the goal of completing the half marathon in one week from today. Then, I’ll complete the half-marathon event in less than 2 hours.
In Japan, marathons are held every year from October in the fall to February in the winter in various regions. According to a survey on a website for marathon enthusiasts, a certain number of runners have lost their goals due to the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 races during the coronavirus pandemic. I’m also one of them. Around November 2022, the number of infected people decreased, and competitions started to take place again. I challenge you to see how far you have come back in your mobility during the past week to get back into the exercise routine of the coronary disaster.
【Day 1: November 28, 2022】
It’s already 10 p.m. after work. I struggled many times along the way to start tomorrow, but I didn’t want to give up from the first day, so I went directly to the gym. I started exercising immediately. First of all, it’s been a long time since I’ve exercised, so I decided to stretch carefully. Now let’s finally run. I challenged myself to see if I could run 10km at a relatively slow speed of 8km/h without stopping once. I managed to run! But at this pace, 10 km would take 76 minutes, and then 160 minutes for a half marathon calculation. After finishing, I will carefully stretch so that my muscles will not be sore from tomorrow.
After exercising and returning home, eating is also important, so I made a meal mainly with protein. The menu includes salad chicken, spinach, broccoli, and a protein drink. Will it last for a week?…
【Day 2: November 29, 2022】
Muscle pain isn’t that bad. I think I can run again today.
10 p.m., the same time as yesterday. The goal is to start at 10km, the same distance as yesterday. It was fine at first. The temperature was high that day, and the inside of the gym was quite hot, so I ran while sweating a lot, but I gave up after 5km. In the marathon race, aid stations are set up every 2.5km, and it will be cold on the day which means I won’t be sweating much. So I don’t think I’ll have any trouble like today.
Meals after exercise: salad, chicken, miso soup, protein drink.
【Day 3: November 30, 2022】
I originally had plans to have dinner with a friend today. I tried not to eat too much, but I drank a lot of alcohol and ate a lot of food…
I didn’t feel like exercising after… Let’s pretend that today never happened.
【Day 4: December 1, 2022】
It was already past 10:00 p.m. today. After going to the gym, cooking, and eating, it will be after 2:00 am before I can go to sleep. I skipped going to the gym again today because I will be watching the World Cup match between Japan and Spain on TV early tomorrow morning.
At least I tried to limit my diet.
【Day 5: December 2, 2022】
I couldn’t sleep much since I was watching soccer yesterday. Tomorrow is my day off, so I have a lot of time to train. I will rest today for tomorrow. I ate what I liked without restricting my meals. I have a little reflection because I ate ramen.
【Day 6: December 3, 2022】
Today is a day off. I went to the gym early in the morning and ran 5km. I also received a massage at a pace that did not leave me fatigued. I will run 5km again at night and prepare for tomorrow. The day before the marathon, it is important to have a meal that takes into account carbohydrates.
The menu is rice, natto, miso soup, and pickles.
【Day 7: December 4, 2022】The day of the marathon.
Today the weather is perfect! Studies show that performance improves between 8–15°C for men and 0–7°C for women. The temperature is perfect!
Let’s start. （ I will never give up !）
Thank you for reading. Exercise benefits every part of the body, including the mind. Exercise improves brain health and learning. It can help people sleep better. Plus, exercise can give you a real sense of accomplishment and pride in achieving a goal — beating an old time in the 100-meter dash.
Why don’t you all try to exercise with a goal in mind?
