Starting off in 2024, it currently feels like running is my main hobby! If all goes well, this will actually continue long term and not be dropped within a couple of months. With that in mind, I want to document my progress (or any type of changes) so I can keep myself accountable, motivated and hopefully have fun looking back later!
Activity log, current stats
I'm currently tracking in km while living in Japan because the races only have km markers.
Looking back at 2023,
- I ran 1 half marathon (1:55:52) and 1 marathon (4:20:45), both in Kanagawa. These were both PRs for me for both distances. I'm particularly happy with the sub-2 hour half marathon finish, but was secretly hoping to do a little better for the full marathon.
- I ran 1434 miles in 2023 (exceeding my 1000 mile goal for the year). I also met my goal of completing the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and total 100km Strava monthly challenges every single month this year. December 2023 was my highest mileage month with 279.5km (174mi). My highest mileage month overall is still March 2022 (pre-Japan move) with 323.5km (202mi).
- New to me, I started running at night/starting closer to sundown during the summer this year to help combat the heat and humidity which meant we were out in the dark and sometimes after dinner. This ended up being good practice for winter now that we're ending work 1 hour later than last year and if we run more than 4 miles, we come back after the sun has completely set even if we don't dilly dally before leaving. I didn't like it at first, but I think I've adjusted a lot better and have come to enjoy it a bit.
- We continue to go back to a good 7km (4mi) loop, a 12km (7.5mi) loop, a 14.5km (9mi) loop, a 19km (12mi) loop and I recently started with a new 16km (10mi) loop to have some variety and choice in our workouts. The 16km loop is my current favorite and my husband's least favorite lol.
- My easy run pace seems to be around 6:20/km. By this, I mean this is the pace I'm running comfortably at while solo without torturing myself to stay slow or go fast. Essentially, how fast I run without thinking and can do double digit miles easily without feeling exhausted after.
- I'm not entirely sure what my race pace actually is yet because I've still been running by feel (effort-wise). I would estimate around 5:05-05:20/km based on how my pacing looked for the half and how I felt after.
My go-tos
What I'm wearing
Clothes
- long sleeve dry fit style (full length) top, often with thumb holes. current favorite are the Uniqlo Airism shirts from a couple of years ago that I haven't been able to find since
- full length leggings with 2 long side pockets. current favorite are pet hair resistant Supersculpt leggings from Popflex Active
- no show socks. I've only had them for about a month now, but currently obsessed with Elite light cushion no show socks from Feetures
- whatever sportsbra I have available, but my current favorite style (especially during the colder months and for longer runs) is the Vivid crop bra from Popflex Active
Accessories
- Asics Kayano 29s and Asics Gel-Nimbus 23s. The Kayanos are my long run and race shoe currently
- Fitbit Inspire 2 with an aftermarket silicone band from Amazon (this is my daily watch as well)
- whatever stretchy band visor I can find for cheap and rotating through them, but preferring colorful when its available
- Powerbeats Pro earbuds --> Shoks Open Run Pro. I got the Shoks for Christmas 2023 and going into 2024 have been trying to transition to using that for running instead for better auditory awareness.
- a Terui lighted arm band just below my knee and set it to slow blink. My preference is the yellow one because it's a bit brighter than the green
- a random Bushnell headlamp upgraded to --> Black Diamond Sprint 225 headlamp purchased in January 2024 for night runs after wavering about it for weeks
- Salomon Sense Pro 5 hydration vest with 2 soft flasks, another Christmas 2023 gift. I just started wearing this for any run that I'd usually buy water during (so anything more than 7.5 miles/12 km really). I do like wearing it but we'll see how I feel about it once the weather warms up.
What I'm fueling with
- Clif Bloks, favorite flavor is salted watermelon, second is strawberry and I can tolerate pretty much everything else in the variety pack
- GU energy chews (until we run out, not my husband's favorite but I don't mind them), favorite flavor is pomegranate, second is strawberry. The orange is yucky.
- UCAN Edge energy gel, favorite flavor is pineapple, but can tolerate the strawberry banana
- Water (rather than drink mixes, gatorade or similar eletrolyte drinks)
What I'm listening to on runs
- Podcasts during the majority of my runs and at the start of races (at least first hour or so, if not entire first half). Embarrassingly, Youtuber podcasts are my guilty pleasure. I regularly listen to: The Yard, Ear Biscuits, Psychobabble, A Hotdog is a Sandwich, Wine About It, and occasionally, Distractible. I had been downloading everything but now that I have less space on my phone, I just stream them 😆
- Music during the second half of races when I need a boost and to increase pace, but not during training. I curate my own playlists and enjoy upbeat pop music, songs from like 10 years ago, and like to throw in past trending TikTok/Reel songs too. Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo, Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift, Say So by Doja Cat, New Rules by Dua Lipa, Seven by Jung Kook, etc
- Nothing when I cross the finish line and every so often on shorter runs
Goal tracking/Future plans and races
- Miura (half) Marathon in March 2024. The goal is to have fun and enjoy the scenery, but I'd ideally like to run sub-2 again. However, the elevation gain/hills for this course are 4x what my current PR course was and I do want to make sure I'm not suffering after since I have a planned work commitment right after.
- by June 2024 - non-race/casual ultramarathon distance (possibly 100km) around the local peninsula based on another Strava runner's route I found. I don't know if his exact course will be possible for me to get through on my own (not sure how to navigate the trail running parts, so will likely modify), but this is a high priority for me before we move out of Japan.
- Honolulu Marathon in December 2024. We signed up during the kamaaina early bird special and have a lot of time to train. If I don't get too distracted by "training" for the 100km peninsula run, I hope I can achieve a sub-4 hour time PR!
- 4 Strava challenges every month (5k, 10k, Half and 100km total), and as a stretch goal, 2000 miles total for the year? I wasn't close to that in 2023, and felt like I already did a lot of running by my own standards, but I want to aim high!
- keep injuries to a minimum and increase strength training. Allowing myself to make this one a bit vague since I don't have a specific plan yet.
While this blog has mainly been used for fashion purchases in the past, it's really turned into just a personal space for me to keep track of things, and adding a post every once in a while for my current obsession seems appropriate. If you've been with me since the Tumblr days, I hope you can enjoy a little extra content or just easily scroll past it. The purpose of these posts isn't to provide instruction or recommendations to others, but if there is something you can get out of it, I'm happy you're here!
Follow along my running journey on Instagram at @letsrunlj 💗
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