T-Minus About 100 Days to a National Record - Hitomi Niiya's Complete Training for Her Half Marathon NR in Houston
At the Jan. 19 Aramco Houston Half Marathon, Hitomi Niiya ran 1:06:38 to break Kayoko Fukushi's 2006-era national record with support from JRN. Former men's 800 m national record holder Masato Yokota, 32, coached Niiya to that record. Over the next three days he is publishing Niiya's complete training diary for the months leading up to Houston. JRN will be publishing them in English with permission.

To people who aren't interested this will just be a list of numbers, but I thought it might help the hardcore track maniacs kill some time if I got Niiya's consent to publish her training diary for the 100 days leading up to Houston. Please do not reproduce this info without permission. You're more than welcome to give these workouts a go (although I can't guarantee you'll survive).
Notes in advance
・Easy jogs were once a day on Friday and Sunday, twice a day on other days.
・Strength training every day except Sunday.
・Daily mileage totaled about 30 km. Fridays were 15 km, Sundays 20 km.
・r = recovery. Where the time was written, it was stationary recovery (not jogging to the next one)
October
*This was her training for the month following her 31:12.99 for 11th in the Sept. 28 Doha World Championships 10000 m. This month was for building the base to run a half marathon.
Oct. 1 (Tues.): jog
Oct. 2 (Wed.): 12000 m build-up (listed as pace run)
3:52.4 - 3:46.6 - 3:41.9 - 3:38.6 - 3:33.6 - 3:28.7
3:25.5 - 3:22.8 - 3:23.0 - 3:22 - 3:20.6 - 3:14.8
Oct. 3 (Thurs.): jog
Oct. 4 (Fri.): 1600x6, r90"
5:02.2 - 5:00.7 - 5:02.1 - 4:58.9 - 4:58.3 - 4:56.1
Oct. 5 (Sat.): 24 km on flat grass
4:09.4 - 3:53.8 - 3:47.3 - 3:55.2 - 3:50.6 - 3:49.9
3:47.9 - 3:52.0 - 3:45.1 - 3:48.8 - 3:51.1 - 3:44.1
3:41.6 - 3:53.0 - 3:44.7 - 3:46.3 - 3:54.8 - 3:44.8
3:40.2 - 3:43.9 - 3:46.6 - 3:47.3 - 3:48.1 - 3:40.1
Oct. 6 (Sun.): jog
Oct. 7 (Mon.): not feeling well
Oct. 8 (Tues.): not feeling well
Oct. 9 (Wed.): jog
Oct. 10 (Thurs.): 12 km (900 m loop course - times are per lap)
3:31.9 - 3:28.9 - 3:29.5 - 3:26.4 - 3:25.0 - 3:24.0
3:22.0 - 3:23.2 - 3:21.2 - 3:22.2 - 3:21.7 - 3:21.2
Oct. 11 (Fri.): not feeling well
Oct. 12 (Sat.): not feeling well
Oct. 13 (Sun.): not feeling well
Oct. 14 (Mon.): 12 km pace run (3 km loop course - times are per lap)
11:30 - 11:08 - 10:57 - 11:00
Oct. 15 (Tues.): jog
knee pain
Oct. 16 (Wed.): jog
Oct. 17 (Thurs.): 10 km pace run
3:42.5 - 3:40.6 - 3:39.4 - 3:37.3 - 3:38.1
3:37.5 - 3:37.4 - 3:37.3 - 3:25.7 - 3:22.2
Oct. 18 (Fri.): 20 km
Oct. 19 (Sat.): 16 km pace run
3:44.7 - 3:40.9 - 3:42.0 - 3:40.4 - 3:41.5 - 3:40.8
3:41.2 - 3:39.7 - 3:40.3 - 3:40.5 - 3:41.7 - 3:41.0
3:40.7 - 3:39.7 - 3:40.0 - 3:37.5
Oct. 20 (Sun.): jog
Oct. 21 (Mon.): 400x15, r45"
74.47 - 76.05 - 74.95 - 77.07 - 74.60
73.89 - 74.12 - 73.95 - 73.94 - 72.27
71.41 - 71.09 - 71.73 - 70.53 - 69.94
Oct. 22 (Tues.): 12000 m build-up
3:51.9 - 3:44.0 - 3:31.2 - 3:26.4 - 3:25.2 - 3:24.1
3:23.4 - 3:22.1 - 3:21.8 - 3:21.5 - 3:20.5 - 3:18.0
Oct. 23 (Wed.): jog
Oct. 24 (Thurs.): 1000x8, r60"
3:09.5 - 3:09.3 - 3:09.0 - 3:09.2
3:08.6 - 3:09.0 - 3:08.3 - 3:05.9
Oct. 25 (Fri.): jog
Oct. 26 (Sat.): 20 km
3:59.9 - 3:50.9 - 3:48.2 - 3:49.6 - 3:47.5 - 3:42.0 - 3:41.1
3:37.2 - 3:41.5 - 3:39.1 - 3:37.9 - 3:37.9 - 3:41.2 - 3:38.0
3:37.1 - 3:36.4 - 3:38.4 - 3:37.1 - 3:39.9 - 3:33.4
Oct. 27 (Sun.): jog
Oct. 28 (Mon.): 400x15, r30~45"
75.82 - 73.45 - 75.61 - 74.36 - 75.41
72.49 - 73.47 - 72.78 - 72.63 - 72.24
(r30" up to this point, r45" for last set of five reps)
71.56 - 70.08 - 71.02 - 70.59 - 69.83
Oct. 29 (Tues.): 1000x8, r60"
3:09.61 - 3:08.54 - 3:08.55 - 3:08.34
3:07.22 - 3:08.17 - 3:07.25 - 3:04.58
Oct. 30 (Wed.): jog
Oct. 31 (Thurs.): 12000 m build-up
3:46 - 3:41 - 3:29 - 3:26 - 3:23 - 3:22
3:19 - 3:18 - 3:17 - 3:16 - 3:14 - 3:08
Read part two, November's training, here. Follow up with part three, December and January, here.
source article:
https://note.com/twolaps/n/na5d1ff7c95cb
translated and edited by Brett Larner
photo © 2020 Masato Yokota, all rights reserved

To people who aren't interested this will just be a list of numbers, but I thought it might help the hardcore track maniacs kill some time if I got Niiya's consent to publish her training diary for the 100 days leading up to Houston. Please do not reproduce this info without permission. You're more than welcome to give these workouts a go (although I can't guarantee you'll survive).
Notes in advance
・Easy jogs were once a day on Friday and Sunday, twice a day on other days.
・Strength training every day except Sunday.
・Daily mileage totaled about 30 km. Fridays were 15 km, Sundays 20 km.
・r = recovery. Where the time was written, it was stationary recovery (not jogging to the next one)
October
*This was her training for the month following her 31:12.99 for 11th in the Sept. 28 Doha World Championships 10000 m. This month was for building the base to run a half marathon.
Oct. 1 (Tues.): jog
Oct. 2 (Wed.): 12000 m build-up (listed as pace run)
3:52.4 - 3:46.6 - 3:41.9 - 3:38.6 - 3:33.6 - 3:28.7
3:25.5 - 3:22.8 - 3:23.0 - 3:22 - 3:20.6 - 3:14.8
Oct. 3 (Thurs.): jog
Oct. 4 (Fri.): 1600x6, r90"
5:02.2 - 5:00.7 - 5:02.1 - 4:58.9 - 4:58.3 - 4:56.1
Oct. 5 (Sat.): 24 km on flat grass
4:09.4 - 3:53.8 - 3:47.3 - 3:55.2 - 3:50.6 - 3:49.9
3:47.9 - 3:52.0 - 3:45.1 - 3:48.8 - 3:51.1 - 3:44.1
3:41.6 - 3:53.0 - 3:44.7 - 3:46.3 - 3:54.8 - 3:44.8
3:40.2 - 3:43.9 - 3:46.6 - 3:47.3 - 3:48.1 - 3:40.1
Oct. 6 (Sun.): jog
Oct. 7 (Mon.): not feeling well
Oct. 8 (Tues.): not feeling well
Oct. 9 (Wed.): jog
Oct. 10 (Thurs.): 12 km (900 m loop course - times are per lap)
3:31.9 - 3:28.9 - 3:29.5 - 3:26.4 - 3:25.0 - 3:24.0
3:22.0 - 3:23.2 - 3:21.2 - 3:22.2 - 3:21.7 - 3:21.2
Oct. 11 (Fri.): not feeling well
Oct. 12 (Sat.): not feeling well
Oct. 13 (Sun.): not feeling well
Oct. 14 (Mon.): 12 km pace run (3 km loop course - times are per lap)
11:30 - 11:08 - 10:57 - 11:00
Oct. 15 (Tues.): jog
knee pain
Oct. 16 (Wed.): jog
Oct. 17 (Thurs.): 10 km pace run
3:42.5 - 3:40.6 - 3:39.4 - 3:37.3 - 3:38.1
3:37.5 - 3:37.4 - 3:37.3 - 3:25.7 - 3:22.2
Oct. 18 (Fri.): 20 km
Oct. 19 (Sat.): 16 km pace run
3:44.7 - 3:40.9 - 3:42.0 - 3:40.4 - 3:41.5 - 3:40.8
3:41.2 - 3:39.7 - 3:40.3 - 3:40.5 - 3:41.7 - 3:41.0
3:40.7 - 3:39.7 - 3:40.0 - 3:37.5
Oct. 20 (Sun.): jog
Oct. 21 (Mon.): 400x15, r45"
74.47 - 76.05 - 74.95 - 77.07 - 74.60
73.89 - 74.12 - 73.95 - 73.94 - 72.27
71.41 - 71.09 - 71.73 - 70.53 - 69.94
Oct. 22 (Tues.): 12000 m build-up
3:51.9 - 3:44.0 - 3:31.2 - 3:26.4 - 3:25.2 - 3:24.1
3:23.4 - 3:22.1 - 3:21.8 - 3:21.5 - 3:20.5 - 3:18.0
Oct. 23 (Wed.): jog
Oct. 24 (Thurs.): 1000x8, r60"
3:09.5 - 3:09.3 - 3:09.0 - 3:09.2
3:08.6 - 3:09.0 - 3:08.3 - 3:05.9
Oct. 25 (Fri.): jog
Oct. 26 (Sat.): 20 km
3:59.9 - 3:50.9 - 3:48.2 - 3:49.6 - 3:47.5 - 3:42.0 - 3:41.1
3:37.2 - 3:41.5 - 3:39.1 - 3:37.9 - 3:37.9 - 3:41.2 - 3:38.0
3:37.1 - 3:36.4 - 3:38.4 - 3:37.1 - 3:39.9 - 3:33.4
Oct. 27 (Sun.): jog
Oct. 28 (Mon.): 400x15, r30~45"
75.82 - 73.45 - 75.61 - 74.36 - 75.41
72.49 - 73.47 - 72.78 - 72.63 - 72.24
(r30" up to this point, r45" for last set of five reps)
71.56 - 70.08 - 71.02 - 70.59 - 69.83
Oct. 29 (Tues.): 1000x8, r60"
3:09.61 - 3:08.54 - 3:08.55 - 3:08.34
3:07.22 - 3:08.17 - 3:07.25 - 3:04.58
Oct. 30 (Wed.): jog
Oct. 31 (Thurs.): 12000 m build-up
3:46 - 3:41 - 3:29 - 3:26 - 3:23 - 3:22
3:19 - 3:18 - 3:17 - 3:16 - 3:14 - 3:08
Read part two, November's training, here. Follow up with part three, December and January, here.
source article:
https://note.com/twolaps/n/na5d1ff7c95cb
translated and edited by Brett Larner
photo © 2020 Masato Yokota, all rights reserved

Comments
Oh, bought you another ten coffees. Also, my son is in Tokyo (at present, though, really cannot travel around).
I hope your son is doing OK. If he has any problems please feel free to have him get in touch.
Thanks for this. Would I correct in assuming cutdowns are on the road or off-track if noted as "km"(e.g. 20km) and on the track if noted in metres (eg. 12000m)?
Thanks,
R.