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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.

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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

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Comments

Eric in Seattle said…
Eric in Seattle. Ms Niiya has an amazingly beautiful stride. It seems she has very hard days and very easy days -- some of which say "jog". I suspect that on her days of "jogging" I would likely not keep up with her beyond 400m.

Oh, bought you another ten coffees. Also, my son is in Tokyo (at present, though, really cannot travel around).
Brett Larner said…
Thanks, Eric. If you have any specific questions about her jog pace or anything else please leave them in the comment sections as coach Yokota says he will answer all questions about Niiya's training.

I hope your son is doing OK. If he has any problems please feel free to have him get in touch.
coach said…
Hi Brett,
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.
Unknown said…
Hello Brett - Of interest is the base phase used prior to this 100 day lead-up. Is it possible to post this information?
Raenise said…
Hi! I’ve watched Niiya run and am super impressed! May I know if shorter breaths or higher arm carriage or kicking the legs higher (nearer to butt) are strategies to quicken timings as the run proceeds?

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