Yep, I slept really well on top of Fuji-san.  It started raining about 4 in the morning, and was still raining heavily (and cold! Probably in the low 40s) when I started down the mountain at about 7 AM.  I had a poncho, but still got soaked. 

No guide- there is a road that goes part way up Mt. Fuji, and a well-established trail.  Hundreds of thousands (I've seen estimates of 300,000) of locals and tourists make the climb every year, via the established route.  But I didn't go up that way.. I walked from the town of Gotemba (where I had taken the train to, from where I lived in Zama, near Yokohama).  Instead of taking the road, which winds up the mountainside, I saw a place where I could go straight up the slope, shortening my distance.  It was interesting, because Fuji is a volcanic cone, and the lower slopes consist of this loose, black sandy volcanic material.  Imagine trudging up a sand dune for hours, going up thousands of feet.  I doubt if many people climbing Fuji do it that way- the vast majority drive up the road to one of the 4 or 5 "stations" and take the trail from there.  I eventually reached the trail, probably at about 8,000 feet.  The last few thousand feet before the summit are the hardest, because of the thinning air, and because of the steepness of the trail.  I'd like to try it again, if I ever go back to Japan.  I think I'm in good enough shape right now that I could do the same climb I did back then (1988).

Btw KP, as much mountain hiking as you do, I think you could do the Fuji climb easily.  Highly recommended to anyone with any interest in hiking who will be visiting Japan.  Climbing season is July and August- all the other months of the year, there is usually snow on top.  I can understand why it's one of the most photographed peaks in the world- it's a gorgeous, symmetrical mountain, and when you approach it, the hugeness of it boggles the mind.  It seems to keep its distance, until you're actually part-way up the slope. 

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6901.html

6 km jog, same route, Friday Aug 10th. Much colder this morning. Unfortunately extremely warm from then on off... I need colder weather for a while now...  Not rain, though. 

3 km jog two days ago.

6 km jog this morning.

Body weight training 1h 5min. I forgot how much fun it was (and hard)!
PWO: 20 g protein powder, 3 dl no sugar fruit juice and 1 large apple.

It's always fun to see what the fruit juice actually contain, the name isn't always soothing. This one wasn't that bad, but the name can often be misleading. It reads: Big: Raspberries, Grape and Aronia. Smaller letters: Apple, Strawberries, Red Currant. Ingredients: 44% grapes, 29% apple, 20% raspberries, 5% aronia, 1% strawberries, 1% red currant. Wasn't too far from the truth. I'm sort of impressed. 

Also today: morning walk with the dog, usually 20-30 min. Afternoon walk: 1 h 15 min. Soon adding evening walk - guessing 20-30 min too. The afternoon walk I've really come to enjoy. It's stress relief big time.

Weight training, upper body 1 h. I'm gonna feel this... 
PWO: Medium apple, 10g protein powder/ 3 dl orange juice (no sugar of course) and 20g protein powder.

I haven't desided where to take my dog for a walk this afternoon. I want to change it up, but there is this one route I really like. We drive up in the mountain. Just about where the tree line starts to break up, pretty flat at first, then it's modest uphill. Lakes, fresh air, scenery... 

My uncle is taking this years hunter's test (whatever it's called), and he wants me to come with him to the shooting range. Me don't want to. I got my license last year, and went with him then, but I didn't hunt much (eh pretended to). Ugh. Better come up with some sort of excuse pretty soon. He's the type of guy that doesn't take no for an answer (and that only pops into my life whenever he wants something from me). His son is almost old enough now, so maybe I'm off the hook next season. It's not like I'm going to get what I shoot anyway. It's split between the entire team.

Sounds like you're doing great, KP.  Yes, you'll feel your muscles- in resistance training, DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is especially strong in muscle groups you haven't worked in a while, or if you work them with different exercises.  But I actually look forward to DOMS, because it signals that I had an effective workout, and that the muscles involved will grow back a little stronger than they were.  That's a good thing!

I really like being in the mountains, although our mountains in San Diego County aren't high enough to have a 'treeline'- the peaks are covered with trees at about 6,000 feet (Mt. Laguna).  We have a couple of mountains up near L.A. in Riverside County, I think, which are 11-12,000 feet, but that's about a 2-3 hour drive and I have only been up there a couple of times in 6 years.  I should do some hikes in our San Diego mountains, since they are very accessible.  Lakes, fresh air, scenery- yep, all good stuff.   

You like doms?!    I'm not one of those people! 

The treeline around here varies, but at the lowest I think it's 700 m. That's, what, 2.300 ft? It's always strange seeing peoples (Americans) photos from mountain hikes, there is almost none with real mountain terrain (well, glaciers). I used to be like, "those people don't go for real hikes!" Kidding!    It is weird how much of a difference there can be.

I sure didn't know much about San Diego County, at all.  You have that tall mountains?.. It's not great when the drive is going to be longer than the actual hike, no. 

Hope you get a chance some time soon. It's well worth it!

Yep, couldn't resist the rain and storm so we went up in the mountains for an evening hike last night. Waterfilled bogs. "Hooray..." I was dressed well, so atleast I wasn't cold. 1 h 10 min.

Today: body weight training 1h 20 min. PWO: 5 dl orange juice and 20 g protein powder.

I think my right leg is turning slightly outwards in the hip. My hamstrings are tighter on that side. Always has been. Maybe I'll talk to my doctor about it so he can send me to a physiotherapist. It should have been done ages ago. It gives me trouble with the knee too. Those people take pretty well paid, though.