Thursday, June 30, 2005

5.0mi, 44:53

Hybrid, "Theme From Wide Angle"
The B-52's, "Bushfire"

WX at 0700: 70 (21), DP 68 (20), BP 29.96 (1014), SW 6, fog, RH 93%

Odometer 2: 408.3mi

Z3 easy.
Resting heart rate before start = no reading today

After yesterday's run, I was thinking about going a little more than 5 today, but judiciousness prevailed and I limited the distance to 5 today.

My blisters are healing nicely. I'm actually surprised how fast it's going since it's only been three days since I got them and one of the big ones has already gone away. The other should be gone by tomorrow. The one I broke, well, that'll take a little while longer to regrow the skin. Oops.

It was damned humid. It was nice today for temperature, but a midnight rainstorm dumped all sorts of water onto Carlisle, so today's run had a vaguely sweatbox-like quality to it.

Splits
44:53 overall for average pace of 8:58

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

6.8mi, 58:34

The Johns Hopkins Band, "Johnny Hopkins"
The Ocean Blue, "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" (a traditional cover)
Walleye, "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" (a hardcore straight edge cover)

WX at 0700: 74 (23), DP 70 (21), BP 30.00 (1015.8), W 3, RH 88%

Odometer 3: 79.1mi

Z3
Resting heart rate before start = 49 (121/83)

Narrative
Two contributors to a relatively slow run today.

1. The heat and humidity. Pretty bad for here, but probably about normal for Fayetteville.

2. The fact that I went all out on a road march two days ago, my legs are still probably recovering, and that road march generated four sizeable blisters, one of which I inadvertently popped yesterday.

I can't believe how much I'm still sweating after the fact. My shirt was literally completely soaked.

The only other thing I did yesterday was some wall ball with my STX Eclipse, which I just taped for better grip. Sweet.

Splits
0.5 03:59 03:59 07:58 07:58
1.46 12:30 08:31 05:50 08:34
0.54 20:18 07:48 14:27 10:09
1.29 28:58 08:40 06:43 08:48
1.06 38:13 09:15 08:44 08:47
0.42 41:48 03:35 08:32 08:46
0.44 45:32 03:44 08:29 08:44
0.53 50:03 04:31 08:31 08:43
0.56 54:40 04:37 08:15 08:41
0.5 58:34 03:54 07:48 08:37

Monday, June 27, 2005

5.0mi tactical road march, 1:20:52

None, casual conversation instead

WX at 1700: 84.9 (29.4), DP 68.0 (20.0), BP 30.13 (1020), ENE 13, RH 57%

Rucksack weight: 72lbs

Z3
Resting heart rate three hours after finish = 71 (117/68)

I've begun my regimen of doubles, so instead of running in the evenings, I'm roadmarching, and it's starting to take.

Today was uncharacteristically fast for a weight of 72lbs (far above and beyond the norm, since my minimum training weight is currently 55lbs). The fluke factor was that there were people running on the running path that forms part of the 5-mile course here at Carlisle. They were going so slow that my road march partner (an old classmate from Johns Hopkins) and I were gaining on them and were within 10m when we pulled off the path to continue on the 5-mile course. One was clad entirely in spandex and didn't look so nominally slow as to be running 16-minute mile pace. Then again, I could be wrong. The two miles we covered closing on the group were done at 15:16 pace. I haven't gone that fast since I was trying to go to Air Assault School.

I'm not trying to do anything particularly ambitious with these road marches, but I do notice that when I'm running, it sure takes a hell of a lot less effort, maybe because my legs are suddenly pushing 60-70lbs less weight. That might explain the 8:12 average pace this morning with absolutely no effort, albeit for only 2.6 miles.

I do have some blisters on my feet, though. Dumb, kind of tingly, somewhat painful, but they're covered in Vaseline tonight to see if they'll soften up some.

Tomorrow I plan to road march, although I'll probably lay off the distance and only go 3.1mi, easy. Emphasis on EASY. I may run 5 easy to burn off lactic acid tomorrow morning.

Splits
1:20:52 for overall 16:10 pace

You so dead, old man!

One good turn deserves another.

Happy birthday, jwer!

I knew I was forgetting something this morning...

Now, bonus points to anyone other than jwer who recognizes the reference...

The Coolest Thing Ever

Cliffed off jwer's citation, but too good to pass up. Oh, I chortle. Even more than Jesus Fucking Airborne Christ.

Oh, and as an American historian by education, I had to add American history, fuck yeah!

What a great way to start the school week!

2.6mi, 21:19

Tommy Keene, "This Could Be Fiction"
Tommy Keene, "Silent Town"

WX at 0700: 73 (23), DP 69 (21), BP 30.20 (1022.3), SE 5 fog/mist, RH 87%

Odometer 2: 403.3mi

Z3 low.
Resting heart rate before start = 53 (127/89)

I'm somewhat disinclined to believe that I actually ran 5000m in 21:19 expending as little effort as I did. I'm not that thin, not that fit, and more significantly, not that fast. Checking it in USAPhotomaps, I realized I had shaved a half mile off the course.

Still, I have some homework to do before class and with the weather being a little warmer than usual (although nowhere near as bad as what I recall from Fayetteville in similar temperatures.

Splits
None. I probably should've been keeping track to see if it was really 5000m or not based on splits. Overall mile pace 8:12 based on math. For a recovery run, that's actually not so bad. Then again, Carlisle Barracks is pretty flat.

An act of relative penance

I spent this past weekend at my cousin Ed's wedding. It was held at the Salisbury School, a fairly old school in Connecticut where the bride had some institutional ties.

I ate a lot and drank (not quite a lot but some). This weekend was described as a "do nothing but eat" kind of weekend, and while it was restful (somewhat), I realized I was going to be paying for it in spades.

Consequently, I decided to break out the rucksack and went for about four and a half miles at 15:30 - 16:00 minute per mile pace. That's a fairly normal pace for a forced road march. Not so fast that you're hoofing it (which happens for me under 15:00 pace) or just slugging out distance (which happens at 17:00 pace and slower).

That being the case, I think I will be transitioning to two-a-days, and on the days I go easy on the run, it'll be a road march kind of afternoon for certain..depending on how I feel. I'd like to think I could double hard runs with easy road marches to assist in some of the recovery process, but we'll see.

This weekend underscored some more fundamental differences between my family and myself. I have a hard time explaining the motivations of most career officers (myself included) to those who don't subscribe to the belief that if you join the Army, you're not joining for benefits, but out of a more intrinsic patriotism. Or something like that. My relatives were somewhat mortified of my intent to volunteer for a combat tour if I didn't gain acceptance to the Joint Advanced Warfighting School, School of Advanced Warfighting or the School of Advanced Military Studies.

It was also probably significant that the only Asians present were Ed's family. I claim to be pretty whitebread, but dude. The other piece was that there were some fairly noticeable enclaves present, at least if some of the bride's friends from the Pacific northwest were any indicator.

Were I still single, I probably would've spent some more time trying to interact. Now, just not a big deal.

Friday, June 24, 2005

6.8mi, 54:14

Descendents, "'Merican"
Hilary Duff, "Come Clean"
AC/DC, "Thunderstruck"

WX at 0700: 64 (18), DP 57 (14), BP 30.18 (1022), calm, RH 78%

Odometer 3: 72.3mi

Z3 high-Z4
Resting heart rate before start = 57 (119/84)

Painful start, tight legs, transitioning to a fairly good steady state aerobic threshold run.

Yesterday marked the first haircut in about 2 1/2 weeks. In the absence of a place that will actually shave off hair from the sides and back of my head (as is my custom), it looks like I might have to go back to getting a new haircut every week.

No roadmarch this morning, though. I woke up at 5:45am, a little later than I would've liked to get the right start.

This run should be a good way to start the week. The other part of it is that I need to get my ruck loaded up so I can actually road march. That'll happen next week. In the meantime, a 7:59 mean pace for almost 7 miles is promising, at least in training.

Splits
0.5 03:47 03:47 07:34 07:34 0.50
1.46 11:50 08:03 05:31 08:06 1.46
0.54 16:08 04:18 07:58 08:04 2.00
1.29 26:55 10:47 08:22 08:11 3.29
1.06 35:17 08:22 07:54 08:07 4.35
0.42 38:32 03:15 07:44 08:05 4.77
0.44 42:02 03:30 07:57 08:04 5.21
1.09 50:36 08:34 07:52 08:02 6.30
0.5 54:14 03:38 07:16 07:59 6.80

Thursday, June 23, 2005

3mi approximate, 21:34

Jan and Dean, "The Little Old Lady" (from Pasadena, that is...)

WX at 0700: 57 (14), DP 49 (9), BP 30.18 (1021.9), calm, RH 74%

Odometer 2: 400.7mi

Z2.
Resting heart rate before start = no reading this morning.

I was almost going to sleep in, but there were two mitigating factors:
- my next door neighbor's (in the bachelor officer quarters) alarm clock at 6:30am
- this morning's WX observations

I realized that there was enough time to do some light wogging (which is about all I probably should do today, at least for running). The weather was so inviting that it would be folly to pass it up.

This morning's run was nicely therapeutic. And not hard at all. Now to figure out what I want to do tomorrow.

Presumably, I ran 21:42 of 5K, but I find that very unlikely given my relative effort and that I had to work a little bit to run 21:42 even when I was running competitively in high school. Then again, it shouldn't really matter for a recovery run. But I don't think it was fully 3 miles, if my mile split of 7:09 was any indicator. Bogus!

Then again, after walking parts of the Gettysburg National Battlefield yesterday, so what?

Splits
None.

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

5.0mi, 41:46

Wendy Carlos, "Suicide Scherzo"
Ira Stein, "Engravings"

WX at 0700: 69.1 (20.6), DP 60.1 (15.6), BP 29.93 (1013), NW 5 haze, RH 73%

Odometer 3: 65.5mi

Z4
Resting heart rate before start = 62 (121/81)

While I was nominally running the Carlisle Barracks 5-mile course, I wasn't carrying the map with me and may have shaved a few tenths of a mile from the course near the end. That's probably made up by the double back I took midway through the course since I didn't think I was on the right path.

While I was busting my ass to run hard, I wasn't putting forth much in the way of speed. Not surprisingly, my quads were well smoked, even after the rest day I took yesterday.

The only thing I did yesterday was to take out my new STX Eclipse goalie crosse and hammer the tennis practice wall in the gym on post for about an hour. I realized just how long it'd been since I was throwing the rock, so to speak, since my forearms and deltoids were totally not used to cranking away with a goalie crosse, even one as light as the Eclipse. It really is a superbly accurate goalie crosse, even with the factory Doc pocket.

BTW - yet another reason to get nothing but STX gear. How unbelievably amazing.

Tomorrow needs to be a recovery day. Maybe I'll road march on Friday as an alternative cross-training exercise.

Splits
None. I'll have to run the course a little more to become familiar with the split marks.

Monday, June 20, 2005

6.8mi (5.8mi, 47:56)

The Reputation, "Face It"
Tommy Keene, "Compromise"
Saxon Shore, "Amber, Ember, Glow"

WX at 0700: 61 (16), DP 57 (14), BP 30.27 (1024), overcast calm, RH 87%

Odometer 2: 397.7mi

Z3 mid.
Resting heart rate before start = 54 (131/85)

First run, and the weather couldn't be better.

My legs, on the other hand, weren't feeling so great, and I attribute the drunken proceedings of the last few days to credit for that one. That, and having experienced the hairiest drive of my life going from Fayetteville NC to Baltimore. It really got entertaining when I was having to ride cars at a half second interval to avoid getting cut off by other drivers.

For a first run, this is acceptable (there was a glitch in timing since I had forgotten to key one split). For now. Once I'm more used to running some of these areas, and my legs are more ready, I'll see from there.

The parenthetical notation indicates that the first half mile and last half mile were not logged for time. Too bad I didn't really warm up correctly and took the first half mile at speed. Dumb, dumb, dumb. But not really that dumb. Yet.

Splits
0.96 08:03 08:03 08:23 08:23 0.96
0.54 12:28 04:25 08:11 08:19 1.5
1.29 32:22 19:54 15:26 11:36 2.79
1.06 32:22 00:00 00:00 08:24 3.85
0.42 35:46 03:24 08:06 08:23 4.27
0.44 39:02 03:16 07:25 08:17 4.71
0.53 43:28 04:26 08:22 08:18 5.24
0.56 47:56 04:28 07:59 08:16 5.8

Sunday, June 19, 2005

Back in Carlisle

Title mostly says it all.

Yesterday's attack of cathartic drinking led to a day of detox. I have jwer to credit for that one.

Today marked the reconnaissance of run and road march routes.

Two goals for the next 3 months:

1 - Get weight under 175lbs
2 - Start doing long runs in excess of 10mi in preparation for Disney Marathon.

We'll see.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

5.1mi, 40:58

The dB's, "Barometers, Thermometers"
AC/DC, "Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap)"
The Reputation, "Let It Rest"

WX at 0700: 71 (22), DP 62 (17), BP 29.74 (1007), NNW 2 haze, RH 73%

Odometer 3: 61.5mi

Z3-4
Resting heart rate before start = 57 (127/87)

Vindication! It's all in the dewpoint. After seeing the WX readings this morning, I had to run. A week and a half of suck culminates in this...and I can be pretty satisfied with this run.

I'd like to find out why it is that heat kills me that much more than other folks (something I noticed even when 15 years ago, when I was 40 pounds lighter and substantially faster (as in routinely running about a 6:40 race pace at this distance.) It's probably also related to my ability to run in tank top and shorts in races down to about the freezing point. The only time I wore more snivel gear than that was for events where the wind chill was under 32F. Go figure.

Splits
1.5 11:36 11:36 07:44
2.1 29:09 17:33 08:21
1.5 40:58 11:49 07:53 07:57

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

5.1mi, 44:58

Survivor, "High On You" (no shit. I have The Smoking Gun to thank for this.)
New Order, "Dream Attack"

WX at 0700: 75 (24), DP 75 (24), BP 29.78 (1008), WSW 7 mist, RH 100%

Odometer 2: 389.9mi

Z3 enforced easy due to heat.
Resting heart rate before start = 55 (131/91)

The worst day yet. The heatwave is supposed to break on Saturday. Coincidentally, that's the day I head off to Carlisle Barracks, PA for some three months worth of field grade fucking-off time (FGFOT).

I'd like to think that at some point, I'm improving, and a more empirical analysis of times relative to what I was running last winter on my Z2 days might be more illustrative, but I fucking hate this weather. What I am doing is doing maintenance on my training base, so it's not a zero-sum game.

I'd like to think I'd like to settle in some place like Phoenix or Austin, but I'm not sure if I'd be too keen on the weather. This is the price I pay for volunteering for jobs where I get to be on jump status.

Splits
1.5 12:41 12:41 08:27
2.1 31:37 18:56 09:01
1.5 44:58 13:21 08:54 08:44

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

7.6mi, 65:41

Tommy Keene, "Begin Where We End"
AC/DC, "Thunderstruck"
Blue Oyster Cult, "Don't Fear The Reaper"
Tommy Keene, "The Story Ends"

WX at 0700: 75 (24), DP 73 (23), BP 29.89 (1012), W 7 mist, RH 94%

Odometer 3: 56.4mi

Z3 mid with walking breaks to avoid Z4.
Resting heart rate before start = no reading today.

Absolutely the most controlled not-hard/not-easy run I've done, and I attribute it principally to the heat.

When it's 75 at the start, with a 73 dewpoint, it's going to suck. The only time I regularly ran in morning conditions hotter than this was in Kuwait some 8 years ago. The difference was that in Kuwait, the relative humidity isn't 94%.

There were two walking breaks, which is somewhat of a milestone for a run as comparatively short as 7.6mi. But I was definitely feeling the heat.

There was one time about 15 years ago that I had tried shaving my legs as a heat management measure (admittedly a little off the beaten path as a method), but I did notice some difference in convection. I might give it a try again if this heat holds.

The heat index is supposed to hit somewhere in the 100s today. Yay.

Splits
1.5 12:42 12:42 08:28
2.1 31:10 18:28 08:48
1.5 44:05 12:55 08:37
2.5 65:41 21:36 08:38 08:37

Monday, June 13, 2005

Some more thought provokement

The other film I rented from Blockbuster Video was Vera Drake.

Now, being a pro-choice kind of guy myself, I was not particularly horrified by the subject matter...but the sharp contrasts of social opportunity did stick out to me.

Interestingly, I stumbled onto the New York Times' Class Matters section the same day that I was to see the film. Those who naively think that there are no social strata in the US are, of course, grossly mistaken.

Now, I have yet to tank on a Mike Leigh film (others include Career Girls and Naked, among others), but the hallmark of any of his films is the requirement to not check your brain at the ticket counter. Naturally, Vera Drake probably didn't stay in Fayetteville very long. Glum, rather intellectual, and very thought-provoking film.

Next on the DVD hit parade:
X-Men 2 - for the potential God Loves, but Man Kills tie-in?
Hero
Fog of War

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Isaac Asimov is rolling over in his grave

I finally got around to renting I, Robot on disk yesterday and watched it.

Bridget Moynahan, who plays Dr. Susan Calvin, is smokingly hot.
Now, as I recall, when I was reading Isaac Asimov's robot SF, Susan Calvin was never described as ugly, but she was most certainly not described as hot. Or anything approaching that description.

Still, it's not a bad film, and I liked it, and it had some good thought provokement.

I thought it was interesting that the only brief nudity in the film is not Moynahan's, but Will Smith. Score one against the double standards...speaking of which, piss me off unbelievably. Nudity is nudity is nudity. Frontal female nudity is considered less risqué than frontal male nudity. Whatacrockashit.

Still, Susan Calvin = hot = Isaac Asimov is rolling over in his grave. I suspect he was a lot more concerned with developing Calvin as a character based on development, not on T&A.

5.0mi, 44:13

Cruiserweight, "Goodbye Daily Sadness"
Neil Young and Pearl Jam, "Keep On Rocking In The Free World"
W.A. Mozart, Symphony No. 40 in g minor, KV 550, Andante

WX at 0800: 75 (24), DP 72 (22), BP 30.08 (1018.7), variable 5, RH 89%

Odometer 2: 384.8mi

Z1-2 slow recovery.
Resting heart rate before start = 54 (133/90)

No shit, I actually listened to a song by Pearl Jam. As much as I loathe grunge, I like the Neil Young song and I'm a sucker for covers.

I almost turned back and quit this morning, but better sense prevailed and I sucked it out for an easy 5-mile recovery run.

This morning was okay at first, but started turning as oppressively hot as the day of the race.

Glad I wasn't thinking of doing anything fast today, but I'm going to take tomorrow off as a mandatory rest day anyway. I've done the recovery runs I needed to do after the race.

Splits
2.5 22:17 22:17 08:55
2.5 44:13 21:56 08:46 08:44

Saturday, June 11, 2005

3.8mi, 33:11

Sugar, "Needle Hits E"
Sugar, "Tilted"

WX at 0800: 70 (21), DP 67 (19), BP 30.13 (1019.5), calm, RH 90%

Odometer 3: 48.8mi

Z2-3 easy.
Resting heart rate before start = no reading today.

Light easy recovery run. Very slow start, which would explain only a five-second relative slowdown for the return leg.

Today's WX was quite pleasant, very much unlike yesterday or most of this week. Not cool, but not hot and hot particularly humid. It's amazing how much different five or so degrees make, in air temperature, but even more so in dewpoint.

Time is really immaterial, so long as I'm not doing something fundamentally unsound, but after yesterday, I definitely needed to do a recovery run.

Splits
1.5 13:02 13:02 08:41
2.3 33:11 20:09 08:46 08:50

It's About Time

A new Bob Mould album.

It sounds very Sugar-ish in execution, if the song "Paralyzed" is any indicator. Being a big fan of (relative) old-school Bob Mould (and having listened to Hüsker Dü since high school), this should be prettty damn keen.

Too bad I won't be in DC for his show tomorrow, although as a straight guy I'd feel a little self-conscious going to the Capital Pride festival. Still - Bob Mould live would probably be pretty cool.

Friday, June 10, 2005

10.0mi, 78:17

Cruiserweight, "Goodbye Daily Sadness"
mewithoutyou, "January 1979" in the last 800m

WX at 0700: 73 (23), DP 73 (23), BP 30.14 (1020), ESE 5 mist, RH 100%

Odometer R1: estimate 40mi

Z4 hard.
Resting heart rate at 5:15am = 47 (134/98)

There are three lessons to be learned from running the 9th Annual Fort Bragg Army Birthday Ten-Miler:

1 - I have probably reached the point of diminishing returns by wearing flats during a 10-mile race. My knees and calves are in the hurt box, bad. No more flats for any race longer than 10km.

2 - You don't have to be elite to collect hardware. You just have to hang out with the elite to get collateral hardware.

3 - Attempting to eat unbelievably sugary cake a few minutes after crossing the finish line will make you want to ralph.

This goes down as absolutely the most painful 10-miler I've ever run. Period. Most of it is attributable to the weather. Warm, humid, and just not suited for running. My difference between the 82d Airborne Division 10-miler and this is about 30 seconds, and I tapered all week for this one.

I was thinking to myself how much I'd rather be road marching, because I was trying to keep contact with various folks around whom I'd started. Rest assured I hit every water stop. At least the race administration was squared away. Water and Gatorade at all but one water stop, water stops every 1.5 miles or so after the 2 mile part, and a big ass fire hydrant water spray into the air. And bananas and Gatorade and oranges and cake (it is, after all the Fort Bragg Army Birthday 10-Miler).

The variance of mile splits belies the overall 7:51 overall mile pace. My fastest split was in the downhill start on mile 1. My slowest split was 8:22 at mile 3 which marked some uphill but I'd also say was attributable to not really warming up and making the transition from start to steady-state. I was able to catch a fair number of folks on the downhills, but the uphills were rough. It's interesting to see I generally settled into pace by mile 3. I ran the tactical race I normally do; although I shouldn't have gone out that fast.

The race finishes on an uphill, but plays a fairly evil Jedi mind trick in that you pass the start banner and you KEEP GOING into a stadium. That paid off for me in that I was starting to pass folks in mile 7 (as is my norm for a 10-miler) and continued to pass right into the stadium. The uphill finish killed a lot of runners; I just had to hang on until we entered the stadium, which was all downhill into the chute. I'd guess I picked off some 15 runners in the last 600m and it was gratifying that I placed eighth for the team, last person to score.

Now, when the team I'm on has the overall 1 and 2 finishers, you know that's a good sign. I was last to score, and the team won the post championship. It was interesting to hear some grumbling when my unit was mentioned over and over for individual placers in various age categories. It's neat to get a gold medal from the Acting Commanding General of Fort Bragg. I'll see if I can scarf up a photo later.

Splits
1 07:06 07:06 07:06
2 15:02 07:56 07:31
3 23:24 08:22 07:48
4 31:02 07:38 07:46
5 38:46 07:44 07:45
6 46:39 07:53 07:46
7 54:13 07:34 07:45
8 02:24 08:11 07:48
9 10:20 07:56 07:49
10 18:17 07:57 07:50

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

3.8mi, 31:34

Corrosion of Conformity, "What(?)"

WX at 0700: 71 (22), DP 69 (21), BP 29.98 (1014.7), NE 6 fog mist, RH 94%

Odometer 2: 379.8mi

Z2-3 easy.
Resting heart rate before start = 47 (125/84)

Today was a lot better than yesterday. The weather this morning was a lot better than yesterday too. This afternoon, I'll be getting the clean high-and-tight haircut I traditionally get before any significant race. That should help too since it's been over two weeks since my last haircut. It matters.

There was a two degree difference between yesterday and today in terms of air temperature, but a 4 degree difference in dewpoint and it was apparent today.

I'm supposed to be pulling a jumpmaster duty tomorrow morning, but with a POPS (probability of precipitation) of about 50% I'm not too sanguine about that one. Winds don't look too bad, so in the freak event that it actually happens, it should go.

I have until 17 October to get a JM duty before I go uncurrent. I think I can pull that one off.

Splits
1.5 12:16 12:16 08:11
2.3 31:34 19:18 08:23 08:24

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

3.8mi, 32:15

Nina Gordon, "Tonight and the Rest of My Life"
AC/DC, "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"
The Cure, "Disintegration"

WX at 0400 (2h before run): 73 (23), DP 69 (21), BP 29.93 (1013), Variable 6 mist, RH 88%

Odometer 3: 45mi

Z2 to Z3 low.
Resting heart rate before start = 49 (127/84)

Another shitty day. If the WX at 4am is already 73 degrees, it was probably only a few degrees cooler, if at all. The air outside is so thick that normal convection wasn't doing a damn thing today.

I also wasn't intent on going very hard, and even if I had, I probably wouldn't have done very well.

Right knee's acting up again. Time for more NSAIDs. At least my blood pressure is down. Sort of. At least it's not 140/100 any more.

I think that I might possibly be getting just a tad more profane. Whatever. I look back to my occasional New Year's Resolution to "knock off all the fucking swearing," but right now, I just don't care.

Splits
1.5 12:52 12:52 08:35
2.3 32:15 19:23 08:26 08:35

Monday, June 06, 2005

The Coolest Thing Ever

I was watching this video of a Japanese woman folding a shirt.

Naturally, I had to Google it. I couldn't follow the motions on the video, so I had to find the directions.

This is the absolute muthafuckin' heat.

Sunday, June 05, 2005

8.5mi, 76:30

The Police, "Truth Hits Everybody"
The Reputation, "Let It Rest"
For Against, "Daylight"
For Against, "Get On With It"

WX at 0800: 71 (22), DP 70 (21), BP 30.03 (1016), WSW 5 fog, RH 96%

Odometer N/A: old, old pair of racing shoes today. I was trying to think of today as a time trial and to see whether the racing shoes were still runnable. Neither was the case.

Z3 low but suck
Resting heart rate before start = 57 (133/87)

I'm wondering if I'm overtrained. I take a 2.5mi break yesterday and my legs were absolutely dead, dead, dead today. Now, granted, it was unbelievably humid and it's been two weeks since my last haircut, so there were some contributing factors.

I think I'm going to take it very, very easy as a taper. That means Monday and possibly Tuesday are going to be "nothing but eat" days. No running, because my legs are just smoked out.

This was absolutely one of the shittiest runs for relative performance I've had in years. Either that, or it's a further manifestation of my general sense of "I don't give a fuck."

Splits
1.70 14:40 14:40 08:38
2.32 34:58 20:18 08:45
2.72 60:42 25:44 09:28
1.70 76:30 15:48 09:18 09:04

Saturday, June 04, 2005

I feel vaguely cleansed

I went to go see Sin City tonight on the big screen. Boy, did it rock. And it serves as penance for Frank Miller, whose last work on screen I remember was Robocop 3 (ughhh).

Sin City had the colossal body count and gratuitous violence I associate with Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. Guys who desperately needed to get killed, get killed in Sin City, in unbelievably graphic fashion. Man, is that therapeutic.

It sure beats the fuck out of the Disney Channel and interminably formulaic police dramas.

Now I can stop saying that the last movie I saw on the big screen was Home On The Range.

Bad Attitude

For whatever reason or another, I'm sporting the most ill humor I've had in a long, long time. Unfortunately, since the kids are around, I'vehad to be judicious about the manifestation of that ill humor.

There is a litany of shit that is currently pissing me off. I have to be careful not to conduct spontaneous human combustion in front of the kids, though.

2.5mi, time indeterminate

The Reputation, "Let It Rest"

WX at 0800: 71 (22), DP 69 (21), BP 29.95 (1014), S 5, mist, RH 94%

Odometer 1: 489mi

Z1
Resting heart rate before start = 56 (133/93)

I'm struck by the most nagging case of "I don't give a fuck" I've faced in a long, long while. For me to go a grand total of 2.5 miles today is pretty goddamn monumental.

I'm trying to figure the root causes, one of which is that I train alone, which is normally not a big deal.

Another indicator of note is my increasing unwillingness to wake up at 5:30am these days. It's taking a hell of a lot more willpower - and this is while the mornings are starting earlier.

The fact that it's starting to get warm and it had just rained and it was humid as fuck would probably be another indicator of my quotidienne malaise. The air temp is a significant indicator since it's about 15 degrees higher than the last few runs lately.

Splits
No reading. Doesn't fucking matter for a Z1 run anyway.

Friday, June 03, 2005

7.6mi, 61:50

Minor Threat, "Look Back and Laugh"
Bel Canto, "Unicorn"
Minor Threat, "It Follows"

WX at 0700: 62 (17), DP 62 (17), BP 29.97 (1014), NE 2, heavy rain, RH 100%

Odometer 3: 41.2mi

Z3 mid-hard
Resting heart rate before start = 57 (133/90)

My incipient case of the fuck-its continues. In spite of that, I realized that I needed to get my fat ass out on the road. My legs are still tired even after an easy run and a full day of nothing but eating.

I was interrupted about a half hour before starting that some drunk muthafucka decided to take out my cross-street neighbor's mail box, trash can, and ding his sister's car into the cable TV feed box, then drive off before the fuzz could show up. This underscores some things to consider for the next place to live, not the least of which is not to live on a potential thoroughfare for assholes who don't fucking care. On the other hand, who the fuck is driving through a residential neighborhood at 5:45am blitzed?

My iThink has been mirroring my household demeanor as of late, although I did dig out the Minor Threat discography for the first time in a long while. Man, I used to binge out on that shit when I was in high school. Too bad I'm not really following any of the things Ian Mackaye says you shouldn't do. Well, maybe not the fucking and thinking parts.

Splits
1.5 11:59 11:59 07:59
2.1 29:43 17:44 08:27
1.5 41:38 11:55 07:57
2.5 61:50 20:12 08:05 08:07

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Interior Remodeling

I decided on a new look, one that might actually be more elegantly appropriate to the blog.

Or maybe I just feel a lot more pretentious.

5.1mi, 42:07

Journey, "Only The Young"
The Replacements, "Left of the Dial"
Suicidal Tendencies, "Join The Army"
that dog., "Being With You"

WX at 0700: 63.0 (17.2), DP 53.1 (11.7), BP 30.06 (1017.3), NE 8, drizzle

Odometer 3: 33.6mi

Z3 mid-hard
Resting heart rate before start = 45 (125/93)

Total and complete ass. That sums up how I felt. My legs are totally fucking smoked and I'm at a loss for any good explanation why. My plan to lead up to the Fort Bragg 10-Miler was to train hard this week, then taper hard next week, but this might just end up being a very extended taper since my legs are in no shape to compete.

There's also a nagging case of the fuck-its, which is becoming manifest in progressively later and later wake-up times.

The RHR at start is encouraging in that I'm not at risk of overtraining with a morning RHR of only 45...but it's only an indicator of one thing rather than others.

Splits
1.5 12:23 12:23 08:15
2.1 30:06 17:43 08:26
1.5 42:07 12:01 08:01 08:11