8.0mi trails, 91:53

Tommy Keene, "You Won't Find Me"
Tommy Keene, "Scam and the Flim Flam Man"

WX at 1100: 79.0 (26.1), DP 68.0 (20.0), BP 30.23 (1023), ESE 9 haze, RH 69%
WX at 1000: 77 (25), DP 69 (21), BP 30.23 (1023), E 6 haze, RH 76%

Odometer 3: 156.1mi

Z3 low-mid.
Resting heart rate before start = no reading.

Yet another installment of the Appalachian Trail! This time I decided to go north from the Condoguinet Creek and Scott Farm Trail Work Center to the top of North (Blue) Mountain and the Darlington Shelter, opposite the way I went last week.

There isn't much view from the Trail itself, but there is one spot that overlooks the Cumberland Valley a few hundred meters short of the summit, and it is glorious. Unfortunately, I was being harassed by bugs, mosquitoes at the bottom of the trail near the Condoguinet Creek, and higher up by flies and bees as I got further up the mountain.

Going up marked significant walking. There was just no way I could run up the grades in question at the same time as trying to negotiate the rocks and tree roots. I almost wiped out one or two times.

Going downhill, though, was awesome. It felt so relaxed going downhill that I didn't even worry about the relatively slow pace of about 10 minutes/mile.

Splits
Uphill: 51:14
Downhill: 40:39
Aggregate: 91:53

The Coolest Thing Ever

For this week, at least:

RFIDs and Booze. Yes!

6.8mi, 55:11

Tommy Keene, "Scam and the Flim Flam Man"
Rush, "Countdown" (after seeing a headline saying "NASA says Discovery's safe"

WX at 0700: 63 (17), DP 61 (16), BP 30.13 (1020.1), calm fog/mist, RH 93%

Odometer 2: 464.9mi

Z3 high.
Resting heart rate before start = 53 (124/82)

Today was a remarkably fast day for having done fairly punishing speedwork yesterday. I was almost tempted to go light today (which probably would've been the prudent thing to do) but the weather was far too good to pass up a longer (not necessarily long) run.

And it was good. Best I've done on that course in a long while - which only goes to underscore the effects of weather on performance. I just don't like to run in the heat.

Splits
0.5 03:53 03:53 07:46 07:46 0.5
0.96 11:53 08:00 08:20 08:08 1.46
0.54 missed split, adjusted at next
1.83 27:00 15:07 08:16 08:12 3.29
2.35 35:39 08:39 03:41 08:12 4.35
0.42 38:59 03:20 07:56 08:10 4.77
0.44 42:36 03:37 08:13 08:11 5.21
0.53 46:56 04:20 08:11 08:11 5.74
0.56 51:24 04:28 07:59 08:10 6.3
0.5 55:11 03:47 07:34 08:07 6.8

5.5mi (8x400 intervals)

Liz Story, "Rumors of Discipline"

WX at 0700: 67 (19), DP 57 (14), BP 30.06 (1017.8), NW 8 fair, RH 71%

Odometer 3: 148.1mi

Z4 mid to Z4 high.
Resting heart rate before start = 45 (124/81)

The heat and humidity lifted, and by god, it was glorious.

Full speedwork set, and the fastest times yet. Of course, a lot of this was attributable to weather. I was paying a little more attention to form during the repeats. I think I'm more concerned at my inability to power up most hills and accelerate, but that's a long-standing problem.

Tomorrow, if this holds, might warrant a little LSD. At least, not so much that it kills me, at least.

Splits
1: 105/2:35
2: 103/2:39
3: 95/3:01 (stopped to tie shoelaces)
4: 92/2:44
5: 101/2:49
6: 103/2:42
7: 94/2:46
8: 92/2:24

The rest times keep getting longer through the workout as I get progressively more tired. I suspect improving my max VO2 will correspond to a short rest in between repeats. It also might translate into faster repeats since I'm not COMPLETELY anaerobic...but pretty close.

3.0mi (3x400 intervals)

AC/DC, "Thunderstruck"

WX at 0600: 75 (24), DP 72 (22), BP 29.82 (1009.6), SW 3 fog/mist, RH 90%

Odometer 3: 142.6mi

Z4 mid start, Z1 finish
Resting heart rate before start = 56 (120/68)

It's been a long while since I cut a workout short because I felt so bad. When my fastest split is 105 at reasonably hard effort, the point of diminishing returns has been reached. I wogged my way back to the quarters here at Carlisle Barracks.

I was hoping I could drill my way through today's speedwork, but I think I'll have to take a rain check on that one. WX is supposed to improve greatly tomorrow but I guess I'll see. Actually, Friday would be a great day for a hard (whether long or fast) run so I'll consider this an easy day (as it was for the last two miles of it) and see how I feel tomorrow. If I feel good enough to go fast tomorrow, I'll try it.

As bad as I think being here is, let's compare it to North Carolina right now:
WX at KFBG, 0600: 80 (27), DP 73 (23), BP 29.89 (1012), W 5 mostly clear, RH 78%
Actually, it's not that much worse at home. It's probably even a little nicer since the RH is lower.

Wait for tomorrow. Nothing else to do today but eat. And study, but more importantly, nothing physical before trying again.

Splits
1: 104/2:44
2: 112/2:37
3: 105/2:52 retired today

3.1mi, 24:56

The Bats, "Courage"

WX at 0700: 73 (23), DP 69 (21), BP 29.93 (1013.4), W 5 fog/mist, RH 87%

Odometer 2: 458.1mi

Z3 hard, Z3 mid finish.
Resting heart rate before start = 55 (131/85)

Today actually started faster than I thought.

I almost slept in - as my alarm cooked off at 5:00am, I debated whether I really felt like running or not. Fortunately, beter sense prevailed and I decided to go out for a quick 5k or so.

Based on splits, I guess I felt too froggy at the start. I did feel pretty quick at the start, but didn't count on the monster positive splits. Ah well. Tomorrow's speedwork anyway.

Any thoughts of waiting until later was offset by today's weather advisory:

ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
330 AM EDT TUE JUL 26 2005

PAZ036-056-057-059-063>066-262130-
FRANKLIN-PERRY-DAUPHIN-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND-ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHAMBERSBURG...NEWPORT...HARRISBURG...
HERSHEY...LEBANON...CARLISLE...GETTYSBURG...YORK...LANCASTER
330 AM EDT TUE JUL 26 2005

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

.TODAY...PARTLY CLOUDY...HOT AND HUMID WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE
STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND SMALL HAIL. HIGHS IN
THE MID TO UPPER 90S...WITH HEAT INDICES BETWEEN 101 AND 106 DEGREES
THIS AFTERNOON. SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.
CHANCE OF RAIN 20 PERCENT.
.TONIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A SHOWER OR
THUNDERSTORM. WARM AND MUGGY WITH LOWS IN THE MID 70S. SOUTHWEST
WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 20 PERCENT.

Fuck that!

Splits
1: 7:49
2: 8:12
3.1: 8:53

5.0mi, 43:27

Nerdy Girl, "Iceman"

WX at 1900: 92 (33), DP 72 (22), BP 29.85 (1010.6), NW 9 clear, RH 52%

Odometer 3: 139.6mi

Z3 mid.
Resting heart rate before start = no reading.

I slept in after yesterday's monster hash. Actually, I woke up early and finished my homework that I didn't do because of yesterday's monster hash.

Nothing fancy today, but I did get a pair of RaceReady shorts. I got the 3/4 split cut ones with the 1" inseam. I have no modesty issues, because I frankly don't fucking care. It does work really well to not have to pull my shorts back from between my chubby legs.

When I was in high school I could still get away with wearing split shorts. I was a lot thinner back then, too.

Still, the shorts are nice. Expensive, but well worth the expense. I can't wait to try them out on a longer run.

For it being 92 degrees the relative humidity made it tolerable (and my glacial pace). I didn't feel that bad. Then again, I wasn't trying to go that hard either.

The gnats were out in force. I'm still picking some off my skin as I type.

Splits
initial half or so: 5:02
1: 8:33 generally flat and pavement, some uphill
2: 8:47 mostly uphill on cinder
3: 8:46 rolling on cinder
4: 8:20 all pavement, some downhill, but mostly flat
final half or so: 3:57 flat with one rill and uphill finish.

4mi hash or something like that

none - I was on trail.

WX at 1400: 84.9 (29.4) 53.1 (11.7) 30.08 (1018) SW 8, RH 34%

Odometer 2: 455mi or so.

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

Today's hash was in Reading, PA, about 80mi away from Carlisle Barracks. The trail involved some breaking trail, but a lot of climbing rocks and going through tunnels. That was actually fun.

In a technical sense, a good trail will equalize speed differences among the harriers. This excelled in doing so; any fast ones were taken care of by the way the trail was laid out - and climbing up and down hills and across fences levelled the playing field. One of the best trails I've seen in a long while in spite of the fact that I damn near killed myself going up and down rock falls. Three times.

I really need to lay off the sauce after finishing, though. I spent way too much time waiting to detox before coming back to Carlisle.

No splits.

4.8mi trails, 51:19

Pizzicato 5, "Twiggy Twiggy vs. James Bond"
Sarah McLachlan, "Fear"

WX at 0900: 71 (21), DP 60 (15), BP 30.15 (1020.9), SW 3 fair, RH 68%

Odometer 2: 451.8mi

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

I decided to go for a new part of the Appalachian Trail, so instead of starting from the south, I decided to start further north and go south. This was much better, as there were some excellent technical trails, yet not so punishing that I had to walk from place to place.
This was a nice relaxing aerobic run that worked out pretty well. I'll have to remember that for the next time, maybe I'll run north the next time. I packed my Camelbak but didn't really need it, surprisingly enough.

I didn't factor in the hash I ran this past Wednesday, which was about 5 miles of slush miles. That involved some fast running parts, but not really anything robust. I did get lashed up with some faster folks so there was some benefit at the end.

Splits
51:19 for about 4.8mi or so.

6.3mi (8x400 intervals)

Descendents, "Jealous Of The World"

WX at 0900: 76 (24), DP 63 (17), BP 30.06 (1017.7), vrbl 7, RH 64%

Odometer 3: 134.6mi

Z4 mid-high
Resting heart rate before start = no reading today

I woke up late, slept in, but resolved to get out and do speedwork today, in spite of how much it was going to suck.

Heat is heat, regardless of what the thermometer says. It was particularly misleading since about half (as it turns out, the last half of the two-mile course I use for this speedwork) is shaded in the morning; the other side is in the open, which just sucks. 76 degrees is not 76 degrees when you're in direct sunlight.

I need a haircut. It's been a week and a half.

The rest times get progressively longer as I get further into the workout. I probably should work on that as I think I'm probably getting too much rest in between splits, but goddamn, it hurts.

The splits are getting faster. This is a promising indicator. I just have to work through it to get my max VO2 up to the point where I can run longer in the red zone, so to speak. While this is antithetical to marathon training (where you should never be in the red zone), I'll hang on until the physical fitness test is done. Then the focus will dramatically change to nothing but LSD.

Tomorrow entails some easy trail running and probably a hash in the afternoon. The hash should be an easy run, but in my natural frogginess, I found myself damn near close to the lead of the pack when I hashed Wednesday night, which entailed about 5 miles, albeit in the city where it's all fast.

To max the two-mile run for points, I need to run 13:18. To do that, I have to run at least 99 seconds per quarter mile of that two mile distance. Note that right now even my fastest leg today (and I was totally spent at the end of that leg) was only a 6:20 mile. The slowest today was 7:08. In general terms, that means I need to be running about regularly about 90 on the fast legs of this course.

There are two ways that might happen:
1 - significant cooling trend.
2 - unnatural intervention.

Uh-huh.

Splits
1: 103/2;22
2: 105/2:32
3: 102/2:39
4: 96/2:28
5: 101/2:41
6: 107/2:51
7: 97/2:55
8: 95/2:32

6.8mi, 60:00

R.E.M., "Driver 8"
J.S. Bach, Fuga from Sonata No. 3 for unaccompanied violin in C major, BWV 1005
The Connells, "Fun and Games"

WX at 0700: 72 (22), DP 69 (21), BP 29.98 (1015.1), NW 3 fog/mist, RH 91%

Odometer 3: 128.3mi

Z3
Resting heart rate before start = 47 (118/75)

Today was slow and somewhat painful. It felt slow, at least. My inability to get more than 9mpm or so initially is offset by the progressive negative splits through the entire run. That is actually encouraging.

Looking back about a year, I'm running a little slower than I did last year. On the other hand, I wan't doing any speedwork last year, so I think there will be some return on investment in about two or three weeks if everything continues to pan out.

I'm also making a conscious effort to eat less to eliminate some of the lard that hangs off my spare tire.

Splits
1.46 13:58 13:58 09:34 09:34 1.46
0.54 18:29 04:31 08:22 09:15 2
1.29 30:09 11:40 09:03 09:10 3.29
1.06 39:24 09:15 08:44 09:03 4.35
0.42 43:05 03:41 08:46 09:02 4.77
0.44 46:44 03:39 08:18 08:58 5.21
0.53 51:20 04:36 08:41 08:57 5.74
0.56 56:01 04:41 08:22 08:53 6.3
0.5 60:00 03:59 07:58 08:49 6.8

Lacrosse in the Desert

No shit!

If a National Guard MP company from Parkville MD can play in Afghanistan, why not the medium lift aviation company from the Third Infantry Division? (Obligatory endorsement for Sling It! Lacrosse, the store that sent them their gear.)

Note all the equipment they're using are STX Rotors. My STX Eclipse is done in the same pattern, stars and stripes.

Absolutely the Coolest Thing Ever. This week, at least.

And people wonder why all the lacrosse stuff I've bought in the last few years has been STX...

5.5mi (8x400 intervals)

Cruiserweight, "To Be Quite Honest"

WX at 0700: 72 (22), DP 69 (21), BP 30.06 (1017.6), W 6 fair, RH 91%

Odometer 3: 120.5mi

Z4 intervals
Resting heart rate before start = 50 (122/81)

I fucking hurt today. Today was supposed to be better than days prior, and yet, it was still ungodly humid. Fort Irwin suddenly sounds nice this time of year.

The torrential rainpours over the last few days might have something to do with it.

Still, my times are improving. I don't know if that's weather, conditioning, or just plain luck.

I fucking hate speedwork. The rest indicators on splits 5-7 indicate I was hurting worse than I was at the beginning.

Unfortunately, in the absence of any legitimately raw speed, I must work on it. Maybe it's time to hit the gym to the tune of leg presses also.

Splits/Rest
1: 103/2:28
2: 117/3:08 (retied shoes)
3: 96/2:41 (mostly downhill, fancy that)
4: 94/2:28
5: 103/2:44 (getting more tired at the end)
6: 115/2:44
7: 98/2:49
8: 98/2:28

Some idle thought and no running

Nothing today. I was dead to the world this morning and slept in. Tomorrow entails speedwork anyway, so it'll be better served for tomorrow.

Today's discussion in class centered on Thucydides and The Peloponnesian War. The last time I read it was freshman year in college in a class called Contemporary International Politics. I, being much younger, didn't pay much attention to CIP or its readings and had very little patience for the political theories that were being dished out at the time. I was much more interested in its application (which probably is normal for a historian; historians deal much less in theories than do political scientists).

Anyway, here's something cliffed from the speech that has disturbingly prescient relevance for a certain influential country in North America:

...are addicted to innovation, and their designs are characterized by swiftness alike in conception and execution; you have a genius for keeping what you have got, accompanied by a total want of invention, and when force to act you never go far enough.

Again, they are adventurous beyond their power, and daring beyond their judgment, and in danger they are sanguine; your wont is to attempt less than is justified by your power, to mistrust even what is sanctioned by your judgment, and to fancy that from danger there is no release.

Further, there is promptitude on their side against procrastination on yours; they are never at home, you are most disinclined to leave it, for they hope by their absence to extend their acquisitions, you fear by your advance to endanger what you have left behind.

They are swift to follow up a success, and slow to recoil from a reverse.

Their bodies they spend ungrudging in their country’s cause; their intellect they jealously husband to be employed in their service.

A scheme unexecuted is with them a positive loss, a successful enterprise a comparative failure. The deficiency created by the miscarriage of an undertaking is soon filled up by fresh hopes; for they alone are enabled to call a thing hoped for a thing got, by the speed with which they act upon their resolutions.

Thus they toil on in trouble and danger all the days of their life, with little opportunity for enjoying, being ever engaged their only idea of a holiday is to do what the occasion demands, and to them laborious occupation is less a misfortune than the peace of a quiet life.

To describe their character in a word, one might truly say that they were born into the world to take no rest themselves and to give none to others.

The speaker in question was a Corinthian ambassador to Sparta, describing their mutual adversary of Athens in the year 432 BCE.

It could just as easily describe the United States of America after about the third Monday of January, 2001.

The other lesson to be learned that stuck from the Peloponnesian War was that Athens, in the conduct of some twenty years of combat, had lost its moral compass. This is significant.

Case in point: five years before the end of the war, Athens gave the island of Melos an ultimatum of "surrender or be conquered." The conflict between ethical behavior versus force majeure is known as the Melian Dialogue, and is one of the fundamental teaching points for ethics in international relations.

Maybe it's more pointed in my mind having just seen Revenge of the Sith and its allusion to our current war and where it could lead. We must be mindful not to become that which we fear in the process of killing our enemies. The exercise of absolute power carries with it its own allure and at the same time, danger.

The Athenians, after receiving the Melian refusal to surrender, laid the city under siege and conquered it. The Athenians then put to the sword every man in the city and sold the women and children into slavery. Once that was done, they colonized the now-empty city of Melos. Mind you, that Athens was a democracy, and yet, there was no outcry in the wake of this event.

"So this is how liberty dies - to thunderous applause." - Padmé Amidala

6.8mi, 59:30

Corrosion of Conformity, "What(?)"
John Williams, "Duel of the Fates" from Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace

WX at 0700: 74 (23), DP 73(23), BP 30.02 (1016.2), calm fog/mist, RH 97%

Odometer 2: 441.8mi

Z3 mid-high.
Resting heart rate before start = 47 (119/77)

Today wasn't intended to be a hard day, but not a light or easy one either. The humidity this morning was absolutely out of control. I'm not as bothered by running mostly 9:00mpm based on the heat and the extreme humidity.

This should be the only thing I do today since tomorrow will mark an easy day.

I'm seriously considering hashing on Wednesday night. The Three Mile Island Full Moon HHH will be running a full moon hash in Harrisburg and it sounds interesting. Besides, I haven't hashed in over a year.

The last split that was almost 45 seconds faster than the last split for pace is problematic. It means I didn't go hard enough, if I can finish that strong. I also get about a 30 second break as I have to pass through the security checkpoint coming back into Carlisle Barracks.

These shoes are holding up, but it's definitely time to start thinking about new shoes to replace these as I don't think these shoes have much left on them. They're showing signs of heavy pronation, which is unfortunate. As much as I like them, that's an indicator that they're probably not for me.

The Weekend of Glum Movies continued yesterday as I finally got around to seeing Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith. I'm not sure what about the movie bothered me more, the whole betrayal of the Jedi (to include the proverbial freaky-looking blue chick Jedi, who gets a grand total of about 10 seconds of screen time to include the execution-style shooting by her clones), or the concept (and brief footage) of Anakin Skywalker killing all the children in the Jedi.

I did like the Yoda fight scene. Never would've guessed he was all-digital based on the fluidity of his motion. He did look unbelievably bad-ass in that scene.

Splits
0.5 04:30 04:30 09:00 09:00 0.5
0.96 13:19 08:49 09:11 09:07 1.46
0.54 17:58 04:39 08:37 08:59 2
1.29 29:32 11:34 08:58 08:59 3.29
1.06 38:42 09:10 08:39 08:54 4.35
0.42 42:15 03:33 08:27 08:51 4.77
0.44 46:07 03:52 08:47 08:51 5.21
0.53 50:53 04:46 09:00 08:52 5.74
0.56 55:37 04:44 08:27 08:50 6.3
0.5 59:30 03:53 07:46 08:45 6.8

3.2mi, 27:57

The Lemonheads, "Tenderfoot"

WX at 1100: 77 (25), DP 73 (23), BP 30.07 (1018.1), calm fog/mist, 88%

Odometer 3: 115.0mi

Z2 high.
Resting heart rate before start = 54 (128/74)

I was thinking initially running 6. My legs were so fucking smoked after yesterday's trail thrash-a-thon that I called it quits at 3.2.

Even at that, all I could eke out was 27:57 for a pace. Fucking pathetic.

Then again, the intense junglelike humidity could also be a factor.

Of course, I just finished watching Tae Guk Gi: Brotherhood of War, a 2004 Korean film that is quite possibly the most depressing movie I've ever seen since, oh, Grave of the Fireflies. Excellent film, but don't watch it when you're feeling depressed lest you consider committing suicide. What an uplifting way to start a Sunday.

Splits
1: 9:17
2: 9:01
3.2: 9:37
overall pace 9:01/mi

10 miles approximate trails, about 2 hours

Tommy Keene, "Lovers Lies"
Michael Kamen, "Band of Brothers Suite 2"

WX at 1200: 83 (28), DP 76 (24), BP 30.06 (1017), E 10 pcdy/haze, RH 79%
WX at 1100: 80 (27), DP 75 (24), BP 30.09 (1018), E 6 mist, RH 83%
WX at 1000: 78 (26), DP 73 (23), BP 30.10 (1019), SE 7 mist, RH 85%

Odometer 2: 435mi

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

I had been meaning to run parts of the Appalachian Trail while I was here, and since the Trail passes less than 5 miles away from Carlisle Barracks, I decided to give it a try. It ended up being about 5 miles out and back, which probably accounts for all the wrong turns I took. Still, running through the woods up and down mountains is actually kind of fun.

As a preventative measure, I decided to pack my Camelbak, which was smart. I drank all but about 3 oz. from a 72 oz. bladder that had been filled with ice water.

I was meaning to take splits, but I realized that there are portions that, after a rain storm last night, were so slick that I risked busting my ass on trail and decided not to do it.

I knew I was dehydrated, but I didn't realize the extent of my dehydration until I voided a tiny trickle of dark orange after getting back. This was after killing a quart of Powerade in addition to the contents of my Camelbak. Yesssssss...

I was thinking about going hashing this afternoon. Given that there's a flood advisory this afternoon, I'm not sure about that one now...

Splits
None recorded. Overall time 1:54, but really it doesn't matter.

5.75mi, 51:40

Tommy Keene, "Underworld"
Tommy Keene, "Where Have All Your Friends Gone?"
Ultimate Fakebook, "Liferaft Halo"

WX at 0700: 72 (22), DP 69 (21), BP 30.02 (1016.4), calm fog/mist/light rain, RH 91%

Odometer 3: 111.8mi

Z3 low-med.
Resting heart rate before start = 52 (116/73)

Light, light rain combined with high humidity = miserable run.
I added on another 3/4 mile after mile 2 as I was looking for fat burning recovery run, and the negative splits are probably a good sign, although I attribute the first two mile splits to lack of sleep and not stretching out.

Splits
8:58 first recorded mile
9:12 second recorded mile
7:22 3/4 mile loop
8:38 third recorded mile
8:28 last recorded mile
aggregate 51:40

4.0mi approximate, 32:40

Ultimate Fakebook, "Far, Far Away"
Ultimate Fakebook, "Of Course We Will"
Tommy Keene, "Drowning"

WX at 0700: 75 (24), DP 71 (22), BP 29.99 (1015), ESE 8 mist, RH 88%

Odometer 2: 424.5mi

Z3 high
Resting heart rate before start = 57 (127/92)

I'm working on one of my exams, so I woke up early and continued to chip away at the exam, but I felt I had to get out for a little mental relaxation. It was humid, but worth it.

My legs are still feeling the interval work from two days ago as my legs tired out significantly after two miles.

Splits
Had to cut it short today. 32:40 overall, probably 4mi or so.
first 1/2: approximate 4:30
1: 8:11
2: 8:35
remainder 11:23

5.5mi (8x400 intervals)

Henry Rollins, "Drive-By Shooting"
Henry Rollins, "Ex-Lion Tamer"

WX at 0700: 72 (22), DP 63 (17), BP 30.06 (1017.7), NW 3, RH 73% haze

Odometer 3: 106.6mi

Z4 high intervals
Resting heart rate before start = 54 (135/88)

Time to make good on the promise...as much as I dislike the pain of doing intervals, I realized there was no better opportunity to do them than on a two-mile cinder trail where each quarter mile is marked.

I spent a large chunk of yesterday afternoon trapped in traffic on I-270 leaving Washington, D.C., tarnishing the allure of an assignment to the National Capital Region. I mean, damn.

These intervals hurt, but not as much as I thought. It's a reasonably proven workout, one I used to do at Hopkins when I ran winter track.

Interestingly enough, the course goes uphill slightly in the first half mile and a little more in the second, but it does amaze somewhat of the consistency of the times. That's a promising indicator.

Since that's the track I expect my class'll use for its physical fitness test, I'll need to remember not to get demoralized in the first mile when it comes time. I'd really like to get under 90 for the 3/4/7/8 splits, but that'll depending on training.

I know I definitely have the base required to do it...the trick is just how much speedwork can I get away with without breaking myself down?

Splits
1: 103
2: 111
3: 97
4: 97
5: 105
6: 111
7: 97
8: 97

3.1mi, 28:50

Game Theory, "The Letter"
Duran Duran, "Save A Prayer" (Dave Matthias White Label Remix)

WX at 0700: 68 (20), DP 59 (15), BP 30.11 (1019.4), NW 5, RH 73%

Odometer 3: 103.1mi

Z2-3.
Resting heart rate before start = 47 (123/79)

5000 meters of wogging! I had intended on running 5 this morning, but realized that might not be such a bright idea after running almost 7 yesterday. I'll offset that with another 5k tonight if time permits.

I didn't realize how slow I started until I hit about a mile from the finish and realized I was about to hit the 2 mile mark in over 19 minutes. Damn, that's slow. I sped up noticeably in the last mile.

Splits
28:50 overall, 9:18 overall

6.8mi, 57:56

Cruiserweight, "Vermont"
Cruiserweight, "To Be Quite Honest"

WX at 0800:70 (21), DP 57 (14), BP 30.14 (1020.4), W 7, RH 64%

Odometer 2: 412.7mi, then 420.5mi

Z3 mid-hard.
Resting heart rate before start = 52 (118/83)

Last night marked a very, very, very slow 5k practice run for a friend who is doing her first triathlon in a week or so. When I mean slow, I mean 11 mpm pace. Nonetheless, there is some utility in practicing a run as slow as that.

That was followed by a LOT of beer. Way more beer than normal. Fortunately, discretion prevailed and I stopped at, oh, about 4. Seriously. The poison of choice was Oxford Raspberry Wheat, which I chanced upon in Mechanicsburg PA. I haven't had Oxford Class (as I was introduced to it) in years. Now that I think about it, the last time was almost a full decade ago.

Surprisingly, this morning's run wasn't as painful as I thought. I suspect I'm still oozing beer from my pores, but the weather was excellent this morning (although I normally prefer a little cooler). I had forgotten the overall distance, and thought I was going a little faster than I thought...but nonetheless, today was pretty good...given the extenuating circumstances.

Splits
0.5 04:24 04:24 08:48 08:48 0.5
0.96 12:56 08:32 08:53 08:52 1.46
0.54 17:25 04:29 08:18 08:43 2
1.29 ** NO SPLIT TIME RECORDED ** 3.29
1.06 37:49 10:54 10:17 08:42 4.35
0.42 41:13 03:24 08:06 08:38 4.77
0.44 44:47 03:34 08:06 08:36 5.21
0.53 49:14 04:27 08:24 08:35 5.74
0.56 53:47 04:33 08:07 08:32 6.3
0.5 57:56 04:09 08:18 08:31 6.8

3.1mi, 25:38

The Smiths, "Girl Afraid"
Tommy Keene, "Circumstance"

WX at 0800: 67 (19), DP 63 (17), BP 30.06 (1017.7), W 7, RH 87%

Odometer 2: 409.6mi

Z3 low-mid.
Resting heart rate before start = 54 (128/85)

I normally would do a slower recovery run after yesterday's rain-a-thon, but I'll be doing a much, much easier run later tonight so I have some latitude to fudge.

It was quite nice this morning...starting at 64, but the temperature rising with the ambient humidity means that today's going to be vaguely sucky. Until it cools off, at least.

Still, 8:16/mi for a recovery run (even in a place as flat as Carlisle) is acceptable. I can live with that, no problem.

Splits
25:38, overall 8:16/mi

9.7mi, 83:43

The Reputation, "Let It Rest"
Antonin Dvorak, Allegro, Symphony No. 9 "From The New World" in major
W.A. Mozart, Andante, Symphony No. 40 in a minor
The Ocean Blue, "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"

WX at 0600: 64 (18), DP 64 (18), BP 30.01 (1016), ENE 7 heavy rain; mist, RH 100%

Odometer 3: 104.0mi

Z3 mid.
Resting heart rate before start = 64 (132/82)

Oh, the joys of driving rain! That was an unintended bonus. Slow start, with transition to noticeable faster pace at 37 minutes in. I guess I should do some more homework to find out what the shift is that enables such a sea change in how I feel when I run, unless that's when the endorphin rush (supposedly) happens.

The fast finish was because I was running over generally flat ground with the end near, or maybe because I was running past windows and I could really be that much of a narcissist. Maybe.

I did notice I managed to shed some 5 pounds of water weight, so I guess I don't feel so bad for weighing a behemothlike 187 yesterday. Maybe.

I do feel bad for Christophe Mengin, who whacked into a wall in the final turn of yesterday's stage of the TdF. I was hoping the hometown boy would make good, but rain-slicked roads got him, and it can't feel good to slide into a metal barrier at over 50km/h.

Commentary on London bombing to follow later, but it when it does, it'll warrant a discussion of strategic effect and just what the hell the bombers were trying to accomplish...other than massively piss off the British and galvanize public opinion into wanting an assload of payback.

Splits
0.5 05:10 05:10 10:20 08:12 0.63
0.96 08:00 08:00 08:20 08:20 0.96
0.61 13:21 05:21 08:46 08:30 1.57
1.57 27:16 13:55 08:52 08:41 3.14
1.83 43:33 16:17 08:54 08:46 4.97
1.44 56:01 12:28 08:39 08:44 6.41
1.29 66:55 10:54 08:27 08:41 7.70
0.53 71:41 04:46 09:00 08:43 8.23
0.97 79:42 08:01 08:16 08:40 9.20
0.5 83:43 04:01 08:02 08:38 9.70

5.0mi, 51:09

Descendents, "'Merican"

WX at 0700: 67 (19), DP 66 (19), BP 29.91 (1012.9), W 5 fog, RH 97%

Odometer 3: 94.3mi

Z1-2.
Resting heart rate before start = 62 (127/79)

This is the most unrepentant wogging I've ever done.

It was pretty humid this morning, although that's to be expected after a torrential downpour like last night's. At least I didn't have to run through ankle-deep water since the Letort Spring Run (which goes through Carlisle Barracks) flooded last night to a few inches, which was quite unexpected.

I'm reminded of some midshipman I saw at the Naval Academy back in 1989 who, during a similar downpour, was able to swim in a flooded gutter, just because. It sounds improbably, but I did see it with my own eyes. Amazing.

Splits
51:09 overall for about 5 miles. Criminally slow? Probably not on a recovery day.

6.2mi (10km), 48:02

Cruiserweight, "To Be Quite Honest"
Cruiserweight, "Goodbye Daily Sadness"

WX at 2200: 68.0 (20.0), DP 66.9 (19.4), BP 29.97 (1014), WNW 5 heavy rain; mist, RH 96%

Odometer 2: 406.5mi

Z3 mid.
Resting heart rate before start = 69 (139/93)

Damn, this was therapeutic! I don't know if it's because I have a clean high-and-tight for the first time in about a month, or if it's because it's the first run in driving rain that I've done in a long, long time. There's a feral intensity to running in the rain that I used to indulge in my younger years. Maybe it's time to get hungry again when that happens, but it rains so little relative to those runs that those opportunities are few and far between. When they happen, the runs are always good.

I noticed a distinct shift to something more approximating race pace about midway through the second 5k lap. My second 5k lap was markedly faster as I settled into a faster tempo

I had been intent on running 15k, but I figured two days after running 10.2, maybe I should wait, so discretion prevailed over deliberate fury.

I guess if I'm training for a 10-miler, this isn't so bad. Unfortunately, I'm torn between training for two separate events, diametrically opposite in training foci. I need to start working on training for the Disney Marathon, scheduled for January 2006. Using the Hal Higdon training plan, I have 18 weeks to start ramping up. This might actually mesh with what the plan is going to be, depending on when my class takes its physical fitness test, which we think will be sometime in late August or early September. Not sure when. This means I have latitude to start speedwork in preparation for that event, and with a cinder track less than 500m away from my quarters, it's too good an opportunity not to take, as much as I loathe interval work.

Two last notes.

1. Big props to Team Discovery Channel for putting the hammer down and winning the team time trial. It's always good to see American kicking ass in the cycling world. If only they got more coverage in their own damn home country...

2. My heart goes out to David Zabriskie, who crashed his bike with 1.5km to the finish of the team time trial in Stage 4 of today's Tour de France. He looked like he got some bad road rash, but I think he's much more crushed that he lost the maillot jaune after leading the General Classification for the last three days. That man's got some heart - and he's still in the top ten of the GC.

Splits
24:20 first 5km, 7:50/mi pace
23:42 first 5km, 7:38/mi pace

Competing sports on the Glass Tit

There are only two sports for which I make time to watch.

One is lacrosse. Currently, the only lacrosse on TV is Major League Lacrosse, televised Tuesdays by ESPN2. I tolerate it in spite of the fact that it mandates that everyone play with crap (Warrior Lacrosse) equipment.

The other is the Tour de France. When I was in Belgium in 2001, I was amazed to see that everybody and their second cousin were glued to televisions all over the country to see the TdF. And yet, it took Lance Armstrong's multiple wins to make Americans pay attention to it.

Call me biased, but I have a hell of a lot more respect for any rider in the TdF than I do for most American football, basketball, or baseball players. My bias could be partly because I don't give a flying fuck about American football, basketball, or baseball.

And in watching snippets of the TdF today, the talent and dedication of these guys never ceases to amaze me. Tom Boonen at the finish of Stage 3 today is absolutely unbelievable. Belgium has got to be going bananas right now. I think the only other thing that would top that would be some guy like Axel Merckx winning the overall as his dad Eddy did.

5.1mi, 45:51

J.S. Bach, Fuga from Sonata No. 3 for unaccompanied violin in C major, BWV 1005
Sarah McLachlan, "When She Loved Me"
Henry Rollins, "Drive-By Shooting"
Minor Threat, "Screaming At A Wall"

WX at 0700: 73 (23), DP 73 (23), BP 30.09 (1019.1), variable 2, RH 100%

Odometer 1: 494mi

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

Today was intended to be a recovery run. Goal pace is 9 minutes per mile and I generally stuck to it.

As the changes in distance might indicate, I went back to Fayetteville this past weekend. Ah, the joys of domestic life. That probably explains the paradigm shift in the iThink this morning. I love my kids. That's not the issue, though.

christalfuckingalmighty it's fucking humid. What shitty running weather. This is partly exacerbated by my lack of any decent haircut in a few weeks. What I got at Carlisle Barracks is a stopgap but doesn't meet the standard of whitewalls (shave side and back of head to skin). And I like my whitewalls.

Splits
1.5 13:22 13:22 08:55
2.1 32:29 19:07 09:06
1.5 45:51 13:22 08:55 08:54

I fucking chortle

My name anagrams to "if rank craps."

Not quite The Coolest Thing Ever, but it is for this week.

10.2mi, 91:53

Carl Orff, O Fortuna from Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi, Carmina Burana
Blue Oyster Cult, "Don't Fear The Reaper"

WX at 0800: 73 (23), BP 71 (22), DP 30.00 (1015), ENE 7 mist, RH 94%

Odometer 3: 89.3mi

Z3 low.
Resting heart rate before start = no reading.

Good god did today suck ass. Thankfully I wasn't intent on doing anything particularly ambitious, or at least nothing more ambitious than 9 minute/miles for ten miles.

This is underscored by the realization that I need to put some significant effort into cutting weight. Consequently, I think my focus of road marching will have to be slow deliberate effort. It's not like another opportunity to go to Air Assault School will surface itself (only to be taken away for whatever other reason).

I had to stop at the 7.6mi point to drink water or I think I would've stopped. I can't believe I actually ran sub-80 pace on a race in virtually identical conditions.

Splits
2.5 22:40 22:40 09:04 08:58
1.5 36:04 13:24 08:56 08:58
2.1 55:05 19:01 09:03 08:54
1.5 68:50 13:45 09:10 08:58
2.5 91:53 23:03 09:13 09:00