Wednesday, January 23, 2008

6,000m on Concept2 Model C, 25:48, 23 JAN 08, Fort Leavenworth KS

iThink: Bear McCreary, "Storming New Caprica"

WX at 0700: 14.0 (-10.0) DP 6.1 (-14.4) BP 30.08 (1018) SSW 10 RH 70 WC 1 (-17)

Odometer 4: 371.0mi equivalent

Z3.

I started unusually fast for any spin session, but particularly the first one in a very long, long while. I was actually somewhat surprised that I hadn't hit the Concept when I was at Carlisle Barracks, but it wasn't a priority for me. My initial fast start (2:00/500m, actually) backed off after the first 1000m, and the rest was done at a more realistic 2:10/500m or so.

There were some portions I did as slow as 2:14/500m, but I was actually holding significant chunks at around 2:09, which I guess makes sense for the average pace.

Splits
Distance: 6000
Time: 0:25:48
Per 500m: 02:09
Drag Factor : 186
Per Mile: 0:06:55

Monday, January 21, 2008

6.0mi, 55:14, 21 JAN 08, Fort Leavenworth KS

iThink:
The Immortals, Techno Syndrome (Mortal Kombat)
R.E.M., "Driver 8"

WX at 0800: 28 (-2) DP 15 (-9) BP 30.2 (1022) S 20 RH 58 WC 14 (-10)

Odometer 2 legacy: 352.5mi

Z3.

I haven't thought about the Immortals song in a long, long time. I found a capella Mortal Kombat music by accident this morning and I had it stuck in my head. The thought of that is pretty creepy, actually.

The shoes I wore are the same ones I wore on the Psycho WyCo Run Toto Run , and they were useful as there were still large patches of ice on the road today. Running on pavement with 3/8" sheet metal screws in, though, is a strange proposition. I would have collected some blisters had I run for longer as the pressure points on the shoes aren't quite usual.

I wasn't trying to go all that fast, and I suspect the shoes (and the changes in traction) had something to do with the changed traction and corresponding changes in speed...but I hadn't really tried to do much since the end of Air Assault School.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
0.32 02:56 02:56 09:10 09:10 0.32
0.89 11:19 08:23 09:28 09:23 1.21
0.68 16:49 05:30 08:04 08:55 1.89
0.67 22:36 05:47 08:41 08:51 2.55
2.24 45:22 22:46 10:09 09:27 4.80
0.86 52:38 07:16 08:25 09:18 5.66
0.32 55:14 02:36 08:09 09:14 5.98

Thursday, January 17, 2008

30min on elliptical, 17 JAN 08, Clarksville TN

iThink: nothing because I was watching Robin Meade on CNN Headline News this morning

WX at 0700: 35 (2) DP 33 (1) BP 30.00 (1015) S 5 mist RH 93 WC 30

Odometer 4: 368.0mi equivalent

Z3.

I didn't really want to do anything, but after sleeping in yesterday, I needed to do something...so I can eat 6 White Castles on the way into work this morning.

I'm a big fan of White Castle principally because I can eat them for breakfast and I'm not constrained to a breakfast menu. That, and I loved the movie Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle...which is why I await its sequel with baited breath.

Some lat pulldowns, bench presses, and standing pulldowns afterwards, not much, but some maintenance work.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

4.0mi, 36:10, 15 JAN 08, Clarksville TN

iThink: Nirvana, "In Bloom"

WX at 0600: 21.0 (-6.1) DP 14.0 (-10.0) BP 30.21 (1023) NNW 7 RH 73 WC 12 (-11)

Odometer 4: 364.5mi

Z3.

I have my recent watching of Shoot 'Em Up to thank for today's attack of grunge. It's hard to ignore the amount of ordnance expended in that movie in such a refreshing gratuitous manner!

Today was cold. Real cold. But I couldn't take another day of Do Nothing But Eat.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
0.21 02:02 02:02 09:55 09:55 0.21
1.82 18:39 16:37 09:09 09:14 2.02
1.80 34:29 15:50 08:48 09:02 3.82
0.21 36:10 01:41 08:01 08:58 4.03

Sunday, January 13, 2008

30min on elliptical, 13 JAN 08, Clarksville TN

iThink: Rob Zombie, "Feel So Numb"

WX at 1700: 33 (1) DP 24 (-4) BP 30.12 (1019) WNW 10 RH 69

Odometer 4: 360.0mi equivalent

Z1.

Today was a day of loose wogging, or would have been had it not been cold and somewhat glum. I decided instead to do some light spinning at low resistance on the cross-training setting of the elliptical machine.

I also did some heavy lifting instead, and noticed with some satisfaction that I was pulling more weight with shorter breaks...it could also be that I did almost no PT whatsoever last week, so that might have something to do with it also. Today became, for the legs and hip flexors, at least, a necessary recovery session. I noticed my legs were still bruised up from doing the Weaver on the Air Assault obstacle course six days ago.

However, my legs have largely recovered from the road march on Friday, which is a great sign; it means that I did the right thing by doing some light wogging and some light spinning today.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

4.0mi, 40:35, 12 JAN 08, Clarksville TN

iThink:
Chuck Berry, "Johnny B. Goode"
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 3, Scherzo-Vivace (as in the “LtCol T.C. McQueen Workout Video,” from the Space: Above and Beyond episode “The Angriest Angel”)
Bear McCreary, "Refugees Return"
Bear McCreary, "Storming New Caprica"

WX at 1100: 43.0 (6.1) DP 34.0 (1.1) BP 30.08 (1018) ESE 6 RH 70

Odometer 4: 356.5mi

Z1.

This was deliberate, the day after the 12-mile road march, and this was to prevent what will otherwise happen if I Do Nothing But Eat today.

I don't particularly feel bad about running 10:34/mi on the way out since I was fully warmed up and even ran a 9:35/mi pace running back. I could feel the acceleration, though, and it was a good thing. I'm still beat up, though.

The T.C. McQueen reference was apt, perhaps, given how I felt after road marching. But no matter.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
2.02 21:20 21:20 10:34 10:34 2.02
2.01 40:35 19:15 09:35 10:04 4.03

Friday, January 11, 2008

12mi at 43#, 2:47, 11 JAN 08, Fort Campbell KY

iThink:
Hilary Duff, "Come Clean"
Aly & AJ, "Chemicals React"
Rob Zombie, "Feel So Numb"
The All-American Rejects, "Move Along"
The All-American Rejects, "It Ends Tonight"
"The All-American Soldier"
"Garryowen"


WX at 0800: 41.0 (5.0) 34.0 (1.1) 29.87 (1011) W 9
WX at 0700: 41.0 (5.0) 35.1 (1.7) 29.85 (1010) W 9
WX at 0600: 42.1 (5.6) 36.0 (2.2) 29.84 (1010) W 10
WX at 0500: 43.0 (6.1) 36.0 (2.2) 29.81 (1009) W 9

Odometer B1: 40mi

Z3.

I am now, after all this time, a graduate of the Basic Air Assault Course.

I was the second of 8 finishers today on the last major event of the Air Assault Course, the 12-mile road march. Road march uniform was body armor stripped with strike plates, a canteen, and an assault pack containing about 10 pounds of stuff.

I wasn't working all that particularly hard - but was running the vast majority of the course. My hip flexors, as a result, are well and verily trashed. Thankfully, much of the course was on pavement, so the likelihood of blisters and hot spots was reduced. I did, inadvertently, step through a puddle on the way in. Wet boots normally mean hamburger feet at the end of a long march. I was very lucky. Never a good indicator when I have occasion to mutter "shit!" when I walk through a puddle on what is, even on a good day, a pretty painful experience. It reminded me in a lot of ways of the Psycho WyCo 20-mile run I did last February. My feet are intact with no hot spots or blisters, although I'm walking around like I got beat up pretty good.

In the last mile, being the contrarian guy I am, I had the division song of the 82d Airborne Division (rather than the 101st) stuck in my head, along with the regimental song of the 7th Cavalry, a decidedly un-air assault unit. I am a very disobedient air assault trooper.

The roadmarching I've done over the last month was good for me. It is unlikely that I would have passed the road march had I decided to do it solely based on training base alone. This is one of those events where specificity is important. You don't get ready for a English test by studying history, although there are some commonalities. In the same way, you don't get ready for road marching by running without a load. I was exceedingly glad that I had trained with the heavy loads I did while I was at Fort Leavenworth; when I found out my working load was going to be about 40 pounds, I was damned glad I trained with a 60 pound working load in training. That helped me out - although I strated cramping up pretty bad near the end.

All thing said, it took a long time to actually earn Air Assault wings, a long, long while after the first time I was supposed to attend - back in 1991. What a long, strange trip it's been.

Splits
SEGMT AGGRGTE SEGMENT PERMI AVGPC DISTC
12.00 2:47:30 2:47:30 13:57 13:57 12.00

Monday, January 07, 2008

1.9mi, 14:40, 7 JAN 08, Fort Campbell KY

iThink: The All-American Rejects, "Move Along" (once again)

WX at 0800: 61.2 (16.2) DP 55.8 (13.2) BP 30.17 (1021) S 8 RH 82

Odometer 1: 80.2mi

Z4.

I am finally, after some 17 years of trying, in the Air Assault Course.

I did the Fort Campbell Air Assault Obstacle Course, and the only obstacle I no-go'ed was the swing, stand, and jump, which I didn't really practice at all. The two that I thought were going to really beat my ass didn't - the Tough One is not a problem if you can climb a rope, and the Low Belly Over (better known as The Dirty Name in most other places) was a nonissue, amazingly.

Aside from the usual scratches and bumps from any obstacle course, I was okay for the run. I finished second in the group, although admittedly, I'm in a "Senior Leader Air Assault Course" where the harassment is largely absent, thankfully.

Splits:
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
0.95 07:15 07:15 07:38 07:38 0.95
0.95 14:40 07:25 07:48 07:43 1.90

9.5mi, time indeterminate, 5 JAN 08, Nashville TN

iThink: The All-American Rejects, "Move Along"

WX at 1300: 50, DP 34, BP 30.21 (1023.1), S16G24, RH 54

Odometer 4: 362.0mi

Z3.

This was a dead hare hash. True to form for the MCH3, our dead hare hashes suck ass for markings, and this was no exception. This ended up being almost 10 miles given all the bad distance we logged. I get a little ornery when I have dead hare hashes that suck because the hares can't logic trail their markings.

In spite of it, I was still the FRB. This did not quite bode well for what was to come the next workday...

Thursday, January 03, 2008

40min on elliptical, 3 JAN 08, Clarksville TN

iThink: The All-American Rejects, "Move Along"

WX at 0700: 10.0 (-12.2) DP 5.0 (-15.0) BP 30.84 (1044) Calm RH 80

Odometer B2: 4mi estimate

Z4.

For not working on the elliptical, I seemed to be doing okay.

More encouraging was the fact that I hadn't actually lost any strength if this morning on the weights was an indicators. I was using the set I normally use in Clarksville, and actually went up in weight on almost every repetition.

All a good sign, I think. I hope.

I have this particular clip to thank for the attack of the All-American Rejects. It also was the song I beat to death as I drove from Kansas to Tennessee yesterday. Only about an 8 hour trip!

I will admit I don't see much like this coming from the fighter community. Why is it that the only really memorable clips I've seen come from Hawkeye squadrons?

Back to work today, whee...