5.1mi, 49:35, 27 SEP 08, Bagram, Afghanistan

Day 228 of the campaign. Just barely.

iThink:
Rob Zombie, "Feel So Numb"
W.G. Snuffy Walden, opening credits to My So-Called Life

WX at 2330: 68 (20) DP 24 (-4) BP 30.00 (1016) Variable 6 RH 19

Odometer 3: 185.1mi

Z2.
Average/max heart rate = 151/157

I was a bit tired, and have been weighing a few things in the back of my mind lately, but about the last thing I was expecting to hear last night after finishing my run has been the news that Household6 was in the hospital after what should have been a fairly routine procedure.

I knew it was going to be a long deployment, but there is altogether too much going on in my life right now.

Tonight was one run where I just didn't care how slow I went - and I wanted to avoid setting myself up for overtraining anyway, so I deliberately went easy. I think what I did two weeks ago, trying to do a number of perimeter runs back-to-back, had a lot to do with why I got sick. I can't afford that right now. Most of the time, slow runs bring me some degree of peace, but if there's one word that doesn't describe my state of mind, it's equanimity. Sure wish I had some right now.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:29 09:29 09:29 09:29 1.00
1.00 19:21 09:52 09:52 09:40 2.00
1.00 29:21 10:00 10:00 09:47 3.00
1.00 39:18 09:57 09:57 09:49 4.00
1.00 49:09 09:51 09:51 09:50 5.00
0.05 49:35 00:26 09:14 09:49 5.05

7.8mi, 65:33, 27 SEP 08, Bagram, Afghanistan

Day 228 of the campaign.

iThink:
John Williams, "Stored Memories"
Bear McCreary, "Storming New Caprica"

WX at 0030: 62 (17) BP 28 (-2) DP 30.00 (1016) Variable 3 RH 27

Odometer 2: 299.2mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 171/181

This is perimeter run 44.

First real PT in about a week. I was sick with a bacterial cold that was pretty bad, bad enough where I was on Augmentin, Tylenol, Motrin, and Flonase for a week. That bad.

Then I was at Qatar on temporary duty. I was by myself, so I didn't get much in the way of support, so I passed up on PT. Self-medicating some of my frustrations was preferable to physical exercise. I'm denied that in Afghanistan, so I'll drink when I get the chance. I suspect don't have a drinking problem because I don't have an opportunity to contribute to it much.

This was my last opportunity to catch up with my good friend Rico, too, and it was gloriously good to see him one last time before he goes home.

For not running in a week, I guess I'm not too unhappy about the outcome, but I have much to rebuild as I've been dilatory at best with staying in shape.

The John Williams was after watching snippets of the movie AI: Artificial Intelligence, but that's a bad movie to watch if I miss my children...and I miss my children.

I've thought about a great many things lately, but nothing I feel like writing about. Yet.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:17 08:17 08:17 08:17 1.00
1.00 16:41 08:24 08:24 08:20 2.00
1.00 24:57 08:16 08:16 08:19 3.00
1.00 33:34 08:37 08:37 08:23 4.00
1.00 41:58 08:24 08:24 08:24 5.00
1.00 50:37 08:39 08:39 08:26 6.00
1.00 59:14 08:37 08:37 08:28 7.00
0.76 05:33 06:19 08:19 08:27 7.76

7.8mi, 68:17, 13 SEP 08, Bagram, Afghanistan

Day 214 of the campaign.

iThink:
The Bats, "Courage"
New Model Army, "Bloodsports"

WX at 0030: 69 (21) DP 28 (-2) BP 29.97 (1015) S 5 RH 21

Odometer 2: 291.4mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 160/177

This is perimeter run 43.

I decided to force out a run tonight - work has been more fucking insane than I thought it was going to be, and there is some catharsis to be had in getting out of the large metal box and hitting the streets.

There's an awful lot of schadenfreude in my life lately; perhaps that's why I had New Model Army (a band not casually known for its mellow lyrics) on the mind tonight. It's an unusual mood for me to have NMA stuck in my head - usually I save those songs for truly black moods...and yet, I'm not sure why.

It is instructive to note that one of the visiting folks from our successor unit was asking rhetorically why my boss rated a PSD (personal security detachment). He was talking about how there's always some pissed-off looking Asian guy with a rifle and advanced infantry optics walking around at the low ready.

There are times that people look really uneasy; my level of basic aggression at work tends to make people uneasy - and the fact that I'm the only joker with optics on his bullet launcher compounds that. That...and the fact that last time I went to the range, and had target problems (it started moving around in the wind) I got a mite assed up...and got mostly head shots. That was downright motivational.

I need to go back out to the range and shoot man-sized targets again. It makes good catharsis.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:52 08:52 08:52 08:52 1.00
1.00 17:42 08:50 08:50 08:51 2.00
1.00 26:49 09:07 09:07 08:56 3.00
1.00 35:45 08:56 08:56 08:56 4.00
1.00 44:33 08:48 08:48 08:55 5.00
1.00 53:30 08:57 08:57 08:55 6.00
1.00 02:01 08:31 08:31 08:52 7.00
0.76 08:17 06:16 08:15 08:48 7.76

Some minor pleasures

Picking up a copy of T.H. White's The Once And Future King in the conference room of our headquarters company and realizing it had been some two decades since I really read it for detail.

And yet, it's compelling in a way that I don't associate with most of the reading I've done lately. How do you humanize one of the most enduring love triangles in literature? Read it.

My private chuckle today: At my desk at work: Oscar Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earnest." Now I feel compelled to listen to some Morrissey and wear a pink reflective belt here in the combat zone.

7.8mi, 70:12, 9 SEP 08, Bagram, Afghanistan

Still day 210 of the campaign.

iThink: Hilary Duff, "Wake Up" (yes.)

WX at 2230: 68 (20) DP 41 (5) BP 30.00 (1016) W 3 RH 37

Odometer 2: 283.6mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 158/179.

This is perimeter run 42.

I decided to do something daring, I actually ran twice in a row - something I haven't done in a while. I had a few hours to kill, so I decided to try to knock out a run while I still could. Unfortunately, I starting having acid reflux-like symptoms about a third of the way through the run and I felt like I was going to woof. I didn't, but it was awful close. I suppose I would've run faster than 70 minutes had I not stopped to almost spew, but I'm more gratified that I actually worked out two days in a row and I might actually have some fighting chance to beat the lard monster.

Today warranted a run of this nature, though. There's nothing like working on two orders, going in front of the commanding general, and then his pointing out some truly bush league mistakes. I was livid, but not at him, by any stretch. I know it's going to be a bad day when the first word I utter when I get to my desk is "fuck!" The rest of the day followed suit.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:35 08:35 08:35 08:35 1.00
1.00 17:29 08:54 08:54 08:45 2.00
1.00 26:23 08:54 08:54 08:48 3.00
1.00 35:37 09:14 09:14 08:54 4.00
1.00 44:34 08:57 08:57 08:55 5.00
1.00 53:43 09:09 09:09 08:57 6.00
1.00 63:27 09:44 09:44 09:04 7.00
0.74 70:12 06:45 09:07 09:04 7.74

7.8mi, 73:04, 9 SEP 08, Bagram, Afghanistan

Day 210 of the campaign.

iThink: Dos Gringos, "Sammy Small" and a host of other equally politically correct running cadences

WX at 0030: 62 (17) DP 41 (5) BP 30.03 (1017) Variable 1 RH 45

Odometer 3: 183.0mi

Z2-3 low.
Average/max heart rate = 147/154

This is perimeter run 41.

I was feeling a mite tired when I started, but it remains a basic fact that I've been getting a bit tubbier in the last few weeks. My eating hasn't slowed down and I don't work out that much, so the extra calories go to my gut, my chin, and my fat ass.

I didn't feel up to going very hard, and I want to experiment with a LOT of LSD to see if I can get back into trying to be able to do 15.5 (a two-lapper) on a regular basis - which I think I can.

I certainly don't intend to that overnight, though.

Now that it's cooling off some, maybe there's a possible start.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:20 09:20 09:20 09:20 1.00
1.00 18:38 09:18 09:18 09:19 2.00
1.00 28:00 09:22 09:22 09:20 3.00
1.00 37:34 09:34 09:34 09:23 4.00
1.00 46:53 09:19 09:19 09:23 5.00
1.00 56:17 09:24 09:24 09:23 6.00
1.00 65:56 09:39 09:39 09:25 7.00
0.76 73:04 07:08 09:23 09:25 7.76

7.8mi, 64:30, 7 SEP 08, Bagram, Afghanistan

Day 208 of the campaign.

iThink: R.E.M., "Driver 8"

WX at 0130: 59 (15) DP 44 (7) BP 30.00 (1016) S 3 RH 57

Odometer 2: 275.8mi

Z3 mostly, Z4 high finish.
Average/max heart rate = 155/177

This is perimeter run 40.

I was going to sleep earlier tonight, but have a pretty bad chest cold and was totally unable to sleep, so I decided to go for a run.

I should probably go to the aid station to do something about this cold, since it's starting to really get under my skin.

Still, the weather has been getting quite nice lately, so I was pleasantly gratified to get the tmie I did. I desperately need to run more often than I do. Taking four days in between workouts is not going to work! If there's any indicator, I've gained three pounds in the last two weeks...not a good sign.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:23 08:23 08:23 08:23 1.00
1.00 16:53 08:30 08:30 08:26 2.00
1.00 25:12 08:19 08:19 08:24 3.00
1.00 33:41 08:29 08:29 08:25 4.00
1.00 42:07 08:26 08:26 08:25 5.00
1.00 50:22 08:15 08:15 08:24 6.00
1.00 58:38 08:16 08:16 08:23 7.00
0.76 64:30 05:52 07:43 08:19 7.76

2.9mi, time indeterminate, 4 SEP 08, Bagram, Afghanistan

Day 205 of the campaign.

iThink: Nancy Sinatra, "You Only Live Twice"

WX at 2130: 75 (24) DP 26 (-3) BP 29.91 (1013) NNW 14 RH 16

Odometer 2: 268.0mi

Z2-3.

I was going to run this morning, but was so destroyed from lack of sleep and energy that I slept through two of my alarms. That's a bad sign.

This was probably one of the most clever hashes I've ever seen. It started with a direction that took them directly back to where the pack had come from, and then turned into a number of titty checks, followed by a detention by the MPs, that turned into an opportunity to eat jelly doughnuts, and then do pushups, and then say the Pledge of Allegiance, and some others.

Seriously, it was a great hash, which could have, in the words of the lead hare, "turned out to be one of the best trails ever, or one of the worst trails ever." I'd definitely have to say one of the best I've seen so far. This took some substantial time to plan out, and the results were well worth it.

7.8mi, 67:26, 2 SEP 08, Bagram, Afghanistan

Day 203 of the campaign.

iThink:
Rob Zombie, "Feel So Numb"
Juliana Hatfield, "Perfection"

WX at 1830: 80 (27) DP 17 (-8) BP 29.97 (1015) N 21 light blowing widespread dust RH 9

Odometer 2: 265.0mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 162/175

This is perimeter run 39.

There's nothing quite like thinking we were done with 120 days of wind, and instead running in a 21mph headwind. Normally I don't expect to get sandblasted when I run, but I was checking the weather observations prior to starting and am damned glad I wore clear glasses on this run. Windburn sucks, but it's a fact of life. I don't think I've ever seen it this dry before, though. 9% relative humidity is low even for here.

I guess it's okay that I didn't go too hard - and it's certainly different running during the day rather than at the middle of the night. I'm hoping maybe I'll actually go to sleep at a more reasonable hour than I have in the last few months.

Yeah, right.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:18 08:18 08:18 08:18 1.00
1.00 17:09 08:51 08:51 08:34 2.00
1.00 25:48 08:39 08:39 08:36 3.00
1.00 34:36 08:48 08:48 08:39 4.00
1.00 43:12 08:36 08:36 08:38 5.00
1.00 51:45 08:33 08:33 08:37 6.00
1.00 60:51 09:06 09:06 08:42 7.00
0.76 67:26 06:35 08:40 08:41 7.76