7.6mi, 72:42, 31 DEC 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Dos Gringos, "Going In For Guns"
James Horner, "Battle in the Mutara Nebula"
James Horner, "Futile Escape"
John Williams, "Adventures on Earth"
Gunther and the Sunshine Girls, "Touch Me"

WX at 1000: 33 (1) 32 (0) 29.59 (1002) SSW 9 fog RH 93 WC 24 (-4)

Odometer X: N/A (old pair of shoes, last run almost a year ago...)

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 162/174

I slept in yesterday but I needed to get out and get a run in, and I did. What I didn't count on was the streets being iced over because of a layer of sleet that landed last night. I vaguely heard it coming down but it would have been high adventure in anything not spiked, so I dusted off my shoes that have sheet metal screws in it.

I didn't concentrate on pace as much as I did relative effort. For going 7.6mi, I felt okay, but the proof will be in tomorrow's recovery run that I will need to do.

The problem in today's run was a suitable iThink. Almost no one else was out there, which was fine. I'm not sure what made me think of John Williams' "Adventures on Earth" (from his soundtrack to the film E.T.) but I hadn't thought of it in almost 25 years. Literally. I think I was in 8th grade when I first heard it on the 1983 album Out of This World, which Williams conducted with the Boston Pops Orchestra. I think the opening motif in that mirrored the sound of the sheet metal screws on wet pavement, actually.

I saw Restrepo not long ago (and now own it on disk) but this particular scene made me laugh my ass off. Hence the Gunther song. Awesome. And now I have the Song of the Day...

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:36 08:36 08:36 08:36 1.00
1.00 18:00 09:24 09:24 09:00 2.00
1.00 27:43 09:43 09:43 09:14 3.00
1.00 37:21 09:38 09:38 09:20 4.00
1.00 47:12 09:51 09:51 09:26 5.00
1.00 56:57 09:45 09:45 09:30 6.00
1.00 07:38 10:41 10:41 09:40 7.00
0.60 12:42 05:04 08:27 09:34 7.60

2.33mi + 4,000m on Concept2 Model D, 22:23 + 17:07, 29 DEC 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: "The model of a modern university" (thank you, Johns Hopkins alumni spam!)

WX at 0700: 37 (3) DP 35 (2) BP 29.77 (1008) S 12 mist RH 93

Odometer 2: 270.3mi equivalency

Z3 ingress, Z4 row/Z5 finish, Z4 egress.
Average/max heart rate = 155/172 run only

Today's iThink was a true earwig that would not dislodge. I guess if I'd really tried, I'd have dug out Dos Gringos' "Going in For Guns" or "The Legend of Shaved Dog's Ass" which are old faithfuls when I wanted to forcibly eject children's music from my mind.

I was thinking about trying to hit the gym for a session on the erg as I've been trying to get back into physical therapy in earnest. It's getting there, but I don't think I've ever had a leisurely session on the erg. Today was no exception; I was holding zone 4 in the last 1500m just to hang on, and went for my usual zone 5 effort at the finish, which inevitably creates enough lactic acid (or whatever) that I feel like I want to woof. Yay.

But not as yay as the run back. I tried really hard not to look at the clock on the runs, because I know those times suck monkey balls.

Is it bad when it's over freezing and I realize sweatpants and a sweatshirt are too much snivel gear for the temperature? Sad, sad, sad.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.17 10:51 10:51 09:16 09:16 1.17
1.21 22:23 11:32 09:32 09:24 2.38

Distance: 4000
Time: 00:17:07
Avg/500m: 02:08
Drag Factor: 115
Per Mile: 00:06:53

the next thing I want to see on the big screen

I really want to see Blue Valentine, but I'm not sure if I will want to see it for the right reasons. Probably the same reason I want to see Everyone Else, as much as I probably don't need to see that either. And so it goes.

3.35mi, 32:12, 28 DEC 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
The Bats, "Courage"
Mr. Mister, "Kyrie" (I have no idea why.)

WX at 0700: 23.0 (-5.0) 21.0 (-6.1) 30.12 (1019) WSW 6 RH 91 WC 15 (-9)

Odometer 2: 266.5mi

Z3 low.
Average/max heart rate = 159/180

Good god did this day suck. I was tired from yesterday's long run, so I decided to go for distance, not pace or speed. Whee.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:23 09:23 09:23 09:23 1.00
1.00 18:55 09:32 09:32 09:28 2.00
1.00 28:48 09:53 09:53 09:36 3.00
0.35 32:42 03:54 11:09 09:46 3.35

6.51mi, 58:58, 27 DEC 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Michael Kamen, Band of Brothers Theme No. 2

WX at 0900: 21.9 (-5.6) 19.9 (-6.7) 30.29 (1025) S 12 mist RH 91 WC 10

Odometer 2: 263.1mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 158/172

It's good to be back from vacation and the insanity that characterizes it. Today was not going to be fast, but I wanted at least six miles of wogging. I got it.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:22 08:22 08:22 08:22 1.00
1.00 17:24 09:02 09:02 08:42 2.00
1.00 26:25 09:01 09:01 08:48 3.00
1.00 35:43 09:18 09:18 08:56 4.00
1.00 45:13 09:30 09:30 09:03 5.00
1.00 54:21 09:08 09:08 09:03 6.00
0.51 58:58 04:37 09:03 09:03 6.51

The Coolest Thing Ever

This'll get you in the holiday spirit!

So wrong, but so, so, right

Caprica + Futurama = Capricarama.

5.24mi, 44:38, 24 DEC 10, Kissimmee, Florida

iThink:
The Bats, "Courage"
Above and Beyond, "A Good Day"
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 "Eroica," Scherzo-Vivace

WX at 0800: 43.0 (6.1) DP 36.0 (2.2) BP 30.17 (1021) N 8 RH 76

Odometer 3: 157.75mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = no reading.

Perhaps it is appropriate for x-moose that I had the T.C. McQueen Workout Video stuck in my head this morning.

I ended up running generally negative splits. Rock on.

Sometimes it's good to indulge a little schadenfreude. My legs hurt this morning but I was ready to go. Sometimes it's good to indulge the desire to just whip somebody's ass. Of course, if I'm really in that mood, this applies instead.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:41 08:41 08:41 08:41 1.00
1.00 17:34 08:53 08:53 08:47 2.00
1.00 25:56 08:22 08:22 08:39 3.00
1.00 34:06 08:10 08:10 08:31 4.00
1.00 42:41 08:35 08:35 08:32 5.00
0.24 44:38 01:57 08:08 08:31 5.24

4.2mi, 36:45, 22 DEC 10, Kissimmee, Florida

iThink: Dos Gringos, "Going In For Guns"

WX at 0700: 45.0 (7.2) DP 44.1 (6.7) BP 30.13 (1020) SW 6 mist RH 96

Odometer 3: (factoring in a lot of walking on Monday and Tuesday...) 152.5mi equivalency

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = no reading (this is what I get for leaving my HRM strap at home)

Yesterday was a walk through Disney's Animal Kingdom. Whee. Last time I'd been to the WDW complex of theme parks, it was 1987 and Animal Kingdom didn't exist.

I realize why my spidey-sense goes bat shit motherfucking crazy when I go to to a theme park. It's the whole fake authenticity of it all. People want to delude themselves into having a supposedly authentic experience of going on a safari, or participating in some dig or even the rampant Harry Potter fanboying that I saw the other night.

I guess I jettisoned my childhood very, very early. I don't recall gravitating on all this when I was their age. I think by that time I was already caught up on wanting to fly jets and blow shit up under official government imprimatur.

That may explain this morning's iThink. I guess it's probably preferable to "World War III," which is the other song that comes to mind when I'm around small children for a long time.

At least if I don't run, I'm getting some substantial exercise walking from place to place all day long and being the pack mule for kids who don't want to carry stuff.

Today's agenda is a trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom. I really want to try the suggestion of riding "It's A Small World" completely plowed, but alas, there are no suds in the Magic Kingdom. Booze and fairytale dreams don't mix. Except in my universe.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:28 08:28 08:28 08:28 1.00
1.00 17:21 08:53 08:53 08:41 2.00
1.00 26:21 09:00 09:00 08:47 3.00
1.00 35:02 08:41 08:41 08:45 4.00
0.20 36:45 01:43 08:35 08:45 4.20

4.14mi, 35:21, 20 DEC 10, Kissimmee, Florida

iThink:
Bear McCreary, "The Olympic Carrier"
The Smiths, "The Queen is Dead"

WX at 0600: 41.0 (5.0) DP 37.0 (2.8) BP 30.08 (1018) NW 13 RH 85

Odometer 3: 142.5mi equivalency

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

First run in almost a whole goddamn month. Unsurprisingly, today felt okay. I'm sure I'll be feeling it tomorrow, but right now, it's good to be back on the wagon.

I will be spending the entire week with my nieces and nephews, who range in degrees of hyper from reasonable to Thorazine. It may be a good thing that I got that bottle of Glenlivet before we left. I might hit it like it's going out of style when I get back to Kansas. I need to give it a more critical look, although I think I might prefer Glenfiddich instead. But I'm cheap, and don't feel like going in for more potent shit. Yet.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:02 08:02 08:02 08:02 1.00
1.00 16:37 08:35 08:35 08:18 2.00
1.00 25:35 08:58 08:58 08:32 3.00
1.00 34:09 08:34 08:34 08:32 4.00
0.14 35:21 01:12 08:34 08:32 4.14

Seconds

I thought about this film for the first time in ages. I remember the first time I heard Mark Isham's "When Things Dream" (off the 1983 Vapor Drawings album) I was reminded of Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack for this haunting film.

Stuck in my head

Bauhaus, "Stigmata Martyr."

I guess it's an improvement over The Smiths, "A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours" which was yesterday's.

The Coolest Thing Ever

An icon of my childhood lives again...and because it was made by the Tokyo Broadcasting System, it won't be intellectually prostituted the way an American movie house would fuck it up. Oh. Hell. Yeah.



Of course, I have no expectations whatsoever of actually being able to see this in the United States unless I get it as a Region 2 disk.

Skankify!

So say we all.

Orange Whip?

There's a first time for everything, but I think this is the first time that some part of my life has made it into, of all places, Wikipedia.

"The term orange whip is also used by the military in Afghanistan as a slang term to ask if someone would like to go to the mess hall to eat or is at the mess hall eating. Used in a sentence: "The CJ5 FUPLANS section is out orange-whipping."

The part it left out was my adding "TWO MINUTE STRIKEWARN" to let people know we were heading out in two minutes, but that's completely separate from the "orange whip" warning order.

Awesome.

6.42mi, 53:59, 25 NOV 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Above and Beyond feat. OceanLab, "On A Good Day"

WX at 0900: 19.9 (-6.7) DP 10.0 (-12.2) BP 30.02 (1016) NNW 12 RH 65

Odometer 3: 137.9mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 169/187

First run in a while. Today wasn't a workday and I got enough sleep to warrant a run. I don't have much else to do other than eat and entertain family.

Today was fast going downhill, slow going uphill. It was cold, but that contributed to the speed. Winter's coming. I can feel it. The OceanLab song remains a useful mantra when I'm sucking and I want to slow down. Then I take the pain and work through it.

I'm not sure if it's disillusionment or just malaise I feel this year, but I've been really feeling fucking crotchety lately. Fortunately, I have a can of Four Loko (pre-reformulation) to fix that shit in case I'm in a Home for the Holidays kind of mood.

Yes, I've seen that movie on the big screen.

No, I won't mix Four Loko with Glenfiddich, which is the special munition of choice lately, since Jeremiah Weed goes down hard and I can afford to drink for quality.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 07:58 07:58 07:58 07:58 1.00
1.00 16:18 08:20 08:20 08:09 2.00
1.00 24:32 08:14 08:14 08:11 3.00
1.00 33:19 08:47 08:47 08:20 4.00
1.00 42:13 08:54 08:54 08:27 5.00
1.00 50:49 08:36 08:36 08:28 6.00
0.42 53:59 03:10 07:32 08:25 6.42

The Coolest Thing Ever

"A guy who came to Fight Club for the first time, his ass was a wad of cookie dough. After a few weeks, he was carved out of wood."

So you want to be a historian?

Oh jesus fucking airborne christ, I laughed so goddamn hard I almost pissed myself. Yes, I am a doctoral student, in history.



Since history is a humanities discipline, I'm adding the other screed about being a humanities graduate student while I laugh my ass off.



A huge shout-out to Dr. Nick Sarantakes of the US Naval War College for these videos.

My guilty pleasure

Although I eschew stereotypes, certain ethnic stereotypes conflate people who look like me with techno music. I'll admit when I stop listening to classical, metal, hardcore, new age, and some occasional power-pop that I listen to some trance.

I get a bizarre sense of equanimity from watching this video. The fact that the lyrics are a statement of refusal to give into the demons that one faces are perhaps more apropos than they should be.

5.56mi, 50:07, 21 NOV 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Above and Beyond, "Alone Tonight"

WX at 0800: 61.0 (16.1) DP 55.0 (12.8) BP 29.78 (1008) SSW 21 RH 81

Odometer 2: 256.6mi

Z3 start, Z4-Z5 finish.
Average/max heart rate = 156/183

What started as a fairly steady state run (albeit over extremely hilly terrain) turned into a chance to get in some max VO2 work. The last major downhill had me going 7:00/mi at the downhill, so I decided to see how long I could hold the pace. I held close to that for another half mile and then hung on for just under 8:00/min in the remainder half mile. That was hard but rewarding.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:52 08:52 08:52 08:52 1.00
1.00 18:35 09:43 09:43 09:17 2.00
1.00 28:42 10:07 10:07 09:34 3.00
1.00 37:48 09:06 09:06 09:27 4.00
1.00 45:41 07:53 07:53 09:08 5.00
0.56 50:07 04:26 07:55 09:01 5.56

2.38mi + 4,000m on Concept2 Model E, 20:41 + 17:00.5, 19 NOV 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Bear McCreary, opening credits music to Caprica

WX at 0600: 39.9 (4.4) DP 32.0 (0.0) BP 29.99 (1015) S 22 RH 73

Odometer 2: 251.0mi equivalency

Z3 run, Z4 high erg.
Average/max heart rate = 158/181

For some reason I woke up earlier and easier than I thought. I don't think it was just because I decided to move up from Hamm's to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale either.

Today was productive. Yay. But chilly and breezy as shit.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.17 11:02 11:02 09:26 09:26 1.17
1.21 20:41 09:39 07:59 08:41 2.38

Distance: 4000
Time: 00:17:00
Avg/500m: 02:07
Drag Factor: 114
Per Mile: 00:06:50

3.88mi, 34:02, 18 NOV 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Bear McCreary, Theme from Dark Void (Main Finger remix)

WX at 0700: 32.0 (0.0) DP 30.9 (-0.6) BP 30.38 (1028) Calm RH 95

Odometer 2: 247.3mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 156/171

I need to run more. At least this morning went well, in spite of my temptation to sleep in.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:42 08:42 08:42 08:42 1.00
1.00 17:26 08:44 08:44 08:43 2.00
1.00 26:32 09:06 09:06 08:51 3.00
0.88 34:02 07:30 08:31 08:46 3.88

We do not fire people out of embarrassment...

As I read today:

Way back in the long ago when the Internet was new, at DISA they created a team of reservists and tasked them to find threats within the DoD "web presence". After about a week the O-5 assigned as the team lead discovered how to remotely find porn on the hard drives of the networked desk tops. He developed a smile that far surpassed any smile that could be smiled by any crocodile or even several crocodiles smiling together. Before the month was out the team project was shelved, the LTC got a Legion of Merit and was given a long tour in a capacity where he was freed from having to review the networked systems.

Awesome. Makes me wonder whether the pr0n he found was on the computers of senior leaders...just saying.

Awesome. Only Awesomer.

ONLY in response to a Defense Technical Information Center does a query for the TRADOC monograph From Active Defense to AirLand Battle get turned into From Active Defense to fairyland Battle.

I chortled. A lot.

5.0mi, 43:32, 13 NOV 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Oceanlab, "Satellite"

WX at 0900: 39 DP 34 BP 30.08 (1018.9) 13G22 RH 82

Odometer 2: 243.5mi

Z3 high.
Average/max heart rate = 159/179

Today was okay, but better after warming up. I've slept in because of being out of gas in the mornings, not for any particularly good reason. Looking forward for graduate school to wrap up since I'm also combining that with the crush of teaching in the fall.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:28 08:28 08:28 08:28 1.00
1.00 17:07 08:39 08:39 08:33 2.00
1.00 25:57 08:50 08:50 08:39 3.00
1.00 35:09 09:12 09:12 08:47 4.00
1.00 43:32 08:23 08:23 08:42 5.00

4.25mi, 37:02, 10 NOV 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Oceanlab, "Satellite"

WX at 0600: 57.9 (14.4) DP 48.9 (9.4) BP 29.81 (1009) S 21G29 RH 71

Odometer 2: 238.5mi

Z3 high.
Average/max heart rate = 157/174

Today's iThink was a consequence of the general confusion resulting from watching this before running today. Then I indulged my basic schadenfreude and thought about misadventure. It took my mind off the general friction of trying to start on a morning when I wanted to sleep in.

For as warm as it was, I was too cold at the outset (owing to the wind) and only after a mile and a half had fully warmed up where I took off the sweatshirt with which I'd started.

By mile 3 I was fully geared up so today was productive. That, and I had to compensate for the Hamm's beer and Cape Cod piss n' vinegar chips I had last night.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:31 08:31 08:31 08:31 1.00
1.00 17:11 08:40 08:40 08:35 2.00
1.00 26:07 08:56 08:56 08:42 3.00
1.00 34:55 08:48 08:48 08:44 4.00
0.25 37:02 02:07 08:28 08:43 4.25

2.4mi + 3,000m on Concept2 Model D, 21:34 + 12:37, 8 NOV 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Saxon Shore, "Amber, Ember, Glow"

WX at 0600: 51.1 (10.6) DP 34.0 (1.1) BP 29.88 (1011) SSW 14 RH 51

Odometer 2: 234.2mi equivalency

Z4/Z5.
Average/max heart rate = 167/178 run only. Average HR for row probably closer to about 170.

The road to recovery is on, I think. I didn't work out yesterday and was a little sore but not too much. Today marked the first time on the Concept in a while, and it was rough going, even as low a drag factor as I had today.

Everything was okay for the first 1500m. The remainder turned into a grit festival as my upper back, deltoids, and trapezius were all having to work unexpectedly hard after getting a month and a half of unwarranted rest time.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.19 10:30 10:30 08:49 08:49 1.19
1.19 21:34 11:04 09:18 09:04 2.38

Distance: 3000
Time: 00:12:37
Avg/500m: 02:06
Drag Factor: 100
Per Mile: 00:06:46

5.1mi, 42:51, 6 NOV 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Bear McCreary, "Capricoperatica"
Bear McCreary, "The Collapse of Saint Francis"

WX at 0900: 35.1 (1.7) DP 25.0 (-3.9) BP 30.3 (1026) S 7 RH 66

Odometer 3: 131.4mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

First premeditated workout since going to Quantico almost a month ago. Goddamn it's been a while.

Surprisingly, I didn't feel as bad as I thought I would, but running 8:30ish/mi for 5 miles was okay. The truth will be tomorrow to see how it feels.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
5.10 42:51 42:51 08:24 08:24 5.10

My lack of physical exercise continues...

But I found this address from the current Superintendent of the Naval Academy, of all places, remarkably motivating...and I'm not even a Naval Academy graduate, nor am I a member of the Sea Services. What I do find amazing is this crystalline description of what USNA exists for, what it is, and where it's going. Those are the vision statements I have come to expect from the best senior leadership, regardless of service.

In two parts. Part 1, and part 2. Enjoy.

I have to put in a plug for Commander Salamander, which is why I even knew about the speech. Yes, I RSS the US Naval Institute's blog, to which he posts. I don't see similar professional forums like that in the Army. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but USNI has been like that since I started reading its Proceedings back in the 1980s.

Some sober reflection

These words were written by another major, and they reflect an essential truth far more profound than anything I will have ever written.

If you are able, save for them a place inside of you
and save one backward glance when you are leaving
for the places they can no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say you loved them,
though you may or may not have always.
Take what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own.

And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane,
take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.

MAJ Michael Davis O'Donnell, "Remember Them"
1 January 1970, Dak To, Vietnam

4.3mi, 37:27, 15 OCT 10, Quantico, Virginia

iThink:
The Bats, "Courage"
Geoff Zanelli, Hans Zimmer & Blake Neely, "With the Old Breed"

WX at 0600: 50.0 (10.0) DP 39.9 (4.4) BP 29.79 (1008) NW 7 RH 68

Odometer 3: 126.3mi

Z3 high.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

First run in almost three weeks - not counting my PT test. I've had some weight loss from moving stuff around, but it won't last unless I do something about it.

I find it ironic that I can't get a run in unless I'm away from home, but this was worth it.

Quantico is pretty hilly, if this morning's run is any indicator. Still, it felt good to get out there - and the weather was about as good as it gets.

One highlight from this morning's run: brief stop at the USMC Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy building, where there's a small exhibit on GySgt John Basilone, who earned a Medal of Honor at Guadalcanal in 1942, and a posthumous Navy Cross at Iwo Jima in 1945. It makes sense for Basilone to be memorialized at the NCO academy, but it's been my observation that the Marine Corps has always been very good about memorializing its own.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
4.33 37:27 37:27 08:39 08:39 4.33

The joys of moving

The last two weeks have been spent in preparation for this past weekend. Although I'd prepositioned all kinds of stuff at the new house (about 5-6 minivan-loads), most of the heavy lifting was done on Saturday when we hired Two Men and A Truck to move us. Three guys came out from Blue Springs, MO, and did a bang-up job moving us.

It might have cost us just a bit over $1000 (they charge by the hour and their methods are geared towards less breakdown and more moving, which places a greater premium on actually getting things packed properly beforehand), but they were exceptionally professional and were true to their word. Every bit as professional as I would've expected of them.

That doesn't change the fact that a sizeable amount of minivan-portable stuff was still left at the old house, and I spent most of yesterday and today moving stuff.

Good part of it is that almost all of it is minivan-portable. Better part of it is that I've managed to lose some six pounds in the last week, and I don't think it's just water weight either.

Whether I keep that weight off remains to be seen. I am pretty beat and have two books to read in the next two days.

To quote some of my former coworkers from Combined/Joint Task Force 82 back in 2008...

HIGH OCTANE!!!

How to Delete Yourself From the Gene Pool

I cannot possibly think of anything that involves as much deliberate taunting of death as this video.

A. 25-mile commute in Moscow.
B. Yamaha R1 suicide rocket.
C. Gratuitous lifting of front wheel.
D. Monster death wish.
E. All of the above.

Record APFT, 289 points, 6 OCT 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Journey, "Only the Young"

WX at 0600: 48.9 (9.4) DP 44.1 (6.7) BP 30.26 (1024) SSW 7 RH 83

Odometer 3: 122.0mi

Z4 high.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

The last few weks have been hallmarked by a general lack of physical exercise. The only exercise I've traditionally done is cycling to work and back. As a result, I was pleasantly surprised at grinding out what I got this morning.

I've traditionally gotten 100 in the pushups and situps without much formal training, but I attribute that to a lot of muscle memory. The run was more problematic and I found that I didn't suck as bad as I thought I might. Of course, cycling is better than nothing. I feel vindicated for cycling my way in and out to work.

I'm still going to get taped for body fat percentage since I tapped the scales at 185 pounds. Ha ha.

I did almost as little formalized training for this one as I did for the last PT test I took in May, and the environmental conditions were not much different. Why I did better is a mystery.

My knees did hurt a bit after the run, though. Aging sucks. It also doesn't change the fact that my last deliberate workout was over a week ago. Sad, sad, sad.

Splits
Pushups: 76 in 0:58
Situps: 77 in 1:30
Two mile run: 14:52

Where do we get people like this?

1,215 American servicemembers reenlist in the al-Faw Palace, Baghdad, Iraq, July 4, 2008 - right in the middle of the Surge.

5.34mi, 47:38, 27 SEP 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Linkin Park, "Runaway"

WX at 0600: 44.1 (6.7) DP 43.0 (6.1) BP 30.06 (1017) Calm patches of fog RH 95

Odometer 2: 230.1mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 157/174

After over two weeks of no running, I couldn't pass up this morning's weather (about as good as it gets, albeit in the dark) to get in a slightly longer run.

I decided I wouldn't get too ambitious, so I left it not too hard, not too easy. Some might call this junk miles, but this is more along the lines of base-building, since I could've held this pace for a bit longer.

I also don't want to get too heavy too fast and overtrain by accident.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:46 08:46 08:46 08:46 1.00
1.00 17:52 09:06 09:06 08:56 2.00
1.00 27:17 09:25 09:25 09:06 3.00
1.00 36:00 08:43 08:43 09:00 4.00
1.00 44:42 08:42 08:42 08:56 5.00
0.34 47:38 02:56 08:38 08:55 5.34

Someday, this war's going to end

Major (Promotable) Rob Baldwin was the senior officer onboard a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that crashed in Deh Chopan district, Zabul Province, Afghanistan on Tuesday, 21 September 2010.

He and eight others were killed in the crash. (One of the others was LT Brendan Looney, who I remembered as a player for the Navy Midshipmen in the NCAA Division I lacrosse national title game in 2004.)

Rob sat one seat to my left in my small group at the School of Advanced Military Studies. He and I inprocessed Fort Campbell on the same day and worked in the same office before he was paroled to go down to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade.

It's been a few months since I've seen a familiar name in the news as a combat fatality. Although Rob and I weren't extremely close friends, he wasn't just an acquaintance either. I spent the better part of 10 months with him in the classroom and for another year afterward in the G-5 plans directorate of the 101st Airborne Division.

His death really hits me close since he left behind a wife and four kids, one of whom had briefly been in the same preschool as my younger daughter. He is the second graduate of the School of Advanced Military Studies to die in combat.

Some of my memories of Rob are maddening, some are amazingly funny, but my enduring recollection of Rob was that he absolutely would not quit, even when he faced a really unpleasant uphill task. I saw it at school, and I saw it during his and my shared time in the Screaming Eagles plans directorate.

The member of my class who sat to my right in the small group sent me an email that mentioned "That makes 27." He's a special operator who has had subordinates of his who died in combat while he was their company commander, a particular hell which I've been lucky never to have experienced. His continued tradecraft in the Close Combat Industry has a lot to do with why his dead-friend-in-combat counter is over double mine.

That said, for me, that makes 12. Someday, this war's going to end. I look forward to a day when I don't see friends on combat fatality lists anymore.

Rest in peace, Rob.

I chortle

Sesame Street Pulls Katy Perry Video From Show. Awesome.

1.7mi + 3,000m on Concept2 Model D, 15:36 + 12:39.7, 23 SEP 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Motley Crue, "Kickstart My Heart"

WX at 0600: 73.9 (23.3) DP 66.0 (18.9) BP 29.87 (1011) S 18 RH 76

Odometer 3: 119.9mi equivalency

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

I must be getting stronger. I ws expending what I thought was about normal effort on the erg this morning but was going faster than I would've expected - at times about 2:06/500m, at the slowest about 2:09/500m. Promising.

Of course, I've had a few rest days in between. That's not so promising.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
0.85 08:05 08:05 09:31 09:31 0.85
0.85 15:36 07:31 08:51 09:11 1.70

Distance: 3000
Time: 00:12:40
Avg/500m: 02:07
Drag Factor: 106
Per Mile: 00:06:48

1.7mi + 2,000m on Concept2 Model D, 14:58 + 8:03, 21 SEP 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: The Bats, "Courage"

WX at 0600: 69.1 (20.6) DP 64.0 (17.8) BP 29.87 (1011) S 9 RH 84

Odometer 2: 224.6mi equivalency

Z3 run, Z4 row.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

First day working out in over a week. Between graduate school and packing out to move, it's been busy.

Today was a surprisingly fast day on the crank. It was a productive session.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
0.85 07:38 07:38 08:59 08:59 0.85
0.85 14:58 07:20 08:38 08:48 1.70

Distance: 2000
Time: 00:08:03
Avg/500m: 02:01
Drag Factor: 109
Per Mile: 00:06:29

The Coolest Thing Ever

Must be read to be understood.




PARRRRRRRRP!

The Coolest Thing Ever

Counterfactuals are a great element of military history, not the least of which is that to write counterfactuals that don't suck ass, you really have to understand the causation behind what's going on.

So, time to pay homage to contingency and the TIE Fighter Pilot Who Saved the Rebellion's Ass.

In the meantime, read also the Case for the Empire and why it was just trying to keep the trains running.

Remember Lord Acton's truism: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." What Acton left out was the corollary "but it's a hell of a lot of fun."

2.9mi + 6,000m on Concept2 Model E, 25:35.3, 12 SEP 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: The Bats, "Courage"

WX at 0900: 64.4 (18.0) DP 57.2 (14.0) BP 30.16 (1021) SSW 10 RH 77

Odometer 3: 115.5 + 1.8 equivalency = 117.3mi equivalency

Z3 run, Z4 row.
Average/max heart rate = 151/191 run only

I woke up later than I intended, so instead of going for a run, I ended up going for a run + row. The run part was slow, as could be expected. The row part was surprisingly faster than I expected, but it's also been a while and I'm sure I'll feel it later on. The return run was slow as always after a session on the erg.

At least the weather was pleasant. Coming to the fall, and especially after getting the remnants of Tropical Storm Earl roll through us two nights ago, the weather was pleasant. Whee.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.47 12:56 12:56 08:48 08:48 1.47 out
1.47 26:50 13:54 09:27 09:08 2.94 back

Distance: 6000
Time: 00:25:35
Avg/500m: 02:08
Drag Factor: 106
Per Mile: 00:06:52

4.56mi, 45:42, 10 SEP 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: The Strawbs, "Lay Me Down"

WX at 0600: 64.9 (18.3) DP 64.9 (18.3) BP 29.79 (1008) E 12 light drizzle; mist RH 100

Odometer 2: 221.6mi

Z2.
Average/max heart rate = 142/157

I met up with an old classmate from the School of Advanced Military Heresy yesterday, and over beer, had a lengthy catchup session.

I needed to work off my sins from last night, so I ran in my somewhat hung-over stupor. That would explain the slow wogging since I was still sweating the toxins out...

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 10:05 10:05 10:05 10:05 1.00
1.00 20:40 10:35 10:35 10:20 2.00
1.00 30:50 10:10 10:10 10:17 3.00
1.00 40:17 09:27 09:27 10:04 4.00
0.56 45:42 05:25 09:40 10:01 4.56

3.1mi + 2,000m on Concept2 Model C, 26:12+8:41, 8 SEP 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Michael Kamen, Band of Brothers Suite No. 2

WX at 0600: 64.0 (17.8) DP 53.1 (11.7) BP 30.15 (1020) ESE 5 RH 67

Odometer 2: 217.0mi equivalency

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = no reading.

The weather was pleasant but I realized I hadn't done any physical therapy in a while and I needed to get back at it. One of the ways I do that is by rowing shorter distances, so a short row of 2km usually does it.

Both of the machines were in use this morning, but the Concept2 Model C that I've been using on and off the last few years has really seen better days. I still got my brief session on the erg in.

Graduate school is starting to suck up the time I normally would devote to exercise, so now I need to be more judicious about time management. I can't get back into the death rhythm I was in last spring. At least I'm reading about shit I actually care about this semester, which is a hell of a lot more than I could say about this past spring.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.55 12:57 12:57 08:35 08:21 1.55
1.55 26:12 13:15 08:33 08:27 3.10

Distance: 2000
Time: 00:08:41
Avg/500m: 02:10
Drag Factor: 108
Per Mile: 00:06:59

A memory of my childhood

I saw this screed about real programmers posted in the main computer lab at Hampden-Sydney College in the summer of 1984.

This dates from when I still aspired to be a computer scientist, long before I realized my talents were far more to the liberal arts. I don't think as a kid I ever would've imagined myself pursuing an advanced degree in history, of all things.

I laughed so hard, I cried.

I am schadenfreude incarnate, and I laughed my ass off.

4.26mi, 36:23, 3 SEP 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Bruce Springsteen, "The River"

WX at 0700: 55.9 (13.3) DP 53.1 (11.7) BP 30.14 (1020) NW 7 RH 90

Odometer 3: 112.5mi

Z3 mid-high.
Average/max heart rate = 158/173

What a great day for a run. Best weather in a long, long while. Based on the forecast, I couldn't pass today up for a run even though I needed to walk our dog and let her out.

It still doesn't change the fact that I ran negative splits at the end, and it was good.

Off to the salt mines. Or the classroom. Or both.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:37 08:37 08:37 08:37 1.00
1.00 17:12 08:35 08:35 08:36 2.00
1.00 26:02 08:50 08:50 08:41 3.00
1.00 34:16 08:14 08:14 08:34 4.00
0.26 36:23 02:07 08:08 08:32 4.26

1.7mi + 2,000m on Concept2 Model D, 15:32 + 8:08, 31 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: David Bowie, "Life on Mars"

WX at 0600: 80.1 (26.7) DP 73.0 (22.8) BP 29.94 (1013) S 16 RH 79

Odometer 3: 108.2mi equivalency.

Z3 run, Z4 high erg.
Average/max heart rate = no reading.

Not enough sleep, but I forced myself to get out there. The run back really was unpleasant, but I'm starting to crank faster, which is a promising sign. I guess.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
0.85 07:54 07:54 09:18 09:18 0.85
0.85 15:32 15:32 18:16 09:08 1.70

Distance: 2000
Time: 00:08:08
Avg/500m: 02:02
Drag Factor: 109
Per Mile: 00:06:32

6.35mi, 53:19, 28 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Daft Punk, "Fragile" (allegedly from the upcoming Tron: Legacy soundtrack, although this may be apocryphal)

WX at 0800: 68.0 (20.0) DP 57.0 (13.9) BP 30.01 (1016) S 10 RH 67

Odometer 3: 105.2mi

Z3 high-Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 156/186

The weather was good and I needed to get out there. What I didn't count on was a road race being run on the same day, so I ran through a giant water sprinkler, which helped some. Weather was about as good as it gets for this time of the year, although that's probably a good explanation for why today was consistently faster. My ideal running weather is about another 20F cooler.

I also have to chalk up a little schadenfreude to this morning's run. When I'm competing (and when I run alongside racers, I'm competing) I was drawing more energy from burning people going uphill. It wasn't fast, but that little mental energy boost I would get from passing people going uphill was no joke, especially when passing 10-15 or so runners.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:11 08:11 08:11 08:11 1.00
1.00 16:35 08:24 08:24 08:17 2.00
1.00 24:57 08:22 08:22 08:19 3.00
1.00 33:38 08:41 08:41 08:24 4.00
1.00 42:01 08:23 08:23 08:24 5.00
1.00 50:34 08:33 08:33 08:26 6.00
0.35 53:19 02:45 07:51 08:24 6.35

Some Light Viewing

I've been watching By Dawn's Early Light, the longboxes of which I've seen from time to time in some Wal-Marts but had always passed by. I guess I need to go looking again now.

I never thought about it, in spite of its considerable cast list, until I saw a reference to it from a British animated film about nuclear war called When The Wind Blows. I have occasional discussions about nuclear strategy and deterrence with one of my coworkers. I grew up in the Cold War, so the thought of nuclear war was always a possibility.

Two comments on By Dawn's Early Light:
1. Rebecca DeMornay isn't just a random hot actress and does a credible role in this film.
2. I'm singularly unforgiving of a lot of films that portray the military. I may not be completely qualified to comment on this since I'm not an Air Force officer and have no immediate experience in nuclear weapons, but this movie feels generally authentic to me. Whoever made this movie had done their homework to a degree I don't normally associate with Hollywood (although this is a HBO Original Film and never went to the big screen.) Then again, I could be wrong.

Granted, the last film about nuclear war that I saw was Threads, which absolutely unsettled the living shit out of me. This is almost as depressing in some ways, but brings up thoughts of professional ethics and morality in a context I normally don't bring up in coffee table discussion. Then again, not much of what I discuss is coffee table discussion anymore.

2.97mi + 2,000m on Concept2 Model E, 26:52+8:24.0, 26 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
AC/DC, "Thunderstruck"
Bruce Springsteen, "The River"

WX at 0600: 61.0 (16.1) DP 60.1 (15.6) BP 30.22 (1023) Calm RH 96

Odometer 2: 212.4mi equivalency

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 151/171
No formal reading during erg, but leveled off at about 171-173 bpm.

I almost slept in, but realized I can't afford to take more than two days off. I think it's two days. At least the weather was about as good as it gets.

As usual, any run before, erg during, run after guarantees a ridiculously slow run back. This is one of the few times I had my HRM on so that I could make a reasonable argument that I wasn't just sandbagging it on the way back, seeing as how my average HR was at least 10 bpm higher than it was before. Yay.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.51 13:16 13:16 08:47 08:47 1.51 out
1.46 26:52 13:36 09:19 09:03 2.97 back

Distance: 2000
Time: 00:08:24
Avg/500m: 02:06
Drag Factor: 103
Per Mile: 00:06:46

1.6mi, 14:20, 24 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Randy Edelman, snippets of the soundtrack to Gettysburg

WX at 0600: 71.1 (21.7) 69.1 (20.6) 30.09 (1018) N 8 RH 93

Odometer 3: 98.8mi

Z2.
Average/max heart rate = 142/163

I woke up much too late to get anything in beyond a desultory run (especially after having to take a pit stop), but I was up late since graduate school has geared up again and I'm grinding my way through readings I need to get out of the way. I also woke up with killer leg cramps in my right calf which were distinctly un-fun.

No Splits.

6.36mi, 58:57, 22 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Senses Fail, "Garden State"
Hilary Duff, "Wake Up"

WX at 0800: 75.9 (24.4) DP 75.9 (24.4) BP 30.08 (1018) Calm mist RH 100

Odometer 2: 208.7mi

Z2.
Average/max heart rate = 151/166

Intent was for some light wogging, and it was, albeit over a long distance. It's been a while since I've done LSD and on a morning where I wasn't really charged up about going out for a run, it was the most reasonable way to get one in.

I needed to burn lard after two days of doing nothing but eating (although I got in a few bike commutes on Friday). There are also extenuating factors that led me to reintroduce myself to my old pal Jeremiah Weed from time to time.

Problem is that the circumstances that lead me to catharsis drinking are not really fixable of my own volition alone and are unavoidable in my current life.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:23 09:23 09:23 09:23 1.00
1.00 18:25 09:02 09:02 09:13 2.00
1.00 27:31 09:06 09:06 09:10 3.00
1.00 36:43 09:12 09:12 09:11 4.00
1.00 45:52 09:09 09:09 09:10 5.00
1.00 55:18 09:26 09:26 09:13 6.00
0.36 58:57 03:39 10:08 09:16 6.36

5.32mi, 48:56, 19 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
David Bowie, "Life on Mars"
New Model Army, "Heroes"

WX at 0600: 68.0 (20.0) DP 64.9 (18.3) BP 29.92 (1013) SSE 3 mist RH 89

Odometer 3: 97.2mi

Z3 low.
Average/max heart rate = 153/170

Finally, I woke up early enough and didn't get sidetracked in something else and I got in a deliberate, if not leisurely (which I generally don't get during the work week) run. Leisurely runs become very, very short. It's been a while since I've done something that felt like LSD, though. Long slow distance is a rarity for me lately.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:06 09:06 09:06 09:06 1.00
1.00 18:25 09:19 09:19 09:13 2.00
1.00 27:35 09:10 09:10 09:12 3.00
1.00 36:55 09:20 09:20 09:14 4.00
1.00 45:56 09:01 09:01 09:11 5.00
0.32 48:56 03:00 09:22 09:12 5.32

4.5mi, 37:53, 18 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Death Cab for Cutie, "Marching Band of Manhattan"
Death Cab for Cutie, "Soul Meets Body"
background music to the flash games Solipskier (metal) and Canabalt (techno)

WX at 0700: 70.0 (21.1) DP 66.0 (18.9) BP 30.03 (1016) E 5 RH 87

Odometer 3: 91.9mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 154/181

Hard run because of late start. Will have to figure out what to do with dog at night because I don't want a canine sleeping partner. I'd much rather have a human one.

The splits belie the level of effort, or so I'd like to think. Either that, or maybe I'm just that out of shape.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:07 08:07 08:07 08:07 1.00
1.00 16:40 08:33 08:33 08:20 2.00
1.00 25:16 08:36 08:36 08:25 3.00
1.00 33:48 08:32 08:32 08:27 4.00
0.49 37:53 04:05 08:20 08:26 4.49

3.34mi, 30:45, 16 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: David Bowie, "Life on Mars"

WX at 0600: 66.9 (19.4) DP 63.0 (17.2) BP 30.15 (1020) NNE 3 RH 87

Odometer 2: 202.3mi

Z3 high.
Average/max heart rate = 154/174

I was thinking about cranking away on the Concept this morning, but after stepping outside, I knew today was going to be a running day.

The Concept can wait until tomorrow. The limiting factor, predictably, is time.

There were quite a few people out today, probably with the same idea I had - run while the weather has let up somewhat. Befitting the weather, today's run was faster than usual lately.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:44 08:44 08:44 08:44 1.00
1.00 17:34 08:50 08:50 08:47 2.00
1.00 26:06 08:32 08:32 08:42 3.00
0.54 30:45 04:39 08:37 08:41 3.54

Warning: offensive in almost every way imaginable

Over the last decade or so I've been a faithful reader of Private Murphy's Law. Seeing as how it's been a while, Tim Murphy isn't a private anymore - indeed, he's a staff sergeant, which is probably consistent with some of the things depicted in the comic.

There are PML T-shirts, done by a rather unsubtle company called RangerUp. Although I have philosophical differences with some of their shirts, I admit they are well done.

They also feature a clever (and grossly offensive, even by my standards) spoof of the PowerThirst spoof, this one instead about (you guessed it) Ranger School.

I may be on unsteady ground here, as I am not a graduate of the Ranger Course, but even I got a huge laugh out of quite possibly the most offensive short video I've seen in a long, long while.

An Attractive Nuisance

I realize that Flash games are the bane of my existence, especially when they come with guilty pleasures like the metal soundtrack of Solipskier - a clever name if I ever heard one.

5.9mi, 50:53, 15 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 "Eroica," Scherzo-Vivace
David Bowie, "Life on Mars"

WX at 0900: 73.9 (23.3) DP 62.1 (16.7) BP 30.09 (1018) N 9 RH 66

Odometer 2: 198.9mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 163/184

I was out for my first run and the oppressive heat wave that's been hitting Kansas the last few days has finally abated. Sort of. It was cool enough and dry enough where today wasn't a killer, and I felt surprisingly froggy, although much of that could be attributed to the four days off I had. Duty on a mid-week added with getting my spine shot full of cortisone really put a damper on doing shit.

There may be hope for the future, although it needs to back off some so I can run more comfortably. For that, there's autumn, my favorite time of the year, and perhaps why I enjoyed running cross-country so much more than I did track.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:16 08:16 08:16 08:16 1.00
1.00 16:50 08:34 08:34 08:25 2.00
1.00 25:34 08:44 08:44 08:31 3.00
1.00 34:23 08:49 08:49 08:36 4.00
1.00 43:03 08:40 08:40 08:37 5.00
0.90 50:53 07:50 08:42 08:37 5.90

The Pentagon's Mad Men

Only at the US Naval Institute do I find something that mixes the only currently running TV show I watch with my chosen profession in a thought-provoking rundown of why the Department of Defense sucks ass at Strategic Communication.

Hell yeah.

8,000m on Concept2 Model E, 35:40.1, 11 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Hilary Duff, "Wake Up"

WX at 0500: 80.1 (26.7) DP 71.1 (21.7) BP 29.87 (1011) S 7 RH 74

Odometer 3: 87.4mi equivalency

Z3/Z4.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

I was the duty officer at Fort Leavenworth last night, something which virtually guarantees almost no sleep because I stay up late finishing up and have to wake up early to get ready for the next duty day. I was feeling pretty destroyed, but still got in 8,000m on the Concept2 nearby. I'm starting to get back into the groove as I was averaging much faster than I had last week, always an encouraging sign.

I also didn't do anything yesterday, but it was so oppressively hot that I didn't feel like doing much other than just sweating my ass off.

Splits
Distance: 8000
Time: 00:35:01
Avg/500m: 02:11
Drag Factor: 101
Per Mile: 00:07:03

The Coolest Thing Ever

World War II on Facebook.

Courtesy of Blog Them out of the Stone Age, a clever blog written by Ohio State history professor Mark Grimsley, currently the visiting professor of history at the Army War College.

2.3mi, 20:02, 8 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Lush, "Hypocrite"

WX at 0600: 81.0 (27.2) 73.0 (22.8) 29.84 (1010) S 9 RH 76

Odometer 3: 84.9mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 144/168

Woke up later than I needed to get in a substantial run, but didn't want today to turn into a day of Do Nothing But Eat, especially with a National Weather Service forecast that predicts the following:

Today: Sunny and hot, with a high near 101. Heat index values as high as 116. South southwest wind between 11 and 14 mph.

It wasn't very fast, and it wasn't very long, but it was more than nothing.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:44 08:44 08:44 08:44 1.00
1.00 17:15 08:31 08:31 08:37 2.00
0.30 20:02 02:47 09:17 08:43 2.30

1.7mi + 8,000m on Concept2 Model E, 36:40, 7 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
David Bowie, "Life on Mars"
Ministry, "Thieves" (from In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up)

WX at 1100: 90.0 (32.2) DP 75.0 (23.9) BP 29.86 (1011) SSW 15 RH 61 HI 100.2 (37.9)

Odometer 2: 193.0mi equivalency

Z3 high.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

Today was hot. I misjudged when my wife and kids were going to church and waited until after they left, not realizing that I should've rolled out at 7:50 just in time to get to the gym, get my punishment in, and get back before they left. Oh well.

The HVAC at the gym was out, so I erged at outside temperature. Heat index 100.2F was awesome, awesome, awesome.

I decided to go for a more moderate pace, and only cranked at about 2:20/500m, which was a judicious choice for how goddamn hot it actually was today.

The return run was fun too, as I revisited how much a run after erging sucks. It's still necessary.

I'm not sure where the Ministry flashback (no pun intended) came from.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
0.85 08:01 08:01 09:26 09:26 0.85
0.85 16:32 16:32 19:27 09:44 1.70

Distance: 8000
Time: 00:36:40
Avg/500m: 02:17
Drag Factor: 105
Per Mile: 00:07:23

1.9mi + 5,000m on Concept2 Model E, 21:58, 5 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Lush, "Hypocrite"
Lush, "Lovelife"

WX at 0700: 72.0 (22.2) DP 71.1 (21.7) BP 29.98 (1015) N 3 fog RH 96

Odometer 2: 188.8mi equivalency

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

The gym nearer my house has a battery of five Concept2 Model E ergs, so I decided to get back at it figuring I didn't need to do two runs over 4mi back to back yet. (Oh how the mighty have fallen.)

Run + erg + run was always challenging since rowing just destroyed me for the run back. It would take at least a 1km recovery before I even felt okay running again, and today was no exception.

The other reason I felt more motivated to row this morning is that it directly feeds my physical therapy that I've been doing to strengthen my back given that I have a compressed spine. Yay me.

I'm pretty sure I'm not ready to do much beyond 5,000m right now. If I'm working hard just to hold 2:12/500m I have some work to do.

This morning's iThink stems from ripping parts of the Lush album Split, a disk I bought less than a month after graduating from college. I remember this peculiarly since I was driving around Fort Bragg in summer 1994 listening to that album...and the Circle Jerks' "Gig." The other album I was ripping was my old Minor Threat Discography, in some vain attempt to rediscover my childhood, or at least my teenage years. Minor Threat might be a bit precocious even for my girls, even if I wish I had the discipline to be straight edge again. I took that iconoclasm in other directions.

Splits
Distance: 5000
Time: 00:21:58
Avg/500m: 02:12
Drag Factor: 106
Per Mile: 00:07:04

4.76mi, 42:16, 4 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: James Horner, "Battle in the Mutara Nebula"

WX at 0700: 75.9 (24.4) DP 73.0 (22.8) BP 29.96 (1014) NNW 8 RH 90

Odometer 3: 82.6mi

Z3-4.
Average/max heart rate = 160/179

I almost slept in, but realized I'd taken a rest day yesterday and needed to get out there. Today rewarded me with a run that felt more efficient than usual, even though none of the usual indicators that preceded it (good sleep, good hydration) were present.

OTOH, maybe it was not drinking so much that helped.

I have no idea where this morning's iThink came from.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:54 08:54 08:54 08:54 1.00
1.00 17:42 08:48 08:48 08:51 2.00
1.00 26:38 08:56 08:56 08:53 3.00
1.00 35:36 08:58 08:58 08:54 4.00
0.76 42:16 06:40 08:46 08:53 4.76

The Coolest Thing Ever

I so fucking laughed my ass off uncontrollably. These movies are a textbook example of why you can never have too much dakka.

There's also a reason why the cheat code for two pistols in Rise of the Triad was "johnwoo".

I'm not sure which is my favorite but I think it's a tossup between A Better Tomorrow II (76) and Shoot'Em Up (95) for sheer bodycount. I can't say no to Nikki Sixx's background song and I definitely can't say no to Monica Bellucci. Just saying.

3.5mi, 30:57, 2 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Patsy Cline, "Never No More"
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 "Eroica," Scherzo-Vivace

WX at 0600: 75.9 (24.4) DP 70.0 (21.1) BP 29.89 (1012) S 10 RH 81

Odometer 2: 184.5mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 156/171

This morning's iThink is a direct consequence of watching my favorite episode of Space: Above and Beyond yesterday (in the interests of disclosure, "The Angriest Angel") as I was screwing around with VLC player.

Being in my usual bright, shiny, ultra-Hobbesian self, I was thinking briefly about what I call the T.C. McQueen workout video, which also features a nice bit of character introspection.

I didn't want to run, but needed to this morning. Today's going to be crazy hot.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:55 08:55 08:55 08:55 1.00
1.00 17:48 08:53 08:53 08:54 2.00
1.00 26:31 08:43 08:43 08:50 3.00
0.50 30:57 04:26 08:52 08:51 3.50

5,000m on Concept2 Model E, 22:44, 31 JUL 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: none

WX at 1600: 89.1 (31.7) DP 71.1 (21.7) BP 29.91 (1012) N 8 RH 56

Odometer 2: 181.0mi equivalency

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

Good god did today suck monkey ass.

I set the Concept for 10,000 meters in some vain thought that I actually had 10,000m of effort in me. Not a chance. I was dying after only cranking out 2,000. I should be happy initially that I was grinding out 2:05/500m at the beginning but the bottom totally fell out of that one after the first few minutes. The remainder of it was done about 1km at a time, with breaks to gasp ineffectually as I realized just how bad I had let myself slide by not rowing the last few months.

Then I did some lifting with physical therapy in mind. Yay me. I suck.

This is the most embarrassingly slow erg I've done in a long, long while. I suspect having the remnants of lunch as I cranked away on the C2 probably didn't help either. That's just one exercise I really need to do on an empty stomach.

Maybe I should shift away from running as erging also addresses some of my physical therapy requirements.

Splits
Distance: 5000
Time: 00:22:44
Avg/500m: 02:16
Drag Factor: 106
Per Mile: 00:07:19

3.17mi, 29:19, 29 JUL 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
EastEnders theme song (note alternative lyrics below)
The Johns Hopkins Band, "To Win"
The Johns Hopkins Band, "Johnny Hopkins On To Victory"

WX at : 75.9 (24.4) DP 73.9 (23.3) BP 30.11 (1019) NE 7 RH 93

Odometer 3: 77.8mi

Z2.
Average/max heart rate = 154/172

My legs were beat from yesterday's long run combined with cycling back and forth, which marked a sweatathon I haven't experienced since being in Qatar. Easy wogging on the track as a result. I wasn't even going that hard.

Today's iThink might have something to do with the EastEnders (a British TV show I've never seen) theme song being stuck in my head "Everyone is going to die/We're all gonna die/In a variety of different ways"

I don't know why it stuck, but I'd seen some stuff on nuclear attack when I chanced across this exceedingly campy uploaded video that features the EastEnders theme, followed by getting whacked, mushroom-cloud style. That's what stuck.

I have no idea why any of the iThinks stuck today.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:04 09:04 09:04 09:04 1.00
1.00 18:22 09:18 09:18 09:11 2.00
1.00 27:41 09:19 09:19 09:14 3.00
0.17 29:19 01:38 09:36 09:15 3.17

My vengeful heart

Looking darkly upon Hector,
Swift-footed Achilles answered,
“I cannot forgive you,
As there are no trustworthy oaths between men and lions,
There can be no love between you and me.
One or the other must fall before then to glut with his blood
Ares, the god who fights under the shield’s guard.
Remember every valor of yours,
For now the need comes hardest upon you
To be a spearman and a bold warrior.
There shall be no escape for you.
You will pay in a lump
For all the sorrows of my companions you killed
In your spear’s fury."

Homer, The Iliad, book XXIII

This is probably Bad for the Soul but I don't fucking care. The last sentence really sticks in my mind for some reason, but I've always been really, really slow to forgive. Ever.

revision: Yes, this is the Space: Above and Beyond rendition. I bought a copy of the Iliad afterwards.

5.9mi, 52:30, 28 JUL 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Dos Gringos, "Going in for Guns"

WX at 0700: 75.0 (23.9) DP 73.9 (23.3) BP 30.03 (1016) SSW 3 RH 96

Odometer 2: 207.1mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 158/181

Today wasn't intended to be a hard run, but I knew I was going a bit longer since I had a rest day. I figured I'd be good for about 6, and that was the case, albeit quite a bit faster than I expected.

This wouldn't have been a particularly auspicious day for that since it was a little warmer than I like, but for whatever reason, I could hold about 8:30/mi at the start, so I did, with the usual variations.

Either that, or acclimatization has finally occurred, just in time for the end of the summer. Awesome.

Today's iThink was a commander's override. My kids, in their usual, sugary Disney Channel fare, have been hearing a lot of Selena Gomez's "Round and Round," which means I've been hearing a lot of that. This is, I suspect, part of Disney's TV division's attempts to play up their stars and revenues before they grow some legitimate T&A and are too old for that channel and find horizons elsewhere (e.g., Hilary Duff.) There was no motherfucking way I was going tolerate a Disney Channel song in the back of my head this morning, so I forced one of my favorite Dos Gringos running mantras and went.

And the world was a little righter this morning.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:35 08:35 08:35 08:35 1.00
1.00 17:17 08:42 08:42 08:39 2.00
1.00 26:10 08:53 08:53 08:43 3.00
1.00 35:25 09:15 09:15 08:51 4.00
1.00 44:28 09:03 09:03 08:54 5.00
0.90 52:30 08:02 08:56 08:54 5.90

So, so, true

Yes, I read XKCD also.

Crowning Moment of Awesome

I so fucking laughed my ass off.

3.6mi, 32:55, 26 JUL 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Michael Kamen, "Band of Brothers Suite 2"

WX at 0700: 75.0 (23.9) DP 73.0 (22.8) BP 30.08 (1018) SE 6 RH 93

Odometer 3: 74.6mi

Z2.
Average/max heart rate = 150/166

I woke up later than I should've, but wanted to sleep in while the opportunity permitted. Then I decided to get in a recovery run, which today most certainly was.

Continuing to march...

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:56 08:56 08:56 08:56 1.00
1.00 18:02 09:06 09:06 09:01 2.00
1.00 27:28 09:26 09:26 09:09 3.00
0.62 32:55 05:27 08:47 09:06 3.62

5.1mi, 44:59, 25 JUL 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Metallica, "Master of Puppets"

WX at 0800: 73.0 (22.8) DP 72.0 (22.2) BP 30.11 (1019) Calm RH 96

Odometer 2: 201.2mi

Z3, Z4 uphills.
Average/max heart rate = 159/177

First run in a few days. I took a few days off because of sleep reasons, and I've had solid REM sleep the last few days, which might be an indicator of being just Tired As Shit. Yesterday was a day off for family reasons, the two days prior were days off because "I'm too tired to get at it."

Today was surprisingly faster than usual, but the temperature was low, the sky was overcast, and I had a few days of rest. I was going to say quick, but it'll be a cold day in hell when I say 8:18/mi is quick. Of course, my days of running 19-minute 5km races were two decades ago.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:18 08:18 08:18 08:18 1.00
1.00 16:56 08:38 08:38 08:28 2.00
1.00 25:54 08:58 08:58 08:38 3.00
1.00 35:00 09:06 09:06 08:45 4.00
1.13 44:59 09:59 08:50 08:46 5.13

4.1mi, 35:41, 22 JUL 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: The Bats, "Courage"

WX at 0700: 78.1 (25.6) DP 73.0 (22.8) BP 29.95 (1014) SSW 12 RH 84

Odometer 2: 196.1mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 160/180

I didn't start intending on going out hard, but there were enough people on the roads today where I felt stupidly compelled to make it a Dick Comparison Contest. That, and the scenery normally absent in the mornings was present, so I went at a solid Zone 4 for the last two miles of the run. It doesn't change the fact that I was sucking monkey balls through a straw for most of the run, but it is gratifying to know that I'm still getting faster, which means progress on the road to recovery...

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:20 08:20 08:20 08:20 1.00
1.00 17:09 08:49 08:49 08:34 2.00
1.00 26:15 09:06 09:06 08:45 3.00
1.10 35:41 09:26 08:35 08:42 4.10

Songs of my childhood

I'm not really straight edge anymore, but I remember when I once was...
and I remember how much Minor Threat fucking rocked.

4.16mi, 36:38, 20 JUL 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Hans Zimmer, Geoff Zanelli, Blake Neely, "Honor"
The Strawbs, "Lay Me Down"

WX at 0700: 75.0 (23.9) DP 68.0 (20.0) BP 29.93 (1013) ENE 12 RH 79

Odometer 2: 192.9mi

Z3 high/Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 152/171

A surprisingly pleasant run for as insanely hot as it's been the last few days. The heat index in Leavenworth hit somewhere around 113 yesterday. Surprisingly, this morning was not bad at all, which I attribute to an incoming cold front and maybe some rain.

After the last few weeks, I was going faster than I thought I would - so once I was warmed up, this was a pretty good shakeout run to see what I could do at a reasonable level of effort.

Of course, I should probably check that against the Chartreuse yellow I had last night. I'll probably kill that off sooner than later since it doesn't really compare to Chartreuse green, as jwer advised me.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:17 08:17 08:17 08:17 1.00
1.00 17:01 08:44 08:44 08:30 2.00
1.00 26:29 09:28 09:28 08:50 3.00
1.00 35:13 08:44 08:44 08:48 4.00
0.18 36:38 01:25 07:52 08:46 4.18

8.0mi, 74:24, 16 JUL 10, Cary, North Carolina

iThink: The Strawbs, "Lay Me Down"

WX at 0900: 81.0 (27.2) DP 68.0 (20.0) BP 30.09 (1018) NNE 3 RH 64

Odometer 3: 71.0mi

Z3 high.
Average/max heart rate = 155/173

First run away from the coast and the lowered humidity was blissful. I got a later start but I wanted to make sure I was fully hydrated before taking on eight miles. Somewhere around 40 minutes I was fully warmed up and running what I think was about half marathon pace, even going uphill.

It's been a while since I've had a long run that was as therapeutic as this one. It felt pretty damn good, until I started playing chicken on my egress from the American Tobacco Trail, which doing so, as a rule, has always basically sucked monkey balls.

The Strawbs iThink was dead on for this morning, not only for pacing but also for thematics. I don't mind travel, but it's come to return to home station. My Incipient Case of the Ass has flared up a lot lately. Leading indicators normally include the incidence of the phrases of "motherfucker" or "jesus titty fucking christ" used as expletives, which has increased a lot recently. Nothing new, of course.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:12 09:12 09:12 09:12 1.00
1.00 18:20 09:08 09:08 09:10 2.00
1.00 27:40 09:20 09:20 09:13 3.00
1.00 37:07 09:27 09:27 09:17 4.00
1.00 46:14 09:07 09:07 09:15 5.00
1.00 55:15 09:01 09:01 09:12 6.00
1.00 04:59 09:44 09:44 09:17 7.00
1.01 14:24 09:25 09:19 09:17 8.01

3.8mi, 36:37, 14 JUL 10, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

iThink:
The Bats, "Courage"
Metallica, "Master of Puppets"
David Bowie, "Life on Mars"

WX at 0800: 84.0 (28.9) DP 79.0 (26.1) BP 29.99 (1015) SW 10 RH 84

Odometer 3: 60.6.mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 148/160

The heart rate is deceptively low for the amount of work I felt like I was doing, although it accurately reflects speed. There are two possible explanations for this. One could be that my legs are tired, which might be the case since I've done more sustained running the past three weeks than I have in a long, long while.

Another reason might be running on sidewalks and grass rather than pavement. I can feel some of that since my legs are tired in ways they usually aren't, which implies I'm using stabilizer muscles I don't normally use at Fort Leavenworth or on pavement.

Another could just be the heat and humidity. I don't normally run when it's above 80 if I don't have to, and the humidity was lower than usual at 84. Consequently, i just don't feel normal while running.

I still need to get at it. I know for a fact I'll pick up involuntary rest days because of an impending drive back to Kansas from here.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:31 09:31 09:31 09:31 1.00
1.00 19:26 09:55 09:55 09:43 2.00
1.00 29:05 09:39 09:39 09:42 3.00
0.80 36:37 07:32 09:25 09:38 3.80