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