4.82mi, 42:24, 30 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
That damn Bayern München song again.
MxPx, "I Will Follow"

WX at 05:55 SE 3 10.00 Fair CLR 47 46 96% NA NA 29.85 1011.1

Odometer 12C: 115.0mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 156/172

My legs were tired, although much of it might've been letdown from yesterday's day of Crazy, as well as running to the slug line, coming up dry, and going to the bus, which automatically added a little more.

I don't think my wrong turns this morning helped either.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:24 08:24 08:24 08:24 1.00
1.00 17:22 08:58 08:58 08:41 2.00
1.00 26:20 08:58 08:58 08:47 3.00
1.00 35:15 08:55 08:55 08:49 4.00
0.82 42:24 07:09 08:43 08:48 4.82

Work...

Today was a day of work so insanely hectic that I caught myself asking "when the fuck does this end?"

It is a bad indicator when I start making jokes about fortified wines at work, which is my counter to thinking about bourbon or single malt when I'm there.

I'm totally getting shitty tonight, just on principle.

Good organizations do routine things routinely.  It shouldn't feel like we're folding fucking space to get routine shit done.

Bulleit Bourbon, here I come. Fuck it all.

3.33mi, 29:27, 29 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink: some song for the Bayern Munich football club that I blame one of my friends for implanting in my head.

WX at 05:55 Calm 1.50 Fog/Mist FEW120 38 37 97% NA NA 30.09 1019.2

Odometer 12B: 223.4mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 158/174

Late start = short run. Thus, scouting the most direct route to get from Plan D (in case I miss my ride from work) to home. Seriously.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:44 08:44 08:44 08:44 1.00
1.00 17:35 08:51 08:51 08:47 2.00
1.00 26:38 09:03 09:03 08:53 3.00
0.33 29:27 02:49 08:32 08:51 3.33

4.35mi, 44:24, 28 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Bob Mould, "MM 17"

WX at 05:55 Vrbl 3 10.00 Light Rain BKN070 BKN080 33 27 79% NA NA 30.42 1030.4 0.01

Odometer 12C: 110.2mi

Z3 mid. Average/max heart rate = 151/165

A slow, gritty run, emphasized by the thin layer of ice on the roads this morning. What I didn't hear before sallying forth this morning was the freezing rain that characterized today's morning. I knew today was going to be slow, but I didn't think as slow as it actually was.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:51 09:51 09:51 09:51 1.00
1.00 20:31 10:40 10:40 10:15 2.00
1.00 30:07 09:36 09:36 10:02 3.00
1.00 40:58 10:51 10:51 10:15 4.00
0.35 44:24 03:26 09:49 10:12 4.35

9.13mi, 82:33, 27 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Bob Mould, "The Descent"

WX at 11:55 Calm 10.00 Fair CLR 36 16 44% NA NA 30.60 1036.3

Odometer 12B: 220.1mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 159/175

First long run in a while. I figured I'd go under 10 just to see how I felt. Waiting until it was daylight was a big help, actually. It was slow, but not as slow as I thought it would be, and in the last mile, discretion was probably the wiser choice as I could feel it in the calves.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:58 08:58 08:58 08:58 1.00
1.00 18:32 09:34 09:34 09:16 2.00
1.00 27:29 08:57 08:57 09:10 3.00
1.00 36:11 08:42 08:42 09:03 4.00
1.00 45:07 08:56 08:56 09:01 5.00
1.00 54:09 09:02 09:02 09:01 6.00
1.00 63:35 09:26 09:26 09:05 7.00
1.00 72:38 09:03 09:03 09:05 8.00
1.00 81:28 08:50 08:50 09:03 9.00
0.13 82:33 01:05 08:20 09:02 9.13

4.62mi, 41:40, 23 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Vicsanmusic, "Contra - Waterfall"

WX at 05:55 Calm 10.00 Fair CLR 11 4 71% NA NA 30.34 1027.8

Odometer 12C: 105.8mi

Z3-Z4. Average/max heart rate = 152/170

I felt better, although I was running, ill advisedly, in sweatpants. Not doing that again. Not as apparently cold as yesterday because of the wind, so today was a better-feeling run in some ways. While this was a minute slower, I'm not that concerned about time.

While it's a stretch to say I could get used to this, it's not like I haven't run in cold like this in the past either.

While the music from a cover of the background music to the waterfall part (beginning of part 2 of that game) of the old video game Contra is a little off the beaten path, it was the first thing that I could listen to get the random bullshit that was on the news about Beyonce Knowles and the lip-sync from the inauguration out of my skull. Unlike most of America, I can't see any reason why I should care at all about it. At all.

More pithily: inauguration, meh.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:59 08:59 08:59 08:59 1.00
1.00 18:40 09:41 09:41 09:20 2.00
1.00 27:11 08:31 08:31 09:04 3.00
1.00 36:10 08:59 08:59 09:02 4.00
0.62 41:40 05:30 08:52 09:01 4.62

4.65mi, 40:52, 22 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Iron Maiden, "Wasted Years"

WX at 05:55 NW 13 G 18 10.00 Fair CLR 21 -3 34% 8 NA 30.12 1020.4

Odometer 12C: 101.2mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 154/168

Turns out I managed to catch the flu last Thursday, bad enough where I did the previously unthinkable and after getting fully kitted up to go run, stopped after less than 200m and called it quits. That flu flat out beat my ass.

Today's run was a measure to see how well I could get back up to snuff, and while it was no shakes for speed, I felt okay.

Living in the Midwest for the last six years (less my stints at Bagram and Fort Campbell) has apparently toughened me up to the cold, because for it being 21F air temperature and -3F wind chill, I didn't go bananas on snivel gear. Surprising. It also reflects in the Elder asking "what's wrong with this place" when I told them it didn't normally get into the teens for temperature in the winter here.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:43 08:43 08:43 08:43 1.00
1.00 17:54 09:11 09:11 08:57 2.00
1.00 26:21 08:27 08:27 08:47 3.00
1.00 35:17 08:56 08:56 08:49 4.00
0.65 40:52 05:35 08:35 08:47 4.65

4.63mi, 41:25, 16 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Iron Maiden, "Aces High"

WX at 05:52 Calm 10.00 Light Rain BKN009 OVC041 37 33 86% NA NA 30.08 1018.6

Odometer 12C: 96.5mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 153/168

I was completely toast today. It might be be because of yesterday's comparative lack of sleep, or the lack of a true rest day from this past weekend. Or whatever.

At least it wasn't yesterday, which combined both pigging out with a Do Nothing But Eat day.  Oops...

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:49 08:49 08:49 08:49 1.00
1.00 18:11 09:22 09:22 09:05 2.00
1.00 26:43 08:32 08:32 08:54 3.00
1.00 35:46 09:03 09:03 08:56 4.00
0.63 41:25 05:39 08:58 08:57 4.63

4.63mi, 40:44, 14 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
The Replacements, "Answering Machine"

WX at 05:55 SE 3 10.00 Fair CLR 57 53 87% NA NA 29.99 1015.7

Odometer 12C: 91.8mi

Z3 high-Z4. Average/max heart rate = 153/170

My legs were pretty beat this morning after yesterday, when I took the kids into DC and wanted to go see the Inaugural Parade rehearsal. It was, unfortunately, a not very kid-friendly event, and they were not used to a lot of walking, especially when I took them to the National Museum of American History.

Today started ugly but seemed like the speed of any other day, strangely enough. This is by far the warmest January I've ever seen.

A little bit of Hüsker Dü's "Eight Miles High" slipped in at the end, but not enough to make the iThink playlist.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:34 08:34 08:34 08:34 1.00
1.00 17:50 09:16 09:16 08:55 2.00
1.00 26:20 08:30 08:30 08:47 3.00
1.00 35:16 08:56 08:56 08:49 4.00
0.63 40:44 05:28 08:41 08:48 4.63

4.63mi, 40:20, 10 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "Middletown Dreams"

WX at 05:55 Calm 9.00 Fair CLR 37 29 72% NA NA 30.50 1033.0

Odometer 12C: 87.2mi

Z3 high-Z4. Average/max heart rate = 153/173

Today was warm enough to warrant wearing shorts. Or so I thought, because I was looking at met data for KDCA - about 10 miles away. Turns out it's actually a little cooler the farther you get out from the District, fancy that. Instead of being 47F, it was actually 37F, but I strangely enough didn't really think it abnormally cold.

Warmest January I've ever seen. Not running snivel gear was a boon for speed.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:52 08:52 08:52 08:52 1.00
1.00 18:15 09:23 09:23 09:07 2.00
1.00 26:32 08:17 08:17 08:51 3.00
1.00 35:10 08:38 08:38 08:47 4.00
0.63 40:20 05:10 08:12 08:43 4.63

4.62mi, 40:25, 9 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
MxPx, "I Will Follow" MaX, "Aim"

WX at 05:52 Calm 9.00 Partly Cloudy SCT200 36 32 86% NA NA 30.36 1028.1

Odometer 12C: 82.6mi

Z3-Z4. Average/max heart rate = 152/169

I was tired and wanted to sleep in but, as usual, can't afford to sleep in. Today was pleasant, which still doesn't change my general malaise at not wanting to run.

Everyone else being sick in the house doesn't help at all.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:39 08:39 08:39 08:39 1.00
1.00 18:03 09:24 09:24 09:01 2.00
1.00 26:24 08:21 08:21 08:48 3.00
1.00 35:01 08:37 08:37 08:45 4.00
0.62 40:25 05:24 08:43 08:45 4.62

11.26mi, 1:44:39, 6 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Joe Stump, "Speed Metal Messiah"

WX at 11:55 Calm 10.00 Fair CLR 49 29 47% NA NA 30.11 1019.9

Odometer 12C: 77.9mi

Z3 high-Z4. Average/max heart rate = 158/174

I went out not thinking I was going over 11 and over mostly trails. I feel okay, mostly, but I'm pretty tired. Much of it stems from having pretty much hit the wall in the 10th mile. I was still going to shuffle back in.

Today is the day x-moose lights have to come down.  I'll probably spend a little bit of time unwarrantedly feeling sorry for myself, but I'm sure I can fix that with about 600mg of Vitamin M (a.k.a. Motrin).

The weather was a nice touch, though. Not sure what explains the iThink today, though. Today was anything but fast.

Splits

SGMT AGGREGT SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 0:08:29 08:29 08:29 08:29 1.00
1.00 0:17:58 09:29 09:29 08:59 2.00
1.00 0:27:14 09:16 09:16 09:05 3.00
1.00 0:36:17 09:03 09:03 09:04 4.00
1.00 0:44:56 08:39 08:39 08:59 5.00
1.00 0:54:09 09:13 09:13 09:01 6.00
1.00 1:03:29 09:20 09:20 09:04 7.00
1.00 1:12:37 09:08 09:08 09:05 8.00
1.00 1:22:42 10:05 10:05 09:11 9.00
1.00 1:32:39 09:57 09:57 09:16 10.00
1.00 1:42:06 09:27 09:27 09:17 11.00
0.26 1:44:39 02:33 09:48 09:18 11.26

4.63mi, 39:19, 3 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

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

WX at 05:52 NE 6 10.00 Overcast BKN055 OVC220 30 14 51% 24 NA 30.24 1023.9

Odometer 12B: 211.0mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 159/175

Today was cool, but I went a bit lighter on snivel gear than yesterday, relatively speaking. I was rewarded with a sizeably faster time today, and possibly my best for this particular course. 

I also might chalk some of it up to mysteriously waking up at 3:55am and not being able to go back to sleep for a few minutes, which almost never happens to me.

It's also possible that I'm gauging snivel gear weight based on what I had to do in Kansas, which seemed noticeably colder even at the same temperatures. Fortunately, I don't associate the single digit temperatures I remember from two winters ago with the DC area. At least there weren't any when was growing up.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:28 08:28 08:28 08:28 1.00
1.00 17:24 08:56 08:56 08:42 2.00
1.00 25:28 08:04 08:04 08:29 3.00
1.00 34:01 08:33 08:33 08:30 4.00
0.63 39:19 05:18 08:25 08:30 4.63

4.63mi, 41:17, 2 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
James Horner, "Battle in the Mutara Nebula"
James Horner, "Enterprise Attacks Reliant"

WX at 05:55 Vrbl 5 10.00 Overcast OVC037 37 23 58% 33 NA 30.05 1017.7

Odometer 12C: 66.7mi

Z3 high. Average/max heart rate = 154/175

A slow run after yesterday, but after not running for almost a week (or so) it's all rebuilding, especially after all the weight I gained over x-moose. That, and the head cold, which is still nagging.

Today's iThink was a successful attempt to purge the theme music from the old HBO TV show Dream On, which I was watching only because I'd seen the film Highlander on TV yesterday and saw that Roxanne Hart was a guest star on that show. But I don't much care for comedies, and my indifference to that show (produced by Marta Kauffman and David Crane) mirrors my indifference for other sitcoms.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:38 08:38 08:38 08:38 1.00
1.00 18:03 09:25 09:25 09:01 2.00
1.00 26:36 08:33 08:33 08:52 3.00
1.00 35:38 09:02 09:02 08:54 4.00
0.63 41:17 05:39 08:58 08:55 4.63

6.06mi, 52:53, 1 JAN 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Assortment of music from Raptor: Call of the Shadows

WX at 08:55 Calm 10.00 Fair CLR 36 31 81% NA NA 29.99 1015.9

Odometer 12C: 62.1mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = no reading

Somehow my Garmin ForeRunner had gotten undocked from its charger and at some point had been powered on before I pulled it off. That occasionally happens, although I'm not sure why.

I still have a raging head cold, but stacking prescription medications has fixed that for now.

I have no idea why I was reminded of a computer game I used to play some 15 years ago.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
3.03 27:07 27:07 08:57 08:57 3.03
3.03 52:53 25:46 08:30 08:44 6.06