5.12mi, 45:11, 27 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "Middletown Dreams"

WX at 05:55 NW 9 10.00 Overcast OVC006 41 40 94% 35 NA 29.56 1001.1

Odometer 12C: 159.4mi

Z3 high. Average/max heart rate = 152/170

A slightly new route, just to see if I could find one that tipped me just over 5 miles. I think this one'll work, and I guess that extra 80 or so calories that I burn will start making up for the two Quarter Pounders I nom'ed down yesterday in a fit of snark and crank.

Going uphill was not fun, which makes me wonder how long recovery takes after a long beater of a run.

This is probably a good idea since I'm going back to battle sequestration demons at work. The political climate has become so poisoned that the US legislative branch is about as effective as the Senate of the Old Republic. I'm not sure if there's a Palpatine in the works. I only hope he/she won't be a populist toad.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:45 08:45 08:45 08:45 1.00
1.00 17:55 09:10 09:10 08:58 2.00
1.00 26:19 08:24 08:24 08:46 3.00
1.00 35:02 08:43 08:43 08:45 4.00
1.00 44:11 09:09 09:09 08:50 5.00
0.12 45:11 01:00 08:20 08:49 5.12

11.38mi, 1:45:27, 24 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "BU2B"
Rush, "Ghost Rider"

WX at 10:55 NW 15 G 22 10.00 Fair CLR 50 31 49% 45 NA 29.91 1012.9

Odometer 12B: 252.4mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 155/170

Today was another day of forced effort. I didn't feel that great, and I'm not usually in the habit of going on long runs without feeling like I was up for it, but I thought I'd get better through the run. I did, but I tightly controlled my effort going out and treated it as a run to start glycogen regenesis, which for me seems to happen after the 90 minute mark. It also meant I didn't go particularly hard and didn't pay much attention to pace.

The iThink was surprising, but curiously appropriate for a day when many people are sitting in church.

Splits

SGMT AGGRGTE SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 0:09:17 09:17 09:17 09:17 1.00
1.00 0:18:46 09:29 09:29 09:23 2.00
1.00 0:28:08 09:22 09:22 09:23 3.00
1.00 0:37:30 09:22 09:22 09:22 4.00
1.00 0:46:36 09:06 09:06 09:19 5.00
1.00 0:55:42 09:06 09:06 09:17 6.00
1.00 1:04:59 09:17 09:17 09:17 7.00
1.00 1:14:02 09:03 09:03 09:15 8.00
1.00 1:22:59 08:57 08:57 09:13 9.00
1.00 1:32:56 09:57 09:57 09:18 10.00
1.00 1:42:06 09:10 09:10 09:17 11.00
0.38 1:45:27 03:21 08:49 09:16 11.38

4.61mi, 41:59, 22 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "The Analog Kid"

WX at 05:55 Calm 10.00 A Few Clouds FEW150 31 17 56% NA NA 30.36 1028.5

Odometer 12B: 241.0mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 150/170

I was surprised to get out there after only 4 and a half hours of sleep, but I still need to run. At least the iThink was a good one this morning.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:13 09:13 09:13 09:13 1.00
1.00 18:47 09:34 09:34 09:24 2.00
1.00 27:28 08:41 08:41 09:09 3.00
1.00 36:35 09:07 09:07 09:09 4.00
0.61 41:59 05:24 08:51 09:06 4.61

4.61mi, 40:59, 21 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "Presto"

WX at 06:36 WNW 4G16 10.00 Partly Cloudy BKN250 25 10 55% 18 NA 30.16 1021.1

Odometer 12C: 154.3mi

Z3 high. Average/max heart rate = 152/174

Almost slept in. Almost. Still middling uphills but today was better, somewhat. Still, meh.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:06 09:06 09:06 09:06 1.00
1.00 18:23 09:17 09:17 09:11 2.00
1.00 26:47 08:24 08:24 08:56 3.00
1.00 35:37 08:50 08:50 08:54 4.00
0.61 40:59 05:22 08:48 08:53 4.61

4.63mi, 43:09, 19 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
The Go-Go's, "My Heart Will Go On" (yes, a cover of the Celine Dion song)
Rush, "BU2B"

WX at 05:55 Vrbl 6 10.00 A Few Clouds FEW130 39 23 52% 35 NA 30.05 1017.7

Odometer 12B: 235.4mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 152/174

Today sucked as a run, mostly due to tired legs. Probably still feeling the run from Sunday morning. While I enjoyed my weekend off, it's time to go back to work...

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:16 09:16 09:16 09:16 1.00
1.00 19:06 09:50 09:50 09:33 2.00
1.00 27:55 08:49 08:49 09:18 3.00
1.00 37:15 09:20 09:20 09:19 4.00
0.63 43:09 05:54 09:22 09:19 4.63

4.4mi, 41:10, 18 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Iron Maiden, "Aces High"
Iron Maiden, "Wasted Years"

WX at 10:52 Vrbl 3 10.00 Partly Cloudy FEW120 SCT200 32 5 32% NA NA 30.40 1029.3

Odometer 12C: 149.7mi

Z3 low. Average/max heart rate = 149/163

Today was going to be a recovery run, and it was, based on heart rate alone. Tomorrow will tell whether it was recovery enough. Cold, but warm enough to warrant shorts, even though the air temperature was 32F. The sun was out.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:19 09:19 09:19 09:19 1.00
1.00 18:42 09:23 09:23 09:21 2.00
1.00 28:14 09:32 09:32 09:25 3.00
1.00 37:31 09:17 09:17 09:23 4.00
0.40 41:10 03:39 09:08 09:21 4.40

My dark heart

From two related, but very different TV shows, these are a very, very accurate window to my heart.

"If people believe they'll go to heaven no matter what, they'll lose control over themselves.  Because nothing anyone does on the Twelve Worlds will matter to them.  The real world will turn into a game. Like New Cap City, people will kill, rape, destroy.  They'll be forgiven, and blessed, and go to heaven anyway."

"Which side are we on? We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We are evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go. I'm surprised you didn't know that."

11.77mi, 1:46:10, 17 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "Middletown Dreams"
Rush, "Animate"

WX at 10:52 NW 24 G 33 10.00 Mostly Cloudy and Breezy BKN050 BKN075 32 8 36% 19 NA 29.98 1015.1

Odometer 12B: 230.8mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 158/176

First long run in a long while. What I hadn't counted on was the wind. The air temperature was low enough, but the wind was crazy.

I was still able to get through what I thought was a good run - I found that by the time I'd hit around 85-90 minutes, I'd been running long enough to start glycogen regenesis, something I haven't had occasion to do in a long while. The full warmup happened around the 35-minute mark, but the transition from running that fuel out around 75 minutes to the 10 minutes until glycogen regenesis really started to kick in was no fun (as evident by the mile 10 split).

I'm sure I'll pay for this run tomorrow.

Splits

SGMT AGGREGT SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 0:09:03 09:03 09:03 09:03 1.00
1.00 0:18:10 09:07 09:07 09:05 2.00
1.00 0:27:14 09:04 09:04 09:05 3.00
1.00 0:36:24 09:10 09:10 09:06 4.00
1.00 0:45:15 08:51 08:51 09:03 5.00
1.00 0:54:06 08:51 08:51 09:01 6.00
1.00 1:03:01 08:55 08:55 09:00 7.00
1.00 1:12:22 09:21 09:21 09:03 8.00
1.00 1:21:07 08:45 08:45 09:01 9.00
1.00 1:30:41 09:34 09:34 09:04 10.00
1.00 1:39:31 08:50 08:50 09:03 11.00
0.77 1:46:10 06:39 08:38 09:01 11.77

4.61mi, 41:52, 15 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Porter Robinson, "Language" (Koncept Remix)
Rush, "BU2B"

WX at 05:52 SW 3 10.00 A Few Clouds FEW250 36 32 86% NA NA 30.02 1016.6

Odometer 12C: 145.3mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 151/167

Dead legs and being tired = easier run than usual. As to be expected, noticed it on the uphills. This too shall pass.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:04 09:04 09:04 09:04 1.00
1.00 18:36 09:32 09:32 09:18 2.00
1.00 27:07 08:31 08:31 09:02 3.00
1.00 36:21 09:14 09:14 09:05 4.00
0.61 41:52 05:31 09:03 09:05 4.61

5.54mi, 49:24, 13 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
The Connells, "Fun and Games"

WX at 05:52 N 9 10.00 Mostly Cloudy FEW150 BKN250 35 26 70% 28 NA 29.91 1012.7

Odometer 12B: 229.0mi

Z3-4. Average/max heart rate = 151/169

Need to get another in before it snows tomorrow. I was hoping to go 6 but didn't get that far, but I didn't want to go too far.  The other thing that's not iThink-worthy was some piece of instrumental music I remember from the station idents for WYAH-TV when it was still channel 27 in Portsmouth, VA thirty years ago.  I think that clip was composed for NFL Films sometime in the 1970s, but I've never been able to find it.

Tomorrow might be a useful day of rest, but I don't really need a day of rest as much as I need to continue to put in base mileage.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:12 09:12 09:12 09:12 1.00
1.00 18:26 09:14 09:14 09:13 2.00
1.00 27:02 08:36 08:36 09:01 3.00
1.00 35:43 08:41 08:41 08:56 4.00
1.00 44:33 08:50 08:50 08:55 5.00
0.54 49:24 04:51 08:59 08:55 5.54

6.1mi, 53:18, 12 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
that dog., "being with you"
Katy Perry, "Part of Me"

WX at 04:52 NW 15 G 28 10.00 A Few Clouds FEW130 49 26 41% 43 NA 29.89 1012.0

Odometer 12C: 140.7mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 157/171

First run in what I think was five days. Not bothering to count. This was a good run, although the weather was mild, and I was reasonably well rested after five days of "do nothing but eat."

Not sure what sparked one of the musical footnotes of my 20s, or the rather shameless Katy Perry recruiting ad for the Marine Corps.

At least I got out and ran.  It's a start.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:38 08:38 08:38 08:38 1.00
1.00 17:34 08:56 08:56 08:47 2.00
1.00 25:49 08:15 08:15 08:36 3.00
1.00 34:34 08:45 08:45 08:39 4.00
1.00 43:22 08:48 08:48 08:40 5.00
1.00 52:29 09:07 09:07 08:45 6.00
0.10 53:18 00:49 08:10 08:44 6.10

4.62mi, 40:09, 7 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "BU2B"

WX at 05:52 Calm 10.00 Overcast OVC220 33 22 64% NA NA 30.42 1029.9

Odometer 12C: 134.6mi

Z3 mid. Average/max heart rate = 152/169

Yesterday was a "do nothing but eat" day because I was too tired to go out and run. I was absolutely squashed flat.

At least I got out here. Still feel like crap. Need to sleep more.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:49 08:49 08:49 08:49 1.00
1.00 17:54 09:05 09:05 08:57 2.00
1.00 26:04 08:10 08:10 08:41 3.00
1.00 34:46 08:42 08:42 08:41 4.00
0.62 40:09 05:23 08:41 08:41 4.62

4.4mi, 40:52, 5 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "Middletown Dreams"

WX at 05:52 NE 5 10.00 Overcast BKN065 OVC140 35 25 67% 31 NA 29.88 1011.7

Odometer 12C: 130.0mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 148/167

Man, I felt like crap today. Slow start, easy run. I felt better by the end, but I went out because I had to, not because I really wanted to. Again.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:20 09:20 09:20 09:20 1.00
1.00 19:08 09:48 09:48 09:34 2.00
1.00 27:59 08:51 08:51 09:20 3.00
1.00 37:16 09:17 09:17 09:19 4.00
0.40 40:52 03:36 09:00 09:17 4.40

6.0mi, 53:52, 2 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Bob Mould, "MM 17"
Ram Jam, "Black Betty" (although I was partly inspired by the internet meme of Betty Draper from Mad Men with "WHOAH FAT BETTY BAM A LAM" on it)
The Bats, "Flowers and Trees"
Rush, "Emotion Detector"

WX at 09:52 S 9 10.00 Mostly Cloudy BKN150 BKN250 26 7 44% 17 NA 30.36 1028.0

Odometer 12C: 125.6mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 159/175

I wasn't sure how much to expect from this run, as my legs were tired, but by the end, I was running pretty well. I was pleasantly surprised, but it wasn't until the last mile. I went out, as usual, not because I wanted to, but because I felt I had to.

The Rush song is partly after having started reading Neil Peart's Ghost Rider as my non-duty reading. It is a damn sight less depressing than Ken Kesey's Sometimes A Great Notion, surprisingly, although no less reflective. One of the reviews of Kesey's book compared it to Greek tragedy, and I can understand the comparison.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:33 08:33 08:33 08:33 1.00
1.00 17:41 09:08 09:08 08:50 2.00
1.00 27:16 09:35 09:35 09:05 3.00
1.00 36:40 09:24 09:24 09:10 4.00
1.00 45:20 08:40 08:40 09:04 5.00
1.00 53:52 08:32 08:32 08:59 6.00

4.61mi, 40:42, 1 FEB 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
The Lemonheads,"Steve's Boy"
Robyn Hitchcock, "Madonna of the Wasps"

WX at 05:55 Vrbl 5 6.00 Light Snow OVC020 32 27 81% 27 NA 29.84 1010.8

Odometer 12C: 119.6mi

Z3 high-Z4. Average/max heart rate = 154/171

Yesterday was a day off, but still involved a mile or two of walking, so it wasn't a total wash. Today turned out to be a snowstorm that was starting to pick up, that wasn't immediately visible from the windows this morning. It started getting more interesting as I got further into the run.

Today's forecast says: Snow, mainly before 7am. High near 33. Windy, with a northwest wind 11 to 16 mph increasing to 21 to 26 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Awesome.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:51 08:51 08:51 08:51 1.00
1.00 18:00 09:09 09:09 09:00 2.00
1.00 26:29 08:29 08:29 08:50 3.00
1.00 35:23 08:54 08:54 08:51 4.00
0.61 40:42 05:19 08:43 08:50 4.61