7.31mi, 62:44, 31 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
R.E.M., "Driver 8"
Sisters of Mercy, "Temple of Love '92"

WX at 08:55 Calm 10.00 Partly Cloudy FEW075 SCT140 43 37 80% NA NA 30.02 1016.8

Odometer 12C: 212.9mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 158/173

Today went faster because I was in a rush.  I needed to get done quickly because I was getting my parents for Easter brunch.  Standard story, harder uphills, faster downhills.  I guess if I was serious about getting faster that I should do more squats so I have more power, but I don't feel that industrious.

Splits

SGMT AGGRGTE SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 0:08:34 08:34 08:34 08:34 1.00
1.00 0:17:39 09:05 09:05 08:49 2.00
1.00 0:26:36 08:57 08:57 08:52 3.00
1.00 0:35:11 08:35 08:35 08:48 4.00
1.00 0:43:38 08:27 08:27 08:44 5.00
1.00 0:51:54 08:16 08:16 08:39 6.00
1.00 1:00:22 08:28 08:28 08:37 7.00
0.31 1:02:44 02:22 07:38 08:35 7.31

5.04mi, 42:21, 30 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
The Bats, "Courage
Paul Hardcastle, "19"

WX at 09:00 3 N10.00 Overcast OVC080 43 6 26 -3 50% 42 5 30.19 1022.4

Odometer 12C: 205.6mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 158/193

Today was faster, partly because of waking up later, but also because of being better rested, I suspect.

I had to console the Elder briefly last night when Kansas lost in basketball to Michigan. I couldn't care less about basketball and my loyalties are solely because of my previous stint at Kansas as a graduate student.

Hopkins plays North Carolina today in lacrosse, which is much more important to me than a basketball game, but that's just me.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:29 08:29 08:29 08:29 1.00
1.00 17:06 08:37 08:37 08:33 2.00
1.00 25:01 07:55 07:55 08:20 3.00
1.00 33:22 08:21 08:21 08:20 4.00
1.04 42:21 08:59 08:38 08:24 5.04

4.5mi, 42:00, 29 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Sisters of Mercy, "The Temple of Love"

WX at 05:55 W 3 10.00 Overcast OVC060 39 30 71% NA NA 30.25 1024.6

Odometer 12B: 294.5mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 147/167

Was good for about 4 miles, and then had to walk. Still tired, but that's partly because I haven't left work any earlier than 7:00pm this week. Work has been nucking futs lately. But I still have to run.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:55 08:55 08:55 08:55 1.00
1.00 18:14 09:19 09:19 09:07 2.00
1.00 27:32 09:18 09:18 09:11 3.00
1.00 36:54 09:22 09:22 09:13 4.00
0.50 42:00 05:06 10:12 09:20 4.50

4.46mi, 40:03, 27 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "Faithless"

WX at 05:55 W 12 10.00 Fair CLR 39 27 63% 32 NA 30.03 1017.1

Odometer 12C: 200.6mi

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

Later start = modified shorter run from yesterday. The soreness from pushup and situps is starting to build. Just have to work through it.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:59 08:59 08:59 08:59 1.00
1.00 18:17 09:18 09:18 09:09 2.00
1.00 27:18 09:01 09:01 09:06 3.00
1.00 35:58 08:40 08:40 09:00 4.00
0.46 40:03 04:05 08:53 08:59 4.46

5.05mi, 44:20, 26 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "Faithless"

WX at 05:55 Calm 8.00 Fair CLR 32 31 95% NA NA 29.79 1008.9

Odometer 12C: 196.1mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 153/169

First run in a few days. Today felt pretty good, although it might be because I didn't go for my customary Sunday long run. I was also testing a new route that's a little more hilly, although hill work in itself is never a bad thing.

However, I'm starting to do pushups and situps again, so I have to get past my usual soreness as I get back into doing them so I can get my customary 200 points on the first two events of the PT test.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:45 08:45 08:45 08:45 1.00
1.00 17:42 08:57 08:57 08:51 2.00
1.00 26:35 08:53 08:53 08:52 3.00
1.00 35:18 08:43 08:43 08:49 4.00
1.05 44:20 09:02 08:36 08:47 5.05

5.05mi, 45:28, 22 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Porter Robinson, "Language" (Koncept Remix)
Sugar, "Tilted"

WX at 05:55 Calm 10.00 Fair CLR 22 15 72% NA NA 29.93 1013.9

Odometer 12C: 191.1mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 147/164

I stopped the GPS at a street crossing and didn't check to see if I'd turned it back on - which I had not. So today's timings are all estimate.

My legs felt better today, and I at least felt more fluid, compared to the last few days, although yesterday was deliberately a rest day in the hopes my legs might not feel so dead.

I'm about to come up onto a milestone, but I don't feel much lately.  Yesterday it was ire.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
5.05 45:28 45:28 09:00 09:00 5.05

Contingency and the campaign planner

All of the media coverage on the beginning of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM a decade ago has brought up some of the recollections of those who fought in the war.  I noted last year that "survivor's guilt is a bitch goddess," but I felt it differently as a campaign planner than I did when I was closer to the front.  All this coverage reminded me of something I read about another war with Iraq, one much beforehand, and about the sorts of things that weighed on me for reasons I could not explain to my satisfaction, to anyone.

I freely acknowledge that I have no control over the sort of things that historians call contingency, or others might call chance.  And yet, it continues to grate on me.  It will probably continue to do so, long after the end of my wartime service.

---

On 30 October, after the repairs were completed, the Iwo Jima finally got under way. She barely got a mile into the channel before she suffered a major steam leak in her engine room. The superheated steam killed six crew members immediately. Four additional men in critical condition from burns and steam inhalation were taken to the hospital ship Comfort, anchored outside the harbor. Unfortunately, the four men died soon thereafter. The Iwo Jima, which had anchored in the channel, was towed back to the Mina Sulman pier.

(VADM Henry H.) Mauz appointed (RADM J. B.) LaPlante (the Iwo Jima was part of his Amphibious Task Force) to conduct a preliminary inquiry regarding the circumstances surrounding the accident. LaPlante, then overseeing the start of the Sea Soldier II amphibious exercise from his flagship Nassau in the Gulf of Oman, immediately flew to the Blue Ridge. Ironically, less than one hour before the Iwo Jima had gotten under way LaPlante had sent a message to all his commanding officers urging them to pay great attention to safety: “Our most sacred responsibility is the lives and safety of the people entrusted to our care.”  The next morning, LaPlante sat across from the author at breakfast in the Flag Mess on the Blue Ridge. He commented that when he was younger he had found it hard enough to deal with men dying who were about his age, but now, having young men die who were about his son's age was almost more than he could bear. 

The subsequent court of inquiry concluded that a non-English-speaking repair person had used brass nuts (with a black coating to make them indistinguishable from the required steel nuts) to install a valve in the high-pressure steam system involved. When subjected to high temperatures, brass softens and loses its strength. Under the enormous heat and pressure of steam at 640 pounds per square inch, the valve had failed, releasing 865-degree steam into the compartment.

Marvin Pokrant, Desert Shield at Sea: What the Navy Really Did

3.0mi, 27:43, 20 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
The Suicide Denial, "Don't Let Me Die Here"

WX at 05:55 Calm 10.00 Fair CLR 30 15 54% NA NA 29.99 1015.9

Odometer 12C: 186.1mi

Z3 low. Average/max heart rate = 142/160

Short run because I was pressed for time. Gotta get to work early today.

Could also be a function of needing a light activity day that might give the legs a chance to rest up, sort of.  They're still tired.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:21 09:21 09:21 09:21 1.00
1.00 18:27 09:06 09:06 09:13 2.00
1.00 27:43 09:16 09:16 09:14 3.00

5.05mi, 46:08, 19 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
The Breeders, "Divine Hammer"

WX at 05:52 Calm 10.00 Overcast OVC010 39 35 86% NA NA 29.78 1008.3

Odometer 12C: 183.1mi

Z3 high. Average/max heart rate = 150/167

I might've felt like I was going hard, but the HRM says otherwise. Legs are still tired.

I need to make a concerted effort to go to sleep early tonight to offset the 4 hours I got last night. I had momentum on something I've been trying to finish and I killed it off last night.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:24 09:24 09:24 09:24 1.00
1.00 18:53 09:29 09:29 09:26 2.00
1.00 27:32 08:39 08:39 09:11 3.00
1.00 36:35 09:03 09:03 09:09 4.00
1.05 46:08 09:33 09:06 09:08 5.05

10.06mi, 91:00, 17 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Katy Perry, "Part of Me"

WX at 10:55 NW 5 10.00 Overcast SCT029 OVC046 41 30 64% 38 NA 30.17 1021.9

Odometer 12B: 290.0mi

Z3 high. Average/max heart rate = 153/169

Long run, but not as long as others since I had some other things I gotta today. The legs are very, very tired but were warmed up by the end. Still, I need to burn the lard.

I have no idea where today's iThink came from.  Surprisingly for a long run, there were no others.

Splits

SGMT AGGRGTE SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 0:09:08 09:08 09:08 09:08 1.00
1.00 0:18:33 09:25 09:25 09:16 2.00
1.00 0:27:32 08:59 08:59 09:11 3.00
1.00 0:36:50 09:18 09:18 09:13 4.00
1.00 0:46:00 09:10 09:10 09:12 5.00
1.00 0:54:58 08:58 08:58 09:10 6.00
1.00 1:03:26 08:28 08:28 09:04 7.00
1.00 1:12:39 09:13 09:13 09:05 8.00
1.00 1:21:35 08:56 08:56 09:04 9.00
1.06 1:31:00 09:25 08:53 09:03 10.06

5.03mi, 45:39, 15 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
The Who, "Eminence Front"
Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards, "Fight"

WX at 05:55 Calm 10.00 Fair CLR 25 21 83% NA NA 30.10 1019.6

Odometer 12B: 278.9mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 146/161

Legs still tired, need to run, daylight savings time really bites my ass. Beware the Ides of March.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:12 09:12 09:12 09:12 1.00
1.00 18:34 09:22 09:22 09:17 2.00
1.00 27:12 08:38 08:38 09:04 3.00
1.00 36:06 08:54 08:54 09:01 4.00
1.03 45:39 09:33 09:16 09:05 5.03

4.47mi, 41:45, 13 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Iron Maiden, "Wasted Years"

WX at 05:55 Calm 10.00 Fair CLR 32 28 84% NA NA 29.97 1015.1

Odometer 12C: 178.0mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 147/173

Legs are still tired going uphill. I forced myself to go to bed at 10pm last night, in the hopes I might catch up on some lost sleep. It was easier to get up this morning but I have no illusions that I've been caught up on cumulative sleep loss.

For a variety of reasons, I wanted to run harder today, but wasn't able to do so. Maybe tomorrow.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:05 09:05 09:05 09:05 1.00
1.00 19:07 10:02 10:02 09:33 2.00
1.00 27:55 08:48 08:48 09:18 3.00
1.00 37:21 09:26 09:26 09:20 4.00
0.47 41:45 04:24 09:22 09:20 4.47

4.5mi, 41:14, 12 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Linkin Park, "Faint"
Bob Mould, "MM 17"

WX at 05:55 SE 9 10.00 Light Rain SCT023 SCT034 BKN043 BKN075 55 52 88% NA NA 29.83 1010.3 0.01

Odometer 12C: 173.5mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 151/168

I am tired. So are my legs. My circadian rhythms have still not caught up. Damn you, daylight savings time.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:57 08:57 08:57 08:57 1.00
1.00 18:31 09:34 09:34 09:15 2.00
1.00 27:47 09:16 09:16 09:16 3.00
1.00 36:47 09:00 09:00 09:12 4.00
0.50 41:14 04:27 08:54 09:10 4.50

8.67mi, 77:33, 10 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Iron Maiden, "The Trooper"
Bear McCreary, "All Along the Watchtower"
Jenn Grant, "Oh My Heart"

WX at 12:55 Vrbl 7 10.00 Fair CLR 58 29 33% NA NA 30.32 1027.1

Odometer 12B: 273.9mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 156/172

Today's run started ugly, with some decidedly dead legs. It was better by about 40 minutes in, but I had to weigh how tired I might've felt compared to how much I needed to get this run in.  So I went, and the first mile was okay, but quickly got worse.  By the end, I was just grinding the uphills trying to get back at under the 9:00/mi cutoff, which I just made.

On the bright side, the flat portion were averaging about 8:15-8:30/mi so I guess that's somewhat encouraging on a run of this length.

Splits

SGMT AGGRGTE SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 0:08:31 08:31 08:31 08:31 1.00
1.00 0:17:38 09:07 09:07 08:49 2.00
1.00 0:26:30 08:52 08:52 08:50 3.00
1.00 0:35:34 09:04 09:04 08:54 4.00
1.00 0:44:44 09:10 09:10 08:57 5.00
1.00 0:53:45 09:01 09:01 08:58 6.00
1.00 1:03:06 09:21 09:21 09:01 7.00
1.00 1:11:39 08:33 08:33 08:57 8.00
0.67 1:17:33 05:54 08:48 08:57 8.67

5.02mi, 42:25, 9 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
"Johnny Hopkins On To Victory"
Iron Maiden, "Aces High"

WX at 10:55 Vrbl 5 10.00 Fair CLR 50 23 34% 48 NA 30.34 1027.7

Odometer 12C: 169.0mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 162/174

The weather was just about perfect! Went out for what I didn't think was going to be too long, and cranked out just about 5 miles, about what I needed to do after this week.

My legs are still tired, though. This should be interesting come tomorrow's long run. I definitely need to do a long run tomorrow. Because.

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 25:42 08:52 08:52 08:34 3.00
1.00 33:52 08:10 08:10 08:28 4.00
1.02 42:25 08:33 08:23 08:27 5.02

4.12mi, 36:35, 8 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "Cold Fire"

WX at 05:55 NW 14 G 24 10.00 Fair CLR 37 25 61% 28 NA 30.16 1021.6

Odometer 12B: 265.2mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 149/169

Tired from going to sleep too late, woke up late, almost wimped out, but really glad I got at least a short run in. I need it. Badly.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:54 08:54 08:54 08:54 1.00
1.00 18:10 09:16 09:16 09:05 2.00
1.00 27:13 09:03 09:03 09:04 3.00
1.00 35:43 08:30 08:30 08:56 4.00
0.12 36:35 00:52 07:13 08:53 4.12

4.62mi, 43:42, 7 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "Middletown Dreams"

WX at 05:55 NW 3 10.00 Fair CLR 33 29 83% NA NA 30.07 1018.5

Odometer 12C:164.0mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 151/166

While the distance and speed wouldn't indicate, today was a significantly harder day than the numbers would indicate. The reason was all the residual ice from yesterday still on the sidewalk. It made what should've been a relatively easy day into something much harder, especially at the speeds at which I was going - slow. The ice amplified greatly the general lack of energy I felt going uphill.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:02 09:02 09:02 09:02 1.00
1.00 19:16 10:14 10:14 09:38 2.00
1.00 28:28 09:12 09:12 09:29 3.00
1.00 37:55 09:27 09:27 09:29 4.00
0.62 43:42 05:47 09:20 09:28 4.62

7.0mi, 62:46, 5 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Rush, "Ghost Rider"

WX at 05:55 Calm 10.00 Fair CLR 27 19 70% NA NA 30.08 1018.9

Odometer 12C: 166.4mi

Z3 high-Z4. Average/max heart rate = 155/172

It's going to snow later this week, so I figured I'd get in a long run today and hopefully get in some recovery mileage tomorrow. I slept in yesterday because I can't get to sleep early enough to not be tired when I wake up. That's going to require me to exercise a bit more discipline at night.

Today was an undistinguished run, in no small part because my legs were tired. I guess I'll see tomorrow how they feel.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:04 09:04 09:04 09:04 1.00
1.00 18:34 09:30 09:30 09:17 2.00
1.00 27:12 08:38 08:38 09:04 3.00
1.00 36:06 08:54 08:54 09:01 4.00
1.00 45:20 09:14 09:14 09:04 5.00
1.00 53:56 08:36 08:36 08:59 6.00
1.00 62:46 08:50 08:50 08:58 7.00

8.65mi, 75:59, 3 MAR 13, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
"Star Wars Rock - Interjections"
Dos Gringos, "Going In For Guns"
The Connells, "Fun & Games"

WX at 10:55 W 15 10.00 Overcast OVC050 38 16 42% 29 NA 29.87 1011.8

Odometer 12B: 261.1mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 163/178

I spent the last three days at Fort Hood, Texas. That was a festival of bad nutrition, both during the plane rides there and actually in Texas. I figured it was going to happen so I needed to get in a run.

However, I didn't want to go for a run so colossal (like the 11.4-miler I did last Sunday) that it destroyed me for the rest of the week. The road to recovery this week will be to get in a run EVERY day until next weekend. Only then will I be able to start chipping into the monster caloric intake of the last few days.

I lowballed in a bad way the amount of snivel gear I should've worn.  I went out fast to start warming up because it was cold and windy.  Oops.

Also, I was trying to recover from the absolutely poor flights I had from DFW. The one going out of DFW to Killeen was delayed over an hour since the first officer decided to not show and the airline was desperately trying to find another. The second was because the airplane that was intended to come in...broke...which required another crew...which required having to find another flight attendant for the different type of aircraft...which required multiple seat changes...which meant that for a plane ride that was supposed to finish at 8:57, I landed sometime about 11:25.

To add insult to injury, the Metro station was closed, so I had to take a shuttle bus from Washington Reagan to Braddock Road. Then I waited another 30 minutes or so for the Blue line train to take me back to Franconia-Springfield.

Fuck.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:26 08:26 08:26 08:26 1.00
1.00 17:21 08:55 08:55 08:41 2.00
1.00 25:41 08:20 08:20 08:34 3.00
1.00 34:29 08:48 08:48 08:37 4.00
1.00 43:22 08:53 08:53 08:40 5.00
1.00 52:33 09:11 09:11 08:45 6.00
1.00 61:51 09:18 09:18 08:50 7.00
1.00 70:30 08:39 08:39 08:49 8.00
0.65 75:59 05:29 08:26 08:47 8.65