7.77mi, 76:30, 30 SEP 16, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
The Rolling Stones, "Gimme Shelter"

WX at 10 AM (14) Sep 30 63.0 (17.2) 59.2 (15.1) 30.15 (1020) Variable 6 RH 87

Odometer 15C: 306.8mi

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

I ran with great emotional discontent. So I decided to run with this iThink only. It's the only one that would stick. I feel much more motivated to run 6.66mi than 7.77mi, though.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:22 09:22 09:22 09:22 1.00
1.00 19:27 10:05 10:05 09:44 2.00
1.00 29:29 10:01 10:01 09:50 3.00
1.00 39:37 10:08 10:08 09:54 4.00
1.00 50:01 10:24 10:24 10:00 5.00
1.00 59:41 09:40 09:40 09:57 6.00
1.00 69:05 09:24 09:24 09:52 7.00
0.77 76:30 07:25 09:38 09:51 7.77

3.4mi, 31:15, 27 SEP 16, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Sugarcult, "Dead Living"

WX at 8 AM (12) Sep 27 64 (18) 60 (16) 29.97 (1014) NNW 5 RH 88

Odometer 15C: 298.0mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 152/166

Short run as I have to go somewhere in 40 minutes. At least it's something. And the iThink wasn't bad.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:48 09:48 09:48 09:48 1.00
1.00 18:49 09:01 09:01 09:25 2.00
1.00 27:57 09:08 09:08 09:19 3.00
0.40 31:15 03:18 08:14 09:11 3.40

8.6mi, 87:07, 24 SEP 16, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Ariana Grande feat. Zedd, "Break Free" (Jon Electra remix)
Hybrid, "Burnin'"
Darude, "Sandstorm"

WX at 11 AM (15) Sep 24 77.0 (25.0) 64.9 (18.3) 30.09 (1018) NE 2 RH 66

Odometer 15C: 294.3mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 152/166

I'm still not used to doing longer runs anymore and my legs were pretty dead. I'm not sure why that's the case, but it's not just overtraining. I just can't get any speed or power. I also kind of don't care.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:53 09:53 09:53 09:53 1.00
1.00 19:30 09:37 09:37 09:45 2.00
1.00 29:20 09:50 09:50 09:47 3.00
1.00 39:50 10:30 10:30 09:58 4.00
1.00 50:20 10:30 10:30 10:04 5.00
1.00 60:57 10:36 10:36 10:09 6.00
1.00 70:57 10:00 10:00 10:08 7.00
1.00 80:58 10:01 10:01 10:07 8.00
1.00 87:07 06:09 06:09 09:41 9.00

4.32mi, 44:57, 22 SEP 16, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Supermode, "Tell Me Why"

WX at Noon (16) Sep 22 81.1 (27.3) 60.3 (15.7) 30.13 (1020) Variable 2 RH 49

Odometer 15C: 285.7mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 149/165

Holy fucking shit dead legs. Today was going to be a recovery run, but it's been a while since I felt this beat the hell up, even on a day like this one.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 10:22 10:22 10:22 10:22 1.00
1.00 20:18 09:57 09:57 10:09 2.00
1.00 30:44 10:26 10:26 10:15 3.00
1.00 41:10 10:26 10:26 10:18 4.00
0.32 44:57 03:47 11:48 10:24 4.32

3.02mi, 31:53, 21 SEP 16, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Supermode, "Tell Me Why"

WX at 4 PM (20) Sep 21 80.2 (26.8) 66.4 (19.1) 30.12 (1019) Calm RH 62

Odometer 15C: 281.4mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 148/163

My legs were pretty destroyed from yesterday's run, so today was a recovery run. Slow but necessary.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 10:37 10:37 10:37 10:37 1.00
1.00 21:05 10:27 10:27 10:32 2.00
1.02 31:53 10:48 10:35 10:33 3.02

8.38mi, 87:51, 20 SEP 16, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
A Day to Remember, "All I Want"
Philip Glass, opening credits to Hamburger Hill
Dos Gringos, "Going in for Guns"

WX at 10 AM (14) Sep 20 71.6 (22.0) 66.7 (19.3) 30.13 (1020) N 5 RH 84

Odometer 15C: 278.4mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 149/166

I needed to run because I was feeling the "fat piece of shit" feeling yesterday when I ate but didn't run. So I decided to get in a long one today, and deliberately didn't go much beyond aerobic pace. The objective was to burn lard, which I think was reasonably successful today.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 10:09 10:09 10:09 10:09 1.00
1.00 20:47 10:38 10:38 10:24 2.00
1.00 31:09 10:22 10:22 10:23 3.00
1.00 41:52 10:43 10:43 10:28 4.00
1.00 52:33 10:40 10:40 10:31 5.00
1.00 63:20 10:47 10:47 10:33 6.00
1.00 73:36 10:16 10:16 10:31 7.00
1.00 84:03 10:27 10:27 10:30 8.00
0.38 87:51 03:48 09:59 10:29 8.38

7.7mi, 78:07, 17 SEP 16, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
Touché Amoré, "Home Away From Here"
Touché Amoré, "Pathfinder"

WX at 10 AM (14) Sep 17 70.7 (21.5) 64.0 (17.8) 30.22 (1023) SE 3 RH 79

Odometer 15C: 270.0mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 151/166

I didn't really feel like running, so I deliberately went to a place where there would be a lot of people running around wearing spandex as an outergarment. Then I was motivated to run faster. So I did.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:47 09:47 09:47 09:47 1.00
1.00 20:07 10:20 10:20 10:03 2.00
1.00 30:21 10:13 10:13 10:07 3.00
1.00 40:46 10:26 10:26 10:12 4.00
1.00 51:11 10:24 10:24 10:14 5.00
1.00 61:05 09:55 09:55 10:11 6.00
1.00 70:59 09:54 09:54 10:08 7.00
0.70 78:07 07:08 10:11 10:09 7.70

Homecoming

Home is supposed to be the place you strive for. You work and dream to survive to see it again to enjoy all of its comforts.  But when you can't enjoy the things you should, you enter an especially sad place.  No joy can come to you for reasons you don't know.

I wasn't in this state necessarily because "bad things occurred" overseas, although they did.  I was sad and lonely because I felt empty.  Something was missing.  Fun, danger, excitement, purpose, drive, friends, explosions, intrigue, exotic lands.  All were gone.  I had a great time in Iraq and I missed it.  Wake and mow the lawn?  Why?  Fuck the lawn.

I never really came home.

Robert Shaw, "Homecoming," in Justin Hudnall, Julia Dixon Evans, and Rolf Yngve, eds., Incoming

6.3mi, 60:20, 15 SEP 16, Springfield, Virginia

iThink:
deadmau5, "Strobe"
The Connells, "Fun & Games"

WX at 8 AM (12) Sep 15 69.4 (20.8) 54.1 (12.3) 30.2 (1022) Calm

Odometer 15C: 262.3mi

Z3-Z4. Average/max heart rate = 149/172

First run since coming home. Much like the last one, it's a slow run with little power going uphill. I should do leg presses, but I don't really feel like it. Same as it ever was.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:36 09:36 09:36 09:36 1.00
1.00 19:37 10:01 10:01 09:49 2.00
1.00 29:40 10:02 10:02 09:53 3.00
1.00 39:23 09:43 09:43 09:51 4.00
1.00 48:24 09:01 09:01 09:41 5.00
1.00 57:43 09:19 09:19 09:37 6.00
0.30 60:20 02:37 08:42 09:35 6.30

4.0mi on dreadmill, 39:22, 11 SEP 16

iThink:
Courage My Love, "Bridges"
Iron Maiden, "Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner"

WX at 3 AM (7) Sep 11 102 (39) 50 (10) 29.74 (1007) NW 5 RH 17

Odometer 15C: 256.0mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 148/154

Recovery run, not too hard. I decided to go controlled at about 10:00/mi pace because I had run pretty hard yesterday.

First two miles went pretty ugly, then after that was okay.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
2.00 19:39 19:39 09:49 09:49 2.00
2.00 39:22 19:44 09:52 09:51 4.00

7.0mi on dreadmill, 65:18, 10 SEP 16

iThink:
The Calling, "Wherever You Will Go"
Ariana Grande feat. Zedd, "Break Free" (Jon Electra Remix)

WX at 5 AM (9) Sep 10 105 (41) 53 (12) 29.74 (1007) Calm RH 18

Odometer 15C: 252.1mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 151/160

For running during the day at speed, I felt surprisingly okay. It could also be that I've been trying to sleep a lot more and I took yesterday off (less a lot of walking). What surprised me the most was relative heart rate. It was lower than the effort I felt. On the other hand, I've managed to shave off four pounds in the last few weeks.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
7.00 05:18 05:18 09:20 09:20 7.00

3.4mi, 35:22, 7 SEP 16

iThink:
Ariana Grande feat. Zedd, "Break Free"

WX at 4 PM (20) Sep 07 91 (33) 50 (10) 29.65 (1004) WNW 10 widespread dust RH 24

Odometer 15C: 245.1mi

Z3. Average/max heart rate = 144/158

My last run here, hopefully forever. No regrets, but I don't want to return. Fittingly enough, it was widespread dust as I was running - with luck I don't regret it later. Time to pack. At least the breeze made for a tolerable run in spite of the temperature.

Today's iThink has been on more or less infinite repeat the last two days at the desk as I was closing out tasks. Could be worse, I guess.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 10:21 10:21 10:21 10:21 1.00
1.00 21:01 10:40 10:40 10:30 2.00
1.00 31:35 10:34 10:34 10:32 3.00
0.40 35:22 03:48 09:29 10:24 3.40

6.96mi, 47:02+22:15, 5 SEP 16

iThink:
Iron Maiden, "Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner"
Hybrid, "Burnin'"

WX at 3 PM (19) Sep 05 86 (30) 50 (10) 29.83 (1010) NNW 6 RH 29

Odometer 15C: 241.7mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 150/165, then 159/172

I had talked about wanting to run my longer 6.9mi, and today delivered the goods. The weather has started to break and it was time to get at it as soon as I could - and tonight's weather was a godsend compared to the last few weeks. 86F is the coolest it has been and I'm not willing to wake up early. That it was only 105F today was extraordinarily cool compared to what it's been lately, so I was gratified to get at it.

I took a break to get water and the Garmin Forerunner downloaded data, so I had to restart the clock.  Oops.

As a bonus feature, I ran exactly 6.9666 mi today. Awesome.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 10:16 10:16 10:16 10:16 1.00
1.00 20:26 10:10 10:10 10:13 2.00
1.00 30:45 10:18 10:18 10:15 3.00
1.00 40:40 09:55 09:55 10:10 4.00
0.65 47:02 06:22 09:47 10:07 4.65

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:39 09:39 09:39 09:39 1.00
1.00 19:33 09:54 09:54 09:47 2.00
0.31 22:15 02:42 08:41 09:38 2.31

6.66mi on dreadmill, 58:09, 3 SEP 16

iThink:
A Day to Remember, "All I Want"

WX at (no reading)

Odometer 15C: 234.7mi

Z4. Average/max heart rate = 162/178

6.66mi on the dreadmill, surprisingly quickly. It was in the morning, though, and I was still pretty fresh - rather than being all beat like I am at the end of the day.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
6.66 58:09 58:09 08:44 08:44 6.66

5.03mi, 49:41, 1 SEP 16

iThink:
Courage My Love, "For Now"

WX at 9 AM (13) Sep 01 111 (44) 59 (15) 29.53 (1000) NW 16 RH 18

Odometer 15C: 228.0mi

Z3-Z4. Average/max heart rate = 155/166

I wasn't feeling very motivated, but I have to run. Or else. So I did, but not very fast. I felt like going slower, but I didn't. Also, I was watching the remainder if Jiro Dreams of Sushi while I was on the dreadmill.

Splits

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
4.03 40:00 40:00 09:56 09:56 4.03
1.00 49:41 09:41 09:41 09:53 5.03