5.5mi, 47:33, 30 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Journey, "Only The Young"

WX at 0600: 62.1 (16.7) BP 60.1 (15.6) DP 29.9 (1012) Calm RH 93

Odometer 1: 87.5mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 145/164

It doesn't get much better during the summer than this, but it's a shame that my knees are too beat for any significant running. After yesterday's rowing session, though, it was time to see what the legs could do, so I headed to the track for some deliberate effort (i.e., not wogging). which was neither encouraging, nor dismaying...

Tomorrow should be another day of lifting, then I'll do a long run on Saturday. My nephews are visiting today for a week, so I don't expect to be able to get anything in Sunday since we have something planned for overnight on Saturday.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:48 08:48 08:48 08:48 1.00
1.00 17:31 08:43 08:43 08:45 2.00
1.00 26:20 08:49 08:49 08:47 3.00
1.00 34:57 08:37 08:37 08:44 4.00
1.00 43:29 08:32 08:32 08:42 5.00
0.46 47:33 04:04 08:50 08:43 5.46

3.0mi + 6,000m on Concept2 Model C, 26:24 + 25:26, 29 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Neil Young, "Rockin' in the Free World"

WX at 0600: 61.0 (16.1) DP 57.9 (14.4) BP 29.91 (1012) NNE 3 RH 89

Odometer 4: 324.3mi equivalency

Z4 out, Z4 row, Z3 return.
Average/max heart rate = no reading.

"Rockin' in the Free World" is, flat out, one of the angriest songs I know. There's some catharsis involved in that song that can be therapeutic from times...and I know catharsis well. "Rockin' in the Free World" is a pretty therapeutic song. I play it on the car CD player with my kids present, but they don't know the significance of the lyrics. Yet.

That, and I can listen to that rather than Suicidal Tendencies in front of the kids when I'm in a crap mood.

The weather has been uncharacteristically cool lately, and today was no exception. It allowed me to run a quick out leg to the gym, and then I was able to get in a fairly fast (but not personal record) 6,000m row by concentrating on tempo and stroke count. I average about 25 strokes per 200m, and by counting strokes, I could ignore the basic suck inherent to rowing. Once I'd counted a few sets of 25, I realized I was making pretty good progress and went for my usual crank-until-nausea finish...except I didn't feel that bad.

I consistently row faster when I don't look at the clock. Not sure why, but I do.

Time to see how my knees are going to hurt today, though...with my kindler, gentler, machine gun hand.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.51 12:46 12:46 08:27 08:27 1.51
1.51 26:24 13:38 09:02 08:45 3.02

Distance: 6000
Time: 00:25:26
Per 500m: 02:07
Drag Factor : 196
Per Mile: 00:06:49

3.0mi + lift, 27:04, 27 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Bear McCreary, "Elegy"
The Moog Cookbook, "Catscratch Fever"
snippets of George Oldziey's score to Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom

WX at 0600: 62.1 (16.7) DP 61.0 (16.1) BP 29.99 (1015) S 6 RH 96

Odometer 4: 319.0mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = no reading.

Today would've been a great day for running, but I'm going to settle back into seeing how I feel after running only 1.5mi + 1.5mi. Things felt okay, but that could've been a factor of the weather more so than my joints and musculature.

Lifting seems to be getting harder, but I think some of that is my consciously taking shorter and shorter breaks in between exercises. These shorter breaks are partly driven by time, partly driven by objective, which is to get stronger without getting bigger, which in doing so drives lesser weights than I might want, but then generates a much greater number of repetitions instead.

The real determinant will be how I feel in about eight hours...

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.51 13:40 13:40 09:03 09:03 1.51
1.51 27:04 13:24 08:52 08:58 3.02

10,000m on Concept2 Model D, 42:46, 26 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Bear McCreary, "Elegy"

WX at 0900: 75.0 (23.9) DP 64.0 (17.8) BP 30.03 (1016) NNE 6 RH 68

Odometer 4: 316.0mi equivalency

Z4, Z5 finish.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

Today's weather is ridiculously nice and I felt mildly criminal not going for a run, but my knees won't permit it.

I decided to take a slightly different take on getting to the Concept2 machines at the gym, and rode my bike there.

This follows a trend over the last two months where I've made a conscious effort to cycle commute to work as the available parking is so shitty that I might as well walk. It has to be a torrential downpour before I consider not riding my bike.

The usual routine for most workouts involving the Concept is to go faster than usual at the start, slow down as I warm up, and then finish hard. The norm is that I usually feel like woofing as I finish. I never have to worry about thinking I didn't work hard enough on the row. My desire to vomit (and my concomitant desire not to do so on a hardwood gym floor) is the constant.

Today was a little different as I started feeling some of the nausea about 6000m into today's session. I was averaging about 170 watts at the start, around 160-165 midway, and for the last 400-500m, was going in excess of 190 watts, peaking somewhere above 200 watts. I'm guessing the nausea is coming from the increase in hydrogen ions in the muscles resulting from lactate buildup...although I suspect, if I did this more often (and given the current state of my knees this is likely) the woof factor will decrease.

The side effect of rowing is that my upper back tends to get bigger as I work it harder. This was particularly apparent with some sport coats and jackets.

Splits
Distance: 10000
Time: 00:42:46
Per 500m: 02:08
Drag Factor : 198
Per Mile: 00:06:53

3.0mi + lift, 27:12, 24 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Bear McCreary, "An Easterly View"
pieces of Bear McCreary, "Assault on the Colony"

WX at 0600: 66.0 (18.9) DP 62.1 (16.7) BP 29.91 (1012) S 6 RH 87

Odometer 4: 312.2mi

Z3 out, Z4 in.
Average/max heart rate = no reading.

I was thinking about spinning this morning, but woke up later than I should've and took too long getting out the door. Maybe tomorrow. I lifted instead. My shift away from lifting means it's harder to get in the same weights in that I used to think was easy a few weeks ago, but I think twice a week is about enough.

I need go back to doing ab work again.

Also, my knees don't seem to hurt as much, but that could be the 1000mg of Naprosyn I'm ingesting a day too.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.51 13:36 13:36 09:00 09:00 1.51
1.51 27:12 13:36 09:00 09:00 3.02

5.5mi, 49:57, 22 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Journey, "Only The Young"
Journey, "Ask the Lonely"

WX at 0600: 60.1 (15.6) DP 59.0 (15.0) BP 29.99 (1015) NW 5 RH 96

Odometer 1: 82.0mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 144/166

Nothing impressive, but at least it's a run. Today will be a useful benchmark for how much I suck after running today.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:37 08:37 08:37 08:37 1.00
1.00 17:52 09:15 09:15 08:56 2.00
1.00 27:03 09:11 09:11 09:01 3.00
1.00 36:27 09:24 09:24 09:07 4.00
1.00 45:35 09:08 09:08 09:07 5.00
0.47 49:57 04:22 09:17 09:08 5.47

3.0mi + lift, 26:39, 21 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Journey, "Only The Young"

WX at 0600: 66 (19) DP 64 (18) BP 29.93 (1013) NNE 6 mist RH 93

Odometer 4: 309.2mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = no reading.

I spent this past weekend ingesting perhaps more fried food than was safe for me. It was tasty, but it was also the tipping point of switching to a much lighter diet.

First day lifting in a while, so I was curious as to how much I lost in a week - a little, but not as much as it might've been.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.51 13:28 13:28 08:55 08:55 1.51
1.51 26:39 13:11 08:44 08:49 3.02

7.3mi, 61:58, 18 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Henry Mancini, theme to The Magnificent Seven
Chris Cornell, "You Know My Name"
Asia, "Only Time Will Tell"
Dos Gringos, "Going In For Guns"

WX at 0800: 62.1 (16.7) DP 55.9 (13.3) BP 30.18 (1022) WNW 6 RH 80

Odometer 4: 306.2mi

Z3 high.
Average/max heart rate = 160/175

Today was too good a day to pass up, and in spite of my chronic runner's knee, I figured I'd get in a long run before this weekend, where I expect to do...nothing but eat.

The price I'll pay for going as hard as I did (and it's about as fast as I've run in a long while) was that my knees are going to hurt like a motherfucker later today. This is where better living through chemicals comes in.

The perennial value of "Going In For Guns" makes it an ideal running mantra.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:41 08:41 08:41 08:41 1.00
1.00 17:13 08:32 08:32 08:36 2.00
1.00 25:49 08:36 08:36 08:36 3.00
1.00 34:20 08:31 08:31 08:35 4.00
1.00 42:43 08:23 08:23 08:33 5.00
1.00 51:01 08:18 08:18 08:30 6.00
1.00 59:06 08:05 08:05 08:27 7.00
0.27 01:58 02:52 10:37 08:31 7.27

3.0mi + 8,000m on Concept2 Model D, 28:03/34:03.8, 16 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Bear McCreary, "Dirty Hands"
Hilary Duff, "Wake Up"

WX at 0700: 68.0 (20.0) DP 63.0 (17.2) BP 30.04 (1017) Calm RH 83

Odometer 1: 76.5mi equivalence

Z3 run, Z4 (Z5 finish) row.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

First day spinning in a long, long while. Part of my difficulty in staying consistent with rowing is the general level of effort. When I row consistently, it's payoff, but it's painful to get to that level. Today means I'm rebuilding since I was rowing a fairly consistent 2:05 at the start, slowed to about 2:10-2:12/500m about midway through, and finished at about 2:08/500m with a 1:56-2:00/500m finish. My usual sensation of wanting to woof aside, today was a rough one, but it indicates two things:

- all the altitude benefits from Afghanistan are long gone.
- rowing might be an acceptable substitute for long running so long as I have chondromalacia problems.

I also ran into one of my former lieutenants, who is now stationed here at Fort Leavenworth with the Battle Command Training Program, and as usual, it's a reminder of just how small the Army can be. He and I had both served with another senior officer in different places.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.51 14:17 14:17 09:28 09:28 1.51
1.51 28:03 13:46 09:07 09:17 3.02

Distance: 8000
Time: 00:34:04
Per 500m: 02:08
Drag Factor : 189
Per Mile: 00:06:51

4.25mi, 36:21, 15 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: New Model Army, "Running in the Rain"

WX at 0700: 75.0 (23.9) DP 63.0 (17.2) BP 30.01 (1016) NNW 15 light rain RH 66

Odometer 4: 298.9mi

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

I was puzzled that it wasn't 100% humidity when it was raining, but this explains it. It also explains why, in spite of overcast conditions and rain, it wasn't foggy.

It also explains why car windows get foggy in the rain when there are people inside also...

I was sorely tempted to sleep in. Again. I need to go to sleep earlier in the day, but that's a discipline thing. I was originally going to wake up and go spinning on the Concept, but with the light steady rain this morning, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

I think I have chondromalacia patellae, which might explain why my knees hurt like hell when I squat or step up. Fun.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:44 08:44 08:44 08:44 1.00
1.00 17:09 08:25 08:25 08:34 2.00
1.00 25:42 08:33 08:33 08:34 3.00
1.00 34:03 08:21 08:21 08:31 4.00
0.25 36:21 02:18 09:12 08:33 4.25

5.5mi, 50:22, 13 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Dos Gringos, "Going In For Guns"

WX at 0600: 71.1 (21.7) BP 70.0 (21.1) DP 30.05 (1017) S 5 mist RH 96

Odometer 4: 294.6mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 154/171

The legs were uncooperative this morning, but I was determined to get a run in. I need to stop thinking I'm going to get leaner on my own and just get out and work.

Now that my bike is back from the shop, I can go back to commuting back to work like I've been meaning to. That'll probably help also.

The utter lack of power in my legs is not encouraging. The splits are misleading since they don't show how slow I was actually going on the uphills (something like 10:15/mi pace in some places).

I wonder if this is a manifestation of the "you will not know just how tired you really are until you get back" that I was warned about by other returning combat veterans.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:13 09:13 09:13 09:13 1.00
1.00 18:09 08:56 08:56 09:04 2.00
1.00 27:25 09:16 09:16 09:08 3.00
1.00 36:34 09:09 09:09 09:09 4.00
1.00 45:28 08:54 08:54 09:06 5.00
0.55 50:22 04:54 08:55 09:05 5.55

2.9mi, 26:51, 10 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Bear McCreary, "All Along the Watchtower"

WX at 0600: 71 (22) DP 68 (20) BP 30 (1015) E 22 RH 88
WX at 0500: 75 (24) DP 73 (23) BP 29.99 (1015) NE 16 thunder RH 94
WX at 0400: 81 (27) DP 70 (21) BP 29.91 (1012) S 15 RH 69

Odometer 4: 289.0mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

I was going to crank away for 6,000m on the Concept Model D today, but going out marked the most colossal set of dead legs I've experienced in a long while. It's almost unheard of that I can run out and my legs feel so bad that I almost call it quits getting out the door.

I was hoping this would pass when I got to the gym but no such lock. I lasted maybe 1400m on the Concept until I finally called it quits and ran back.

Maybe tomorrow.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.39 12:26 12:26 08:57 08:57 1.39
1.51 26:51 14:25 09:33 09:16 2.90

I fucking hate the Office 2007 UI

When I was in Afghanistan, I would have put a controlled pair into anyone who was going to put it on my computer.

I have since returned to a noncombat environment and I no longer have the luxury of running Office 2003.

Whoever came up with the new Ribbon user interface needs to be kicked in the nuts repeatedly, because over a decade of using the basic user interface in Microsoft Office 97, 2000, XP, and 2003 (which spans over a decade) has gone straight down the shitter.

There are some features in Microsoft Office 2007 I like, but not many.

Unfortunately, the most visible feature (The Ribbon) is the one I fucking hate with a passion.

2.9mi + lift, 24:51, 6 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Dos Gringos, "Going In For Guns"

WX at 0600: 66.0 (18.9) DP 63.0 (17.2) BP 29.91 (1012) SSW 6 RH 90

Odometer 4: 286.0mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

Today was surprisingly quick for how I initially felt. I was pleasantly surprised to be running to the gym about 30-45 seconds/mile faster than I feel I have over the last few weeks.

The lifting is what it is, but I've held steady on not increasing weight beyond what I've been doing, in a conscious attempt to get leaner through increasing repetitions of the lighter weight. It's taking some time.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.39 11:49 11:49 08:30 08:30 1.39
1.51 24:51 13:02 08:38 08:34 2.90

4.53mi, 39:41, 5 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: The Connells, "Take A Bow"

WX at 0900: 68 (20) DP 62 (17) BP 30.03 (1016) N 9 RH 81

Odometer 4: 283.1mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 155/171

Today was a short one, in an attempt to maintain momentum with running (or, for that matter, doing anything at all).

The weather was a key factor in today's run where I felt better and the times reflected it. Either that, or heat kills me worse than I thought, even now. That might've been attributed to the light rain we had during our Independence Day fireworks.

I also recognize that some of my peers have a hard time with fireworks, at least the whistlers that explode later. Those might be a tad reminscent of what was going on last Easter in the International Zone in Baghdad when Jaysh al-Mahdi pounded the shit out of the area with 107mm and 240mm rockets.



Myself, I have a harder time with rapid-fire fireworks that sounds like sustained small arms fire.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:37 08:37 08:37 08:37 1.00
1.00 17:13 08:36 08:36 08:36 2.00
1.00 26:03 08:50 08:50 08:41 3.00
1.00 34:58 08:55 08:55 08:45 4.00
0.53 39:41 04:43 08:54 08:46 4.53

5.06mi, 46:14, 4 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Peter Oldroyd, "Fragile" (theme from the trailer to Solaris)

WX at 0900: 73.0 (22.8) DP 73.0 (22.8) BP 29.9 (1012) SSE 3 RH 100

Odometer 1: 71.1mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 155/170

Today was a day of "if I don't go out, I won't do anything else today, so I better run" day. This was a day where I had to choose between lard and burning lard, so I needed to burn lard.

The Ithink today stems also from this video, since I watched my first MLL game in a long, long while (on our TiVo) as well as parts of the UnderArmour All-America Lacrosse Classic, which features the best high school players in the country.

When I was in prep school, my 10th grade math teacher once quipped that "you know lacrosse is a prep school sport when Yale's the number two team in the country" (which was the case in 1987 for a little while). As I was watching, certain schools get mentioned that are fairly familiar names for most lacrosse fans, places like Gilman, Boy's Latin, Fayetteville-Manlius, Ward Melville, Duxbury, West Genesee, Georgetown Prep, and the one that really got my attention, St. Anne's-Belfield.

Hearing Belfield getting mentioned was a particularly fun nod for me as I know the drive from Richmond to Charlottesville well, in no small part becuase of an ongoing friendly rivalry for academic teams between my school (St. Christopher's) and St. Anne's-Belfield (or STAB for short). As an unusual convention, I always called the school as "St. Anne's" when referring to the girls who went there, and "Belfield" for the boys who'd gone there, which recalls their existence prior to the merger of the St. Anne's and Belfield schools in 1975 (I believe)...but all this is trivia somewhat out of the ordinary for a July 4 spent far, far away from Virginia.

And yes, I suppose if you look at the roster, lacrosse is still a niche sport if you look at where people are from and where they went to school.

Oh, and today was a pretty slow run. At least I lifted on Thursday so it's not a total zero sum week.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:01 09:01 09:01 09:01 1.00
1.00 18:02 09:01 09:01 09:01 2.00
1.00 27:17 09:15 09:15 09:06 3.00
1.00 36:49 09:32 09:32 09:12 4.00
1.00 45:43 08:54 08:54 09:09 5.00
0.06 46:14 00:31 08:37 09:08 5.06

7.1mi, 63:51, 1 JUL 09, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Journey, "Only The Young"

WX at 0600: 61.0 (16.1) DP 57.0 (13.9) BP 29.87 (1011) WNW 8 RH 86

Odometer 1: 64.0mi

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

About as nice a day as I could expect for the middle of the summer. My knees hurt today. I'm not sure if that's chronic retropatellar pain syndrome (i.e., overtraining) or if it's weight, or a combination of that and other things.

I needed to get up this morning and get at it, though. Yesterday I slept in because I was absolutely beat, which might be an aggregate of Sunday and Monday put together. I do need to keep this momentum going, though, since I'm going to try to burn off some of the weight I've managed to amass in the last two months.

As usual, this was a slow start until I was more properly warmed up at the 35-40 minute mark.

I'm not too concerned about speed until I start burning off lard. For now.

The Journey comes from the scenery this morning, which reminded me of the morning run scenes from the film Vision Quest. The rest follows...

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:50 08:50 08:50 08:50 1.00
1.00 17:39 08:49 08:49 08:49 2.00
1.00 26:45 09:06 09:06 08:55 3.00
1.00 35:37 08:52 08:52 08:54 4.00
1.00 44:42 09:05 09:05 08:56 5.00
1.00 53:46 09:04 09:04 08:58 6.00
1.00 63:01 09:15 09:15 09:00 7.00
0.10 63:51 00:50 08:20 09:00 7.10