Tuesday, August 31, 2010

1.7mi + 2,000m on Concept2 Model D, 15:32 + 8:08, 31 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: David Bowie, "Life on Mars"

WX at 0600: 80.1 (26.7) DP 73.0 (22.8) BP 29.94 (1013) S 16 RH 79

Odometer 3: 108.2mi equivalency.

Z3 run, Z4 high erg.
Average/max heart rate = no reading.

Not enough sleep, but I forced myself to get out there. The run back really was unpleasant, but I'm starting to crank faster, which is a promising sign. I guess.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
0.85 07:54 07:54 09:18 09:18 0.85
0.85 15:32 15:32 18:16 09:08 1.70

Distance: 2000
Time: 00:08:08
Avg/500m: 02:02
Drag Factor: 109
Per Mile: 00:06:32

Saturday, August 28, 2010

6.35mi, 53:19, 28 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Daft Punk, "Fragile" (allegedly from the upcoming Tron: Legacy soundtrack, although this may be apocryphal)

WX at 0800: 68.0 (20.0) DP 57.0 (13.9) BP 30.01 (1016) S 10 RH 67

Odometer 3: 105.2mi

Z3 high-Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 156/186

The weather was good and I needed to get out there. What I didn't count on was a road race being run on the same day, so I ran through a giant water sprinkler, which helped some. Weather was about as good as it gets for this time of the year, although that's probably a good explanation for why today was consistently faster. My ideal running weather is about another 20F cooler.

I also have to chalk up a little schadenfreude to this morning's run. When I'm competing (and when I run alongside racers, I'm competing) I was drawing more energy from burning people going uphill. It wasn't fast, but that little mental energy boost I would get from passing people going uphill was no joke, especially when passing 10-15 or so runners.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:11 08:11 08:11 08:11 1.00
1.00 16:35 08:24 08:24 08:17 2.00
1.00 24:57 08:22 08:22 08:19 3.00
1.00 33:38 08:41 08:41 08:24 4.00
1.00 42:01 08:23 08:23 08:24 5.00
1.00 50:34 08:33 08:33 08:26 6.00
0.35 53:19 02:45 07:51 08:24 6.35

Friday, August 27, 2010

Some Light Viewing

I've been watching By Dawn's Early Light, the longboxes of which I've seen from time to time in some Wal-Marts but had always passed by. I guess I need to go looking again now.

I never thought about it, in spite of its considerable cast list, until I saw a reference to it from a British animated film about nuclear war called When The Wind Blows. I have occasional discussions about nuclear strategy and deterrence with one of my coworkers. I grew up in the Cold War, so the thought of nuclear war was always a possibility.

Two comments on By Dawn's Early Light:
1. Rebecca DeMornay isn't just a random hot actress and does a credible role in this film.
2. I'm singularly unforgiving of a lot of films that portray the military. I may not be completely qualified to comment on this since I'm not an Air Force officer and have no immediate experience in nuclear weapons, but this movie feels generally authentic to me. Whoever made this movie had done their homework to a degree I don't normally associate with Hollywood (although this is a HBO Original Film and never went to the big screen.) Then again, I could be wrong.

Granted, the last film about nuclear war that I saw was Threads, which absolutely unsettled the living shit out of me. This is almost as depressing in some ways, but brings up thoughts of professional ethics and morality in a context I normally don't bring up in coffee table discussion. Then again, not much of what I discuss is coffee table discussion anymore.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

2.97mi + 2,000m on Concept2 Model E, 26:52+8:24.0, 26 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
AC/DC, "Thunderstruck"
Bruce Springsteen, "The River"

WX at 0600: 61.0 (16.1) DP 60.1 (15.6) BP 30.22 (1023) Calm RH 96

Odometer 2: 212.4mi equivalency

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 151/171
No formal reading during erg, but leveled off at about 171-173 bpm.

I almost slept in, but realized I can't afford to take more than two days off. I think it's two days. At least the weather was about as good as it gets.

As usual, any run before, erg during, run after guarantees a ridiculously slow run back. This is one of the few times I had my HRM on so that I could make a reasonable argument that I wasn't just sandbagging it on the way back, seeing as how my average HR was at least 10 bpm higher than it was before. Yay.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.51 13:16 13:16 08:47 08:47 1.51 out
1.46 26:52 13:36 09:19 09:03 2.97 back

Distance: 2000
Time: 00:08:24
Avg/500m: 02:06
Drag Factor: 103
Per Mile: 00:06:46

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

1.6mi, 14:20, 24 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Randy Edelman, snippets of the soundtrack to Gettysburg

WX at 0600: 71.1 (21.7) 69.1 (20.6) 30.09 (1018) N 8 RH 93

Odometer 3: 98.8mi

Z2.
Average/max heart rate = 142/163

I woke up much too late to get anything in beyond a desultory run (especially after having to take a pit stop), but I was up late since graduate school has geared up again and I'm grinding my way through readings I need to get out of the way. I also woke up with killer leg cramps in my right calf which were distinctly un-fun.

No Splits.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

6.36mi, 58:57, 22 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Senses Fail, "Garden State"
Hilary Duff, "Wake Up"

WX at 0800: 75.9 (24.4) DP 75.9 (24.4) BP 30.08 (1018) Calm mist RH 100

Odometer 2: 208.7mi

Z2.
Average/max heart rate = 151/166

Intent was for some light wogging, and it was, albeit over a long distance. It's been a while since I've done LSD and on a morning where I wasn't really charged up about going out for a run, it was the most reasonable way to get one in.

I needed to burn lard after two days of doing nothing but eating (although I got in a few bike commutes on Friday). There are also extenuating factors that led me to reintroduce myself to my old pal Jeremiah Weed from time to time.

Problem is that the circumstances that lead me to catharsis drinking are not really fixable of my own volition alone and are unavoidable in my current life.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:23 09:23 09:23 09:23 1.00
1.00 18:25 09:02 09:02 09:13 2.00
1.00 27:31 09:06 09:06 09:10 3.00
1.00 36:43 09:12 09:12 09:11 4.00
1.00 45:52 09:09 09:09 09:10 5.00
1.00 55:18 09:26 09:26 09:13 6.00
0.36 58:57 03:39 10:08 09:16 6.36

Thursday, August 19, 2010

5.32mi, 48:56, 19 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
David Bowie, "Life on Mars"
New Model Army, "Heroes"

WX at 0600: 68.0 (20.0) DP 64.9 (18.3) BP 29.92 (1013) SSE 3 mist RH 89

Odometer 3: 97.2mi

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

Finally, I woke up early enough and didn't get sidetracked in something else and I got in a deliberate, if not leisurely (which I generally don't get during the work week) run. Leisurely runs become very, very short. It's been a while since I've done something that felt like LSD, though. Long slow distance is a rarity for me lately.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 09:06 09:06 09:06 09:06 1.00
1.00 18:25 09:19 09:19 09:13 2.00
1.00 27:35 09:10 09:10 09:12 3.00
1.00 36:55 09:20 09:20 09:14 4.00
1.00 45:56 09:01 09:01 09:11 5.00
0.32 48:56 03:00 09:22 09:12 5.32

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

4.5mi, 37:53, 18 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Death Cab for Cutie, "Marching Band of Manhattan"
Death Cab for Cutie, "Soul Meets Body"
background music to the flash games Solipskier (metal) and Canabalt (techno)

WX at 0700: 70.0 (21.1) DP 66.0 (18.9) BP 30.03 (1016) E 5 RH 87

Odometer 3: 91.9mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 154/181

Hard run because of late start. Will have to figure out what to do with dog at night because I don't want a canine sleeping partner. I'd much rather have a human one.

The splits belie the level of effort, or so I'd like to think. Either that, or maybe I'm just that out of shape.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:07 08:07 08:07 08:07 1.00
1.00 16:40 08:33 08:33 08:20 2.00
1.00 25:16 08:36 08:36 08:25 3.00
1.00 33:48 08:32 08:32 08:27 4.00
0.49 37:53 04:05 08:20 08:26 4.49

Monday, August 16, 2010

3.34mi, 30:45, 16 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: David Bowie, "Life on Mars"

WX at 0600: 66.9 (19.4) DP 63.0 (17.2) BP 30.15 (1020) NNE 3 RH 87

Odometer 2: 202.3mi

Z3 high.
Average/max heart rate = 154/174

I was thinking about cranking away on the Concept this morning, but after stepping outside, I knew today was going to be a running day.

The Concept can wait until tomorrow. The limiting factor, predictably, is time.

There were quite a few people out today, probably with the same idea I had - run while the weather has let up somewhat. Befitting the weather, today's run was faster than usual lately.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:44 08:44 08:44 08:44 1.00
1.00 17:34 08:50 08:50 08:47 2.00
1.00 26:06 08:32 08:32 08:42 3.00
0.54 30:45 04:39 08:37 08:41 3.54

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Warning: offensive in almost every way imaginable

Over the last decade or so I've been a faithful reader of Private Murphy's Law. Seeing as how it's been a while, Tim Murphy isn't a private anymore - indeed, he's a staff sergeant, which is probably consistent with some of the things depicted in the comic.

There are PML T-shirts, done by a rather unsubtle company called RangerUp. Although I have philosophical differences with some of their shirts, I admit they are well done.

They also feature a clever (and grossly offensive, even by my standards) spoof of the PowerThirst spoof, this one instead about (you guessed it) Ranger School.

I may be on unsteady ground here, as I am not a graduate of the Ranger Course, but even I got a huge laugh out of quite possibly the most offensive short video I've seen in a long, long while.


An Attractive Nuisance

I realize that Flash games are the bane of my existence, especially when they come with guilty pleasures like the metal soundtrack of Solipskier - a clever name if I ever heard one.

5.9mi, 50:53, 15 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 "Eroica," Scherzo-Vivace
David Bowie, "Life on Mars"

WX at 0900: 73.9 (23.3) DP 62.1 (16.7) BP 30.09 (1018) N 9 RH 66

Odometer 2: 198.9mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 163/184

I was out for my first run and the oppressive heat wave that's been hitting Kansas the last few days has finally abated. Sort of. It was cool enough and dry enough where today wasn't a killer, and I felt surprisingly froggy, although much of that could be attributed to the four days off I had. Duty on a mid-week added with getting my spine shot full of cortisone really put a damper on doing shit.

There may be hope for the future, although it needs to back off some so I can run more comfortably. For that, there's autumn, my favorite time of the year, and perhaps why I enjoyed running cross-country so much more than I did track.

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 25:34 08:44 08:44 08:31 3.00
1.00 34:23 08:49 08:49 08:36 4.00
1.00 43:03 08:40 08:40 08:37 5.00
0.90 50:53 07:50 08:42 08:37 5.90

Saturday, August 14, 2010

The Pentagon's Mad Men

Only at the US Naval Institute do I find something that mixes the only currently running TV show I watch with my chosen profession in a thought-provoking rundown of why the Department of Defense sucks ass at Strategic Communication.

Hell yeah.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

8,000m on Concept2 Model E, 35:40.1, 11 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Hilary Duff, "Wake Up"

WX at 0500: 80.1 (26.7) DP 71.1 (21.7) BP 29.87 (1011) S 7 RH 74

Odometer 3: 87.4mi equivalency

Z3/Z4.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

I was the duty officer at Fort Leavenworth last night, something which virtually guarantees almost no sleep because I stay up late finishing up and have to wake up early to get ready for the next duty day. I was feeling pretty destroyed, but still got in 8,000m on the Concept2 nearby. I'm starting to get back into the groove as I was averaging much faster than I had last week, always an encouraging sign.

I also didn't do anything yesterday, but it was so oppressively hot that I didn't feel like doing much other than just sweating my ass off.

Splits
Distance: 8000
Time: 00:35:01
Avg/500m: 02:11
Drag Factor: 101
Per Mile: 00:07:03

Monday, August 09, 2010

The Coolest Thing Ever

World War II on Facebook.

Courtesy of Blog Them out of the Stone Age, a clever blog written by Ohio State history professor Mark Grimsley, currently the visiting professor of history at the Army War College.

2.3mi, 20:02, 8 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: Lush, "Hypocrite"

WX at 0600: 81.0 (27.2) 73.0 (22.8) 29.84 (1010) S 9 RH 76

Odometer 3: 84.9mi

Z3.
Average/max heart rate = 144/168

Woke up later than I needed to get in a substantial run, but didn't want today to turn into a day of Do Nothing But Eat, especially with a National Weather Service forecast that predicts the following:

Today: Sunny and hot, with a high near 101. Heat index values as high as 116. South southwest wind between 11 and 14 mph.

It wasn't very fast, and it wasn't very long, but it was more than nothing.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:44 08:44 08:44 08:44 1.00
1.00 17:15 08:31 08:31 08:37 2.00
0.30 20:02 02:47 09:17 08:43 2.30

Sunday, August 08, 2010

1.7mi + 8,000m on Concept2 Model E, 36:40, 7 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
David Bowie, "Life on Mars"
Ministry, "Thieves" (from In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up)

WX at 1100: 90.0 (32.2) DP 75.0 (23.9) BP 29.86 (1011) SSW 15 RH 61 HI 100.2 (37.9)

Odometer 2: 193.0mi equivalency

Z3 high.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

Today was hot. I misjudged when my wife and kids were going to church and waited until after they left, not realizing that I should've rolled out at 7:50 just in time to get to the gym, get my punishment in, and get back before they left. Oh well.

The HVAC at the gym was out, so I erged at outside temperature. Heat index 100.2F was awesome, awesome, awesome.

I decided to go for a more moderate pace, and only cranked at about 2:20/500m, which was a judicious choice for how goddamn hot it actually was today.

The return run was fun too, as I revisited how much a run after erging sucks. It's still necessary.

I'm not sure where the Ministry flashback (no pun intended) came from.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
0.85 08:01 08:01 09:26 09:26 0.85
0.85 16:32 16:32 19:27 09:44 1.70

Distance: 8000
Time: 00:36:40
Avg/500m: 02:17
Drag Factor: 105
Per Mile: 00:07:23

Thursday, August 05, 2010

1.9mi + 5,000m on Concept2 Model E, 21:58, 5 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Lush, "Hypocrite"
Lush, "Lovelife"

WX at 0700: 72.0 (22.2) DP 71.1 (21.7) BP 29.98 (1015) N 3 fog RH 96

Odometer 2: 188.8mi equivalency

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = no reading

The gym nearer my house has a battery of five Concept2 Model E ergs, so I decided to get back at it figuring I didn't need to do two runs over 4mi back to back yet. (Oh how the mighty have fallen.)

Run + erg + run was always challenging since rowing just destroyed me for the run back. It would take at least a 1km recovery before I even felt okay running again, and today was no exception.

The other reason I felt more motivated to row this morning is that it directly feeds my physical therapy that I've been doing to strengthen my back given that I have a compressed spine. Yay me.

I'm pretty sure I'm not ready to do much beyond 5,000m right now. If I'm working hard just to hold 2:12/500m I have some work to do.

This morning's iThink stems from ripping parts of the Lush album Split, a disk I bought less than a month after graduating from college. I remember this peculiarly since I was driving around Fort Bragg in summer 1994 listening to that album...and the Circle Jerks' "Gig." The other album I was ripping was my old Minor Threat Discography, in some vain attempt to rediscover my childhood, or at least my teenage years. Minor Threat might be a bit precocious even for my girls, even if I wish I had the discipline to be straight edge again. I took that iconoclasm in other directions.

Splits
Distance: 5000
Time: 00:21:58
Avg/500m: 02:12
Drag Factor: 106
Per Mile: 00:07:04

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

4.76mi, 42:16, 4 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink: James Horner, "Battle in the Mutara Nebula"

WX at 0700: 75.9 (24.4) DP 73.0 (22.8) BP 29.96 (1014) NNW 8 RH 90

Odometer 3: 82.6mi

Z3-4.
Average/max heart rate = 160/179

I almost slept in, but realized I'd taken a rest day yesterday and needed to get out there. Today rewarded me with a run that felt more efficient than usual, even though none of the usual indicators that preceded it (good sleep, good hydration) were present.

OTOH, maybe it was not drinking so much that helped.

I have no idea where this morning's iThink came from.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:54 08:54 08:54 08:54 1.00
1.00 17:42 08:48 08:48 08:51 2.00
1.00 26:38 08:56 08:56 08:53 3.00
1.00 35:36 08:58 08:58 08:54 4.00
0.76 42:16 06:40 08:46 08:53 4.76

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

The Coolest Thing Ever






I so fucking laughed my ass off uncontrollably. These movies are a textbook example of why you can never have too much dakka.

There's also a reason why the cheat code for two pistols in Rise of the Triad was "johnwoo".

I'm not sure which is my favorite but I think it's a tossup between A Better Tomorrow II (76) and Shoot'Em Up (95) for sheer bodycount. I can't say no to Nikki Sixx's background song and I definitely can't say no to Monica Bellucci. Just saying.

Monday, August 02, 2010

3.5mi, 30:57, 2 AUG 10, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

iThink:
Patsy Cline, "Never No More"
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 "Eroica," Scherzo-Vivace

WX at 0600: 75.9 (24.4) DP 70.0 (21.1) BP 29.89 (1012) S 10 RH 81

Odometer 2: 184.5mi

Z4.
Average/max heart rate = 156/171

This morning's iThink is a direct consequence of watching my favorite episode of Space: Above and Beyond yesterday (in the interests of disclosure, "The Angriest Angel") as I was screwing around with VLC player.

Being in my usual bright, shiny, ultra-Hobbesian self, I was thinking briefly about what I call the T.C. McQueen workout video, which also features a nice bit of character introspection.

I didn't want to run, but needed to this morning. Today's going to be crazy hot.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.00 08:55 08:55 08:55 08:55 1.00
1.00 17:48 08:53 08:53 08:54 2.00
1.00 26:31 08:43 08:43 08:50 3.00
0.50 30:57 04:26 08:52 08:51 3.50