September 27, 2013

The cool weather, in typical Oklahoma fashion, simply disappeared.  Vaporized. It was 12 degrees warmer this morning than at Wednesday's start.  Put the long-sleeves away for a bit, needless to say.  Another good five-mile maintenance run under cover of darkness.  Pre-dawn, 70 degrees, no wind, no hardcore humidity.  Another sub-ten minute mile pace to continue the gradual improvement in times.  Reversed the loop again this AM, which is truly living on the edge.  Seven on tap para mañana. 

Goals and Objectives

It always come back to this...

Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Regime

25 miles a week as a base to start this madness.  December 23, 2013 start date to complete a 26.1 run on April 27, 2014.

OKC Memorial Marathon

Even though I will have to do the majority of the heavy lifting, I'm putting it out there for the universe to conspire with me!  

September 25, 2013

Cool running is the best.  Getting to break out the long-sleeves feels nice.  Left the house under cover of darkness for a five-mile loop.  Reversed the loop in the spirit of living on the proverbial edge.  Broke the ten-minute mile pace for the second time this week.  9:38 per mile pace is the fastest in a while.  Another five and change set for Friday.  No wind, no humidity, no worries.  "Feeling it" again on the last two runs, which puts any running injury in perspective.  After taking basically six-weeks off to recuperate, it has taken five-weeks to get a semblance of mojo back.  I will be freakishly prudent and aware as the ramp-up continues.  Cheers.

September 23, 2013

Another cool morning in these parts.  Autumn is definitely here.  Stepped out for an early-AM run with an enjoyable 53 degree temp (12 C) with which to contend.  Darkened streets and not one other runner out and about this AM.  No breeze and low humidity.  Unspectacular five and change around the campus.  Broke the ten-minute per mile pace for the first time in a while with a few seconds to spare.  Pace is consistently ticking downward; however, I'm still 30 to 45 seconds slower per mile today than exactly one year ago.  Oh well.  Probably has something to do with that ten extra pounds I'm carrying!  5-5-7 for W-F-Sa.  Cheers.

September 21, 2013

Bring on Autumn!  One day out from the Autumnal Equinox!  Hit the road under cover of darkness with the temp at a beautiful 52 degrees Fahrenheit.  It was nice to put on the long sleeves for the first time in months.  Did a 10k with little deviation or fanfare; times are a bit faster than August's, but remain slower than June's.  Missed two mid-week runs in an effort to rest a bit after a sustained three-week ramp-up.  Things were going so well that I thought a little rest was in order.  Ha!  How neurotic is that? This week's schedule is threatening to look like 5-5-5-7 if all goes as planned. Morning temps in the ten-day forecast vascillate between mid-50s and mid-60s.  This next month is the best running weather of the year and I plan on taking advantage of it.  Cheers.

September 16, 2013

Early AM run to start the week.  Stepped out to 73 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity in the 90% range. In other words, it was extremely sticky out there.  A slight breeze and the vague hint of rain made things a little more bearable.  The rain never panned out, but it was a decent run nonetheless.  Ended with 5.37 miles.  Slowed a bit off of last week's times.

September 14, 2013

Game Day run in the early AM. Hit the road a bit later than usual, so I got to see the professional tailgaters getting serious for an 1100 kickoff.  Temp was a beautiful 64 with not a trace of humidity or wind. It was perfect running conditions.  A solid five-mile loop around the campus.  South through the South Greek to the Lloyd Noble, then back North past the stadium to the shack.  Next week's will all be fives.

September 11, 2013

Another very typical early AM jaunt through well-known environs.  4.51 miles around the campus.  Temps still in high 60s at the onset; humidity not a factor.  Times have improved slightly, especially over the past ten days, although I will never be mistaken for Usain Bolt.  Thursday at the gym.  

September 9, 2013

Monday morning breakout.  Dawn Patrol.  Out the door for a pre-dawn 4.34 miles.  Beginning the third week of consistent, back-in-the-game running after a couple of months of perverse downtime. The key is to slowly build back up to 20 - 25 miles a week without breaking something else.  The weather was a continuation of the last couple of weeks: temps in the low 70s with manageable humidity.  Times were decent, although a technology issue recorded the first mile at 8:35, which certainly was a generous spot, considering how improbable it was.  Gym work set for Tuesday.

September 6, 2013

 Another four-miles in familiar territory.  Campus loop through Fraternity Row and points South; up past the stadium and then West, to the shack. Pre-dawn soft parade; grey blue hue...another cool morning with which contend.  Humidity has been manageable as of late, which adds points for comfort.  Pace was decent for the first two and then slowed a bit for miles three and four.  No complaints.  Getting there...again. Planning on 4's this coming week x 4. 

September 4, 2013

Dawn Patrol.  A wonderful start to the day.  Hit the pavement with temps in the mid-60s and low humidity.  It almost felt cool.  Tweaked the route a bit and ended up with a decent four-mile loop around the campus environs.  Leg issues are diminishing day-to-day; first two miles were at 10:00 min. pace, which is still slow, but is trending faster each run.  Feels good getting the semblance of a groove back.  Weights tomorrow, followed by 4-5 to finish out the week.  Should be at six-mile maintenance runs in a fortnight or so.

September 2, 2013

Holiday runs are nice because the streets are virtually empty at 530 am.  Good times.  74 degrees this AM without even a hint of a breeze.  Humid.  Very.  3.69 miles, which, at this stage of the game, I will definitely take.  Back to an every-other-day-routine for the moment.  Leg mechanics seem to be improving, though my cadence and gait are a bit off.  Cadence and gait issues equal slow times, i.e., running almost two minutes per mile slower.  4-4-5 to finish the week.  It's great to be out of the pool and back on the road.  Having two running-related injuries in the last year has been a bit of a downer.  It has also reminded me to hold on to the seemingly mundane moments that comprise a routine, four-mile loop around the campus, because one day running around the campus might not be an option.  Respect the run.  Realize that the miles add up.  Back and Bi mañana; whirlpool and steam.

August 31, 2013

Game Day.  Per tradition, I like to get an early morning run in the books every home game.  It's still wild to see the tail gating professionals setting up 12-hours prior to kick-off, Bud Light in hand, cigarettes glowing in the soft grey morning.  A solid run through familiar territory.  Temps in the low 70s with a bit of humidity.  It was a slow finish to a decent week of running.  Building mileage again.  Leg is still a bit off; however, it feels better every run.