May 29, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Beat the sun this AM for another back to back. Summer schedule in affect with Mon-Wed-Thu-Sat runs to become the norm. Tuesday and Friday are gym days. Started extremely slow and stiff, especially in the knees. Time for new shoes, if experience is worth anything. Revisited the Flood Route for giggles and a change of scenery: 5.24 miles in 51:06 for an average 9:45 min/mile pace. Finished relatively strong. A planned eight miles for Saturday AM. Mahalo.

May 28, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Out the door in the blue pre-dawn haze. A solid 6.05 miles around the campus in 57:30. Average pace 9:30 min/mile. Temps in the mid-60s with a spot of humidity. Started slowly and then picked up the pace towards the end. No worries. Summer is definitely on the brink. The humidity and temps will continue to increase moving forward. Another six on tap for Thursday. Aloha.

May 26, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Back on the home front after some time on the road. Out the door with the sunlight hitting the olive oil. Campus loop with a rare southern extension to Highway 9. Completed 6.14 miles in 1:00:24 for a 9:50 min/mile pace. Temps continue to be manageable: 67 degrees Fahrenheit with a slight breeze and some serious humidity. Good times.

May 23, 2014

Chicago. Early morning run along the shores of Lake Michigan. Amazing trail system that runs along the lake. Beautiful spring day: cool, no humidity and a steady breeze off the lake.  Headed south from Grant Park, past Soldier Field and the United Airlines Center and returned for a solid 7.12 miles.  Pace was slower than usual, as my head was on a swivel and I was geeking out at all of the amazing sights. Finished in 1:11:25 for a 10:02 min/mile pace. Good times.

May 20, 2014

Dawn Patrol. A week off to recuperate a sore and strained lower back. No worries, other than a chronically delicate back that dislikes heavy lifting, moving furniture and otherwise overextending my 45-year old frame. Out the door at the appointed time. 6.01 miles around the campus, per custom. Hot and humid from the onset. Consistent pace throughout. Overall, 57:12 minutes for a 9:31 min/mile pace. Wednesday off. Back in the game Thursday.

May 13, 2014

Dawn Patrol. A rare back-to-back. Cold Front in effect. North winds gusting to 20 mph with temps in the mid-40s. Took advantage of the weather because in a couple of months I will be yearning for mornings like this one. Broke out the long-sleeves, cap and gloves for this one. Tight and slow at the onset.  6.02 campus loop in 57:34 for a par-for-the-course 9:33 min/mile pace. Finished strong. Cheers.

May 12, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Blew off the planned weekend runs for no good reason at all. Sloth Master. Wine Master. Awoke re-energized and ready to hit the road this morning. Headed out into the pre-thunderstorm dawn for a 5.69 mile run around the campus. Light mist, temps in the mid-60s, high humidity and a brisk South wind. Slower than usual with stiff legs at the onset. Finished in 54:53 for a 9:39 min/mile pace. Altered the route at the end and came up a bit short of six miles. Will get out tomorrow for six, as a cold front arrived this morning and temps should be in the mid-40s. Mahalo.

May 9, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Cool breeze, temps in the low 60s, isolated pockets of fog and bouts of humidity. Shorts and short sleeves. Competed for the slowest run of the week. Out the door a bit earlier than usual. 48:22 for the five mile loop for a 9:35 min/mile pace around the campus. No complaints. Planning on an extended campus loop mañana. Have a nice weekend. Aloha.

May 7, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Out the door at the appointed hour for the go-to five-mile maintenance run. Campus-centric, reverse loop and sans headphones until further notice. Bread and butter. Finished the 5.05 miles in 47:27 for a 9:24 min/mile pace.  A mere ten seconds per mile faster than Monday's run covering the same territory.  Conditions are beautiful: mid-60s with bearable humidity and a trace of a breeze. More of the same planned for Friday. Cheers.

May 5, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Took a week off to rest and recharge. First run of the summer season. Reverse loop until winter for a change of pace and scenery. Sans headphones. Completed the 5.05 mile loop in 48:19 for a relatively slow 9:38 min/mile pace. Temps in the mid-60s with light and variable winds. Perfect running conditions.