February 26, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Another frigid winter run. Borderline uncomfortable. 20 degrees at dawn (-7 Celsius) with a 25 mph North wind that made it feel like 10 degrees (-12). Layered up to the hilt and hit the road as planned. Heading South was cold, but nothing over the top. The three-mile return leg to the shack was extremely cold and mind-numbing. Pace was very slow. Finished the 6.03 mile campus loop in 1:00:31 for a 10:02 min/mile pace. Old Favorites on the box. Winter weather returning to these parts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Will attempt to get a Saturday run in the books before things turn ugly. As things stand today, I completed another 20-mile week. Mahalo.

February 24, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Winter Conditions. Out the door to a snow-laden landscape and ice-covered sidewalks and side streets. Temp before dawn was 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celsius) with a calm breeze from the North. Layered up and hit the trail. Took it super slow and careful due to the ice and darkness. Completed the deserted 6.12 miles in 1:04:04 for a frozen 10:28 min/mile pace. Good times. Went with a nice 21st century mix this morning, including this gem from Bloc Party. Mahalo.

February 22, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Sunday morning. Out the door a bit later in a futile attempt to enjoy what overcast sun there was. Frigid, overbearing conditions with the temperature and will chill combining for an uncomfortable 29 degrees Fahrenheit or -2 Celsius. The wind was out of the North at a resounding 20 mph at times. Extended the route to Robinson and the Legacy Trail South to the Highway 9 boundary and then returned home via the South Greek and Western edge of the campus. Found a decent groove on the way back to the shack in spite of the wind and cold. Focused on stride, cadence and keeping it slow. Completed the 8.27 mile loop in 1:26:23 for a 10:27 min/mile pace. Hip Hop Explosion on the box. Finished the week with 20.50 miles. Mahalo.

February 19, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Awoke to a frigid 23 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 Celsius) with a windchill of 17 degrees (-8).  The wind was out of the east and made for some uncomfortable minutes at the onset. Layered up to the proverbial hilt and hit the trail. Streets were deserted. Completed the 6.04 mile campus loop in an icy 57:59 for a 9:36 min/mile pace. Splits were relatively consistent throughout. In fact, completed last Thursday's 6.03 miles in the same time. Blink 182 back on the box after a hiatus. Other than freezing my ass off, the run was pretty uneventful. Mahalo.

February 17, 2015

Dawn Patrol. As anticipated, I was forced to scrap yesterday's planned run due to ice on the trail after a winter storm pushed through during the overnight hours. Hit the pavement this morning with 27 degrees registering on the thermometer (-3 Celsius) and a negligible South breeze. It was a beautiful, frigid morning run. Layered up with the works for this one. Kept the earbuds at the casa and enjoyed the sights and sounds au naturel. Completed the 6.18 mile campus loop in 59:11 for a 9:35 min/mile pace. Mahalo.

February 14, 2015

Dawn Patrol. A perfect Saturday morning: temps in the mid-30s with a slight south wind. Out the door a bit later than usual, so I was able to run with the sun for a nice change.  Extended the route north to Robinson Ave. and the Legacy Trail, headed south to the Highway 9 boundary and then returned home through the South Greek and the west side of the campus. Tried mightily to keep the pace as slow as possible. Finished the 8.03 miles in 1:23:05 for a 10:21 min/mile pace. More 80s music on the box for shits and giggles. 19 miles for the week. Monday could be interesting if the weather forecasts are accurate, as ice looks possible. Developing. Mahalo.

February 12, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Sat out yesterday's planned six-miler, as I was winding down day four of the controlled fast/cleanse. Not pleasant on any level and will most likely wait a bit before attempting it again. No food for 96-hours is a super bummer. Anyhow, awoke to temps in the low-20s this morning and a slight north wind. Bundled up and hit the road at the appointed hour for a solid 10k through familiar streets. Finished the 6.03 mile campus loop in 57:49 for a leisurely 9:36 min/mile pace. An eclectic collection of 80's tunes on the box. Winter weather looms. Snow and ice in the forecast. Always pleasant. Aloha.

February 9, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Absolutely perfect running conditions to inaugurate the week: temps in the mid-40s with calm winds out of the South. Long-sleeves and shorts. Currently in the second day of a controlled fast/juice detox, so I shortened the route a bit this morning. I've never attempted to subsist on lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup before, and can't say that it's been enjoyable to date. Finished the 4.94 mile campus loop in a slow 52:00 for a 10:32 min/mile pace. I attribute the slow pace to not eating. Anything. For two days. Bowel-related issues caused near panic and intense fear. No need to go into detail. Suffice to say that I survived a very traumatic experience. On a brighter note, I enjoyed the Smashing Pumpkins this morning. Seemed fitting. Mahalo.

February 7, 2015

Early AM. Out the door right about the time the sunlight hit the olive oil. Splendid weather: awoke to temps in the mid-30s with a manageable South wind. Shorts and long-sleeves. Extended the route South to Highway 9 and North to Andrews Park. Everything was right with the world until mile three and then my bowels began to churn. Sushi and Asahi from Friday evening, perhaps? Luckily, I knew there was a porta-potty within reach. I endured the fear of exploding for about 5 minutes, although at the time it seemed like an eternity. I ducked in the porta-potty only to find an unbelievable sight: toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Hell, there was even a spare roll of toilet paper! Finished the 7.14 mile extended campus loop in 1:11:22 for a subsonic 9:59 min/mile pace. Assorted 90s Grunge Master mix on the box. Finished the week with 19.24 miles. Mahalo.

February 5, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Frozen Face. 20 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of 10 degrees (-12 degrees Celsius). If there was ever a day to stay in bed and not run, today was that day. I, however, managed to crawl out of bed and hit the trail at the appointed hour in spite of the cold and wind and dread. Layered to the hilt, including a full-mask and heavyweight, Arctic-rated oil field gloves. Completed the 6.07 mile campus loop in a frigid 1:01:23 for a slowish 10:07 min/mile pace. Really took a beating when I turned back North for the return leg home. Splits slowed significantly, as I valiantly tried not to cry while keeping my legs churning. Strangely there were no other runners on the trail this morning. Tried and true Spartacus Redux Mix on the box. Friday off with nice weather rumored for the weekend. Ver para creer. Mahalo.

February 3, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Frozen. Opted not to run Monday morning in order to recuperate from the senseless debauchery that was Super Bowl Sunday. Awoke today, Tuesday, to 22 degrees Fahrenheit ( -5.5 Celsius) and a steady south wind. Layered up and hit the trail for February's first run. Even worked the tights for this one. Damn. The streets were deserted, as the smart money waited until daybreak and the promise of higher temps. Or ran on a treadmill at the YMCA. Completed the 6.03 miles in 58:11 for a 9:39 min/mile average pace. Splits were fairly consistent throughout. 80s punk on the box. More winter weather in the forecast. The words "winter mix" have been uttered in hushed tones around these parts. I am not afraid. Mahalo.