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.

August 28, 2013

Feeling good after hitting the road this AM.  Temps in the 70s with low humidity and no wind made for perfect conditions.  Out the door before dawn and the inevitable traffic now that the semester has started. 3.74 miles at a faster pace than Monday's run gives me hope that I may be getting back to my baseline.  Will definitely see what Friday brings.  Weights tomorrow, Thursday, to keep things interesting.  

August 26, 2013

Dawn Patrol.  Another brutally slow 3.5 and change to start the week.  Left calf sciatica issues make running awkward and trying at times.  Not running makes life awkward and trying all of the time.  72 degrees and humid.  Campus loop.  Overall, it seems to be the post-run soreness and tightness that makes me want to hang up the shoes for a long time and focus on the pool.  I just cannot get the same buzz from swimming laps.  Will attempt another run Wednesday AM.  Chest and Triceps tomorrow, Tuesday.  Cheers.

August 19, 2013

In lieu of posting every gym workout and swim, I opted to bring this blog up to date when I put the New Balance trainers to the pavement once again.  Today, thankfully, was that day.  Sciatica issues persist; however, the awkward form, slow pace and leg/foot numbness are less of an issue than not being able to hit the road.  Swimming and weight training, while great additions to the schedule, cannot take the place of running.  The pace was still slow, even for this author, although a bit faster than three weeks ago, when I last attempted to get back in the game.  Nice, cool morning with temps in the high 60's.  No wind, low humidity. First run in August after but one run in July.  The horror.  Quality pool time has maintained cardiovascular health, but, alas, the pool is closed this week for annual maintenance.  I simply had to run this morning.  We'll see what happens Wednesday.  Chest and Tri tomorrow morning.

August 1, 2013

Chest and Tricep workout.  Bench, incline, decline, triceps-specific-what-not and a half-a-hundred push-ups for good measure.  Requisite whirlpool and steam room post-workout is one of my favorite things in this life.  There is nothing like 15-minutes sitting in a hot tub of bubbling water followed by 15-minutes in a room full of steam.  I then spend a few minutes in the pool, which after the aforementioned whirlpool and steam room, feels like a dip the Arctic Sea.  It's the small things in life that get us through...

July 31, 2013

Forced respite from running continues.  Listening to my body on this one instead of forcing the issue and causing more damage.  The inability to run has forced me back to the gym for weights and swimming, lest I lose my mind from inactivity.  300 meter swim with stops.  No Aquaman, for sure, but it is a great way to keep in shape while not running.  Whirlpool and steam post-swim.

July 30, 2013

Back and Bi workout early AM.  Finished it off with the much-appreciated whirlpool and wet sauna. Amazing combination, even at six AM.  As previously stated, the "Workout" is a tribute to 1998 more than anything else.  Curls, the lat pull down, rows, preacher curls, assorted dumbbell moves, etc.  There are young men jumping all over the damn place doing PX-90-style workouts, while I'm just trying not to hurt myself.  Feels good to be back in the gym.  The vibe is proper.

July 29, 2013

Hit the road after taking a planned one-month respite.  Actually, it started as a two-week vacation down South.  The downtime doubled after a debilitating sciatic nerve issue emerged.  Back and leg pain has diminished; however, calf tightness and leg numbness persist. Walking with pain and soreness.  This morning's run was slow and awkward.  3.5 miles before dawn.  Perfect conditions.  An extremely slow pace.  Post-run leg stiffness.  On a positive note: back in the gym after too much time off.  Updates to follow. 

June 28, 2013

Late start (630 am) meant the sun was out in full force and the heat was on!  Post T-Storm bliss.  Humid.  Four and change this AM.  A solid run that started with a stiff, uncooperative back and ended with a couple of nice miles.  Back loosened up after getting warm.  I even stretched pre-run, which is a minor miracle considering this author's deep-seated aversion to anything close to resembling stretching.  I have no bullshit.  Absolutely none.  Will be off the grid for a bit.

June 26, 2013

Five and change (5.55) with temps in the high 70s and brutal humidity.  Soaking wet after ten minutes on the road.  Headed South to Highway 9 and then up Jenkins.  It is one of my favorite options for a campus loop.  The Southern-most leg of the run takes one off the asphalt and concrete to a perfectly worn trail, over a small creek and down a gravel road before rejoining civilization.  It's pretty cool.  Today's run was slow, even for this author.  "Could have been the Willie Nelson.  Could have been the wine."  Water stop at mile three is an oasis!

June 23, 2013

Left the house at 830 am for a slow, methodical eight miles and change.  77 degrees Fahrenheit at departure. It got hot quickly.  It was 82 degrees upon arrival, a mere 90 minutes later.  No wind and a cloudless sky. Water stops along the route were once again life savers.  Thanks to the city government for designing parks with water fountains.  Water fountains that actually function.  Summer is officially here and the brutal temps with it.  Hydration is the key.  Two litres of water a day as a minimum.  Coffee and wine and whiskey do not count!  Although they are necessary as well.

June 19, 2013

A rare PM run this evening.  Monday's early morning run was a cool 63 degrees.  Stepped out for this evening's six-miles to a very warm 79 degrees and high humidity (90%) for added fun.  Nice change of environment.  Campus loop with a lot more people running compared to the AM.  I still prefer to get it done as the sun light hits the olive oil.

June 17, 2013

An amazing four-miles in extremely trying conditions.  Left the shack in a thunderstorm and returned without much let-up.  I took advantage of running in the rain because it may be a long time until the opportunity presents itself again.  A wonderfully cool 63 degrees made it perfect.  Absolutely.  I was soaked two-minutes in, but churned out a slow and methodical four anyway.  There is nothing like running in the rain...except maybe the Indy 500.  Shoes are drying out as I type this brief missive.  Six on tap for Wednesday.

June 15, 2013

Sweet Dick Willie kind of humid this morning.  Man.  Temps in the mid-70s, no wind, no air and a lot of sweating.  Headed North to start things and then wrapped around Legacy trail on to the East side of campus, headed South to Highway 9 and then back North to the shack.  7.78 miles.  Slow pace that  seemed to devolve in to a shuffle towards the end.  No issues.  Water stops are open, which probably saved my life.  I get weird without the H2O.  Weirder, perhaps.  Rest Sunday and back to the maintenance runs on Monday.  God Save the Queen.

June 13, 2013

Another hot and humid five-miles.  No breeze to cool things off either.  Kinetic chain issues persist: right hip ache at the onset of the run, subsides after I get warm and then returns as soreness post-run.  Noticeably better on the off days.  Go figure.  Back to the actual run.  The only thing out of the ordinary to report is the fact that it was my first sub-9:00 minute per mile pace in a few months.  Not breaking any land speed records, but it felt good to shave a few seconds off the pace.  Seven to eight miles on Saturday.

June 11, 2013

The Summer of 2013 officially arrived to these parts yesterday.  Temps in the mid-90s during the day; lows in the 70s at night.  This morning it was a balmy 74 degrees when I left the house at dawn's first light.  A brutally languid first mile led the charge, albeit slowly, for a rather uninspiring four and a half and change.  Right hip soreness persists until the damn thing gets sufficiently warm.  No complaints.  From the Late to the Party File: The iphone fits in that little pocket on the back of my running shorts.  Right up there with sliced bread, night baseball and the neutron bomb.  Amazing.  Running without music until further notice.  Cadence revisited.

June 9, 2013

A beautiful, cool Sunday morning six-miles around the campus.  It rained around three AM, so it was a bit humid. Cool temps are waning; the heat is lurking.  Headed south to highway 9 and then turned left at the southern most reaches of the campus. It's been quite some time since I've hit that little trail. Gravel.  Familiar.  Slow pace.  One of those I-could-do-this-forever runs. Cadence.

June 6, 2013

Wine-soaked bliss. Cool, no wind. Five and change. Slow, methodical pace. No headphones. No issues. Sore right hip lingers, especially after sitting.  Solid.

June 3, 2013

Back in Norman and relatively cool temps to inaugurate the month of June. 55 degrees to start the week.  Actually broke out the long-sleeves, although such a drastic measure probably was not necessary. A short four and change.  No issues.  Sans headphones.  June is typically a great month of running. I plan on getting 15 quality runs in the book this month.  

May 28, 2013 and May 31, 2013

I have almost no recollection of last Tuesday's run. Five and change through familiar territory.  No issues. Friday's run was a beautiful and hot and humid six-miles through the heart of DC.  The Rock Creek Park running trail is absolutely world-class!  The only downer was the complete lack of water on the trail.  I thought a heatstroke was imminent.  By far the warmest run (temps in the mid-90s) in a very long time.  Next time I'll bring my own H2O!  GPS coverage was non-existent, so I don't have hard data for the run. Thirty-minutes out, thirty-minutes back. Six-miles is a conservative estimate...

May 25, 2013

A beautiful Saturday morning six-miles. Legs were fresh after taking a four-day break from the road.  Cool mornings with temps in the mid-60s and a bit of humidity to make things interesting. Varying the route.  No music.  Back to the cadence of the road, my breathing and the background noise of the early morning. Contention.

May 17 and 20, 2013

Combined the two maintenance runs, both fairly uneventful.  Except for the tiny little twist to Friday's run.  Had a massive BRE (Bowel Related Emergency) one-mile from home and had to poach a Porta-Potty on a construction site.  What?  Yes.  There is a first time for everything.  Mother of Jesus.  I have had similar issues in the past.  Remember the Catholic church episode?  There is nothing as depraved as a man frantically scanning the horizon for a place to explode while running down the street.  I have been doing this long enough to realize that one should not take chances with these types of issues; however, I left the shack thinking everything would be OK.  Man, was I mistaken! Yesterday's five and change was not nearly as exciting.  No explosions.  No fear.  No loathing.  Nothing but a basic five-mile jaunt through familiar territory.  Continuing sans music.  Solid groove, nonetheless.

May 15, 2013

 It was, for this time of year, hot (70 degrees) and humid (95%), but in three months those stats will be indicative of a cool morning. All things are relative. Nice run. Post rain storm; stayed on the hardscape.  Out of the gate super fast for this author for an 8 minute first mile, the remaining four were at a normal 9 minute mile pace. Another run without music, although I may get some tunes out for Friday's planned six. 

May 13, 2013

Cool runnings after a weekend of too much food and drink. A solid five-mile loop to start the week. Changed the geography a bit, per my last post. Temps in the mid-50s meant long-sleeves and shorts. New shoes are still tight. Pace was about right at 9:30, although my legs felt stiff at the onset. I keep reminding myself that I have a gym membership...

May 9 and 10, 2013

Two great early AM runs over the familiar territory.  A beautiful sunrise to start the day is always nice. A rare back to back to shakes things up a bit.  Moving forward I will try to vary my routes more, as I think the body (and mind, I suppose) gets in a rut traveling the same, predictable geography day in and day out.  Cool temps in the morning; nice fog layer today.  Shorts and sleeveless running tops moving forward.  New shoes (NB 1260 V-2)  arrived yesterday afternoon.  Could not run again with the previous pair: they were so shot that the last couple of runs I felt like I was running barefoot.  Went crazy and purchased new shorts and tops after taking relentless heat from the wife and children on how funky Daddy's clothes smelled...even after they'd been washed.  The word "funk" was thrown around a bit. Cannot remember the last time I bought new running clothes? A year? Two?  Anyhow, the folks at RoadRunner Sports do good work and I highly recommend them. Weekend off.

May 7, 2013

Back on the road after a planned one-week respite.  April was a good month of running: ran the Redbud 10k and the OKC Memorial 13.1, both with the Doctor.  This morning's run was slow and methodical.  The weather was beautiful: cool with a slight breeze.  Shorts and long-sleeves.  Legs felt great; right hip sore from ill-advised karate kick in a moment of spontaneous mania. New shoes on the way.

OKC Memorial Marathon

13.1 in 2:07 and change. I ran conservatively, as bonking at mile ten was a fear of mine going in. The weather was cool at the onset and then warmed up an hour or so in to it. The course was full, so there was a lot of bobbing and weaving. Looking back, I would not have changed a thing. Solid run from start to finish. Next year I will get some long runs in and break two-hours. A couple of days of rest and then back to the streets. First event wearing headphones. Went with the tried and true Spartacus Redux mix for posterity's sake.

April 27, 2013

A nice Friday run of six and change. Cool weather with a pretty strong North wind with which to deal with on the way home. Sunday's weather should be nice, but one never really knows. Looking to finish at or before 2:15, which is a bit over a 10 minute pace. Not feeling very confident about this half, but with 15 hours to the damn gun, there is, simply put, not much I can do about it. I plan on starting super slow, maintaining a consistently slow pace and finishing strong. Will blaze the Spartacus Remix for Old Time's sake. Bring on the noise.

April 22, 2013

Hit the pavement after a week off due to a nasty head cold that sidelined me with congestion and an endless flow of snot.  Should not affect the 13.1 on tap for this Sunday morning.  I may be walking the last three, but we shall see.  Longest run since my injury of September 30, 2012 is...gulp...six and change, according to my records.  Did I say that I may be walking the last three?  Unconcerned, as I have plenty of miles on this frame and I am quite confident that, barring an injury, I could run 13 miles under most conditions.  OK, this Monday morning was a five and change affair covering familiar territory. Long-sleeves with shorts.  Pace was solid.  Felt heavy and bloated with clogged lungs and legs that seemed to weigh more than usual.  Stuck in an 80s kind of mind frame on the box.  Will try to get seven or so in on Wednesday, followed by an easy six on Friday.  Sunday will be interesting, for sure.  Bring on the noise.