July 9, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Overcast, post-thunderstorm bliss. 72 degrees (22 degrees Celsius) with 100% humidity at the onset. The cloud cover was welcomed and helped to mitigate the heat and humidity. Headed out from the Elm Street portal to the Southern campus boundary at Highway 9. Turned North and weaved through the campus and residential environs on my way to the shack. Finished the 6.32 miles in 1:03:50 for a sub-sonic 10:06 min/mile average pace. A strong finish cut a few seconds off the final tally. 16.98 miles (27.3 km) for the week on three solid runs. Mahalo.

July 7, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Another exceptionally warm start to the day. Temp (75 degrees Fahrenheit, 24 Celsius) and 80% humidity once again combine for hot and humid conditions. Met resistance around mile four, but kept pace and finished (barely) under the ten-minute per mile pace. Completed the 5.35 miles in 53:00 minutes for a 9:54 min/mile average pace. Mahalo.

July 5, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. High heat (75 degrees Fahrenheit, 24 Celsius) coupled with 90% humidity made for sweltering conditions out on the trail this morning. First couple of miles were solid; however, I hit the proverbial wall at the mile three water stop and cratered from there. My sub-ten minute per mile pace evaporated and I finished slow and sluggish. Completed the predictable 5.31 miles in an underwhelming 54.11 for a 10:12 min/mile pace. Mahalo.

July 2, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Warm conditions (72 degrees Fahrenheit, 22 Celsius) with 90% humidity was tempered by overcast skies. Slow and low from beginning to end. Completed the 5.61 mile loop in 57:37 for an underperforming 10:17 min/mile pace. Finished the week with 16.09 miles on three runs. Mahalo.

June 30, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus loop. Temps in the low 70s (70 degrees Fahrenheit, 21 Celsius) with 90% humidity. Another hot and humid early morning run, although much more bearable due to a nice cloud cover. Entered through the Elm Street portal and took it from there. Completed the 5.64 miles in 55:12 for a 9:48 min/mile average pace. Solid run. Mahalo.

June 28, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Post-Thunderstorm Bliss. Brutal humidity (100%) and temps in the mid-70s (75 Fahrenheit, 24 Celsius) as I headed out this morning for my go-to Tuesday maintenance run. Competed the 4.84 miles in a pedestrian 48:16 for a 9:58 min/mile pace. Had to rally to get things under the ten-minute mile pace. Hot and humid conditions persist with no change in the foreseeable future. Mahalo.

June 25, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Weekend Edition. Extended Campus Loop. Changed the route for shits and giggles. Took Main Street to Porter Street and headed South for a bit. Cut over to the campus environs and then took Jenkins South to the campus boundary. Returned to the shack through the South Greek and main campus. Once again there was no change on the weather front: 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 Celsius) with 85% relative humidity. Soaked ten-minutes into the run. Purposefully slowed the pace, and finished strong. Completed the 6.80 miles in 1:09:20 for an average pace of 10:12 min/mile. Rocked the Spartacus Redux Mix on the box for the first time in a while. Closed out the week with 17.24 miles (27.74 km) on three runs. Mahalo.

June 23, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. 75 degrees Fahrenheit, 24 degrees Celsius with 90% humidity. Soaking wet one-mile into this morning's run. A slight breeze from the South helped...a bit. No surprises: another solid run from beginning to end. Continuing to finish strong, i.e., below pace for the last mile. Finished the 4.85 miles in 47:51 for a 9:53 min/mile average pace. Mahalo.

June 21, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Another hot and humid early morning run: temps a manageable 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 Celsius) with 85% humidity. Started at a nice 10:00 min/mile pace and finished a bit under after it was all said and done. Tweaked the embarkation point a bit and will likely stay with the Elm Street portal for the summer. Completed the 5.59 mile campus loop in 54:42 for a 9:48 min/mile average pace. Finished strong, even as the heat and humidity bore down on me. H2O stop at Reeves provided a nice respite. Mahalo.

June 18, 2016

Early morning campus loop. Awoke to temps in the high 70s (77 degrees Fahrenheit, 25 Celsius) with 75% humidity. It was a bit overcast, which, coupled with a slight North breeze, made the run much more bearable. Headed South to the Highway 9 boundary and then up the East side of campus to the shack. Finished the 6.28 mile loop in a slowish 1:05:36 for a 10:27 min/mile pace. Times and splits have slowed considerably since the summer heat arrived. Mahalo.

June 15, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Hit the road to extremely warm and humid conditions, this time with the sun having yet to hit the olive oil. Temp was a balmy 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 Celsius) with 100% humidity. Tweaked the route a bit to get a water stop in around mile three. Finished the 5.52 miles in a sluggish 55:42 for a 10:05 min/mile average pace. Runkeeper informed me it was my 299th fastest five-mile run. Proud. Overall, felt good in the beginning and then eventually slowed due to the heat and humidity. Will squeeze two runs in before Sunday. Mahalo.

June 11, 2016

Early morning sushi-fueled campus loop. Out the door a bit later than usual in a futile attempt to sleep off the multitude of Asahi's I downed last night. Temp was a very warm 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 Celsius) with 80% humidity. Started strong and then the heat took over. Water stops are open again, which probably saved my life. Completed the 5.44 miles (8.75 kilometers) in 57:30 for a sub-sonic 10:34 min/mile average pace. Ended the week with 14 miles on three runs. Heat continues to build this week. Mahalo.

June 9, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Another late Spring morning run. Temps continue to rise: today it was a humid (90%) 66 degrees Fahrenheit (19 Celsius) at 545 am. Completed the 4.31 mile loop in 41:41 for a 9:40 min/mile average pace. Splits were fairly consistent and I finished strong. Shaved a minute and 22 seconds off of Tuesday's time. Slowly getting my groove back. Mahalo.

June 7, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Two-week respite related to travel and debauchery and thankfully not to any health or injury concerns. Back in the game and feeling great! Hit the road this AM at the appointed hour to temps in the mid 60s (63 degrees Fahrenheit, 17 Celsius) with 85% humidity. Solid effort from beginning to end: although I started strong, I had to hustle to break the 10:00 min/mile threshold. Completed the 4.31 miles in an underwhelming 43:02 for a 9:59 min/mile average pace. The heat and humidity of Oklahoma's summer is finally upon us. Will gradually build miles to get my mojo back. Mahalo.

May 24, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Patchy drizzle. Hot (72 degrees Fahrenheit, 22 Celsius) with 100% humidity. Started strong and slowed a bit at about mile three, but nothing too extreme. Finished the 5.00 miles in 48:47 for a 9:45 min/mile pace. Reversed the loop and headed out on the Eastern flank for a change of pace. Mahalo.

May 21, 2016

Day light. Campus Loop. Temp was a manageable 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 Celsius), but the 100 % humidity sucked the life out of me. Blew off Thursday's planned six due to the overwhelming desire to sleep another hour. Proud. Which, in turn, dropped my weekly mileage to 10.65 on two runs. Started today's run strong as I headed South on the Western edge of campus to the Highway 9 boundary. Cut across to Jenkins and then to the Northern perimeter by way of graduate housing, the aquatic center and the stadium. Ended at the famous Boyd Street portal. Completed the 5.66 miles in 57:27 for a 10:10 min/mile pace. Last mile and a half was slow and sluggish. May or may not have been due to the bottle of Pinot I drank last night. Focused on cadence and breathing. Sunday off and hoping for three good runs next week. Mahalo.

May 18, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus loop. Awoke to a cool 52 degrees Fahrenheit (11 Celsius) with a slight breeze from the North.  Back out on the road after a couple of days of weather-related delays. Solid from the outset, although slowed a bit around mile four. Finished the 5.00 miles in 48:47 for a 9:45 min/mile pace.  Other than almost getting run over by an idiot running a stop sign, it was an uneventful morning workout.  Be safe out there gente. Mahalo.

May 14, 2016

Daylight campus loop. Graduation Day, 2016. Cold runnings: temp was officially listed at 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius), but the 25 mph wind from the North made it feel much colder. Never found my groove this morning. Mile splits continued to increase and times got worse as the miles went by. Ended up finishing the 5.65 miles in an underwhelming 1:00:28 for a subsonic 10:46 min/mile pace. Finished the week with three runs and 14 miles (-2.40 miles from the previous week). Upcoming schedule: 5-5-4-8. Mahalo.

May 12, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus loop. Mirrored Tuesday's run and managed to slice a few seconds off the final time. Weather was coolish: temps in the low 50s with a slight breeze from the West. Storms throughout the night meant I was dodging slick spots, puddles and mud. Finished the 4.31 miles in 41:38 for a 9:39 min/mile average pace. No complaints. Mahalo.

May 10, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Expedited campus loop. Temps in the low 60s with a slight breeze from the South. Finished the 4.30 miles in 42:04 for a 9:47 min/mile average pace. Solid effort: started relatively slow, but finished strong. Mahalo.

May 7, 2016

Another rare daylight run. Campus loop. Temps a lovely 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 Celsius) with a slight breeze from the South. Started relatively strong, hit a lull and then finished with purpose to get below a ten-minute per mile pace. Headed South to the Highway 9 boundary and then back North through campus and residential environs. Finished the 6.38 miles in 1:03:31 for a 9:58 min/mile average pace. 16.40 miles for the week. The grind continues on Monday. Mahalo.

May 5, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Temp was a cool 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celsius) with a slight Southern breeze. Started relatively strong and on top of things, and then slowed down considerably in the last mile. Completed the 5.01 miles in 49:35 for a 9:54 min/mile average pace. Mahalo.

May 1, 2016

May Day. Started the month of April with good intentions only to be upended with upper respiratory issues and a nagging cough. Back out on the trail after a solitary run this week. Hoping the month of May is more productive for this runner. Embarked on yet another Campus Loop after the sun had already hit the olive oil. Cool and luxurious: 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) with a slight North breeze with which to contend. Completed the 5.01 miles in 49:42 for a 9:55 min/mile pace. Looks like this week's weather will be very conducive to running. Mahalo.

April 26, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Out the door at the appointed hour to 72 degrees (22 Celsius) and 100% humidity. Back in the game after a ten-day respite due to an upper respiratory infection that knocked me down for a bit. Finished the 4.02 miles in a slow and sluggish 41:31 for a 10:20 min/mile average pace. Slow and Low. Depleted at the end, as the heat and humidity were pretty relevant. Mahalo.

April 13, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Rainy Campus Loop. Awoke to constant drizzle and a slight breeze from the South. Temp a manageable 54 degrees (12 Celsius). Out the door in spite of the conditions for a solid 5.27 miles. The thought of not running did not cross my mind. Bonus points for still being a fiend after all of these years. Completed the go-to campus loop in 51:59 for a 9:52 min/mile average pace. Strong, water-logged finish. Mahalo.

April 11, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Missed the Hash Bud 2016 10K yesterday. The Doctor and I postponed our annual rendezvous due to scheduling conflicts and the like. Promised to renew our bond on the Reunion Tour 2017. I digress. Hit the pavement this morning to find the streets nicely cleansed from overnight storms. Post-Thunderstorm negative ions in the air. Blissful running. Completed the 4.31 mile campus loop in 42:33 for a 9:53 min/mile average pace. On a side note: The heart rate monitor on the Fitbit HR is just what a junkie like me needs. Really helps set the pace and keeps me from wallowing in complacency. Mahalo.

April 9, 2016

Day Lit Campus Loop. Slept in a bit and hit the road well into the morning hours. Temp was a cool 49 degrees (9 Celsius) with no wind. Absolutely perfect running conditions. The hop heads and football junkies were out in force, getting ready for the annual Spring Game here in Norman. Headed South through the South Greek to the Highway 9 perimeter, over to the Eastern approach and then back to the shack through the residential environs. Many folks out on the trail this morning: Slow walkers, unmedicated Yuppies, ROTC Nazis and those imbued with the Fear. Solid run from the start. Finished the 6.38 miles in 1:02:10 for a 9:45 min/mile pace. Ran 22 miles for the week. Not bad. Mahalo.

April 7, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Hit the pavement in the pre-dawn hours for an expedited maintenance run. The Boyd Street Portal (see below) is a classic embarkation point for the campus loop. On the perimeter of campus, this intersection is busy pretty much all day long. Not much traffic at 530 am, though. This morning was beautiful: temp a manageable 52 degrees (11 Celsius) with a slight breeze from the West. Solid run from beginning to end. Finished the 4.31 miles in 42:15 for a 9:48 min/mile pace. Absolutely no complaints. Mahalo.

April 5, 2016

Dawn Patrol. Campus Loop. Excellent, albeit windy, weather continues to be a hallmark of this Spring's running season. Hit the trail to 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14 Celsius) with a substantial Southern breeze ladened with pollen, dust and flying debris, which pounded my eyes in unrelenting waves of fear and loathing. I felt heavy and sluggish from the onset (generally a lethal combination). I never seemed to find a solid groove and my splits confirmed this: finished the 6.01 miles in an underwhelming 1:00:45 for a 10:07 min/mile average pace. Slow and Low that is the tempo. Another 10k planned for Thursday. Mahalo.

April 3, 2016

Day lit campus loop. Out the door well after the sunlight hit the olive oil. Finished the 5.25 mile run in 52:10 for a 9:57 min/mile pace. Beautiful, cool Spring morning: 42 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius) and calm. Mahalo.