August 30, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Another back-to-back to round out the week.  Awoke to a very comfortable 68 degrees as the sun hit the olive oil this AM. Hit the road an hour later than protocol generally demands, so I was able to wear my shades for better roadway vision. Sweet. Today marked the inauguration of my 7th season football here in Norman. I really enjoy game day runs, as the vibe is always proper. Completed the 5.75 mile campus loop in 56:11 for a 9:46 min/mile average pace. Spartacus Redux Mix on the box...RHCP receiving prominent placement.

August 29, 2014

Dawn Patrol. A relatively cool run this AM (66 degrees Fahrenheit), although the humidity was a sticky 100%, thanks to an early thunderstorm that passed through the area. Finished slow due to running stadium steps, but it was definitely worth it. Completed the 5.04 mile campus loop in 52:02 for a 10:19 min/mile pace. Will get out tomorrow AM for a game day run through the campus to inaugurate the 2014 Sooner Football season. Had the Spartacus Redux Mix on the box with a Nirvana-ladened set to get me through. Solid. Another seven or so mañana for S and Gs. Mahalo.

August 27, 2014

Dawn Patrol. 73 degrees Fahrenheit with relative humidity of 83%. Hot and humid goes without saying. Bonked at mile 3.5 due to an acute carbohydrate deficiency. Went from 9:40 minute miles to 11:00 minute miles. Managed to finish the 6.02 mile campus loop in 1:03:46 for an average pace of 10:36 min/mile. 

August 25, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Another week of running kicked off in the early morning hours. It's been a solid month of post-vacation runs. Extremely hot and humid once again. Felt depleted and drained around mile three. Bumped up the maintenance run from five to six miles and will visit bumping it up to seven miles in October. Finished the 6.02 mile campus loop in 1:02:37 for an average pace of 10:24. "Slow and low that is the tempo." Tuesday back and bi. Another six-miles on Wednesday. Mahalo.

August 23, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Brought the week to an end with another Thursday respite, followed by a standard chest and tri workout on Friday. Out the door early Saturday morning for an extended campus loop. Heat and humidity continue to be powerful forces in these parts, with temps during the day over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). Temp this morning was 78 degrees and the humidity a brutal 90%. Anyhow, enough meteorology. Extended the North segment to Robinson, then taking the Legacy Trail South to Lindsay. I headed South to the gravel and grass campus boundary at Highway 9. Finished the 7.47 mile loop in 1:16:52 for a 10:17 min/mile average pace. Spartacus Redux Mix on the box. Shuffling through the good stuff. I also started charting my diet and calorie consumption with myfitnesspal this week. Good times. Tentative schedule for next week: Mon-Wed-Thurs-Sat runs; Tues-Fri weights. Mahalo.

August 20, 2014

Dawn Patrol. August continues to prove to be a very warm and humid month for early AM runs. Temps consistently in the mid to high-70s with humidity running 80% and higher. Very little, if any, breeze. This morning's five and change was no exception. Started slow and finished relatively strong. Completed the 5.21 mile campus loop in 51:07 for a 9:49 min/mile average pace. Spartacus Redux Mix continues to provide musical diversion. A rare back-to-back scheduled for Thursday. Friday to the gym for the standard chest and tri workout if things go as planned. Eight miles scheduled for Saturday. Aloha.

August 18, 2014

Dawn Patrol. The heat and humidity continue to be a drag. Temps in the high 70s this morning, while the humidity was a brutal 90%. Started down the west boundary and returned north on the eastern perimeter for a bit of a change. (Technically known as the "reverse loop" in this author's parlance.) Finished the 4.94 mile campus loop in 48:15 for a 9:46 min/mile average pace. Started strong with a couple of sub-9:20 miles. The heat and humidity began to slow me down at mile three. Another run with the Spartacus Redux Mix on the box. Good times. Back and Bi mañana. Six on tap for Wednesday. Mahalo.

August 16, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Hot (76 degrees) and humid (85%) conditions to start the day. A solid Saturday AM run after weights on Friday and an impromptu Thursday off. Extended campus loop to the Highway 9 boundary for 6.39 miles in 1:03:25 and a 9:56 min/mile pace. Slow and methodical throughout. The strong finish up Elm Street was nice, as it reminded me that I still have another gear. Brought the ear buds out of retirement for a bit of musical entertainment: the tried and true Spartacus Redux Mix on the box to help get me through. Sunday off. Aloha.

August 13, 2014

Dawn Patrol. 68 degrees with 78% humidity to begin the day. Early morning run through familiar territory. Finished the rather predictable 5.26 mile campus loop in 52:11 for a 9:56 min/mile pace. Thinking about tweaking the loop for S and G's in the near future. The surface changes (grass, asphalt and concrete) are fine; however, it can become rather mundane after months and then years of basically the same scenery. Looping the campus is nice though...Lift tomorrow and then back on the road for a short run Friday and an early Saturday run to close out another week of workouts. Mahalo.

August 11, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Another warm and humid run which began before the sun crept over the Eastern horizon. Temps in the high 70s with humidity in the 80 percentile range. All the more reason to rock a long-sleeved Dri-Fit. Took it slow and low after last Friday's uncomfortable leg cramp/seize. Finished the standard 5.35 mile campus loop in a languid 54:03 for a 10:06 min/mile pace. No issues with the calf. Tuesday to the gym for another classic back and bi session. Six miles on Wednesday. Cheers.

August 8, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Out the door and met by the dynamic duo of 78 degrees and 100% humidity. Tough running. Right calf cramp hit around two miles into the thick of the run. Seized with no advanced warning. I stretched it out at the water stop; however, it was slow and painful going afterwards. Finished the 5.39 campus loop in 56.57 for a 10:34 min/mile average pace. Solid run in spite of the calf cramp. Saturday and Sunday off after a good week of running and lifting. Cheers.

August 6, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Another hot and brutally humid early morning run: 74 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius) with 90% relative humidity to start the day. Wine-soaked recovery. Hit the pavement with a slow, methodical cadence. Completed an abridged campus loop (4.70 miles) in 47:01 for a 10:01 min/mile pace. Completed the standard chest and tri workout on Tuesday. Return to the gym on Thursday, followed by back-to-back runs Friday and Saturday. Another full week is taking shape. Cheers.

August 4, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Out the door prior to the sunlight hitting the olive oil. 68 degrees Fahrenheit with 88% humidity at the start. Finished the 5.34 mile campus loop in 53:14 for a 9:58 min/mile pace. Started and finished with a solid pace. Chest and Tri workout scheduled for Tuesday; six miles on Wednesday. Another week begins! Mahalo.

August 2, 2014

Dawn Patrol. A beautiful Saturday morning run to start the month of August. Temps in the low 60s with 100% humidity. Inaugurated the newest incarnation of the NB1260v4, as well. Finished the 6.41 mile campus loop in 1:03:19 for a 9:53 min/mile pace. Started a bit faster than this week's other runs and settled into a nice, easy groove. By far the best run of the week, as I'm getting my legs back, new shoes and all. Still a bit sore from lifting this week. It feels good to be back in the game after my customary summer respite. Sunday off, then runs Mon-Wed-Fri-Sat with gym days Tues-Thurs. Aloha.

July 30, 2014

Dawn Patrol. The Rain Song. Light rain throughout the run. Deserted streets. Temps in the low 70s. Another slow and methodical campus run. Finished the 5.69 mile loop in 58.58 in 10.22 min/mile. Chest and Tri on Tuesday AM. Back and Bi on Thursday. Cheers.

July 28, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Back at it again after almost three weeks of downtime. Previous run was on July 9, 2014 at the Villa Olimpica in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. From there we moved on to the North Coast and Roatán for a couple of weeks. I wisely decided to eat and drink everything in sight, so now I must contend with weighing in at 207 lbs. (My fighting weight has historically been in the low to mid-190s.) Today ushered in yet another incarnation of the "post-holiday period of intense dedication." Hopefully, this will last until Christmas. Slow and low this morning. Completed the five-mile (5.03) campus loop in 52:23 for a 10:25 mile/minute average pace. Slow, even by my standards. Weather was a bearable 68 degrees Fahrenheit with the humidity in the 80% range. Moving forward, Mon-Wed-Fri and Sat will be running days, while Tues and Thurs will be gym days. Sunday off to recuperate. This, as usual, should be fun. Mahalo.

July 9, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Villa Olimpica, Tegucigalpa. Four miles under sunny AM skies. Next year I will bring long-sleeves for the morning runs, as it is a bit cool. Still amazed at the devoted contingent of runners and walkers who are on the track at 530 AM every single day. Good times. Enjoyed hitting the track with Chilo. Reminded me of the old times, when it was a Sunday ritual, followed by coffee and pan con frijoles at Espresso Americano. Solid.

July 8, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Villa Olimpica. Back-to-back days at the track: walked a mile and then had a fast four miles. Weather was cool and overcast. A slight breeze kept things cool. Solid

July 7, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Villa Olimpica, Tegucigalpa. Four miles, or 16 laps around the track. Sun was out early this morning.  Uneventful.

July 4, 2014

Dawn Patrol. A rare back-to-back. Another overcast morning with a full contingent of early risers on the track.  Four miles and another mile walking while bullshitting with Chilo. Good times.  Effortless. Finally getting used to the altitude.

July 3, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Villa Olimpica, Tegucigalpa. Another four miles under gray and overcast skies. Drizzle early on. Good times with Chilo.  The track was crowded, per custom.

July 1, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Another cool and overcast morning in the capital. Amazing how many people are at the track getting it done at 530 am. Another four easy miles to start the day.

June 30, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Up at dawn and headed to the Villa Olimpica for four miles around the track. Temps were cool and there was a nice early AM mist in the air.

June 26, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Out the door a bit later than usual, coupled with an early meeting, meant that this morning's run had to be cut short a bit. Hot and incredibly humid, yet again. A solid short campus loop without H2O stop. Started strong and dropped off a bit towards the end, per recent custom. Finished 4.27 miles in 40:56 for a 9:36 min/miles average pace. Back to back looms.

June 24, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Another hot and humid run through familiar territory. First run since last Thursday. Taking some time off these past couple of weeks has been nice and pretty much par for the course in this, the early part of the summer. Started strong and then the heat and humidity caught up with me around mile three: there was a full one-minute difference between the first and sixth mile times. Finished the 5.76 miles in 56:57 for a 9:53 min/mile pace. H2O break at the mid-point.

June 19, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Another slow and methodical run around the campus. It was hot and humid at the onset. Started strong and then was drenched around mile two as a massive thunderstorm rolled into town. Times significantly slowed after the rain started, but running in the rain is never a bad thing...unless, of course, there is lightening. Today was lightening-free, thankfully. Finished a short 4.68 mile loop in 46:51 for a 10:01 min/mile pace. Friday off.

June 17, 2018

Dawn Patrol. Out the door this morning after taking a week off. A week of downtime, World Cup games and wine. Felt the heat and humidity. Started strong, yet finished slow and depleted. Finished the 5.02 campus loop in 50:05 for a 9:59 min/mile pace. Wednesday off. Feels good to get back on the road again.

June 9, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Major thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday kept me off the road. Thunder and lightening woke me today. Thought about blowing it off, but instead got ripped to the tits on coffee and waited for the heavy weather to pass. Did head out in a steady, unrelenting drizzle. Hit the trail at the appointed hour with cool temps (mid-60s) and a slight breeze. Finished the 5.23 miles in 52:04 for a 9:58 min/mile pace. Slow going for the majority of the run. May or may not attempt a back-to back mañana...

June 6, 2014

Dawn Patrol. An incredibly warm and humid morning gave way to a torrential downpour 3.5 miles into this morning's run. Soaked. But it was definitely cool and refreshing. It was also beautiful and somewhat scary with the lightening striking in the vicinity, but nothing over the top.  Finished the 5.22 miles around the campus in 50 minutes and change for a 10:00 min/mile pace.  The Runkeeper app jacked my distance and I'm not in the mood to enter it manually. I may run either Saturday or Sunday. Aloha.

June 4, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Out the door at the appointed time for yet another five-mile loop around the campus. It was 72 degrees when I hit the road. A hot and humid run ensued. Will undoubtedly begin incorporating a water stop at the park around mile three. I simply cannot fathom how people run at 300 pm with the temps in the high 90s or even higher. Amazing. Anyhow, no bowel issues or anecdotes to share today. Completed the run (5.13 miles) in 50:22 for a 9:49 min/mile average pace and without complications. Will get back out on the trail mañana for a back-to-back. Good times.