November 29, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Out the door a bit later than usual; however, I still beat the sunlight before it hit the olive oil. Awoke to relatively cool temps (48 degrees Fahrenheit), but the strong north wind made it seem almost cold. Layered up as if it was a 30 degree morning run and was fine. Completed the 5.17 mile campus loop in 51:19 for a 9:56 min/mile pace. Slow pace with an easy cadence. Went with the Masters of Hip Hop for an undeniable change this AM. A planned respite for Sunday. Monday ushers in a new month. I am definitely looking forward to hitting the pavement. October was a wash due to injury, while November was an exercise in self-control, as I had to limit my miles to recuperate. Mahalo.

November 27, 2014

Daybreak. Out the door a bit later than usual thanks to the Thanksgiving reprieve. Frozen Face. Awoke to 30 degrees Fahrenheit or -1 degrees Celsius depending on your particular point of view. A slight north breeze. Nothing over the top. Just a subtle reminder that it's winter in these parts and that winter and wind make for an uncomfortable combination. Long-sleeves, gloves, skull cap and shorts. The roads were deserted; even the perennial dog walkers were absent this morning. Finished the tried-and-true campus loop (4.91 miles) in a sub-sonic 48:19 and a 9:50 min/mile pace. Nirvana on the box. To the gym Friday; back on the trail Saturday morning. Mahalo.

November 24, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Cold Runnings. 35 degrees Fahrenheit (1.6 degrees Celsius) at 530 am with an almost negligible North wind. Hit the trail in the frigid pre-dawn hours. Long-sleeves and shorts, gloves and a skull cap. 80s punk on the box. Angry Samoans, for example. Dead Kennedys, etc., et. al. Finished the Old School 4.94 mile campus loop in 49.44 minutes for a super-sub-sonic 10:04 min/mile average pace. Hit the Yerba Mate and Albuterol pre-run. Rock and Roll explosion. Mahalo.

November 18, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Another Frozen Face. Norman had 3" of snow over the weekend and temps were in the teens. Today was no different, as temps were in the low 20s yet again, with a slight North breeze with which to contend. Out the door before the sunlight hit the olive oil. Multi-layered bliss from head to toe. Ice was still prevalent on the streets and sidewalks. Super sub-sonic pace of 10:15 min/mile, while finishing the 4.57 miles in 46:49. RHCP on the box. Good times. Lift on Wednesday and back out on the trail on Thursday. Mahalo.

November 13, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Frozen Face. Temps in the low 20s Fahrenheit (22F) for a frigid -6 Celsius. There was a strong North wind, as well, which definitely made it feel colder and slowed me down on the return leg of the trip. Layered up like a professional and hit the trail for a no-nonsense four-mile campus loop. Finished the 4.31 mile run in 44:10 for a 10:!4 min/mile pace. Right shin issue persists: it still feels funky and may go sideways at the slightest provocation, i.e., putting miles on it.  Pearl Jam on the box, yet again. Lifted on Wednesday. Another day of lifting tomorrow, Friday, and back on the road Saturday AM. Aloha.

November 10, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Took another week off to nurse a horrible upper respiratory infection that hit me last Tuesday. With two runs in the last 34 calendar days, it has been one of the worst months for running (or lack thereof) in my glorious career. Damn. This morning's run will most likely be the last decent morning for running in the ten-days or so, as the much-anticipated Arctic Vortex will be sweeping down the plains and undoubtedly freeze everyone and everything it touches.  Low temps and high winds make for interesting running. Hit the trail this morning at the appointed hour for a slow and low 5.15 mile campus loop. Finished the sub-sonic run in 50:49 for a 9:52 min/mile pace. Felt good in the long-sleeves, cap and lightweight gloves, even though the temps were only in the low 50s. Pearl Jam on the box, just like the old days. Mahalo.

November 3, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Finally coming off of the IR after what seemed liked an eternity. A month of downtime due to two very distinct and debilitating injuries. Shin splints (right anterior tibialis) began the ordeal in early October, while another unrelated lower lumbar event kept me out of the game for the past couple of weeks. Once again I feel like the back injury occurred in the weight room. Thank goodness for Mobic. Anyhow, it felt good to get back on the trail this morning. Morning temps in the mid-50s with a gale-force wind out of the south with which to contend. Long-sleeves and shorts. Hit the road at the appointed hour for a nice and easy four-mile loop through familiar territory. Finished the 4.26 miles in 43:03 for a 10:07 min/mile pace. Spartacus redux on the box. Chest and back tomorrow. Another four on Wednesday. Will slowly build the mileage back to the 25 miles per week range by the end of the year. Mahalo.

October 6, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Out the door to a post-thunderstorm dawn. Marine layer fog blanketing the lowlands. Cool like the other side of the pillow.  Slow and low that was the tempo. Wrapped up the 4.89 mile campus loop in 48:17 for a 9:53 min/mile pace. New Jams Mix on the box. Right shin soreness post-run. Lingering throughout the day. Will attempt to reconcile with Pinot Noir before Wednesday's planned six. Will not run until resolved. Tuesday weights. Aloha.

October 4, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Awoke to temps in the low 40s (6 Celsius), so I broke out the long-sleeves, cap and gloves for a beautiful Autumn run. Extended the route to get to double digits: North to Robinson and the Legacy Trail junction, South through campus and past Highway 9, then headed back North to the house. It was a slow, methodical 10.32 miles (16 km) through familiar territory. Finished the loop in 1:48:52 for a 10:33 min/mile pace. Strong finish. Multi-Cultural Love Muffin Mix on the box. Lifted on Friday: chest and tricep. Finished the week with four quality runs (26 miles) and two solid workouts. Sunday rest. Monday it starts yet again. Mahalo.

October 2, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Another mid-week back-to-back. Hot and humid, post-thunderstorm run. The streets were still slick and there were puddles in the low-lying areas. Hit the trail at six bells for an uneventful 4.90 miles around the campus. Finished the loop in 47:24 for a slowish 9:41 min/mile pace. Eight-seconds per mile slower than yesterday's run over the same territory. Spartacus Redux Mix on the box to get me through the rough patches. Lifting on Friday. Ten-miles planned for Saturday. Temps may be in the low-40s. Mahalo.

October 1, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Ushered in a new month and a new week of running with temps in the low 70s and a humidity percentage that was off the chart. The streets were deserted this morning. Sweated through a pedestrian 4.86 miles in a subsonic 46:27 for a 9:33 min/mile pace. No complaints. Masters of Hip Hop on the box for S and G's. Will lace up the sneakers for another run tomorrow. Mid-week back-to-backs make for manageable long-runs on the weekend. Aloha.

September 29, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Closed out the month of September with a super suave 10k campus loop. Weather was absolutely beautiful: temps in the low 60s and a slight breeze out of the south. Ran a bit slower than previous loops, but finished strong. 6.05 miles in 59:39 for a 9:51 min/mile average pace. Spartacus Redux Mix back on the box. Heavy on the Grunge Masters Collection. September proved to be a good month of runs: logged 90 miles on 15 days of running. Both mileage and number of runs were up from August. Will undoubtedly break 100 miles in October. Tuesday lift. Mahalo.

September 27, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Saturday morning bliss. Out the door to cool temps and low humidity. Slow, methodical extended run. Back to short-sleeves with temps in the mid-60s. Started super laid back, fighting the urge to speed up, and finished right where I needed to be. Clocked the 8.72 mile campus loop in 1:31:45 for a leisurely 10:31 min/mile pace. North to Robinson and the comfort of the Legacy Trail, down Jenkins to the far Southern boundary and then back North through the South Greek to the shack. Rage Against the Machine on the box to get me through. Sunday off. It begins again on Monday.

September 25, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Had an impromptu day off on Wednesday. Simply depleted. Weights, running, alcohol, etc. Deferred until this morning and a super cool (55 degrees Fahrenheit or 13 degrees Celsius) start to the morning. Autumn looms (official start to autumn in the Northern Hemisphere was September 22nd.) The most desirable running conditions in this part of the world will occur over the next month and change. Absolutely beautiful. Long-sleeves and shorts rule the day. Out the door at the appointed hour for a super tranquilo almost-six-mile campus loop. Finished the 5.94 mile loop in 58:01 for a subsonic 9:48 min/mile pace. It was a great run. Spartacus Redux Mix on the box. Chest and Tri Friday AM. A ten-mile long run planned for Saturday. Salud.

September 22, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Solid early AM campus loop. Stepped out to an ultra-cool 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Autumn commenced today in the Northern Hemisphere and it definitely showed. Long-sleeves and shorts with Spartacus Redux Mix on the box. Finished the 4.90 run in 48:05 for a subsonic 9:49 min/mile average pace. Started slowly and finished with purpose. Weight is down below 200 lb. (199 lb.) for the first time since March, 2014. Clean living, Holmes. Clean living. Tuesday lift; Wednesday six miles on the trail. Aloha.

September 20, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Saturday long run bliss. Extended the boundary once again this morning. North to Robinson, Legacy Trail south to Highway 9 and back home. Temps were hot and the humidity was brutal. Started and finished with a slow and methodical approach. 9.02 miles in 1:32:52 for a 10:18 min/mile pace. Great run. Felt like I could have done another five miles. Rock and Roll Explosion Mix on the box. Ten miles planned for next weekend's long run. Monday it starts up again. Mahalo.

September 18, 2014

Dawn Patrol. A 5k Fun Run for the third run of the week is good work if you can get it. Hit the trail a bit later than usual and hit it a bit faster, as well. Finished the 3.30 mile campus short loop in 29:48 for a blistering 9:02 min/mile average pace. Temps were back in the mid-70s with big humidity. Felt decent from start to finish. Started slowly and then picked up the pace to log mile three at 8:32 minutes. (Probably one of my fastest miles in years.) Generation X Grunge Master Mix on the box. Lift Friday. Nine miles for Saturday AM. Aloha.

September 16, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Although I was scheduled for a power lifting session this AM, I decided to get a run in rather than head to the gym. A rare Monday-Tuesday back-to-back. Temps returned to the low-70's with a brutal humidity. Low-lying fog at times. Picked up the pace a bit. Finished the 4.90 mile campus loop in 46:12 for a blistering 9:26 min/mile pace. Had a solid mix of the 80's and 90s (Fruit Salad Mix, Vol. IV) on the box. Definitely to the gym mañana for a Conan-esque weight lifting session. (Sarcasm is hard on this thing.) Thursday back out on the road. Aloha.

September 15, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Another week of running commences. Temps back up in the high-60s this morning. High humidity. Felt good getting on the road and sweating out this weekend's excess. Finished the 5.30 campus loop in 51:38 for a 9:45 min/mile average pace. RHCP on the box. Dropped 7 lbs in the last month due to healthy food choices and a solid exercise regimen. Gone are the days when I could eat whatever the hell I wanted just because I ran 25 miles a week. Feeling lighter out on the trail. Good times. And Mahalo.

September 13, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Game Day edition. Pulled out the long-sleeves for an Autumn-like eight-miler around campus. Temps in the mid-40s with a brisk North breeze. Coolest run since last Spring. Spent 1:21:20 covering 8.26 miles for a 9:50 min/mile pace. There was a lot of action around campus, as the Tennessee Volunteers were in town. A few dedicated tailgaters were setting up tents at 600 am. Overall, it was a solid run that included the Legacy Trail spur, as well as the South Campus boundary. Spartacus Redux Mix on the box. Sunday off. Monday kicks off another week: 6-lift-6-lift-4-8-rest. Mahalo.

September 11, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Cool running with temps in the mid-60s and a nice breeze out of the east. Out the door for a 5k fun run for S and Gs. Finished the 3.31 campus loop in 31:38 for a 9:34 min/mile pace. Grunge Master Gen X Mix on the box. Long live the 1990s tribute. Back and Bi on Wednesday; Chest and Tri Friday. Eight miles planned for Game Day Saturday. Will put me over 20 miles for the week. The gradual build continues. Mahalo. 

September 9, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Awoke ready to run! Switched run-lift days and hit the road for a rare mid-week back-to-back. Completed the 4.90 mile campus loop in 49:47 for another subsonic 10:10 min/mile pace. Slower than yesterday's run by a handful of seconds. Felt slow from the onset. Humidity was brutal, but temps were in the low 70s. A solid run considering how much bourbon was consumed the night before. Spartacus Redux Mix on the box, per custom. Hundreds of the best songs ever performed may get old one day, but we are nowhere near that at this stage of the game. Lift for sure on Wednesday. Aloha.

September 8, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Early AM Monday run through familiar territory. The cool and refreshing cold front temps from last Saturday have disappeared. 70 degrees at 530 am with 100% humidity. No wind. Tweaked the route a bit at the onset for a change of pace. It's interesting how one gets used to the landscape in the blackness of the witching hours, and any change in routine is met by uncertainty and clumsiness. Finished the amended 5.78 mile campus loop in a subsonic 57:28 for a 9:56 average min/mile pace. Spartacus Redux Mix on the box. One of these days I'll splurge for a pair of sports earbuds that won't drive me crazy. Lift on Tuesday. Six on Wednesday. Mahalo.

September 6, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Saturday AM runs are my favorite. Awoke to a steady drizzle and a cool 64 degrees. Absolutely beautiful conditions. Headed North to meet up with the Legacy Trail at Robinson Ave. and then took a Southern tack to the edge of campus before turning back home. Solid. Took my time and enjoyed the rain and Spartacus Redux Mix. Finished the 7.57 mile campus loop in 1:16:06 for an average pace of 10:03 min/mile. A Sunday respite, followed by kicking off another week of fun on Monday. Mahalo.

September 4, 2014

Dawn Patrol. The "hot and humid" description of these early AM runs is becoming monotonous. As is sweating through them morning after morning. Thursday's almost five miles was no exception. High temps and high humidity ruled the run. Started a bit later than usual, so I had to shorten the route by a mile. Completed the 4.92 mile campus loop in 48:27 for a 9:50 min/mile average pace. Spartacus Redux Mix on the box, per recent custom. Planning on eight miles Saturday morning. An impending cold front could make the run quite enjoyable...and wet. Developing.

September 2, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Another week and another month kicked off this AM. Finished August averaging around 20-miles per week. Will increase some in September. Hot and humid, of course, with a strong thunderstorm brewing on the horizon that brought a bit of wind. Out the door before the dawn. Completed the standard 5.98 mile loop in 1:00:08 for a 10:03 min/mile average pace. Solid pace throughout, yet felt depleted around the fourth mile. Calorie and carb intake have been down these past couple of weeks in a concerted effort to shed a few (15) pounds as we move into Autumn. Spartacus Redux Mix on the box with a nice fruit salad mix of the good shit. Back and bi on Wednesday, with another six planned for Thursday. Mahalo.

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.