December 31, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Last run of 2014. Frozen Face. Frozen Package. Frigid. Miserable. Out the door to 17 degrees Fahrenheit (-8.3 Celsius) with a wind chill of 3 degrees Fahrenheit (-16 Celsius). Brutal north wind. Layered up with winter-rated tights, three long-sleeve dry-fit shirts, full-frontal face mask, a jacket, cold-rated gloves and smart wool socks. And still froze my ass off. Six miles. Campus loop. Deserted frozen streets with a slight dusting of snow. One other freak out on the trail; homeboy running with his dog. We passed in the pre-dawn haze and the dog looked up at me like, "What the fuck is wrong with you idiots?" Started strong and somewhat optimistic, only to decompensate into fear, sadness and regret. Should have driven to the YMCA and run on a treadmill with gas heat and CNN on in the foreground. Said I, never. Bring it, don't sing it. Finished the 6.04 miles in 1:00.31 for a sub-sonic 10:01 min/mile pace. Early Hip Hop on the box. Easy. Solid. New Year's Day off. 1,000 mile goal for 2015. Mileage starts on January 2, 2015. Mahalo.

December 29, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Frozen Face. Super Frigid. Wind chill at 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 and change Celsius.) No escaping the cold on this day. Bone-chilling. Out the door at the appointed hour, layered up and focused. A North breeze to keep things interesting. Completed the 6.02 mile campus loop in 57:49 for a 9:36 min/mile average pace. Deserted streets remain the norm. Went all British on the box for a slight change. To the gym on Tuesday. Another six miles on Wednesday. A colder Arctic blast heading this way. Mahalo.

December 24, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Christmas Eve Edition. Frozen Face. 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 Celsius) with a brutal 15 mph North wind, which made the return trip back to the shack extremely uncomfortable. Layered up from head to toe, even sported tights for this one. Out the door before the sunrise for a standard campus loop. Completed the 5.88 miles in 57:30 for a 9:47 min/mile pace. Today's run was twelve-seconds per mile slower than Monday's run. Best of the 90's on the box. Awesome videos are an added bonus. Christmas off. Mahalo.

December 22, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Awoke to temps in the mid-40s (7 Celsius) and an almost negligible breeze. The streets were deserted and fog-laden from the onset. Layered up for a smooth 5.88 miles around the campus. Completed the loop in 56:30 for a slow, sluggish 9:37 min/mile pace. Started slowly and never felt my full mojo. Solid lap, nonetheless. Fruit Salad Mix on the box. Tuesday to the gym. Mahalo.

December 20, 2104

Dawn Patrol. Cool Runnings. 35 degrees Fahrenheit (1.6 Celsius) and calm. Layered up and headed out for a solid 5.63 miles around the campus. Started strong and kept it going all the way home. Finished the loop in 52:27 for a 9:19 min/mile average pace. "Fastest" average pace since a 9:13 min/mile pace in April, 2014. Maybe it was Blur on the box? Maybe it was the hits of Albuterol pre-run? Regardless, it was good times out there on the trail. Sunday off. Back at it on Monday. Mahalo.

December 17, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Early morning bliss. Awoke to a still, cool morning. Temps in the low 30s (34 degrees Fahrenheit or about 1 degree Celsius) with absolutely no wind with which to contend. The drizzle began to fall around the five-minute mark and never let up. I am on record as stating that there is nothing better than running in the rain. Absolutely lovely running conditions. Felt good from beginning to end. Finished strong. Layered up and completed the 5.64 mile (9.07 km) campus loop in 53:30 for a sub-sonic 9:30 min/mile average pace. Fastest average pace since September. Campus was deserted; no pedestrians on the trail this morning. Continuing to keep the 1990s in rotation on the box. Mahalo.

December 14, 2014

Daybreak. Out the door a bit later than usual for a rare Sunday run. Met with unseasonably warm temps in the mid-50s (12-13 degrees Celsius) and a nice breeze from the south. Hoped for a bit of rain, but it did not pan out. Extended the campus route to Highway 9 for a little change in scenery. Finished the 5.90 miles in 57:44 for a 9:47 min/mile pace. Continued with the 90s music theme this AM. Aloha.

December 11, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Second run of the week after a two-day respite. Cool (44 degrees Fahrenheit) with a slight breeze from the south. Super nice running conditions. Completed the uneventful 5.55 mile campus loop in 53:23 for a 9:37 min/mile average pace. The campus, due to the students being in the home stretch of finals week, was pretty much empty. Deserted road and environs. Blink on the box for that early 2000's feel. Started closer to nine-minute miles and finished slower. Much slower. Friday off; Saturday on the road again. Mahalo.

December 8, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Hit the road after a self-imposed exile this weekend. Marine Layer Fog. Temps in the low 40s with a slight breeze. Long-sleeves, shorts, gloves and a cap. Super running conditions. Another uneventful 5.70 mile campus loop. Down Elm Street to the Lloyd Noble, over to Jenkins and back North. Surreal at times with the blanket of fog. Finished in 55:32 for a 9:45 min/mile average pace. Started relatively slow and ended a bit faster, or not as slow. Back to the 90s Mix on the box. To the gym on Tuesday. Another 10K planned for Wednesday. Mahalo.

December 3, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Cold Running. Deserted Streets. Out the door at the appointed hour for yet another campus turn. Temps in the mid-30s with absolutely no breeze. Fog present in the low-lying areas. A beautiful, still, late-Autumn morning. Waiting for the sun. Layered up with long-sleeves and shorts, gloves and a cap. Started slow. Finished the 5.30 miles in 52:33 for a 9.55 min/mile average pace. 90s Music on the Box. Good times. Aloha.

December 1, 2014

Dawn Patrol. Frozen, frigid wind originating on the Arctic Circle and pummeling me, relentlessly, on this morning's pre-dawn run. Temps in the low 20s with a brutal wind chill in the 15 degree Fahrenheit range (-10 Celsius). Bring something to cover your face. The run was actually pretty manageable until I headed back north some two-miles from the shack. Bone-numbing, eye-watering, freeze-your-ass off wind. Finished the 4.94 mile campus loop in a leisurely 50:23 for a 10:12 min/mile pace. Slow and low that was the tempo, for sure. Deserted streets this morning. It felt good to be out there...in the elements.  Here's to a great month of cold weather running! Cheers.

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.