March 31, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Marine layer fog. Finished March with 12 runs and 80 miles on the road. Hit the trail this morning to heavy fog and temps hovering around 60 degrees. Not a trace of wind. Entered at the Boyd portal and headed South down the western boundary of campus, past the Lloyd Noble Center, over to Jenkins and back North to the shack. Finished the 5.25 mile campus loop in 50:01 for a 9:32 min/mile pace. Looking forward to April, as the RedBud 10K is scheduled for April 12th and the OKC Memorial Marathon will be on the 26th. (I will run the half-marathon.) Good times. Mahalo.

March 29, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Sunday Long Run. Hit the trail in the pre-dawn darkness for a ten-miler. The temperature was a cool 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius) with a moderate South wind. Absolutely perfect conditions. Headed North to the Robinson boundary, down the Legacy trail to Jenkins, onward past Highway 9 and then looped back North through the campus. Slow pace from start to finish, per Hal Higdon's training wisdom. Completed the 10.09 miles (16 kilometers) in 1:47:34 for a sub-sonic 10:40 min/mile pace. H2O stop at Reeves Park is open for business. Cadence, mechanics and system maintenance all received prominent placement. Cheers.

March 26, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Cold front arrived last night and brought strong North winds and a serious drop in temps. Awoke to a coolish 40-degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) and a strong North wind that made it feel more like 34 degrees (1 Celsius). Broke out the heavier long-sleeves and gloves for this one. Such is the life of a runner during March and April in these parts. In three months I will be fantasizing about mornings like this one. Finished the 6.0 mile campus loop in 57:35 for a 9:35 min/mile pace. Absolutely no complaints. Mahalo.

March 24, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Temps in the mid-50s with a decent South wind. Long-sleeves and shorts, although I could have worn short-sleeves and been just fine. Another 6.06 mile campus loop finished in 55:46 for a 9:12 min/mile pace, which, according to Runkeeper is the 61st fastest time that I've run this route. The weather is absolutely phenomenal. Waiting for the heat and humidity to build. Mahalo.

March 21, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Awoke to a windless 48 degrees Fahrenheit (9 Celsius) and fog. Pushed my planned ten-miles to next weekend due to work commitments, but managed to get a short fun-run in for shits and giggles. Long-sleeves, shorts and gloves. Another great morning for running. Completed the 4.27 mile campus loop in 40:11 for a 9:25 min/mile pace. Finished strong. Mahalo.

March 19, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Marine Layer Fog and brief moments of drizzle to start the day. Out the door after two-days off. Torrential downpour kept me indoors yesterday. Shorts and long-sleeves for excellent running weather: 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius) and calm winds. Completed the 6.03 mile campus loop in 56:39 for a faster-than-usual 9:24 min/mile pace. Faster is obviously used in the relative sense. A day to recuperate prior to Saturday's planned ten-miler. Mahalo.

March 16, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Felt good to get out on the trail after a planned five-day respite. Finished last week with a Monday-Tuesday back-to-back for a total of eleven miles. Took the rest of the week off. The weather is definitely changing. Not ready to give up the long-sleeves just yet, but I left the gloves and soft cap at the shack. Temp was 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 Celsius) with a slight breeze. Finished the uneventful 6.04 mile campus loop in 57:39. The average pace was 9:33; it was, according to Run Keeper, the 139th fastest time I have clocked for this route. Proud. Hitting the road without music has been a nice change of pace. Mahalo.

March 10, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Rare mid-week back-to-back. Awoke to cool temps (45 degrees Fahrenheit and 7 Celsius), marine layer fog and cold drizzle. A perfect morning for lacing up the New Balance kicks and hitting the trail. The Runkeeper app clocked my first mile at 7:20, which is not in the realm of possibilities, and the second mile a bit slower. Obviously having serious synch issues, I blew off the auto-tracking and went on about my business. I ran the same route as yesterday and simply used that data for this morning's run. It should not too far off. Completed the 5.47 mile campus loop in 54:07 for a 9:54 min/mile pace. Mahalo.

March 9, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Awoke to 44 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celsius) and a negligible breeze from the West. The drizzle and fog from start to finish in no way diminished the joy felt running in these relatively "balmy" conditions. The tail end of Winter feels good. Spring looms, although there will inevitably be set-backs, false starts and dashed hopes. And rain. A lot of rain. Started at the Boyd Street portal for a change of pace. Finished the campus loop with a fly-by of the SAE house and the media circus. Completed the 5.47 mile run (9k) in 54:07 for a 9:54 min/mile average pace. Mahalo.

March 7, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Saturday Long Run. With temps right at freezing (32 F, 0 C) and no wind, it felt like a Spring day out on the trail. Layered up and waited until the sunlight hit the olive oil before heading out. Extended the loop North to Robinson and the Legacy trail and then pushed the Southern boundary past Highway 9 and the Oliver Stone Wildlife Preserve. Completed the 9.40 mile loop (15.12 km) in 1:32:08 for a 9:48 min/mile pace. Ditched the ear buds yet again and will continue to run sans music for a bit. It's a nice change and lets me focus on breathing, cadence and mechanics. Day Light Savings time arrives tomorrow, which will give me a good excuse to tweak the routes for shits and giggles. Finished the week with 21.61 miles.

March 4, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Awoke to freezing temps (27 degrees Fahrenheit or -3 degrees Celsius) and a brutal 20 mph wind out of the north. Started cold, but it was definitely manageable. The discomfort level increased exponentially when I hit the 1.5 mile mark and the sleet started. Finished the last three miles fighting the sleet and wind hitting me in the face. Relentlessly. Ended the run soaked to the bone and super cold. Completed the 6.16 mile campus loop in a frigid 1:00:56 for a 9:54 min/mile pace. I'm ready for Spring and a change of weather patterns. Ditched the earbuds and focused on cadence, mechanics and the wind-driven sleet. Mahalo.

March 2, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Saturday and Sunday were a wash: the snow and ice were too much. Three days of downtime ensued. Finished the last week of February with 20.42 miles. Hit the trail this morning to inaugurate the month of March. Temps registered at 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 Celsius) with a slight breeze. Nothing heavy. Completed the 6.05 mile campus loop in 58:47 for a subsonic 9:43 min/mile pace. Random mixture of tunes on the box. Mahalo.

February 26, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Another frigid winter run. Borderline uncomfortable. 20 degrees at dawn (-7 Celsius) with a 25 mph North wind that made it feel like 10 degrees (-12). Layered up to the hilt and hit the road as planned. Heading South was cold, but nothing over the top. The three-mile return leg to the shack was extremely cold and mind-numbing. Pace was very slow. Finished the 6.03 mile campus loop in 1:00:31 for a 10:02 min/mile pace. Old Favorites on the box. Winter weather returning to these parts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Will attempt to get a Saturday run in the books before things turn ugly. As things stand today, I completed another 20-mile week. Mahalo.

February 24, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Winter Conditions. Out the door to a snow-laden landscape and ice-covered sidewalks and side streets. Temp before dawn was 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celsius) with a calm breeze from the North. Layered up and hit the trail. Took it super slow and careful due to the ice and darkness. Completed the deserted 6.12 miles in 1:04:04 for a frozen 10:28 min/mile pace. Good times. Went with a nice 21st century mix this morning, including this gem from Bloc Party. Mahalo.

February 22, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Sunday morning. Out the door a bit later in a futile attempt to enjoy what overcast sun there was. Frigid, overbearing conditions with the temperature and will chill combining for an uncomfortable 29 degrees Fahrenheit or -2 Celsius. The wind was out of the North at a resounding 20 mph at times. Extended the route to Robinson and the Legacy Trail South to the Highway 9 boundary and then returned home via the South Greek and Western edge of the campus. Found a decent groove on the way back to the shack in spite of the wind and cold. Focused on stride, cadence and keeping it slow. Completed the 8.27 mile loop in 1:26:23 for a 10:27 min/mile pace. Hip Hop Explosion on the box. Finished the week with 20.50 miles. Mahalo.

February 19, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Awoke to a frigid 23 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 Celsius) with a windchill of 17 degrees (-8).  The wind was out of the east and made for some uncomfortable minutes at the onset. Layered up to the proverbial hilt and hit the trail. Streets were deserted. Completed the 6.04 mile campus loop in an icy 57:59 for a 9:36 min/mile pace. Splits were relatively consistent throughout. In fact, completed last Thursday's 6.03 miles in the same time. Blink 182 back on the box after a hiatus. Other than freezing my ass off, the run was pretty uneventful. Mahalo.

February 17, 2015

Dawn Patrol. As anticipated, I was forced to scrap yesterday's planned run due to ice on the trail after a winter storm pushed through during the overnight hours. Hit the pavement this morning with 27 degrees registering on the thermometer (-3 Celsius) and a negligible South breeze. It was a beautiful, frigid morning run. Layered up with the works for this one. Kept the earbuds at the casa and enjoyed the sights and sounds au naturel. Completed the 6.18 mile campus loop in 59:11 for a 9:35 min/mile pace. Mahalo.

February 14, 2015

Dawn Patrol. A perfect Saturday morning: temps in the mid-30s with a slight south wind. Out the door a bit later than usual, so I was able to run with the sun for a nice change.  Extended the route north to Robinson Ave. and the Legacy Trail, headed south to the Highway 9 boundary and then returned home through the South Greek and the west side of the campus. Tried mightily to keep the pace as slow as possible. Finished the 8.03 miles in 1:23:05 for a 10:21 min/mile pace. More 80s music on the box for shits and giggles. 19 miles for the week. Monday could be interesting if the weather forecasts are accurate, as ice looks possible. Developing. Mahalo.

February 12, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Sat out yesterday's planned six-miler, as I was winding down day four of the controlled fast/cleanse. Not pleasant on any level and will most likely wait a bit before attempting it again. No food for 96-hours is a super bummer. Anyhow, awoke to temps in the low-20s this morning and a slight north wind. Bundled up and hit the road at the appointed hour for a solid 10k through familiar streets. Finished the 6.03 mile campus loop in 57:49 for a leisurely 9:36 min/mile pace. An eclectic collection of 80's tunes on the box. Winter weather looms. Snow and ice in the forecast. Always pleasant. Aloha.

February 9, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Absolutely perfect running conditions to inaugurate the week: temps in the mid-40s with calm winds out of the South. Long-sleeves and shorts. Currently in the second day of a controlled fast/juice detox, so I shortened the route a bit this morning. I've never attempted to subsist on lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup before, and can't say that it's been enjoyable to date. Finished the 4.94 mile campus loop in a slow 52:00 for a 10:32 min/mile pace. I attribute the slow pace to not eating. Anything. For two days. Bowel-related issues caused near panic and intense fear. No need to go into detail. Suffice to say that I survived a very traumatic experience. On a brighter note, I enjoyed the Smashing Pumpkins this morning. Seemed fitting. Mahalo.

February 7, 2015

Early AM. Out the door right about the time the sunlight hit the olive oil. Splendid weather: awoke to temps in the mid-30s with a manageable South wind. Shorts and long-sleeves. Extended the route South to Highway 9 and North to Andrews Park. Everything was right with the world until mile three and then my bowels began to churn. Sushi and Asahi from Friday evening, perhaps? Luckily, I knew there was a porta-potty within reach. I endured the fear of exploding for about 5 minutes, although at the time it seemed like an eternity. I ducked in the porta-potty only to find an unbelievable sight: toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Hell, there was even a spare roll of toilet paper! Finished the 7.14 mile extended campus loop in 1:11:22 for a subsonic 9:59 min/mile pace. Assorted 90s Grunge Master mix on the box. Finished the week with 19.24 miles. Mahalo.

February 5, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Frozen Face. 20 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of 10 degrees (-12 degrees Celsius). If there was ever a day to stay in bed and not run, today was that day. I, however, managed to crawl out of bed and hit the trail at the appointed hour in spite of the cold and wind and dread. Layered to the hilt, including a full-mask and heavyweight, Arctic-rated oil field gloves. Completed the 6.07 mile campus loop in a frigid 1:01:23 for a slowish 10:07 min/mile pace. Really took a beating when I turned back North for the return leg home. Splits slowed significantly, as I valiantly tried not to cry while keeping my legs churning. Strangely there were no other runners on the trail this morning. Tried and true Spartacus Redux Mix on the box. Friday off with nice weather rumored for the weekend. Ver para creer. Mahalo.

February 3, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Frozen. Opted not to run Monday morning in order to recuperate from the senseless debauchery that was Super Bowl Sunday. Awoke today, Tuesday, to 22 degrees Fahrenheit ( -5.5 Celsius) and a steady south wind. Layered up and hit the trail for February's first run. Even worked the tights for this one. Damn. The streets were deserted, as the smart money waited until daybreak and the promise of higher temps. Or ran on a treadmill at the YMCA. Completed the 6.03 miles in 58:11 for a 9:39 min/mile average pace. Splits were fairly consistent throughout. 80s punk on the box. More winter weather in the forecast. The words "winter mix" have been uttered in hushed tones around these parts. I am not afraid. Mahalo.

January 31, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Cold rain. Temps in the low 40s with a strong south breeze. Out the door a bit later than usual, as I waited to see if the rain might let up a bit. No chance. Layered up with long-sleeves and shorts. Headed south to the Highway 9 boundary and then back to the shack through the campus. A nice, wet, chilly, end-of-the-month run. Completed the 6.40 mile campus loop in 1:02:40 for a pedestrian 9:47 min/mile pace. Splits were fairly consistent from start to finish. Seemed appropriate to put Kula Shaker on the box with the dreary cold and rain. Missed 10-days of running in the month, but finished January on a strong note. 24 miles for the week. Back at it on Monday. Mahalo.

January 29, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Out the door at the appointed hour and met with an unbelievable 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius), along with a pretty strong north wind. Left the gloves at home, but worked the long-sleeves and shorts. Times were slow; I attribute the slowness to the copious amount of red wine consumed last evening, but it could be age or the thousands of miles on the odometer. I digress. Hit the eastern approach to begin things and finished up strong on the western side of the loop.  Completed the 6.01 campus loop in a leisurely 59:25 for a subsonic 9:53 min/mile pace. Really took a hit on the way home being pounded by that brutal north wind for three miles. More 90s music on the box.  Generation X, for the uninitiated. Weather changes on the way. Could be wet and cold on Saturday. A lethal combination. Aloha.

January 27, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Out the door to an almost warm 41 degrees (5 Celsius) and a slight breeze. Layered up with long-sleeves and shorts. Reversed the route for an uneventful 6.03 mile campus loop. Completed the run in 59:14 for a 9:49 min/mile average pace. A bit slower than recent times. 90s Rock seeping back into the rotation on the box.  Legs and lungs are getting back to normal after ten days off. Plan on another 12 miles before the end of the month. Less talk, more rock. Mahalo.

January 25, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Back in the game after a 10-day stint on the IR. The Flu came to town and it was not pretty. Lungs are still not 100% clear, but I felt today was a good day to get back out on the trail. Temps in the mid-40s (7 degrees Celsius) with a pretty strong wind out of the northwest. Long-sleeves and shorts. Started and finished slow. Legs felt heavy. Completed the 5.65 mile campus loop in 55:23 for a 9:48 min/mile pace. First sub-six mile run in a month and change. Seattle-Infused musical selections on the box. Inaugurated another pair of New Balance 1260 V4's this morning. Feels good to be back in the game. Mahalo.

January 14, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Another very cold morning with temps in the mid-20s (25 degrees Fahrenheit or -4 Celsius) and a light (3 mph) wind out of the north. Nothing too heavy, as the lack of wind made the run very manageable. Layered up and hit the streets in the pre-dawn hours for an uneventful 6.30 mile campus loop. The streets were deserted. Traffic around campus has picked up a bit since the Spring semester commenced; however, the cold weather and wind have left the campus and environs devoid of runners and walkers for the most part. Finished the 10 K run in 57:51 for a relatively fast 9:09 min/mile average pace. Have not complete a six-miler this "fast" since April 11, 2014. Must have been the Metallica blaring through the earbuds (Solid Thin Lizzy cover) or the Albuterol hits pre-run. Mahalo.

January 12, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Wine-Soaked Recovery. Another week of running commenced this morning. Cold (22 F, -5 C) with a strong North wind. Layered up and hit the road in the pre-dawn hours, per custom. Calle 13 on the box for a serious change of pace. Deserted streets. Completed the 6.04 mile campus loop in a chilly 58:02 for a 9:36 min/mile pace. Finished strong in spite of the wind and wine from last night. Will endeavor to utilize a M-W-F-Sa schedule moving forward, with Friday's runs being a short 5 K fun run for shits and giggles. Mahalo.

January 10, 2015

Dawn Patrol. Saturday Edition. Frozen. Temps in the low 20s (-6 Celsius) with a brisk South wind that begs the age old question: is it better to start into the wind or finish into the wind? I am used to starting out with the wind, getting warm and then descending into the discomfort of heading home with the wind in my face. Today required a change of focus, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Anyhow, extended the run to Highway 9 and finished the deserted 6.43 mile campus loop in 1:01:08 for a cold 9:31 min/mile average pace. Good times. Pearl Jam on the box. Mahalo.