GoPro Swim

The water was surprisingly cold Sunday afternoon as Randy Beets and I stepped into one of Jimmy Nobile's catfish ponds just west of Moorhead, Mississippi. I squealed like a little girl as the water shocked my foot, my leg, my senses. I felt less of a sissy when Randy, the cold water swimmer of us two, also let out a little noise upon entering the water. My thermometer read 68 degrees, warm by the standards of year round outdoor swimmers, but way below normal for April 7th in the Mississippi delta. Randy's water reader said 66 so I put his measurement down in my training diary.



Me and Randy in the big water under the big sky.

On my forehead was my brand new GoPro camera, purchased with the stipend I received from the Mississippi Humanities Commission at being named MDCC's Humanities Teacher of the Year. I knew almost nothing of the camera, and was sure good shots would be limited since most of the time it would be face down in the water. However, one has to start somewhere to learn something new and this is where I was starting. We swam a lap and he pulled up and asked if I were OK. Then we started around again. And Again. And again.

At the end of four laps, Randy wanted a short break because he was suffering from goggle fatique. I got out to check the camera and Randy followed suit. We were only out of the water a minute or so when the ubiquitous delta wind started us both to shaking. The swim was over after only 2.51 miles.

To backfill the rest of the week, Wednesday was cold and raining so I went to Twin Rivers and ran 5.05 miles on the treadmill and lifted some weights. Thursday it was was 3.15 miles of running and then straight to DSU where I swam

1,600
12 X 50
12 X 50 pull
8 X 50 end of Masters
200 xl paddles
300 large paddles
400 meduim paddles
800 small paddles
300 finger paddles
Total: 5,200 meters..

Friday I went back to DSU and did
1,000
10 X 100 drill with fins
300 back with fins
15 X 200 @ 4:00 small paddles
100 back/swim with fins
Total: 5,400 meters.

Saturday we had the grandchildren so training was limited. I took them out in my truck for four hours, and three times Caitlin said, "This is the best day ever, Poppy." All we were doing was riding around. We went to Sonic, ate food, and got ice cream. We went to the park. We rode out Money Rode and I let them stand up on the front seat and stick their heads out the sunroof. It amazes me as to how little it takes to make them happy.

After the kids left I drove to Hillbilly Heaven to help my father-in-law with something. When we finished I did a 6.3 mile run. All in all it was a pretty good week of training. My totals are running way above lst year, but I am behind on long swims.

For the week I
ran 20.13
walked 1.39
swam 28,051.41 meters
and lifted weights one time.

For the year I am
swim = 195,495.14 meter + 42,774.69 over last year.
run = 287.51 + 184.29 over last year.

Finally the weather is turning warm and the night time lows are coming up. The water should warm quickly now and I should be able to start getting some long continuous swims in. YeeHaa.