3/20 - 3/26

My distance dropped off a little last week but it was still a pretty good training cycle. Monday I went to the pond for a 3.55 miles swim. The dogs got to go and they had a good time. Tuesday I was back at the pond for 4.34 miles in a little better pace than Monday's. This time the dogs didn't get to go because I left for the fish farm from the Moorhead campus. The 6,983 is my longest open water swim of the year. They will have to get much longer.

Wednesday, I stayed home and lifted weights. On the bench press, I pushed

17 X 70
10 X 100
9 X 120
6 X 140
6 X 140
6 X 140
4 X 145

On the Swim Pull, I did

55 X 21.5 + 3 washers
33 X 26.5 + 3 washers
10 X 28 + 3 washers
11 X 28 + 3 washers
12 X 28 + 3 washers

Thursday I went to DSU for a change up and some speed work. I swam

1,100 warm up
8 X 50 @ 1:30
400 medium paddles 3, 5, 7, 3 by 25s in 6:48
6 X 50 @ 1:30 decline 1-3
300 pull
400 swim 6:57
200 cool down
total: 3,100 meters

I left instead of swimming more because I wanted to save something for Friday, pond day.

Friday I was at D 10 with the dogs, and we were accompanied by 25 mile per hour winds. Amazingly, the water temp had dropped to 68. It was 69 Monday, 72 Tuesday, and the weather was warm Wednesday and Thursday. !?!?!?!? I would not have been surprised because the strong winds straight out of the south often cools the ponds. But this one had been very low and I didn't think there was any cold water on the bottom for the south wind to push up. Maybe  there was some cold water down there or maybe the wind itself, although it was in the seventies, carried off warmth. I don't know, but I find it fascinating how the water temps can fool me when I think I have it all figured out.

I only swam 1.89 miles. I climbed out to get a snack and got smacked by that wind. It chilled me and sucked out the desire to bust it big. I sat for the longest time in my truck and tried to talk myself back into the water. It's OK. I'm ahead of last year by 37,884 meters before this week. I need to be for several reasons, but I don't yet feel the panic to swim my arms off. That will come.

Saturday I hit Plate City for a focus on the Swim Pull Machine. I did

65 X 21.5 + 3 washers
60 X 23 + 3 washers
50 X 24.5 + 3 washer
35 X 26 + 3 washers
30 X 27 + 3 washers
15 X 28 + 3 washers 

For the week, I swam 18,883 meters. I hope to bust out some good ones this week. It is rainy looking out there right now, but if I don't see lightning, I plan to release the hounds at the farm before the sun sets.