Wednesday Pond

D 10 was looking like an angry ocean when I drove up and the dogs ran up Wednesday afternoon. But once in the water, this fat old man transformed into a porpoise, at least in my mind. My time in the water was one of my best swims in years at least in terms of how I felt. 

Smooth and strong. 

Although I wore the shorty, I left off the rash guard and probably could have done without the small wetsuit also. I didn't take a reading, but I guess the temp was 72-75. Refreshing, invigorating, delicious. 

On the choppy side where I always start, I couldn't feel the water much. But once I made the west end and crossed over to the south side, I could feel the water flow over my head (despite my cap), over my neck, down my arms, and twirl around the soles of my feet. My hands felt like they were gripping something solid, a basketball or a cat butt, as I pulled myself in a relaxing rhythm down the pond. I doubled the calm side before crossing back over to hit the chop again.

Both dogs followed me on my first lap. Like usual, Bear sat out the second go round while Pee Wee continued with me. Once, I stopped at the top of the smooth side and sat on the mud bottom, my head and shoulders barely above the water's surface, while I peed and looked at the waterfowl that filled the air. I took joy in being alive, in God's creation, in Pee Wee's pleasure at being free and being a dog. While I swim, he runs and rolls and sniffs and sometimes he even barks at the water's edge set off my the waves lapped at the levee.

Pee Wee joyed in running; I joyed in swimming; Bear joyed in being out there with us. When my watched buzzed the third time, I made a B-line for the truck. I stay with Mom on Wednesday nights, so I had to make some tracks back towards Greenwood. I finished with 3.3 miles (5,309 meters) in 1:30 @ 29:41 per mile. That's a pretty good pace for me especially considering I wasn't swimming too hard. Back at the truck, I didn't take the shorty off until I did a set of 45 reps with the ten pound dumbbells that ride in the back of my truck. That sort of finished the arms off. 

I ran the dogs back towards the blacktop but we stopped short so I could walk a ditch and retrieve some turtle shells which I am selling for the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. 

Life is good.

God is good.

Praise His Holy name.