4/24 - 4/30

I am starting to get a little excited. Somehow it seems that life has been a little busier than normal and I keep getting training sessions knocked out. But my endurance keeps inching upward so "What's big deal?" as my old seminary prof Paul Tashiro would say. 

Monday I did nothing but work and eat. I even ate restaurant food that night. Tuesday I went to the pond after work from the Moorhead campus and swam 3.59 miles (5,776 meters) @ 31:53. Wednesday I was back at the pond with the dogs and swam 3.38 miles (5,438 meters) @ 34:44.

Thursday I decided to stay home and lift weights and rest for Friday. On the bench press I did

37 X 76
10 X 105
10 X 110
10 X 115
8 X 120

That was lighter than I have been lifting, but since I lightened my weights a month or so back, my shoulders have been feeling more sound. Bingo! I am not going to Lake Chicot to lift weights; I am going to swim all day and maybe some of the night. On the Swim Pull machine, I only did

35 X 24.5
21 X 25.9

I did some other stuff, but those are the main two exercises that I believe impact me in the water.

Friday, I left the house with the dogs at 9:15 and swam 8.16 miles (13,129 meters in 4:24 @ 32:21). After swimming, I did a set of 60 X 10 dumbbell curls. I really think this has brought my biceps to a new level because since starting these curls after the swim, I have not felt fatigue in that muscle. Cha ching! Now I am working on the triceps which is a much more important muscle for swimming. I did 13 X 10 on the triceps kickback and 13 X 10 on lateral raises. Call me a sissy, but I can't knock out the big reps on the tri kickback. I need some lighter dumbbells because those high rep sets gorge the muscle with blood which aides vascularization, improves lactic acid buffering, and raises the total fitness level.

Saturday we went to Kosciusko with the Johnsons. I did a bit of walking, but it was all slow so I don't think I received a training effect from that. We did have fun and enjoyed some nice fellowship.

That was the whole of my week, only three swims and one big weight session at Plate City and some light lifting at the pond. For the week, I swam 24,343 meters. I need more now.

Praise God for good health, a good disposition, and a good pond. Thank you Jesus for nice dogs who share the time with me on the fish farm, give me company, and touch me with their joy of life and zest for living.