No Bear at the Pond

Tuesday I went returned home to pick up the dogs before heading to the pond. When we started to load, Bear trotted back to the fence. I followed him, opened the gate, and he gladly went back in. He didn't want to go. I think it is Pee Wee who gets on his nerves with his incessant barking and that is what made the sweetie rather stay home. I understand. Pee Wee gets on my nerves that way also.

I changed things up swimming to attempt to make this session more like a pool swim. I haven't been in a pool in several weeks, and normally I am swimming Twin Rivers, which is still under repairs, a lot this time of year. Even in the Chicot buildup, I do a lot of variety in the pool, thus I thought mixing things up a bit would be a good idea because physical change ups promote a more complete fitness.

The water was flat for the first time in weeks, and I felt fine, smooth like a silk hankie. With the calm and surprisingly chilly water, I swam well despite a five-miler Monday. On the back side, I did some surges, going telephone pole to telephone pole hard and easy. It was nice to push again for a change. The base of my training this time of year is as much volume as I can get at a moderate to easy pace. But at least every other pool swim, when I'm doing that, will involve some sort of faster swimming. 

Besides the pickups, I stopped and brought out a pair of paddles (medium) and did four times across the pond, about 120 meters each way, with a :30 rest after each. Then I did another lap with some more surges and got out for 22 X 8 on the triceps kick back. After that I did another two crossings with paddles. I got back in for one more short, easy swim to bring the total up to 3.27 miles (5,261 meters) in 1:33 for a fast-for-me 28:25 per mile pace. Nice.

Praise God for a good afternoon at the pond.