The last Monday of 2019 was a nice mix a training, napping, cat petting, coffee drinking, and football watching. It started at 4:00 a.m at the pool with John missing in action. I swam
1,100 22:56 (2:04)
5 X 50
1,000 19:42 (1:57)
5 X 50
1,000 19:19 (1:55)
5 X 50 (last three in 43)
1,150 21:57 (1:54)
total: 5,000 yards = 4,570 meters
Before the morning got away, I went out for a shuffle. I wore my new vest that Penny gave me for Christmas, a yellow cycling thing. I like cycling stuff because they have those pockets in the back which are wonderful for storing gloves and toboggans. I did 4.15 easy miles.
I went out back during the half time of the Mississippi State football game. When I came back in, it was late fourth quarter and State's defense looked frightened. What the heck? It disgusted me. I hate that about them. You can never trust them. They love to lose to teams they are supposed to beat. I have tried to divorce them in the past, but the attachment is too strong.
At Plate City, I did
Incline dumbbell bench press
13 X 30
10 X 35
8 X 40
Flat barbell bench
12 X 100
10 X 105
10 X 105
10 X 110
Log press
10 X 52
6 X 63
2 X 74
missed at 85
1 X 74
Dead lift
1 X 135
That was a pretty full day. The training was solid, the rest needed, the football, well, at least the cats were sweet. They always are. Thank you, Jesus.
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Monday, December 30, 2019
12/23 - 12/29
Monday morning I swam 4,400 yards to get the day started. Later I shuffled 3.48 miles and then lifted weights at Plate City. Tuesday I swam 3,500. I already forgot why the drop off on the swim. Oh, now I remember. My phone, which serves as my alarm clock, died during the night so I overslept. John, as usual, was later than I was so no harm except to my yard total. That was Christmas Eve, and I ran 16.56 miles to Hillbilly Heaven after another weight session at the gym.
Wednesday, Christmas day, was typical with lots of lounging and too much eating. I did so a small shuffle to Forrest's where we had Christmas supper. It was only 1.45 miles, but that was better than a poke in the eye.
Thursday I hit the pool hard with 5,350 yards. I hit the gym hard too with lots of pushing and farmers's walk stuff. Later, I got out at Hillview Baptist Church and shuffled 5.59 miles to HBH.
Friday I was beginning to think about Chicot so I did a long straight swim. I went 5,500 and thought that was something. Then one of those Facebook Memories popped up and showed a picture of my Garmin from one year ago. In 2018, I did 6,700 and it only took me four more minutes to do it. Wow. I rarely go back a year and read this blog even though it provides a thorough and accurate record. When I do go back, it is in the hard copy journal I keep. Later, Penny and I went to Jackson. I shuffled 1.15 miles in one of the parking lots while she shopped.
Saturday I swam 3,400 yards. I determined ahead of time not to run but only to swim and lift. I had a good session at the gym before going inside to watch LSU put a beat down on Oklahoma. Great.
It was a solid week. I
swam 20,243 meters,
ran 28.23 miles, and
lifted four times.
Wednesday, Christmas day, was typical with lots of lounging and too much eating. I did so a small shuffle to Forrest's where we had Christmas supper. It was only 1.45 miles, but that was better than a poke in the eye.
Thursday I hit the pool hard with 5,350 yards. I hit the gym hard too with lots of pushing and farmers's walk stuff. Later, I got out at Hillview Baptist Church and shuffled 5.59 miles to HBH.
Friday I was beginning to think about Chicot so I did a long straight swim. I went 5,500 and thought that was something. Then one of those Facebook Memories popped up and showed a picture of my Garmin from one year ago. In 2018, I did 6,700 and it only took me four more minutes to do it. Wow. I rarely go back a year and read this blog even though it provides a thorough and accurate record. When I do go back, it is in the hard copy journal I keep. Later, Penny and I went to Jackson. I shuffled 1.15 miles in one of the parking lots while she shopped.
Saturday I swam 3,400 yards. I determined ahead of time not to run but only to swim and lift. I had a good session at the gym before going inside to watch LSU put a beat down on Oklahoma. Great.
It was a solid week. I
swam 20,243 meters,
ran 28.23 miles, and
lifted four times.
Friday, December 27, 2019
Lazy Day of Hard Training
Thursday was a lazy day of hard training. I began stroking water at 4:05 a.m. in the Twin Rivers pool. John was on time. WHAT!?!?!? Yeah. For the 4th time in literally hundreds of swims, he was there when we had agreed to be there. I swam
3,150 1:03:20 (2:00)
11 X 50
700 medium paddles
3 X 50
250 large paddles
550 small paddles
total: 5,350 yards = 4,889 meters
I then went home, ate some cereal, updated the blog, and went to sleep. Yep, I went back to sleep. It was a lazy day of hard training.
Plate City was next, late morning, after lots of lounging and napping. I did benches and of course, the farmer's walk. On the farmer's walk, I did 1 X 200 feet with just the implements, and then 1 X 150 feet. Then I loaded the handles with a 25 on each end making 102 pounds for each one or 204 total pounds. That was heavy. I did only 2 X 50 feet. I have now figured out my poundages for endurance and for the heavy carries. Although I have been using these at every workout, I was preparing my body for the move as well as experimenting with the weight. Now I will probably go to a three times per week scheme of light, heavy, medium.
After the gym work, I went in and snacked and napped. I went to sleep twice. It was a lazy day of hard training. We went to Hillbilly Heaven. I was not up to running the whole way so I got out at Hillview Baptist Church and shuffled the 5.59 miles in which included my second pull of the big hill in three days. Tuesday Iran ambulated the Big Hill Mile in 18:50. This time I did it in 14:02. Of course I had way fewer miles on my legs when I hit it this time, but it is still nice to see a reduction. Once there, we sat around and ate pizza. Like I said, it was a lazy day of hard training.
I enjoyed the day much. Thank you, Jesus, for blessing me with the health and energy to play at my age.
3,150 1:03:20 (2:00)
11 X 50
700 medium paddles
3 X 50
250 large paddles
550 small paddles
total: 5,350 yards = 4,889 meters
I then went home, ate some cereal, updated the blog, and went to sleep. Yep, I went back to sleep. It was a lazy day of hard training.
Plate City was next, late morning, after lots of lounging and napping. I did benches and of course, the farmer's walk. On the farmer's walk, I did 1 X 200 feet with just the implements, and then 1 X 150 feet. Then I loaded the handles with a 25 on each end making 102 pounds for each one or 204 total pounds. That was heavy. I did only 2 X 50 feet. I have now figured out my poundages for endurance and for the heavy carries. Although I have been using these at every workout, I was preparing my body for the move as well as experimenting with the weight. Now I will probably go to a three times per week scheme of light, heavy, medium.
After the gym work, I went in and snacked and napped. I went to sleep twice. It was a lazy day of hard training. We went to Hillbilly Heaven. I was not up to running the whole way so I got out at Hillview Baptist Church and shuffled the 5.59 miles in which included my second pull of the big hill in three days. Tuesday I
I enjoyed the day much. Thank you, Jesus, for blessing me with the health and energy to play at my age.
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Christmas Eve
It was the day before Christmas and all through the pool, not a creature was swimming, not even a fool. Except me at 4:00 a.m. I did
3,100 1:02:31 (2:00)
8 X 50
total: 3,500 yards = 3,199 meters
I followed that up with a session at Plate City that featured pulls and, and what? If you guessed farmer's walk you win a pony. I took the weight up to plus thirty-five pounds extra per side and did seven walks.
After that I shuffled to Hillbilly Heaven but not in the most direct route. On the way, I knocked a wad of hair and scalp off the top of my head when I crossed the Yazoo River bridge on Highway 82. I have crossed that bridge on foot dozens of times without incident. Something was different. They either added a sign or moved one. I noticed there was a sign pole in my way so I was looking down to shuffle my feet and BAM!!!; I knocked myself silly and bloody.
Running up the frontage road on 82, I was thinking, this is a heat training session. The temps were only supposed to hit 62 or 63, but I had sweat rolling off my face like I climbed out of a shower. I did not feel as fit as I did at Thanksgiving when I made the run. My pace slowed to a walk pace although I was running. Sort of. I pulled the big hill. Then Baby Girl, our daughter, came along and checked on me. After that Penny drove up and checked also. I arrived at HBH with 16.56 miles on the old skinny legs. Now I could eat without guilt. Well, truth be told, I do that anyway. Thank you, Jesus, for a full and fun day of exercise and family time.
3,100 1:02:31 (2:00)
8 X 50
total: 3,500 yards = 3,199 meters
I followed that up with a session at Plate City that featured pulls and, and what? If you guessed farmer's walk you win a pony. I took the weight up to plus thirty-five pounds extra per side and did seven walks.
After that I shuffled to Hillbilly Heaven but not in the most direct route. On the way, I knocked a wad of hair and scalp off the top of my head when I crossed the Yazoo River bridge on Highway 82. I have crossed that bridge on foot dozens of times without incident. Something was different. They either added a sign or moved one. I noticed there was a sign pole in my way so I was looking down to shuffle my feet and BAM!!!; I knocked myself silly and bloody.
Running up the frontage road on 82, I was thinking, this is a heat training session. The temps were only supposed to hit 62 or 63, but I had sweat rolling off my face like I climbed out of a shower. I did not feel as fit as I did at Thanksgiving when I made the run. My pace slowed to a walk pace although I was running. Sort of. I pulled the big hill. Then Baby Girl, our daughter, came along and checked on me. After that Penny drove up and checked also. I arrived at HBH with 16.56 miles on the old skinny legs. Now I could eat without guilt. Well, truth be told, I do that anyway. Thank you, Jesus, for a full and fun day of exercise and family time.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Monday
Forty minutes!
Forty minutes!
Bless his heart.
I swam
3,000 1:00:04 (1:59)
9 X 50
600 medium paddles
250 large paddles
100 small paddles
total: 4,400 yards = 4,021 meters
Penny is off work, so when I got home, I went back to bed. Later, I shuffled 3.48 miles for workout number two. Workout number three was a Plate City session of
Incline dumbbell benches
17 X 30
13 X 35
Flat barbell bench
11 X 100
11 X 100
10 X 105
10 X 105
Log press
13 X 52
6 X 57
5 X 62
Duck walk
105 X 50 feet
Overhead dumbbell walk
43 seconds with 15s
Farmer's walk
4 X 50 feet with +30 per side
1 X 120 feet with +0
All of that made a pretty good day of training. I still am loving those farmer's walk handles. That is such a powerful exercise that hits just about everything including your cardio. Thank you, Jesus.
Forty minutes!
Bless his heart.
I swam
3,000 1:00:04 (1:59)
9 X 50
600 medium paddles
250 large paddles
100 small paddles
total: 4,400 yards = 4,021 meters
Penny is off work, so when I got home, I went back to bed. Later, I shuffled 3.48 miles for workout number two. Workout number three was a Plate City session of
Incline dumbbell benches
17 X 30
13 X 35
Flat barbell bench
11 X 100
11 X 100
10 X 105
10 X 105
Log press
13 X 52
6 X 57
5 X 62
Duck walk
105 X 50 feet
Overhead dumbbell walk
43 seconds with 15s
Farmer's walk
4 X 50 feet with +30 per side
1 X 120 feet with +0
All of that made a pretty good day of training. I still am loving those farmer's walk handles. That is such a powerful exercise that hits just about everything including your cardio. Thank you, Jesus.
Monday, December 23, 2019
12/16 - 12/22
I got back on track last week. Pretty much. I had hoped to run more miles, but a gimpy patellar tendon scuttled that. Monday I cut it a bit short at 5.06 miles of shuffling along with 1,553 meters of swimming and some weight training. Tuesday I swam 2,559 meters but did not run a step. Plate City did, however, receive a visit from me.
Wednesday I hit 2,833 meters in the water. It was also my long run of the week, but even 9.06 miles was fewer than I had hoped for. I hit the gym hard for legs and playing with strongman stuff. I tried to run again Thursday, after swimming 3,199 meters, but was cut short at 1.17 miles. Plate City was, however, in full swing.
Friday was my long swim of the week with 4,000 yards (3,656 meters). I did not run at all but did some lifting. Saturday I had hoped to bust everything out big. All I did, however, was a 5.03 mile shuffle.
For the week, I
lifted five times,
shuffled 20.32 miles, and
swam 13,800 meters.
That was pretty good. But it is getting time to start training for Chicot. I must start doing more volume without losing my speed. How to? Praise God for the problem.
Wednesday I hit 2,833 meters in the water. It was also my long run of the week, but even 9.06 miles was fewer than I had hoped for. I hit the gym hard for legs and playing with strongman stuff. I tried to run again Thursday, after swimming 3,199 meters, but was cut short at 1.17 miles. Plate City was, however, in full swing.
Friday was my long swim of the week with 4,000 yards (3,656 meters). I did not run at all but did some lifting. Saturday I had hoped to bust everything out big. All I did, however, was a 5.03 mile shuffle.
For the week, I
lifted five times,
shuffled 20.32 miles, and
swam 13,800 meters.
That was pretty good. But it is getting time to start training for Chicot. I must start doing more volume without losing my speed. How to? Praise God for the problem.
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Change in Senior Olympic Date
Saturday it was honor to preach the funeral of Danny Scallion. When I have a funeral, I do nothing beforehand if possible but study, pray, and shine my shoes. That is what I did before Danny's funeral which was held at Centerville Baptist Church. When I got home, I ate, and rested until my food settled. After that I took a run. I shuffled 5.03 miles. That was a decent workout, but nothing to brag on.
I had planned a session at Plate City. I needed some leg work and I wanted to play with the yoke and the farmer's handles. But when I took a nap, I became covered up in cats. The cats and the nap got me lazy, and add some football on TV, and it was a perfect storm to do nothing. I did nothing but hang out with cats, watch football, and study for Sunday's Christmas message.
I just found out the new date for the Mississippi State Senior Olympics. I emailed them a few weeks ago for the date, and it was tentatively set for April 4th. That was perfect for me and the same weekend it was held last year. That gave me a chance to train for the sprints and middle distance races, taper, and then have a month left for nothing but volume to get ready for the Chicot Challenge which is the first Saturday in June.
Today, I found out that the date for the 2020 swim meet has been changed to May the 16th. That info threw my mind into a tizzy. How am I going to pull this off? Training for Chicot and training for a pool meet are two different things. I am not upset about it, I just wonder if I can pull them both off well, like I did last year. I will do lots of thinking on my training program from now to then. I will probably train sprints along with volume until the swim meet and then have one week of nothing but volume before my Chicot taper week. That is me best thinking on it as of now. Thank you, Jesus, for this problem.
I had planned a session at Plate City. I needed some leg work and I wanted to play with the yoke and the farmer's handles. But when I took a nap, I became covered up in cats. The cats and the nap got me lazy, and add some football on TV, and it was a perfect storm to do nothing. I did nothing but hang out with cats, watch football, and study for Sunday's Christmas message.
I just found out the new date for the Mississippi State Senior Olympics. I emailed them a few weeks ago for the date, and it was tentatively set for April 4th. That was perfect for me and the same weekend it was held last year. That gave me a chance to train for the sprints and middle distance races, taper, and then have a month left for nothing but volume to get ready for the Chicot Challenge which is the first Saturday in June.
Today, I found out that the date for the 2020 swim meet has been changed to May the 16th. That info threw my mind into a tizzy. How am I going to pull this off? Training for Chicot and training for a pool meet are two different things. I am not upset about it, I just wonder if I can pull them both off well, like I did last year. I will do lots of thinking on my training program from now to then. I will probably train sprints along with volume until the swim meet and then have one week of nothing but volume before my Chicot taper week. That is me best thinking on it as of now. Thank you, Jesus, for this problem.
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Friday
John was late again. I was swimming by 4:25 a.m. I did
2,700 57:03 (2:06)
6 X 50
600 medium paddles
400 small paddles
total: 4,000 yards = 3,656 meters
That was a really solid practice. I decided on not running because of the patellar tendon. I did hit Plate City. I played with the yoke. That was strange. I found it much more awkward than I expected. Most strongman stuff is awkward. The log press, however, and the farmers walk are not awkward to me. Speaking of farmers' walks, I did some of those. Additionally, I did some chins and some Swim Pulls.
2,700 57:03 (2:06)
6 X 50
600 medium paddles
400 small paddles
total: 4,000 yards = 3,656 meters
That was a really solid practice. I decided on not running because of the patellar tendon. I did hit Plate City. I played with the yoke. That was strange. I found it much more awkward than I expected. Most strongman stuff is awkward. The log press, however, and the farmers walk are not awkward to me. Speaking of farmers' walks, I did some of those. Additionally, I did some chins and some Swim Pulls.
Strongman Stuff
Above is a short clip I recently shot of some of the latest additions to Plate City. Notice the new implements are all of the strongman variety. I am fascinated with that sport and that training. This kind of working out, is the other end of the spectrum from the endurance stuff I have always done. There is, however, no real contradiction between the two. In fact, they are complimentary. I am convinced that training strongman will make me a better endurance athlete. And certainly having a stronger body will be a great advantage as I age.
Friday, December 20, 2019
Thursday
I feel like I am regaining my form in the water. A little. Heck, why not. I wasn't really off at all, just ill and two very slim weeks. Thursday morning, I swam
2,400 50:31 (2:07)
5 X 50
300 medium paddles
350 small paddles
total: 3,500 yards = 3,199 meters
That was a pretty good practice. It had the extended warm up that is the foundation of my training. Then some quality in the form of the 50s. Following that some strength work with the medium paddles. Finally, the small paddles was the cool down.
I did run, but it was not a good one. The left patellar was a bit gimpy so I tapped after only 1.17 miles. I did not go the Plate City until 6:00 p.m. I benched
10 X 95
10 X 100
10 X 105
10 X 105
That was after warming up with some incline dumbbell benches. I did the log press and some farmer's walks. On the fws, I did 4 X 55 feet with 72 pounds in each hand. All in all, it was a pretty solid training day. Thank you, Jesus.
2,400 50:31 (2:07)
5 X 50
300 medium paddles
350 small paddles
total: 3,500 yards = 3,199 meters
That was a pretty good practice. It had the extended warm up that is the foundation of my training. Then some quality in the form of the 50s. Following that some strength work with the medium paddles. Finally, the small paddles was the cool down.
I did run, but it was not a good one. The left patellar was a bit gimpy so I tapped after only 1.17 miles. I did not go the Plate City until 6:00 p.m. I benched
10 X 95
10 X 100
10 X 105
10 X 105
That was after warming up with some incline dumbbell benches. I did the log press and some farmer's walks. On the fws, I did 4 X 55 feet with 72 pounds in each hand. All in all, it was a pretty solid training day. Thank you, Jesus.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Hodge/Beets Agreement
The much anticipated 4 X 400 yard showdown between Randy Beets and Zane Hodge did not take place December the 19th. The very next Monday, lawyers and trainers for both athletes met in a closed door session at the Big ASS Training Center and Headquarters in downtown Lehrton, Mississippi.
After an hour, all parties emerged, happily, and addressed an anxiously awaiting press crew. Dr. Timothy Nomann announced that Hodge and Beets had agreed to suspend the hotly contested and highly popular virtual swim meet series "until sometimes after the first of the year."
When asked why, Nomann let the lawyers for each swimmer speak. Beets' attorney, Richard Undertable, said his client had been "ill, overworked, under trained, and simply not in top form."
Tom Flanagan who represents Hodge said essentially the same thing. "Hodge had a bout of illness as well as passing three kidney stones within eight days." Furthermore he added that the pressures of the end of a semester "created a perfect storm to derail his training. The fans," he added, "deserve and desire to see both men at their best."
Nomann added that he was very pleased that the two sides, who have had their share of acrimony, were able to come to a common stance in such a pleasant manner. "When the series is resumed, we will announce it here."
After an hour, all parties emerged, happily, and addressed an anxiously awaiting press crew. Dr. Timothy Nomann announced that Hodge and Beets had agreed to suspend the hotly contested and highly popular virtual swim meet series "until sometimes after the first of the year."
When asked why, Nomann let the lawyers for each swimmer speak. Beets' attorney, Richard Undertable, said his client had been "ill, overworked, under trained, and simply not in top form."
Tom Flanagan who represents Hodge said essentially the same thing. "Hodge had a bout of illness as well as passing three kidney stones within eight days." Furthermore he added that the pressures of the end of a semester "created a perfect storm to derail his training. The fans," he added, "deserve and desire to see both men at their best."
 |
| Dr, Nomann, President and CEO of Big ASS Endurance |
Nomann added that he was very pleased that the two sides, who have had their share of acrimony, were able to come to a common stance in such a pleasant manner. "When the series is resumed, we will announce it here."
Higher
John is back at the pool. He is still in a walking boot for three more weeks, but his doctor cleared him to swim. Wednesday morning, his first morning back, he was thirty minutes late. What else is new? Then when I finished, I had to go out in the cold to get John's walking cane. He left it in the car. Who does that? Thirty-seven minutes later, thirty-seven minutes later, thirty-seven minutes later, did I mention it was thirty-seven minutes later before I was able to leave? Bless his heart.
I swam
2,100 43:44 (2:04)
4 X 50
300 small paddles
2 X 50
400 medium paddles
total: 3,100 yards = 2.833 meters
I took a run in the early afternoon. I put a leg warmer on the left leg under my tights. It seemed to do the trick. I shuffled for 9.06 miles. After rest and nutrition, I went to Plate City for leg day. I did not hit it too hard. I did four sets of squats and of course I played with the farmer's handles. I did six reps of 65 feet with an added fifteen pounds on each side. Have I mentioned how much I love that apparatus. That is one heck of a workout.
I also fixed up my beer keg. I put a fifty pound bag of sand in it for a total of 80 pounds. I was thinking that would be the perfect weight. Not. I can lift it to my waist. That is all. I was thinking I would use it to load over the yoke. You know, the one I ordered from Leflore Steel about three months ago. I might get that thing one day.
I swam
2,100 43:44 (2:04)
4 X 50
300 small paddles
2 X 50
400 medium paddles
total: 3,100 yards = 2.833 meters
I took a run in the early afternoon. I put a leg warmer on the left leg under my tights. It seemed to do the trick. I shuffled for 9.06 miles. After rest and nutrition, I went to Plate City for leg day. I did not hit it too hard. I did four sets of squats and of course I played with the farmer's handles. I did six reps of 65 feet with an added fifteen pounds on each side. Have I mentioned how much I love that apparatus. That is one heck of a workout.
I also fixed up my beer keg. I put a fifty pound bag of sand in it for a total of 80 pounds. I was thinking that would be the perfect weight. Not. I can lift it to my waist. That is all. I was thinking I would use it to load over the yoke. You know, the one I ordered from Leflore Steel about three months ago. I might get that thing one day.
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Bouncing
I bounced up a little Tuesday. I was in the pool at 6:15. With John out, I have been sleeping later. I swam
2,000 40:28
10 X 50 @ 1:16
300 medium paddles
total: 2,800 yards = 2,559 meters
I decided not to run because one of my patellar tendons was a little gimpy. The cold weather plus a bunch of miles on this body is what that is all about.
At Plate City, I did one-arm rows, row machine, and played some more with the Farmer's Walk handles. This time I upped to distance from fifty to sixty feet, upped the added weights from 2.5s to 5s, and tacked on another rep from four to five. I love that thing. Even with the light weights I am doing now, after a couple of reps, I can feel it in my forearms, traps, biceps, and quads. It is a FULL body workout. My heart rate and respiration get up there too. I will play some more today.
2,000 40:28
10 X 50 @ 1:16
300 medium paddles
total: 2,800 yards = 2,559 meters
I decided not to run because one of my patellar tendons was a little gimpy. The cold weather plus a bunch of miles on this body is what that is all about.
At Plate City, I did one-arm rows, row machine, and played some more with the Farmer's Walk handles. This time I upped to distance from fifty to sixty feet, upped the added weights from 2.5s to 5s, and tacked on another rep from four to five. I love that thing. Even with the light weights I am doing now, after a couple of reps, I can feel it in my forearms, traps, biceps, and quads. It is a FULL body workout. My heart rate and respiration get up there too. I will play some more today.
Above is one piece of new equipment at the gym. That is a duck walk handle. It is a simple loadable handle that is awkward to carry.
Above is one of the Farmer's Walk handles. Notice the hand grip in the center. That is 1.25 inches, a little larger than standard barbell stuff of 1.0. This makes the apparatus a bit harder to hold on to. On the ends are Olympic size tubes for loading weight plates. The handles weight 52 pound empty. I had a five on each end making the weight 62 pounds per hand or 124 pounds total.
Yes, that is a tractor tire on the other side of the fence. No, I have not used that in a while, but I certainly need to. When I go over the fence, for tire-flipping, sled dragging, Husafell stone carries, or framers's walk, I call that an alley workout. Alley workouts do more than build strength; they build fitness also. With the grace of God, I hope to do a lot more alley work in the upcoming weeks. Thank you, Jesus, for good health, a good gym, and the desire to use it.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Three Squares and Titan
Not really, but close. And not meals but workouts. I fell off the cliff, hit the bottom, and now I am bouncing up. A little.
To start my first full week off of school, I went to the Twin Rivers little pool where I was supposed to meet Tristan Stacey, an MDCC student, for a race. He challenged me, I accepted, and we set a date giving him plenty of time to get in shape. I never believed he would show up, but just in case, I cleared it with Debbie, came in early, and started warming up. Every time I got to the western end of the pool, I gave to door a gaze.
No, he didn't show so I defeated him in abstentia. I swam 1,700 straight, which is more than four times the 400 yards we were to race. Any 400 of those 1,700 could be counted as my victory over Tristan.
Next up was coffee and cat time. Since it was supposed to rain and since I did not lift at all last week, I cut this precious time down and went to Plate City. I did bench presses and I also got to play with my new Farmer's Walk handles. I love those things, and I can already tell they are going to be huge in my strength and fitness journey.
While I am at it, let me give Titan Fitness a plug. I have been buying stuff from them for several reasons. First, their prices are fantastic. I know, Rogue is the big name in the industry. But Rogue is like three times as expensive as Titan. Is Rogue three times as good? No way. Rogue gives sets of weights for free to crossfit athletes who place high in the Crossfit Games. They also plaster their name all over the Games. Somebody has to pay for all that. I don't want to pay for some dude who probably has more money than me to get a free set of weights. I don't have to with Titan.
Second, Titan offers free shipping. You don't have to get the calculator out and try to figure if you can afford this purchase or that because you have to add shipping on top of everything. Furthermore, I have received almost everything I ordered from them within days. I said almost. That is the subject of my next paragraph.
My Farmer's Handles did not come in when promised. They were supposed to arrive on Wednesday. That was changed to Friday. Friday and Saturday come and went with no shipment from Titan. I emailed them on Tuesday about my order. They emailed back Thursday and said my shipment had been lost in transit, and that another pair was on the way at no charge. The handles arrived Saturday. That, my friend, is costumer service.
So Titan Fitness overs quality equipment at low prices with free and fast shipping and excellent costumer service. Why pay Rogue prices? I'm not doing it. I can't. Titan makes it possible for someone like me, without deep pockets, to acquire some needed equipment. I have been able to get some strongman stuff that you can't find used on Facebook Marketplace, which is where I have purchased a ton of weight plates. Thank you, Titan Fitness.
I also got in a shuffle before the monsoons hit. I did 5.06 slow but happy miles, and then my exercise for the day was done. Penny and I went to Over 60s that night, and I ate Larry's fish without guilt. Thank you, Jesus.
To start my first full week off of school, I went to the Twin Rivers little pool where I was supposed to meet Tristan Stacey, an MDCC student, for a race. He challenged me, I accepted, and we set a date giving him plenty of time to get in shape. I never believed he would show up, but just in case, I cleared it with Debbie, came in early, and started warming up. Every time I got to the western end of the pool, I gave to door a gaze.
No, he didn't show so I defeated him in abstentia. I swam 1,700 straight, which is more than four times the 400 yards we were to race. Any 400 of those 1,700 could be counted as my victory over Tristan.
Next up was coffee and cat time. Since it was supposed to rain and since I did not lift at all last week, I cut this precious time down and went to Plate City. I did bench presses and I also got to play with my new Farmer's Walk handles. I love those things, and I can already tell they are going to be huge in my strength and fitness journey.
While I am at it, let me give Titan Fitness a plug. I have been buying stuff from them for several reasons. First, their prices are fantastic. I know, Rogue is the big name in the industry. But Rogue is like three times as expensive as Titan. Is Rogue three times as good? No way. Rogue gives sets of weights for free to crossfit athletes who place high in the Crossfit Games. They also plaster their name all over the Games. Somebody has to pay for all that. I don't want to pay for some dude who probably has more money than me to get a free set of weights. I don't have to with Titan.
Second, Titan offers free shipping. You don't have to get the calculator out and try to figure if you can afford this purchase or that because you have to add shipping on top of everything. Furthermore, I have received almost everything I ordered from them within days. I said almost. That is the subject of my next paragraph.
My Farmer's Handles did not come in when promised. They were supposed to arrive on Wednesday. That was changed to Friday. Friday and Saturday come and went with no shipment from Titan. I emailed them on Tuesday about my order. They emailed back Thursday and said my shipment had been lost in transit, and that another pair was on the way at no charge. The handles arrived Saturday. That, my friend, is costumer service.
So Titan Fitness overs quality equipment at low prices with free and fast shipping and excellent costumer service. Why pay Rogue prices? I'm not doing it. I can't. Titan makes it possible for someone like me, without deep pockets, to acquire some needed equipment. I have been able to get some strongman stuff that you can't find used on Facebook Marketplace, which is where I have purchased a ton of weight plates. Thank you, Titan Fitness.
I also got in a shuffle before the monsoons hit. I did 5.06 slow but happy miles, and then my exercise for the day was done. Penny and I went to Over 60s that night, and I ate Larry's fish without guilt. Thank you, Jesus.
Monday, December 16, 2019
12/9 - 12/15
It wasn't much of a training week. I fell off a cliff, but at least I hit the bottom. Maybe now I can bounce back up. I was sick, plus we had exams, plus my phone rang a lot. Add in a little bad weather, and you have the perfect recipe for a training disaster. But that is all right. You need to come down every now and then, de-load, back off so the body can recover before you ramp back up.
Monday I did nothing. Tuesday I did nothing. Wednesday I swam 1,200 yards. Thursday, however, I shuffled 7.52 miles, and I swam 2,000 yards.
Friday I did nothing, and Saturday we were in Jackson all day. I shuffled 1.12 miles in a parking lot.
For the week, I
swam 2,924 meters,
lifted weights not even once,
ran 8.64 miles.
That's not much, but I am not injured and I am now well. Being off work, I hope to bounce back strongly. Thank you, Jesus.
Monday I did nothing. Tuesday I did nothing. Wednesday I swam 1,200 yards. Thursday, however, I shuffled 7.52 miles, and I swam 2,000 yards.
Friday I did nothing, and Saturday we were in Jackson all day. I shuffled 1.12 miles in a parking lot.
For the week, I
swam 2,924 meters,
lifted weights not even once,
ran 8.64 miles.
That's not much, but I am not injured and I am now well. Being off work, I hope to bounce back strongly. Thank you, Jesus.
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Wondering?
Maybe you're wondering where I've been? You were posting everyday, you say. Some days you posted twice, you say. Some days you posted three times. You say right.
I just went four days without a word on this blog. Don't be angry. But I have been both under the weather and under the gun. For a few days I could not train and that is mostly what I write about, my training. Also we just finished up a semester at MDCC. The end of a semester is always a busy time especially for an English teacher. We have tons of essays to read, grade, and grades to enter into a computer not once but twice. Yep. Let's make a difficult time as difficult as possible.
Training was down last week and then this week hit like a tsunami. Monday I was ill. Tuesday I was ill. Wednesday I swam for the first time in five days and then only a little. I had not time for anything else. Thursday I spoke at a joint meeting of the Greenwood Kiwanis and Lions Clubs on the topic of "Christ-figures in the Movies." That was all I focused on until it was over. I enjoyed the experience. They seemed to also even though I went over time by ten minutes. Later that afternoon, I took a decent shuffle, the first in seven days. I went 7.52 miles at a slower than my usual slow pace. And I slowed down as I went. But it felt good to get something done. I went to the pool and swam 2,000 yards, not much but that was two days in a row.
Friday, I managed to neither run, nor swim, nor lift weights. I have not lifted at all this week, and Saturday Penny and I are going to Jackson. Physically, I have fallen off a cliff. Maybe next week I can stop the free fall. Monday I am supposed to race that student who challenged me. I don't think he will even show up, but I will swim the 400 yards for time if he does not. He might not know it, but it is the best time he may ever see to get me.
Thank you, Jesus, for hope for the upcoming training cycle.
I just went four days without a word on this blog. Don't be angry. But I have been both under the weather and under the gun. For a few days I could not train and that is mostly what I write about, my training. Also we just finished up a semester at MDCC. The end of a semester is always a busy time especially for an English teacher. We have tons of essays to read, grade, and grades to enter into a computer not once but twice. Yep. Let's make a difficult time as difficult as possible.
Training was down last week and then this week hit like a tsunami. Monday I was ill. Tuesday I was ill. Wednesday I swam for the first time in five days and then only a little. I had not time for anything else. Thursday I spoke at a joint meeting of the Greenwood Kiwanis and Lions Clubs on the topic of "Christ-figures in the Movies." That was all I focused on until it was over. I enjoyed the experience. They seemed to also even though I went over time by ten minutes. Later that afternoon, I took a decent shuffle, the first in seven days. I went 7.52 miles at a slower than my usual slow pace. And I slowed down as I went. But it felt good to get something done. I went to the pool and swam 2,000 yards, not much but that was two days in a row.
Friday, I managed to neither run, nor swim, nor lift weights. I have not lifted at all this week, and Saturday Penny and I are going to Jackson. Physically, I have fallen off a cliff. Maybe next week I can stop the free fall. Monday I am supposed to race that student who challenged me. I don't think he will even show up, but I will swim the 400 yards for time if he does not. He might not know it, but it is the best time he may ever see to get me.
Thank you, Jesus, for hope for the upcoming training cycle.
Monday, December 9, 2019
12/2 - 12/8
I fell off a cliff last week. Monday I actually did some significant running, 7.81 miles worth. I swam that morning, early, 4.050 yards. And after running I hit the gym hard.
Tuesday I also got up early and swam another 4.050 yards. I shuffled a mere 2.88 miles, however, and did some small lifting at the gym. Wednesday morning, I rolled over and went back to sleep when the alarm went off. I did swim that evening a little bit, 1,700 yards. I only did 3.17 miles of road work, and I did a little leg work at the gym.
Thursday I slept in again and failed to swim at all. On the road, I did 4.12 miles, and at the gym I did light bench day. Friday I swam, but just barely, doing only 1,550 yards. I did hit a fair run at 6.4, but because of the Christmas Parade, that was all I had time for. Saturday was the apex of my laziness. I lifted a little and did nothing else physical.
For the week, I
lifted five times,
ran 24.38 miles, and
swam 8,955 meters.
Not a bad week, just not a good one in terms of the numbers. Thank you, Jesus, that I am healthy enough to do that.
Tuesday I also got up early and swam another 4.050 yards. I shuffled a mere 2.88 miles, however, and did some small lifting at the gym. Wednesday morning, I rolled over and went back to sleep when the alarm went off. I did swim that evening a little bit, 1,700 yards. I only did 3.17 miles of road work, and I did a little leg work at the gym.
Thursday I slept in again and failed to swim at all. On the road, I did 4.12 miles, and at the gym I did light bench day. Friday I swam, but just barely, doing only 1,550 yards. I did hit a fair run at 6.4, but because of the Christmas Parade, that was all I had time for. Saturday was the apex of my laziness. I lifted a little and did nothing else physical.
For the week, I
lifted five times,
ran 24.38 miles, and
swam 8,955 meters.
Not a bad week, just not a good one in terms of the numbers. Thank you, Jesus, that I am healthy enough to do that.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Friday and Saturday
Friday morning I slept in and when I got to the pool around 7:00, I did some anemic swimming. I just was low on energy and motivation. I ran later in the day, 6.4 miles. But it was Band Festival Day and that was all I had time for. The parade was nice, we enjoyed to company of some of our friends, the Johnsons, Kelsey, and Sheila. After the fireworks, we went up on the hill, what used to be called the County Barn. I don't remember what it's called now, but we had a meal and more fellowship.
Saturday, I spent most of the morning studying. I decided not to run, to give my legs that break. I did hit the gym for squats and upper back. Then it was time for Forrest and Paul's Christmas Party. We had a nice time. In short, the training was truncated and the eating was intensified and volumized. Oh well, praise the Lord anyway.
Saturday, I spent most of the morning studying. I decided not to run, to give my legs that break. I did hit the gym for squats and upper back. Then it was time for Forrest and Paul's Christmas Party. We had a nice time. In short, the training was truncated and the eating was intensified and volumized. Oh well, praise the Lord anyway.
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Unsolicited Advice
People don't like it. Unsolicited advice. I don't offer it much because I'm nice like that. I figure if people want my opinion, they will ask for it. The problem is, sometimes what I have to offer is not opinion but hard earned knowledge, facts that could help them avoid some discomfort in the future.
One thing that for the last few years I have seen that causes me to want to say something is people running in shorts in very cold weather. I used to do it, down into the 30s. I know you can take it. I know your legs don't feel cold, but what you are doing is not a good idea. You will pay a price for it one day.
One guy who took the ultrarunning world by storm, winning race after race never clad in more than shorts even in knee deep snow, is now living proof of what I was thinking at the time. I used to read about him in the magazines and cringe at those pictures of him in his shorts while sloshing through the snow on some mountain pass, on his way to another victory.
I wanted to warn him, but I did not know how. I also am pretty certain he would not have listened to me. Who was I? I found his blog a couple of years ago. He now rarely runs do to some injuries as well as some pretty bad patellar tendonitis. Who woulda thunk it? That is the part that gets you. You have about an eighth of an inch of tissue between the outside air and your patellar tendons. It doesn't take a socket rientist to figure it is not good to run in shorts when the weather is cold.
What is cold? you ask. I asked a bicycle man that one time when I was purchasing my first pair of tights. He told me to cover the knees anytime the temperature hits 65 of below. What?!?!? Sixty five?!?!? I'm in a T-shirt at 65, and I hate cold weather.
To make a short story long, through years of experience I have learned that he was right. I have learned that about a lot of rules of thumb I once scoffed at. Those oral guidelines exist for a reason. The reason is they are come from hard-won experience. And no one has time to learn everything the hard way. Listen when old timers give you advice.
In 2016, I did the Mississippi River Marathon. It was cold, like freezing. I lot of the young guys were in shorts. I told one of them "Your patellar tendons are going to hate you one day." He did not answer, and I am sure his behavior did not change. But I warned him and when that problem flares up, I hope he remembers what I said to him that day.
Last week, or the one before, I was running back to town on Money Road. It was cold, and I was in tights. I was headed south and passed a young man headed north. He was clad is shorts. I took my toboggan off so he could see the color of my hair before I spoke. "Young man," I yelled out. "If you want to run when you are my age, cover those knees up." He did not acknowledge me in any way. I am pretty sure the next cold day we have will find him out there running in a pair of shorts. But I gave him sound advice.
I can now run at 70 degrees in shorts. When I come inside the house and sit down, my knees begin to ache so bad that I groan. Not at 80 degrees, and not at any distance long or short. It now only has to be just a little bit cool. If I could do it over again, I would cover those knees at 65 every single time.
One thing that for the last few years I have seen that causes me to want to say something is people running in shorts in very cold weather. I used to do it, down into the 30s. I know you can take it. I know your legs don't feel cold, but what you are doing is not a good idea. You will pay a price for it one day.
One guy who took the ultrarunning world by storm, winning race after race never clad in more than shorts even in knee deep snow, is now living proof of what I was thinking at the time. I used to read about him in the magazines and cringe at those pictures of him in his shorts while sloshing through the snow on some mountain pass, on his way to another victory.
I wanted to warn him, but I did not know how. I also am pretty certain he would not have listened to me. Who was I? I found his blog a couple of years ago. He now rarely runs do to some injuries as well as some pretty bad patellar tendonitis. Who woulda thunk it? That is the part that gets you. You have about an eighth of an inch of tissue between the outside air and your patellar tendons. It doesn't take a socket rientist to figure it is not good to run in shorts when the weather is cold.
What is cold? you ask. I asked a bicycle man that one time when I was purchasing my first pair of tights. He told me to cover the knees anytime the temperature hits 65 of below. What?!?!? Sixty five?!?!? I'm in a T-shirt at 65, and I hate cold weather.
To make a short story long, through years of experience I have learned that he was right. I have learned that about a lot of rules of thumb I once scoffed at. Those oral guidelines exist for a reason. The reason is they are come from hard-won experience. And no one has time to learn everything the hard way. Listen when old timers give you advice.
In 2016, I did the Mississippi River Marathon. It was cold, like freezing. I lot of the young guys were in shorts. I told one of them "Your patellar tendons are going to hate you one day." He did not answer, and I am sure his behavior did not change. But I warned him and when that problem flares up, I hope he remembers what I said to him that day.
Last week, or the one before, I was running back to town on Money Road. It was cold, and I was in tights. I was headed south and passed a young man headed north. He was clad is shorts. I took my toboggan off so he could see the color of my hair before I spoke. "Young man," I yelled out. "If you want to run when you are my age, cover those knees up." He did not acknowledge me in any way. I am pretty sure the next cold day we have will find him out there running in a pair of shorts. But I gave him sound advice.
I can now run at 70 degrees in shorts. When I come inside the house and sit down, my knees begin to ache so bad that I groan. Not at 80 degrees, and not at any distance long or short. It now only has to be just a little bit cool. If I could do it over again, I would cover those knees at 65 every single time.
Friday, December 6, 2019
Wednesday and Thriday
I'm sagging. It happens every now and then. In weight training, many programmers build in de-load weeks. These are weeks when the volume and maybe even the intensity is reduced to allow for recovery. I do that sometimes with the weights, and I have learned through hard-won experience to do it with running as well. The body will get its de-load one way or the other. Sometimes it gets it through sickness, sometimes through injury, but you can't just keep pushing and pushing. Something breaks when you do.
The only times I de-loaded swimming, however, is a taper before a big event like The Chicot Challenge or the Mississippi State Senior Olympics. Other than a taper once or twice a year I do not de-load the swim other than a cut back a little after Chicot. De-loading is actually a lifting term, and strength athlete concept. Endurance athletes usually speak in terms of cycles.
What I am getting at is I have finally realized that my body does its own de-load in swimming. I go through phases every now and then when I just don't have much zest to swim. This week is one of those. I hit it pretty hard Monday morning. But Tuesday morning, I was lazy and lethargic. Wednesday morning when the alarm went off at 4:00 a.m., I did not hesitate to turn over and go back to sleep. I did the same thing Thriday morning. Tuesday, which I have already written about, I did a straight swim because I had not the unction to do sets. Wednesday, I swam with Brad during our session at 5:00 p.m. When he left, I did only a few hundred more and quit.
It is not that my muscles feel bad. They feel fine, and I am strong in the water. I just do not have the fire in the belly to push it. So, my body gets it's de-load, it takes it against my will. Maybe I should start programming one every three of four weeks.
Wednesday I also shuffled 3.17 miles, and did leg work at Plate City. Thursday, I slept in, ran in the afternoon, then did my light bench day. Since we had a Carmont Ministers and Wives Banquet that night, I did not swim at all.
So there. I have not swum much this week. Oh, by the way, last week I hit a run PR for the year in terms of volume. This week? I am dropping back, cycling back, de-loading, whatever you want to call it. I'm trying to learn from experience and stay healthy. Praise God that I sometimes am able to say no to myself.
The only times I de-loaded swimming, however, is a taper before a big event like The Chicot Challenge or the Mississippi State Senior Olympics. Other than a taper once or twice a year I do not de-load the swim other than a cut back a little after Chicot. De-loading is actually a lifting term, and strength athlete concept. Endurance athletes usually speak in terms of cycles.
What I am getting at is I have finally realized that my body does its own de-load in swimming. I go through phases every now and then when I just don't have much zest to swim. This week is one of those. I hit it pretty hard Monday morning. But Tuesday morning, I was lazy and lethargic. Wednesday morning when the alarm went off at 4:00 a.m., I did not hesitate to turn over and go back to sleep. I did the same thing Thriday morning. Tuesday, which I have already written about, I did a straight swim because I had not the unction to do sets. Wednesday, I swam with Brad during our session at 5:00 p.m. When he left, I did only a few hundred more and quit.
It is not that my muscles feel bad. They feel fine, and I am strong in the water. I just do not have the fire in the belly to push it. So, my body gets it's de-load, it takes it against my will. Maybe I should start programming one every three of four weeks.
Wednesday I also shuffled 3.17 miles, and did leg work at Plate City. Thursday, I slept in, ran in the afternoon, then did my light bench day. Since we had a Carmont Ministers and Wives Banquet that night, I did not swim at all.
So there. I have not swum much this week. Oh, by the way, last week I hit a run PR for the year in terms of volume. This week? I am dropping back, cycling back, de-loading, whatever you want to call it. I'm trying to learn from experience and stay healthy. Praise God that I sometimes am able to say no to myself.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Tuesday
When I got to the pool at 4:20 a.m., I heard honking up above, and despite the darkness I was able to see a flock of geese flying north. I thought they flew south in the winter. These were going north. I was feeling lazy in part because of the 7.81 mile run the day before. I have noticed that if I run long one day, I don't want to push it in the pool the next day. So I did a straight swim because once I started, I was afraid if I stopped, I would not start back. I went for 1:25:58 but only covered 4,050 yards for a pitiful 2:07 average.
I waited too late to start my run and forgot my flashlight when I did. Consequently, I only shuffled 2.88 miles. The good news is my legs are feeling right nice. I now have a pretty decent base laid, but I am still trying to decide on the half or the full at the Mississippi River.
At the gym I had a good time. I ordered a landmine from Titan Fitness, and it came in. So I set it up which involved moving three 100 pound plates. I don't need 100 pounders, and only have them because they came with a leg press I bought. I set the plates up on a walkway for the base to the landmine. I used the trap bar for it and it was a nice pull on the lats with only two 33s on it.
Moving the plates, the 100s, was an amazing workout itself. I will probably incorporate that into my strongman training. It really hit my biceps and back hard because I had to hold them above my legs to walk while the plates were trying to pull me forward.
Besides setting up the landmine, I made an adjustment to the duck walk apparatus I recently acquired. Both of these, the duck walk thing and the landmine were very inexpensive and made nice additions to the gym. I put to 45s on the duck walk and played with it a little.
I also cut a piece of cord and tied a one-pound weight to my 55 for one-armed dumbbell rows. When we went to Jackson the other day, I had intended to buy a 60, but I could not find one. With the weight tied to it, I now have a 56. I can up that a little at a time until I find me a 60. I guess if I find one, I should go ahead an purchase a 65.
So I swam, ran, and lifted, a good day. Thank you, Jesus.
I waited too late to start my run and forgot my flashlight when I did. Consequently, I only shuffled 2.88 miles. The good news is my legs are feeling right nice. I now have a pretty decent base laid, but I am still trying to decide on the half or the full at the Mississippi River.
At the gym I had a good time. I ordered a landmine from Titan Fitness, and it came in. So I set it up which involved moving three 100 pound plates. I don't need 100 pounders, and only have them because they came with a leg press I bought. I set the plates up on a walkway for the base to the landmine. I used the trap bar for it and it was a nice pull on the lats with only two 33s on it.
Moving the plates, the 100s, was an amazing workout itself. I will probably incorporate that into my strongman training. It really hit my biceps and back hard because I had to hold them above my legs to walk while the plates were trying to pull me forward.
Besides setting up the landmine, I made an adjustment to the duck walk apparatus I recently acquired. Both of these, the duck walk thing and the landmine were very inexpensive and made nice additions to the gym. I put to 45s on the duck walk and played with it a little.
I also cut a piece of cord and tied a one-pound weight to my 55 for one-armed dumbbell rows. When we went to Jackson the other day, I had intended to buy a 60, but I could not find one. With the weight tied to it, I now have a 56. I can up that a little at a time until I find me a 60. I guess if I find one, I should go ahead an purchase a 65.
So I swam, ran, and lifted, a good day. Thank you, Jesus.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Monday
Since I had to go back to work, I was swimming at 4:30 a.m. Monday morning. I did
1,450 28:46 (1:58)
5 X 200 @ 3:49
300 medium paddles 5:41
5 X 200 @ 3:49
300 medium paddles 5:48
total: 4,050 yards = 3.701 meters
That was a good practice. I felt those 200s, especially by the time I got to the 8th, 9th, and 10th.
I shuffled 7.81 miles. It was pretty cold, but I had on a new pair of tights I bought over the weekend and they felt nice. The pace was pretty slow so my legs did not get beaten up. Later I went to the gym and benched
Dumbbell incline
10 X 30
10 X 30
Flat bench
6 X 115
5 X 140
3 X 150
3 X 150
3 X 155
3 X 155
3 X 155
2 X 160
1 X 160
1 X 160
4 X 145
Log Press
6 X 57
8 X 57
Tri push down
20 X 35
I was a little surprised that I did not lose any strength on the bench. Last week's single session was such a good one, that it boosted me up and much as taking off took me down. I was as strong if not just a bit stronger. I might count that as a de-load week even though I went heavy that one night. We will see how I progress over the next couple of cycles. Thank you, Jesus, for a nice day.
1,450 28:46 (1:58)
5 X 200 @ 3:49
300 medium paddles 5:41
5 X 200 @ 3:49
300 medium paddles 5:48
total: 4,050 yards = 3.701 meters
That was a good practice. I felt those 200s, especially by the time I got to the 8th, 9th, and 10th.
I shuffled 7.81 miles. It was pretty cold, but I had on a new pair of tights I bought over the weekend and they felt nice. The pace was pretty slow so my legs did not get beaten up. Later I went to the gym and benched
Dumbbell incline
10 X 30
10 X 30
Flat bench
6 X 115
5 X 140
3 X 150
3 X 150
3 X 155
3 X 155
3 X 155
2 X 160
1 X 160
1 X 160
4 X 145
Log Press
6 X 57
8 X 57
Tri push down
20 X 35
I was a little surprised that I did not lose any strength on the bench. Last week's single session was such a good one, that it boosted me up and much as taking off took me down. I was as strong if not just a bit stronger. I might count that as a de-load week even though I went heavy that one night. We will see how I progress over the next couple of cycles. Thank you, Jesus, for a nice day.
Monday, December 2, 2019
Week O-F-T
I had a week O-F-T so I should have busted out some really big numbers. That was, however, not the case. It was the case with my running, but with the other two, not so much.
Monday I swam 4,300 yards. John is out with a broken foot, so I went in later, about 10:10. I had a really strong practice with a long warm up and a 9 X 200 set. I ran 8.41 miles that afternoon and lifted weights to have one really solid day.
Tuesday, I swam 4,100 yards, again after 10:00. I ran 4.65 miles. I did not, however, get to lift weights. Wednesday I once more had a good day at the pool, but failed to get to Plate City. In the water, I did 4,000 yards. On the road, I shuffled 4.65 miles. So it was still a lot of training.
Thursday, I did what I always do on Thanksgiving if I am healthy enough and fit enough. I ran to Hillbilly Heave. That meant no swimming and no lifting. But I felt good about the 16.01 miles.
Friday was my Black Friday chauffeur day. I did shuffle 1.91 miles in one of the parking lots while the ladies were shopping. That was all I could do that day. Saturday was another day of Thanksgiving eating with us meeting at Forrest's. I shuffled 1.25 miles over there to finish my week of training.
For the week, I
lifted weights once,
swam 11,333 meters, and
ran 35.5 miles.
That is my biggest week of running in several years. My legs feel good so my confidence is rising. I now am pretty sure I will sign up for the Mississippi River Marathon. Thank you, Jesus.
Monday I swam 4,300 yards. John is out with a broken foot, so I went in later, about 10:10. I had a really strong practice with a long warm up and a 9 X 200 set. I ran 8.41 miles that afternoon and lifted weights to have one really solid day.
Tuesday, I swam 4,100 yards, again after 10:00. I ran 4.65 miles. I did not, however, get to lift weights. Wednesday I once more had a good day at the pool, but failed to get to Plate City. In the water, I did 4,000 yards. On the road, I shuffled 4.65 miles. So it was still a lot of training.
Thursday, I did what I always do on Thanksgiving if I am healthy enough and fit enough. I ran to Hillbilly Heave. That meant no swimming and no lifting. But I felt good about the 16.01 miles.
Friday was my Black Friday chauffeur day. I did shuffle 1.91 miles in one of the parking lots while the ladies were shopping. That was all I could do that day. Saturday was another day of Thanksgiving eating with us meeting at Forrest's. I shuffled 1.25 miles over there to finish my week of training.
For the week, I
lifted weights once,
swam 11,333 meters, and
ran 35.5 miles.
That is my biggest week of running in several years. My legs feel good so my confidence is rising. I now am pretty sure I will sign up for the Mississippi River Marathon. Thank you, Jesus.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Overheard from the Backseat
Black Friday. No, I shop very little myself, but my wife is a champion. She, our daughter, granddaughter, and this year, my son, made a pilgrimage to Jackson on Black Friday. My role was to serve as chauffeur and pay from supper. I cherished both jobs, did my best, and enjoyed my time with the family. During our travels and travails, I conducted myself as I normally do: speaking little, listening a lot. Here are some things that stuck in my brain, words, phrases, and sometimes sentences. They bounced around inside my head and made their way to my keyboard. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Do you remember Dragnet? It was a cop show that was all the rave back when I was a little boy. I remember the narrator at the beginning of the show always saying, "Then names have been changed to protect the innocent." Well, in the case the names have been withheld to protect the guilty. They really did say this stuff.
"I don't know why she married him. He looks like a melted piece of cookie dough."
"My husband called me his busted can of biscuits."
"Don't run over me, Poppie!"
"She's in there sniffing candles."
"Didn't he look bad? He looks like ruined pudding."
"Did somebody sit on my candy bar?"
"Let me get in before you drive off!!!"
"Mamma never made me jello."
"What's that smell?"
"Here comes your dad."
"Moma, that's a red Dodge pickup truck. I have a green Ford Explorer."
"For three weeks I had really bad gas. It smelled horrible. I was a crop duster."
"I remember Daddy eating chicken bones."
"What happened to my water? Who drank my water?"
"Will it make me sick if I drink this?"
"Yeah, but do it anyway."
"She went over one aisle, picked a wooden hand off the shelve, came back, stuck it in my face and said, 'Talk to the hand.'"
"Are we gunna eat? I'm getting weak. I'm about to pass out."
"Why is my seat wet?"
"What is this sticky stuff on the console?"
"Did somebody step in dog doo doo?"
"Why is there water on the ceiling?"
We had a good time. I did, at least, and I was well rewarded for my services. The things I heard can't be made up. Thank you, Jesus.
Do you remember Dragnet? It was a cop show that was all the rave back when I was a little boy. I remember the narrator at the beginning of the show always saying, "Then names have been changed to protect the innocent." Well, in the case the names have been withheld to protect the guilty. They really did say this stuff.
Things Heard from the Backseat
"I don't know why she married him. He looks like a melted piece of cookie dough."
"My husband called me his busted can of biscuits."
"Don't run over me, Poppie!"
"She's in there sniffing candles."
"Didn't he look bad? He looks like ruined pudding."
"Did somebody sit on my candy bar?"
"Let me get in before you drive off!!!"
"Mamma never made me jello."
"What's that smell?"
"Here comes your dad."
"Moma, that's a red Dodge pickup truck. I have a green Ford Explorer."
"For three weeks I had really bad gas. It smelled horrible. I was a crop duster."
"I remember Daddy eating chicken bones."
"What happened to my water? Who drank my water?"
"Will it make me sick if I drink this?"
"Yeah, but do it anyway."
"She went over one aisle, picked a wooden hand off the shelve, came back, stuck it in my face and said, 'Talk to the hand.'"
"Are we gunna eat? I'm getting weak. I'm about to pass out."
"Why is my seat wet?"
"What is this sticky stuff on the console?"
"Did somebody step in dog doo doo?"
"Why is there water on the ceiling?"
We had a good time. I did, at least, and I was well rewarded for my services. The things I heard can't be made up. Thank you, Jesus.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Thanksgiving
I left the house at 8:01 a.m. The temperature was 47, the sky was crystal clear, and I felt free. I only get that feeling when I take really long runs. Right now, 16 miles is a long run.
We do Thanksgiving at Hillbilly Heaven, and I was on my way there. I few tenths of a mile in and a quick check of my watch showed me making a whopping 12:30 per mile pace. I know that is pretty crummy, but at my age, with my injury history, and after going two years without running at all, that number said it was going to be a nice run. I was now completing six months of running and that not without issues. My left knee still gets a little gimpy every now and then, but at this moment it felt just fine.
By the time I made my way over the overpass (three plus miles), I was hitting a 12:08 stride. When I got to Humphrey's Highway, however, I was beginning to slow a bit. I took a gel and focused on getting out of town. One thing I like about Humphrey Highway is the farther out you go, the fewer houses you see and the lighter the traffic becomes.
At the last bridge before the big hill, I heard some cars approaching from the rear. I was on the white line. I think there were three of them. I am not sure because the small pickup that passed them all, almost hitting me, took my breath, my attention, and my sanctification with it. Yes, I did some not so nice yelling and gesturing for him to come back. He passed three or four vehicles in a row, on a bridge, in a curve with a pedestrian on the edge of the road. I did not appreciate that.
I shuffled the Big Hill Mile in 17:10. I am actually proud of that. If you think that is nothing, try it. My daughter and her family drove up while I was huffing the huge hill. She slowed down and checked on me. Then she pulled over at Acy's and waited for me to pass. She is sweet like that.
By the time I got to the gravel road, I was barely moving, but I kept shuffling. When I drew within sight of the house, my grandson, Zane, ran out to meet me. His sister, Caitlin, was not far behind. That, 16.01 miles, was my longest run since I started back. Now that has me rethinking the Mississippi River Marathon. I have been trying to decide between the half and the full. I was leaning towards the half, but now I have shifted towards the full.
After lunch, we did the wood thing, splitting and loading firewood. Actually that was good for me because it made me move around some which is always good for recovery. I awoke this morning and noticed that my legs felt good. How about that. Thank you, Jesus.
We do Thanksgiving at Hillbilly Heaven, and I was on my way there. I few tenths of a mile in and a quick check of my watch showed me making a whopping 12:30 per mile pace. I know that is pretty crummy, but at my age, with my injury history, and after going two years without running at all, that number said it was going to be a nice run. I was now completing six months of running and that not without issues. My left knee still gets a little gimpy every now and then, but at this moment it felt just fine.
By the time I made my way over the overpass (three plus miles), I was hitting a 12:08 stride. When I got to Humphrey's Highway, however, I was beginning to slow a bit. I took a gel and focused on getting out of town. One thing I like about Humphrey Highway is the farther out you go, the fewer houses you see and the lighter the traffic becomes.
At the last bridge before the big hill, I heard some cars approaching from the rear. I was on the white line. I think there were three of them. I am not sure because the small pickup that passed them all, almost hitting me, took my breath, my attention, and my sanctification with it. Yes, I did some not so nice yelling and gesturing for him to come back. He passed three or four vehicles in a row, on a bridge, in a curve with a pedestrian on the edge of the road. I did not appreciate that.
I shuffled the Big Hill Mile in 17:10. I am actually proud of that. If you think that is nothing, try it. My daughter and her family drove up while I was huffing the huge hill. She slowed down and checked on me. Then she pulled over at Acy's and waited for me to pass. She is sweet like that.
By the time I got to the gravel road, I was barely moving, but I kept shuffling. When I drew within sight of the house, my grandson, Zane, ran out to meet me. His sister, Caitlin, was not far behind. That, 16.01 miles, was my longest run since I started back. Now that has me rethinking the Mississippi River Marathon. I have been trying to decide between the half and the full. I was leaning towards the half, but now I have shifted towards the full.
After lunch, we did the wood thing, splitting and loading firewood. Actually that was good for me because it made me move around some which is always good for recovery. I awoke this morning and noticed that my legs felt good. How about that. Thank you, Jesus.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Another Truncated Day
Being off work is supposed to mean I can train as much as I want to. Yeah, that and a few other fairy tales I still cling to. I went to the pool at 10:10. I was the only one there for a while. Linda Gail came in and then so did Gloria Hathcock. We three know how to coexist in a small pool. I swam
1,400 27:06 (1:55)
22 X 100 @ 1:58
400 medium paddles
total: 4,000 paddles = 3,656 meters
How is that for simplicity? Did you notice the 100s set? What's that you ask? How far will I go with it? I don't know. All sorts of things are going through my head like continuing to add and subtract as well as spitting it into two sets with some paddle work in between. I can think of so many Beetsdown varieties. That's one thing I love about swimming. You could swim everyday for a lifetime and never exhaust the possibilities of new workouts. But can't you do that with running, you ask. Theoretically yes. But in practice, running, fast running, is so much more hard on the legs, the muscles and joints, that most of the time now I just shuffle. The hard stuff leaves me in bed wondering why I can't walk.
I did shuffle, 3.26 miles worth. That gives 16.32 for the week. Now if I can get in the run to Hillbilly Heaven I will have a big week even if I don't take another step.
I was planning on and needing a session at Plate City. Then John called and needed some help. That took two hours plus and by the time I was finished, I was very hungry and had cancelled my coaching session with Brad. That makes two days in a row with no gym. Thanksgiving will be three and Black Friday will be four. Make it stop, God, make it stop.
Right now I am up early. I just finished my big bowl of cereal with a banana. The cats are still on the back porch as I am trying not to wake the wife. After I type this, I will start stretching and getting dressed. It is a bit cool out. The adventure beckons. I will answer the call. Thank you, Jesus.
1,400 27:06 (1:55)
22 X 100 @ 1:58
400 medium paddles
total: 4,000 paddles = 3,656 meters
How is that for simplicity? Did you notice the 100s set? What's that you ask? How far will I go with it? I don't know. All sorts of things are going through my head like continuing to add and subtract as well as spitting it into two sets with some paddle work in between. I can think of so many Beetsdown varieties. That's one thing I love about swimming. You could swim everyday for a lifetime and never exhaust the possibilities of new workouts. But can't you do that with running, you ask. Theoretically yes. But in practice, running, fast running, is so much more hard on the legs, the muscles and joints, that most of the time now I just shuffle. The hard stuff leaves me in bed wondering why I can't walk.
I did shuffle, 3.26 miles worth. That gives 16.32 for the week. Now if I can get in the run to Hillbilly Heaven I will have a big week even if I don't take another step.
I was planning on and needing a session at Plate City. Then John called and needed some help. That took two hours plus and by the time I was finished, I was very hungry and had cancelled my coaching session with Brad. That makes two days in a row with no gym. Thanksgiving will be three and Black Friday will be four. Make it stop, God, make it stop.
Right now I am up early. I just finished my big bowl of cereal with a banana. The cats are still on the back porch as I am trying not to wake the wife. After I type this, I will start stretching and getting dressed. It is a bit cool out. The adventure beckons. I will answer the call. Thank you, Jesus.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Moonshiners
I like the show Moonshiners. No, I don't believe they are really making moonshine. When they are filmed exchanging jars for money, I think it is all staged for the camera. When they drink that clear liquid and act like it almost knocks them down, I am sure they are drinking water.
But I like the show. I find it entertaining. I find it mildly educational. I like the personalities. Tickle is out of jail, and Bill still can't get along with anybody. The show is fun, relaxing, and good escapism television. And now that Finding Bigfoot is no longer on the air, Moonshiners is running neck and neck with Gold Rush for the best show on TV.
Last night while watching the latest show, a sentiment that I have heard over and over by the cast members sort of jumped out at me. They have all said these exact words or something very similar:
How true. I am, however, a little confused. When it comes to preserving the old ways, it's always moonshining they are worried about. What about farming with mules? Why is no one interested in keeping that art alive? My dad grew up farming with mules. When I was eight years old, he bought land in Carroll County. The first year he owned it, an old Black man from across the gravel road came over and broke up the garden place with a mule. We did the rest of the work with garden rakes, shovels, and hoes. I am not interested in preserving those old ways.
He borrowed a mule and wagon, and a buster from a Black man in the Buckeye when we moved to 422 West Harding. He broke up a garden place in the backyard. One huge garden in Carroll County was not enough. I remember riding in the wagon back to the Buckeye. Dad said, "He knows where he is going," referring to the mule who didn't need the reigns to show him the way. I was three years old. Who is preserving these ways?
What about cutting wood with axes and crosscut saws? I actually did this. We had a fireplace at the cabin and at home. We cut all the wood the old way. Dad was a CPA. He could afford a chainsaw, and he purchased one about the time I left home. When I was a teenager, I even went into business briefly selling firewood. I cut it all with a crosscut and busted with an ax. After selling my first load, I came to the conclusion that the trees looked much better standing than loaded in the back of a pickup. I don't want to preserve that old way.
And what about outdoor toilets? There were three old houses on the 172 acres Dad bought. We tore them down, cleaned the brick, saved the good wood, and Dad hired Joe Campbell to build a three room cabin on the place. The three rooms were a kitchen/living room, and two bedrooms. What was missing? If you guessed bathroom, you win the prize. Joe Campbell not only built the cabin, but a nice little one-seater outdoor toilet. Really. This happened. Every weekend we were at the cabin. We had a big garden to work. We had an outdoor toilet to use. That thing was heinous. If you dropped a ping-pong ball in the hole and it would never make its way to the bottom. Spider webs would capture it long before it could join the festivities in the pit. You were supposed to sit your butt and drop your penis into that den of spiders, wasps, and other creepy things. I could not do it. That was the stuff of nightmares. Why don't they preserve this art form on Moonshiners?
When I was a young man, I went to the cabin one Saturday to study in the quiet that Carroll County provides. By this time, my mom had built a bathroom in the cabin. She framed it, wired it, plumbed it, trimmed it. She could do anything. Outside, however, that old outhouse still stood. To make a long story short, a brush fire hit. I could easily have died, but I survived and saved the cabin which I put out twice. The outhouse, however, was turned into a violent whirlwind of flames the instant the fire touched it. Dad was furious with me. Furious for not saving the outhouse.
What I am about to say is true, every word of it. That outhouse was insured. I promise. Who does that? Who has insurance on an outdoor toilet? And what was Farm Bureau thinking? The day Dad received his insurance check, the day, he went to the building and supply place, purchased plywood, 2 X 4s, nails, and roll roofing and he took Mom, the carpenter of our family, and they went out there and rebuilt the outhouse. I still shake my head at all that. Dad told Mom that they were going to build a two-seater. She protested, "I'm not going to sit on that with anybody!" He replied that not everyone has the same size butt.
That toilet is there to this moment. If you want to see it, send me a message. I'll take you out there and let you look. You can even sit on it. I'll walk away and let you have your privacy. Who wants to? Who wants to preserve this old way?
How about no electricity? Let's save that. What about dental surgery without anesthesia? How about going back to the horse and buggy days? I know, the Amish do that. But I even wonder about them. That horse and buggy was the state-of-the-art mode of personal transportation when they adopted it. It was modern at the time. Why is that modern better than today's modern?
These people suffer from an illness called nostalgia. What the moonshiners really like is the "art" of being illegal. They love the lure of the illicit, the pull of the profit, the folly of the fame of being on TV.
Nostalgia is a strange thing. I suffer it in some equally inconsistent ways. When I hear a mosquito truck driving the streets of Greenwood at night shooting out that insecticide, I waft back to my childhood. Poor kids today. They never got to experience the joys of running behind a truck putting out a cloud of DDT so thick you could not see through it. Quick, grab your kids. Let's get one of those old spray rigs and douse our children with insecticide. Let's preserve the old ways. Let's keep that art form alive, even it it kills us.
But I like the show. I find it entertaining. I find it mildly educational. I like the personalities. Tickle is out of jail, and Bill still can't get along with anybody. The show is fun, relaxing, and good escapism television. And now that Finding Bigfoot is no longer on the air, Moonshiners is running neck and neck with Gold Rush for the best show on TV.
Last night while watching the latest show, a sentiment that I have heard over and over by the cast members sort of jumped out at me. They have all said these exact words or something very similar:
"We must not lose this art."
"We need to preserve the old ways."
"We must not let this die."
He borrowed a mule and wagon, and a buster from a Black man in the Buckeye when we moved to 422 West Harding. He broke up a garden place in the backyard. One huge garden in Carroll County was not enough. I remember riding in the wagon back to the Buckeye. Dad said, "He knows where he is going," referring to the mule who didn't need the reigns to show him the way. I was three years old. Who is preserving these ways?
What about cutting wood with axes and crosscut saws? I actually did this. We had a fireplace at the cabin and at home. We cut all the wood the old way. Dad was a CPA. He could afford a chainsaw, and he purchased one about the time I left home. When I was a teenager, I even went into business briefly selling firewood. I cut it all with a crosscut and busted with an ax. After selling my first load, I came to the conclusion that the trees looked much better standing than loaded in the back of a pickup. I don't want to preserve that old way.
And what about outdoor toilets? There were three old houses on the 172 acres Dad bought. We tore them down, cleaned the brick, saved the good wood, and Dad hired Joe Campbell to build a three room cabin on the place. The three rooms were a kitchen/living room, and two bedrooms. What was missing? If you guessed bathroom, you win the prize. Joe Campbell not only built the cabin, but a nice little one-seater outdoor toilet. Really. This happened. Every weekend we were at the cabin. We had a big garden to work. We had an outdoor toilet to use. That thing was heinous. If you dropped a ping-pong ball in the hole and it would never make its way to the bottom. Spider webs would capture it long before it could join the festivities in the pit. You were supposed to sit your butt and drop your penis into that den of spiders, wasps, and other creepy things. I could not do it. That was the stuff of nightmares. Why don't they preserve this art form on Moonshiners?
When I was a young man, I went to the cabin one Saturday to study in the quiet that Carroll County provides. By this time, my mom had built a bathroom in the cabin. She framed it, wired it, plumbed it, trimmed it. She could do anything. Outside, however, that old outhouse still stood. To make a long story short, a brush fire hit. I could easily have died, but I survived and saved the cabin which I put out twice. The outhouse, however, was turned into a violent whirlwind of flames the instant the fire touched it. Dad was furious with me. Furious for not saving the outhouse.
What I am about to say is true, every word of it. That outhouse was insured. I promise. Who does that? Who has insurance on an outdoor toilet? And what was Farm Bureau thinking? The day Dad received his insurance check, the day, he went to the building and supply place, purchased plywood, 2 X 4s, nails, and roll roofing and he took Mom, the carpenter of our family, and they went out there and rebuilt the outhouse. I still shake my head at all that. Dad told Mom that they were going to build a two-seater. She protested, "I'm not going to sit on that with anybody!" He replied that not everyone has the same size butt.
That toilet is there to this moment. If you want to see it, send me a message. I'll take you out there and let you look. You can even sit on it. I'll walk away and let you have your privacy. Who wants to? Who wants to preserve this old way?
How about no electricity? Let's save that. What about dental surgery without anesthesia? How about going back to the horse and buggy days? I know, the Amish do that. But I even wonder about them. That horse and buggy was the state-of-the-art mode of personal transportation when they adopted it. It was modern at the time. Why is that modern better than today's modern?
These people suffer from an illness called nostalgia. What the moonshiners really like is the "art" of being illegal. They love the lure of the illicit, the pull of the profit, the folly of the fame of being on TV.
Nostalgia is a strange thing. I suffer it in some equally inconsistent ways. When I hear a mosquito truck driving the streets of Greenwood at night shooting out that insecticide, I waft back to my childhood. Poor kids today. They never got to experience the joys of running behind a truck putting out a cloud of DDT so thick you could not see through it. Quick, grab your kids. Let's get one of those old spray rigs and douse our children with insecticide. Let's preserve the old ways. Let's keep that art form alive, even it it kills us.
Truncated Tuesday
The best laid plans of mice and men. How does that saying go? I had big plans Tuesday, but you can't cash promises, plans, or daydreams. I did start hard, on pace, on schedule with a big practice at the pool. I went in again after 10:00 a.m. and swam
1,400 25:25 (1:48)
7 X 50 @ 1:09
250 medium paddles
7 X 50 @ 1:09
250 medium paddles
7 X 50 @ 1:09
250 medium paddles
800 small paddles
100 finger paddles
total: 4,100 yards = 3,747 meters
That't two straight days of plus 4,000 yards. I am getting ready for the Mississippi State Senior Olympics and Chicot Challenge IX. They are both still a ways out there, but I want to perform better than last year in each event.
After lunch, rest, and cats, I shuffled 4.65 miles. That is a little more than I usually do on an easy day, but being off work I thought this would be a good week for some volume. Thursday I plan to run to Hillbilly Heaven. I have one more day before that run to try to ride the rail between getting in miles and recovering enough to make that long run.
I had planned to move my squat day to Tuesday to get me a better shot at having a successful shuffle on Thanksgiving. But it began to rain, and not just a little. I could have gone to Twin Rivers but I lost motivation once Moonshiners came on. I'll talk more about that later. It was still a good day. I did do a set of twenty air squats to get some leg work in. Thank you, Jesus.
1,400 25:25 (1:48)
7 X 50 @ 1:09
250 medium paddles
7 X 50 @ 1:09
250 medium paddles
7 X 50 @ 1:09
250 medium paddles
800 small paddles
100 finger paddles
total: 4,100 yards = 3,747 meters
That't two straight days of plus 4,000 yards. I am getting ready for the Mississippi State Senior Olympics and Chicot Challenge IX. They are both still a ways out there, but I want to perform better than last year in each event.
After lunch, rest, and cats, I shuffled 4.65 miles. That is a little more than I usually do on an easy day, but being off work I thought this would be a good week for some volume. Thursday I plan to run to Hillbilly Heaven. I have one more day before that run to try to ride the rail between getting in miles and recovering enough to make that long run.
I had planned to move my squat day to Tuesday to get me a better shot at having a successful shuffle on Thanksgiving. But it began to rain, and not just a little. I could have gone to Twin Rivers but I lost motivation once Moonshiners came on. I'll talk more about that later. It was still a good day. I did do a set of twenty air squats to get some leg work in. Thank you, Jesus.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Corrections and Changes
Corrections and Changes
by Jay Unver
(Lehrton, Mississippi) Dr. Nomann and I were going through the Big ASS record book last week. This is a constant since Zane Hodge is setting world records almost every single week. We found something amiss. Noting nefarious, but in our numbering of the Zane Hodge/Randy Beets Virtual Swim Meets, the numbering sequence somehow went astray. The meet held October 25th was never numbered. It should have been number 3, but the next week's meet was given that number.
Not only that, but Nomann decided to renumber the entire series anyway since the initial race between the two champions was designated a match race instead of a meet. Thus, what follows here is a lay out of all the meets, the results, and their new numbers. What was match race will now be officially designated Virtual Meet I (There is another upgrade, the numberings will now use Roman instead of Arabic numerals). The skipped meet will be included, and this list will form the official record from here on.
Meet Event[s] Times Winner
Hodge Beets
Virtual Meet I 500 yards 7:16 7:19 Hodge
Virtual Meet II 200 2:47 2:40 Draw (points meet)
50 36.76 31
100 1:22 1:09
500 8:23 DNF
Virtual Meet III 300 4:26 4:14 Beets
100 1:20 1:10
600 9:16 9:09
Virtual Meet IV 250 3:38 3:33 Beets
100 1:19.91 1:12
650 10:15 10:01
Virtual Meet V 500 7:30 7:37 Hodge
500 7:30 7:33
500 7:28 7:28
Virtual Meet VI 700 10:34 10:40 Beets
100 1:18 1:08
300 4:26 4:28
Virtual Meet VII 200 2:52 2:45 Hodge
600 9:01 9:18
200 2:51 2:47
Virtual Meet VIII 1,000 15:28.38 15:35 Hodge
At present, Hodge leads the series 4 - 3 - 1. Periodic updates of the official record will be published in The Lehrton Gazette, which is always serialized here.
Monster Monday
I took full advantage of being off work to get some big sessions in. I did cats and coffee first, being in no hurry since John was out. He is always pushing me to be earlier while he is almost always late. I got to the pool about 10:15. I swam
1,400 25:53 (1:50)
10 X 200 @ 3:49
600 medium paddles
300 small paddles
total: 4,300 yards = 3,930 meters
That was a solid practice. From the start it was different. I was pulling the water better. It felt like I was getting a more vertical forearm, and I could actually feel the water above my hand for about eight inches. Maybe all that rotator cuff work is starting to pay off. Actually, it has already paid off in the form of healthy shoulders. But the water felt different all morning. My easy warm up was at 1:50. When I started the 200s, although I was doing ten and although I had cut a second off the interval, after the first one I said, "Wow," out loud when I looked at my watch. I did the first three at sub 3:00. "That's not so fast," you say. "A couple of weeks ago you hit 2:51." Yeah, 2:51 for one. Try starting out a set of ten that fast feeling like you are only cruising. It was wonderful, a real Randy Beetsdown.
After lunch and rest, I went out for a gently shuffle. I did 8.41 miles, slow, but a good total. Then at Plate City, I benched
10 X 95
5 X 120
3 X 140
3 X 145
3 X 150
3 X 150
3 X 150
3 X 155
2 X 155
2 X 155
1 X 160
4 X 145
That's Randy Beetsdown benching right there. Then I did a set of overhead dumbbell presses followed by two sets of the log press at 12 X 52 (a new world record) and 8 X 57 (another record).
Poor Randy. He doesn't have a chance. Thank you, Jesus.
1,400 25:53 (1:50)
10 X 200 @ 3:49
600 medium paddles
300 small paddles
total: 4,300 yards = 3,930 meters
That was a solid practice. From the start it was different. I was pulling the water better. It felt like I was getting a more vertical forearm, and I could actually feel the water above my hand for about eight inches. Maybe all that rotator cuff work is starting to pay off. Actually, it has already paid off in the form of healthy shoulders. But the water felt different all morning. My easy warm up was at 1:50. When I started the 200s, although I was doing ten and although I had cut a second off the interval, after the first one I said, "Wow," out loud when I looked at my watch. I did the first three at sub 3:00. "That's not so fast," you say. "A couple of weeks ago you hit 2:51." Yeah, 2:51 for one. Try starting out a set of ten that fast feeling like you are only cruising. It was wonderful, a real Randy Beetsdown.
After lunch and rest, I went out for a gently shuffle. I did 8.41 miles, slow, but a good total. Then at Plate City, I benched
10 X 95
5 X 120
3 X 140
3 X 145
3 X 150
3 X 150
3 X 150
3 X 155
2 X 155
2 X 155
1 X 160
4 X 145
That's Randy Beetsdown benching right there. Then I did a set of overhead dumbbell presses followed by two sets of the log press at 12 X 52 (a new world record) and 8 X 57 (another record).
Poor Randy. He doesn't have a chance. Thank you, Jesus.
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