It was a real day. It was a full day. It was a real full day. Not only that, but I did my first outdoor swim of the year. But let me start at the beginning.
I got up early and listened to the birds sing while I shuffled to Twin Rivers. I went 1.5 miles in the dark, and I loved it although my pace was about walking speed. Really. At the gym, I did 5:00 minutes on the rower. It felt real. It felt good. But it didn't feel real good.
I shuffled another 1.52 miles home giving me 3.02 for the day and five minutes of rowing.
After work, I went the Leflore Steel to get another order on the list. On the way home, I went by the pool and since it was so warm I stopped and got Robert (the pool man at Twin Rivers) to take a temperature reading. It was 78.
Cha Ching!!!!
I went home, changed, and came back. Being used to 88 degree water made 78 of the outdoor pool feel ice cold. But it only hurt a minute or two. One lap of swimming, and I was enjoying the refreshing feeling of cold water. I swam
2,600 55:49 (2:08)
2 X 200 @ 4:12
2 X 150 @ 3:15
3 X 100 @ 2:16
400 small paddles
100 easy
total: 4,100 long course meters.
This swim reminded me that long course is much more difficult than short course.The 200s were at a medium pace and were much more tiring than 200s hard in the short course pool. But this is the kind of training I need. I am a little faster at long course than I was last summer, but I'm still not where I need to be.
After swimming, I went to Plate City Gym and did rotator cuff work, some squats and on the bench press, I did
12 X 70
10 X 105
5 X 135
5 X 135
4 X 140
4 X 140
3 X 145
If you follow closely, you might notice that I dropped another warm up set and another rep off the main sets. In short, the volume of the lifting keeps creeping downward while the volume of the swimming creeps upward.
It was a full day, a three-workout day, the kind I like and need. Thank you, Jesus for a good one. Help my body to make the necessary repairs and adjustments to be able to do Chicot this year.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Monday, April 29, 2019
4/22 - 4/28
Monday I hit the big three, a run and row in the morning (2.5 miles and 3:00), weights in the afternoon, and swimming at night. I ran swam 5,118 meters. Tuesday I swam 5,164 meters. Wednesday it was back to three. I did the before work run and row (2.63 and 4:00), weights in the afternoon, and swimming at night (5,070 meters).
Thursday I did bench presses and swimming (4,204 meters). Friday was my long swim day, and I went for 9,600 yards (8,774 meters). Saturday was the 5K in Koscuisko. I also did the fun run for a total of 4.1 miles.
For the week,
I lifted weights three times,
ran 9.23 miles, and
swam 28,332 meters.
That swim week takes me to 200 miles of swimming since the first of the year. For me, that is a pretty good total at this point in the calendar. Praise God.
Thursday I did bench presses and swimming (4,204 meters). Friday was my long swim day, and I went for 9,600 yards (8,774 meters). Saturday was the 5K in Koscuisko. I also did the fun run for a total of 4.1 miles.
For the week,
I lifted weights three times,
ran 9.23 miles, and
swam 28,332 meters.
That swim week takes me to 200 miles of swimming since the first of the year. For me, that is a pretty good total at this point in the calendar. Praise God.
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Natchez Trace Festival
Penny loves this one and always wants to go. The Natchez Trace Festival. That's Kosciusko. I like it to.
I always liked the race. It used to be a 10K, but is now a mere 5K. It has taken me awhile to realize that 5Ks aren't bad. For one thing, the suffering is over in less than half the time. Another good thing about them is when you are minimally trained like I am right now, you can complete the thing and maybe even not be limping the next day. So you get a good workout, maybe place in your age group, and hopefully have some fun. I did all three.
Despite its reduction in distance, the Kosciusko race has remained true to its roots. It's a tough run. The first mile is downhill, the second is pretty flat, and the third is painful as you have to climb back to the start with two miles on you legs. When it was a 10K, it was two, two, and two miles. Besides the change in difficulty, for each mile the temperature normally rises and this time it went from 61 at the start to 73 at the end. Not bad, but that 73 did add to the difficulty of that last uphill pull. These splits testify of the course and the changing warmth:
Mile one - 10:08
Mile two - 10:31
Mile three - 11:21 (How do you spell suffering?)
Final sprint - 8:55
Those numbers are for average pace per mile. In the case of the first three, the average pace and the actual time are the same. Number four is the pace for the last .08. As slow it all was, it was, nevertheless, good enough for first in the 60 - 69 age group. One of the good things about getting older is that it is easier to place. I have outlived much of my competition. Now, if I can merely stumble across the finish line, I have a real chance at winning.
After the race, I did lots of walking. I even jumped into the Fun Run and blew through that at a blistering 12:51. Yeah, I was pretty much done. All in all, I ran and walked over 7.5 miles that day.
The Johnsons showed up around 10:00, and we enjoyed their company. Penny did lots of shopping, I did lots of training, and I even ate ice-cream. I always buy ice-cream at this festival. There is always a booth where they make it on the spot.
When the day was over, I was whupped. Maybe next year I can go back in a little better form. Of all things that demonstrate reaping and sowing, running is the most profound. Sow sparingly, reap much in suffering.
Thank you, Jesus, that I could shuffle today. I enjoyed it.
I always liked the race. It used to be a 10K, but is now a mere 5K. It has taken me awhile to realize that 5Ks aren't bad. For one thing, the suffering is over in less than half the time. Another good thing about them is when you are minimally trained like I am right now, you can complete the thing and maybe even not be limping the next day. So you get a good workout, maybe place in your age group, and hopefully have some fun. I did all three.
 |
| The starting line. Notice the house in the background. K town has lots of those. |
Despite its reduction in distance, the Kosciusko race has remained true to its roots. It's a tough run. The first mile is downhill, the second is pretty flat, and the third is painful as you have to climb back to the start with two miles on you legs. When it was a 10K, it was two, two, and two miles. Besides the change in difficulty, for each mile the temperature normally rises and this time it went from 61 at the start to 73 at the end. Not bad, but that 73 did add to the difficulty of that last uphill pull. These splits testify of the course and the changing warmth:
Mile one - 10:08
Mile two - 10:31
Mile three - 11:21 (How do you spell suffering?)
Final sprint - 8:55
Those numbers are for average pace per mile. In the case of the first three, the average pace and the actual time are the same. Number four is the pace for the last .08. As slow it all was, it was, nevertheless, good enough for first in the 60 - 69 age group. One of the good things about getting older is that it is easier to place. I have outlived much of my competition. Now, if I can merely stumble across the finish line, I have a real chance at winning.
 |
| Nice medal. I spared you the face. |
After the race, I did lots of walking. I even jumped into the Fun Run and blew through that at a blistering 12:51. Yeah, I was pretty much done. All in all, I ran and walked over 7.5 miles that day.
The Johnsons showed up around 10:00, and we enjoyed their company. Penny did lots of shopping, I did lots of training, and I even ate ice-cream. I always buy ice-cream at this festival. There is always a booth where they make it on the spot.
When the day was over, I was whupped. Maybe next year I can go back in a little better form. Of all things that demonstrate reaping and sowing, running is the most profound. Sow sparingly, reap much in suffering.
Thank you, Jesus, that I could shuffle today. I enjoyed it.
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Long Swim Day
It worked.
After sagging so badly Thursday, I took steps to increase my energy for my always prodigious Friday training.
I ate more Thursday night, and I slept more Thursday night, and I stayed in bed longer than normal Friday morning. Fridays are for long swimming. With the Chicot Challenge coming up, I am in need of distance, yards, meters, miles.
Usually I do the Friday thing as a straight swim. Not this time. I did something Thursday, or was it Wednesday? that inspired my Friday swim. I decided to do a series of long sets with some sprinting in between. What I wound up doing was
1,500 27:42 (1:50)
250 4:00 (1:36)
1,500 27:37 (1:50)
200 3:03 (1:30)
1,600 29:07 (1:48)
150 2:19 (1:32)
1,700 31:00 (1:49)
100 1:31
2,000 36:32 (1:49)
12 X 50 @ 1:12 with small paddles
total: 9,600 yards = 8,774 meters = 5.4 miles
Total swimming time = 2:53:01
I got a little tired. Mentally I was done. So I tapped out and went home.
After sagging so badly Thursday, I took steps to increase my energy for my always prodigious Friday training.
I ate more Thursday night, and I slept more Thursday night, and I stayed in bed longer than normal Friday morning. Fridays are for long swimming. With the Chicot Challenge coming up, I am in need of distance, yards, meters, miles.
Usually I do the Friday thing as a straight swim. Not this time. I did something Thursday, or was it Wednesday? that inspired my Friday swim. I decided to do a series of long sets with some sprinting in between. What I wound up doing was
1,500 27:42 (1:50)
250 4:00 (1:36)
1,500 27:37 (1:50)
200 3:03 (1:30)
1,600 29:07 (1:48)
150 2:19 (1:32)
1,700 31:00 (1:49)
100 1:31
2,000 36:32 (1:49)
12 X 50 @ 1:12 with small paddles
total: 9,600 yards = 8,774 meters = 5.4 miles
Total swimming time = 2:53:01
I got a little tired. Mentally I was done. So I tapped out and went home.
Friday, April 26, 2019
Sagging
Thursday was one of those days, a sag day.
After I got home, I changed clothes and went to Plate City. Out there, I just sort of waddled through a workout. I was tired. I was sagging. On the bench, however, I pressed
16 X 55
15 X 95
14 X 105
10 X 120
8 X 125
I also did rotator cuff work, curls, and some punching on the BAS.
I went inside, took nutrition, and rested for the pool. There, I swam
2,000
4 X 75 @ 1:35
700
7 X 50 @ 1:09
650 small paddles
4 X 50 @ 1:09
400 with fins: 4,600 yards = 4,204 meters
I wanted to do more, but I was, you guessed it, sagging. That happens every now and then. I had little energy and less desire. So I tapped out and went home to rest. Maybe Friday will be the big day and the energy will be there.
Praise the Lord for what I did.
After I got home, I changed clothes and went to Plate City. Out there, I just sort of waddled through a workout. I was tired. I was sagging. On the bench, however, I pressed
16 X 55
15 X 95
14 X 105
10 X 120
8 X 125
I also did rotator cuff work, curls, and some punching on the BAS.
I went inside, took nutrition, and rested for the pool. There, I swam
2,000
4 X 75 @ 1:35
700
7 X 50 @ 1:09
650 small paddles
4 X 50 @ 1:09
400 with fins: 4,600 yards = 4,204 meters
I wanted to do more, but I was, you guessed it, sagging. That happens every now and then. I had little energy and less desire. So I tapped out and went home to rest. Maybe Friday will be the big day and the energy will be there.
Praise the Lord for what I did.
Thursday, April 25, 2019
The Woosyfication of Amurica
What a day. It is raining outside and my students are asleep. I feel like sleeping myself. However, I am supposed to be the adult here.
Really, I am not too surprised. One student, in person, asked me if the school was closing. That's what happens when you shut the school down because it is raining. We did that last week. No joke, the whole campus, all of MDCC's campuses, closed early due to weather. I drove away in the sunshine confused but thanking God for giving me some the time back that they took from me the week before.
Today, another student contacted me via text to ask if we were having class. When I told him we were, he wanted to know why so many teachers were cancelling. I wrote, "Because they are made of sugar candy."
Do you get it? Why is our society so weak now that we can't operate in normal weather. Rain is normal weather. Here at MDCC, we have roofs that keep the rain from falling on our heads. It is true that my classroom often floods. But the water doesn't get deep, only a half inch or so. I have always prided myself in the fact that I survived those tough times.
Yes, walking between buildings can be annoying. But that is why God created the rain jacket on the Fourth Day. Somebody stole my rain coat, but I have still continued to go to work today and every other day when it rained. A few times I got a little damp. I remain alive, however, a testament to good genes, a tough mind, and a manly constitution.
Maybe that is it. A manly constitution is frowned upon by many today. It's called masculinity and it ranks right up there with racism, arsonists, and random acts of murder. Can't they, we, see what is happening to our once great nation? Who is better when we are all a bunch of sissies?
Wake up, Amurica! You are being woosyfied. Put on your big girl panties and go to work, go to school, take care of your business. You can do it. Really you can. You can survive the rain, the cools springs, the traffic, CNN even. I have and I am just an ordinary guy.
Really, I am not too surprised. One student, in person, asked me if the school was closing. That's what happens when you shut the school down because it is raining. We did that last week. No joke, the whole campus, all of MDCC's campuses, closed early due to weather. I drove away in the sunshine confused but thanking God for giving me some the time back that they took from me the week before.
Today, another student contacted me via text to ask if we were having class. When I told him we were, he wanted to know why so many teachers were cancelling. I wrote, "Because they are made of sugar candy."
Do you get it? Why is our society so weak now that we can't operate in normal weather. Rain is normal weather. Here at MDCC, we have roofs that keep the rain from falling on our heads. It is true that my classroom often floods. But the water doesn't get deep, only a half inch or so. I have always prided myself in the fact that I survived those tough times.
Yes, walking between buildings can be annoying. But that is why God created the rain jacket on the Fourth Day. Somebody stole my rain coat, but I have still continued to go to work today and every other day when it rained. A few times I got a little damp. I remain alive, however, a testament to good genes, a tough mind, and a manly constitution.
Maybe that is it. A manly constitution is frowned upon by many today. It's called masculinity and it ranks right up there with racism, arsonists, and random acts of murder. Can't they, we, see what is happening to our once great nation? Who is better when we are all a bunch of sissies?
Wake up, Amurica! You are being woosyfied. Put on your big girl panties and go to work, go to school, take care of your business. You can do it. Really you can. You can survive the rain, the cools springs, the traffic, CNN even. I have and I am just an ordinary guy.
Wonderful Wednesday
I did it.
Again.
Three workouts in one day.
It went like this:
At 4:50 a.m. my alarm went off. In less than ten minutes, I was out the door shuffling towards Twin Rivers Recreational Center. Before 5:30, I was on the row machine. Monday I did three minutes. This time, I shuffled a little farther and rowed four minutes. I love the way that thing makes my muscles feel. It is an aerobic workout for the antagonistic muscles of my swimming set. Not only that, but it hits the rear deltoid pretty hard, and that one is actually a prime mover in swimming freestyle. After I shuffled home, the journal looked like this:
1.33
row - 4:00
1.3
total: 2.6
I will not run again until Saturday when I do the 5K in Kosciusko.
After work, I went to Plate City. My back yard gym is wonderful in the sunshine. I did a whole lot of stuff while I mowed the back lawn. This stuff included squats, dead lifts, pull ups, the Swim Pull, one-arm bent rows, lat pull downs, cleans, and rotator cuff work. I then went inside for a bath and some nutrition.
Penny and I drove to Carroll County after she came home from work. I had seen an add for a couple of acres on 430, and I wanted to look at the property. It didn't really have a good place to build a house, so we thanked the owner and left. Then it was time to go to town for workout number three.
At the pool, I swam
1,000
200 3:01
1,000
150 2:11
1,000
100 1:27
1,000
50
1,050
total: 5,550 yards = 5,072 meters.
Before I finished the last 1,000, my students showed up. Yeah, it was a long day. But when I had them swim from one end of the pool to the other, I was pleasantly surprised that they looked 1,000 times better than last week.
Our lessons are supposed to last thirty minutes. After an hour, I asked, "Whose mom is picking up?"
"I am supposed to text when we finish," Johnny said.
Glad I asked. I left the pool a 9:00 p.m.
So it was a long and full day. This morning I weighed in at 168.4. That is my second to lowest in almost two years. I will go lower, much lower.
Thank you, Jesus.
Again.
Three workouts in one day.
It went like this:
At 4:50 a.m. my alarm went off. In less than ten minutes, I was out the door shuffling towards Twin Rivers Recreational Center. Before 5:30, I was on the row machine. Monday I did three minutes. This time, I shuffled a little farther and rowed four minutes. I love the way that thing makes my muscles feel. It is an aerobic workout for the antagonistic muscles of my swimming set. Not only that, but it hits the rear deltoid pretty hard, and that one is actually a prime mover in swimming freestyle. After I shuffled home, the journal looked like this:
1.33
row - 4:00
1.3
total: 2.6
I will not run again until Saturday when I do the 5K in Kosciusko.
After work, I went to Plate City. My back yard gym is wonderful in the sunshine. I did a whole lot of stuff while I mowed the back lawn. This stuff included squats, dead lifts, pull ups, the Swim Pull, one-arm bent rows, lat pull downs, cleans, and rotator cuff work. I then went inside for a bath and some nutrition.
Penny and I drove to Carroll County after she came home from work. I had seen an add for a couple of acres on 430, and I wanted to look at the property. It didn't really have a good place to build a house, so we thanked the owner and left. Then it was time to go to town for workout number three.
At the pool, I swam
1,000
200 3:01
1,000
150 2:11
1,000
100 1:27
1,000
50
1,050
total: 5,550 yards = 5,072 meters.
Before I finished the last 1,000, my students showed up. Yeah, it was a long day. But when I had them swim from one end of the pool to the other, I was pleasantly surprised that they looked 1,000 times better than last week.
Our lessons are supposed to last thirty minutes. After an hour, I asked, "Whose mom is picking up?"
"I am supposed to text when we finish," Johnny said.
Glad I asked. I left the pool a 9:00 p.m.
So it was a long and full day. This morning I weighed in at 168.4. That is my second to lowest in almost two years. I will go lower, much lower.
Thank you, Jesus.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Another Good One
I didn't do three. I didn't even do two. But I did do a good one.
When I got home from work, I was so tired, I had to have a nap before I could do anything. While I slumbered, I decided that one good workout would be better than two mediocre ones.
I went to the pool a little before 4:00 and swam
3.050 55:43 (1:49)
7 X 50 @ :55
5 X 300 @ 5:27
4:48 (1:35)
4:44 (1:34)
4:42 (1:33)
4:40 (1:33)
4:41 (1:33)
500 small paddles
total: 5,650 yards = 5,164 meters.
Notice the first time I did this set it was 3 X 300 @ 5:29. Then I did 4 X 300 @ 5:28. Today it was 5 X 300 @ 5:27. I like this set. It is a stamina swim. What will I do next time? Probably. This one was tough, though, and it might not be any fun if I keep going. But praise God, I did enjoy this one.
Thank you, Jesus.
When I got home from work, I was so tired, I had to have a nap before I could do anything. While I slumbered, I decided that one good workout would be better than two mediocre ones.
I went to the pool a little before 4:00 and swam
3.050 55:43 (1:49)
7 X 50 @ :55
5 X 300 @ 5:27
4:48 (1:35)
4:44 (1:34)
4:42 (1:33)
4:40 (1:33)
4:41 (1:33)
500 small paddles
total: 5,650 yards = 5,164 meters.
Notice the first time I did this set it was 3 X 300 @ 5:29. Then I did 4 X 300 @ 5:28. Today it was 5 X 300 @ 5:27. I like this set. It is a stamina swim. What will I do next time? Probably. This one was tough, though, and it might not be any fun if I keep going. But praise God, I did enjoy this one.
Thank you, Jesus.
"Lonely Lover"
The early morning mist, like a river,
follows the contours of her hips,
She creates her own weather
under the all-seeing eye,
"Come lie with me," she whispers
to her lover. Her attraction stirs
his mind, his limbs, his loins,
Red-wing black birds fly over
her member, fish swim her veins,
the sun warms her blood.
She waits her turn while her champion
prepares, He will come to her
in his might, He will visit her
at the appointed time.
follows the contours of her hips,
She creates her own weather
under the all-seeing eye,
"Come lie with me," she whispers
to her lover. Her attraction stirs
his mind, his limbs, his loins,
Red-wing black birds fly over
her member, fish swim her veins,
the sun warms her blood.
She waits her turn while her champion
prepares, He will come to her
in his might, He will visit her
at the appointed time.
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Tough Trio
By the grace of God, I got out of bed at 5:00 a.m. Monday morning. I shuffled to Twin Rivers. I didn't know if the door would be open or not. I have a key to the front door, but not to the weight room. It was open and I went in for the purpose not of lifting weights but of using the row machine. The other day when it was raining and I lifted there, I discovered the machine. I almost tripped over it on the way out. I did 1:20 on it then. Monday I hit it for 3:00. That is three minutes, not three hours. This machine will be a part of my workout regime from now on. I then shuffled home for 2.5 miles on foot plus the machine work.
After work, I had to go to the tooth dentist. I am still looking for a week of training where I don't have something to do every day. When I left the tooth dentist, I went home and lifted weights. I am in that slow reduction stage where I am trying to maintain as much strength as possible while freeing up more time, energy, and muscle power for swimming. The buildup started a few weeks ago. Last week, I hit 30,000 meters. This week, I probably will lose Saturday's swim due to us going to Kosciusko. On the bench, I pressed
15 X 45
10 X 95
6 X 115
5 X 135
5 X 135
5 X 135
4 X 140
4 X 140
I also did some squats. If you pay attention to this, you might notice that I dropped a warm up set (the 65 pound set) and I also dropped a set of 135s and moved up to another 140 set. That last change means a reduction of one rep. So the volume is creeping down while I am still pushing what for me is significant weight.
I took some nutrition and got about an hour of rest before going to the pool. One of the reasons for working out more than once in a day is when you train, your brain releases certain hormones and proteins that cause the body to produce changes in the body that produce the training effect. Two workout means two shot of the internal chemicals that cause change. Three workouts, well, you get it. I don't know, however, how long there needs to be between workouts to get the second boost. If I didn't have to go to the tooth dentist, I would have had at least two hours between workout two and workout three. At the pool, I swam
2,500 45:41 (1:49)
Man-Maker Set
500 7:57 (1:35)
300 4:40 (1:33)
200 3:02 (1:30)
150 2:17 (1:31)
100 1:27
100 1:29
100 1:27
100 1:26
100 1:27
100 1:25
50
50
50
50
50
50
I didn't record my 50 times, but they were all under 45.
Total for Man-Maker = 2,050
650 medium paddles started immediately
400 small paddles
total: 5,600 yards = 5,118 meters.
That was a good day. Three solid workouts and all of them significant. That's what it takes to do the Chicot Challenge.
Thank you, Jesus, for good health, good opportunities, and good motivation.
After work, I had to go to the tooth dentist. I am still looking for a week of training where I don't have something to do every day. When I left the tooth dentist, I went home and lifted weights. I am in that slow reduction stage where I am trying to maintain as much strength as possible while freeing up more time, energy, and muscle power for swimming. The buildup started a few weeks ago. Last week, I hit 30,000 meters. This week, I probably will lose Saturday's swim due to us going to Kosciusko. On the bench, I pressed
15 X 45
10 X 95
6 X 115
5 X 135
5 X 135
5 X 135
4 X 140
4 X 140
I also did some squats. If you pay attention to this, you might notice that I dropped a warm up set (the 65 pound set) and I also dropped a set of 135s and moved up to another 140 set. That last change means a reduction of one rep. So the volume is creeping down while I am still pushing what for me is significant weight.
I took some nutrition and got about an hour of rest before going to the pool. One of the reasons for working out more than once in a day is when you train, your brain releases certain hormones and proteins that cause the body to produce changes in the body that produce the training effect. Two workout means two shot of the internal chemicals that cause change. Three workouts, well, you get it. I don't know, however, how long there needs to be between workouts to get the second boost. If I didn't have to go to the tooth dentist, I would have had at least two hours between workout two and workout three. At the pool, I swam
2,500 45:41 (1:49)
Man-Maker Set
500 7:57 (1:35)
300 4:40 (1:33)
200 3:02 (1:30)
150 2:17 (1:31)
100 1:27
100 1:29
100 1:27
100 1:26
100 1:27
100 1:25
50
50
50
50
50
50
I didn't record my 50 times, but they were all under 45.
Total for Man-Maker = 2,050
650 medium paddles started immediately
400 small paddles
total: 5,600 yards = 5,118 meters.
That was a good day. Three solid workouts and all of them significant. That's what it takes to do the Chicot Challenge.
Thank you, Jesus, for good health, good opportunities, and good motivation.
Monday, April 22, 2019
4/25 - 4/21
Last week was my biggest swim cycle of the year. Monday I hit 5,500 yards. Tuesday I got 4,600 in addition to some weight lifting at Plate City. Wednesday I managed another 5,500.
Thursday I did some shuffling, 1.72 miles, and swam 4,750 yards. I also lifted weights at Twin Rivers because it was raining too hard to lift at Plate City. In addition to all that, I taught my first swim lesson that night. It was, consequently, a long day but a good one.
Friday is long day and I swam 9,300 yards in 2:51:36. Saturday I shuffled after I swam. The pool work was 3,600 yards, and the shuffle was 2.3 miles.
For the week, I
ran 5.19 miles,
lifted weights twice, and
swam 30,366 meters.
That is 18.87 miles of swimming. That is Chicot Challenge training. I need to beat that a couple of times, but I'm in the distance range to swim for eight hours without stopping.
Thank you, Lord Jesus.
Thursday I did some shuffling, 1.72 miles, and swam 4,750 yards. I also lifted weights at Twin Rivers because it was raining too hard to lift at Plate City. In addition to all that, I taught my first swim lesson that night. It was, consequently, a long day but a good one.
Friday is long day and I swam 9,300 yards in 2:51:36. Saturday I shuffled after I swam. The pool work was 3,600 yards, and the shuffle was 2.3 miles.
For the week, I
ran 5.19 miles,
lifted weights twice, and
swam 30,366 meters.
That is 18.87 miles of swimming. That is Chicot Challenge training. I need to beat that a couple of times, but I'm in the distance range to swim for eight hours without stopping.
Thank you, Lord Jesus.
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Saturday
Slow start, then to the pool. At the pool, I realized I have a new favorite set. A few years back it was 20 X 100 @ 2:00. Now it is 3 X 300 @ 5:29. I wonder why. Is it because it really is not THAT hard or is it because it matches up well with my muscle fiber type and my mental disposition? Cagri would say it is because I am comfortable doing that set, but that's not really true. Actually, that set hurts, but I like the hurt. Saturday, I swam
2,000 36:40 (1:49)
4 X 300 @ 5:28
4:56 (1:38)
4:48 (1:35)
4:39 (1:32)
4:47 (1:35)
400 medium paddles
total: 3,600 yards = 3,290 meters
Yes, I added a rep and cut a second off the interval time. If you read this blog carefully, you may know me well enough by now to know what is about to happen. Over the upcoming weeks, I will be adding reps and very slowly cutting rest time on these 300s. These make my muscles hurt, which means I am dealing with lactic acid, and they are short enough to where the pain and effort is over pretty quickly. My body says they do me good (I know, "well"). Sometimes you just know. Cagri would tell me to be careful of what you like. But I have long believed that the athletic pain you like is what your body was made for. I apparently am made for middle distance pool swimming and all day lake swimming. That's a big spread, but there is where I go when I can chose, what I do when I have a chance.
After the swim, I went for a shuffle and did an embarrassingly slow 2.3 miles. Then I met an old friend in Carroll County to look at some land. It was good to see my old buddy Charlie Turner. God bless you, brother, and thank you, Jesus, for a full and enjoyable day.
2,000 36:40 (1:49)
4 X 300 @ 5:28
4:56 (1:38)
4:48 (1:35)
4:39 (1:32)
4:47 (1:35)
400 medium paddles
total: 3,600 yards = 3,290 meters
Yes, I added a rep and cut a second off the interval time. If you read this blog carefully, you may know me well enough by now to know what is about to happen. Over the upcoming weeks, I will be adding reps and very slowly cutting rest time on these 300s. These make my muscles hurt, which means I am dealing with lactic acid, and they are short enough to where the pain and effort is over pretty quickly. My body says they do me good (I know, "well"). Sometimes you just know. Cagri would tell me to be careful of what you like. But I have long believed that the athletic pain you like is what your body was made for. I apparently am made for middle distance pool swimming and all day lake swimming. That's a big spread, but there is where I go when I can chose, what I do when I have a chance.
After the swim, I went for a shuffle and did an embarrassingly slow 2.3 miles. Then I met an old friend in Carroll County to look at some land. It was good to see my old buddy Charlie Turner. God bless you, brother, and thank you, Jesus, for a full and enjoyable day.
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Long Day Friday
I can't tell you how tired I was when I got home Thursday night. Spring-time allergies have been kicking my hinder parts and preventing me from resting well at night. When I got up to use the bathroom Friday morning, I found that I was alone in the house. Penny had already gone to work, and I didn't hear her leave, or get up, or do anything. Later she told me that she tried to be quiet so as not to wake me. Good job, Babe, and thank you. It was about 8:15. Usually, if I sleep late on Friday, I wake up around 7:00. That is only thirty minutes longer than when I go to work, but normally that half an hour is gold. I still felt tired getting up at 8:15. It was a tough night for me. Every time I coughed, I woke up. I always went back to sleep, but I woke up over and over.
I ate some Raisin Bran, left a little milk in the bowl for the cats, and got coffee. After that I did a blog post, studied some for Sunday, and began to get ready to go to the pool. Fridays are simple. I swim. I swim straight though without sets. I swim long. Before the pool, however, I went to the recycle bins to dump our stuff. Then it was on to the pool where I just swam and swam and swam. The total was 9,300 yards. I would have gone further, but I keep forgetting to grease my underarms. Around 7,000 yards and I begin to get a little chaffing. I most likely would have gone a full three hours instead of the 2:51:26 I quit on. But I upped my time around 9,000 and wanted to beat last week's 9250 by at least 50 yards.
For the week, that takes me up to 27,076 meters. One more swim, and I will likely break 30,000 for the week. That's real training right there. I don't care who you are.
Praise God for good health, good opportunities, and a good church.
I ate some Raisin Bran, left a little milk in the bowl for the cats, and got coffee. After that I did a blog post, studied some for Sunday, and began to get ready to go to the pool. Fridays are simple. I swim. I swim straight though without sets. I swim long. Before the pool, however, I went to the recycle bins to dump our stuff. Then it was on to the pool where I just swam and swam and swam. The total was 9,300 yards. I would have gone further, but I keep forgetting to grease my underarms. Around 7,000 yards and I begin to get a little chaffing. I most likely would have gone a full three hours instead of the 2:51:26 I quit on. But I upped my time around 9,000 and wanted to beat last week's 9250 by at least 50 yards.
For the week, that takes me up to 27,076 meters. One more swim, and I will likely break 30,000 for the week. That's real training right there. I don't care who you are.
Praise God for good health, good opportunities, and a good church.
Friday, April 19, 2019
Thursday for Three
What a day. The fun started with a text message from the school announcing the closure all campuses due to weather. Huh? At 11:20 a.m., Moorhead was dead. My film class got wacked, but I was free early. I made good use of the time.
The first thing I did after getting home was to change clothes and head to Wade Road for a run. I was off running for two weeks and the only shuffled once last week, so I am essentially starting over. Again. Two days ago I did a few squats and shuffled 1.16 miles. Today I determined to go a little further. Not only that, I decided to shuffle in 7:00 minute blocks due to that being my 500 swim time. In other words, I want to develop my cardio vascular abilities for that length of time. In short, I am taking seriously the goal of getting faster for a possible shot at the National Senior Olympics. Thus, I shuffled
.59 - 7:11
w - .11
.58 - 7:12
w - .12
.56 - 7:13
w - .17
total: shuffle 1.72, walk .4
Workout one, done.
That is a little farther than I shuffled in my last two runs. Now, I knew I needed to lift some weights. But is was beginning to rain so I didn't have the fire to do Plate City. Consequently, I did what I do only once or twice per year. I went to Twin Rivers and worked out in their gym. I did bench presses, one-armed bent rows, some rotator cuff work, lateral raises, some leg presses, and calf raises. On the bench, I did
12 X 45
12 X 95
10 X 100
10 X 100
10 X 100
10 X 100
10 X 105
Workout two, done.
Then I was off to home for nutrition and to rest for my third workout of the day, a swim.
At the pool, I swam
1,200
1,300
10 X 150 9 with medium paddles
4 X 50 @1:12
500 small paddles
Then my students showed up. Debbie, the Director of Twin Rivers, approached me a bit back about teaching stroke lessons and giving the money to the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. The response has not been overwhelming. I have two students and we met for the first time last night.
I didn't even ask how old these boys are, but I'd guess twelve or thirteen. They can swim, but they need some work, hence the lessons. We worked on mindset: practice, balance, and comfort; we worked on stretching; we worked on the deck rehearsing stroke technique. Then I had them in the water pushing off the wall working on balance. We made some progress there. After that, we used a kick board to have them start implementing the changes to their stroke. Then we swam, first one stroke cycle, then two, and finally three. I saw small improvements. We finished with a swim from one end of the pool to the other. I got another 25 here bringing my total for the day to 4,750 yards.
Workout three, done.
They both swim stiff armed, don't rotate, and lift their heads to breath when they fatigue. If they keep coming, however, we will get them there. They seem eager to learn, which is always the hallmark of a good student.
Thus it was a full and productive day. Thank you, Jesus.
The first thing I did after getting home was to change clothes and head to Wade Road for a run. I was off running for two weeks and the only shuffled once last week, so I am essentially starting over. Again. Two days ago I did a few squats and shuffled 1.16 miles. Today I determined to go a little further. Not only that, I decided to shuffle in 7:00 minute blocks due to that being my 500 swim time. In other words, I want to develop my cardio vascular abilities for that length of time. In short, I am taking seriously the goal of getting faster for a possible shot at the National Senior Olympics. Thus, I shuffled
.59 - 7:11
w - .11
.58 - 7:12
w - .12
.56 - 7:13
w - .17
total: shuffle 1.72, walk .4
Workout one, done.
That is a little farther than I shuffled in my last two runs. Now, I knew I needed to lift some weights. But is was beginning to rain so I didn't have the fire to do Plate City. Consequently, I did what I do only once or twice per year. I went to Twin Rivers and worked out in their gym. I did bench presses, one-armed bent rows, some rotator cuff work, lateral raises, some leg presses, and calf raises. On the bench, I did
12 X 45
12 X 95
10 X 100
10 X 100
10 X 100
10 X 100
10 X 105
Workout two, done.
Then I was off to home for nutrition and to rest for my third workout of the day, a swim.
At the pool, I swam
1,200
1,300
10 X 150 9 with medium paddles
4 X 50 @1:12
500 small paddles
Then my students showed up. Debbie, the Director of Twin Rivers, approached me a bit back about teaching stroke lessons and giving the money to the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. The response has not been overwhelming. I have two students and we met for the first time last night.
I didn't even ask how old these boys are, but I'd guess twelve or thirteen. They can swim, but they need some work, hence the lessons. We worked on mindset: practice, balance, and comfort; we worked on stretching; we worked on the deck rehearsing stroke technique. Then I had them in the water pushing off the wall working on balance. We made some progress there. After that, we used a kick board to have them start implementing the changes to their stroke. Then we swam, first one stroke cycle, then two, and finally three. I saw small improvements. We finished with a swim from one end of the pool to the other. I got another 25 here bringing my total for the day to 4,750 yards.
Workout three, done.
They both swim stiff armed, don't rotate, and lift their heads to breath when they fatigue. If they keep coming, however, we will get them there. They seem eager to learn, which is always the hallmark of a good student.
Thus it was a full and productive day. Thank you, Jesus.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
He Made the Swims
He was an old man who lived alone. Or he had until lately. His wife had died three years before, leaving him with failing health, an empty house, and a loss of zeal for living.
His son had repeatedly asked him to move in with him.
He appreciated the offer, but he always said, "Maybe later."
His daughter had done the same thing, over and over. "Dad, come stay with us. You'll have your own room, you can get in the pool in the afternoon. Boo Man (her cat) will hang out with you, and you can drink all the coffee you want."
But he always said, "Thank you, Baby Girl. Maybe later."
His granddaughter had been staying with him and helping care for him the past couple of months while she attended a local community college. His son came by almost every morning, his daughter called at night, and a hospice nurse came in around 7:30 a.m. and was there until 5:00 pm or later.
Since Ashley moved in, she woke him each morning around 7:15 to feed him, give him his meds, and get him cleaned up before the hospice nurse arrived at 7:30 Then she was off to class for the morning before returning mid afternoon.
"Wake up, Poppy," she gently shook him Monday morning. "Time for breakfast." She had laid a tray with oatmeal and coffee on the bed. He slowly transitioned from his dreams to reality.
"You look happy. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah. I was swimming."
"That's good, Poppy. It's good you were swimming. It makes you happy doesn't it?"
"Yeah. And it makes me sad."
"Sad?"
"It reminds me of how much I've lost."
"Think positive, Poppy. Think positive."
He was quiet for a bit.
Then he began to speak in a weak, shaky voice, "Life takes. If you live long enough, it takes everything. It takes your friends; it takes your family; it takes your job; it takes your hobbies; it takes your health; it takes your dreams; it takes and takes until everything is gone. All I have left is Jesus, some of my family, some fading memories, and a fat cat." He was talking about Sweetie, the last cat he was healthy enough to rescue. "It hurts me to remember what I used to do but can't do anymore."
She didn't know how to answer so she didn't.
By now, Robert, the nurse, was in the house and looking over the notes Ashley had taken from 5:00 pm until now.
"Good morning, Mr. Jones," the nurse spoke, looking over his readers and smiling down on the old man. "You have a good night?"
"He slept through," Ashley added, "and was dreaming about swimming when I woke him."
"Looks like we're in for a good day, then. I've been meaning to get you to tell me about your swimming. Maybe today?"
Ashley gave the old man a kiss on the check and left for school. Then Robert had him sit up on the side of the bed and do leg extensions. Three sets of twelve reps with five pound ankle weights. After that, it was curls and presses with five pound dumbbells. Then coughing, then standing up and sitting back down. Then more coffee.
After the exercise, he got to drink his coffee without interruption. He had about two hours before his shot. With a picc line in his chest, Ashley administered his big dose at 10 pm and Robert gave him one at 10 am. This kept him comfortable, physically. After the dose of painkillers, he often would sleep for a few hours.
"Tell me about the swimming."
"I will if you promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
"That you tell my children what I want on my tombstone."
"You can't tell them yourself?"
"They won't listen. I've tried and tried. When I bring it up, my daughter cries and leaves the room. My son says, 'Not now, Dad.' Ashley says, 'Write it down.'"
"OK. Tell me and I'll see that they get it after you're gone."
"Good. I want: He made the swims and died."
"He made the swims and died," Robert repeated out loud. "That's all?"
"That's all."
"OK. I'll see that they get it. Now, they tell me about those swims you made. They say you were a heck of a swimmer back in the day."
"It was an accident, if you believe in accidents. I later came to see it as Providence. And it wasn't that long ago. I was an adult-onset swimmer. I was a runner first. Never a very good one, but I liked it, and I did a lot of it. Then I got hurt, which happens a lot with runners. I was a bit stir crazy and wanted some sort of athletic challenge, and somehow ran across this thing called "That Dam Swim" in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. I signed up for it before I had a chance to think it through."
"That Dam Swim."
"Yeah. A twelve-mile open water race in the dammed up Tennessee River. I had never done anything like it before. I had to have a pilot. That's somebody who boats along with you to protect you and feed you. I asked my wife and she said no. I asked my dad, and he said no. So I approached my son with cash in hand. He said yes."
"When was this?"
"This was in 2007, September."
"So you weren't a young man."
"I told ya, I was an adult-onset swimmer. I was late fifties. Do the math, I was born in '56. I didn't know anything about open water swims, how to train, or anything. We made the trip with an aluminum fishing boat, a trolling motor, and two marine batteries. Everybody else was out there in slick kayaks. The relay teams had fancy powerboats. We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies on water. But we did it, and when I finished it was the biggest thrill of my life. The sense of satisfaction, of accomplishment was overwhelming. I wanted more."
"So you started doing open water swims?"
"Not for a few more years. There just aren't any around here. People in Mississippi aren't into that sort of thing."
"So what was the next step?"
"I found out about an event called 'Swim the Suck.' That was 2011. I did it four years in a row. That was ten miles in the Tennessee River near Chattanooga. Beautiful. It was a very small race at first, but quickly it became a destination event. People come from all over the country, the world, to swim there. I met Penny Palfrey, Martin Strel, and Lexie Kelly, just to name a few."
By this time, Robert had administered his 10 o'clock dose and the old man grew groggy, stopped talking, and was soon asleep.
"Wake up, Poppy."
His eyes opened but it was several seconds before they focused on anything.
"What day is it?" he asked seemingly confused.
"Tuesday. You need to go to the bathroom?"
"Yeah. I can get up myself."
"I'll help you."
He tried to push her hand away but she would have none of it and helped him rise so he could shuffle to the bathroom and few feet away.
"Use your walker, Poppy."
He acted like he didn't hear.
An hour later, he and Robert were in the front yard trying to make their way to the street. On Tuesday and Thursday they walked across the yard, and to a side street and back. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday they worked out on the side of the bed. Saturday and Sunday were rest days.
As a car approached, the old man tipped his walker over and waved.
"I saw that."
"Saw what? Me wave at people?"
"No. You tipped your walker over," Robert said, a little miffed. "On purpose."
"Everybody makes mistakes."
"You did it on purpose," Robert repeated as he picked the walker up for the old man. "You're pride is liable to get you a broken hip. I wish you would take instruction a little better. We are only trying to help you. It's no shame to be an old man."
"Easy for you to say.This is the first time I've been an old man and I ain't used to it yet. Wanna know something?"
"What?"
"I ain't trying to get used to it. I used to swim all day. Run all day. Bicycle all day. Lift weights. Beat young people at races." His voice trailed off and a big tear made its way down the caverns on his face.
"I know, I know," Robert said patting the old man on the shoulder, trying to give comfort. "Getting old is not easy, but it's better than dying."
"Is it?"
Robert didn't answer the question. They painstakingly made their way from the side of the street, to the stoop, up the steps, and back into the house.
The walk always wore out the old man. He talked a little after they got back into the house. He told Robert of the charity swim he started. How he swam longer and longer until his body finally couldn't do anymore, until it broke down. But the walk had its effect and he was already asleep by the time Ashley came home. He was still sleeping when she gave him his drugs at 10:00 p.m., and never woke until the next morning.
"Wake up, Poppy. It's Hump Day." She waited while his eyes opened and he slowly regained consciousness. "Did you swim?"
"No. I was dreaming about the back of some dilapidated buildings. I have that dream over and over. I don't know why. I see some old, run-down buildings, and there are gas meters all over the side, and I just look. What does it mean?"
"Maybe it means you are old, run-down, and pass a lot of gas."
That made the old man chuckle, something that rarely happened these days.
She had cooked him an egg and he tried to eat it after he stumbled to the bathroom and back. He got about half of it down and took two bites of toast, whole wheat with grape jelly. A few years back he would have wolfed this down in seconds. Now he tried to eat out of gratitude, gratitude that he had a granddaughter who cared enough to cook it.
His son came by like he did many mornings, checked on him, and left him with a hug, an "I love you," and a bag of Snickers bars, the Fun Size.
"This is the only advantage I can think of to being old," he told his boy. "You can eat candy all day and all nightlong, and nobody gives a dang."
"Eat away, Pops. See you later," the boy said on his way out the door and to his job.
After everyone was gone, the old man told Robert about how he trained for his swims. About his benchmarks in the water and in the weight room. "I wish I could have trained a younger swimmer to take my place. But it never happened. I had so much knowledge to give, but nobody wanted it."
He ate lots of candy that day and drank lots of coffee while his main cat, Sweetie, napped with him constantly. He was still up when Ashley came in, but he grew silent a couple of hours before he went to sleep.
"Poppy. Got you some coffee," Ashely said handing him his tumbler and setting down the trey of oatmeal and cantaloupe she prepared for his breakfast.
He was confused for several minutes.
"Mom called last night, but you were sleeping. I didn't want to wake you. You didn't pee in the bed did you?"
"No. I used to be proud when I peed in a lake while I was swimming. It's not easy to do, you know. Now I pee in the bed and it's easy. But I have to go. Bad. I don't need help," he said as he slowly tried to rise and get his feet on the floor. She tried to hand him the walker, but he pushed it out of the way. He shuffled to the bathroom while she followed, ready to catch him if he fell. He was thin and light enough now that she probably could have caught him and held him up if he had stumbled.
After Ashley left, he told Robert of all the swims he used to do. Of his pool training and the catfish pond swims he did in preparation for his charity swim. He talked and talked and told him of the year he did two ten milers, and eight miler, a seven, and four five milers in training for the big charity swim, all alone at the pond. How he changed his lifting routine as his events drew near. How he sometimes spent a whole day at a time on the fish farm swimming and running and even doing some light weightlifting. How he fed on ice-cream for his long swims. Robert took it all in but said little in return.
"Wake up, Poppy."
He seemed more confused than usual after his eyes opened and it took more than a few seconds for him to focus on anything. He didn't speak and he didn't get up to use the bathroom. Ashly was a little concerned that he would not eat. She had him Raisin Bran, his favorite cereal. He needed changing, but she decided to let Robert take care of that.
His son came by and also failed to get him to say anything or to eat. When he did not take his coffee, the boy became concerned. When Robert arrived, they told him how he wasn't talking or eating or drinking coffee. But they each had to leave his son for his job and his granddaughter for school. The old man was silent all day. Robert tried to get him to talk more about swimming, but he never did.
By late afternoon, his eyes began to have that far away look to them. He didn't even seem to notice when Sweetie jumped up on the bed with him. She curled up on his lap like she always did but if he took note, he didn't show it.
"Wake up, Poppy."
This time he talked. He asked a single question. "What time does the football game come on?"
"It's not football season, Poppy. But it is Saturday. Is that why you asked?" But he didn't respond.
He said nothing else all day. She tried to get him to talk, but he would not respond. By night time, that strange grayness of his eyes had drawn Ashley's attention. Robert told her he would be in early the next morning. She thought that was odd because he didn't ordinarily work on Sunday. She kept asking if this was something to be concerned about, but the nurse never answered.
She was concerned enough to call her mom and her uncle. She handed the old man the phone when she had them on the line, but he never spoke to either of them.
"Wake up, Poppy." Ashley set the trey down with his oatmeal and toast and turned the TV on. "You want some preaching? It's Sunday."
The old man didn't stir.
"Poppy, wake up," she shook him slightly.
His son came in and tried to rouse the old man but got no movement.
Then Robert showed up.
"We can't get him to wake up," the son told the nurse.
Robert stepped to the side of the bed. He shook the old man's shoulder with no response. Then he checked for a pulse, first at the wrist, then at the neck.
"Is everything OK?" the son asked Robert several times.
Robert just stood there a moment before speaking. "He made the swims?"
"Excuse me?" the son asked.
"He made the swims."
"What do you mean?" Ashley pleaded.
"He made the swims," was all Robert said.
His son had repeatedly asked him to move in with him.
He appreciated the offer, but he always said, "Maybe later."
His daughter had done the same thing, over and over. "Dad, come stay with us. You'll have your own room, you can get in the pool in the afternoon. Boo Man (her cat) will hang out with you, and you can drink all the coffee you want."
But he always said, "Thank you, Baby Girl. Maybe later."
His granddaughter had been staying with him and helping care for him the past couple of months while she attended a local community college. His son came by almost every morning, his daughter called at night, and a hospice nurse came in around 7:30 a.m. and was there until 5:00 pm or later.
Since Ashley moved in, she woke him each morning around 7:15 to feed him, give him his meds, and get him cleaned up before the hospice nurse arrived at 7:30 Then she was off to class for the morning before returning mid afternoon.
"Wake up, Poppy," she gently shook him Monday morning. "Time for breakfast." She had laid a tray with oatmeal and coffee on the bed. He slowly transitioned from his dreams to reality.
"You look happy. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah. I was swimming."
"That's good, Poppy. It's good you were swimming. It makes you happy doesn't it?"
"Yeah. And it makes me sad."
"Sad?"
"It reminds me of how much I've lost."
"Think positive, Poppy. Think positive."
He was quiet for a bit.
Then he began to speak in a weak, shaky voice, "Life takes. If you live long enough, it takes everything. It takes your friends; it takes your family; it takes your job; it takes your hobbies; it takes your health; it takes your dreams; it takes and takes until everything is gone. All I have left is Jesus, some of my family, some fading memories, and a fat cat." He was talking about Sweetie, the last cat he was healthy enough to rescue. "It hurts me to remember what I used to do but can't do anymore."
She didn't know how to answer so she didn't.
By now, Robert, the nurse, was in the house and looking over the notes Ashley had taken from 5:00 pm until now.
"Good morning, Mr. Jones," the nurse spoke, looking over his readers and smiling down on the old man. "You have a good night?"
"He slept through," Ashley added, "and was dreaming about swimming when I woke him."
"Looks like we're in for a good day, then. I've been meaning to get you to tell me about your swimming. Maybe today?"
Ashley gave the old man a kiss on the check and left for school. Then Robert had him sit up on the side of the bed and do leg extensions. Three sets of twelve reps with five pound ankle weights. After that, it was curls and presses with five pound dumbbells. Then coughing, then standing up and sitting back down. Then more coffee.
After the exercise, he got to drink his coffee without interruption. He had about two hours before his shot. With a picc line in his chest, Ashley administered his big dose at 10 pm and Robert gave him one at 10 am. This kept him comfortable, physically. After the dose of painkillers, he often would sleep for a few hours.
"Tell me about the swimming."
"I will if you promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
"That you tell my children what I want on my tombstone."
"You can't tell them yourself?"
"They won't listen. I've tried and tried. When I bring it up, my daughter cries and leaves the room. My son says, 'Not now, Dad.' Ashley says, 'Write it down.'"
"OK. Tell me and I'll see that they get it after you're gone."
"Good. I want: He made the swims and died."
"He made the swims and died," Robert repeated out loud. "That's all?"
"That's all."
"OK. I'll see that they get it. Now, they tell me about those swims you made. They say you were a heck of a swimmer back in the day."
"It was an accident, if you believe in accidents. I later came to see it as Providence. And it wasn't that long ago. I was an adult-onset swimmer. I was a runner first. Never a very good one, but I liked it, and I did a lot of it. Then I got hurt, which happens a lot with runners. I was a bit stir crazy and wanted some sort of athletic challenge, and somehow ran across this thing called "That Dam Swim" in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. I signed up for it before I had a chance to think it through."
"That Dam Swim."
"Yeah. A twelve-mile open water race in the dammed up Tennessee River. I had never done anything like it before. I had to have a pilot. That's somebody who boats along with you to protect you and feed you. I asked my wife and she said no. I asked my dad, and he said no. So I approached my son with cash in hand. He said yes."
"When was this?"
"This was in 2007, September."
"So you weren't a young man."
"I told ya, I was an adult-onset swimmer. I was late fifties. Do the math, I was born in '56. I didn't know anything about open water swims, how to train, or anything. We made the trip with an aluminum fishing boat, a trolling motor, and two marine batteries. Everybody else was out there in slick kayaks. The relay teams had fancy powerboats. We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies on water. But we did it, and when I finished it was the biggest thrill of my life. The sense of satisfaction, of accomplishment was overwhelming. I wanted more."
"So you started doing open water swims?"
"Not for a few more years. There just aren't any around here. People in Mississippi aren't into that sort of thing."
"So what was the next step?"
"I found out about an event called 'Swim the Suck.' That was 2011. I did it four years in a row. That was ten miles in the Tennessee River near Chattanooga. Beautiful. It was a very small race at first, but quickly it became a destination event. People come from all over the country, the world, to swim there. I met Penny Palfrey, Martin Strel, and Lexie Kelly, just to name a few."
By this time, Robert had administered his 10 o'clock dose and the old man grew groggy, stopped talking, and was soon asleep.
"Wake up, Poppy."
His eyes opened but it was several seconds before they focused on anything.
"What day is it?" he asked seemingly confused.
"Tuesday. You need to go to the bathroom?"
"Yeah. I can get up myself."
"I'll help you."
He tried to push her hand away but she would have none of it and helped him rise so he could shuffle to the bathroom and few feet away.
"Use your walker, Poppy."
He acted like he didn't hear.
An hour later, he and Robert were in the front yard trying to make their way to the street. On Tuesday and Thursday they walked across the yard, and to a side street and back. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday they worked out on the side of the bed. Saturday and Sunday were rest days.
As a car approached, the old man tipped his walker over and waved.
"I saw that."
"Saw what? Me wave at people?"
"No. You tipped your walker over," Robert said, a little miffed. "On purpose."
"Everybody makes mistakes."
"You did it on purpose," Robert repeated as he picked the walker up for the old man. "You're pride is liable to get you a broken hip. I wish you would take instruction a little better. We are only trying to help you. It's no shame to be an old man."
"Easy for you to say.This is the first time I've been an old man and I ain't used to it yet. Wanna know something?"
"What?"
"I ain't trying to get used to it. I used to swim all day. Run all day. Bicycle all day. Lift weights. Beat young people at races." His voice trailed off and a big tear made its way down the caverns on his face.
"I know, I know," Robert said patting the old man on the shoulder, trying to give comfort. "Getting old is not easy, but it's better than dying."
"Is it?"
Robert didn't answer the question. They painstakingly made their way from the side of the street, to the stoop, up the steps, and back into the house.
The walk always wore out the old man. He talked a little after they got back into the house. He told Robert of the charity swim he started. How he swam longer and longer until his body finally couldn't do anymore, until it broke down. But the walk had its effect and he was already asleep by the time Ashley came home. He was still sleeping when she gave him his drugs at 10:00 p.m., and never woke until the next morning.
"Wake up, Poppy. It's Hump Day." She waited while his eyes opened and he slowly regained consciousness. "Did you swim?"
"No. I was dreaming about the back of some dilapidated buildings. I have that dream over and over. I don't know why. I see some old, run-down buildings, and there are gas meters all over the side, and I just look. What does it mean?"
"Maybe it means you are old, run-down, and pass a lot of gas."
That made the old man chuckle, something that rarely happened these days.
She had cooked him an egg and he tried to eat it after he stumbled to the bathroom and back. He got about half of it down and took two bites of toast, whole wheat with grape jelly. A few years back he would have wolfed this down in seconds. Now he tried to eat out of gratitude, gratitude that he had a granddaughter who cared enough to cook it.
His son came by like he did many mornings, checked on him, and left him with a hug, an "I love you," and a bag of Snickers bars, the Fun Size.
"This is the only advantage I can think of to being old," he told his boy. "You can eat candy all day and all nightlong, and nobody gives a dang."
"Eat away, Pops. See you later," the boy said on his way out the door and to his job.
After everyone was gone, the old man told Robert about how he trained for his swims. About his benchmarks in the water and in the weight room. "I wish I could have trained a younger swimmer to take my place. But it never happened. I had so much knowledge to give, but nobody wanted it."
He ate lots of candy that day and drank lots of coffee while his main cat, Sweetie, napped with him constantly. He was still up when Ashley came in, but he grew silent a couple of hours before he went to sleep.
"Poppy. Got you some coffee," Ashely said handing him his tumbler and setting down the trey of oatmeal and cantaloupe she prepared for his breakfast.
He was confused for several minutes.
"Mom called last night, but you were sleeping. I didn't want to wake you. You didn't pee in the bed did you?"
"No. I used to be proud when I peed in a lake while I was swimming. It's not easy to do, you know. Now I pee in the bed and it's easy. But I have to go. Bad. I don't need help," he said as he slowly tried to rise and get his feet on the floor. She tried to hand him the walker, but he pushed it out of the way. He shuffled to the bathroom while she followed, ready to catch him if he fell. He was thin and light enough now that she probably could have caught him and held him up if he had stumbled.
After Ashley left, he told Robert of all the swims he used to do. Of his pool training and the catfish pond swims he did in preparation for his charity swim. He talked and talked and told him of the year he did two ten milers, and eight miler, a seven, and four five milers in training for the big charity swim, all alone at the pond. How he changed his lifting routine as his events drew near. How he sometimes spent a whole day at a time on the fish farm swimming and running and even doing some light weightlifting. How he fed on ice-cream for his long swims. Robert took it all in but said little in return.
"Wake up, Poppy."
He seemed more confused than usual after his eyes opened and it took more than a few seconds for him to focus on anything. He didn't speak and he didn't get up to use the bathroom. Ashly was a little concerned that he would not eat. She had him Raisin Bran, his favorite cereal. He needed changing, but she decided to let Robert take care of that.
His son came by and also failed to get him to say anything or to eat. When he did not take his coffee, the boy became concerned. When Robert arrived, they told him how he wasn't talking or eating or drinking coffee. But they each had to leave his son for his job and his granddaughter for school. The old man was silent all day. Robert tried to get him to talk more about swimming, but he never did.
By late afternoon, his eyes began to have that far away look to them. He didn't even seem to notice when Sweetie jumped up on the bed with him. She curled up on his lap like she always did but if he took note, he didn't show it.
"Wake up, Poppy."
This time he talked. He asked a single question. "What time does the football game come on?"
"It's not football season, Poppy. But it is Saturday. Is that why you asked?" But he didn't respond.
He said nothing else all day. She tried to get him to talk, but he would not respond. By night time, that strange grayness of his eyes had drawn Ashley's attention. Robert told her he would be in early the next morning. She thought that was odd because he didn't ordinarily work on Sunday. She kept asking if this was something to be concerned about, but the nurse never answered.
She was concerned enough to call her mom and her uncle. She handed the old man the phone when she had them on the line, but he never spoke to either of them.
"Wake up, Poppy." Ashley set the trey down with his oatmeal and toast and turned the TV on. "You want some preaching? It's Sunday."
The old man didn't stir.
"Poppy, wake up," she shook him slightly.
His son came in and tried to rouse the old man but got no movement.
Then Robert showed up.
"We can't get him to wake up," the son told the nurse.
Robert stepped to the side of the bed. He shook the old man's shoulder with no response. Then he checked for a pulse, first at the wrist, then at the neck.
"Is everything OK?" the son asked Robert several times.
Robert just stood there a moment before speaking. "He made the swims?"
"Excuse me?" the son asked.
"He made the swims."
"What do you mean?" Ashley pleaded.
"He made the swims," was all Robert said.
Tuesday
We had a meeting at work yesterday. I had to drive to Moorhead and sit through some stuff. It costs me gas, and two workouts. When faced with a training decision, this time of year, there is no real choice: I have to swim. I also wanted to run and lift weights, but they don't care about that stuff.
At the pool, I swam
3,000 55:17 (1:50)
3 X 300 (about 80%) @ 5:29
4:58
4:46
4:52
600 small paddles
4 X 50 @ 1:09
200 medium paddles
2 X 100 large paddles
100 finger paddles
200 easy
total: 5,500 yards = 5,027 meters
That was it. A good swim, but I am missing so many weight sessions. I haven't even tried to go to the dentist or the vets this week. Tonight I have my first swim lessons that I am teaching to raise funds for the DFM. I hope they show up.
Praise the Lord God Almighty.
At the pool, I swam
3,000 55:17 (1:50)
3 X 300 (about 80%) @ 5:29
4:58
4:46
4:52
600 small paddles
4 X 50 @ 1:09
200 medium paddles
2 X 100 large paddles
100 finger paddles
200 easy
total: 5,500 yards = 5,027 meters
That was it. A good swim, but I am missing so many weight sessions. I haven't even tried to go to the dentist or the vets this week. Tonight I have my first swim lessons that I am teaching to raise funds for the DFM. I hope they show up.
Praise the Lord God Almighty.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
The Hack Squat Machine
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a video worth? I thought I'd give you a shot of the gym's latest acquisition. I didn't really need this, but it's a nice, heavy-duty machine and was posted on Facebook Market Place for a decent price so I bought it. It will add variety to my leg work. I now have a squat station, a leg press machine, and a hack squat machine. The thing is, the squat is by far the best exercise. But my legs need the work, and I hope this helps keep me motivated to work them diligently.
This machine is so heavy that the most weight I have put on it thus far is two 5.5 pound plates. Yeah, eleven pounds and my legs are maxed out. It will also convert into a leg press machine, but I plan to use it only as a hack squat because I already have my homemade leg press that I need to use. Plate City continues to grow. Too bad Randy Beets doesn't have anything like this.
This machine is so heavy that the most weight I have put on it thus far is two 5.5 pound plates. Yeah, eleven pounds and my legs are maxed out. It will also convert into a leg press machine, but I plan to use it only as a hack squat because I already have my homemade leg press that I need to use. Plate City continues to grow. Too bad Randy Beets doesn't have anything like this.
A Triple!
In the day of extreme busyness, I pulled off a triple yesterday. Hurrah. Yeeha. Praise the Lord.
I got off work and left Moorhead and found a high gear. Monday night I slept so poorly, with allergies and poisoning, that I was surprised I could function at all Tuesday. When I got home, I went to bed and sent to sleep. But when I woke up, I got ready and went to the pool. At Twin Rivers, I swam
2,500 45:56 (1:49)
200 for time 2:58
400 small paddles
150 for time 2:15 (1:30)
400 small paddles
100 for time 1:26
450 small paddles
4 X 50 @ 1:09
200 easy
total: 4,600 yards = 4,204 meters
I sort of wanted more, but I also wanted and needed to lift weights. I only got in two sessions last week. At Plate City, I did some squats, for the first time in three weeks, and some benches. On the bench I pressed
12 X 45
8 X 65
8 X 95
5 X 115
5 X 135
5 X 135
5 X 135
5 X 135
4 X 140
Then I went over the fence and shuffled 1.16 miles.
So it was a good day, a day of play, a day of satisfaction, and day of praise.
Thank you, Lord. Praise Jesus. Hallelujah!
I got off work and left Moorhead and found a high gear. Monday night I slept so poorly, with allergies and poisoning, that I was surprised I could function at all Tuesday. When I got home, I went to bed and sent to sleep. But when I woke up, I got ready and went to the pool. At Twin Rivers, I swam
2,500 45:56 (1:49)
200 for time 2:58
400 small paddles
150 for time 2:15 (1:30)
400 small paddles
100 for time 1:26
450 small paddles
4 X 50 @ 1:09
200 easy
total: 4,600 yards = 4,204 meters
I sort of wanted more, but I also wanted and needed to lift weights. I only got in two sessions last week. At Plate City, I did some squats, for the first time in three weeks, and some benches. On the bench I pressed
12 X 45
8 X 65
8 X 95
5 X 115
5 X 135
5 X 135
5 X 135
5 X 135
4 X 140
Then I went over the fence and shuffled 1.16 miles.
So it was a good day, a day of play, a day of satisfaction, and day of praise.
Thank you, Lord. Praise Jesus. Hallelujah!
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Jay Unver Interview
I showed up at Plate City Training Center to chat with Zane Hodge after his recent sweep in the Mississippi Senior Olympics. He was finishing a bench press workout after coming home from the pool where he swam 5,500 yards. Below are some excerpts from our conversation.
Unver: Congratulations.
Hodge: Thank you. (He sat on the bench where he had just finished his last set. I stood and admired his new axle bar)
Unver: Plate City has come a long way. So, now that you have had some success in the pool, will you do more swim meets?
Hodge: That depends. I did have a good time. But I have been poking around online and not finding any age-group swim meets anywhere around. Availability is the key.
Unver: You won gold in the 50 Free, the 100 Free, the 200 Free, and the 500 Free. That's certainly impressive. But do you feel in any way that your victories were tainted?
Hodge: Huh? Tainted! What could you possibly mean?
Unver: Beets. Randy Beets was not there to contest your dominance. That's what I mean.
Hodge: I hadn't even thought about Randy Beets. Why did you have to bring him up?
Unver: Because he has been your main competition for several years. The rivalry between you and him is what brought Big ASS to where it is today.
Hodge: Well no, my victories are not tainted. He doesn't even qualify for that competition anyway. He couldn't do it if he wanted to and the reason he moved to North Carolina was to get away from me whipping his butt every time we went head to head.
Unver: Can I quote you on that?
Hodge: Heck yeah. You can quote the Senior Olympic website that you have to be 50 years old. . .
Unver: That's not what I'm talking about.
Hodge: I know what you're talking about. I referenced his move to North Carolina. He is never going to admit why he did it. But that's the reason. Trust me, that's the reason.
Unver: (Hodge was so agitated at this point that I decided to change the direction of the conversation) Do you plan on doing the Senior Olympics again next year.
Hodge: Yes.
Unver: (I waited. I have interviewed him enough that he knew I wanted some elaboration. He was miffed at me bringing up Beets. Finally he spoke)
Hodge: Next year is a qualifying year. I can qualify for the Nationals.
Unver: How do you think you can do on the big stage?
Hodge: I don't know. I need to get faster. But I have two years to do it. Right now it's impacting every practice I do. The Chicot Challenge is coming up and all that is important for Chicot is low-end endurance. But today I did speed sets, heart-rate sets, and stamina sets. I'm working on streamline off the walls. I am thinking about pool racing constantly.
Unver: Back to Beets. You guys were tentatively scheduled to race in North Carolina.
Hodge: Honestly, I haven't thought about that swim in months. They were supposed to reschedule it for sometime in July. Last time I checked, I couldn't get a date. So that one is a bit iffy.
Unver: Nervous about Beets. (Hodge stood up and turned red in the face}
Hodge: Heck no!! Is that clear enough.
Unver: Don't get aggressive with me.
Hodge: Quit stirring the pot. You, Sir, are a trouble-doer!
I knew I had worn out my welcome so I congratulated him again and left.
Unver: Congratulations.
Hodge: Thank you. (He sat on the bench where he had just finished his last set. I stood and admired his new axle bar)
Unver: Plate City has come a long way. So, now that you have had some success in the pool, will you do more swim meets?
Hodge: That depends. I did have a good time. But I have been poking around online and not finding any age-group swim meets anywhere around. Availability is the key.
Unver: You won gold in the 50 Free, the 100 Free, the 200 Free, and the 500 Free. That's certainly impressive. But do you feel in any way that your victories were tainted?
Hodge: Huh? Tainted! What could you possibly mean?
Unver: Beets. Randy Beets was not there to contest your dominance. That's what I mean.
Hodge: I hadn't even thought about Randy Beets. Why did you have to bring him up?
Unver: Because he has been your main competition for several years. The rivalry between you and him is what brought Big ASS to where it is today.
Hodge: Well no, my victories are not tainted. He doesn't even qualify for that competition anyway. He couldn't do it if he wanted to and the reason he moved to North Carolina was to get away from me whipping his butt every time we went head to head.
Unver: Can I quote you on that?
Hodge: Heck yeah. You can quote the Senior Olympic website that you have to be 50 years old. . .
Unver: That's not what I'm talking about.
Hodge: I know what you're talking about. I referenced his move to North Carolina. He is never going to admit why he did it. But that's the reason. Trust me, that's the reason.
Unver: (Hodge was so agitated at this point that I decided to change the direction of the conversation) Do you plan on doing the Senior Olympics again next year.
Hodge: Yes.
Unver: (I waited. I have interviewed him enough that he knew I wanted some elaboration. He was miffed at me bringing up Beets. Finally he spoke)
Hodge: Next year is a qualifying year. I can qualify for the Nationals.
Unver: How do you think you can do on the big stage?
Hodge: I don't know. I need to get faster. But I have two years to do it. Right now it's impacting every practice I do. The Chicot Challenge is coming up and all that is important for Chicot is low-end endurance. But today I did speed sets, heart-rate sets, and stamina sets. I'm working on streamline off the walls. I am thinking about pool racing constantly.
Unver: Back to Beets. You guys were tentatively scheduled to race in North Carolina.
Hodge: Honestly, I haven't thought about that swim in months. They were supposed to reschedule it for sometime in July. Last time I checked, I couldn't get a date. So that one is a bit iffy.
Unver: Nervous about Beets. (Hodge stood up and turned red in the face}
Hodge: Heck no!! Is that clear enough.
Unver: Don't get aggressive with me.
Hodge: Quit stirring the pot. You, Sir, are a trouble-doer!
I knew I had worn out my welcome so I congratulated him again and left.
Monday
Yes, I was running to the CPA's office, driving to Penny's place of work for signatures, and mailing a check on the 15th of April. Who was it that said, "Beware of the Ides of March"? Beware of the Ides of April. That is the real saying, the real danger. I asked all my students what today was and no one had a clue. Lucky kids.
I got it done and went to the pool. Having seen a birthday post by Melinda Menzer in #Swimstory, I decided to do 50 X 100. That was what she was doing to celebrate her 50th birthday, and since she invited others to join her, I did.
I swam them in blocks of ten with a different interval for each block. They went like this:
First ten @ 2:12 warm up
Second ten @ 1:53 heart rate set
Third ten @ 2:05 medium set
Fourth ten @ 1:59 heart rate set
Fifth ten @ 2:05 hang on set
After that, I swam 500 with small paddles for a total of 5,500 yards. A good day.
Back to the 100s. At first I thought to do them around 1:40. But my first one was in 1:34 and I never slowed up after that. I did one in 1:36, but the others were all around 1:31 to 1:33. The Garmin recorded the entire practice as at a 1:32 pace. That means I swam 5,000 yards at 1:32, which is a record for me. Usually, if I swim 5,000, at least 3,000 of that is at a pretty easy pace. Maybe this will pay off with a real fitness boost. If it does, I am sure to repeat this practice in the future.
We had Over 60s that night at Itta Bena Baptist, so the extra yardage was good to help me unfat some. I weighed in Tuesday morning at 172.4, down from 173.4 on Monday morning so it seems to have worked. It was too bad, however, that I did not get to do some lifting.
Thank you, Lord, for a good day and a strong practice in the pool.
I got it done and went to the pool. Having seen a birthday post by Melinda Menzer in #Swimstory, I decided to do 50 X 100. That was what she was doing to celebrate her 50th birthday, and since she invited others to join her, I did.
I swam them in blocks of ten with a different interval for each block. They went like this:
First ten @ 2:12 warm up
Second ten @ 1:53 heart rate set
Third ten @ 2:05 medium set
Fourth ten @ 1:59 heart rate set
Fifth ten @ 2:05 hang on set
After that, I swam 500 with small paddles for a total of 5,500 yards. A good day.
Back to the 100s. At first I thought to do them around 1:40. But my first one was in 1:34 and I never slowed up after that. I did one in 1:36, but the others were all around 1:31 to 1:33. The Garmin recorded the entire practice as at a 1:32 pace. That means I swam 5,000 yards at 1:32, which is a record for me. Usually, if I swim 5,000, at least 3,000 of that is at a pretty easy pace. Maybe this will pay off with a real fitness boost. If it does, I am sure to repeat this practice in the future.
We had Over 60s that night at Itta Bena Baptist, so the extra yardage was good to help me unfat some. I weighed in Tuesday morning at 172.4, down from 173.4 on Monday morning so it seems to have worked. It was too bad, however, that I did not get to do some lifting.
Thank you, Lord, for a good day and a strong practice in the pool.
Monday, April 15, 2019
4/8 - 4/14
Frustration. I am boiling over with it and this week just promises more.
Stuff. Something. I have had to do something, some kind of stuff almost every day. That makes me mental. I want to leave work and go home to play. World, leave me alone!
This week, after two straight weeks of stuff, I have an afternoon at work, I need to make an emergency trip to the dentist, I need to go to the vet, and we have another church eating. Not only that but I have a meeting Wednesday afternoon which means I have to drive to Moorhead and miss the Greenwood Center 5K and once more I have to decide between lifting and swimming. I have to go to the CPA's office and need to get gas. This makes me want to dip snuff.
I want to train. I need to train. I get mental if I don't train.
Now, with the countdown to the Chicot Challenge started, if there is a choice-- with stuff I have to choose-- I must go with swimming. I want to do some weight training. I need to do some weight training. Besides all the stuff, it monsoon rains every time I want to hit Plate City.
My dogs miss me. My muscles miss me. My body is changing for the not good. I need total training.
Last week, I did what I could. Monday I swam 4,300 yards. Tuesday I swam 3,050 yards and did some lifting. Wednesday I swam 3,100 yards and ran my only mile of the week. Thursday I swam 3,700 yards. Friday I did the big one with 9.250 yards, and Saturday I only swam 2,000.
For the week, I
ran 1.06 miles,
lifted once, and
swam 23,213 meters.
So it was a good week in the water, but everything else was not so good. Maybe next week. Thank the Lord anyway.
Stuff. Something. I have had to do something, some kind of stuff almost every day. That makes me mental. I want to leave work and go home to play. World, leave me alone!
This week, after two straight weeks of stuff, I have an afternoon at work, I need to make an emergency trip to the dentist, I need to go to the vet, and we have another church eating. Not only that but I have a meeting Wednesday afternoon which means I have to drive to Moorhead and miss the Greenwood Center 5K and once more I have to decide between lifting and swimming. I have to go to the CPA's office and need to get gas. This makes me want to dip snuff.
I want to train. I need to train. I get mental if I don't train.
Now, with the countdown to the Chicot Challenge started, if there is a choice-- with stuff I have to choose-- I must go with swimming. I want to do some weight training. I need to do some weight training. Besides all the stuff, it monsoon rains every time I want to hit Plate City.
My dogs miss me. My muscles miss me. My body is changing for the not good. I need total training.
Last week, I did what I could. Monday I swam 4,300 yards. Tuesday I swam 3,050 yards and did some lifting. Wednesday I swam 3,100 yards and ran my only mile of the week. Thursday I swam 3,700 yards. Friday I did the big one with 9.250 yards, and Saturday I only swam 2,000.
For the week, I
ran 1.06 miles,
lifted once, and
swam 23,213 meters.
So it was a good week in the water, but everything else was not so good. Maybe next week. Thank the Lord anyway.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Saturday
Forrest and I signed up for the Tunica Tour de Blues bicycle ride. He texted me Thursday that the forecast was for rain.
"We'll go anyway," I responded.
"They say it's on rain or shine," he let me know.
I have a raincoat made for cycling. Funny how no amount of searching could produce it. Maybe it will be warm enough that getting wet won't matter, I mused.
Saturday morning came with a 4:00 am alarm. I hate it when that happens. I got up, dressed, loaded my bike and made it to Forrest's a little before 4:30. We were at McDonald's a few minutes later. After paying and driving to the pickup window, I booted my Garmin watch and noticed that it was only six minutes and forty two seconds after the watch came up that we received the full order. Not to worry; we were still early.
I drove slowly and it rained furiously. I wasn't too optimistic on a nice outing. It was 61 in Greenwood. Tunica is north of us about 90 miles, and yes, that does make a difference, especially this time of year. We got to Tunica, parked, and at 7:00 I walked over to what I thought might be packet pick up. It was.
"I think we are going to cancel," a man, whom I later found out was Webster Franklin, told me. "We will refund your registration." Not a problem I think I said, and when he found out I was from Greenwood, I found out he was too. He now lives in Tunica and works for their tourism board or department or whatever it is. When he found out my name and my son's name he really became animated. Everybody knows Forrest, and he was eager to speak to my popular so, which he did.
So we got out packets and drove off the Crenshaw while I told my son, probably for the tenth time, about his great-great grandfather who was abandoned in Utah in 1895 and at the age of twelve walked back to Mississippi. George Henry Quinton, my great grandfather died while living in Crenshaw. When I found that out last summer, Penny and I made a pilgrimage to the tiny town that very day.
We drove Highway 4, my first time on that thoroughfare, and some of Highway 3. We made it and rode over the whole town before leaving for Sledge where Charlie Pride hailed from. Sledge is not much larger than Crenshaw and with the exception of a single sign, one would never know a famous person came from there.
When we got home, I was eager for a nap. The cats joined me. I did some studying for Sunday's sermon after I woke up, and then I went to the pool. I guess the 9,250 yards yesterday and maybe the 4:00 a.m. rise put a hurting on me. I didn't have it. I slowly swam
1,700
2 X 50 @ 1:09
400 kick with fins
100 easy
100 finger paddles
total: 2,000 yards = 1,828 meters.
That is at least better than a poke in the eye. Thank you, Lord.
"We'll go anyway," I responded.
"They say it's on rain or shine," he let me know.
I have a raincoat made for cycling. Funny how no amount of searching could produce it. Maybe it will be warm enough that getting wet won't matter, I mused.
Saturday morning came with a 4:00 am alarm. I hate it when that happens. I got up, dressed, loaded my bike and made it to Forrest's a little before 4:30. We were at McDonald's a few minutes later. After paying and driving to the pickup window, I booted my Garmin watch and noticed that it was only six minutes and forty two seconds after the watch came up that we received the full order. Not to worry; we were still early.
I drove slowly and it rained furiously. I wasn't too optimistic on a nice outing. It was 61 in Greenwood. Tunica is north of us about 90 miles, and yes, that does make a difference, especially this time of year. We got to Tunica, parked, and at 7:00 I walked over to what I thought might be packet pick up. It was.
"I think we are going to cancel," a man, whom I later found out was Webster Franklin, told me. "We will refund your registration." Not a problem I think I said, and when he found out I was from Greenwood, I found out he was too. He now lives in Tunica and works for their tourism board or department or whatever it is. When he found out my name and my son's name he really became animated. Everybody knows Forrest, and he was eager to speak to my popular so, which he did.
So we got out packets and drove off the Crenshaw while I told my son, probably for the tenth time, about his great-great grandfather who was abandoned in Utah in 1895 and at the age of twelve walked back to Mississippi. George Henry Quinton, my great grandfather died while living in Crenshaw. When I found that out last summer, Penny and I made a pilgrimage to the tiny town that very day.
We drove Highway 4, my first time on that thoroughfare, and some of Highway 3. We made it and rode over the whole town before leaving for Sledge where Charlie Pride hailed from. Sledge is not much larger than Crenshaw and with the exception of a single sign, one would never know a famous person came from there.
When we got home, I was eager for a nap. The cats joined me. I did some studying for Sunday's sermon after I woke up, and then I went to the pool. I guess the 9,250 yards yesterday and maybe the 4:00 a.m. rise put a hurting on me. I didn't have it. I slowly swam
1,700
2 X 50 @ 1:09
400 kick with fins
100 easy
100 finger paddles
total: 2,000 yards = 1,828 meters.
That is at least better than a poke in the eye. Thank you, Lord.
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