Four

"Four?"

"Yes."

"You did four workouts in one day?"

"I did. But they weren't big ones. Want to hear about it?"

"If you will give me another cup of coffee."

"Not a problem." After pouring us each a fresh cup, I sat down again and began to talk. "It started with . . . ."

"Wait. Let me guess. A swim."

"How perceptive of you. Yes, but it was only 1,000 meters."

"Why so short?"

"Next week is taper week. I want to go into the week partially rested. I had a pretty big week that tapered down at the end."

"OK. That makes sense. So what was next? A run or weights?"

"I went for a run, only 2.05 miles. And at home, I hit Plate City for some squats, three sets."

"Is that workout two or two and three?"

"That's two and three. The run and the weights, although back to back, are different workouts because they have different physiological goals and effects."

"OK. We have seen you do three before. What did you do for number four?"

"I studied and rested for a few hours then went back to Plate City. This time, I hit the upper body, the whole upper body. I did benches, flat and incline, curls, shoulder work, lat pull downs, and shrugs. Oh yeah, I also hit the rotator cuff. I always hit the rotator cuff."

"Well, that's a pretty big day."

"Pretty big. Next week, no more weights and the yardage tapers off dramatically."

"Are you ready for Chicot?"

"I have doubts. I always have doubts. I need a good taper. Oddly, a taper brings on doubts. But I've learned from the past that confidence it overrated. Audacity. That is the thing an endurance athlete needs. Audacity. And I have plenty of that."