Two out of Three

When I awoke Tuesday morning, I knew something was wrong. My shoulders were tight, both of them, but the left one was mega tight. I could feel the biceps tendons where they join the upper humerus and there was nothing funny about it. It was not pain, but an unpleasant sensation that I knew was not good. I stretched only to be greeted by soreness and mild pain. I knew why. I have been doing big yardage in the pool and moving tons of weight in the gym. I had pushed things a little too hard. Monday, I increased both volume and intensity on the bench. That's a no no, one of those rules of thumb that exists for a reason. As I have aged, I have learned them all, the rules of thumb, the hard way.

I spent a lot of time that morning working and then tried to get in a run before lunch. I drove to Wade Road. Sometimes I don't want to be seen shuffling around town like an old man. I ran the loop. Before I left the truck, I took my house key off my key ring and put it in my Fuel Belt like I always do. Did you catch it? I took my house key off not my truck key. Yeah, I locked myself out of the truck. Lovely. And I didn't even carry my phone. Who moves even ten feet in their house without their phone? I was in a hurry. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

So I had to walk home, during lunch, from Money Road. Why didn't I run? I already had done all I had planned. Already sporting a sore shoulder, I was not about to vote for a matching sore knee. I got home, ate, and Penny took me out there to get the truck.

No I did not. Swim. I thought, better sorry than safe. Is that how that goes? Maybe lots of stretching and a day off will do the trick. But if I swim, it might be the start of some real trouble, and I know from experience that shoulder trouble can last a long, long time. When my right arm fell off, it took eighteen months for it to grow back. Eighteen months!

At Plate City, it was pull day, the opposite of the push that the biceps tendons are impacted by. I know what you are thinking. Most people do biceps and back on the same day because pulling at least indirectly uses the biceps. True. But the key is indirectly. The bench press, while not calling on the biceps as a prime mover, puts a huge stress on the biceps tendon. If you don't believe it, thank God Almighty that you never had to learn that the hard way. 

On the one-armed bent row, I did

21 X 40
15 X 50
10 X 60
  7 X 65
  7 X 65
  6 X 65

Bent barbell rows 12 X 75

I also did four sets of Swim Pulls:

17 X 50
13 X 55
10 X 60
5 X 61.5

Face pulls

18 X 27
13 X 37
11 X 38
  5 X 39

So I got two out of three. I did hate not to swim, but age has taught me to have some restraint. Some restraint. Sometimes. My goal for a 22/22 week is probably gone. But better to reduce a little a stay healthy. Thank you, Jesus.