COVID 10

COVID 10 was a day when I felt well, like I have recovered. I did a couple of things. Although I am still under quarantine, I went to recycle because all that stuff was pilling up under the carport and looked like crap. Before that, however, I did my first workout a little before noon. It was pull day, and I did one set of one-armed bent rows as a warmup and then did several sets of lat pulldowns and Lenny rows. Then I did some reverse flys. It was a pretty solid session.

Shortly after noon, my package from Titan Fitness arrived. It was a leg extension/leg curl machine. Plate City just keeps moving forward. I put it together and tried it out. This will be a big boost to my leg work and will even clean the gym up a little. It is replacing a traditional bench with an Olympic bar that just sat on it unused. The new machine has a smaller footprint, will see lots of use, and looks good sitting there. Pictures later.

I took a run on the road a little after 5:00 p.m. Going out the gravel road at the end of Claiborne meant that I would not encounter a single soul. I have one day left on my quarantine, but I fulfilled my civic duty as well as acquired some real exercise. I did 1.68 miles. Yes, I was huffing, but not too much worse than normal.

So I had a good day. Physically I am coming back from COVID and I am beginning to exercise enough that I feel almost normal again. Thank you, Jesus.

COVID 9

Yes my legs were sore from yesterday. The three sets of squats and the running were a lot after being in bed for ten days. Anyway, it was bench day again plus I wanted/needed to mow the front lawn. So around 11:00 a.m., I pushed the mower through the Randy Beets security gate and did the job. The grass was wet, but I got it done and some walking to boot. According to my watch, I did .85 of a mile. I guess you could call the workout number one for the day.

In the early afternoon, I went to Plate City. I benched

13 X 100

11 X 110

9 X 120

7 X 125

Of course I did rotator cuff stuff and lateral raises and cable raises. For the first time since I got it, however, I did not do any tibia dorsi work. I walked another .25 of a mile between sets, giving me 1.1 miles of walking for the day.

I went inside and rested. Then around 5:30 I went out for workout number three. I shuffled 1.3 miles on the dreadmill. So I had myself a day, a decent one considering I am coming back from illness and bedrest. Thank you, Jesus, for returning health.

COVID 8

COVID 8 was another real workout. It was leg day, and I did not do a lot on the legs. Three sets of squats had the twigs pretty juiced up. During that, I did some walking around the yard. I totaled .29 on the walking, but I plugged up the dreadmill and knocked out a full mile. Yeah, three sets of squats followed by a full mile of running. All of this while still fulfilling my quarantine duties. I felt it when I was walking back inside. I had done something.

I also did the tibia dorsi machine and some rotator cuff stuff. I felt like I not only pulled the parachute cord, I not only hit the ground, but I took a small step forward. I am running again. Not much. Not fast. But I am doing it. I'm started, and starting is always the hard part.

Thank you, Jesus.

COVID 7

I lifted, walked, and even ran a little bit yesterday. At the gym, it was pull day and I focused on the one-arm bent row for

13 X 40

10 X 50

  8 X 55

   7 X 60

  4 X 65

  3 X 70

That 3 X 70 was the first time I used the new dumbbell that Leflore Steel recently made for me. I also did rotator cuff stuff, stretching, reverse flys, and the tibi dorsi machine. In addition to that, I mowed the back yard covering .62 of a mile. Then I plugged up my dreadmill and shuffled .5 of a mile. Yes, I was short winded, but I did it. All in all, I think it was a real workout and instead of just pulling the parachute cord, I actually hit the bottom. At least I like to think so, that I stopped the freefall of my fitness. Now maybe I can start getting back into shape. Thank you, Jesus.

COVID 6

I'm almost back to working out. Well, I'll go ahead and call what I did Monday a workout. I hit the bench press with a slight incline, worked the tibia dori machine, and did some other stuff. On the bench, I pressed

13 X 100

11 X 105

10 X 110

10 X 115

I also did lateral raises and cable raises. Not only that, but I walked in the backyard for a big .47. Yeah, I am taking it on up. Tuesday? I'm thinking of plugging in the dreadmill. We'll see, but I feel like I am still a bit short of breath. Maybe some shuffling will help me get some wind back. 

Thank you, Jesus, for good health. 

10/19 - 10/25

I don't think anything I did last week truly could be called training; I did, however, the best I could. Well, maybe not the best I could, but at least the best I would. 

Monday I was far to ill to try anything. I was still pretty ill Tuesday, but since I was so stir crazy and it was warm and sunny, I went out late in the afternoon and moved around some. I walked .15 of a mile and did some tibia dorsi work. I acquired a new machine from Titan Fitness that allows me to work the small muscle along the front of the lower leg, along the tibia bone.

Wednesday I walked .21 and did more tibia work along with some rotator cuff stuff.

Thursday I took the walking all the way up to .26. Besides tibia work, I also did some leg extensions and two sets of dumbbell bench presses.

By Friday, the bench pressing almost turned into a workout with three sets, the tibia work continued, and I walked a whopping .41 of a mile. Saturday, of course, I pulled out all the stops and did farmer's walks, dumbbell curls, and tibia work. The walking total hit a massive .43 of a mile.

For the week, I

swam not one stroke,

ran not a single step,

lifted at some light weights a few times, and

walked a massive 1.46 miles.

Sometimes the best you can do is the best you can do. Thank you, Jesus, that my wife and I are getting more healthy by the day.

COVID 5

College football and lifting at Plate City. What's not to like. 

I felt good, like I am well. I am, however, still being very cautious about getting too tired. I just keep upping the workout by a hair or two each day.

Saturday, I started my usual way, rotator cuff stuff and stretching. Yes, I am still working the tibia dorsi machine everyday. I did five sets, the most I have ever done. Not only that, but I did dumbbell curls and for the first time in a while, farmer's walks. The farmer's walk is a favorite of mine, but for a long time I had wasp nests in my handles. They are clear now so I sort of started over. I walked

2 X 85 feet @ + 5

2 X 85 @ + 10

2 X 85 @ + 15

2 X 85 @ + 20

The handles are 52 pounds each. When I say + 5, that is plus five pounds per side. In other words, the first set was with a total of 114 pounds, then 124 pounds, followed by 134 and 144 pounds respectively. That is not a lot of weight, but I am sort of rebuilding this move because it has been so long since I last worked it.

Not only did I do all of that, but I walked .43 of a mile. It was cool out there. It felt good. Pee Wee liked me being out. I went in feeling well, like I had done something my body needed.

I feel like I am on the way back. Thank you, Jesus.

COVID 4

I am doing a little more each day as I feel better and stronger. Friday, I upped everything. Of course I worked the tibia dorsi machine for four sets. Yes, I did stretching and rotator cuff work. And I did some bench pressing. Again? you ask. Yes, the volume has been so low that there has been no need for a recovery day. This time I actually worked out on the bench with three sets:

12 X 100

11 X 105

10 X 110

That might require a day of rest before more benching. I did two very light sets of squats and some walking. Around the yard, I amassed .41 of a mile. All together, that was almost a real workout. Maybe tomorrow will be one. Thank you, Jesus, for returning health.

COVID 3

Thursday afternoon I did my third COVID workout. Yes, I worked the tibia dorsi machine for four sets. I did one more rep on the initial set and went five pounds heavier on the final set over the day before. Yes, I also did rotator cuff work. 

In addition to all of that, I did two sets of incline dumbbell bench presses. I did another two sets of leg extensions. I topped things off with some stretching and a big .26 of a mile of walking. 

That might not be much, but I am doing something and something is a hundred thousand times better than nothing. I am pretty sure I have not stopped the free fall of my fitness, but I think I have pulled the parachute cord. The fall is slowing.

I am afraid to do much. Right now this small amount is making me feel better and sleep better. Penny continues to get better each day. By the grace of God, we are going to make it. Thank you, Jesus.

COVID 2

I did my second COVID workout Wednesday. Like Tuesday, I waited until late afternoon, around 5:00 p.m. When I went out, I was struck by how warm it was. Also like Tuesday, I booted my watch and started right off on the tibia dorsi machine. I did four sets beating Tuesday by one rep and by five pounds. I did the rotator cuff stuff like I did Tuesday.

Unlike Tuesday, however, I did two sets of leg extensions. Not only that, but I did a set of bench presses, just one. I pressed 100 pounds for ten reps. I then walked .21 of a mile in the backyard. By that time I was tired. I went inside, took a bath, and ate supper.

Thank you, Jesus, for helping Penny and me to feel better. May we continue to improve. Protect all our family, friends, and church members.

"Tell It Not in Gath"

I went outside. Tuesday. 

Don't worry, I was alone and behind the eight-foot Randy Beets protection fence.

Stir crazy. Stir insane. Feeling the need to move a little bit.

I did not do much, but I went to Plate City, booted my watch and determined to move around some. Pee Wee was beside himself. He had missed me as I had him. 

I walked .15 miles in the backyard. That made me sweat. Then I did some tibia dorsi work, four sets. I also did three sets of rotator cuff stuff and a little bit of stretching. Now I have a mark to beat.

It made me feel better for the rest of the night. When I got up to go to the kitchen after being down awhile, I could feel the weakness in my legs. Wow, that .15 mile walk really did me in. 

"Oh how the mighty are fallen." 

"Tell it not in Gath."

Sigh.

I still have dreams. I am going to play. I will have fun yet.

Still in Bed

I have been more sick, but I have never been more sore. The soreness has been so bad that to move is to be in pain. Nevertheless, I am getting better and tiny bit each day. Yesterday, I had thought I would bundle up and take a walk around the block. I didn't. I even thought that maybe I would go to Plate City and work the tibia dorsi machine. I did not. What I did do was nap as much as possible and hang out with affectionate cats. 

My co-workers checking on Penny and me has been truly touching. It's really meant something. Sunita Sharma has texted everyday. So has Anita Horn. BK, (Bad Katie Jones) was kind enough to bring me my literature book and leave it on our front porch. Sheila Mitchell picked up a prescription and added a loaf of bread to it. We have been cared for. Gerald Johnson, despite a broken arm himself, has checked on us daily. We indeed are blessed with good friends.

Rene Moore offered to contact all my face-to-face students, no small task. I am extremely grateful for that. So today maybe I can do something physical. I have already had one nap and it is only 10:24 a.m. I hope to get another one along with some school work done. Thank you, Jesus.

10/12 - 10/18

What a week. I started strong and ended flat on my back. Wow. It unfolded like this:

Monday I ran to the pool, swam 2,200 yards and ran home. The runs were 2.03 and 4.32 for a total of 6.35 miles of roadwork. I also did a solid leg session at Plate City.

Tuesday, I cut the runs to 1.8 and 3.75 for a total of 5.55. The swim actually went up to2,250 yards.

Wednesday is when the crash started. I was feeling bad so after work I went to bed. Thursday was even worse. I decided to go for a run anyway and shuffled 3.11 miserable miles.

That was it. After that, I was too ill to do anything more than dream and when one is ill, one's dreams get sick too. For the week, I

swam 4,066 meters,

ran 15.01 miles,

lifted weights once, and

slept a ton.

Thank you, Jesus, that I got done what I did. Help me to recover from this illness and resume training.

The Zero Continues

Saturday was a tough one for both Penny and me. I could not get comfortable and stayed in bed most of the day. I said "most" because I did go out to get tested. That was an ordeal that took an hour and a half. When I left the clinic, I was exhausted. 

The big thing about this for me, however, is the soreness. The nurse practitioner asked me what my number one symptom was. Soreness. I am so sore that I want to cry every time I move. I have been sore with sickness before, but this is on a whole 'nother level. This is a soreness that hurts, is painful.

At least there was football, but alas, the Mississippi State game caused me some additional pain. Alabama beat Georgia. That's something. And then there was the big fight, free on ESPN. I watched the first six rounds before I went to sleep. I woke up in time to see Lopez holding all the belts.

I did sleep well so I awoke Sunday morning feeling about 1% better. To make things even darker, however, Gerald Johnson was in a work accident Friday and is a bit wounded with a broken arm and contusions. Have mercy on us, Lord.

So little Centerville is closed this week. That is something I was determined to avoid. But sometimes you just can't win. That's what I learned from this year's Chicot Challenge. Thank you, Jesus, for every victory we have in you. We have all the victories that count, the ones we need. The losses are for our admonition and learning.

Crash

My training has totally crashed. As I type this, one of my co-workers, Bad Katie Jones, is running the Viking Half Marathon. I had hoped to run it with her. Not only that, but I had recently taken a composition notebook and filled up two full pages of dreams: adventure runs, journey runs, and athletic challenges. Now I am lying in bed, sick, and wondering when I will be back at it.

At least it was not injury that brought me down. That is usually what happens. I have, however, become more healthy over the years. But when I do break down, it often last for years. My last breakdown lasted two years. The one before that lasted four years. You read that right. Jerk six years from an old man and you have taken a good chunk of his remaining life.

I don't have two to four more years to give up. At sixty-four years of age, I am in the twilight of my athletic play. I was thinking of next Friday catching a ride north with someone who works in Clarksdale and getting out at Minter City. That is one of the runs in my notebook.

All of this shutdown started when my wife got that thing, that thing that has turned our world upside down. She got sick and not wanting her to outdo me, I got sick to. My symptoms are fever, coughing, soreness, and cloudy headedness. When I stand up, my eyes want to cross and I am foggy headed. I want to go to sleep immediately. Sleeping, however, has proved to be an illusive luxury. When I have managed to drift off, Penny always comes into the room and with a loud voice starts asking questions.

Speaking of the soreness, my skin is so sore that I don't want to move. Not moving, however, is not an option unless you can sleep. Penny has a sixth sense about my sleeping. She always has. If I doze off, she is not going to suffer it.

I have not been tested. My doctor said, "Get a test if you want, but we are going to start treating you." I had intended to get tested Friday, but I did not want to leave the house, did not feel well enough to go out the door. I face the same dilemma today.

So here I am, watching my dreams go up in smoke. One silver lining to all of this, however, is I will probably survive the semester. Teaching forty-two semester hours was literally killing me. Literally. I am not exaggerating. So I am not afraid of COVID. If it did not strike, the job would have done me in. Now I will be teaching everything once for a week or two so maybe I can get caught up, survive.

I fear I will never be as good of a teacher as I was. The shock of this semester showed me that I was not willing to die for my students or for my job. I might not have had a choice, but I was beginning to fight back in small ways. Now I wonder if I will ever really push again. 

Maybe all of this is the shock I needed to convince me to retire. I don't know. The administration seems to want as many of us gone as possible. Part of me want to not let them win. But another part of me wants to sing that Johnny Paycheck song, "Take This Job and Shove It." With our country on the brink of socialism, however, I question the wisdom of retiring. It won't take long for things to get bad. Then it will be too late for old men to start new low-paying jobs to get by. God help us because man is not the answer.

Almost Zero

After laying an egg Wednesday, I almost did it again Thursday. I was feeling pretty bad, and after I left work, I went home and called John. I told him I did not think he should be around me. That meant now swimming.

I did not feel like doing anything, but staying in bed all afternoon and all night the day before did not help me any that I could tell. So I went out for a short shuffle. I did not feel good doing it and my pace was slower than normal. I only shuffled 3.11 miles. 

After the roadwork, I did go to Plate City, but all I did was stretch, do some rotator cuff work, and play with the tibia dorsi machine. I like that thing, and I do believe it will help protect me against injury.

The Viking Half is coming up Saturday. Will I run? It is looking dicey at this point.

Zero

 I laid an egg Wednesday. From time to time I do that. Sometimes it is accumulated fatigue. Sometimes it is illness. I was not feeling too well when I got off work, so I went home and went to bed. I was thinking that maybe I would get a bit better, but it was not so. Consequently, I called John and said, "I am out." He was thrilled. NOT!

I stayed in bed, napped, watched TV, and hung out with the cats. So I did not run. I did not swim. I did not lift. Sigh. Maybe Thursday.

John Late? Shocker

For the second day of the week, the new swimming time, John was late again. He is totally incapable of being anywhere on time. I swam 2,250 yards at a 1:59 per 100 yard pace. And I forgot, I ran to the pool, swam, and then shuffled home. I did 1.8 going and 3.75 returning home. My legs, despite six miles on Monday and twelve sets of squats, weren't too bad. They weren't good, but I was able to shuffle along like an old man.

That made a pretty good aerobic block. Bach home, I received my package from Titan, a tibia dorsi machine. So I went to Plate City excited and ready to put that thing together. Guess what? No assembly was required. I did benches and played with the new machine. It should help my lower body health. In 2013, I made my first attempt at running to Naxapater. I failed on the first day and was then on crutches for six weeks. This machine, which works the muscle on the front part of the lower leg, will give me strength in a neglected muscle and likely help prevent further injuries to that body part.

On the bench, I pushed

13 X 100

10 X 130

10 X 130

10 X 130

13 X 100

Also I did some cable raises, some stretching, and some rotator cuff work. It was a good day. Thank you, Jesus.

First of the John Week

Monday was the first day of the new week. By new week, I mean the new week to do it John's way, swimming in the afternoon. We always do it John's way or at least part of his way. He always wants to change things. Always. I can't, I just can't. 

I shuffled to the pool, swam, and shuffled home. Of course John was late. I made 2.03 miles there and then swam 2,200 straight. On the way home, I shuffled another 4.32 miles giving me 6.35 for the day.

At home, I decided to do legs because I benched heavy Saturday not leaving me enough time for recovery. Besides, I am doing the Viking Half Saturday so I need to get my hard leg stuff over with so I can at least get a little bit fresh for the weekend. I did twelve sets of squats. What!?!?!?! Yeah, twelve sets. Not many reps though, but a good bit of quality work in that 80% of one rep max zone.

I can tell that I am getting stronger even though I have not tested in a while. I might go ahead and build up to a test week. When will this strength pay off and show up in my running? Probably when I lose some weight. So I had a pretty good day. John did not try to hold me up at the pool. Who woulda think it?

Thank you, Jesus, for good training and good goals. 

This Afternoon

I should be grading papers. But I'm not. Instead, I am typing here about nothing in particular. Writing is sometimes what I do when I don't want to do anything else. I have plenty of work on my list, but I often want to do something enjoyable. Yes, writing is enjoyable to me.

I just checked the weather. My Comp II students are drafting the introductions to there second paper. On my way to work this morning, the clouds were on the ground. We here in the Mississippi Delta, are at approximately 130 feet above sea level. The clouds were on the ground. Now the sky is clear, the temperature is mild, and I want to go outside and play.

By the grace of God, I will play some this afternoon. I plan to swim. Right now, I am thinking of running to the pool and then running around North Greenwood after the swim. I know that I will have conflict with John. First, he is going to want to swim for an hour and a half. I am tapping out after an hour. Then he will stall to waste time. He will want to talk. Then he will want to pray and interrupt me while I pray over and over to tell me about something to add to my pray. Yes, this irritates me.

I like this idea of running to the pool and running afterwards. It will, however, soon get too cold to do this. Right now, though, the weather is perfect for it. I can put my clothes on without drying off and then be OK outdoors because the temps are still mild. Maybe I can get John to drive my out Money Road and drop me off. Slim chance unless I wait on him to take a long shower. John is all about taking a lot of time to do things that don't take much time. That grinds on me after a while.

Anyway, I look forward to this afternoon. I hope to run and swim and lift. If I can do all three, it will be a solid day. Thank the Lord.

10/5 - 10/11

My training has definitely shifted and that shift will move even farther this week. John called and said that his doctor told him that swimming in the morning was killing him. Seriously. I think they are still monitoring his heart and can see that he is not getting enough rest. So if he is not getting enough rest, what does that mean for me? Yeah, I have been trying to tell him that. Well, to make a short story long, we are going to start swimming in the afternoon. This is a double-edged sword for me. While I welcome more time to sleep in the morning, this will jam up my afternoons, and John will want to take thirty minutes after we stop swimming to goof around. He will try to get me to stay at the pool all day. There is going to be conflict.

Monday, I swam 1,850 yards. John was late. In the afternoon, I shuffled 7.12 miles. The gym was just too much so I passed until Tuesday. Tuesday, I started the day with a 2,000 yard swim. I followed that with a 6.17 mile shuffle. I did make it to the gym for some bench pressing.

Wednesday John did not show up. Little wonder. I swam 2,050 yards. For road work, I did 5.16 miles. At the gym, I focused on pulling. Thursday, John was there. I swam 2,150 yards. That afternoon, I ran 4.16 miles and then hit Plate City for a bunch of sets of squats, eleven to be exact.

Friday I spent with my bride. I stuck a short 1.61 mile shuffle in there. Saturday was a slow-start day. I did run for 6.14 miles, giving me only my second back-to-back 30 mile week of the year. I also lifted. All in all, it was a restful day of cats and football.

For the week, I

ran 30.36 miles,

swam 7,346 meters,

lifted weights four times, and

spun 10:45.

That was pretty good training. Now we have the Viking Half Marathon coming up. That will challenge my volume for the week, but I plan to try to get another 30-mile running week done. We will see. Thank you, Jesus. 

Saturday

Penny and I both slept late Saturday morning. Then I started the day slowly which meant that I drank coffee, petted cats, and studied for Sunday. Around 11:00, I got up to meet someone at Big Star to sale some weights. 

What!?!?!?!??!

Yes. Lately I have dumbed some duplicates and some plates that I don't have a use for. That is something I never thought I would do, but I am trying to clean up, organize, and improve the gym. Always I want to improve and making room for new and better equipment is an improvement. 

Penny wanted an Acy's burger for lunch, so I rode out and bought us one each. They have the best short order cooking around here. After the burger, I took a nap. Yes, I went sound to sleep. Then I got up and took a run. It was raining, but only lightly. It is still warm enough to get wet, so I did not wear my new rain jacket. I shuffled 6.14 miles giving me 30plus for the second week in a row.

After I did some more resting, I lifted at Plate City. I was due for both push and pull. I only did two sets of lat pull downs, but on the bench press, I did

17 X 100

12 X 120

4 X 140

4 X 140

4 X 140

2 X 140 paused

5 X 130 Spoto press (a bench press that stops and paused two inches above the chest).

Thank you, Jesus, for a good day

A Good Day

Penny and I both slept in Friday. She took the day off, and we made a day trip to Jackson. So no I did not swim. No, I did not lift. Yes, I did run. A little, just a little.

On the way in, we stopped at The Bicycle Revolution in Gluckstadt. I was looking for a light weight rain jacket. The zipper broke on the one I bought at Indian Cycle about thirty-five years ago. The bike shop there didn't have one. 

In Jackson, I dropped Penny at her store, and I lit out for Fleet Feet. They did not have one either. Then I went to Academy Sports. I found a rain jacket, but it was not as light weight as the one I had. I liked it because I could stuff it into a small pouch on my Fuelbelt. This one wasn't going to do that. Plus it was dark colored, not a good idea for running in traffic. I almost bought it, but I thought I should check Indian Cycle first.

Cha Ching!!! They had exactly what I was looking for. It cost a wad of cash, but I am 64-years old. If this one lasts thirty-five years, I will be 99-years old, and it won't matter.

After my purchase, i went back to Penny's store and took a short shuffle in the parking lot. Then she came out, and we went to Cracker Barrell. We had lunch, Penny shopped, and I bought candy. It was a good day. Thank you, Jesus.

Thursday

John was at the pool and on time Thursday morning. Of course he wanted me to commit to swimming Friday which I refused. I swam an easy 2,150 yards, called it a day, and went home to prepare for work. Work was nice. I love my job. There is talk of us going back to normal next semester. By normal I mean, only teaching a class one time. It always makes me nervous, however, when administration makes sense. I wonder what is going on. When you are administration, being stupid is what you do.

After work, I went home and went to sleep. When I got up, it was raining. I went out for a shuffle anyway and did 4.something miles. I ran some of the trail and then went downtown. I love running Howard Street now. The curbs are all wheelchair accessible, the sidewalks are covered in brick, and music plays from outside speaker, all of this making for a pleasant experience. 

After the run, I went to Plate City for leg day. I busted it hard. Slowly I am growing stronger in the legs. I did eleven sets. The reps were low so it was not as much as it sounds, but I did some quality reps at that 80% threshold of one-rep max. It's working.

Penny cooked us a steak in the kitchen. She wanted to cook them outdoors, but the rain squashed that. It was nice. We are comfortable and happy at the Hideout. Thank you, Jesus.

Good Dog

I started Wednesday in the pool. Yeah, that's surprising isn't it? I swam 2,050 straight, still not pushing it, my focus being elsewhere. 

After work, I went home to find Simon still working on the shelves. I took my shuffle, 5.16 miles worth and then answered some phone calls and texts. I had put a pair of dumbbells and some plates on Facebook Market Place. I sold the dumbbells, and two pair of plates. That is more money for my gym fund. Plate City is good now. It is going to get really good over the upcoming years. 

Next it was time for the weights, for pull to be exact. I focused on the one-arm bent row and pulled

11 X 40

10 X 50

8 X 55

6 X 60

3 X 65

Besides that, I did some reverse flys and some stretching, and some looking into the trees. Pee Wee did lots of looking into the trees. Thank you, Jesus, for a good day and a good dog.

Ezell

Good Start

John was on time after being late Monday. He is always after me to swim more days and get to the pool earlier. But he is almost always late when he shows up. If I let him dictate to me when I get there, I will get very little sleep while he gets plenty. Not fair. I did a straight swim of 2,000 yards in 38:15 for an average pace per 100 yards of 1:54. That indicates that I am recovered from Chicot. 

When I got home from work, Simon was in my yard. Hot dog! He came to start on the shelves in the outbuilding. This is a big deal. We need this done so I can move my books and clean out the storage room at the Hideout so Penny can move some stuff into it. This will help us finish moving. Don't make a negative comment about how long it has taken us. You have not moved a single box. So there.

After resting a bit, I went to Plate City for my push workout. On the bench, I pressed

12 X 100

12 X 125

10 X 125

9 X 125 

For the past two weeks I have been doing one of my press days in the rep/goal method. In that method, you take a weight and you somewhat arbitrarily decide to work towards a certain number of reps within a predetermined number of sets. When you meet your goal, you increase your weight. I started with a goal of thirty reps in three sets with 120 pounds. I did that the first week, so I set the goal as thirty-one reps at 125 pounds. I made it. Next week, I will increase the weight to 130 pounds and stick with that until I get thirty-one reps. 

On the second press day of the week, I have been doing 80% of one rep max for several low rep sets. Before I learned about percentages, I came to intuitively believe that my bench started getting stronger when I began to push 140 pounds. Later I learned that powerlifters develop strength using the 80% weight and upwards. When I did the math, cha ching! One hundred and forty pounds is 80% of my one rep max. 

Research has shown that training at 85% and above is only effective only for three straight weeks. Apparently that range produces too much central nervous fatigue. So I have been holding at 80% and increasing the total reps at that weight by one per week. I am feeling stronger and moving that weight easier. Eventually, I will up the percentages for a few weeks and then test my one-rep max. The goal and expectation is to hit a new personal record in the bench press.

After lifting, I went out for road work. I went out east of town into the fields and gravel and shuffled for 6.17 miles. After doing 7.12 the day before, that was a pretty good run, giving me 13.29 miles in the first two days of the week.

So by the grace of God, I have a good week started. Thank you, Jesus.

Post Big Week

The week after the 34-mile run week has started. Not with a bang, but not with a whimper either. At the pool, John was late. I swam 1,850 yards in 36:20. I am liking this new reduced swimming. It seems to be saving me a little bit of energy. Or so I thought. By the time this day was over, however, I realized it was not saving me enough.

Monday is one of my Moorhead days. After I left there, I went back to Greenwood and stopped at the CSpire store. I have run out of workable charger cords. I bought three. Then I went by the post office, mailed two letters, and sent off a Chicot Challenge T-shirt to Minnesota. After those errands were done, I went to Greenwood Utilities to pay my light bill. For some reason, I have for the past forty-three years paid that one in person. Then I stopped by my dentist to deliver him a check and to make an appointment. I have an issue. The receptionist asked if I could stay. I could, did, and they gave me a temporary fix. The real fix will take place weeks later.

Although Monday and Wednesday are my early days, by the time I finished all of that, it was late and when I laid down, I went to sleep. By the time I awoke and started getting ready to run, most of the afternoon was gone. I got out of the house around 5:00 and shuffled for 7.11 miles. That is a pretty good start for the week, and when I got back, Penny was already cooking hamburgers for supper. I was hungry and did not want to wait, so Plate City sat quiet for the day. That means I will have to do double duty Tuesday. I am up to it.

Thank you, Jesus, for an enjoyable and productive day.

365

This is my 365th post of the year. To commemorate the milestone, I wanted to post something special, something to bless my number one fan John Hayward.

                                           

                                          something special 

So there.

9/28 - 10/4

The first week after Chicot reflected the new reality, new emphasis that I am making in training. My swimming was way down and the running way up. Lifting, on the other hand, was somewhere in the middle.

Monday I swam a mere 1,350 yards. After work, I shuffled 6.23 miles. And then I hit the bench at Plate City. Also, I am spinning, not much, but some several days per week. I hope that over time this will add to my fitness and improve my running while giving me at least a modicum of bicycle fitness. Time will tell.

Tuesday I swam a whopping 1,450 yards. I even shuffled 5.29 miles making two pretty good run days in a row. I then hit the gym for squats, ten sets worth, and some other stuff.

I crept the swimming up to 1,500 Wednesday. The road work was still a respectable 4.64 miles. I intended to lift, but you know what they say about the road to hell.

I took it easy, truly, Thursday, with 1,550 yards in the pool and an easy 1.68 on the road. Why so short of a run? Because I was planning a big one Friday, and I thought some rest might do a body good.

I did go long Friday. Originally, I had planned to run to the Barrentine's, but I called first and found out that they were going to be out of pocket. So I went out Money Road, my old standby. I shuffled 15.36 miles. Since the weather was cool and I am beginning to develop some endurance, it was not an overly hard effort.

Saturday was an easy day of coffee, cats, study, and football. I took a short shuffle of 1.45 miles. Also, I did some mild work at Plate City. 

For the week, I

ran 34.65 miles (new weekly mileage record for the year),

swam 5,390 meters,

lifted weights four times, and

spun 17:00 minutes.

That was a pretty good week and one that will move me towards my upcoming goals. Thank you, Jesus.

Nice Saturday

 After doing what I wanted to do Friday, I pretty much did that Saturday also. I slept in until around 7:00. Then it was slow play, coffee, cats, studying. Late morning, I took a short shuffle going a mere 1.45 miles. The legs did not feel too bad considering I went 15.36 the day before. 

After that, it was time for football. This is the season that has been on my mind since we moved to the Hideout in May. I have been eagerly anticipating October with its great weather and college football. The first three days of the month have not disappointed.

I did go to Plate City. It was time for pulls and light leg work. On the pull, I performed a single set of lat pull downs before switching to the Swim Pull which I have not done in months. On the latter exercise, I did three sets of ten reps at 53 pounds. That was after a set of 33 reps of 50 pounds on the lat pull down.

For the legs, I did a single set of Zercher squats, three sets of leg extensions, some calf work, and a set of framer's carries. I only did one down and back on the farmer's walk because of wasps in my handles. I thought I had them killed out. I killed more. Now I think they are clean. I hope they are because I yearn to get back to a full workout of walks. Those things are great, hitting all the muscles and providing some conditioning as well.

After the gym, I went to Monroe. Penny was already there. We moved some more yard stuff and some rocks. Penny did some cleaning. After five months, we still are not totally moved. 

Saturday was a nice day. It would have been even nicer had Mississippi State won its football game. Arkansas had a really good game plan. And our quarterback threw a touchdown pass for them which was the margin of victory. Sigh. Maybe next week.

Finally Friday

Finally I got to play and have some fun on Friday. Finally. 

Last week was rest day for the Chicot Challenge. And I had to rest, pack, and travel. The FIVE Fridays before, I had to work. FIVE Fridays. Then John wanted to swim this Friday. I told him no. We argued all week. Finally he gave up and realized that this time I meant it.

So what did I do?

At 7:00 a.m. I was sleeping hard and dreaming.

At 7:15 I was drinking coffee and petting cats.

At 7:30 I was mindlessly scrolling through social media.

At 8:00 I was studying for Sunday's sermon.

At 9:00 I was getting my running stuff together, shoes, socks, hydration pack, and Fuelbelt.

At 10:00 I was calling Frances Barrentine to see if she and Junior were going to be home. They weren't.

At 10:30 I was on Money Road, running alone under crystal clear blue skies and enveloped in cool air. I might have had a slight grin on my face. 

Need I say more? I can. I will. 

I felt free with hours to run and nowhere to be. When I got to the church, the Robert Johnson church, I noticed the turn row beside the eastern side of the road. It was freshly graded, smooth, flat, and soft. I crossed the road, shuffled down the side and onto the delta dirt. That lasted about a mile, and then I was back on the asphalt headed north.

I made it to the chute where I ate a Snickers bar still shuffling along. At the northern end of the chute, I turned back towards home 7.63 miles from the Hideout. Two hours later I was home, stretching my calves on the steps before going inside and making a protein shake. A few minutes later I was asleep. One cat was on my legs, another at my side, and a third against my calves. 

Life is good again. Thank you, Jesus.

Take It Easy

Sometimes I really do take it easy. Thursday was one of those days. Since I had a big day planned for Friday, Thursday was scheduled as a recovery day. The recovery started, or actually continued, in the pool. John is chomping at the bits. For me, it is the off season for swimming. Yes, I will still swim, but my focus has shifted to running and strength training now that all of my swimming events for the year have concluded. I swam

50 

50

50

1,400 28:48 (2:03)

total: 1,550 yards

Why the 50s? you ask. I was fooling with my watch.

Thursday is always a long day at work. I taught my four classes. When one of my students showed up for Old Testament, she told me, "Daddy said your dumbbell is ready."

Huh? Daddy? I had some plates at Leflore Steel to be used to make a heavy dumbbell of one-arm bent rows. Only after she said that was I able to connect the dots. She is Donny Cleveland's daughter. Wow. Small world.

So I left the school, went to the post office to mail two letters. One letter had a nice check to the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi, and then it was to Leflore Steel to pick up that dumbbell. 

It looks like palace. And it is heavy. At seventy pounds, I can do a lot with it. Besides rows, I can use it for suitcase carries, suitcase holds, and I can just admire it, gaze at its massive size. Plate City just took a step forward.

Yes, I ran but not much. In anticipation for Friday, I only shuffled 1.68 miles. That should allow my legs to come back a little so maybe I can enjoy my long run tomorrow.

The weather was pure fall for the first day of October. After the run, it was time for the gym. I did bench presses, but due to laziness, I performed no assistance exercises. On the bench, I pressed

16 X 100

12 X 120

  4 X 140

  4 X 140

  4 X 140

  1 X 140 paused

I will for the next few months hammer the strength aspect of my lifting. Last week, I was off from upper body because of Chicot. Nevertheless, I picked up where I stopped then and even added a rep at 140.

I had a good day. Pee Wee was happy while I lifted. Now I rest. Friday I run. Thank you, Jesus.

After Chicot Three

 John called the day before and wanted to meet earlier than our agreed upon 5:00 a.m. That is after he failed to show up at all. What do you think happened Wednesday morning? No, he was not late. He did not show up at all. Want to bet he calls and wants to meet very early Thursday morning?

I did the straight swim thing, the short version. I swam 1,500 yards in a tremendously slow 31:40. That makes a 2:06 pace if you are wondering. Actually slower than that because my watch threw in an extra 25 yards so the average was off. As per the pace, you can see that Saturday beat me up pretty badly. I am, however, feeling better.

When I got home from work, I lay down with the cats and went sound to sleep. Then I got up and ran out the gravel road at the end of East Claiborne. I went out there because with the miles I have put in and the squats I did yesterday, I did not want to be seen doing the old-man shuffling that I knew would be all I could do. I managed another 4.64 miles bringing my total up to 16.16. For the year, I think that is my record for a Monday through Wednesday. 

I am on pace to have a big run week. That is my goal, to set my record high for the year this week and then break it over and over and over again in the upcoming winter months. The weather is unbelievably wonderful for running. Last year we were still having 100 degree days at the time in September. This year fall came early and for real. 

I had planned to do a little bit of light stuff at Plate City. But the front lawn needed mowing and when I finished that, Penny and I sat on the back patio of the Hideout. The day felt delicious, and the view of our neighbors huge trees rising above our Randy Beets' protection fence was one of life's simple pleasures that we both soaked in and thanked God for.

Friday I have plans for a mild adventure run. It will be the first real Friday I have had off. Last Friday I was off, but I was compelled to try to rest for Chicot. This Friday I sleep late and play. Bring it on.

Thank you, Jesus.