HOD 5

HOD was a better week than HOD 4 in some ways. I swam more meters and ran more miles. I lifted fewer times, and somehow I did not use the New Swim Machine at all.

Monday I got up early and ran 5.1 miles. At the pool, I swam 3,500 yards and had a good session at the gym.

Tuesday I did not run. That is my really long day at work. I swam 3,650 yards. I did not run. I did not lift.

Wednesday I swam 3,600 yards and ran 2.63 meters. Also, I lifted weights thinking about the next Heart O' Dixie Triathlon. Everything I am doing is to swim faster then.

Thursday, I forgot everything I thought about Wednesday. After work, I got home and got comfortable. I have a night class on Thursday so it I don't train in the afternoon, I don't train. I didn't train.

Friday I went to the big pool for the first time of the week. I swam 4,300 straight in 1:07:50. Also I saw John for the first time in two weeks. I was actually happy to see him. Later in the day, I took a bicycle ride out Highway 17. The ride was only ten miles, but it was nice. I met the new highway patrol troop leader in Greenwood, Ricky Dean. He seems like a nice guy, and I gave him a one year's free membership to Plate City Gym.

Saturday was a solid day. I only swam 1,600 yards in the little pool. I ran in the peak of the heat for 4.37 miles. After that I went to the old house and moved a set of books. Then at Plate City I hit it hard.

For the week, I

  swam 15,587 meters,

  ran 12.1 miles, 

  cycled ten miles, and

  lifted three times.

That was a pretty good week except I did not use the New Swim Machine. I genuinely forgot several day. Saturday, Penny came home with supper, and I tapped out and went in just before I was to use the machine.

It was still a good week. Thank you Jesus.

Lazy Day but Hard Training

Usually I'm lazy on Saturday mornings. This one was no exception. I did not get to the pool until 11:00 o'clock. My goal was to swim more than last Saturday when I swam a scant 1,550 yards. I did it. I swam 1,600 like this:

  1,100 20:18

  brick kick

  200 medium paddles 3:28

  4 X 50 @ 1:30

  100 25/25 free/back

It was a swim. I went home and ate lunch. Later, when it was good and hot, I went out for a short shuffle. I did 4.37 miles. While on the streets, a little girl spoke to me and asked me if I needed water. That touched my heart. Thank you, Jesus.

At the gym, I was missing push, pull, and legs. Yeah, that is way too much for one workout. I did push and a little bit of pull, just a little. Legs, well, I ran. On the bench I did

  12 X 45

  8 X 67

  3 X 100

  5 X 115

  10 X 115

  10 X 115

  17 X 115

Then I jacked the bench up one notch for two sets of inclines. I added to that seventeen sets of lateral raises, some Swim Pulls, and a few pullups. I was done with all of the heat and lactic acid. 

That was a pretty good day. Three workouts. Because Penny was back with supper, I NSM. Sigh. Thank you, Lord, anyway.

Wednesday

I think know I skipped writing about Tuesday. It was a long day at work. Wednesday, I swam, ran, and lifted. Yeah, I did all three. It went like this.

First, after work I went to the pool and started swimming at about 3:30. I went 3,000 straight for the long warmup I am so fond of. Then I did the brick kick followed by 350 with medium paddles. After that, I did some more paddle swimming and finished with 3,600 yards or 3,290 meters. I am shooting for 20,000 total this week.

Back home, I went out for a shuffle. It was hot, and I only went 2.63 miles, but it was a run and it was done. I did not tarry long before making my way to Plate City. Since I missed lifting Tuesday, I was due for legs and pull. On the new chest-supported row machine, I did 

  21 X 40

  10 X 65

    9 X 70

    8 X 75

    6 X 80

I also performed a bunch of reverse flys with bands, some chinups for more reps and more weight than last week, and a bit of leg work. I only did a warmup set on squats then did a 10 X 180 on the Yoke squat. I swapped the 22 pound plates on it for some 25s. I had had enough by then and packed it in. Only after my nutrition did I realize that I had forgotten to do the NSM. Sigh. That makes every day this week. Praise the Lord anyway.

Strong Start

I got a strong start to my week of training Monday. I got up early, yeah, I know, I rarely do that anymore. I arose at 5:20 and was on the road running by 5:32. The moon was full or almost so, the air was warm, and the streets quiet. I made my way through town to the Tallahatchie bridge, over it, and out Money Road. 

On the way, I went under a street light and saw about twenty birds on a line. It was still very dark. On Money Road, I deer crossed the road ahead of me. I went out 2.55 miles and turned around. It was daylight by then. 

Getting up early and running is neat. It feels good and watching the sun come up is always a treat. But to watch that sun, you have to beat it out of bed. That is the part that I don't like.

After school, I took a nap then went to the pool where I swam

2,850 51:52

brick kick

200 medium paddles 3:30

6 X 50 @ 1:30 (all 41s and 42s)

150 small paddles

total: 3,500 yards = 3,199 meters

That was my biggest swim in a while. That is alright that I have backed off some. You need peaks and rest periods. I need to get a calendar out and program my buildups and back offs. 

At the gym, I went hard. This was heavy push day. Last week, remember, I got the 5th rep on the 5th set at 152 pounds. This week I went to 154 pounds. The bench workout looked like this:

  12 X 45

  7 X 67

  3 X 100

  1 X 144

  1 X 154

  2 X 154

  3 X 154

  4 X 154

  5 X 154 !!!

  4 X 144 2 boards (under the bench for a mild incline)

  7 X 134 2 boards

After the fourth set when I barely made the four reps, I had decided that three was all I could do on set number five. When I pressed, however, I felt like I could get four. After four, I knew I had a 60 - 40 chance of making the five, which I did. So next week I go up again.

I did three sets on the seated dip, and sixteen sets of lateral raises. Yeah, I do a lot of those and they are paying off. I forgot, however, to do the NSM. I just forgot. I don't know how that happens, but I seem to be pretty good at it.

Three workouts and a workday is not bad. In fact, it is good. Thank you, Jesus.

HOD 4

HOD 4 was a mixed bag concerning training. I swam a fair amount, built up a little more time on the NSM, but fell off the face of the earth with my running. What the heck. Monday I did not run. I think I went to campus, I think, and worked late. I did swim 2,200 meters and put in a good session at the gym.

Tuesday is my long day at work. I have four classes and one of them lasts for three hours. I shuffled 2.43 miles, swam 2,000 meters, and lifted weights. That wasn't bad, not good, but not bad.

Wednesday, I ran 2.11 miles. The swimming remained around 2,000 all week. I got 2,147. The odd numbers always mean I swam in the little pool and converted the distance to meters. I lifted legs late that night.

Thursday I swam 2,239 meters, but did not run. I picked up a night class and it meets on Thursday so this is another impediment to my training.

Friday was finally mine again. I ran 1.2, swam 2,676 meters, and did a whole bunch of weight lifting.

Saturday was only a little swim of 1,416 meters, but a big bash at the gym. I worked pull and legs and retired for the night tired, spent, ready to rest.

For the week, I

  ran - 6.74 miles (WHAT!?!?!? This is unacceptable)

  swam - 12.698 meters,

  lifted five times, and

  did 15:56 on the NSM.

The swimming was not bad, and the NSM is coming up. That running, however, must improve. My goal for this week is to beat all the numbers above, more swimming, more running, more lifting, and more of the NSM. I have goals. I have the drive. My schedule is finally settling out; I'll make it work. Thank you, Jesus.

Saturday

I went to the pool, but didn't do a whole lot. I swam a 1,100 for a warmup, did a brick kick followed by 150 medium paddles, and then did some 50s on 1:30. I finished with 1,550 yards to cap off a decent but not great week of swimming.

Plate City came in the late afternoon after I had gone to the old house for some yard work and done other things like study for Sunday. Centerville is taking off again for COVID. We have had a number of people exposed and one sick so we are trying now to get past everyone's quarantine period. 

At the gym, I did pull and some small leg work. On the leg work, all I did was four sets of Yoke squats. I am slowly working the weight up on that. I hit 232 pounds for four reps. I can feel that. Also, I used my tractor weight for the first time. Tractor weight? Yeah, one of those things farmers put on the front of their tractors to keep the front tires on the ground. It has a hand handle for moving it and weight a solid 100 pounds. So I lifted this thing with one hand and used it to shrug with. Think about it. Holding a 100 pound weight with one hand means that the oblique muscles on the opposite side are working like crazy to keep you from falling over sideways. I felt it in the core and in the traps. Nice move.

I did some chest-supported rows, pullups, a touch of shoulder work, and the Swim Pull. My pullup is starting to come back. I could not do them for a long time because they bothered one of my shoulders. Then, I could barely make one. This week, I was a little stronger than last week. I have been working the chinup for a while. Now I alternate between the two moves, chins on the first pull day of the week, and pullups on the second pull day.

No, I did not get around to running. It has not been a good week for that. But next week, I will finally face my normal schedule for the rest of the semester. Thank you Jesus.

Finally Friday

It was nice to be off Friday. On Friday the 13th, I had to work. How appropriate. This time I slept in, went to the pool, took a run, and lifted weights. Let's talk about the pool first.

I wasted time and should have been there much sooner. After eating an early lunch, I ran some errands and then made my way to the little pool a bit after 12:00. I did the little pool, although the big one was empty, to prevent excessive sun exposure. This is not something I used to worry about, but now I do. I swam 

2,700 48:48

brick kick

200 medium paddles 3:35

50 tech paddles

total: 2,950 yards.

I know what you are thinking. Why didn't you do another 50 for an even 3,000? I am lazy like that, feeling like I had had enough. The tech paddles, by the way, are a set I have owned for years, but I only recently rediscovered while moving. My wife and I are in our second year of relocating from West Monroe to the Hideout. The tech paddles have a hand grip which takes take the hand out of the pull. The paddles are on the low wrist so you have to pull water with your wrist and forearms not your hand. The purpose of this is to force an early vertical forearm position. This felt really weird but good weird.

I did not run far, only going 1.2 miles. I was pushed for time, my fault for lounging too long. Also, it was hot. So I got a small one in, better than not running at all.

Since I did not lift Thursday, the push workout was back up. Remember my new bench program? On the heavy day I do 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 reps. When I can make the 5 reps on the last set, I increase the weight. On the light day, I only do four sets: 5, 10, 10, and 20 reps. When I can get the 20 reps on the last set, I raise the weight. Last week, after four weeks of building, I made the 20 reps so I went from 110 to 115 pounds. The bench workout, with warmup sets and back down set, went like this:

  12 X 45

  7 X 67

  3 X 100

  5 X 115

  10 X 115

  10 X 115

  16 X 115

  8 X 110 (one board)

  8 X 100 (two boards) the boards are put under the front of the bench to give a      slight incline.

From the looks of that, it is going to be another four or five weeks before I go up on rep day. That is OK. I am making progress. When this program stalls, I will test my one-rep max and then move to another approach. I already have one in mind. "Everything works," said one famous coach, "but nothing works for ever." Oh, that was Louie Simmons, if you are wondering. 

Of course I did lots of lateral raises, fifteen sets. What?!?!?! Yes, I am forcing some improvement in my delts. And it is working. That is a lot of work but the work is working. I want my wife to be proud of me when I take my shirt off. I am built better now than I was when she married me 44 and a half years ago. Being a trophy husband is a hard job, but it is mine and I do it dutifully. In addition to the above, I also did two sets of Viking presses, and three sets of seated dips.

Three workouts, one day, one tired man. My wife and I went to Larry's for supper. It was good, yeah. I slept like a log in the woods. Thank you, Jesus.

Another Class!!!!

I have fallen off a bit in posting. Busy. Tell you about it? OK, I will.

We are back in school. This time, however, I have two three new classes. By new I mean classes I have never taught before. I picked up Beginning and Intermediate English when my old "work wife" as she called herself left the school, left town, heck, she even left the state. She and her real husband moved to Colorado to be near their only child. They are living in a palatial manse in the mountains, 8,000 feet of elevation. Deer play in the yard. I am sure cougars lurk in the woods nearby. I am mildly jealous. I want to visit

Then Wednesday I picked up a night class, another course that I have never taught: Employment Readiness. This one is going to work me most. The writing classes are all skills courses and they all bear a certain familial resemblance. I can get out of bed and walk into any of them right now and start teaching. Provided I have a cup of coffee and put my pants on, of course.

Employment Readiness, however, is a content course, and I will be studying constantly for it. Ouch. But hey, I have a full load which means a full paycheck. And I am busy doing what I love to do: teaching, interacting with students, and meeting new people. No, I am not a people person. I am, in fact, an extreme introvert. But my job is good for me, it makes me get out of my own skin and talk to people, be around them, get comfortable. I dread retirement because I predict I will become a hermit. Seriously, that is my biggest fear.

On the third day back at school, I swam 2,350 yards in the little pool, ran 2.11 miles, and did leg work at Plate City. On the fourth day of Christmas back at school, I only swam. Time was tight. I got out of class, went to the little pool and did 2,450 yards, went home, changed clothes, and prepared some more for my Thursday night class. I had five of the seven students who are on the role to show up. 

Training is going to be tough this semester. How to get it all done? Seven classes, seven preps, a night course. Plus I am behind on all sorts of stuff, paper work for the school. Sigh.

Anyway, life is good and so is God. Thank you Jesus.

Second Day Back to School

The second day of the Fall Semester was a long one. I have four classes on Tuesday and Thursday and on Tuesday my film class meets. For three hours. But I love it. That is the course that makes me want to get out of bed in the morning. 

Once more, I did not swim early. I got into the water about 5:00 p.m. The water was warm and I swam

1,100

200 stiff 3:45

4 X 100 @ 2:23

200 easy

total: 2,000 long course meters.

Then I went home to Plate City and lifted. I did the chest-supported row, the one-armed bent row with my new 80 pound dumbbell, chins, the Swim Pull, but I forgot to do my New Swim Machine. Honestly, I forgot. I love that thing, but at the end of a long lifting session, my mind is not working too well. 

Since I did not run Monday, I felt like I had to do some shuffling. My running has been down for the past few weeks and the Oaks is coming up. That means my mileage needs to come up. I went a short 2.44 miles in the dark. It is really comfortable out there when the sun goes down and the shirt comes off. 

So that was it. Three workouts, not long but solid. Thank you, Jesus.

First Day of Classes

Classes started Monday. Not only that, but we are conducting late registration so I had to be on campus until 4:00 p.m. The purpose of late registration is to teach students to be late. Our school is all over social media announcing that classes have started but it is not too late. 

I did not get up early and go to the pool. I slept in. I went to the pool after 5:00 and swam 2,200 straight. I did not even do any pickups, but my pace was pretty decent. Then I went home and lifted. I wanted to run, but the goal was to get my lifting done before it got dark. I do not want West Nile. That troubles me more than COVID. 

I did not make it. Before dark I mean. I was out there until dark, but I got in a good one. Remember last Monday? I failed miserably on my bench. Suddenly I had an epiphany two days age. I am on the heavy/light thing where I go 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 reps for five sets on the heavy day. When I make the 5 reps, I add weight. Two weeks ago, I made the 5 reps. I went up only two pounds, or so I thought, using some 11 pound plates in place of the usual 10s. My epiphany was that I had the bar loaded to 162 not 152. I was not sure, but that is what I was thinking. Last week, I only did 1, 2, 1, 1, and 1. So I was eager to press last night. I hit 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 at 152. That means I was off last week. Now, when I do get to 162, I will no for sure that I am stronger when I am able to do more reps.

So I was happy with the benching. I did a whole lot of lateral raises, some seated dips, and a few other things. On the NSM, I went for 3:35. Not a bad day, but no running. Thank you, Jesus, anyway.

HOD 3

HOD 3 was a light week. I had to work a lot, and I did the best I could. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Monday, I shuffled 1.66 miles after I had gone to the pool and swum 1,700. I lifted that afternoon to make for a pretty good start.

Tuesday, however, I began to fall off. At the pool, I swam 2,000 straight as a 1,000 warmup, then 800 as 50 fast/50 easy, followed by 200 meters of cooldown. I did not run, but I did lift. 

Wednesday I failed to swim. If I remember correctly, I was tired and just did not want to get out of bed. I ran 5.41 miles (feel the guilt?), but did nothing else.

Thursday I swam 2,100 and smashed the weights at Plate City. I'm hitting the barbell like I'm mad at that thing.

Friday I did not swim. I had to be in the office pretty early and did not want to get up before daylight. I shuffled an easy 1.32 and lifted at the gym.

Saturday, I ran while Mike Ellis was working on my truck. I got in 4.73 miles, and did a huge lifting session at Plate City.

For the week, I

swam 5,800 meters,

ran 13.12 miles,

lifted weights five times, and

did 13:12 on the New Swim Machine.

All of the beats Randy Beets and probably beats the old men at the Mississippi State Senior Olympics. But it was nowhere near where I want to be. This week, I hope to do better. Help me, Jesus. 

Plate City Extended 2

One of the latest updates on Plate City Training Center. Notice the Yoke. I will do heavy partial squats on these.

Slimish Saturday

Saturday morning I had an appointment to get a receiver hitch put on my truck at 9:00. To redeem the time, I dressed in my running clothes and shoes and did a shuffle while Mike Ellis worked on the truck. I looped through the cemetery, then up the side of Highway 82 to the Carroll County line. After that, I crossed the road and ran back with a few short side excursions along the way. I finished with 4.73 miles, and the truck was ready when I got back to Mike's shop.

Back home, I rested. Later in the day, around noon, I went to Plate City and did legs. For the first time in a long time (maybe two years), I did yoke squats. This is one of the things I set Plate City Extended up for. I hit three sets for 168, 208, and 218 pounds. Also, I did 3:30 on the NSM. In addition, I did some shoulder work for three shoulder days this week. Yes, I thought about swimming, but I never found one of those round things. What are they? You know, it's a, uh, a roundtoit, yeah. I never found a roundtoti. Besides, there are other things to do.

So the day was a bit slimish, but not totally so. I did two workouts. That's not as good as three but better than a poke in the eye. Thank you, Jesus.

Second Day Back at Work

My second day back at work was even less productive than the first. I went to the pool and did 2,000 straight. After the first 1,000, I swam each 50 going south fast, and each 50 going north easy. I did that for 800 and then finished with an easy 200. 

Work was slow. I got a couple of courses published in Canvas and did some mental planning. The only thing keeping me from being excited about the semester is the electronic textbook we are supposed to use. I like paper. Paper works. Computers always fail you at some point, and I usually fail them at several points.

After work, I went to Plate City and also pulled out the lawn mower. After cranking it several times, the repaired pull cord messed up beyond my ability to use it. I NEED TO MOW!!! At the gym, I pulled

20 X 40

12 X 65

10 X 70

  9 X 75

  8 X 76

I did a bunch of reverse flys, chins, face pulls, and Swim Pulls. Oh yeah, I went 3:10 on the New Swim Machine. I did not run. When I was through with all of that, my energy and drive were gone, the lawnmower having taken much of it. Thank you, Jesus, anyway. 

Back at Work

Starting back to work week is always a mixed bag for me. On one hand, I am excited. A new semester brings with it the promise of a new beginning, an opportunity to learn from the past, a chance to do it better. On the other hand, training takes a hit. Suddenly I have to scramble to fit things in, to get it done. Monday, I went to the pool at 7:00 a.m. I only did 1,700 total meters with a 5 X 100 @ 2:23. What a wimp. I tapped.

Then I went to work, first at the Greenwood Center, then to campus for a meeting. After work, I rested and chose to go to the gym first. It was heavy bench day, and I did not perform well. It went like this:

  12 X 45

    6 X 67

  4 X 100

  2 X 122

  1 X 140

  1 X 152

  2 X 152

  1 X 150

  1 X 152

  1 X 152

This is the program where you go heavy with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. When you can get the 5, you up the weight. Last week, I made the 5 on the fifth set. I only went up two pounds. I pulled that off with a pair of 11-pound plates in place of 10-pound plates. I almost missed on the second set. Ones were all I could get after that. That was a bit distressing, but we will see what happens next week. Besides the bench press, I did the seated row, lateral raises, and one set of overhead dumbbell presses.

I ran after the gym, only going 1.66. While I was out there, I remembered that I had not done the New Swim Machine so when I got in, I went straight back to Plate City and did 3:05.

So I got the three workouts, but they were all a little short except for the weights

HOD 2

I just finished Heart O' Dixie training week two. Shay called me last night. He is good like that. He told me that Anthony, our runner, is planning on improving for 2022. Shay, our cyclist, also told me that he is planning on riding faster in 2022. This blog is a testament to the fact that I plan to swim faster at the next HOD. In short, we are going back to defend our title, Lord willing.

Monday I swam the little pool for 4,400 yards. I ran 4.33 miles, lifted weights, and did 2:20 on the NSM.

Tuesday it was 4,050 in the big pool, 1.4 on the road, more lifting, and 2:35 on the NSM.

Wednesday I kept putting out good numbers. In the pool, it was 4,100. On the road it was 4.52. I hit the gym for legs and the NSM for 3:00.

By Thursday I was beginning to sag. I only swam 2,500 in the little pool. I did not run at all. I did lift and I performed another 3:00 on the NSM. 

Friday I lifted some weights after swimming a mere 1,100 meters. I was tired like that.

Saturday, as you should know, was Bikes, Blues[,] & Bayous. I rode a total of 48 miles.

For the week, I

swam - 15,550 meters.

ran - 10.25 miles,

cycled - 48 miles, and 

pulled 10:55 on the NSM

That is down a good bit in the swimming category. I just collapsed at the end of the week. Fatigue sometimes accumulates and you are forced to do the best you can. This is where I need a training partner, to help me through these low points. But still it was a solid block of training, and I am more convinced than ever that my new machine (NSM) is the best cross-training possible for swimming. The Heart O' Dixie Triathlon 2022 has a big bulls eye on it and Anthony, Shay, and Zane are aiming. 

Thank you, Jesus.

Bikes, Blues[,] & Bayous

Forrest and I met at the conjunction of Weightman and Crocket at 6:30 a.m. That means we were on Main Street probably by 6:36. The date was August 7. The occasion was the 2021 edition of Bikes, Blues[,] & Bayous. When we got to Main Street, the announcer was telling us to get to the back. Don't start too far up. Start according to your pacing. He never mentioned that the color coding had anything to do with the ride you were registered to do. Maybe we should have known but since all he was saying was pacing, I thought it was all pacing related. He may have said it earlier, but not after we were there. It was all about pacing. Did I mention it was all about pacing? "If you start too far up, it's going to be bad," he sternly warned us.

Forrest, my fulltime son.

That is how we got cross threaded. The ride started. We were in the crowd, in the back of the crowd, and then we were headed north. 

"Did they change the route?" Forrest asked me as we travelled up the Boulevard.

"Not to my knowledge," I answered.

I know, I know. We should have looked up the course and we should have read the instructions in our packets. But who does that? Or who is too lazy to bother?

*Raises hand bashfully.

We saw other riders with the 62-mile bibs on. We weren't the only ones. 

Vicki Jee, my part-time swimming partner.

Forrest and I rode together for a while. I could tell, however, that he was itching to push the pace. I had been on my bicycle exactly four times the whole year. I had run, swum, and lifted a lot, but almost no cycling. A little past Money, I decided to stop chasing my son. He rode away while I dropped down to a 12-mile-per-hour pace.

A bit later, a couple came by going faster than me but not too fast so I jumped a wheel. They will pull me back to Forrest, I thought. I wasn't to be, though. When we got near Highway 8, I was searching the road ahead, watching the riders riding left on the highway, and could see no sign of his white jersey. Then when we crossed number 8, I latched onto some of those Memphis riders. We were booking it at 18.5. But after two miles of that, I fell off the back. I had to either ride home or hitch a ride. And despite my advanced age, I still have a little pride. Getting hauled in was not an option, or not one that I would willingly accept.

When I rolled up to Minter City United Methodist Church-- the best rest stop in the history of rest stops-- Forrest was waiting for me. He was upset about taking the wrong route. We looked at the map that was hung on a telephone pole in front of the church. We were supposed to go out Highway 49. "They got us at the start," I said. 

Someone standing nearby chipped in, "That's what a lot of them have said." He went on to tell us that some of the riders were doing the extra distance by riding past Minter City and coming back. Forrest was adamant that he wanted his 62. I realized that just getting back to town was a big order for me. I even found one of the SAG drivers, Mike Barranco, and asked him to keep an eye on me. "I don't know if I can pedal all the way back to town," I told him.

Shortly afterwards, Forrest and I mounted our steeds and began our journey back towards Greenwood. We chatted, and he decided to ride some side roads off Money Road to get his distance. He was worried about me. I told him I would get back one way or another. Then some wheels came by. I jumped and hung on for about a mile. When I dropped, Forrest passed me and the riders I was drafting. Wow. He was gone.

My ride back was slow and uncomfortable. I jumped wheel after wheel, but my  legs wouldn't let me hang. At the rest stop in Money, I ate and drank and felt refreshed. I had some pickle juice, a moon pie, and a sandwich. That gave me a little energy, but my leg muscles were shot. The distance from there home was only eleven miles. It was more of the same, however, and I finally dropped to a ten-mile-per-hour pace and limped on in. On the Boulevard, I was going eight miles-per-hour. You read that right. Eight, sometimes seven point five.

But I got there, was coronated with my finisher's medal, and grabbed some water. I chatted with a few folks, ate a BBQ sandwich, and then went home. Forrest was still out there somewhere trying to get his miles done. Mine were complete. I paid for 62, but settled for 48, the extra two coming from going and coming from home. Below are my results. Yes, they are embarrassing, but I had some fun, and I found some fitness. 

Thank you, Jesus for a good day, and good ride, and some good time with my boy.

Lounging

I called John at 7:50 Thursday morning. "I'm not gunna make it this morning," I told him half expecting a fuss. Surprisingly, he offered that I was making a wise move. I guess the fact that I did not make the full pull on the brick kick Wednesday, convinced him that I was overtraining.

So I lounged in bed, petted cats, and drank coffee. The break did me good. I did swim, however, going to the little pool after lunch. Once there, I wimped out big time leaving with a paltry 2,500 yards with no quality. 

I did not run. I did lift. It was push day number two, I pressed

  12 X 45

     6 X 65

  2 X 100

  5 X 110

 10 X 110

 10 X 110

 19 X 110

Also I did one set of incline dumbbell benches, two sets of overhead presses, a bunch of sets of lateral raises, and three (or was it four?) sets of seated dips. It was a solid workout topped off by three minutes on the NSM.

That Kind of Day

Wednesday, I continued with the new focus on quality. At the pool, I went in the the plan to try a 100 @ 2:00 set to see how many reps I could get in a long course pool. After that the idea was some 400s with a floating 100. It went like this:

  1,600 35:10

  3 X 100 @ 2:00

    1 - 1:44

    2 - 1:46

    3 - 1:51

  50 picking up money

  150 easy

  4 X 400 @ 9:15

    1 - 1st 100 fast 8:03

    2 - 2nd 100 fast 8:07

    3 - 3rd 100 fast 8:07

    4 - 4th 100 fast 8:07

  3 X 100 medium paddles

  brick kick (short)

After lunch, I shuffled 4.52 miles then I watched the men's open water swim in the Olympics. When the race was over, I went to Plate City. There I did legs and played with the New Swim Machine. I experimented with using it while riding the stationary bicycle. That works, but not that well. The angles are different and I did not get as hard of a pull from the swim machine.

So it was another solid day, a butt-Beetsing, a Heart O' Dixie, a Senior Olympics day. Thank you, Jesus.

Help on the 100s

I was back in the big pool Tuesday morning. I swam

1,500 33:05

11 X 100 @ 2:42 (1:42 - 1:45)

400

500 small paddles

150

100

brick kick (made it one foot past the second ladder, 28 yards)

total: 4,050 long course meters.

Vicki was there and we swam the 100s together. She did every other one and even that was a help to me. I miss swimming with a team. You swim faster, farther, and with more enjoyment with other people. I was about to tap on the 100s when she said, "I will do two more." That meant I had to do four more.

After lunch, I bought four more stall matts for the gym. I installed two of them and hope to do the other two today. That cut into my running time so I only did 1.4 miles. When I got in from the run, the women's open water swim was on the Olympics. I had to watch that. Then it was gym time. I hit the chest-supported row machine for

20 X 40

12 X 65

10 X 70

9 X 72.5

8 X 75

I also did chins, reverse flys, and the Swim Pull for four sets. I finished with 2:35 on the NSM. So it was a solid day still focused on quality in the pool. Thank you, Jesus.

Focus Adjustment

This week I am changing my focus a bit. For the past few, I have been concentrating on swimming in general and volume in particular. The focus on swimming will continue, however, I plan to aim for more quality and let the obsession with volume go. About 20,000 meters per week is enough. Monday, I did just that. It was thundering and lightening when I woke up so I took a run in the morning (4.33) and did not swim until after lunch. I went to the little pool and did

1,500 26:54

15 X 100 @ 2:07 (1:30 - 1:33)

200 medium paddles 3:35

brick kick

600 back 13:55

50 kick with Zoomers

600 large paddles 10:50

total: 4,400 yards = 4,021 meters.

After 5:00, I went to Plate City. It was heavy push night so on the bench I pressed

12 X 45

6 X 65

4 X 100

2 X 120

1 X 140

1 X 150

2 X 150

3 X 150

4 X 150

5 X 150

5 X 140 with one board under bench

I did a bunch of other stuff and finished with 2:20 on the New Swim Machine.

That was one solid day. Thank you, Jesus.

HOD 1

My normal post title for my weekly review would be: 7/26 - 8/1. However, due to my Heart O' Dixie fever, I am focusing training on being the fastest swimmer at the HOD in 2022. So each week, I will post my training in my attempts to reach my goal. Last week was week number one in my buildup to the next 

Monday, I started with a bang, swimming 6,100 yards, running 7.3 miles, and lifting weights like a champion. Tuesday, I continued by going 4,100 meters in the big pool but shuffling only 1.51 miles. Yes, I lifted weights and made some big improvements to the gym, improvements that will help me reach my goal. 

Wednesday I swam 4,450 with no running. I did, however, begin to use my secret weapon that I am now only calling my New Swim Machine (NSM). I did it for 1:15. Thursday, I made 4,800 in a straight swim. In addition to that, I lifted heavy and did 1:31 on the NSM. 

Friday, I swam 3,450, ran 1.54, and did more big lifting. On the NSM, I lasted 1:45. Saturday, I swam in the little pool and practiced dive starts among other things. My total yardage was 2,950. I also did a short run of1.26 miles, and a short session at Plate City. The NSM time was 2:00. 

For the week, I

  ran - 11.61 miles,

  NSM - 6:30 minutes,

  lifted weights - five times, and

  swam - 25,071 meters.

That's good training right there, Chicot level volume. But I need to up the quality. I did some quality but not nearly enough. For the next several weeks, I will not make such a push for big numbers, but I will work the 100s. I think 20,000 per week is enough. I need to get back to my 20 X 100, which I can't even pull off right now. At least I can't do it on 2:00 in a long course pool, and it used to be my favorite set.

Thank you, Jesus, for good work, good opportunities, and good goals.