This blog is what happens when I drink too much coffee, hang out with my cats, and have access to a computer. EndangeredSwimmer is primarily an athletic journal about an endangered species: open water swimmers in Mississippi. Occasionally, however, I pen some essays and even a piece of fiction from time to time. And just in case you are wondering, yes, Poot is a real person, and Randy Beets and I really do hate each other.
Thursday, September 30, 2021
MDCC 5K
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Praise God Anyway
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Sylamore
My wife picked me up from the Greenwood Center of MDCC at the conclusion of my 10:50 class. We found a high gear and headed north towards Mountain View, Arkansas. I was to preach a revival at the Sylamore Baptist Church Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights as well as Sunday morning. We were giddy with excitement., not having been anywhere in a while.
We made our way up Highway 49, across the Mississippi River bridge at Helena, Arkansas, and then my phone led us over a plethora of small highways that angled north and west until we finally got there four and a half hours after driving out of Greenwood. We found Wal Mart and texted Glenn Johnson, the pastor of the Sylamore Church. He found us, and we followed him to a small, private cabin on a mountain above the White River a few miles outside of Mountain, as the locals call it.
After unpacking and settling in, Lisa, a member of Sylamore, came to the cabin and offered to lead us to Jo Jo's, a local fish house on the banks of the White.
Wet Again
Monday, September 27, 2021
HOD 9
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
De-load
The week started with a bang. NOT! I had things to do. I did not go to the pool. My shoulder is better. I am stretching and doing my external rotations. I ran a short 3.07 miles Monday. After two hours of the Paul Finebaum Show, I realized they were not going to talk about the Mississippi State game and the hosing they got from an SEC crew who obviously were paid off so that State could not win the game. That is not an exaggeration. The punt return was just one of several bad dishonest calls. You can't screw something up that bad by accident. There was clear intent.
So I went to Plate City. Since my latest bench program has gone stale on me, I am making some adjustments to the heavy day. I dropped the working weight to 140 pounds and thought I would try 6 X 6. I did not expect to make six reps on all six sets, but I did. No, I am not going up next week. I am going to work that weight for a while and up the reps. Besides, I will only be able to push once this week so my strength will take a hit there. But I need a de-load. Life usually gives you one. It does this week. Next week, I will start back trying to build my reps at 140. I can remember when four reps at that weight was my PR.
Praise God for the changing weather and the infinite ways one can lift weights.
Monday, September 20, 2021
HOD 8
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
It Was Big, and I Woke up Tired
Monday, September 13, 2021
It Was Good/Bad (HOD 7)
HOD 7 was another mixed bag. I swam big, ran little, and lifted a lot. Let me tell you about it. Monday, I swam 3,850 yards. I also ran 6.27 miles and lifted weights. That was one good day, I was one tired man, and I slept one good sleep.
Tuesday, however, I did not run. I'm lazy like that. I swam another 3,850 yards but did not other training. Shoot me.
Wednesday I was back on the road for 4.1 miles. In the pool, I did another 3,850 yards with a tough new set I am developing. Developing? Yeah, I adjust it each week and it gets longer and more dense. More dense? Yes, I take some time off the intervals so that I do more work in less time. It's a double progression: more reps, reduced time. I also lifted weights.
Thursday I got lazy. I swam my 3,850, but I did nothing else but lounge in bed all afternoon then go back to work that night.
Friday I hit the pool for 5,500 straight in 1:38:37. Yeah, that was a good aerobic swim to put some endurance back in the tank. But, I did not lift or run.
I was so behind on lifting that by Saturday I hit the gym twice. First I went to the outdoor pool and swam 1,800 meters. I did my push workout around noon. Late in the afternoon, I worked legs and pulls. That made for a full day of three workouts, but two of them were gym sessions.
For the week, I
swam 20,899 meters,
ran 10.37 miles,
SkiErgged 10:00 minutes, and
lifted weights four times.
That was a pretty good week except the running. I have been prioritizing the swim and the gym. That means that on some days, the run gets squeezed. Anyway, I am still out there trying. Thank you, Jesus, for the health and the desire to be in the game.