Day Two: Countdown to Quadrathon

Crazy Man Quadrathon is two days away. We, Tyler and I, have been training for this for six months. Are we ready? Physically we should be fit enough. Today, although I will exercise some, I will spend some of the day making preparations: purchasing drinks, candy bars, gels, and such. Candy bars? Yes. Candy bars and ice-cream make great endurance food. 

I realize the irony here, to be doing a fundraiser for the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi and to be fueling the physical effort with less then diabetically appropriate food. But one must remember that bad carbs are good carbs when doing extreme physical endeavors. The body needs easy calories and lots of them. So get over it. Don't give me any grief. 

Yes, I did train some Memorial Day. Early, Vicki and I did a short ride out Wade Road, my last until the Quad. I put in 12.3 miles and was good with that. Just a touch to get fresh and keep from de-training. 

It was the same with running. Forrest and Paul usually have a cookout on Mem Day. They recently moved and their new house is large, nice, and well decorated. There was plenty of room for everyone. I shuffled the 1.78 miles over there. The weather was so pleasant that I barely got damp with sweat.

Of course we ate too much food. The hamburgers were slap your momma good. And Claudia Henson's baked beans were out of this world. Penny's banana pudding was stomach stretching tasty. When it was all over, I waddled out the door to get into my wife's vehicle to ride home.

After a nap, I did go to the pool. There, I performed some real training. Not only do we have Quadrathon coming up Thursday, but two days later, I have a swim meet in Meridian. 

What?!?!?! 

Yeah, I'm bad like that. 

In the little pool, I swam

  2,500 51:45

  6 X 25 breast

  1 X 50 breast

  2 X 75 breast with small paddles

  2 X 50 25/25 back/breast

  100 medium paddles

  total: 3,050 yards = 2,757 meters

So it was a pretty good day. No, I did not lift. I wanted to but now it is too late. I will not touch any weights until Thursday when it is on. Thank you, Jesus.

BBU 29

BBU 29 was part of the taper for the Crazy Man Quadrathon. We started the week Monday by cycling 16.5 miles. I lifted weights and met Tyler at the pool for 2,200 meters of long course swimming.

Tuesday, I lifted weights, swam 2,250 yards, and ran 2.12 miles on the treadmill.

Wednesday I did not train due to commitments and laziness. Thursday, however, I ran 4.54 miles. Also I swam 1,300 yards. Then Tyler and I met at Plate City and did a major leg session and I mean major.

Friday, we rode 19.8 miles first thing. I was surprised at how good my legs felt. By the afternoon, however, I felt the fatigue coming on. At the pool, I swam 2,250 yards.

Saturday, we, Penny and I, spent much of the day at 333 trying to finish up moving. We have a sales contract on the house so we have to finish. I did shuffle 1.12 miles on very tired legs. Then I did some light stuff at Plate City, shoulders and rotator cuff stuff.

For the week, I

skiergged 10:10,

ran 7.78 miles,

swam 7,765 meters,

cycled 35.95 miles, and

lifted weights four times.

That was a reduction, but still decent volume except in the run. Next up, big time taper. Thursday is the event. I am looking at the weather forecast everyday. Right now, they are calling for 58% chance of rain. That is not good, but the temperature does look good. Pray. Help us, Jesus.

Day Six: Countdown to Quadrathon

Friday was the sixth day before the long awaited quadrathon. Tyler told me the other day that he can't believe it's almost here. "We've been talking about it since January." Yeah, it happens like that. It seems so far away, but if you keep living, the time comes around.

We rode bicycles at our usual 5:45. It's amazing how light it is outside at that time now. You can read a newspaper outdoors at ten minutes until 6 a.m. We went up Money Road and back. I totaled 18.8 miles when it was all done. Then I went inside, ate breakfast, drank coffee, and hung out with CC. She is being very affectionate after giving me a long spell of the treatment.

Later in the morning, I went outside and mowed the front lawn. Then I called John to set up a time to swim. I wanted to swim in the afternoon. He wanted to swim in the morning. I did what I usually do and made a concession to swim at 11:00 a.m. My life is a series of concessions to John. I started swimming at 11:00. He is almost always late. I expected 20 minutes or more. I got out after an hour and then hurried to get dressed and leave because if he had come up, he would have wanted me to stay. Seriously. I left at 12:10 with still no sign of John. If he had driven up while I was driving off, he would  have tried to stop me.

I swam

  2,300 45:18

  4 X 25 breast

  1 X 50 breast

  1 X 50 back

  1 X 50 medium paddles

  total: 2,550 yards = 2,330 meters

Not a bad practice, but it lacked work on speed. Sigh.

Leaving the pool, I had some business to attend and after which I went home and ate lunch. I lounged a bit then went outside for some backyard mowing and a touch of work at Plate City. I counted it as a lifting session although it was mostly deltoid and rotator cuff work plus some stretching. Still, I enjoyed the gym and Pee Wee enjoyed me.

So I got three workouts done. Also, I received a donation in the mail, only the second one since I spoke at Kiwanis and Lions and the Commonwealth article was published. Used to the newspaper article alone would result in about $600 in donations. Is it because people don't read the paper anymore? Penny said it's because quadrathon sounds too tame, that the Great Geezer Run was crazy enough to catch people's attention. Maybe so. But I can do crazy so you just hang around and see what happens next year. Thank you, Jesus, for a crazy mind and a crazy training partner.

Day Seven: Countdown to Quadrathon

The day off did me some good. I felt like training on the seventh day before our Quadrathon. I did start the day slowly with lots of coffee and writing on the computer. Later in the morning, I began training with a run of 4.54 miles. On the run, I found a porta-potty that saved my from a tough situation. Thank you, Jesus.

In the afternoon, I went to the pool where I swam

  1,150 22:28

  4 X 25 breast

  50 medium paddles

  total: 1,300 yards

OK. I wimped out a bit there. But something is always a thousand times better than nothing.

After working hours, Tyler and I met up at Plate City. We started with squats, did some bench pressing, and some deadlifting. We hit the squats really hard. I had quivering quads before the session was done. On the deadlift, I went up to 250. I felt like there was more, but I stopped. My PR is 265. My goal for Quadrathon is 270.

We are now within the seven day weather forecast and so far it is looking OK. I'll be looking everyday. Also, I will be buying some supplies and making plans to have everything laid out for D Day. Thank you, Jesus, for the coming quad. Bless our fundraising because it has been a little slow.

My Message

One of our stated reasons for doing Quedarthon is to raise awareness of diabetes, especially Type 2 Diabetes. Why Type 2? Because Type 1 is something that happens to you regardless of your lifestyle. It is an auto-immune disease which means your body's own immune system attacks your pancreas leading to diabetes. Type 2, however, although it has a genetic component, also has a strong lifestyle component. They (health care officials) tell me that Type 2 Diabetes in 90% preventable. Let that sink in: 90% preventable.

Do you know what nation leads the world in Type 2 Diabetes? Correct, the good ole' USA. Do you know what region leads the USA in Type 2 Diabetes? If you guessed the South, you win a pony. Do you know what state leads the South in Type 2 Diabetes? Mississippi and Alabama and constantly fighting each other for the top spot. Do you know which area of Mississippi leads the rest of the state in the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes? That's right, the Delta. 

I am not a socket rientist, but I think that means we lead the world in the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes, a disease that is 90% preventable. That clearly means we are doing some things wrong. In my last post, I wrote about attending our grandson's eight grade graduation. There were about thirty-five kids in that class and about 70% of whom were fat. Eighth graders!! When I looked around at the adults, almost everyone there was overweight. 

Obesity is a major risk factor in developing Type 2 Diabetes. To lower our chances of becoming diabetic, we should all do three simple things: lose a little weight, exercise a little more, and eat a little better. None of that is complicated. Losing as little at 10% of our body weight can have a huge positive effect on our health. Despite the fact that we now have in the developed world a huge fat positive movement telling people that they can be healthy at any weight, it simply is not true. Wanting it to be true does not make it so.

One of the reasons I always do a physical challenge as part of my annual fundraising efforts for the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi, is I want to encourage and hopefully inspire people to be more physically active. You do not have to or need to do anything extreme like Tyler and I are doing, but you can and should do something. Walk. Walking is something almost everyone can do and it is really good exercise. Start slow and build up. It's not socket rience.

And finally, all of us can make improvements in our eating habits. I suggest first of all that you educate yourself on nutrition. I am constantly shocked at what people tell me their doctors tell them about how to eat. Fat is not our enemy. Simple carbohydrates are. I am not saying do not eat carbs. I am saying we should limit simple carbs and emphasize complex carbohydrates that raise blood sugar more slower than the simple variety. Volume is also a big factor. Most of us, myself included, eat way too much food. I know the struggle and it never goes away. But we must fight the fight and not give up. Eat better, eat less, and be more healthy.

By taking these three simple steps, each of us can improve our health and reduce our chances of developing diabetes. small steps over time lead to big results. It is not too late. Start today. Do it, please.

Day Eight: Countdown to Quadrathon

Day eight of the countdown has come and gone. I did not train at all. What!?!?!? First, we, Penny and I, went to Zane's (our grandson's) graduation from the eight grade. We enjoyed the ceremony, and we enjoyed seeing our daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and grandson. After the ceremony, we drove to Cleveland and had nice lunch at the Mexican place over by Walmart. It was good, yeah. 

When Penny and I got home, I was tired and took a nap. Eventually, I got up and went to the pool. I was still tired. There were swimming lessons going on in the little pool, and I did not have the stuff to get into the big pool. It was 77 degrees cold Monday. Since then we have had big rain and a cold night. I just could not make myself do it. I went home and rested. Sometimes rest is the best training you can do.

The weather forecast looks good, but it is still too many days in the future for me to have confidence in. God help us. Quadrathon cometh. Even so, let it come, Lord Jesus, let it come.

Day Nine: Countdown to Quadrathon

Tuesday brought us to nine days out from the big deal. Instead of riding, we met at Plate City early for some serious weight training. We included Tyler, Vicki, and me. Tyler worked the bench press since he has missed two straight weeks of the gym. Life happens and we sometimes are forced to just do the best we can do. Since I lifted Monday, I did pull movements. Pee Wee enjoyed having the crew back. He heard them in their cars long before they arrived. His ears perked up and he look west towards the street. When they pull up in the driveway, he always looks up at me as if to ask, "Is it really Tyler of Vicki?" I always answer him.

I snuck out for a 2.12 mile shuffle. Actually, I did that on Plate City's new treadmill. The weather was thunder storming, and I did not want to get on the open road. So I ran the treadmill. A generous donor replaced the gym's broken treadmill. It is nice to have one at times like Tuesday.

I went to the little pool for workout number three and swam a total of 2,250 yards which comes out to 2,047 meters. Hitting it hard was not in my belly but I did some work. 

Tuesday was the first day that my phone had a weather forecast for June 2. It looks good now, but I don't trust it until we get down to five days. The five day forecast is usually pretty accurate. I heard a meteorologist say once that anything over seven days is witchcraft. I believe him. Beyond seven days, they are guessing. Anyway, I will be looking every day until the day. If you pray, pray that God would grant us good weather, good health, good safety, and good fundraising. Let it be, Lord, let it be.

Day Ten: Countdown to Quadrathon

Monday morning was ten days out from the big event, Crazy Man Quadrathon. We started the day with a 16.15  miles bicycle ride. We had a strong north wind going out and amazingly the wind held until we made it back to town. What do I mean about amazingly? North winds are notorious for shifting on you, for changing 180 degrees about the same time you turn your bicycle around.

I let the morning fritter by without me running. I'm not sure how I did that, but I can be pretty good at letting time slip away. I did, however, go to Plate City after lunch and work the bench press over rather well. I did two singles at 150 which means I am stronger than last week. I will only bench lightly later in the week. Next Monday will be some really light stuff, and we will be set for the Quad.

Tyler and I met at the pool. The water temperature had dropped from 82 last Wednesday to 77. What!?!?!?! Yeah. We had one light rain and a few hours of clouds. Tell me how that happens. We swam

  1,200

  8 X 100 @ 2:30

  200 easy

  dolphin kick practice

  total: 2,200 long course meters

So I had a pretty good day even though it did not include any running. I still did three workouts and we moved another day closer. I am getting a bit antsy. Thank you, Jesus.

BBU 28

Starting tomorrow the Countdown to Crazy Man Quadrathon begins. Today's post is my usual summary of last week's training, which was down considerably from the week's before peak. Monday we rode 17.11 miles to start the day and week. In addition to that, I ran 3.76 miles, and swam 2,200 meters.

For Tuesday I don't have much recorded in my diary. I lifted both push and pull, and I ran 6.09 miles. For some reason, I neither rode nor swam.

Wednesday I was back in the saddle, metaphorically and literally. We rode 21.72 miles. I ran 1.34 miles and did leg work at Plate City. Not only that, but I went to the pool for 2,100 meters.

My diary has a blank for Thursday. Huh? It also has a bland for Friday. I can understand Friday because that was Penny and my anniversary. I slept in and we took a trip.

Saturday we were in Louisiana where I ran 9.2 miles in some pretty extreme heat.

For the week, I

swam 4,300 meters,

Skiergged 11:00 minutes,

lifted weights two times,

cycled 38.83 miles, and

ran 20.39 miles

The numbers for everything was down except running. With last weeks mammoth week, however, I am feeling pretty good going into the penultimate week before Quadrathon. Continue to pray for us, please. We need good weather, good health, good safety, and good fundraising.

Longest Run in Louisiana

Saturday I did my longest run ever in the State of Louisiana. The longest in that state, not my longest ever. Friday I did nothing, and I mean nothing. Since Friday was Penny and my 45th wedding anniversary, I skipped the bicycle ride and slept in. I had intended to go to the pool for a swim, but the coffee was good so I stayed in bed. Then it was time to pack. We had plans to go to Louisiana. Penny was attending a women's conference at the Rayville Church of God, and Jimmy Pelly and I had plans for a run.

We left about noon and stopped at Bumpers in Leland for lunch. After that, a reporter from the Greenwood Commonwealth called to interview me about the upcoming Crazy Man Quadrathon. We chatted on the phone for a few minutes and that was that. The article came out in the weekend paper the next day.

Eventually we made it to Monroe where we planned to overnight, shop, and have a nice supper somewhere. We found what we were looking for right early, which is amazing since neither one of us know anything about that town. We saw some stores that Penny likes, got a room nearby, and even found a Longhorn Restaurant. Bingo. 

So I dropped Penny somewhere, found a Dick's Sporting Goods, and did some browsing of my own. After the shopping, we went to Longhorn's. I ordered their biggest steak, of course, and it was good, yeah.

The next morning we ate breakfast at IHOP. Then I dropped Penny at the conference. After that, Jimmy and I drove the course he had planned for us to run. Then went back to his house and took off. I had run six miles in Louisiana many years ago. This route was 9.2 so that would make a PR for me. I did it. It was hot and humid out there. Fortunately, we got some cloud overs and it was windy. If it had not been windy, that course would have been dangerous in that heat and humidity. I was slow as mud, but I made it for a solid workout.

Penny and I drove home after her conference was over. We had a nice night and day there. As usual, however, we were glad to get home. It's nice to go. It's better to come home. The cats were lonely, and our house was cold. Perfect. Thank you, Jesus, for a nice trip.

Activity at Plate City

I really fell off the cliff Thursday. Since I was scheduled to speak at a joint meeting of the Kiwanis and Lions clubs, and since Tyler runs on Thursday mornings, I did not get out of bed, but slept in and spent the morning in preparation for the noon civic club meeting. The meeting went well, from my perspective, and the Kiwanis made a donation to the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. So far, the fundraising has been a little slow, but here a little there a little and it adds up.

So I did not ride. I did not run. After the lunch get together, as usual, I felt washed out. Speaking, even something as natural as I did Thursday, always wears me out. So I took some naps and snacked. I never eat much before I speak so I was hungry when I got home. Too bad because the food at the Country Club is really good.

My old friend DC contacted me about working out. We set a time so I figured I would lift alone. We have set time dozens of time before. I did not believe for one second that he would show up, but guess what? He did.

I only had him do a little bit. Besides having questionable health, he has bad carpel tunnel in both wrists. So I had him do some super light bench presses and three sets on the seated dip machine. With the bench press, he could just cradle the bar. On the seated dip, he could push down using only his palms. I was going to put him on the leg extension and leg curl machine, but his wife called and demanded that he come home right away. Well, it's a start. He needs to do something physical.

I did push and pull and finished with the Skierg. So that was all I did, the one  workout. That's better than a poke in the eye. A little bit. Thank you, Jesus, that DC showed up, and thank you for the chance to speak and the donation. Now help me get back to training.

Darn Tootin'

Tyler, Vickie, and I rode before the sun came up. Richard Beatty was a no-show. Again. I finished with 21.72 miles. DC, my old friend, were scheduled to have breakfast at Acy's that morning. I got off my bicycle, into the shower, and was at his house on time. He forgot. What else is new? Eventually, he got ready and we went. Any short-order cooking at Acy's is the best, and I mean the best. Their PoBoys are better than Crystal's. Their hamburgers are the best I've ever had. And breakfast there is enough to make you howl at the moon, and the moon wasn't even up. I ordered my usual: three eggs over easy, grits, toast, and one slab of sausage. Plus coffee, half a pot. It was good, yeah.

So I did a bicycle ride, breakfast at Acy's and then went home and drank more coffee. Eventually, I got up and took a run. Tuesday's bike ride and six-mile run had me wobbly legged. I only did 1.34 miles, but it was more to my total. 

Yeah, I did more. Besides mowing the front lawn, I went to Plate City for leg work. Leg work? Yeah, I'm bad like that. I only did three sets of squats, but I also did some extensions, some curls, and deadlifts up to 250 pounds. Yeah, I'm strong like that.

Not on your life.

What?

You thought I stopped there. I went to the pool.

And?

I didn't do much. But anything is a thousand times better than nothing. I swam

  2,000

  2 X 50 fast

  practiced dolphin kick

  total: 2,100 metes

And then?

A nap. TV watching. Supper. Lounging. Cats.

You deserved it.

Darn tootin.

Lazy Day

I have them sometimes, lazy days. Tyler bailed on the bicycle ride. He sent a text right after I had begun to try to extract myself from my slumbers. I was glad and turned over and went back to sleep. I was tired, very tired.

After I did the slow start thing, I went out for a run and shuffled 6.09 miles. Despite the temperatures being a bit high, I sweated little. The dew point was 66, which is considered by most areas of the country to be oppressive humidity. For us, that feels like fall. 

Besides missing the bike ride, I missed the pool too. I am lazy like that. I remember thinking how much simpler my day will be if I drop the swim. I did lift, push and pull, as well as mow and weed-eat the back yard. That was still a pretty full day.

Two Eat Outs in One Day

Monday morning Tyler and I were back on the road, back in the saddle, back in training for Quadrathon. The Day of Judgment is a mere 16 days away. I am getting a little excited. I think T man is too. We rode 17.11 miles. Our legs are definitely Quad ready, at least ready for the riding portion. The trick will be adding the running and all that lifting to it. I feel confident, however, that we will get it done. And you know what I thing about confidence don't you? I have long said that it is overrated. But a little confidence is not a bad thing. Not at all.

After our ride, I showered and drove to Winona for the Preacher's Breakfast. This was the first one I had attended in a while. Since normally I am at work when they meet, I don't get to go until school is out. I told the guys about Quadrathon and even passed out index cards with my mailing address and the DFM's name in case they wanted to donate. No one said they would. Not one asked any questions. All I, we, can do in that regard is pray. Lord touch some hearts.

I did a little run in the late morning. I went 3.76 miles. I could tell that the humidity was low. It felt good out there. After the run, I checked and the dew point was 65. Most areas of the country consider a dew point of 65 as "oppressive humidity." Around here a dew point of 65 feels like mid-October. I didn't even sweat. Yehaa.

I was feeling so good, I even called John. We had Over 60s that night so my swim with Tyler was out. John has been swimming on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We have been swimming together on Fridays, only he stood me up last Friday. He never showed even after I called him and set the time. I expected him to be late, but I did expected him to show. He didn't. Well, this time he turned me down. "It's my birthday," he said like that was an excuse. I always do some sort of physical challenge on my birthday. But not John. So alone I swam

  1,600

  4 X 100 breast/free (broken)

  2 X 50 breast

  100 easy

  total - 2,200 meters

Then Penny and I went to Over 60s for my second eat out of the day. The irony is that last week I had a good food week. I actually lost a few pounds. I have another breakfast, a lunch, and at least one more dinner out this week. God save me from fatness.

BBU 27 (Peak Week)

For endurance events, I like to peak, in terms of volume, three weeks out from the target race. I did that last week. Monday we rode 17.45 miles. Also, I ran 3.55 miles and swam 2,600 yards in the little pool.

Tuesday it was 13.71 on the bicycle, 3,200 meters in the big pool, and 2.39 miles on the road. In addition to that, I lifted at Plate City Gym.

The assault on the numbers continued Wednesday with a 48.17 mile bicycle ride. I hit the big pool for 4,100 long course meters, and the roadwork was 3.24. I added a little bit of lifting at The City.

Thursday and Friday saw my running numbers drop, but I was still getting a few in. Thursday I rode 13.2 to give me 102.53 for the week. I ran a mere 1.25 and swam a solid 3,600 meters. Added to that was some lifting. Friday I took off the bicycle but ran 1.11 and swam a big5,200 yards in the little pool.

Saturday was finish up day. I finished up my goal of 20,000 meters in the pool with 2,200 yards in the indoor pool. On the road, I stretched myself to 10.43 miles.

For the week, I

  swam 20,038 meters,

  ran 21.97 miles,

  cycled 102.53 miles, and

  lifted weights three times.

I did not Skierg, but that was still one solid week that will give me the endurance to do Quadrathon, which is coming up in 17 days. Please pray. We need health, safety, good weather, and generous fundraising. I am about to mail in $300 more dollars. That brings this year's total to $640. We are still a long way from our goal of $7,500. Thank you, Jesus, for those who have donated.

Finishing Up

Saturday was a big day, a day of finishing up. Remember I wrote about my goals for the week? I was aiming for a 20/20 week plus 100 miles on the bicycle. Thursday morning I completed the 100 miles of cycling. Saturday morning, I first went to the pool where I had things whittled down to needing a mere 2,200 yards to hit the elusive goal of a 20,000 meter water week. Believe it or not, it was not an easy chore. My swimming muscles were tired from Friday's 5,200 yards. But I did it and finished the second of the three distance goas I had set for myself.

Luckily, the temps were warm but not hot by the time I headed out the door for some roadwork. I needed 8.5 miles to finish out my 20-mile week. I kept going for 10.43 miles. Yeah, I solid run when coupled with last Saturday's 30.31, should have plenty of running endurance in my legs for Quadrathon.

Although I lifted weights three times this week, I had planned to go for number four Saturday evening. Fatigue, however, got the best of me so I took a shower instead. Still not a bad day. At the pool, I worked by other strokes and even swam a 25 of butterfly. On the road I went long finished out a big week exactly three weeks from the long-awaited event. Praise God.

Big Swim

Friday morning I slept in for the first time in I don't know how long. It felt good. I stayed in bed until the coffee was all gone then got up for a very short 1.11 mile shuffle. Yeah, I'm lazy like that. 

After lunch I went to the pool needing some big yardage to keep me in the hunt for my goal for the week. I swam 5,200 yards in the little pool because it was lightning like the plagues of Egypt. The practice went like this:

  4,400 1:26:26

  250 back

  150 small paddles

  50 back

  150 medium paddles

  25 breast

  25 breast

  100 25/25 free/back

  12.5 fly

  12.5 fly

I was tired after that one. Penny and I went to Crystal for supper. I had the chicken livers. Despite all that swimming, I barely got them all down. But I did. I'm good like that.

Bad like That

Although I haven't mentioned it, I started the week with some definite, aggressive goals. In the past, I have mentioned that when I wore a younger man's running shoes, I thought of a 20/20 week as the gold standard of training. 

What's that you say?

Remember, a 20/20 week is one in which I run at least 20 miles and swim at least 20,000 meters all within the same seven days. It's kind of hard to do. Well, that wasn't aggressive enough for me so I added 100 miles on the bicycle on top of all of that. So my goal for this week is to hit 20/20/100. This is my big volume week for Crazy Man Quadrathon. One hundred miles on the bicycle has always been sort of equivalent to a 20-mile running week. It is enough volume to lay a foundation of basic fitness. 

How's it going?

Thursday morning, I finished the bicycle with an easy 13.2 mile ride. I am now putting the bicycle aside until Monday morning. On the run, I am only half way there. In the pool, I have to bust it out big today to have a chance to finish Saturday. The pool numbers are always the most difficult ones to get. 

After the ride, I took a short and easy 1.25-mile run. Why so short? Remember Wednesday I rode 48 miles, ran 3.24, and did a squat workout. In short, my legs needed butter Thursday: they were toast.

In the pool, I hit 3,600 meters as

  1,800

  200

  4 X 50 @ WIFL

  100 paddles

  6 X 50 WIFL

  9 X 100 @ 2:30 with paddles

  100 easy

That was a strong practice right there. After that, I went to Plate City and did workout number four. Yeah, another four-workout day. I'm bad like that. So the training is going well. I plan to take it easy today, hoping for a short run and a long pool swim. Thank you, Jesus, for a good week. 

A Really Big Day

I had one of my biggest training days ever Wednesday. It started with Tyler and me heading out early. We met at 5:15 with the idea of riding 40 miles. To make a short story long, we rode 46 miles together. I get an additional two miles of riding to and from his house so I finished with 48.17. I took a nap afterwards and was still for a long time. 

Eventually, I did get up for a 3.02 mile run. Not only that, but I went to Plate City afterwards to work on legs. I didn't do a lot, just one warmup set and one high-rep set of squats with some treadmill work in between. Yeah, I'm bad like that. I added the .22 I did on the treadmill to my run total for the day giving me 3.24 miles. With the weights, at this point I was at three workouts for the day.

Really? You thought I stopped there? Not on your life. I met Tyler at the big pool where we undoubtedly made some gains. We swam 1,000 in 21:44 as a warmup. Then we did a 700 countdown set. I don't want to explain a countdown set right now. Suffice to say it involves a lot of gear shifting. After the 700 countdown, we did 600 easy. Up next was a 200 for time followed immediately be 500 easy. We finished up with 100 for time followed by a 1,000 easy cooldown. Tyler had to leave after 200 on the cooldown giving him 3,300 and me 4,100 long course meters. 

That my friend, is good training, I don't care who you are. Four workouts, a 48-mile bicycle ride, a 3.24-mile run, a lower body weight session, and 4,100 meters of swimming that included some tough quality is one full day of preparation for the world's first quadrathon. I can't wait.

Telling Jim Bob about Tuesday's Training

"Four."

"Four?"

"Four. I didn't stutter."

"Well aren't we sweet today."

"Listen, if you're going to be a smart aleck, you can just leave now."

"You can just leave now," he mocked me in a stupid tone.

"I mean it, Jim Bob. It's too early in the morning for you to be getting on my nerves."

After that nothing was said for a minute or two. And as usual, I felt bad for snapping. But nobody makes me snap like ole' JB. 

"You want coffee?"

"If you think I deserve it," he said draining his his cup like he had done nothing wrong.

"What you deserve is a punch in the throat. But I am too well raised by my mom to do that to you."

He handed me his cup without another word. The birds were singing. At least they were happy. I went inside and filled the cups, mine and his, and went back out to Plate City to tell him about Tuesday's training.

"We rode 23.71 miles early."

"Why so far? Where did you go? Who made the ride? What did you feel like? What was your average pace? What was your max speed? Did you eat anything before hand? How was the. . . ."

"Stop it!!!" 

He's like that, and if I did not get a really good night's sleep the night before I can't take it. If I had let him go on, he would have asked how many times I passed gas? did it pee on the side of the road? did I spit often? did I get bugs in my eyes? how many cars rode by? did we see any wildlife? what was the temperature before, during, and after the ride? what do the crops look like? what was my average heart rate? what was my max heart rate? what did I drink on the ride? It makes me ashamed to say it, but Pee Wee is the only one ever happy to see Jim Bob walk up.

"About mid-morning, I went out for a 2.39 mile run," I started back after regaining my composure.

"Why so short?"

"How many miles did you run?" I said shooting him a hard look. I was quiet awhile while I waited for my anger to subside. Then I started back.

"Mid-afternoon I went to the pool."

"What did you do at the pool?"

I literally bit my tongue. Then I sat in silence and let the music of the birds soothe my soul. When I felt better, I recommenced giving Jim Bob his report.

"I swam 3,000 straight. Then 2 X 50/50 breast/free for a total of 3,200 meters."

Pee Wee perked up and ran to the fence, giving the evil eye to a squirrel. 

"After 6:00, I hit the weights for push and pull. So there you have it: a bike ride, a run, a swim, and a weight lifting session. Four workouts in one day."

"Well aren't we something?"

"Did your momma ever slap you?" I sincerely asked.

"No but she taught me not to stay where I am not wanted," he said as he got up and headed for the gate.

"If you let Pee Wee out, we are going to have a problem."

He didn't let Pee Wee out. But he slammed the gate hard as he left in a huff. The sad thing is, I knew he'd be back.

The Best-laid Plans

I decided to start this week off right so I determined to beat all of last week's numbers. First, Tyler and I met up for an early morning ride. The birds were trying to outdo themselves with singing and flying and hunting yards. We went out Wade Road due to the high wind and rode back and forth on it. I got home with 17.41 miles on my watch, up .2 from last week.

I ran some errands then ran. Last week it was 2.74 miles. This week I went 3.55. Then I mowed the back lawn and did some other stuff. 

Tyler and I met at the pool. We have been swimming the big pool. When I drove up, however, the pool was filled with kids. Back in the day, I would just have to go home mad. Now we have a back up in the little pool. We swam

  2,000 (in about 35:00. We used Tyler's watch because my battery was down)

  8 X 50 @ WIFL

  2 X 25/25 breast/free

  1 X 50 breast

  1 X 50 back

  total: 6,600 yards = 2,376 meters

Last week I only swam 2,200 meters on day one. So I am off to a big start and the week looks promising. How will it turn out? There is an old saying about the best-laid plans of mice and men and quadrathetes. I can only hope.

BBU 26

My Quadrathon training hit full stride last week and not a moment too soon. The quad is exactly 24 days away. Yehaa. The big event of the BBU (Big Build Up) is rushing towards us like the wind on a windshield at highway speed. The week went like this:

Monday started on the bicycle with a 17.21-mile ride before work. After work, I ran 2.74 miles. Later, Tyler and I swam the big pool for a 2,200 meters. The water was 75 degrees cool. The three workouts gave me an OK start.

Tuesday, all the numbers were down. On the bicycle, we only went 14.12 miles. On the road, I only ran 2.12 miles. And in the pool, I only swam 2,100 meters. But in addition to all of that, I also lifted weights making it a four-workout day. 

Wednesday was a lazy day. I did not run. I did meet my training partner for a 17.21 mile bicycle ride, and we did hit the pool for 2,300 meters. 

Thursday was another lazy day where I once again failed to run. But I started the day with a 32.56 mile bicycle ride with my buddy. In addition to that, I swam 2,550 meters, and lifted weights. According to my math, that's three training sessions.

Friday, however, I was down to two training sessions. A short run of 1.73 miles added to a strong swim of 2,600 meters, brought my swimming numbers up into a respectable range.

Saturday was a busy one. First, I attended the Greenwood Mentoring Group's annual Prayer Breakfast. They fed us well, and it was a nice event. Then I studied some for Sunday. After that, I went by Forrest's new house. Finally, I went out for a run. For two straight weeks, my running has been in the cellar. I brought it out into the daylight Saturday with a 10.31 mile shuffle. That will put some endurance back into the wheels. 

Robert from Twin Rivers fixed the new treadmill so we are back in business there. Plate City took another giant step forward. Then I did a leg workout, squatting and walking on the treadmill between sets. My mind exploded with ideas. 

For the week, I

  swam 13,250 meters,

  skiergged 16:50 minutes,

  ran 16.9 miles,

  lifted weights three times, and

  cycled 81.13 miles.

Is that good training? You're dog gone tootin. Thank you, Jesus.

Swimming the Big Pool

I haven't written anything about training this week. We are in finals at school and those few days are always a death struggle for me. But I am home this morning. I work tomorrow and then I am off for the summer. Yehaa!!!

Monday morning Tyler and I were on the road before work for 17 miles. I ran after work for 2.74 miles then met Big T at the pool, the outdoor one. We swam 2,200 as

  100

  1,300

  400 count down set

  6 X 50

  100 easy

The water temp was 75, up three degrees from last Thursday. It's not pleasant for me getting started, but swimming at that temp feels good. 

Tuesday, despite having crazy day at work, I did four workouts. Huh? Yeah, I did. First, Big T and I pedaled a short but enjoyable 14.12 miles. Somewhere I snuck in 2.12 miles of roadwork. Then I went to the pool, the outdoor one again and swam 2,100. At 6:00 p.m., Tyler and I met up at Plate City for workout number four. We did push and pull to finish out one full day.

Wednesday we rode again, 17.24 miles. Tyler could not make the pool, but I swam a pretty nice practice. I warmed up with 1,500, then did a hard 350, and followed that with 7 X 50. The easy 100 cool down gave me 2,300 meters. The water, by the way, had warmed to 78.

The Mississippi Senior Olympics Swim Meet 2022

I stood on the pool deck with googles on, swim cap pulled down tight, and stomach churning. Nervous. I was nervous. The 500 free, my best event, was about to begin, and even after racing five times that day, I really did not know how fit I was. Would I lose? Just the thought of defeat in this race caused me pain. How did I get here? Why did I not know my own fitness level? Why was I on deck at all?

The trip to Biloxi, to the Mississippi Senior Olympics swim meet, had begun a year earlier when I swam six events winning five and finishing second in one. At my age, to be able to compete at all is a treat and to have a chance to win is a big deal. It's fun and it provides my life with some structure, purpose, a reason to go to the pool and gym and put in some hard that relieves stress, burns calories, and improves my health. 

The beautiful Biloxi Natatorium, the scene of our
Mississippi State Senior Olympics swim meet

I had trained all year since the 2021 swim meet with the eye on coming back and doing better, swimming faster, having more fun. I had run, bicycled, lifted weights, and swum. Around December, I picked up a training partner which gave my training a shot in the arm. We pushed each other always to do a little more. 

With the Senior Olympics coming up in April, in January I started increasing my weekly yardage. With Tyler to push me in the pool and in the gym, I was getting really fit. Then in mid-March I was stricken with tendonitis in my right shoulder. It was bad enough that I swam not a stroke for five straight days and when I swam on the sixth day, it was only for 900 yards with no freestyle whatsoever. I could breast stroke and backstroke but the front crawl was too painful. For five straight weeks my training was severely limited in volume, intensity, and stroke selection. But I did what I could to maintain some fitness. Did I do enough? Only the 500 would tell me for sure.

The week before the swim meet, I had improved enough that I put in a good week in terms of volume. I swam 12,747 meters. Despite the yardage, however, the quality was absent. I did not trust my body enough to do the tough sets needed to swim really well. So with race week being a taper week, we made the drive to Biloxi with me honestly not knowing how much my fitness had been impacted by the reduction in training. I had continued to run. I had lifted weights. I knew I had not lost everything, but exactly where my racing fitness in the water was was a mystery to me.

I was signed up the 200 free, the 50 breast, the 50 back, the 50 free, the 100 free, and the 500 free. The 200 was my first race of the meet, and although I won, it hurt bad, real bad. Remember Buff Dude from last year? I now know that his name is Edmond Lee, he is 61 so not in my age group, and he is a pretty good swimmer. He was in my 200 heat and he pushed me hard. If you look at the shot of the Leader Board below, you will see that I beat him by a mere nine seconds. My time was good, 2:51.87, for me, but the way it hurt me left me thinking that I might be doomed. Besides the 500, the other races were short enough that I could get through them. But the 500 had me worried.

Photo credit, Vickie Jee

Next up for me was the 50 breast. The breast is not a good stroke for me, but I purposed to swim it to try to broaden myself as an athlete. In 2021, I added two backstroke events and won one of them and finished second in the other. Now I am thinking I will do something new at each meet, keep trying to be a more well-rounded swimmer. There were five of us in the heat. Not at all to my surprise, I got my butt handed to me. I finished last, and I was not even close to fourth place. But I did it and I don't regret doing it. I got beat, but I am still alive, still happy, and my wife still loves me. Yehaa!

Later, on the table where they put out our medals, I found one with my name on it that said, Second place, 50 breast. Huh? I asked one of the race officials, and he said that the awards go to Mississippi residents, that three of the four who beat me were from out of state so I got the silver. Yehaa. At one point before the race, from my anxiety over my fitness and looking at the seed times in the events I was signed up for, I was thinking it was possible I might not even win a single race or medal at all. Now things were looking up: two races, two medals.

My next race was the 50 back. There were only two of us in the heat, and I came in second. But just like with the breast, he was an out-of-stater so I won the gold. Then came the 50 free. I dove off the blocks but went too deep. Deep is good if you are a world-class swimmer with a strong dolphin kick. I don't have a strong dolphin kick so when I surfaced, I was a half body length behind the other competitors. I won the 50 free at the last two meets and could have this time, but when I looked at the leader board, it had a second by my name that quickly changed to third. Huh? Turns out that I tied for third but got the silver again as I was the second Mississippian to the wall.

In the 100 free, there was only one other guy in my heat. I chatted him up before the race and found out he was starting off the deck so I decided I would also. Starting off the blocks brings the risk of the googles coming off which happened to me in the breaststroke race. So we went off the deck, and I beat him to the first wall. After that, I admit that I did not push it too hard since I was still worried about the 500. I won collecting my third gold of the day.

Finally, the 500 arrived. I was still apprehensive, but I wanted to win this one very bad. To lose here would really hurt my feelings. Two other men were in my heat. One went off the blocks. I and the guy next to me went off the deck. By the first wall I was even with the guy next to me. Since I was in the outside lane and the man in the other outside lane started off the blocks, I pulled my head up after my flip turn to look for him. I did not see him. Was I really ahead of him already? To make a short story long, I lapped the guy next to me two times and won by two minutes and forty-five seconds. My time, however, was seven seconds slower than last year, but still not bad. Amazingly, although I pushed it hard, I did not suffer like I did in the 200.

So what did I learn? During my injury, I did what I could, mostly swimming breast and backstroke. Apparently, I did not lose too much fitness. Why was the 200 so hard on me? I now think that I did not warmup enough. Usually I try to swim 1,000 yards. Because my training was sketchy, I only swam 550 for a warmup trying to save some energy. I thought that would be sufficient. Not so.

Penny and Vickie at Friday night dinner

All in all it was a nice trip for us. Penny and I had a good supper the night before with Vickie Jee and Penny's friend, Denise Harvey, who lives in Ocean Springs. We did a little shopping and just enjoyed being on the coast. The water, the sand, and the palm trees give the area a different vibe than the one we experience here in the Delta. It was nice to get away. It was nicer to come home, to our little spot of earth. Thank you, Jesus, for a good meet, a good trip, and a good wife to enjoy it all with.

Penny's friend from the coast who
met us for dinner

BBU 25

BBU 25 was an odd week since I was tapering for the big swim meet and Tyler and I were transitioning to a new schedule in our training. Monday we rode early putting in 17.22 miles. I did not get in a run, but I did do a swim practice with Tyler amounting to 2,300 yards.

Tuesday we rode for 17.94 miles. I found time to run but not to swim. On the road, I did 4.14 miles. Wednesday was interesting. We cycled before work for 18.72 miles. I made a small run of 2.18 miles and Tyler was insistent that we swim the big pool. For me, it was cold. Later, Garmin Connect told me that the water temperature was 72. We warmed up  with 1,200 meters, and then did some sprints.

Thursday we met a few minutes earlier and rode22.17 miles. Besides my 1.13 miles of roadwork, I went back inside for a short swim of 1,150 yards. Friday I did nothing. Penny and I left early for the coast. We stopped in Jackson for a little shopping and had a nice supper with friends on Beach Boulevard.

Saturday was the swim meet. I warmed up with 550 yards. Then I swam six races: 50 breast, 50 back, 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, and 500 free. The reason I swam six was they wouldn't let me swim seven. I will write a full post on the meet. It was nice. I enjoyed myself and exceeded my expectations.

Sunday, we went to church and lounged after lunch. For the week, I

  ran - 8.47 miles,

  Skiergged - 5:20

  cycled - 76.05 miles,

  lifted weights - one time, and

  swam - 5,878 meters

Although the running mileage was down, the lifting was down, the swim numbers were down, and the Skierg numbers were down, the meet confirmed my swim fitness, and the cycling that Tyler and I did is what we need right now. And we got that done. We put some bicycle fitness in the bank. Quadrathon is exactly one month from today. I am looking forward to it. So is my teammate. Praise God.