10/24 - 10/30

Monday was a typical training day with everything being done at Plate City. I shuffled 2.02 miles on the treadmill and did a push weight workout as well as 2:00 on the skierg. 

Tuesday I made it to the pool and moved my swimming up to a whopping 200 yards. Yeah, I am being careful following the old adage: Better sorry than safe. In the afternoon, I shuffled 3.08 miles, did a pull workout, and hit the skierg for 2:15.

I was back in the pool Wednesday morning and this time I hit it for 300 yards. The afternoon saw me do the Wellness Wednesday run and home for a total of 5.44 miles. Then I hit the legs at the City. 

When I got home from work Thursday, I went to bed and stayed there until Penny and I went to the GLT play. Fatigue. Somehow I had gotten tired.

Friday, however, I drove to Carroll County, to New Hope Baptist Church where I parked and proceeded to run up and down the half-mile hill there and some other road. I amassed 10.81 miles of roadwork.

Saturday, I saved my workout at the City for the Florida/Georgia game. It was worth the wait. I did full body hittine the arms (push and pull) and legs. On the lower body, I concentrated on the trapbar deadlift and hit a new PR of 285 pounds. Top that, Randy Beets!

You already know what I did Sunday. And I did it well. For the week, I

swam 868 meters,

lifted weights three times,

skiergged 4:15 minutes, and

ran 24.16 miles

The swimming has been down for a while now. But, a wise man once told me, "All you can do is all you can do." I might could have done more, but I am trying to be wise about my training. This summer, I have some big swimming events on the calendar. Between now and then, I have a marathon and a 50-mile race planned. Oh, I haven't told you about that? Praise the Lord and stay tuned.

Saturday

Yeah, I slept in. Then I began to face the day with cats, hot coffee, and some light blogging. I wrote about my Friday adventure which only wetted my appetite for some more hill running. Now I am thinking of doing some 10+ milers in the hills like I used to do instead of just running up and down a single hill. In the past, I parked at Hodge Ski Lodge and had a number of routes to run. I am thinking now of parking at Centerville Church, which will afford me a bathroom. I can run some of my old routes but from a different starting and stopping place.

Saturday, I went to Plate City around mid-afternoon, when the Georgia/Florida game came on. The rain poured, and I thought how blessed I am to now have a roof over my head so I can keep working out despite the weather. There was a time, two and a half years ago, when I did not have that.

I did it all: run, push, pull, and some legs. On the treadmill, I totalled 2.81 miles as I usually do, warming up and doing short runs between sets. I had a good time, worked my body thoroughly, and enjoyed the ball game. Pee Wee was also happy. Thank you, Jesus.

Friday Fun Day

What did I do for Friday Fun Day? I'll give you three guesses.

   Did I buy weights? No, but there might or might not have been an attempt.

   Did I take a nap? Yes, but that was not the main event.

   Did I take a run, maybe in an unusual place? Bingo. Let me tell you about it.

Over the past few weeks, I have been traveling and doing some serious (for me) uphill shuffling. First, I went to Little Mountain and ran up it not once but two times. Then last week, I traveled to the Big Black River boat ramp on Highway 407. The summit of the hill climbing out of the Big Black Bottom is 1.25 miles from its base if you go south. I ran that one three times.

This week, I went to Carroll County, out Humphrey Highway to New Hope Baptist Church where I parked. The hill there is not nearly as long or steep as Little Mountain of the Big Black River hill, but it is a solid one half mile and the steepness is just enough to make you work hard but allow for some push. 

New Hope Church sits at the
summit of my latest hill run.

I started the run with an easy shuffle to the bottom, headed back towards town, then across it and over the next hill. That took me past the old Dave's Store, closed now for decades, but still holding some fond memories for me. When I was eight years old, Dad bought me a Yoo Hoo Chocolate drink there. 

By the time I got back to the base of the hill, I had 1.34 miles done, and I was warmed and ready to run. I pushed up the half mile the first time at an 11:46 per mile average pace. It's been a few years since I have done this hill. I think I used to break 10:00 on it.

I shuffled down, trying to recover, and ran up again. This time, my average was 11:14. On the third climb, I did 11:36, and the fourth was a painful 11:53. I knew then I would never get back up under 12:00 that day unless I drove it. 

The cemetery at New Hope

I took a little detour through the New Hope Cemetery before stopping at the truck for an Endurolyte, a Gu, and some Gatorade. Then I left shuffling towards a gravel road I used to run often when I wore a younger man's running shoes. I knew of a tough hill on it that I thought would be good to run up. I didn't plan to push the pace on it, just make it to the top, and that's what I did. 

While in that area, I stopped at the Shady Grove M. B. Church, hoping to find a bathroom. Did they have an outdoor toilet, maybe a real restroom that could be accessed from the outside, or maybe an unlocked door? I needed to sit down, if you know what I mean.

 

The summit of the gravel hill. See that
building in the background? That's the
Shady Grove Church.

Believe it or not, I not only found an unlocked door, I found one that was open. It frightened me a little bit, because I wondered if an intruder was in there. I peeped in, and seeing no one, I eased in. There was a counter, and I tipped up towards it and warily looked over to see if someone was sleeping on the floor. I found no one. I also found no bathroom. To make it all even better, there was no ingress to the rest of the church. I did, however, find some napkins, and I took a few with me thinking they might come in handy.

That's pretty right there; I don't
care who you are.

I left the church forlorn and stepping gently. I watched my Garmin and aimed to get far enough away that the run back to the truck would give me the distance I wanted. As I shuffled along, I was hit again and again by waves of nostalgia as I thought back to when I used to regulary run these roads but at a much faster pace than now. 

I made my turn and headed back to the truck. When I got there, I had shuffled 10.81 miles and had climbed 587 feet. Not bad for an old man, says I. 

I Needed the Rest

I got up Thursday morning and met Tyler at the pool. Oh, you noticed we haven't been doing much together lately? There are a few reasons for that. First, unlike me, he has a real job, and he's been travelling a lot of late. Plus he has a young wife and a child on the way. You get the point. Or you should.

I told him ahead of time that I couldn't do much. On the docket for me was 400 yards done by 50s. And that is what I did except at the end, I added 2 X 25. So I swam a whopping 450 yards. But notice the trajectory: it's coming up. The left shoulder is fine. The right one is better. Praise God.

He came by Plate City after the swim just to check out the changes. He had not been there since Crazy Man Quadrathon so a lot had changed. He was impressed, or at least he said he was.

At work, I was glad it was Friday. Fatigue had caught up with me and was pressing my head down. After my tour of duty I went home, ran an errand, then went home again. I had planned to go to the City and run and lift. Once I climbed into the bed, however, I could not extricate myself. I needed the rest so I took it. Thank you, Jesus. 

Wednesday

Wednesday is always an exciting day for me. It's like Thursday only better. Not better than Thursday now, but better than Thursday used to be. On the four-day schedule, Wednesday is now my Thursday which is now my Friday. Yes, I like coming to work. I also like getting off work, being free to play. Thus, Wednesday has taken on a new flavor. 

Wait, haven't you guys been on the four-day for years now? 

Yeah, and it never gets old. Thank you, Jesus.

I got up and went to the pool. Remember Tuesday I swam 200 yards. I upped that to 300 Wednesday morning, and I did them by 50s. The left shoulder is well. The right one is still just a little off. Probably I could do more, but I had rather be sorry than safe so I am rebuilding very slowly. I really don't need anymore injuries.

After work, I did the Wellness Wednesday run. Katie was out due to some student obligations, but Vicki met me at the Crystal and we did an interval run. First, I walked 1.24 miles over. Then I ran 3.0 on the trail with some .2s at a faster clip thrown in. Then I shuffled home 2.44 home and around for a total of 5.44 for the day.

At Plate City, it was leg day. Squats, leg extensions, and the hip abductor/adductor machine as well as a few calf raises made for a full but fun workout. While I lifted, Deadliest Catch played on the TV. The weather was cool, just enough to need sleeves. Pee Wee was happy and barking at squirrels. I took in the neighboring trees with my eys. My legs got thrashed. That's a good thing.

So Wednesday gave me three, three workouts. The swim was not much, but I am 2.4 miles ahead of last week on the road. Also, I have lifted every day this week. Consequently, if I can keep this going, I am headed for a solid block of training. Thank you, Jesus.

Three Attempts

Tuesday morning, I got up and went to the pool. I did not have a good swim, however, due to JSS (Janky Shoulder Syndrome) in both shoulders. The left one was a bit better, but the right one, although it wasn't painful, didn't feel right so I stopped after only 200 yards. Is that even a swim? you ask. Well, I am writing it down in my journal. I figured better sorry than safe. I have had enough trouble that I figured it's time to stop hurting myself. It's time to start rebuilding, to get ready for the Senior Olympics, the State Games, and the big DFM fundraiser in 2023.

After work I went out for roadwork and shuffled 3.08 miles. Then at Plate City, I did a pull workout that included speed bag play and 2:15 on the Skierg. Oh, and some battle ropes were thrown on there too. In fact, it was a circuit of Swim Pull, speed bag, Skierg, speed bag, and battle ropes. So why the double on the speed bag. It was active recovery. Between the bouts of the higher intensity stuff, I recovered some on the bag while the muscles still had to work a bit. Sould be good for endurance.

So that was an attempt at three workouts. Thank God for that.

Alabama Rustic Camper

Meager Monday

It might have been a meager day, but it was not without some training. I did not swim. Due to ongoing JSS in both shoulders, I let them and my whole body rest Monday morning. Then I had my long day at work.

After work, I went to Plate City. Since I was also suffering from JKS in my left knee, I decided to attempt a run on the treadmill instead of risking a failure on the road. The knee did not hurt when I shuffled on the treadmill. Praise God.

I did my push workout, or a push workout. Not only that, but I worked on the speedbag, did a set on the skierg, and finished up with some battle ropes. Yeah, I worked the aerobic enzymes in my upper body muscle cells. 

I totalled 2.02 on the mill. On the weights, I did not go very heavy. In fact, I didn't go heavy at all. That's because of the JSS. But I was out there, and I was working. Maybe that is why they call it working out. Furthermore, I enjoyed myself, spent time with my partner Pee Wee, and watched some Paul Finebaum. Life is good. Thank you, Jesus.

10/17 - 10/23

It wasn't a strong week of training. Monday I did nothing. We had Over 60s and that always makes it difficult if not impossible to train since I work unitl 4:00. There is no way I can eat all of that fish and come home and run or lift. Never gunna happen.

Tuesday I ran 2.82 miles and did a light push and pull workout. Why light? I have been suffering from JSS for the past couple of weeks. What is JSS? you ask. It is Janky Shoulder Syndrome. I fell awhile back causing my left shoulder to jank up. The right one seems to not want to be outdone by the left one. 

Wednesday morning I went to the pool. The left shoulder really bothered me. My Teres Major or Minor must have been damaged in the fall because it did not like pulling water. In the gym, it does not like the reverse fly although I can do the chest-supported row with no issues. We ran the Wellness Wednesday thing. I did five fast quarters, but they weren't fast. On the way home, I shuffled another 2.27 miles giving me 5.31 for the day.

The spirit of laziness gripped me Thursday. Doing nothing, however, sometimes is a pretty good thing. Seeing how I had a big run planned for Friday, my conscience bothered me none to sit around and watch the Paul Finebaum Show.

I went to the Big Black River boat ramp Friday morning and ran up and down that hill three times. Doing a tad extra, I got 13.03 miles for the day with 673 feet of climbing. That was enough.

Saturday, I missed calculated and forgot about a family social event. I ran and easy 2.3 miles, but had no time to lift which I like to do on Saturdays. Well, it could have been worse.

For the week, I

  swam 137 meters, 

  ran 23.29 miles,

  skiergged 1:45 minutes, and

  lifted weights two times

At least it was a good week running wise. My run endurance is coming up and the long runs are not so hard now. Maybe this week I can get all the numbers up where they need to be. Praise God that I can try.

Short Saturday

Saturday was not a productive day for me. I wrote a little bit, drank coffee, and spent time with CC. Eventually I went out for a short suffle. I only went 2.13 miles in part because 13.03 on Friday was a big run. Besides the distance, I climbed 673 feet. Huh? My watch measures the elevation gain I make on my runs. That run was designed to have a lot of climbing in it. For a Mississippi Delta boy, 673 feet is a lot of up. So my Saturday run was not much. 

I had scheduled a big time at Plate City, but I forgot about a family get together in the early evening. Thus there was no second workout for either the upper body or the lower body. Sigh. It happens sometimes. Well, that means I will be a little more fresh next week.

Another Hill Challenge

You might have noticed, well maybe you haven't since this was only the second time lately. A few weeks back, I went to Jeff Busby State Park and ran up Little Mountain two times. Yesterday, I went to the Big Black River Boat landing on Highway 407 and ran up and down the hill leaving the Big Black bottom three times. Yeah, it was a big workout.

I drove in fairly early and started running about 8:15 a.m. I went out early because JJ Fergeson was scheduled to haul some beams that weighed 176,000 pounds up Valley Hill at 7:00 a.m. Gerald Johnson had given me the headsup on that. Thanks, Gerald. Those diesels were working pulling that hill, about ten miles per hour at the top.

The Big Black is a lot closer than Little Mountain, but there are no bathrooms and no water fountains like you find at the State Park. It was still chilly when I ran a mile in the bottom to warm up before I started my first climb. I didn't time the climb, but just did my typical shuffle. That was hard enough.

The picture doesn't capture the vastness of the
elevation drop from here to the bottom

When I came down, I went to the truck, took an Endurolyte, and swapped out a water bottle. Not only that, but I left my long sleeve shirt at the truck because both the weather and I were warming up.

My second summit introduced me to uphill running on tired legs. Also, when I got near the top, I found a snake in the road, a chicken snake as we always called them. I attempted to pick him up but he was not in a sociable mood.

The unsociable snake, probably trying
 to stay warm.

After my second descent, I stopped at the truck again, drank some, and took an energy gel. Then I went back for another run up. This time, in order to get more distance, I went down the other side of the hill and had to climb back up before the long downhill to the truck. All in all, I shuffle for 13.03 miles and made three major climbs. My legs told me that was enough.

A neat side road I found. Will I come back 
sometime and explore this? What do
you think?

So how does this hill compare to Little Mountain or the one on Humphrey's Highway? The one on Humphry Highwas is the toughest. It measures .75 miles of steep uphill and always makes me think I might actually die. Little Mountain ranks second with .8 miles of climbing but not quite as steep as Humphrey Highway. The Big Black hill comes in third in terms of difficulty but it measures an incredible 1.25 straight miles of climbing but at not nearly the grade of the other two. 

And actually, there is a hill that beats all of these that I ran a couple of years ago. Penny and I went to Woodall Mountain once and it measures just shy of a mile climb, but the steepness is enough to make you hurt really bad. Really bad. The summit of Woodall Mountain is the highest elevation in Mississippi at 806 feet, and Little Mountain is the second highest elevation in our short state at just over 600 feet.

There is another hill that I sometimes run, and I think I will try it out again soon. On Humphrey's Highway, past the climb out of the delta is a hill a little over .5 long and not too steep. The advantage of this one is that you can push the pace on it and if you do, it will work you really hard.

I know what you are thinking. What about Valley Hill that the trucks hauled those beams up? I used to run it many years ago on my way to Carrollton before the state 4-laned the highway. Now you would be on the wrong side, going with the traffic instead of against it. What about the other side? I ran it many years ago. As they make highways now, it is not as steep as the old highway but longer, measuring just over a mile. I'm not too crazy about it because the traffic is heavy which annoys me greatly. Once running it, I had my cap literally blown off my head by an eighteen wheeler. But, it is close to home and with the weather cooling, I would not have to get up early to do it. Come to think of it, I will put it back on my list.

So why the hill running all of the sudden? A couple of reasons. One is I just want to have some fun. Fun? Well, an experience, something different. Another reason concerns performance. As a delta man, running hills is not my strong suit. Hill running makes to muscles work very hard and runs the heart rate up way high. In short, it is good for fitness, not bad for fun, and certainly different than running the delta. Thank you, Jesus.

Nothing

The weekend started at 1:30 on Thursday this week, unlike last week when I worked ELearning for almost three hours. I went home, then travelled to Grenada because I found some weights on Facebook Market Place. I got a good deal on some Olympic plates. I thought you didn't need anymore plates, you are thinking. Trust me, need has nothing to do with it.

When I got home from Grenada, Penny was gone to BPAC with Forrest. I became lazy. Since I had a big run planned for Friday, I lounged around and rested. Yeah, I didn't go to the pool, I didn't go running, I didn't even go to Plate City. Yeah, I do that sometimes.

Wellness Wednesday

Every Wednesday is Wellness Wednesday at the Greenwood Center of MDCC. Katie Jones, our counselor and events planner, has hosted a number of things over the years. Sometimes she brings in a speaker or hosts a presentation that helps students deal with stress, depression, and the strains of life. Of late, we have been trying to get some of the students out for a walk/run. We got them out one day, for our annual 5K (or what's the term? we do it twice in a year).

No one but Katie and I, however, showed up yesterday. She was late and had already texted me to start on time. Thus, I was over a mile in when she caught me. We mostly ran together for the rest of the course. We did it interval fashion, a fast .25 followed by a slow .25. It was a lousy run for me. I suppose me legs have not recovered from Friday's long run.

Anyway, we got it done. I walked over, ran the 3.04 miles with five hard .25s, and then shuffled home for another 2.27 miles giving me 5.31 miles for the day. Did I mention that I got up to swim? I went to the pool, but the fall I took Friday is still affecting my left shoulder. My right one doesn't feel too good either. I swam 150 yards. You read that right, 150 yards, my all-time shortest swim.

You might remember what Wednesday night is at Plate City: Leg Day/Night. I squatted heavy and did calf raises and hip abductor/adductor exercises. Not only that, but I practiced on the speed bag. I'm getting better at that and am really enjoying it.

Thus I had a pretty good day, three workouts or maybe I should say, three attempts. The running was solid and so was the gym work. I wish I could swim. But it will come back. Thank you, Jesus, for hope.

Real Success

I did have some success Tuesday. No, I did not swim. My shoulders have been a little janky lately. I hurt the left one when I took that tumble on my long run Friday. My right one has been feeling weird, unstable, even when I sleep on my left side, it feels like it is pulling off my body. 

Sigh.

But I did run. I went out Hades Road to the gate at the end of Robert E. Lee and back for a total of 2.82 miles. There have not been any fires out there lately, which is good for running. I call it Hades Road because in the past there has almost always been burning and smoke.

After some rest, I went to Plate City, allegedly for a push and pull workout. On the push, I did very light bench pressing. The shoulders didn't want much weight. I tried to do the reverse fly on the cord, but my left shoulder did not like that. I was able, however, to pull on the chest-supported row machine without any issues. So I did several set of light bench presses, smashed the rows pretty hard, and had fun working on the speed bag. I did not realize how much I would enjoy that. It is a good conditioner and along with the skierg, should really help keep my upper body muscles in condition.

Success

Not a thing. I did nothing. Nothing on the training front. I worked until 4:00, and we had Over 60s at 6:00. I know what you are thinking. You could have got something done between 4:00 and 6:00. Not so. We leave the house at 5:30. But, you protest, you could have at least gotten in a short run between 4:00 and 5:30.

I was so fatigued when I got home that I was literally dizzy. Not good. I had to lie down and cool my brain a bit. To do otherwise would have been dangerous for health, not my own, but anyone's who came into contact with me.

So I did not train, and I ate to excess. Success. That's how it is done.

10/10 - 10/16

I had a pretty good training week and Simon and I finished the latest improvements to Plate City last week. It is palace. Monday I started with 1,250 yards in the little pool. In the afternoon, I shuffled 2.65 miles and then lifted at the ever-improving City.

Tuesday I was back in the pool for 1,300 yards. On the road, I did 2.7. At the city, I was good for a nice pull workout.

Wednesday I continued my early morning ways wtih 1,200 yards. On the road, I ran for 5.11. At the gym, I alternated squats with speed bag work. Yeah, it was good.

Thursday, I hit the water for 1,150 yards. Then I went to the City for some light jogging on the treadmill between sets of the overhead press. Yeah, I mixed it up some on my push workout.

You know Friday is my big run day. I did one that has been in my mind and in a couple of notebooks for a few years now. I went west on Highway 82 and turned south onto County Road 144. That put in on gravel and in the midst of Delta farmland on roads I had seldom driven and never run. I did not know how far this run would be, but that only added to the advednture. The trip was 17.06 miles of which I ran 15.05. That was a good workout, a good trip, and a good time.

Saturday, I felt like doing little. Usually I have a hangover from a really long run. I did lift some, but even there I cut things back.

For the week, I

  swam 4,472 meters,

  skiergged 1:30,

  lifted weights five times, and

  ran 28.17 miles

Not bad. Pretty good. Not great. A week to be thankful for. I am. Thank you, Jesus.

Tame Saturday

After that full Friday, I had little energy Saturday. I slept in a little, then studied first for preaching-- even though I had a guest speaker coming-- then for school. Eventurally I made it outside to do some work with banana trees. Wife stuff. Then I shifted to Plate City. I still was not feeling like doing much so I tried the old warmup extra slow trick. Besides just wanting a nap, I found that my left shoulder was pretty sore. During Friday's run, I suffered a pretty hard fall. My left shoulder and right hand took the brunt of the impact. How did I fall? I tripped, or so I thought. But when I got up and looked for what I tripped on, all I saw was flat ground. Huh? Have I gotten that old already?

That knocked out my pull workout. I still did some leg work, squats, a little bit of trap bar deadlifting, and the hip abductor/adductor machine. To that, I added some speed bag punching, which I am enjoying a lot. All of this was while Tennessee was playing Alabama. Yeah, I liked the results. My college football teams in order of devotion are: Mississippi State, LSU, Tennessee, Alabama. After that, I don't care too much. Where is Ole Miss on that list? As I told an Ole Miss fan this morning, and a fine gentelman he, I am not that good of a man. I try, I really do try, but my fallen nature rarely allows me to pull for them. 

Thus I did what I could at the gym then went inside to watch State blow another game. Praise the Lord anyway.

Glorious Friday

Friday was glorious. I took those new shoes I bought Thursday out for a spin. I headed west on Highwat 82 like I did a few weeks ago. This time, however, instead of turning north at the catfish processing plant, I turned south just before I got there. 

The weather was perfect although my pace was not. I left the house wearing a base layer up top, at T-shirt over that, and all of that covered with an old dress shirt. I like dress shirts to run in. They are composed of synthetic fibers, which means they wick moisture well, and they have a pocket. I love pockets. Even though I had nothing in that pocket, I felt better having it.

The recently unpaved West Claiborne Extended

When I turned off the highway, it was onto a gravel road. I did not know exactly where I was going, but I thought that I could make my way to the paved road that comes out at what we used to call Fort Loring. I had been through in my truck, but that was decades ago. I ran along until I hit wide open delta, something I enjoy now and then. After a bit, I came to a road that peeled off to the left. Should I run that one? I still had good cell service so I checked my phone maps. Yeah, that was the way. 

The wide open delta always had a
positive affect on me.

To make a short story long, I ran 12 miles non-stop. Then I walked a mile while I ate a Cliff Bar. That brought me back over the bridge onto West Claiborne Extended. By the way, they (the County I presume) have unpaved a big portion of the levee top. Are they going to repave it? I don't know.

A neat section of road I encountered.

After walking my mile, I shuffled another 2.53 miles. I was below the levee on West Claiborne when I saw the old trail that leads down to the river where we had a swing when I was a boy. I went down there and found what looked like a homeless person camp. It kind of freaked me so I left stepping quickly. I made my way east until I went under the Keesler Bridge where I saw what looked like a homeless wino. Weird. Then going under the new bridge, as we call it, I saw a stack of paper back books under it. I didn't feel comfortable until I got back over the levee and close to home.

Penny and me at the Yazoo County Fair.

All in all, I shuffled 15.05 miles and walked 2.01 for a total of 17.06 footmiles. Yeah, I was tired. I took a shower and some sparse nutrition. Then Penny and I headed out to Yazoo City for the Yazoo County Fair. There, I ate two hamburgers, a strawberry sundae, and some popcorn. Yeah, the fair was great. Friday was great. God is great. Thank you, Jesus.

Man Shopping

Thursday was another good day. I swam before work but not too far: 1,150 yards. At work, I was asked to stay late and help with E Learning testing. They pay, allegedly. I still haven't received my $7.00 for meals on the Biloxi trip. Maybe I will get this and that together. Well, I worked over two hours, helping students log in so they could take their exams online. We were busy. That cut the afternoon down, though. Usually the weekend begins at 1:30 on Thursday. This time it was 3:45.

At home, I realized I needed to get those new running shoes I've been needing so I went to Connerly's and got a pair. The staff there are not used to waiting on men I can tell. I always ask for my model and size and when the sales person comes back with a box, I head for the counter. "Where are you going?" is always the question.

"To check out," I answer. "Man shopping."

Back home, I tried to nap, but that wasn't working. Then I went to the new and improved Plate City Gym for some pushing, treadmill running, and speed bag work. This time, instead of doing bench presses, I set the rack up for overhead pressing and I used the Swiss bar. I went kind of light since I had not done this move in a long while, not since Crazy Man Quadrathon. Furthermore, I am not too strong on that move. Actually, I am not too strong on any move, but I am not declaring myself old and parking in front of the TV like many of my contemporaries have done. Thank you, Jesus, for good health, a good gym, and great weather of late to enjoy both.

Latest on Plate City One More Time

I've been promising a video. Here it is. Enjoy.

Advice Needed

Wednesday was another good one on the training front. I went to the pool again before work and swam 1,200 yards. After work, I had to go to the tooth dentist which meant we cancelled our Wellness Wednesday run. Too bad. I had plans.

After the tooth dentist, Simon was there finishing up. He hung my bicycle, and the speed bag, and finished some painting on the house. I started punching it. I had lost some, but I will get it back. In short, the latest improvements to the gym are finished. I will post a video soon.

When Simon left, I went out for some road work. Since my shoes are bad, I ran slowly for 5.11 miles. I did a lot of zigging and zagging and was never more than .9 of a mile from home and never ran anything twice. Yeah, I'm good like that.

No, that didn't end the day. I went to Plate City and worked legs. I even worked the speed bag some more. By the time I was finished, it was dark and time to go inside and work. I spent the rest of the evening doing school work. Thanks to our mandated trip to the coast, I am still behind. I might never catch up. Oh well, it's not about the students anyway. It's about the bosses. And for the bosses, it's about trying to fill our lives up with more things to do. 

By the way, I need some advice. The school is supposed to reimburse us $7.00 for our meals. I am tempted to spend the money. My better judgment tells me I should invest it. What do you think I should do? Answer in the comments below, and I will greatly appreciate it.

Two Days in a Row

I had another good training day Tuesday. I swam before work 1,300 yards. I did it all straight, but I mixed in some back at the end. I went 1,225 freestyle then rolled over on my back for the last 75.

After work, Simon was there when I got home. He had painted the entire exterior of Plate City the same color as the house. It looks like palace. I went out there for my second weight session of the week while he was still working. I had a massive pull session while Simon worked and got some things done on the gym. Plate City is the bomb. Be on the lookout for new videos.

Yes, I went out for a little shuffle and lasted for 2.7 miles. My shoes are pretty much gone. I am going to have to replace them soon, like today. That's OK. Thank you, Jesus, for needing new shoes. And thank you for three workouts two days in a row. Now if I can make that three.

In Class

It's Tuesday morning, and I am in Beginning English. O'Ryan just told us about his ride in the Delta Epic Bicycle Race. It sounded interesting, challenging, and fun. I'm proud of him. He did the 300 miles in 24 hours and raised $780 for the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. I'm proud of him. Did I mention that I am proud of him?Good job, O'Ryan.

I have a big day planned. There is so much for me to do that I filled out a 3 X 5 index cards of chores I need to accomplish. Some of that stuff involves Plate City. I hope Simon is over there now.

On the training front, I have a session planned at the City and one planned on the road. The one at the City is big. The one on the road is small. But they are all important. 

That about covers everything I want to talk about concerning my plans. I prefer to talk about what I did instead of what I plan to do. Since I already wrote about what I did yesterday, this blog post is coming to an end. See you tomorrow when I tell you about how it went down.

Another Good Start

I got started right Monday by first going to the pool at 6:30. I swam

  1,200

  50 back

  total: 1,250

That's not a lot, but it's what I can do in the short time frame. As I've said before, it's better than a poke in the eye.

Monday is my long day at work. I enjoy it though in part because it's the day I have my Film as Literature class. I love teaching that class. It's the one that makes me want to get out of bed in the morning.

After work, I went to the hardware store to pick up some large lag screws for some more improvements I'm making on Plate City. Then I went to Sherwin Williams for a gallon of paint. I forgot to ask them if I could run the paint through a gold-mining sluece box to get the gold out. Have you bought paint lately? Geeze. Leave your wallet.

When I arrived home, Simon was there on the job. He is doing some small stuff on the house as well as some small stuff on Plate City. For one thing, he is putting me up a speed bag. I had two at the old place but somewhere along the way while moving and deciding what to keep and what to throw away, they disappeared. I know. But it happens. I now have the space, the place, and the desire now so a new one is coming up. Before, they hung outside where the rain and the sun beat on them constantly. Now this one will be under a roof. Yehaa.

While out there, I put in a few of those lag screws and hung some more weights cleaning the floor just a little bit. Not only that, but I lifted, push, and I enjoyed it. The weather is not so hot now and Plate City is magnificant in October. 

Yes, after lifting, I went out for a short shuffle. I am trying to save my legs for Wednesday when we should do our wellness run at work, and I lift big that day. Still, I got in 2.65 miles for my third workout of the day. Not a bad way to start the day, the week, the rest of my life. Thank you, Jesus.

10/3 - 10/9

The second full week of October was a pretty good one for training. Monday I started with three workouts. They weren't big ones, but three on a Monday is a big deal to me. I swam 1,150 yards before work. After work, I ran 2.6 miles then lifted at the City.

Tuesday I swam 1,050 and ran 2.63 miles. I followed that up Wednesday with our Center run for 2.95 miles and some hard quarter miles in there. Then I shuffled home for another 1.89. That gave me 4.84 for the day. I followed all of that up with some leg work and pull work at Plate City.

Thursday I swam 1,350 yards and ran a short and slow 1.24. Friday, however, I travelled to Jeff Busby State Park and summitted Little Mountian two times and ran a total of 10.02 miles. 

Saturday I met Tyler at the pool and swam 1,400 yards. Later in the day I ran an easy 1.31 miles and lifted lightly at the City. 

For the week, I

  ran 20.68 miles,

  lifted weights three times, and

  swam 4,522 meters

In second thought, maybe it wasn't such a good week. The running volume was a little low. I did, however, have some quality on Wednesday, and some serious hill training on Friday. So there was that. The swimming volume was really low. I'm working on it. At least I did swim four times. I'll shoot for five times this week and a little more each session. There is always hope for better training in the future. Thank you for that, Jesus.

Back to Jeff Busby

So what did I do Friday? I made the trip to Jeff Busby, and ran up Little Mountain not once but twice. Yeah, about a year ago I did it the first time. That is when I met John Scneider in Stewart, Mississippi. I went in this time and said, "It couldn't happen twice." 

The older lady behind the counter asked, "What?"

I reminded her of meeting Bo Duke there. A huge smile broke over her face. "That was something, wasn't it? We haven't seen him since."

The summit of Little Mountain

I got to the park and started running about 10:00 a.m. First I warmed up by shuffling through the campground. Then I started up the hill. It is a big one, but I don't think it is as big as the one on Humphrey Highway. I went up once and shuffled back down. I went up again and descended once more. 

After that I decided to explore a road that I had been looking at on Google Maps. It had a locked gate on it but I figured that was to keep other people out. I climbed over the gate and it didn't take long for me to realize I was on a hunting camp. I passed a house that had three other small buildings that had been dumped onto the yard. 

That is the background is a huge strip mine.
Who knew we had those in Mississippi?

After a bit, I came to another gate. Huh? When I crossed it, I quickly realized I was on the lignite mine. I could see a huge open mine that must have covered a couple of square miles. Also I could hear a horn that sounded like it might have been a signal that a truck was loaded. Figuring that they wouldn't take kindly to me tresspassing, I headed backover the two fences, back to the park. Once back on the park, I decided to get the rest of my miles on the Trace.

Tell me to do it without telling me to do it.

I headed south for a little over a mile until I found a little road that peeled off the Trace to the east. A sign announced that the road had been closed. I had to see for myself and I crossed not one, not two, but three gates within a hundred yards. And just like that, I was back on the Red Hills Mining land so I turned around and left. I crossed the Trace onto the gravel road on the other side and shuffled up it for a while before turning around and running back to the park. Back at Jeff Busby, I had 10.02 miles and some tired legs. I tapped out and went home.

A new road I found. I can't wait to come back
and explore this one more fully.

One thing I learned is that the Trace itself is a nice place to run. It had lots of shade, the traffic is low, and the traffic is slow. It's pretty and occasionally a lonely gravel road peels off and goes into parts unkown. I will be coming back soon to summit the mountain, to run the trace, and to explore some new roads.

Friday?

The weekend starts today at 1:30. Yeah, I'm blessed like that. Right now, I'm trying to decide where I am going to run. Friday. Should I drive somewhere like Jeff Busby State Park and run up Little Mountain? Or go to Carroll County and run myriads of hills? Or maybe I can run from the house, go out Money Road or even go out 82 and run some gravel off it. 

Usually I think about these things until something grabs me. I also look at Google Maps. Sometimes a road will jump out at me. I might have to drive somewhere, but so what. Jeff Busby is calling me, faintly. I'll give them all a chance to call me. There are roads around JB so I can get in some intensity going up the mountain (hill really) and then hit the gravel roads for some volume. If I do that, I get to see some new territory. That always gives me some joy.

If something does not jump up, that will be it. Jeff Busby.

A Solid Day

I let my shoulder rest Wednesday morning. It got a little catiwompus on me Tuesday morning, so a day off would certainly not hurt. By mid-afternoon, I met Bad Kate and Vicki and the Railspike Trail. We had hoped some of our students would be there as one told me she was coming. This is part of Wellness Wednesday, an attempt to help students better deal with the stresses of life in general and school in particular. Alas, however, it was only the three of us. I opted to do the run in an interval fashion going a quarter mile on, a quarter mile off. After warming up with a slow mile, I ran four hard intervals, each a quarter mile, as

  1 - 9:32 pace per mile

  2  - 9:09

  3 - 10:04

  4 - 9:35

Notice the drop off on number three. I got some of it back on the fourth, but those numbers indicate that my endurance at that pace is sorely lacking. I'm surprised. NOT! I walked there (1.17) and then ran home. Shuffled home is a more apt description. I went an additional 1.89 miles going home to give me 4.84 for the day.

Yes, I went to Plate City and did pull and legs. On the legs, I performed six working sets of squats. Also, I hit the hip abductor/adductor machine really hard. All in all, it was a solid day. Thank you, Jesus.

Only Two

I only got two workouts yesterday. OK, shoot me. I rose kinda early and went to the pool. My shoulder got a little wonky, however, so I only swam 1,050. Then I went to work. Yes, I got off early, but I saw an old friend on my ride home so I stopped and visited with him a while. Then I went home and lounged. I'm good at that. Lounging. It's one of my talents.

I did get out and run. Like yesterday, I went short, 2.63 miles, and I even carried the two pound hand weights with me to add some aerobics to my arm muscles. But when I finished the run, I heard some cornbread in the refrigerator calling my name. It wanted to be crumpled up in a glass with some whey protein powder and some milk. It was so good, I did it twice. And the cats were also calling my name. We hung out while I studied for class the next day. Sigh. I work a lot more hours than the administration thinks I do. But thank you, Jesus, that I can.

October

October has always been my favorite month. As a boy, I fell in love with squirrel hunting. To this day, it is my all-time favorite kind of hunting. Although I no longer shoot animals, I still think about stalking the woods sometimes like I used to and shooting tree rats with a .22 rifle. Even though I no longer hunt, there are several reasons October has remained number one in my time of year.

One reason is the cooling of the weather. I have always liked the heat, but by August, I, like most people, have had my fill of severe sweating. Although September brings some relief, it is not until October that things really cool off. I ran yesterday after I got off work. A month ago, I would have been sweating and huffing and puffing. Even after a mile, I felt the cool air that enveloped my head. It was glorious. Not only are the temps lower, but the dew points fall in the fall also. I don't know the meteorological explanation for this, it is as predicatable and the shortening of the days.

Of course I like the leaves. They begin to turn a touch yellow in late September. The process continues slowly throughout the month. God certainly knew what He was doing. The change in weather and the change in the color of the leaves adds variety to our lives. Variety keeps us fresh, keeps us enjoying life. God gave us life. We should enjoy it. Do that. Join me in thanking God every day for the weather, for life, for leaves, and let's not forget the butterflies that migrate this time of year.

Finally, October means college football is in full swing. Football, the college kind, is my favorite spectator sport. I especially am into SEC football. The league has a saying: "It just means more." It does and there is a reason for that. The South has long been the whipping boy of the nation. They berate us for our ignorance (although I believe the average snuff-dipping Mississippian knows more about life than the average supeior-feeling Yankee), our racism, (again, I dispute. We are way better than the rest of the country), our poverty (they might be right about that one). Not only does the rest of the country berate us, but we lost a war. In short, we don't have a lot to be proud of but we can be and are proud of football. Meet us on the field, and we will hand you your a$$. 

I'm not the only one who enjoys the fall. Cats play more, horses run through pastures, dogs (the hunting kind) want to go to the woods. All of life takes on a new energy, a new joy, and a new celebration of having survived the summer.

Getting it Done on a Monday

If you follow this blog, you have no doubt noticed that Mondays have been a slim day for training. At least they have since the semester started (to my Comp students, I know that is a fragment). I work until 4:00 and then trying to get in three seperate workouts has proven to be more than I can manage. Sometimes getting in one is more than I can manage. 

This time around, I did things right. Last week, I started swimming some in the morning before work. Actually, I've been doing that for a while. But since the morning temps have dipped so low, I abandoned the outdoor pool in the morning. A regular crew has the indoor pool for 5:45 until 6:30. Going in at 6:30 doesn't leave a lot of swimming time nor does it leave much time to get ready for work. But it can be done. When I do it, I feel real good about getting something done early. I did it Monday. I did not swim fast or far. I managed and easy 1,150 yards, but that is better than a poke in the eye.

After work, I went out for a shuffle. Since we are going to do some student running on Wednesdays for a while, I will use that day for some speed work. That is forcing me to reconsider how I program my running. I went for 2.6 which I hope will lend itself to some recovery. I plan to do the same thing today. I can't do the second (with Friday or Saturday being the first, i.e. the primary) long run of the week and run hard Wednesday and lift heavy on the same day. So we will see how this works out. But completing that run, gave me my second workout of the day. And on a Monday!

No, I was not finished. I went to Plate City about 6:30. Yeah, I had to put on extra clothes to offer some protection against the mosquitoes. I turned on the TV and watched that highlight show on the SEC Network while I did my push workout. I got to re-live Mississippi State putting a beatdown on Texas A & M. That didn't get old. I was also getting off on the idea that I was on workout number three, a Monday, and I was getting it done. When I get to break the push and pull workouts up, I get in more volume and more assistance exercises. So it was all good. Thank you, Jesus.

9/26 - 10/2

It was another week of monkey wrenches being thrown into my schedule. When is the world going to learn that I pet cats, prepare sermons, and train? That is what I am here for.

Sigh.

Monday I shuffled 1.51 miles and mowed the front lawn. I noticed this morning that it has not grown. Yes! I will probably mow two more times and that mostly to clean up leaves.

Tuesday we had our MDCC Greenwood Center 5K. I walked over there, ran 3.03 there, and then shuffled home for another 1.49 miles. At home, I did my push workout to give myself one solid day.

Wednesday I swam 1,850 in the little pool. Then at the City, I worked push and legs and shuffled 1.65 miles on the treadmill.

Thursday morning, I met Tyler at the little pool before work and we swam 1,600 straight. Then I had to leave for the coast around noon so that knocked any further training out. We had a Curriculum Alignemt meeting at Gulf Coast Community College Friday morning. We all (the English Department) met up downstairs of the Beau and went to eat at one of the restaurants down there. The food was excellent and the price was the highest I ever paid. Not to worry. The school allegedly will reimburse us $7.00 each for our meal. But I am not holding my breath. If I receive a penny, I will be surprised.

We arrived at the Hideout from the coast at about 5:00 p.m. That gave me the opportunity to get in a run. I went out and shuffled for 6.32 miles. Then Saturday was the biggie. I ran 8.12 and did a full body blast at the gym hitting a PR on the trapbar deadlift and doing some heavy farmers carries. Yeehaa. Not only that, but both State and Ole Miss won. 

For the week, I

swam 3,152 meters,

ran 22.12 miles,

skiergged 3:30 minutes, and

lifted weights three times

Yeah, I know. Those swimming numbers need to come up. A. Lot. It's on my radar, but right now I am priortizing the run preparing for a marathon and a fifty-miler this winter and spring respectfully. A fifty-miler? Yeah, that's right. I'm crazy like that.

Not a bad week; not a really good week. It seems like I have written that line before, or something close to it. Next week, I hope to write, it was a banner training cycle. Thank you, Jesus.

I Pulled It with a Smile on my Face

Saturday morning I was delighted to wake up in my own bed. After our forced trip to Biloxi-- not that I hated it, but it interfered with my training-- I was able to have a normal day. I haven't had a normal week in I don't know how many. Thus my running mileage and swimming yardage have plummeted. Not only that, but my lifting frequency has suffered. Next week, we have something else. It just keeps going.

I drank coffee. CC was happy having missed me, no doubt. And I had missed her and Baby Kitty and Luvie and River. Not only that, but I missed Pee Wee. I needed a longish run so I went out when I had gotten caught up on cats and coffee. I ran 8.12 miles to barely get my necessary miles done.

The afternoon was filled with football and eventually Plate City. Having only two gym session under my belt for the week, I needed it all, and I did it all. First, I started with a circuit of bench presses, skiergs, Swim Pulls, and heavy bag work. That covered my upper body before I shited to the legs.

For legs, I only did two sets of squat before moving to the deadlift. I warmed my deadlift up with some conventional pulling. Then I switched to the trapbar and went all the way to a new PR of 280 pounds. After that, I did Farmers' Carries going up to 104 pounds per hand. Hey, I'm not a big guy. That's 208 pounds that a small, elderly, endurance athlete carried 2 X 50 feet. And that was on top of an eight-mile run, and a PR on the deadlift.

Oh, I was watching Mississippi State verses Texas A & M at the City. One of those touchdowns fueled the PR. State scored, and I was so pumped, I slapped a couple of plates on the bar and pulled it with a smile on my face. Thank you, Jesus.

Two Days and a Nighttime Run

Thursday morning I met Tyler at the pool at 6:30. That's when the early crew leaves. Meeting at that hour does not give us much time to swim, but it was 50 degrees out, and call me a sissy, but I was not going to get into that outdoor pool. Thus we had to swim at 6:30 or at 5:00 to get to go inside. Tough choice.

Since we were both low on yardage, we did a straight swim. "I'm going thirty minutes," I said, "Then I'm getting out." So that's what we did. We swam 1,600 yards. Then it was time to scoot home and get ready for work. 

Work was interesting. It was homecoming week and Thursday was homecoming day. We had a special event at the Greenwood Center. The Leflore County Humane Society came and set up with some cats and dogs. We had a great time petting love-hungry babies, and students and faculty brought supplies to donate to the shelter. I had to leave early, however, because we-- the English Department-- was required to travel to Biloxi for a Curriculum Alignment meeting. Penny and I rode with Elizabeth Melton. We had a nice drive down then all of us met up for supper downstairs at the Beau. I had one of the best steaks of my life. I also had the highest resturaunt bill of my life. The school is going to reimburse me $7.00 for my meal. Sweet!

The swim was all the training I did Thursday. Friday I did not get up early and run on the beach. The bed was too comfortable, and we had to be at Gulf Coast Community College at 8:45. I saw Doug Johnson there. It was nice to chat with him some, not having seen him in four or five years, or was it six? Also I ran into Valeri Morgan. She used to teach at MDCC now being at Delta State. Due to all the heavy lifting we did the last time I went to one of these, it did not take us long to get our business done. The schedule said we would get out at 3:30. We were all done by 10:30. 

After I got home, I went out for a run in the cool darkness of almost October. I had forgotten how much I like running in the anonymity of the night. I went 6.32 miles giving me a chance to fulfill my requisit running for the week. Thank you, Jesus.