A Real Good Day

Saturday was too packed for me to write a post about Friday, so I will give you the short version. I swam 2,350 yards. What?!?!? Yeah, I was a little tired from Thursday's 5,000 so I tapped out early. I did shuffle 1.12 on the treadmill and did some lifting.

Saturday, Penny and I went to Kosciusko for the Natchez Trace Festival. This has long been one of our favorites. Dating way back to the early 1980s, we went to this one every year. They had a 10K in those days that finished after a steep uphill and under the digital clock on the square. Specatators would line the finish five people deep. It was a blast. The race was basically two miles downhill, two miles flat on the Trace and under the sun, and two miles of climbing back to the start on the square. Can you feel it? Run too fast on the first two miles, hang on the second two miles, and suffer the hills of the last two. That race was always tough and it was always competitive.

One of the grand old homes in Kosciusko.

A few years back, they dropped the 10K and went to a 5K. I still enjoyed the race and Penny loved shopping on the square. They had vendors for days, like nothing we ever saw. Then COVID hit and it was cancelled for a year. Then they dropped the 5K. Huh!?!?! Then the weather was bad. Last year we missed due to the Senior Olympics swim meet. This year, there was a shortage of vendors. The entire eastern block of the square was vacant. On the other three sides, there were gaps here and there. Why? I don't know. It's really disappointing for us both. 

The best part of the morning, however, was driving back through Winona Penny's request. We stopped at Bridges for a burger. BEST. EVER.

Better than Acy's?

Better than Acy's.

The day got even better. Our daughter and grandkids came by. Andrea and Penny took Caitlin to Greenville while Zane and his best friend, Jimmy Leopard, and I lifted at Plate City. We hit the weights for about an hour. Zane and I PRd on the overhead press machine and the machine shrug going 165 and 310 respectively. Then we went to the pool.

At Plate City. From left to right: Jimmy Leopard,
Pee Wee, and Zane Turner.

At Twin Rivers, we were in there for three hours. I managed only a little training (1,500). I worked with Jimmy who could barely swim a stroke. When we left, he could go the length of the pool. Now do the math. One hour of lifting and three hours in the pool plus two teenage boys. What does that equal? Yeah, hunger. We made a bee line to Acy's. 

Those boys ate an Acy's burger and an order of tater tots in minutes. Minutes. The girls finally came home aroung 8:00 p.m. They were leaving then to go get supper at Sonic. When my daughter found out they had already eaten, she had this funnly look on her face. Not to worry, I said. They can eat again. Plenty, trust me.

Thus we had a good day. It was good. It was real. And it was real good. Thank you, Jesus.

The Big Set

I went to the pool at 4:45. Alaina was there, and we swam a tough set. The set? How does 12 X 400 sound? Before you spit your coffee out, it's not as hard as it sounds. It was not easy, but it was not a killer. First, they were not all swum fast. Second, having someone else in the pool swimming the same thing always makes things easier. So here is how it went:

  1 - all easy 7:38

  2 - first and last 25 fast 7:24

  3 - all fast 6:36

  4 - all easy 7:48

  5 - first 100 fast 7:22

  6 - second 100 fast 7:32

  7 - third 100 fast 7:30

  8 - fourth 100 fast 7:36

  9 - first and last 50 fast 7:22

  10 - all easy 8:01

  11 - medium paddles 7:41

  12 - stroke (back for me) 9:16

  4 X 25 no breath

  100 easy

  total: 5,000 yards

That is a big practice right there, I don't care who you are. It was nice to have Alaina train with me. She was up for the whole thing. I'm not sure I would have gotten through it without her. I have come up with big practices in the past, written them on an index card, and gone to the pool with the full intention of doing it only to quit somewhere before the end. It's easy to do. You think, well, I have already had a good practice, and I need to do things at home. 

What did I do when I got home? I ate supper and got in bed. There I lounged until I finally fell asleep. The gym was out. Running was out. Relaxing was in. Thank you, Jesus, for a good day.

Stong Practice

I went to the pool Wednesday to kick butt and take names. That's what I did. I swam

  2,100 40:25

  10 X 50 25/25 breast/free

  400 back

  800 small paddles

  8 X 25 no breath

  50 back with small paddles

  50 medium paddles

  50 large paddels

  50 extra-large paddles

  300 25/25 free/back

  total: 4,500 yards

Yeah, that's a real butt kicker right there, a strong practice. I wanted to work on butterfly, but there was a water aerobics woman in the pool, and I am too embarassed to do that with anyone around.

Back home, I rested and eventually went to the City. It was raining, and the sound on the metal top was delicious. I shuffled 1.69 miles on the treadmill, and did a strong pull workout. I hit a new PR on the machine shrug with 290 pounds. As I type this, we are in our last day of regular classes. That means some big-time training is coming up. Yehaa and praise the Lord. 

The Paper Chain

I did it all Tuesday. I went in to the pool at 4:45. Vicki was already swimming, and we did not talk. She is still in the recovery mode while I am in the training for the next meet mode. I swam

  1,100

  4 X 50 breast

  600 small paddles

  200 back

  12 1/2 fly and 12/1/2 free (I couldn't make it)

  25 fly

  2 X 25 no breath

  75 ?

  8 X 50 various paddles @ WIFL

  450 25/25 free/back

  total: 3,350 yards

That is not hard training. But it is some volume, some stroke work, and some strength work. What was lacking was quality. I guess I'm still in the recovery mode too.

At home, I went to the gym. Pee Wee has missed too many workouts lately. I shuffled some on the treadmill (1.19 miles) and did a push workout. It feels good to make those muscles work. With the semester winding down, I hope not only to be more consisitent, but to up the volume also. 

In case you are wondering, I made one of those paper chains. Momma used to make one for me before Christmas when I was a small boy. Every day upon arising from bed, I would tear off a link. Eventually, the links are all gone, the day had arrived. That is the way our lives are, but we don't know how many links are left. One day, we will tear off the final one. Live like that, like today is the final link. Work, worship, workout, smile, love, cherish, nap, read, and give like this is the final day. It might be.

Back at It

Monday after the race came around and I was back at it. Notice the singular pronoun. Vicki told me ahead of time that she wasn't doing much. I responded with, "I am doing much." Her reaction was, "Go for it." So that's how it went.

She was late getting to the pool, which made me think she wasn't coming. She did show up after I has swum 450. I stopped and proscribed 2 X 650 as a warmup. At that, she made some noise. She always makes a noise. While she swam 650, I snuck in 700. On her next 650, I did 750. Now I was in the money, so to speak. We then did 2 X 75 breast, and she tapped out shortly after that. My practice looked like this:

  450

  700

  750

  2 X 75 breast

  2 X 25 fly

  150 back

  50 small paddles

  50 medium paddles

  50 large paddles

  50 extra large paddles

  100 extra large paddles

  150 large paddles

  200 medium paddles

  300 small paddles

  50 back

  2 X 25 back

  dolphin kick practice

  total: 3,325 yards

Yes, I really did two lengths of butterfly. It was miserable, and I am sure it looked terrible. And like the dolphin kick practice, I would never even attempt that if anyone else had been in the pool or building even. But I am determined to improve in both of those areas. One of my goals for next year's Senior Olympics is to swim the 100 IM. I had that goal last year, but somewhere along the way, I let it go. Now that we can swim more events, probably I will not let it go. On the heat sheet, there was one whole page where I did not have a race. The 100 fly is on that page. Yeah, connect the dots. I do not think swimming seven events hurt me in the 500. When I had two almost back-to-back, I swam well. 

So you can see that I am already thinking about next year's meet. But we have one coming up in a month. Yehaa. The gym? When I got home from the pool, supper was on the stove. I gave in to the temptation. Not today, however, because Pee Wee deserves better. Thank you Lord, for a good gym partner who tries to hold me accountable for showing up. 

4/17 - 4/22

Taper and race week meant all my numbers were low. That's okay. I had a good week and heavy training restarts this week. That's one good thing about swimming. Unlike running where you have to recover before you can train hard again, in swimming, recovery is so much faster you can go right back to the hard stuff. That begins today.

Monday, due to some tight scheduling, we swam a mere 1,450 yards in the morning before work. In the afternoon, I only managed to run 1.51 miles.

We were able, however, to swim a little longer Tuesday and hit 2,050 in the pool. At the gym, I ran 1.35 miles and did some weights.

By Wednesday we began the big drop off for our Saturday swim meet. We swam 1,575 yards. In addition to that, I shuffled 1.81 miles on the treadmill and did a pull workout at the City.

Thursday, we took it all the way down to 1.025 yards. Friday was travel day, and Saturday we raced. My events, in the order they occured were:

  200 Freestyle

  50 Breaststroke

  100 Backstroke

  50 Freestyle

  50 Backstroke

  100 Freestyle

  500 Freestyle

  Mixed Medley Relay (I swam backstroke)

  Mixed 200 Freestyle Relay

That was a pretty full day of racing right there, I don't care who you are. For the week, I

ran - 4.67

lifted weights - 2X

swam - 8,957 meters

That was a light week, but it showed that I am in pretty good swim shape right now. The goal is to stay healthy and get in better swim shape and to reclaim some of my running. Wow, that has fallen by the wayside. My lifting has also suffered, but we make sacrifices to race well. I have a month now before the next meet, which means three weeks of hard training and a taper week. It is nice to have goals. Thank you, Jesus, for good goals and an interesting life.

The Mississippi Senior Olympics 2023

We did it. Penny and I drove down to the Coast and I swam. Vicki went and she swam. We had a good time, a jolly good time. If you have a few moments, I'll tell you about it.

We got to Biloxi and checked into our room about 4:00 o'clock Friday afternoon. From there we rested, and then went out to eat and secured some good seafood. Then it was time for relaxation and bed. 

We had breakfast, a pretty good one, at the motel and then headed for Father Ryan Boulevard. I love that street. It has nice old houses, huge live oaks, and enough palm trees to make the Mississippi delta seem a million miles away. And it is only a block off the beach. The Biloxi Natatorium is on the west end of Father Ryan Boulevard, a long course pool that is set up for short course. Every year when we show up, a young swim team is finishing their practice. Some of them dress and then work our meet. God bless them.

The place feels familiar now. I first swam there when Penny and I went to MML a few years back. Then you could rent a lane for two bucks. I swam every day we were there. Then I heard about the Senior Olympics and started competing each year. Now Penny and I feel at home when we show up and set up for a morning of swimming.

Saturday morning, April 22nd, we arrived about 8:00 a.m. Swimmer check in was at 8:30. We set up, checked in, and I began to warmup. I did 650 before I ran out of time. I had to take care of necessary business beforehand, and for the first time in my life, I was wearing a racing suit. Real swimmers will know what that means.

Penny, my cheerleader, settling in
for a long morning.

For awhile, there was an absence of heat sheets. They had some taped to the wall, but I found that quite distressing. I took pictures, but from the start I was lost. Being registered for seven events, I was sure I'd miss something. The PA system is so bad there that the announcer may as well be speaking Portuguese with a wounded tongue. Then I bumped into the race director on deck, and I told him I'd give $20 for a heat sheet. "You don't have to give 20 bucks. Here is one for free," he said handing me one. Now I was having fun.

My first event was the 200 free. This is one I have always won. Not this time. There were a lot of men at the 2023 meet, several new ones. If I remember right, all eight lanes were full. I came in second. The guy who beat me was a former college swimmer. A number of those guys were on hand to make this the most competitive meet I have ever done.

Next up was the 50 yard breastroke. This is the one I added when I found out we could do more than six events. It is a terrible event for me, but still the best of my really bad ones that I wasn't already signed up for. The pool was full, and I was far from the first when it was over. The thing about these races is you don't always know how you did until they pass out the medals. Sometimes several age groups are in the same heat, and out-of-staters are eliminated from medal contention. To my surprise, when I picked up my awards, I was gold in the 50 breast to go with my silver in the 200 free.

Within minutes, I was back in the water for the 100 back. This is my best bad stroke. All eight lanes were full, and when I touched to wall at the finish, everyone else was still swimming. So that made two golds and one silver.

After my third event, I had a few minutes before number four. We watched Vicki race and a guy named Mike Weeks who raced seventeen events plus the relays. WHAT!?!?!?!? Yeah, I thought I was a bad dude doing seven. He did seventeen!

I was finally back on deck for the 50 free. There were three heats for the men's 50 free. This is the first time I have ever been here when they had more than one heat for a single event. I was in the third heat which had eight people in the pool for that one. I got second place. Not long after that, I was swimming the 50 back. I won my age group in that one, but I was not the first one to the wall.

There was only one race between the 50 back and the 100 free. That closeness, however, did not seem to hurt me as I swam well but finished second to Jeff Andrews that former college swimmer I told you about earlier. He and a couple of other former college swimmers killed all the sprints. Still it was fun competing and beating all the old men not named Jeff Andrews.

My fat belly getting ready to deck dive
to start the 500 free.

The last race of the day (it was the last before they added the relays this year) was the 500. This has always been my best event and the one I train for. I consider all of my training preparation for this race. I had just watched Vicki win her age group in this event, and now I was on deck and ready to dive. Unlike the 200 where I went out way too hard, I paced myself for the first 100. All eight lanes were full, and I was out ahead of everyone. I had some trouble reading the numbers. On the far end of the pool, a lap counter is stationed for each swimmer. Beginning with the third length, they stick a pole down with a number on it to help you keep up with where you are. My volunteer, God bless her, was not putting in down deep enough and then pulling it up too soon. I became confused and at one point I determined to stop and ask where I was. I had lapped the guys on each side of me. When I came to the wall, I saw legs in every lane. WHAT!!! My timer said, "You did extra." Dude, I had to do at least 100 extra!! Since I had lapped them, if I only went an extra 50, I still would have beaten them to the wall. Oh well, I won, but it is a little sweeter when you finish and look back and see everyone else still swimming. 

So the final count was four gold and three silver medals. Not bad for an old man. My 500 time as twenty-plus seconds faster than last year despite the fact that I did not get to hammer the final 50.

Then there were the relays. We divided up into teams and swam mixed medley and mixed 200 free. On the medley, I swam backstroke. I changed and left right after the second relay. Later, Vicki sent me a photo of some medals and said she would bring them to me. So I guess they pass out medals to everyone who swims relay. That's what they do at the State Games.

It was a ton of fun, and Vicki and I both had some success. Right now, I am sky high and looking at this heat sheet and figuring what I can add next year. My goal is to add at least one more race, but I can't imagine doing seventeen like Mike Weeks. That guy punched his Bad A_ _ card for a lifetime with that performance.

Next up, the State Games in Meridian on June 3rd, the day after I turn 67. Then there will be Pool Fools, and then the Heart O' Dixie Triathlon, and then I heard something about a swim across a bay in Bay Saint Louis. Heavy training, here I come.

A Truncateder Practice

It's Friday morning, and I have been up minutes.  The coffee is good, and I am in no hurry to hit the road. But that is what we are going to do in an hour or two. We are headed to Biloxi for the State of Mississippi Senior Olympics Swim Meet. But that is for another blog post. Today I need to tell you about Vicki's and my last practice, the one we did Thursday morning.

Morning?

Yeah, we got up again. Since it was going to be so short, I said, why not? and then we have the rest of the day off. I need to do some lawn mowing and resting so we went in before work and swam

  900

  2 X 25 build

  2 X 25 no breath

  100 RIM

  25 dive start

  total: 1,025

That was it. If we aren't tapered we aren't breathing. Now we just have to show up and execute, do our jobs, swim our races. Yeah, I'm starting to feel it a little.

A Truncated Practice

It's getting really close now, and yes, I feel it a little bit. Wednesday we swam a truncated practice to initiate some real taper. We did

  900 18:12

  4 X 50 @ 1:15

  2 X 25 breast

  100 RIM (redneck IM)

  2 X 75 RIM

  2 X 50 back/breast

  4 X 25 no breath

  25 dive start

  total: 1,575

Back at the Hideout, I rested some then went to the City. Two days in a row made Pee Wee a happy dog. I did the pull I couldn't force myself to do Tuesday. I didn't go really hard, but I did hit the corator tuffs pretty good. Also, I did 280 on the machine shrug for a new PR. On top of that, I shuffled 1.81 miles on the treadmill while I watched Moonshiners on TV. 

So it was a nice time out there and when I went inside, Penny had supper on the stove. It was good, yeah. She made some type of Mexican something. I don't know the terms, but if she had not put it up in the fridge quickly last night, there would be none left today. I have some of it in my lunch bag for noon. It's Friday. I have a good lunch. Life is good. Thank you, Jesus.

That Kind of Hitting

We had our last semi-hard practice Tuesday. I wanted to do it Monday, but some things came up. Over 60s, taxes, working late, and stuff like that derailed my train. So we went in before work, Monday morning, and did a mere 1,450 yards. Tuesday, however, we swam

  1,100

  2 X 25 breast

  3 X 50 @ 1:30

  2 X 25 breast

  3 X 50 @ 1:30

  2 X 25 breast

  3 X 50 @ 1:30

  4 X 25 no breath

  250 back

  brick kick

  total: 2,050 yards

At home, I rested some and then went to the City. Pee Wee played with his toys. So did I. Play with mine, I mean. I did mostly push with the usual corator tuff stuff. And I shuffled 1.35 miles on the treadmill. Of course I hit the overhead press machine hard. Yes, it is still my favorite.

Mostly?

Huh?

Mostly push?

I did a little pulling, but I didn't have enough fire in the belly to do the full pull workout, so I plan to finish that today. Pee Wee won't mind. Also, I need to mow the back lawn jungle. 

The meet is drawing near. Penny is excited about our trip. I am too, but I am too consumed with work and training to think a lot about it. Friday morning, when I get up with no classes and no training and only a trip to the coast on the agenda, it will hit me and hit me hard. I like that kind of hitting. Thank you for it, Jesus.

Ready to Kick Butt and Take Names

Due to a jacked up week, Vicki and I had to swim before work Monday morning. That did not leave much time so I did a straight swim with some pickups and stroke thrown in. What that means is after I was warmed up, I would hit a hard 25 now and then. Not only that, but I rolled over on my back and did some backstroke and even added in some breast. I totalled 1,450 before it was time for me to get out and go home to get ready for work. I would have like more volume with some sprints, but I did the best I could with what time I had.

I found time so squeeze in a short 1.51 mile run. I plead the 5th Ammendment on how I did that. So I got two of the three. We had Over 60s and of course I ate too much. God blessed my taste bud and every bite was an explosion of amazing flavor. Even the onions and the pickles were over the top. The fish was the best ever, and they didn't put out water, so I had to drink lemon aid. Life is tough sometimes.

I hope to get to the gym tonight and not lift again the rest of the week. 

What? 

Yeah, I want to arms to rest.

But what about legs?

Whatever I can get tonight will have to do.

Why?

Because lifting involves more than the particular muscles involved. The central nervouse system is fatiqued as well. I want everything fresh for Saturday.

But did you not do Crazy Man Quadrathon two days before the State Games last year?

I did. I also swam not as well as I thought I should have. I won my races, but I was a little disappointed in my times. But I really don't know what my times should have been because that was in a short course meters pool whereas the State Senior Olympics is a short course yards pool. That was my first time swimming short course meters. I don't have enough experience to know how to relate the times between meters and yards. I do hope, however, to beat my times at the State Games this year. I have been training harder, I should be more rested since my DFM fundraiser is after not before that meet, and I am crazy motivated right now and will be training long course meters started next week.

How do you know you will be doing long course next week?

I drove by Twin Rivers this morning on my way to work. The big pool is being pumped up as I type.

Won't it be cold?

Yes, for a few days. But it will warm pretty quickly. They have painted three lane lines on the bottom, and I have a new pace clock. By the grace of God, my shoulder is sound. I am ready to kick butt and take names.

4/10 - 4/16

It was not a strong week for training, especially for running. I am beginning to feel some frustration in this regard. And this week is already chocked full of extra stuff. Dude, I just want to work and train. Isn't that enough?

Monday we swam 2,825 yards. I also took a walk/shuffle with the wife on the Yazoo River Trail. I ran a whopping 1.07 miles. Tuesday was not much better with 2,600 in the pool and 1.22 with Penny. 

By Wednesday I was becomming a little dangerous. IWe swam 2,150 and went to Plate City. Pee Wee forgave me again. Only a dog is that noble. I did 1.65 on the treadmilll and lifted weights. 

Thursday I did it again. That is I swam, lifted, and ran. But they were all little ones. In the pool, we did 2,200. At the City, I managed a mere 1.15 on the treadmill, and spent time with Pee Wee. Yeah, I lifted a little also.

Friday, normally beiing long-swim day, was reduced this time due to the upcoming swim meet. I am registered now for seven, count them, seven races. They now let us do as many as we want. Now, I will know and for next year I will probably shoot for eight. But the point is, I swam a mere 2,050 with some simple sets in there. 

Saturday was no so glorious either. Penny and I did a day trip to Philadelphia, to Williams Store. Back home, I dragged myself to the pool and swam 1,250 yards. Pitiful, but better than a poke in the eye.

For the week, I

  ran 5.09 miles (WHAT!!!!),

  lifted weights two times (!!!), and

  swam 13,073 yards or 11,950 meters

Was that sparse enough to lose fitness? Probably I have lost some running fitness. In the pool, I should be getting fresh, and I was beginning to feel like it. Now with one more week to go, did we cut too much. Some of this cut was forced. I would have swum more had I not been hindered so much. I will know after Saturday if this taper was on point or too much. 

Out of Pocket

Friday came around, and my training partner was out of pocket. Speaking of out of pocket, did you know that southern idiom has been picked up my northerners. The only problem is they have given it a new meaning. This irritates me. We don't yet live in a country where you get your own version of the English language. Wait, maybe we do. We do live in a country where you get your own version or reality. Language is part of reality, so I stand (recline, actually) corrected. But it still irritates me. "Out of pocket" means someone is gone, he or she is not where he or she normally is. Use in a sentence: "Vicki is out of pocket today," meaning she is out of town, not where she normally is.

Now to many it means something like "weird." Use it a sentence: "Tell me the most out of pocket thing anyone has ever said to you."

STOP IT!!!!!

When I was in seminary and taking Hebrew, in class we had me (a true southerner who spoke genuine English), a guy from Pennsylvania (who married a girl from Mississippi), the professor who was a naturalized US citizen but from Japan, and a guy from somewhere in the Pacific. What a mix. We has some interesting conversations about language, especially idioms. "Out of pocket" was one of them. The yankee had never heard of it until he married the girl from Mississippi, I head it all my life, the professor knew it (he even knew "ge ya lee"), and the Pacific Islander didn't know what was happening.

But I digress.

Since Vicki was out of pocket Friday, I stayed in bed a bit longer than normal. I did go to the pool and did the best I could the best I would. Bear in mind that Friday has been our long, straight swim day. But we are tapering, and this is what I did:

  300 kick with fins

  1,650

  400 kick with fins

  4 X 25 breaststroke

  100 kick on back with fins

  300 backstroke

  total: 2,050 plus 800 yards of kicking

Yeah, that is a bit of a reduction. Too much. I usually find it difficult to push hard when I am alone. A few weeks ago, however, I did 16 X 100 alone. I was proud of myself that day. 

Back home, I mowed the front lawn and planted some flowers. For some reason, when that was done, it was time for Penny and me to go to dinner. We went to Crystal, and I got my usual: broiled chicken lives, bake potato (I get yams if they have them), and Greek salad. For only the second time in my life, I had to get a take out. Penny said, "You're losing it." 

I guess I am.

So, no Plate City. No running. No back yard mowing. No eating all my food. No people who know what "out of pocket means." Make it go away. All of this makes me feel like getting out of pocket today. I think I will. I'll tell you about that later.

Three's Company

Thursday was another good day at work. We had more food, more candy, and more events. I haven't been on a scale in a long time. Now you know why. After work, we were scheduled to meet at the pool at 2:00. Debbie had swim lessons going on, so we moved the practice back to 4:30. Alaina, a real swimmer, was to meet with us. That meant three of us suffering instead of just two. Suffering is always easier with company. Isn't there an old saying about that?

Our practice went like this:

  600 11:57

  250 kick with fins

  10 X 150 @ WIFL

    1. first and last 25 fast

    2. all fast 2:21

    3. first 50 fast

    4. second 50 fast

    5. third 50 fast

    6. first and third 50 fast

    7. every 25 going west fast

    8. every 25 going east fast

    9. all easy

    10. stroke

  250 kick with fins

  4 X 25 no breath

  brick kick

  total: 2,200 yards

I found that one a bit intense but not too bad. It was nice having another swimmer there. Alaina, by the way, is one of the Pool Fools. She has big plans for June 17. Right now, Vicki and I are tapering for our meet next Saturday. I am eager to get back to some big yards in preparation for the Fool swim.

Yesterday, they (the Senior Olympics people) sent out an email saying that we can swim as many events as we want. When I did the first one, you could only swim four, so I swam four. The next year they said we could swim six, so I swam six. Now, at the eleventh hour, they say we can swim as many as we want. 

!?!?!? 

For me, this presents a conundrum. I wish I had known earlier. If you know me, my nature is "Go big or go home." I will probably add one or two more swims. Which ones? Maybe a 50 breast and maybe (big maybe) the 200 back. I haven't swum a breast stroke in almost a year, and I have only slightly trained the backstroke. Sigh. Now I have a couple of days to get ready. 

Yes I did. 

Huh?

Go to the City. Pee Wee wanted me out there, so after chatting with Penny for a while I got my stuff together and went to Plate City. I didn't do a lot. I shuffled some on the treadmill, did some reverse flys, and did shrugs on the overhead press machine. Wednesday I went up the 260 on the shrug. Thursday I hit 270. 

With the other side, that makes 270.

What? You did the same exercise two days in a row? 

Sometimes it's good to conduct a World War II style bombing campaign on a muscle. My traps have been neglected for months, so I am making up for lost time.

Thus I had a good day, a full day, and good and full day. Now if I can have another one.

Can't Wait

It's been a nice week at work. Food. We have had food. Every day. We have had food every day. Monday it was breakfast buritos. Tuesday Culinary made us hamburgers. Wednesday they prepared chicken in three styles. They were all good, but the hot wings were the best.

Wednesday is my long day and it was long and good. I finish with Old Testament Survey, which I love to teach, but I probably spend two hours per day studying for that. I have six other courses to prepare for. Yeah, teaching is easy.

At the pool, we swam

  800 16:11

  200 kick with fins

  5 X 50 @ 2:00

  200 kick with fins

  5 X 50 @ 2:00

  200 kick with fins

  5 X 50 @ 2:00

  100 back

  5 X 50 @ 2:00

  100 back

  4 X 25 no breath

  2 X 25 dive start

  brick kick (I made it all the way.)

  total: 2,150 yards

That was a much shorter practice than we have been doing, but it was intense. My 50s were fairly quick for me and very consistent. I think that is a good sign.

Back home, Pee Wee wanted me to come to Plate City so I did. I ran 1.65 miles on the treadmill, and did my push workout, focusing on the overhead press and the shrug. Wait, shrug? Yeah, that is a pull, but I am going to do that every workout for a while, the shrug. Why? It has been neglected for a long time, and doing it on the overhead machine is great. I went up to 260 on it. My machine is only rated for 300 pounds so I will max that out pretty soon.

Thus, I did three workouts for the first time in a long time.

Debbie is having some lane lines painted on the bottom of the big pool. This will be a big boon to our training. With the pace clock and some lane lines, watch out Meridian. I can't wait.

Done

Yes, we cut the distance a little more. Last week it was way north of 3,000 yards. Monday we did 2,825. Tuesday it was down to 2,600. It went like this:

  700

  150 kick with fins

  700

  150 kick with fins

  10 X 75 @ WIFL

  150 kick with fins

  8 X 25 no breath

  4 X 25 dive start

  brick kick (with 2.5 pound weight plate) I didn't quite make it but came close.          This was my first time doing this I think in two years.

  total: 2,600

That was brisk and to the point. At home, Penny wanted to walk, so we went to the trail, the river one. This was her first time on the river trail. I ran some and circled back constantly to check on her. I finished with 1.22 miles. Yeah, I know. If I don't knock off some miles soon, I will begin to lose running fitness.

No, I was pretty much shot after all of that. Work, swim, run = I'm done.

Changes

Already Vicki and I are cutting our yardage in the pool, but that did not stop her from wanting to do more. What else is new? Even with the complaining, her presence makes me finish the practice and swim harder than I would have otherwise. We swam

  1,000

  100 kick with fins

  4 X 100 @ 3:00

  100 kick with fins

  4 X 100 @ 2:55

  100 kick with fins

  4 X 100 @ 2:55

  100 kick with fins

  4 X 100 @ 3:00

  4 X 25 no breath

  3 X dive 25

  total: 2,825 yards

You might notice a couple of changes. One, of course, is the reduction in yardage. It is not a drastice reduction but a reduction nonetheless. Another change is the addition of some kicking. Since I am not a strong kicker and we were emphasizing volume, we only now started adding kick sets. Why add them? With our running, we can make improvements to our kicking fitness even at this late date. With added kick fitness, our legs can burn some of the lactose circulating in our blood stream when we race. Also, on the longer races (and shorter ones) having the ability to turn on a kick for the final 25 could make a difference.

After the swim practice, Penny and I went to recycle to did a little bit of walking/shuffling on the trail. I ran a whoppin 1.07 miles. At least that is better than a poke in the eye. A little better. They gym? Not this time. Sorry Pee Wee, maybe today.

4/2 - 4/9

I was Melvin Magnum Meters last week. Yeah, I had a good one in the water. The others, not so much. It started on Monday like it always does. I swam 3,800 yards. There was no energy left for anything else, so Pee Wee was sad as he had to lift alone.

Tuesday I kept the pool heated with another big one. I splashed for 3,700 yards, but this time I didn't stop there. I went out on the road for 5.19 miles. No, there was nothing left for the gym. 

By Wednesday, I had cut the swimming down to 3,650 yards. No, with working late and all that other, I was happy to get that done.

I had an idea jump into my brain for Thursday. Yes, that is always dangerous. My idea? 10 X 400. Did I do it? Yep. Was it difficult? A bit. I enjoyed it and it gave me a lot of volume with some quality. I plan to do it again only next time I will go for 11. Also I hit the road for a huge 1.11 mile run.

You know Friday is long swim day. I did 5,650. In addition to that, I went to Plate City for the first time and ran 2.65 miles on the treadmill and lifted weights. 

Saturday I did my sixth swim practice of the week. I swam a mere 2,450 yards and then hung out with Pee Wee at the City. I did light legs, pull, and 2.13 miles on the treadmill.

For the week, I

  ran 11.08 miles,

  skiergged 4:45 minutes,

  lifted weights two times, and

  swam 23,250 yards or 21,250 meters

So the running was light, but better than last week, the lifting was really bad, but that swimming. Yeah. That was some good training. I will be using it soon. The State Senior Olympics are less than two weeks away. Praise God.

Saturday at Home

I don't remember how many Saturdays it had been since Penny and I were home. It's been one after another after another after another. Not that I minded the things we did on those days. Far from it. One Saturday I ran the Mississippi Trail 50 50K. That was an amazing experience. I also got to spend time with my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. Then there was a Saturday with my girls, Andrea, Penny, and Caitlin. And there was the 5K in Cleveland. And some more. This time, we were at home. I got to do my slow-start day, and make my sixth training swim of the week.

That was the first thing I did, go to the pool. I swam 

  150 my watch was on Open Water and giving me crazy numbers

  1,100

  100 kick with fins

  100 with fins

  100 kick with fins

  50 back with fins

  350 medium paddles

  4 X 25 no breath

  2 X 50 back with small paddles

  3 X 25 dive 25

  250 small paddles

  25 easy

  total: 2,450 yards

Later I went to Plate City and hung out with Pee Wee. While out there, I shuffled some on the treadmill, 2.13 miles, and lifted pull and legs a little bit. I experiment with the overhead press machine and did shrugs on it. Huh? I stood on the seat and did a bunch of reps. It was good, yeah.

So there you have it. With the sixth swim practice, I finished off my biggest yardest week of the year. That should pay off when we go to Biloxi in two weeks. I ordered a racing suit, and I am shaving a little every time I take a shower. Praise God for the chance to compete.

Back to Plate City

Friday morning rolled around, and I was dreaming at 8:00 a.m. when my wife awoke me by making noise in the house. I honestly cannot remember when I've slept until 8:00. According to Garmin Connect, I was out for 9 hours and 22 minutes that night. I needed every second of it. 

So I did a slow-start day. I lounged, drank coffee, and petted cats. Then I went to the pool around 10:00 when the ladies water aerobics ends. Friday, remember, is long swim day, the day where I do a straight swim. This time, I did a few sets. It went like this:

  warmup 5,400 straight in 1:47:24

  main set 200 free with medium paddles

  cooldown 50 back with small paddles

  total: 5,650 yards

How is that for programming? Yeah, I'm smart like that. I even sent this to one of my former Masters coaches. I know he loved it. The way they (real swimmers, i.e. college swimmers) write practices, the warmup is about 10% of the practice. The cooldown is about 5% or less. The main set or sets are lung-busting, puke-making trips up and down the pool. That is very difficult for a solo swimmer to do. With Tyler being out due to a new baby and a new dealership in another town, I would have been in real trouble this year if Vicki had not started training with me. She had been a huge boost to me. It's easier to do those tough sets if you have someone else doing them with you. But the 5,400 straight, I like that kind of training, and it is valuable. It builds the base, that basic fitness, that everything else is built on.

 

Yes, when I went home, I ate some food and took a nap. Then in the late afternoon, I went to the City. Pee Wee was beside himself. We hung out, and I ran on the treadmill and did the overhead press machine. I still love that machine; it's my favorite out of all the equipment I own. 

On the treadmill, I did 2.65 miles. That was only my third run of the week. My hope is that next week will be better on the road and in the gym. We'll see.

Does a Body Tired

Since it's registration week a school, I had to work late. Working late and swimming long does a body tired. I wasn't sure Vicki was going to make it so I had a thought. When I have thoughts, it is sometimes odd for other people. My thought was to swim 10 X 400. I knew Vicki would never go for that if she did show up. She  showed up, and I was right. Here is how my practice went:

  400 easy 8:29

  400 first and last 25 fast 7:58

  400 for time 7:04

  400 first 100 fast 8:15

  400 second 100 fast 7:57

  400 third 100 fast 8:12

  400 fourth 100 fast 8:09

  400 easy 8:40

  400 small paddles 8:15

  400 25/25 free/back 9:05

  total: 4,000 yards

Now that is kick butt training right there, I don't care who you are. Then I went home and since I had missed so much running this week, I hit the road. Penny was on the way back, so I had to get something done. It was pretty chilly and raining. No, I did not go to the City. I hit the road. A couple of years back I bought a slick rain top from The Bicycle Revolution. It cost me a hard kick to the wallet, but the last one I had last over thirty years. If I can get thirty years out of this one, I should not need another. I only did 1.11 miles, but that really was better than a poke in the eye.

I wasn't in long before the girls drove up. It was nice to have Babe home and to get to spend a few minutes with Andrea and Caitlin. Penny brought me leftovers from Cracker Barrel, and I ate them like a starving man. Oh, wait, I was a starving man. There were chicken and dumplings, beans, cornbread, and one french fry the Caitlin added to the mix.

As I type this, I have been awake every bit of twenty minutes. Penny woke me making noise at 8:00 a.m. I was dreaming I was running a 5K at 8:00 a.m. I had not slept until 8:00 in years. Years. I have stayed in bed that long a time or two, but I was dreaming when Penny woke me. Wow. Working late plus lots of swimming does a body tired. 

On the agenda for today? You should already know. This is long swim day for Vicki and me, and Pee Wee has laid down the law. I have to go out there. Okay, Pup, hold on to your tail. By the grace of God, I will be there.

The Alabama Rustic Camper

 

Poor Pee Wee

Wednesday is that long, hard, enjoyable day at work. Then I met Vicki at the pool, and we threw down in the water. Look out fat ladies at the State of Mississippi Senior Olympics. We are coming for you. We swam

  2 X 700 warmup

  3 X 50 decline 1 - 3

  300 for time 5:18

  200 easy

  5 X 50 @ 2:00

  300 easy

  5 X 50 @ 2:00

  300 easy

  4 X 25 no breath

  100 Vicki's cooldown

  300 back with small paddles

  total: 3,650 yards

Vicki was still there when I finished, and she kept talking about Captian D's. She was going, did I want her to pick me up something? I resisted at first but then gave in. I knew once I ate a good plate of food, the day was over. So she dropped a bag of food off at the house. Thankfully no one was there to witness the carnage. I am sure it was not a pretty sight. After 3,650, the food could not get inside my mouth fast enough. Then, like I already knew, the day was over. I graded some papers and lounged until bed time. No running, no gym time. Poor Pee Wee.

An Uphill Struggle

I did the best I could. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. My wife is out of town, I had a truck in the shop, and we are in registration at school. Tuff stuff.

Vicki and I met at the pool at 2:30. We took no prisoners. We swam

2 X 600

200 for time 3:17

100 easy

150 for time 2:30

100 easy

125 for time 1:59

125 easy

100 for time 1:31

100 easy

75 for time 1:10

125 easy

8 X 50 @ 2:00

100 easy

8 X 25 no breath

300 Vicki's cooldown

250 back with small paddles

total: 3,700 yards

Like Monday's practice where my 500 time was not so good, Tuesday's 200 was OK, but nothing to write home about to write in here about. But we have been Billy Big Yards for several weeks in a row now. Is that why? I sure hope it is. I am feeling better in the water, just not faster. My stroke feels more efficient when I am sprinting. When I breath consequtively on the week side, I used to feel a certain awkwardness. Now, not so much. Will that mean faster times after a taper? I think it will.

After swim, I had to pick up Penny's truck from the shop. By the time I arrived back home, I was hungry enough to be violent. Consequently, I took time to eat which left me full, lazy, and no count. No, I did not ditch the rest of the day. Instead, I went out late and ran the roads in the darkness. There is a charm in that; I can't explain it. The sky is fascinating and the air has just a touch of coolness. I shuffled for 5.19 miles. 

Then it was time to undwind and go to bed. Overall it was a good day. Pee Wee, however, was sad and slow eating his food because for two days in a row, I have not been to the City. Three days, counting Sunday. I'll try today, but it will be an uphill struggle.

Long

Because of working long and swimming long, I had a truncated training day Monday. When I got off work, I went home and took a nap. Teaching four straight classes hits me pretty hard. Then I met Vicki at the pool. We swam

  1,050 warmup 

  500 for time 8:37

  200 easy

  6 X 100 @ 2:30

  200 easy

  6 X 50 @ 2:00

  150 easy

  6 X 25 no breath

  300 Vicki's cooldown

  150 back with small paddles

  2 X 75 medium paddles

  50 back

  total: 3,800 yards

That was a pretty strong practice. Vicki tied her Senior Olympic time in the 500. That's pretty good in a pool without lane ropes and with no competition. My time was not that good, but I hope that is a result of accumulated fatigue.

When I got home, Penny had supper made, I was tired, and I was hungry. So that was the end of the day for me. After supper, I tried to prepare for class the next day, but I could not get into Canvas. Sometimes I wonder if the school throws roadblocks like that at us to make life more difficult. Everything is always made more difficult. One day, I am going to count the clicks I have to make on the computer to take attendance. I have to scroll past links that I don't even know what they are to get to the bottom of the page to the Attendance tab that I have to sign into about fifteen times per day. If they can figure out a way to make that more difficult, they will. 

Introducing "Pool Fools"

I was scrolling back in my blog through some old posts, and found this unpublished one from December 29, 2022. Apparently, I forgot about this one and a couple of months back a wrote a similar post and published it. So this is sort of a repeat but who cares?

I've been promising a big announcment for a while now. Well, here it is. The 2023 fundraiser for the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi will be Pool Fools. What is Pool Fools? It is Tyler Kirk and I and a few other people getting together at Twin Rivers to swim for the purpose of raising awareness of diabetes, raising fitness, and raising funds for the states premier diabetes charity. So, what is this Pool Fools thing and how does it work? I will tell you, but first let me backtrack to why diabetes, why the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi (DFM), what I have done in the past, and why this new event. Then I will discuss how Pool Fools will work.

First, I am not a medical expert, but the experts tell me that Type 2 Diabetes is 90% preventable. This disease, unlike Type 1 Diabetes, has a lifestyle component. It was once unheard of, but now is running at epidemic rates. If I were to ask you what country has more Type 2 Diabetes than any other and you were to guess the good ole' USA, you would be correct. If I were to ask you what region of the US has the most Type 2 Diabetes, you might venture to guess the South. If you did, you would be right again. If I were to ask you what state in the South has the highest per capita incidence of Type 2 Diabetes, you might guess Mississippi. Again, you would be right, most of the time (sometimes Alabama competes with us for the top spot). If I were to ask you what area in the State of Mississippi has the highest incidence of Type 2 Diabetes, you might have picked up on the pattern and answered the Delta. Bingo.

I'm not a socket rientist, but that tells me that we lead the world in the incidence of a disease that is 90% preventable. We not only lead the world in diabetes, but we also lead it in heart disease. Consequently, we need to be aware of these things and work on our health. I once has the pleasure of teaching next door to a physician who moved here from New York City. He personally told me that when he started his practice here, he quickly fell into a state of shock over the level of bad health here in Greenwood and the surrounding area. He, the late Dr. Joseph Assine, told me that "The Delta is the epicenter of the world-wide diabetes epidemic." This is why I have made diabetes awarness the subject of my fundraisers over the last decade.

Why the DFM? In my first ever fundraiser, I sent the money to the American Diabetes Association. They were the only diabetes charity I knew of. After the event, Mary Fortune of the DFM contacted me and asked me to consider them if I ever did anything like that again. She provided me with information on the DFM, and I checked out their website (https//www.msdiabetes.org), and I checked them out on Charity Navigator. They have a higher rating with Charity Navigator than the ADA, and every dollar donated to the DFM stays in the State of Mississippi. So why should I sent money to Alexandria, Virginia when we have more diabetes here in Mississippi than any place on earth? They do an enormous amount of work here where it is needed. That's why the DFM.

What have I done for fundraisers? My original fundraiser was called the Chicot Challenge which takes its name from the body of water at Lake Villiage, Arkansas. I swam 13.93 miles on June 2, 2012, and raised $1,200 which I sent to the ADA. Then I found out about and studied the DFM and switched all my fundraising efforts to them. Each June, I would announce a longer distance and swim again. As the distances went up, so did the donations. My longest swim took place in 2017 when I swam 23.5 non-stop miles. Then my right arm fell off. In 2018, some friends, Wilson Caroll, his son, Spence, and MJ Staples from Atlanta stepped forward and did the swim in my place. I was on the boat and jumped in for the last three fourths of a mile and we all finished together.

I did a couple of more Chicots after that, but by 2021 I yearned for a new challenge. Somehow I dreamed up the Great Geezer Run. The plan was to run from our home in Greenwood to the DFM office in Ridgeland, 107.8 miles via the route I chose. To make a short story long, my legs would not run that far. I made it 33.66 miles on day one, but finished the last two hours walking. Day two saw me starting off with a limp. Day three saw me on a bicycle. I made it down there in five days, and we raised $6,000 the most to that point.

For 2022, I came up with the idea of a quadrathon. We called it Crazy Man Quadrathon, and my training partner, Tyler Kirk, joined me for this new sport. What is a quadrathon? It is a triathlon plus a powerlifting meet. A triathlon is an athletic event that includes swimming, cycling, and running. A powerlifing meet is a barbell sport that involve a max squat, bench press, and deadlift. To the traditional three lifts, we added a log press. Our triathlon was 66 miles (one mile, swim, 55 miles on the bicycle, and ten miles running). We did it June 2nd, my 66th birthday. We also split the run up so that when we finished the bicycle ride, we only had three miles left to run. By the time we got to the final run, my back was so jacked up that I could not even shuffle. I told Tyler to go ahead and finish while I slowly walked the best I could. His response? "No. We started this together, and we finish this together." That's the kind of man Tyler is. Bethany Theilman of the DFM was there to offer protection for us on our cycle leg. She was a lifesaver, and by the grace of God, we raised $9,315. Can you say, "Praise God."

So that brings us full circle to Pool Fools. The plan is that Tyler and I along with some other swimmers will meet at Twin Rivers and swim. Right now, I have a list of eight swimmers. Each swimmer sets his or her own goals, and each swimmer raises some funds. Why Pool Fools? Several reasons. One, it just seemed like a good idea. We can all sleep at home and the logistics are simple. No one at the DFM will be up the night before worrying about me, and poor Bethany will certainly have an easier day. Furthermore, it involves more people. I am old enough now to realize that I cannot do these kinds of things forever. I hope that when I am gone, this effort does not die with me. If this fundraiser is to survive, it must be flexible, and it must be taken up by someone else.

The tentative date is June 17th from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. I am thinking that Tyler and I will swim 7.25 miles. If you want to come by and watch, please do. [If you want to join the swim, set your own goals and raise some funds. If you want to make a donation, you can do that now or even at the swim. I am guessing that the DFM will send someone (they always do) and we can pass the funds off there. If you want to swim, you are welcome to do that. Contact me and let me know how far/long you plan to go. You don't have to swim far. Set your own goals and bring a donation. I will probably work up a schedule ahead of time so that we don't have too many people in the pool at once. As of now (I just added this sentence) I have seven swimmer scheduled to take part. Come on and make it eight.

Pray for this effort. Thank you.

3/27 - 4/2

Good and bad. Strong and weak. Productive and unproductive. It was that kind of training week. Monday I hit the pool hard for 3,650 yards. At the City, I whuffled 1.36 miles and lifted some weights.

Tuesday it was more good swimming. I went for 3,650 yards. But since Penny and I had a Gideons' Banquet that night, I did not have a chance to run or lift.

Wednesday, I swam 3,500 yards and ran 1.74 miles on the treadmill. Yes, that means I went to the City, but I only did light legs since I was racing Saturday.

We had another banquet Thursday night so my training was once more curtailed. Since I am priortizing the swim right now, I went to the pool and did 3,600 yards.

Friday I swam 5,450 yards and lifted weights with Abdul at Plate City. We hit everything, except legs, and we hit it hard.

We raced Saturday, and I got second place in the 60 - 98 year old age group. 

For the week, I

  ran 6.16 miles

  lifted weights three times, and

  swam 22,050 yards or 20,153 meters

That was excellent volume in the pool, and I had plenty of quality to go with it. For years, I have considered 20,000 meters per week to be the gold standard for my swim training. It's hard to get there because it take lots of time, energy, and food. That is one reason I have been having trouble keeping my running numbers up. They crashed like a shot-down fighter jet last week. Maybe I can get the running back up while not losing the swimming this week. That's the goal. 

Racing with Abdul

He spent the night. Abdul did. Not only that, but his sister and mom did also. We were already planned to do the Run4Zoe 5K Saturday in Cleveland, Mississippi. So we were all now in the same boat. We ate pizza for supper then all arose around 4:30 the next morning.

Four thirty?

Yeah. The race started at 7:00 a.m., and it's about an hour to drive over, park, and pick up packets. That meant getting up early and driving off at a quarter to six. That's what we did. We walked in and found packet pickup at Zoe Coffee Company, pinned on our numbers, and went back outside to wait on the start. 

I don't know why the early start on April 1. But we started at 7:00 and were off on the city's walking trail.

The start

In the photo above, that is me in the yellow. See the guy in the maroon shirt behind me? He would be my nemesis for the day. Or one of them. Not too far into the race, I passed a group of ladies women. As usual, I was breathing heavily as I struggled to get around them. Just after I passed, one of them said, "He has COPD." Then the whole gaggle of them erupted in laughter. Dude, I have not been made fun of like that since I was a little boy on the playground at Bankston School fifty-five years ago. 

Then maroon shirt and I locked ourselves into mortal combat. He was running stride for stride shuffle for shuffle beside me. When I would pick it up, he would slowly reel me in. That's how I figured he was keying on me. Not that I am Shirlock or anything, but he was also a grey head, so it was kind of obvious.

One mile passed, then two. Abdul was way ahead. I began to chat with maroon shirt. He was 62. Since I am 66, I figured we were in different age groups. I figured wrong. More about that later. He told me that he planned a hard push starting a half mile from the finish. And he did. I tried to hang, but I could not. He finished about a minute ahead of me. I ran the best I could and then went back to the start to wait on the women who had made fun of me. I saw one of them a few minutes later, and as she struggle to stay upright and get across the line, I yelled, "COPD." The look on her face when she made eye contact with me gave me my satisfaction.

When I got my print out from the timing table, I found out that I was competing in the 60 - 98 age group. Huh?!? When I was 61, I was running 5Ks in the 24:00 - 25:00 minute range, a full seven to eight minutes faster than I run them now. Age is not just a number. And someone who is 98, has thirty-two years of experience on me. Anyway, I was second of five in my group.

Jimmy Leopard, Abdul, and me before the start.

I liked the race. The course is mostly on a walking trail so out of traffic. The weather was perfect for running.

That's me about forty yards
from the finish line.

So Penny and I got home only a little after 9:30. All the way to Clevland, run a 5K, stay for the awards ceremony, and back home for a nap before 10:00. Sounds like a plan to me, a plan to do it again next year and compete with those 60 to 98 year olds.

After the nap, I went to the pool and swam

  1,350

  4 X 75 medium paddles

  4 X 25 no breath

  250 back with small paddles

  8 X 25 dive 25

  total: 2,200 yards

So that alone was a pretty good day. Then Debbie wanted me to help her lay out some lines to paint swim lanes on the bottom of the big pool. We got started and then one of her newest employees joined us. Turns out this guy has skills, and Debbie turned the project over to him. Thank you, Jesus.

I mowed the back lawn and intended to lift some weights. By this time, however, I was too far gone on the fatigue scale to do anything after the yard was finished. Still, it was a very productive day. Thank you for it, Lord.