Bang

Monday was a bang start sort of day. This time of year, it has to be. I am five weeks out, not counting the week of the event, from the Chicot Challenge. This is prime time, time for big yards, time for major weeks. This is the time that the endurance is built. 

I went to Twin Rivers in the afternoon and waded in without a plan other than to swim a long time. Long is still relative and still limited since I work in the morning and at night on Mondays. I was hoping for two or two and a half hours. The question I had not answered was should I do a straight swim or some sets. The coaches I have trained under would never allow anything but sets, but I'm convinced that straight swims have their place. In a marathon swim that is what you do and we all are familiar with the training law of specificity. So that's what I did.

According to my thermometer, the water was 72. I was a bit surprised by that because it was noticeably warmer than Friday when John and I swam, and I guessed the temp then to be 71. No doubt it was much cooler. Since I got in at 2:30, two and a half hours was the maximum I could allow myself before I would have to go home and get ready for work. I swam 2:20 and covered 7,100 meters, a pretty good day especially if I can duplicate it or best it later in the week.

John was out because he took Patsy to Jackson. She has been ill and getting worse of late. We did lift weights and swim last Friday. He wanted to do the same thing today. 

After the swim, I went home, changed clothes, and took some nutrition. At work I had only one student, the other one, I was informed this morning, is in ICU. That made for an easy class because my surviving student is very bright and we were able to cover a lot in a little time. 

When class was over it was then time to run. I went out for an easy shuffle, kick training for the Chicot Challenge. I only ran 3.04 miles in the dark but should do some longer workouts later in the week. It was a good opening day for my training, a bang start. I slept like the outside world didn't exist.