Small Lessons are a Big Deal

Well, the Chicot is done and so am I. I've had a leisurely week, at least as leisurely as I could make it. I didn't swim at all. Really, not one stroke. Actually I am a bit behind on posting so I think what I will do now is give a brief rundown of taper week. 

If you read this blog, you know my emotions were like a yo-yo the two weeks before the swim. They always are, but I had some real reasons to be concerned. The fall and shoulder injury a little over three weeks out sent me into a near panic. I did have some shoulder pain during the swim which is one reason I have not been in a hurry to get back into the water. Besides that, I've been working the run and having fun doing so. I'm attempting to lay a good base for some exciting adventure runs with Buddy Bones this fall and winter.

To give you an idea of how I do a radical taper before a marathon swim, let me start with the 2014 event week. I was running very little in '14, so what you see below is just about everything I did that week.

M - 2,200
T - 1,800
W - 1,600
Th - 1,400
F - 0
S - Chicot Challenge III, 17.7 miles.

Going into event week this year, I was insecure in part because the week before had only been 12,000 meters. In 2014, I totaled 26,100 the week before. Big difference.

Below is what I did this time.

M - 3,100
T - 2,000
W - 1,818 (open water)
Th - 1,500
F - 0
S - Chicot Challenge IV, 19.04 miles.

I also ran 20.36 miles for the week which did not affect my swimming muscle freshness, but did seem to contribute to an overall fatigue that I carried into the swim. Besides being tired, I did not sleep well the night before. Still I performed well and emerged from the water feeling like a million bucks. But within an hour I crashed like a burning airplane and experienced the deepest fatigue of my life. That wasn't really a bad thing because I enjoyed some powerful good sleeping over the next few nights. 

What is the lesson or lessons? I'm not sure, but I am always on the prowl to learn something. One lesson, I suppose, is to relax, more than one way can work. I tried to follow last year's training jot for jot and tittle for tittle, but things beyond my control prevented that. When the training varied, I felt compelled to adjust the taper. The two weeks above are not identical but they are the same model, however. They both drastically reduce swimming volume, and they both cut back some each day as the big event draws near. Maybe the biggest and best lesson is the one my pastor preached Sunday before: All things work together for good to those who love God who are called according to His purpose. This ties back in to the fist lesson: relax.

These might seem like small lessons, but I think they are a big deal.

To all who gave, prayed, encouraged, helped, cheered, and/or showed up at the finish, let me say one more time, thank you very much. Only God in heaven could ever reveal to you how much you blessed me.