12/19 - 12/25

Another dismal week but tis the season to be jolly. Actually, it was a joy filled week; only the training was dismal. This is the training cycle that saw me reach new numbers in my weight, not run for another seven days, and feel so lazy I ought to have invented sloth. Sigh.

Monday started the week with record weight lifting. My top three sets on the bench press were:

1 X 170
1 X 175
1 X 170 

This puts my 85% number at 150.

Tuesday was a pretty big train day with another double dip at DSU. I already wrote about this on December 21st in the post titled, "DSU Times Two." I totaled 7,200 meters. I also got to see Smu and the grandkids. Zane gave me a present. He put it in a Moon Pie box and wrapped it himself using duct tape. It was one of those match box cars. I will keep it forever. 

Wednesday I did more weights focusing on biceps and shoulders. I can't make my shoulders get sore. Odd. I have tried everything. Only once have they ever been sore and that was when I was working on overhead squats. It doesn't matter what weight I use, how many exercises I do, or how many sets I add. I have only two muscles that I can routinely make sore: my pecs and my traps. These are also the only muscles that grow. I can look at a barbell and my pecs will get a little tighter and larger. Kind of like eating. I can look at some kinds of food and gain weight in the belly. But my biceps and shoulders just don't get sore. Neither do they grow or get much stronger. Strength and conditioning is what I am after not size, but I would like to fill my shoulders out a little. My experience has taught me that those two things, strength and conditioning, go hand in hand with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). But I can't make them sore. Go figure.

Thursday I was back at DSU. I wanted another double dip but they didn't open at noon. We had Masters, though, and I swam

700
3 X 400 (7:23; 7:19; and 6:54)
100 easy
8 X 50 @2:00
total: 2,400

Friday I did more lifting and Saturday I also lifted some. 

For the week, I

ran - 0
lifted weights four times
swam 9,600 meters.

For the year, I am now at 853,250 meters (539 miles). This is getting pretty close to my all-time record of 873,842, but I don't think I can break it because I have only one more week in the year. That's OK because it has been a good swimming year without the total breaks that I often get this time of year. With Christmas and New Year's being on Sunday, we have continued to have Masters during these holiday weeks.

Christmas morning I weighed a whopping 177 pounds. I can't breathe well at this weight, I look terrible, and I am miserable. God help me get it turned around.