BBU 16

The last full week before March has come and gone. We are closer to Quadrathon. We are closer to death. We are closer to the return of Jesus. Monday was raining lizards and frogs so I went to Twin Rivers for a dreadmill run. I did 2.42 miles. Oh, but first we worked out at Plate City. At 6:00, Tyler and I met at the pool for 3,250. I think Tyler was there. I was.

Tuesday, we lifted again. On the road, I did 2.14. In the pool, I swam 1,750. Yeah, I was lazy like that.

Wednesday morning we hit the legs hard at the city. Consequently, I hit the road gently with only a 1.12 mile run. In the pool, however, I was good for 2,613. Huh? I did a tad over half a length of butterfly. Yeah, I am determined like that.

Thursday we slept in. On the road, I shuffled 4.21 miles, and in the pool I swam 2,250. Tyler was there that night. We worked on sprints and dive starts.

Friday we lifted double duty as is our schedule now. I only ran 2.3 miles, but in the pool I busted out 5,000 yards non-stop. That is good for basic endurance which helps on anything you swim for time from 200 yards and up.

Saturday was a nice one. I ran 11.42 miles. After nutrition, naps, and leisure, I went to Plate City and hit those legs like I was mad at them. It was one of those glorious days when the rain pelting the metal roof gave that ineffable ambiance that made me happy just to be alive. Thank you, Jesus.

Sunday, I preached, we ate at Captain D's, and then napped. Late afternoon, I went out for a short shuffle giving me 147 days of uninterrupted training. It was a good week. 

For the week, I

  ran 25.2 miles,

  swam 13,583 meters,

  cycled 10:00 minutes,

  lifted weights five times, and

  Skiergged 18:40

That is real training right there, I don't care who you are. Quadrathon is coming and we plan to be ready.

Good Day

Saturday was a real nice day. We slept late at Casa de Hodge. When I got up, I started on the coffee and began to work on Sunday's sermon. It was nice. I drank the whole pot and then decided to go out for a run. 

Since it was cloudy, cold, and misty, rainy like, I left the house shuffling by zigging and zagging around the neighborhood. Slowly I ventured further and further from the house until I crossed the bridge and headed out Wade Road. I went out to the end of the road and noticed that the huge tank that has been out there for decades was gone. I have run out there within the last two months and it was there then.

To make a short story long, I ran 11.42 miles. I was damp when I made it home. Not only that, but I was hungry too. So I ate, rested, and thought about what to do next. I went to Plate City about 5:00 p.m.

I usually work volume legs on Saturday and anything else that I feel needs extra work. I did a bunch of squats and even came pretty close to my PR. After all the running, and the sets and reps on the squat, to be able to come to within five pounds of my PR, just goofing off on my own, let me know that I have gotten stronger.

I also deadlifted for the first time in several weeks. I pushed it up to 245. I finished the workout with a ten minute cycle while I watched an old TCM movie. What I did not do was the Skierg. Funny how I did all I did but was still lazy like that. Sometimes I realized that I am a walking, breathing oxymoron. Shoot me.

Thank you, Jesus, for a banner day, a relaxing evening, and a good night's rest.

Friday

Friday morning arrived with cold weather, dark skies, and whipping wind. The Plate City crew was on hand to greet the day with grunts, sweat, and effort. Friday is our push and pull day. We did benches, the log press, the seated dip, the chest-supported row, curls, lat pull downs, and the swim circuit: the Swim Pull, followed by the Skierg, followed by the swim cords. It's tough, yeah. I do believe, however, that it is beginning to make a difference in the pool. The last time Tyler and I did 50s, my average time was much slower. This time my times dropped while my effort remained the same.

I went out for a run around mid-morning. I did a little over four miles. Then I went inside to rest and to ready myself for the swim.

I met John at the pool. Or more accurately, I started swimming and John came in later. Why does he always ask me afterwards what time I got there? After ten years, why can't he learn that I will be there when I say I am going to be there. It's not complicated. Since he can't be on time, it seems he can't even comprehend anyone being on time.

I swam 5,000 yards straight in 1:34:35. That made for a 1:53 per 100 pace and my longest swim of the year. Converted to meters, that equals 4,570. Converted to miles that makes 2.84. Not bad. Still that is a long way off what I used to do. But I am not training for the Chicot Challenge. Rather, I am training for the Crazy Man Quadrathon, the State Senior Olympics, and the State Games of Mississippi.  You can add to that the Viking Half Marathon, and the Heart O' Dixie Triathlon.

Easy Day

Thursday is my easy day. We sleep in and Fridays we double up at Plate City. At work, I only have two classes with my office hour in between. I walk out of the Greenwood Center at 12:05 a free man. Yeah, I am blessed like that.

In the afternoon after a nap, I shuffled around town for 4.21 miles. Then I met Tyler at the pool for

  1,400

  4 X 50 fast

  300 easy

  4 X 25 breast, working the underwaters

  4 X 50 as 25/25 back/breast

  4 X 25 dive start, breast

  total: 2,250 yards

While we were there, a young guy came in, Jay, and we worked with him some. He was barely a swimmer, but he made some improvements while we were there.

Thus it was a decent training day but not an extra-ordinary one, an easy one. After it was over, Tyler and I were one day closer to Crazy Man Quadrathon and one day closer to the State Games of Mississippi. "We are going to be real swimmers in Meridian," I told him while we practiced our dive starts.

That we are.

Praise God.

Making Changes

I am kind of slow so it took awhile for me to realize that we needed to change our heavy leg day to Wednesday. When I mentioned it to Tyler, he said he had been thinking the same thing. For various reasons, Saturday has been the most interfered of our training days. So we made the shift Wednesday morning lifting heavy on the legs, squats, leg curls, leg extensions, and calf raises. Of course we finished with the Skierg, 4:40 to be exact. 

My laziness continued after work. I only ran 1.12 miles for the day. It was raining, I was tired, I was pressed for time.

At the pool, Tyler had to cancel for a meeting. I swam

  1,650 31:32

  500 back 11:41

  6 X 50 @ WIFL 25 back/25 breast (best 1:01)

  150 easy

  13 fly

  total: 2,613 yards

Yeah, that's 13 yards of fly. I am good like that. I am going to learn to swim it. Also, I am working on the breast stroke. I will swim one breast event at the Mississippi Senior Olympics. I have made this commitment to make myself a better all around swimmer. Next year, I hope to have my fly up to where I can do an IM, a real IM not our Redneck IM. Last year, I added the backstroke, the best of my bad strokes. This year, I add the breast. Next year the IM.

Thank you, Jesus, for goals.

Begun Already

Tyler was ill Tuesday morning, but Vicki and I showed up and did our work. We hit it hard. I used the new 45 that I picked up Saturday on the chest-supported row machine. I pushed Vicki up to 25 pounds and up. She had to be sore the next day although I did not ask her. We did the whole routine, rows, lat pull downs, curls, Swim Pulls, the Skierg, and the swim cord. The last three, the Swim Pull, the Skierg, and the swim cord makes a circuit designed to make us more fit to swim good times in the pool.  

I ran only 2.14 miles. Laziness has smitten me of late. Sigh. I'll get over it.

At the pool, I only swam

1,200

5 X 50 as 25 breast/25 free @ 2:19

300 back

total: 1,750 yards

So it was not a big day, but I did beat last week in the pool when I only did 1,150. The Mississippi Senior Olympics are drawing near. We are down to less than two months to go, so I have to overcome laziness. 

Also, we have begun to raise funds for the DFM. We are pre-selling shirts this year. I have sold a few and even been paid for some already. The shirt design is good, the event is solid, and with Tyler working with me, we are going to blow the top off our past fundraising successes. Yeeha, thank you, Lord.

The New Start

The week is started and it began with Pee Wee, me, Tyler, and Vicki meeting at Plate City in a heavy rain. It was great out there with the hard rain coming down on the metal roof. I could have laid on the concrete floor and gone to sleep. But instead, we lifted. Hard. Heavy. Thoroughly. On the bench, I pressed

  20 X 50

  10 X 72

  6 X 100

  1 X 120

  5 X 140

  5 X 140

  5 X 140

  5 X 140

  5 X 140

  3 X 145

Because to the rain, we did not go to Plate City Extended, but did the Viking Press, the triceps pushdowns to finish our weights since they are both under the roof. On the Skierg, we upped the time from 4:35 to 4:40. Yeah, we're bad like that.

Since it was raining lizards and snakes, I went to Twin Rivers to run. I can't wait to get the treadmill at the City replaced. I don't use it often, but it is awfully nice when you need it. I only did 2.42 miles, but that is not only better than a poke in the eye, but it is way better than a punch in the throat.

I met Tyler at the pool, and we swam

  2,200 40:34

  10 X 50 @ 1:30

  300 easy

  He was running a little late, so before he got there, I did 10 X 25 back.

  total: 3,250 yards

We are staring down the gun barrel at the month of March. Then April and May will come. After that, June 2 will be here before we know it. Quadrathon. It's what's for breakfast. It's what's for lunch. It's what's for dinner. It's what we do. It's what we train for. It's our next big thing.

Thank you, Jesus. 

BBU 15

I fell off a little last week, but still came out OK. Monday, we lifted weights. I shuffled an easy 2.59, and swam 2,325 yards. Tuesday we lifted again. On the road I ran 5.8 for my longest run of the week, and in the pool, I sagged to a mere 1,150 yards.

Wednesday I was back in full swing with a solid workout at Plate City followed by 3.29 miles on the road, and 3,700 yards with Tyler in the pool. That was one tough practice we did.

Thursday we slept in. And despite the sleep, I went easy in the pool with only 1,650 yards. On the road, well, I didn't do the road. Instead, I went to Twin Rivers because the weather was windy and wet. There I suffered the dreadmill for 2.22 miles. Give me a cookie.

Friday, we lifted double duty doing both push and pull. I ran an easy 4.07 miles and met John at the pool. Guess what!?!?!?!?! He was on time. He was, I promise. I did a straight swim of 4,700 yards in 1:31:26, which was my longest swim of the year. So Friday was big train day.

Saturday, the wife, the daughter, and the grandchildren all loaded up and went to Jackson for the day. Zane and I went to Dick's. I bought a 45 pounder for Plate City, and I gifted Zane a pair of fives. We had donuts from Honest Abe's, ice-cream from Donna's, and supper from Berry's in Florence. It was good, yeah. 

Sunday is always rest day and I only do a very short run. We went to Hillbilly Heaven and I got out of the truck at the start of CR 231. I shuffled 2.21 miles in.

For the week, I

lifted weights five times,

ran 21.4 miles,

swam 12,360 yards, and

Skiergged 22:20

Those are pretty good numbers, but I want and need better ones. I plan for this to be the week that I bust it out on all fronts. Lord help me and thank you much. 

The Shirt Design Is In

Thursday is our sleep-in morning and sleep in I did. In fact, I was pretty lazy all day. After work, I managed to goof off much of the afternoon. Then Barry Brewer texted me that he had a couple of shirts printed. These were two of our quadrathon shirts that will serve as samples so we, Tyler and I, can pre-sale some of these. I made the first sale this morning. Thanks, Vicki. Below is a snapshot of one.

Is that a good-looking shirt, or what? I did the basic design and got Claire Webb Green to draw it for me. If you want one, let me know, send me a Message. They are $20, and all 20 dollars goes to the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi. We are selling in advance this year so that we will not have any left over shirts when this is over. 

Since the weather was so unsettled, I went to Twin Rivers to run on the dreadmill. My dreadmill at Plate City quit. I only use it three to five times per year, but it is nice to have it when you need it. I only did 2.22 miles so I am behind the chains so to speak.

I went to the pool alone and swam

1,350

200 back 

100 medium paddles

total: 1,650 yards

That is not much, but it is better than a poke in the eye. Thank you, Jesus.

For the State Games

Early Wednesday morning greeted the Plate City crew with 53 degrees. Yeah, it was nice like that. It was light legs and deadlift day. We worked hard, even Vicki. We squatted, did deadlifts, and finished up with a circuit of swim cords, Skierg, and swim cords. That one had us huffing like old men who had done too much. Well, OK, one of us was an old man, but even the young folks were breathing really hard. This should pay dividends in the pool.

Wednesday is also my long day at school. So by the time I had taught four straight classes and done my office time, I was one tired puppy. Nevertheless, I went out for a shuffle as soon as I got home and ran 3.27 miles. 

Tyler pushed the time of our swim back to 7:00 p.m. I had a doozy dialed up. On paper it looked like this:

800

700 first and last 100 fast

600 middle 200 fast

500 first, third, and fifth 100 fast

400 easy

300 middle 100 fast

200 paddles

150 back

50 for me 25 breast/25 free; for Tyler 50 for time

total: 3,700 yards = 3,381 meters

In the water, our practice felt like death. Not really, but it was a tough one. I liked it. I have not talked to Tyler about it yet, but I hope he liked it too because I want to make small adjustments to it and repeat it from time to time, maybe once every two weeks. As I told him in the pool, "This one is not for quadrathon. This one is for the State Games."

Tyler swam his last 50 for time. I recorded him at 30.1. The last time he swam for time, it was 30.24. The thing is, not only is that a sizable improvement, he did it after 3,650 yards of tough swimming, AND my thumb slipped when I tried to stop the watch. He swam faster by a tenth, two tenths, three tenths, I don't know how much. Also, that was from a push off the wall, not a dive start.

I did notice something. He flipped at :13 and finished in :30. We need to work on 50 race endurance. The word for that is stamina, but that word no longer mean anything. So I use the term race-pace endurance. We will do that in three ways: 1. Absolute endurance. That never hurts. 2. 25s. We will work on both ends of the 50. 3. 75s. We are going to swim 75s all out to build endurance over the last 25 of a sprint. 4. 50s. The most we have swum in one practice is 15. We need to get that to 20 and then up.

I thought you said three ways. You listed four.

Correct, thanks for noticing. I was just seeing if you were really paying attention.  

So it was another big training day on all three fronts. Quadrathon is coming. The Senior Olympics is coming. The State Games are coming. Viking is coming. Jesus is coming. He really is, and if you do not know Him, talk to Him today. He really is approachable. Ask Him to forgive your sins. He will. The Bible says He is "mighty to save." (Zephaniah 3:17)

New Circuit

Tuesday morning was cold but not bitter cold like Monday. We met, in the dark, but Vicki was absent. Overslept was what she said. Tyler and I did our pull workout: chest supported rowing, lat pulldown, curls for the girls, the Swim Pull, and we started something else. We finished with a little circuit of the swim cords, the Skierg, back to the swim cords. We did thirty reps on the cords, immediately going into 4:35 on the erg, then back to thirty reps on the cords. Ouch. That might not sound tough, but it is a heart rate thing that works the fast twitch fibers of the swimming muscles as well as their endurance. With the Swim pull, which works the strength of the swimming muscles, we get an all around dryland that should make us more fit and faster in the pool.

After work, I tried to rest, but I needed to study for class so that is what I did. Finally, around 3:30, I dragged out for a 5.8 mile run that included a couple of pick ups. I did two .25s and one .1 mile pushes that I hope begins to quicken me up a bit. I did these on Wade Road which has been resurfaced and is now a nice place to run. When I finished I was tired.

I went to the pool around 6:00. Two other swimmers were there. I got in the center between the two lanes. I only swam

1,050

50 back

50 breast/free

total: 1,150

I was tired and tapped out way too early. But sometimes that happens. The fatigue builds up and all I want to do is go home and go to bed. But I did something which is 238 times better than nothing. Praise God.

ARC

 

Starting Blocks

BBU 15 has begun. The temps were in the 20s again. Sigh. At Plate City, Tyler was there, Vicki was there, Pee Wee was there, and so was I. I pressed a little more than I have been. On the bench, I did

  20 X 50

  10 X 72

  6 X 100

  5 X 140

  5 X 140

  5 X 140

  5 X 140

  5 X 140

  2 X 145

Vicki even got the bar up for two reps. We are going to make a bench presser out of her yet. Tyler is moving forward. We also did the log press, the seated dip, and we finished with 4:35 on the Skierg. 

On the road, I aimed to beat last week by a little. That is about all I did. Last week, I shuffled 2.25 on Monday. This week, I did 2.59. That is a little better. 

Tyler and I met at the pool. We started with 2,000 straight. His endurance has improved by leaps and bounds. He kept up with me the whole way. In fact, for a while he was dragging me along. After our long warmup, we did 4 X 50 @ WIFL then we shifted to our starting blocks. Simon made us some blocks so we practiced our starts some in anticipation of the State Games of Mississippi. I made five poor, but successful starts and swam a 25 with each. By successful, I mean my goggles did not come off. Tyler had a little trouble. I think he made two of the five successfully. We have to figure it out. We will. 

The total swim was 2,325 yards. That plus the other two workouts made for a pretty good day. Praise God.  

BBU 14

Once more, I chose the words: adequate, solid, decent, but not: great, super, or praiseworthy to describe Big Build Up number 14. Monday started as usual with the gym in the dark and in the cold. We worked hard and got it done. On the road, recovering from the half marathon, I only ran 2.25 miles. In the pool, Tyler and I swam 2,550 yards. So with the weights, roadwork, and swimming, I did enough to move me forward in quadrathon preparation.

Tuesday we lifted again. I ran again for 4.03 miles, and in the pool I hit 3,050 yards. Wednesday we lifted. I shuffled another four miles, this time 4.33. In the pool, I totaled 3,100.

Thursday was our sleep in day. I only ran 3.22 and was so lazy that I failed to go to the pool. I needed the rest, I told myself, but looking back, that excuse never seems adequate.

Friday we lifted. I did not do any pulling because I had a muscle in my back giving me a little grief. On the road, I fell off to 3.09 miles. In the pool, I continued my laziness by swimming 3,500. What? Laziness? Yes, it was a straight swim which is what I always do when I want to do anything. When I feel that way, if I stop, I stop so I just keep swimming. That way, at least I get some volume in, and there is value in that.

Saturday, I slept later than normal and finally dragged out of bed for a 5.06 mile run. I wasn't feeling it. I did not swim. I thought to not lift, but I repented and went outside just in time to see it snow, all three flakes. It was wonderous. I did squats and inventoried Plate City's Olympic plates. We have 2,409 pounds not counting maybe another ton of one-inchers. 

Sunday I always rest, but I did to the small shuffle of 2.09 miles to keep the streak going. For the week, I

swam 11,149 meters,

cycled 8:00 on the stationary bicycle,

lifted weights five times,

ran 24.06 miles, and

Skiergged 22:30

So what needs to happen now is Tyler and I have to start getting into some kind of cycling shape. That is kind of difficult this time of year, but he just got his bicycle from the shop and is ready to go. Yeehaa. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.

Inventory

Saturday morning found me in bed, snoozing longer than usual. I did some school work then went out for a run. I did not feel well running. I have found that to be the norm after a steak the night before. I still think a steak is a healthy option, just not a good choice the night before any serious endurance work. As a result, I only shuffled 5.06 miles. I would have liked to do more, but I wasn't into it.

After that, I did some napping and some grading and some thinking. I was thinking of going to the pool, but I never made it. The naps were good, and I enjoyed the TV that I had missed for a few days.

Later in the afternoon, I decided to forego the gym. But then I changed my mind and did some squats. My legs are simply too weak to skip leg day. It snowed about three flakes, and I got a kick out of that. While I was out there, I did inventory of my Olympic plates. The gym is named Plate City for a reason. The final count was 2,409 pounds. Yeah, I have some plates. And that is not even all. I have most likely at least a ton of one-inch plates. The thing is, I rarely use them, the one-inchers, anymore. I plan to slowly turn them into dumbbells and such until they get down to a supply that I need.

Good Day, Good Training, Good Night

Friday wasn't a big day, but a good one nonetheless. We, Tyler, Vicki, Pee Wee, and me met at Plate City at 5:30 a.m. Although it was dark out there, the temp had risen to a relatively balmy 47 degrees. Woohoo! It felt great. Friday was supposed to be push and pull combined, but because of my right rhomboid, I did no pulling. On the pushing, we used the Swiss bar for the first time since Tyler has been at the City. He liked it, and it was good for Vicki because she can't press the Olympic bar, but the Swiss bar is lighter and she did some real sets of bench presses. We worked on her form, added weight, and made her actually work. Not that she hasn't been working, but it takes time to figure out exactly where someone is and now we have a better picture of her strength. 

I did do some curls, and we made Vicki do the curl machine also. In the past, she has been curling tiny dumbbells. We made her make those muscles cry. Then it was daylight by the time we got on the Skierg (third, fourth or fifth spelling?). In short, we had a good workout. 

After that, I went inside for breakfast, study, and waiting. The cable man was scheduled to come fix my cable box. I had been roughing it for a couple of days with no TV. That's tough. At least I still had YouTube and the Delray Misfits, the Mapogo lions, and other YouTube celeries. 

The cable guy actually showed up in a timely manner, did his job, and left me with a working TV. Sweet. I even had time after that to go for a run. I wasn't out long, but I got in 3.08 miles of roadwork, much of it out Hades Road, for workout number two.

I went to the pool early, around 2:15, for workout number three. There, I did a straight swim going 3,500 yards in 1:09:??. So I did three workouts, none of them huge but all of them adequate. Then I went home to get ready for Friday night. Penny and I always eat out on Fridays. This time we had plans to go to the Magnolia Smokehouse in Grenada with Tyler and his lovely, sweet wife, Madeline. When we got there, the place was at a standstill. Their electronic system was down which created problems with the kitchen as well as paying. No one could pay by debit card. What!?!?!? A quick check of my wallet revealed $50. Not enough. Ironically, I had thought about putting a Benjamin in there just in case. You can have plenty of money in your account, but if someone is trying to hack your card, the bank will shut your card off, leaving you looking foolish and deadbeat. But I failed to add the cash. Won't happen again.

To make a short story long, their system came back up, we got seated, ordered, and received our food. I got the 22 ounce steak because they didn't have a 24 ouncer. Tyler did the same. We ate those steaks like we were mad at them. It was good, yeah. The ladies, of course, pretended to eat. We left full and happy and had a nice ride home. At home, I ate candy, Reese's, for desert and tried to watch my freshly fixed TV, but was unable to due to sleepiness. Good day, good training, good night. Thank you, Jesus.

Taking It Easy

I really let things go Thursday. First, we sleep in on Thursday now and double up on Friday. We do this for two reasons. One is we need the rest, and the second is Tyler needs time to do a good run. Even he gets to sleep a little longer Thursday mornings.

Thursday is also my short day at school. So I have time for a long run in the afternoon. Somehow I managed to lazy away much of the day and finally dragged out for a short three-mile run. 

Swimming? You might have a hard time believing this, but I took the day off. Tyler was out, and Wednesday morning on the Skierg, I felt some pulling and discomfort in my right rhomboid muscle. At the pool later that day, I felt it even there. So I took the day off the heal up before something could develop into a real injury. Once I had a pulled pec that hindered my training for months. No thanks on that again.

So it was a short day in more ways than one but a good one nonetheless. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Longer Days and Warmer Temps

Wednesday morning the temp was 38 degrees in Plate City, a big improvement over 27 of the day before. We did light legs and deadlifting. Since Vicki missed Tuesday, she did both legs and some arm work. Pee Wee was happy to have everyone back. When I go out there, he wants big petting. Then he starts watching the gate. He wants his friends to show up so we can all play and have a good time. He plays with his toys while we lift, every now and then presenting himself to one of us for some attention.

I pulled 235 on the deadlift, which while not a PR, that is a good weight for me. This is laying the foundation for the really stupid stuff I have planned for the future, for 2023. Although the stupid stuff will be an endurance event, my body will need to be strong to hold up to the massive stupidity. Weak things break. Stupid stuff rules.

I was supposed to meet John at the pool. Instead of being late, which he is ten times out of nine, he was about an hour early and was finishing up when I got there. He will NOT show up at the time we agree upon. This is wearing a bit thin after nine and a half years. Because the pool was a little crowded, I did not do any hard swimming. I swam 2,500, 400, 200, all easy, for 3,100 yards. The easy swimming was OK because I felt a little pull on my right rhomboid muscle while doing the Ski Erg this morning. I also felt the muscle in the pool, and I don't want this to get worse and become an injury.

On the road, the weather was mild, but my legs were tired from the day before's 4.25 and the morning's squats and deadlifts. Still I shuffled along for 4.33 miles. The days are getting longer and it shows on both ends of the day. That is a good thing and is a harbinger of warmer days to come. I can't wait. Praise God for the coming spring. 

Two Bills to Pay

Tuesday morning was one of those mornings that had Tyler and me both wishing out loud that the weather would warm up. "If we can just lose these 20s," I moaned. 

"Forties would be great," Tyler responded. Vicki was not there. She had "overslept." Yeah, right.

Well, we did our workout, pulling and pulling and pulling. Six sets (I think) on the chest-supported row machine. We also did lat pull downs, curls for the girls, the Swim Pull, lateral raises, and we finished with a one/two combo of the swim cable plus the Skierg. I know, I have been writing Ski Erg. Skierg is the new, and I think correct, designation. Or maybe it's Ski erg. Whatever.

The sky was light, birds were out, and Pee Wee was happy when Tyler left and I went inside for breakfast. It feels really good to have something solid finished early in the morning.

I was supposed to swim with John. He called, however, and cancelled because he had two bills to pay. This is what happens when you can't manage time. John cannot manage time. Let me take that back. John can manage time. He can managed to make anything take a long time. And when he does get to the pool, it is usually eight to ten minutes before he is in the water. No joke, I time him. It takes Tyler almost thirty seconds.

So I swam with Tyler. That was after I ran 4.03 miles on an afternoon that felt amazingly spring like despite the brutally cold predawn morning. In the pool, we did

2,100

15 X 50 @ 1:16

200 easy

total: 3,050

I don't have any times because I left my watch at home. Tyler had a watch which got us through the 2,100. 

All in all, it was a pretty solid day. The swim practice was a good one, the kind we need to improve our pool times. We are focused like that. 

Praise God.

Something Stupid on the Way

Another week started with 28 degree air in the dark at Plate City Gym. Tyler was there. Vicki was there. Everybody else is a sissy. We did our push workout which is mostly pressing, bench and log. Also we work the seated dip machine and the SkiErg. We got it done while the world slept. Even the birds were too cold to come out until well after the sun had come up. By then, we were inside with our coffee, breakfasts, and spouses. Yeah, life is good like that.

After work, I went to the pool. Tyler was out that night so I went in alone around midafternoon. I swam

1,500 30:27

400 back

10 X 50 @ 1:16

150 easy

total: 2,550 = 2,330 meters

After dark, I went out for a little shuffle. Still recovering from Saturday's half-marathon, I only did 2.25 easy miles for my 127th straight day of running. Yeah, I'm bad like that. Despite my streak, I am still very slow. I am, however, getting more durable or at least I think I am. That is part of the reason for this streak. For 2023, Tyler and I have a huge plan to do something really great momentous big unbelievable unbelievably stupid. I will not announce this one until probably January of 2023. We still have quadrathon to finish. Stay tuned for something really big and stupid coming from someone who is noted for super stupidity. Thank you, Jesus.

Tyler on the Ski Erg

BBU 13

BBU 13 was another solid but not stellar week of training. Monday started at Plate City with some serious lifting. Vicki joined us for the first time (right?). I have a forgetter that works overtime. I think she was there for the first time, but maybe it was for the second week. Anyway, we didn't play around but lifted hard. On the road, since it was taper week, I only ran 2.88 miles. In the pool, Tyler and I hit 2,400 yards.

Tuesday, there was more lifting in the cold, dark gym. There is something neat about showing up early and getting work done while the world sleeps. While the world was awake, I hit the road for 2.44 miles. Yeah, not much, but a race is coming up Saturday. The pool? We swam 3,600 yards. Yeah, that is real swimming.

Wednesday was the morning Tyler tapped out. I shed no tears. Fatigue had hit me pretty hard already so I went back to bed, went to sleep, and had to be awakened by my wife. I only ran 2.19 miles leaving me lots of energy to spend in the pool. Tyler was out so I did a straight swim of 3,650 yards.

Thursday is our normal sleep in day, but since we were off from the gym Wednesday, we met and lifted. After work, my shuffle was down all the way to 2.03. Tyler and I only swam 2,000 yards so it was a fairly easy day.

Friday we lifted again, and I ran 1.12 miles. Thursday the news was released that the Mississippi River Marathon and Half was cancelled due to weather. (?!?!?) I don't understand why so many people have trouble with weather forecasts. They are really not complicated. Ice begins to melt at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, so our projected Thursday low of 36 led to all MDCC campuses being closed. Huh? Then the race. It snowed in Texas, so cancel the race in Mississippi. Huh? I swam 2,650 yards and then went home and rested.

Forrest and Vicki and I did our virtual half by meeting at Bankston school and doing an out and back on Money Road. Forrest ran 2:15, Vicki 2:42, and I dragged in at 2:58. After some serious napping, I did my work at the gym.

For the week, I

ran 25.12 miles,

SkiErgged 21:05

biked 7:30

lifted weights five times, and

swam 13,071 meters

That is pretty decent and is certainly moving us towards being ready for quadrathon in June. Thank God for goals. They make life interesting.

The Mississippi River Half Marathon

We are becoming a nation of sissies. Our school closed all campuses Thursday because of "inclement weather." Huh? It rained. The weather forecasters predicted our temperatures should drop all the way down to 36 at 10:00 a.m. At 10:00 a.m. nothing will freeze until you get well down into the 20s. I am confused as to why people can no longer understand a weather forecast. It baffles me. But hey, I did not have to go in to work. So there is that.

The Mississippi River Marathon and Half was scheduled for Saturday, February 5. It snowed in Texas so they cancelled the race here. "Going virtual" is what they called it. Well, at least I got to sleep longer and save some money on a drive. Forrest, Vicki, and I decided to go ahead and do our virtual half by meeting at Bankston School Saturday morning at 9:00 and doing and out and back on Money Road. It was cold. 

We did our run anyway. We're bad like that. At least we had sunshine and light winds. But let me tell you, at 28 degrees, even a two-mile-per-hour wind, which is what we had, is a tough thing. I felt it. All. The. Way.

The Greenwood Trio before our race

From the start, Forrest jumped out and left Vicki and me to battle the wind alone. Vicki passed me on the Tallahatchie bridge but I stayed about 25 yards behind for several miles. But slowly I slowed and she held her pace, putting more and more distance between us. When we were in the upper end of the chute, Forrest was coming back already. I checked my watch and did the math. He was 1.4 miles ahead of me. When I met Vicki coming back, she was .4 miles ahead. As I ran on, I saw some clothes on the shoulder. It took a second, but I realized that Vicki dumped some stuff. All her colors were left on the road's shoulder and when I turned and re-entered the chute, I never saw her again. I even grew concerned for her when I never could find her up ahead. I was praying she had not been abducted.

Although my pace kept slowing, I never really suffered. I finished in 2:58:58. That is a terrible time, but I felt pretty good getting it done. And it was a good training run. We didn't wimp out or wait for a better day. The race director said we have until March 15 to turn in our results. Only a handful of us did it that day.

The route

At the end, Vicki had chocolate milk and donuts. Forrest was gone already, so I had lots of eating to do. He finished in 2:15, and Vicki did her first ever half in 2:42. It had taken me weeks to convince her that she could do it. Finally, she agreed to give it a try, and she did well. I went home and took a nap and studied for Sunday. 

After a lot of napping, I went to Plate City. Although I had run a half, it was leg day and since my legs are so pathetically weak, I have committed this year to not skipping my lower body work, ever. I did not do what I usually do. But I did some squats and played around with some other stuff. Saturdays are play days at the gym. Pee Wee was happy to have me, and we had fun. Besides squats, I did some Swim Pulls and some SkiErg work. Also I played with some tubing that Vicki donated to the gym. This will help for with it we can work our fast twitch swimming muscles. I think I still have one fast twitch muscle fiber in my upper body. I think, I just don't know where it is. Then I called an end to all efforts, turned off the TV, and went inside for the night. It was a good day for me. Thank you, Jesus.

What a Quadrathete from Plate City can Do

The gym was quiet Wednesday morning. Tyler cancelled and I cried. Not really. I was very tired, sent Vicki a text, and went back to sleep. Penny had to wake me at 7:00 a.m. I had been up much of the night coughing so I was really done in and the rest gave me a shot at finishing the day. 

At work, I had lots of cookies to eat. It's a rough job, but I take it seriously. Also, Wednesday is my long day. I teach four straight classes. I thought I would have to dismiss some of them early because my voice was a bit abused, but I made it all the way through. I even held two of the classed over by a minute or so.

Tyler also cancelled our swim. It was alright. He had been telling me that his brother wanted him to come over one Wednesday and do a CrossFit workout at a gym in Grenada. I told him to go show those hillbillies what a Plate City quadrathete can do. He did and won the class by a big margin. They did wall balls, a push press, and a clean in rounds over a set period of time. Tyler did 30 rounds. The person in second place did 14. We are bad like that.

Although I was alone in the pool, I felt really good and swam well. It seems that tough set of 100s we did Tuesday tuned me up some. I swam 3,650 yards straight in 1:08:??. My average pace was 1:52 per 100 yards. That, for me, is good swimming and indicates that my endurance is not bad and my fitness is coming up. I need to keep that ball rolling, not so much for quadrathon, but for the two swim meets I hope to do this spring and summer. For quadrathon, we are only swimming one mile. So we could do that training by swimming once or twice per week. But to perform well at a swim meet requires more. Tyler is in on the State Games, and he will be a threat in the 50 and 100 free. So we are doing more.

Thank you Jesus, for a training partner and goals and good health. 

Busting It Big

Tuesday was a good one first at Plate City then at the pool. We did our pull workout, a first for Vicki. We performed five or six sets of the chest-supported row, some lat pulldowns, a set of Swim Pulls, and of course we finished with the Ski Erg for 4:25. One solid workout. Yes, it was cold and dark at 5:30 a.m., but by a quarter till 7:00 you could read a newspaper out there not needing a light. The days are getting longer. Praise God.

On the road, I was already cutting back, tapering for Saturday. I shuffled a mere 2.44 miles, down .44 from Monday's 2.88. I will do even less today. But it was at the pool where we went above and beyond, where we busted it big. We swam

  2,000 39:42

  12 X 100 @ 2:18 (most 1:33 - 1:36)

  50 easy

  300 RIM 6:29

  50 easy

  total: 3,600 yards

That was a good practice. It had volume, endurance, speed, heart rate work, and stroke practice. That is not everything, but most everything. It was also Tyler's longest practice ever, and he is improving like crazy. Usually I lap him three times on our long warmup set. Not last night. I was about forty yards ahead of him after 2,000 straight. He can beat me at will in a sprint, and he is better at the breast stroke. 

How did we come up with 300 on the RIM? We swam 50 free, 100 back, 100 breast, and 50 free. Yeah, that was tough for me. But we don't care about toughness. We are bad like Besides quadrathon, we have our sights set on the State Games. We are going there to kick butt and eat candy bars, and my guess is that we will be all out of candy bars by the time we arrive in Meridian two days after our epic quadrathon. Praise God.

The Next Training Cycle Begun

The next week of training for the Crazy Man Quadrathon has started. We, Tyler, Vicki, and I met in the cold, in the dark, in the best gym in town in Leflore County in Mississippi in the South-east in America in North America in the Western World in the world. It was push day and after only two sets in Tyler announced that he was stronger. I was stronger than last week also when I had the sinking spell and could not finish my reps for the fifth set of bench presses. We hit it hard, and Vicki did her first every upper body workout, if you don't count swimming. 

Since Vicki, Forrest, and I are running the Mississippi River Half Marathon this Saturday, I only shuffled 2.88 miles. It is time to start tapering for the race where I was caught and passed by walkers last year. It happened. It hurt. I am still in counseling over that. 

I met Tyler at the pool at 6:00. We swam

1,850 37:00

3 X 50 @ WIFL

3 X 50 breast @ 2:06

200 back

50 easy

total: 2,400 yards = 2,193 meters

Tyler swam a 50 for time. What did he do? From a push off the wall, he did 30.27. That is way faster than I can do on my best day. I am going to unleash a beast on the swimming world at the State Games this year. Plate City is coming, coming to win.

So not bad. We are going to do the quadrathon like the two toxically masculine males we are. We are bad like that. Thank you, Jesus, for the vision, drive, and health you have given us.