Real Good

Thursday was a good enjoyable day. Everyday that God gives us is good. Some days, however, are more enjoyable than others. When Thursday rolls around, I always feel like I'm sliding into the weekend. That's because I am. I am out earlier than on Mondays and Wednesdays, but this time I was unusually tired. I went home and rested. 

Vicki and I had plans to meet at the pool at 4:30. We were swimming the Meet. Remember that one? We swam it last week, and I swam it alone the week before that. This is where we swim all the events we are signed up for at the Senior Olympics but always with a twist. The first time I swam it this year, I swam a 100 with small paddles between each event. The second time I swam it, I had a 1:00 minute rest between events. This time I cut the rest to :55 seconds. Yeah, I'm bad like that.

For me the events (in order) are the 200 free, the 50 free, the 100 free, the 100 back, the 50 back, and the 500 free. In the actual meet, all of this take place over about four hours. If I can swim a decent time with a total of less than five minutes of rest, then I know that endurance is not my problem. So we swam

  1,000

  50

  50 back

  The Meet

    200 3:14

    50 :41

    100 1:30

    100 back 2:02

    50 back :59

    500 8:20

  350 easy

  4 X 25 no breath

  350 Vicki's cooldown

  75 

  25 back

  50 back, small paddles

  50 back, medium paddles

  250 small paddles

  total: 3,500 yards

That practice proves to me that I am the most fit I have been this year. Below are my times for the three previous practices when I have swum the Meet this year, earlierst to last, left to right.

  200          3:15   3:17   3:14

  50            :42.5  :43    :41

  100          1:32   1:31  1:30

  100 back  2:02   2:05   2:02

  50 back    1:00   :59    :59

  500          8:41   8:41  8:20

As you can see, there was some fall off on the second practice. But the third, which had less rest than the second, was faster in almost everything. And those :21 seconds in the 500 are huge.

That was it for training. Back home, I mowed the front lawn and then called it a day and lounged until bed time. It was real. It was good. And by the grace of God, it was real good.