Pile it

I finally added some weight to my weight training. A little on the deadlift, a few more reps on the bicep curls, and a little bit on my wrist roller. No extra soreness. That could mean I should have added some weight earlier. But I've done it now.

last pool

Today was my last pool workout before Kingdom Swim. It felt harder than last week but I managed to get through it ok. A few more lake swims and then it is the big event.

heat

I could really feel the heat on my run yesterday. I don't think it was over 90 and yet the heat really had an effect. A 4.6 mile run is on the upper edges of what I will undertake without water breaks. I might, under some circumstances, stretch it out to 6. But since it is long-ish for a run with no water stops I need to be that much more careful about being fully hydrated before I head out.

focus

I did my speed work today. Only I wasn't thinking about swimming fast. I was trying to pay attention to my body position and my stroke, especially the entry. It felt very demanding. Definitely very good conditioning. But I didn't ever feel like I was struggling to make the interval. Afterwards I threw in 200 yards of butterfly. One lap at a time, but one lap at a time is how you build.

almost

I almost talked myself out of putting those extra pounds on my deadlift. You know, the pounds I was talking about adding last week? Yeah. I but I failed to talk myself out of it but instead went for it. It felt harder. But also pretty solid. A good deadlift is one of the most satisfying things in a workout. There is something so very simple about it. See that? Pick it up. Now put it down. That's your workout. repeat as needed.
Anyway I was all ready to make an excuse because of this weekend. But I am glad I didn't

road work

Beautiful day today. Jogged my normal loop. I am really enjoying getting faster. I say to myself "conditioning, conditioning, conditioning" as I run up the hills.

not crashing into the kayak

Did a session in the lake with Wifey kayaking for me. It went great. I didn't crash into the kayak once. There was a light breeze, too. This is very important practice for some upcoming swims.

pile it on

I think it might be time to add more weight to my deadlift, again. For a while I was adding weight almost every week. Right now I seem to repeat the same poundage three or four or five times.
I see strength training as a constant balancing act. I need to keep pushing for additional strength, meaning I want to add weight to the big lifts as often as possible. But I also need to avoid hurting undoing weeks or months of work, meaning I need to add weight slowly and safely. It really helps that I have no particular deadline.

emphasis on the work

So, I made it through my speed work this afternoon. Not surprisingly, after a busy weekend, it was a bit of a struggle. I do believe that these workouts make a difference, even though they continue to happen in the pool.

In the lake

I met up with my coach for some lake swimming. Absolutely beautiful day. Nothing like yesterday at all. Also got in more than three miles and it felt fantastic. I've got to find some stronger sun protection though; I think I got a little burned on my back. I guess this is when I start buying up diaper cream for the zinc oxide. After all this wonderful open water swimming I could almost skip my monday pool workout. But I still think that my speed work is too valuable (and too productive) to slack off of it.

Pool again

There is something depressing about the first pool workout after having such a fantastic time in Virginia at the Jim McDonnell Lake Swims. But, even though I was very pleased with how I did, I know I can do even better. And that means not slacking off on my training. Also that was just the season opener for me. I'm planning to make my first open water swimming season as busy as possible.