The excitement is heating up

Well, here we are one day before the big race.  The Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race is scheduled to start at 10:15 AM tomorrow.  The field in the race boat class is looking less strong than usual this year: Greg Barton won't be making it, leaving fellow Olympian Mike Herbert as the heavy favorite for the overall win.  Whereas last year there were five or six entrants around my level of ability,  only maybe two or three are currently registered for tomorrow.  The canoe classes will be a little thin tomorrow as well, as the race this year conflicts with the Aluminum Canoe National Championships upriver in Dubuque, Iowa.

But as always, I try not to pay too close attention to who else is coming or what others are doing.  I can control nothing but my own performance, and I'm trying to make sure I am prepared to do the best I can.

Yesterday I paddled for 60 minutes and did six 12-stroke sprints with full recovery.  This evening, when I meet my friend Katie to load our boats and formulate our shuttle plan for tomorrow, I'll paddle for maybe 40 minutes and do about four such sprints.  Other than that my plan for today is to do a little work in my workshop and rest and relax as much as I can.

We're having our first real hot spell here for 2013, with temperatures reaching the low to mid 90s.  I'd been resisting the urge to turn the air conditioning on in my apartment, but when the thermostat's temperature display said it was 93 degrees Fahrenheit inside a couple of evenings ago, I decided it was time.  I've got it on now, with the thermostat set on 80.  If I can get some relief from the humidity, I'm perfectly happy not to have my place feeling like a meat locker.

And, not knowing what scientific studies have been done on the topic, I believe intuitively that shutting yourself up in the climate-controlled indoors at all times is not really congruent with a healthy, fit life.  The human body has evolved to withstand some heat and humidity in the summer and some cold, grey clamminess in the winter.  I'd be lying if I said I love the typical Memphis summer weather, but I'm not afraid to get out and immerse myself.