There was no ice in the harbor yesterday morning even though the temperature had been near or below freezing for the previous 36 hours or so. I can't say I understand the process entirely, as the air temperature alone does not determine whether the harbor will be iced over. I expect atmospheric pressure plays a role, and windy conditions probably retard the formation of ice.
All I know is that I was able to paddle unimpeded yesterday. I did three 8-stroke sprints and then paddled steady with several surges of 45 seconds or so.
Today it is warmer but rainy. As I ate breakfast this morning it was really coming down, but by the time I got down to the river it has abated to a fine drizzle. I will say that rainy days are some of the most beautiful out on the Mississippi. Today a lovely mist hung over the tranquil river.
In the first half of today's 80-minute session I warmed up, did three 8-stroke sprints, and then did a couple of little time trials on courses I've done many times before. I sprinted from one set of bridge pilings to the other beneath the A.W. Willis Bridge in about 30 seconds (my PR is about 28 seconds). And I paddled from the monorail bridge to the Hernando DeSoto Bridge in about 2 minutes, 14 seconds (my PR is about 1:59). I paddled hard and hoped to be faster today, but the results I got were the results I got.
I spent the rest of the session paddling steady, trying to maintain good stroke form all the way through even though I was tired from the time trials.
In the coming week I'll be working up a new strength routine. And milder weather seems to be on the way. Except for a brief cold snap at the end of this week, the forecast is showing highs above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. 40 feels remarkably warm after the miserable couple of weeks we just had.
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