Our long, pleasant spring is giving way to summer here in the Mid South. The last few days have been sort of a transitional period--hotter but not so humid, sort of like in the desert Southwest, where it's tough out in the sun but delightful in the shade. But now the humidity is beginning to creep upward, and soon we'll be in the middle of another sweltering summer.
I think the best way to cope with a hot summer (or a cold winter) is just immerse yourself. Those days when you have to grit your teeth as you step out of your comfortable home are actually not so bad once you're out and moving, assuming you're properly dressed in the winter and adequately hydrated in the summer. I honestly think that my climate-controlled house feels much lovelier on those days when I've been outside working hard for part of the day.
This week I'm doing the last couple of workouts that my body will be able to process by the 18th of June, when the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race takes place. On Monday I did a set of eight pieces of "45 seconds on, 30 seconds off," doing each "on" piece at sub-maximum intensity. It was a very tough workout, but it was over quickly.
On Tuesday I paddled easier in the harbor for 80 minutes. My left hip felt quite sore from the stress of Monday's workout. I knew I needed to give it a break yesterday.
I did the May-June strength routine both Monday and yesterday, and will do it tomorrow for the last time before the big Memphis race.
This evening I plan to join a few other paddlers in this area who have started a "Thursday night sprint" series. We'll do a few 500-meter sprints out at Walnut Grove Lake. I'll paddle just a little bit tomorrow, and then I'll do my "rehab assignment" on the White River at Batesville, Arkansas, on Saturday.
So, there's plenty going on. I haven't raced since the 30th of April, and I'm looking forward to getting back at it and seeing some friends along the way.
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