Another week went by with no call to duty at the federal courthouse. So I was free for paddling and related activities.
The early-week forecast called for chilly temperatures with lots of rain Tuesday and Wednesday. I went down to the river and paddled Monday, when the Fahrenheit temperature was in the high 30s. It wouldn't have been such a bad day to paddle if it hadn't been for the wind. I paddled into a headwind to the north end of the harbor, and once I was up there I worked my way back south with a lot of small loops and east-west zigzagging, just to keep my headwind exposure to a minimum.
When I went to bed Monday night my throat was suddenly very sore, and I woke up several times during the night to find that it was still sore. For me, a sore throat is often a sign that I have a cold coming on. Tuesday was shaping up to be a chilly rainy day, so I opted to stay in and give my body a chance to fight it off. I did a lot of work done in the shop, but I didn't do any formal athletic stuff. By Wednesday the throat soreness seemed to be fading and no cold symptoms were taking hold, and I did my indoor gym routine while some more rain fell outside.
The rain had moved out by Thursday, so I was back outdoors doing some running with some core exercises mixed in the Greenbelt Park that overlooks the majestic Mississippi River. It was cold and windy and I was glad to have that session behind me. Friday's weather was even colder, so I stayed in and did another indoor gym session.
Also on Friday, I learned that I finally must report to the federal courthouse downtown. Because Monday is a federal holiday, my duty will begin on Tuesday.
In the early hours of yesterday morning some powerful thunderstorms moved into the area. Storms were expected to continue all day yesterday, but the Internet radar showed a mid-morning break, so I went downtown and paddled. Though the temperature was supposed to rise to near 70 degrees yesterday, it was only 50 or so while I was in the boat. But the wind was light and the rain held off for most of the session, so in all I'd hit a pretty ideal window. The heavens opened for about the last five minutes, so I was good and soaked when I got back to the dock, but soon I was in dry clothes, and the rain stopped so I could walk up to the parking lot without being doused again.
By afternoon it was freakishly warm outside, and by early evening another round of heavy storms was moving through with cold air behind it. By the time I got up this morning, the temperature had plummeted. I returned to the Greenbelt Park for some more outdoor dry-land work under overcast skies. The temperature was a steady 35 degrees while I was down there, and if the wind had been bad on Thursday, this morning it was just plain awful. At least it made me waste no time: I moved briskly from one exercise to the next, knowing that the sooner I got it done, the sooner I would be back home where it was warm.
It's supposed to drop into the mid 20s overnight, but tomorrow the sun is supposed to come out again and the high temperature is supposed to be a little over 40. I'm hoping maybe I can get in the boat one more time before I'm forced to rest in a jury box. It looks like the rest of the coming week will be miserably cold, so it's as good a week as any to serve my civic duty indoors.
I will say that while I'm not in any kind of high-level racing shape, I've been rocking the general fitness work this winter. I'm feeling good about that, and I hope it'll stand me in good stead for whatever comes my way in the warmer months.
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