"I've got a pool. I've got a pond. Pond is good for you..."

Saturday, July 23, 2011

"I've got a pool.  I've got a pond.  Pond's good for you..."  Chevy Chase to Bill Murray in the movie 'Caddy Shack' when Bill asks about swimming at Chevy's place.

Mimi had told me she finally had enough of a list to keep me busy for a while, but was concerned about the heat and working outdoors. “I don’t think its ever again going below 90, so I’ll just start early…and sweat a lot,” I said. So I arrived at her place at 8 a.m. and after a cup of coffee…the only civilized way to begin a work day…I began digging out weeds, cutting new edges around the property, pruning trees, dumping wheelbarrows, and climbing on the roof to unblock the gutters. I like to keep moving once I start and for the next four hours, managed to drop about 10 pounds of sweat and cover myself in five pounds of muddy dirt. Mimi went out to get some lunch, but there was no way I could go inside the way I was looking. I’d planned ahead though – packing an extra set of clothes, knowing I had inside work to do before the day was over. I told her I was going to hose off, which she probably found a little weird. “You could use the shower, you know,” she said, but I knew that the hose was good for me.

Jimmy was supposed to join me for a Survival Workout in the early evening and called around 4 p.m. “So…when we working out?” It was still hot as hell and I really wanted to wait a couple of more hours, but he’d gone a scheduled some social thing. We agreed he was a wimp and that I’d take him through the paces on Monday evening instead. “I want to take you to Slyman’s for lunch before I go back to school,” he said. Now…that’s an offer that’s hard to refuse. “I’ll go with you if you promise not to embarrass me by putting catsup on your corned beef sandwich this time,” I replied…though if he was buying a Slyman’s sandwich, I’d probably let him squirt catsup all over his head without taking much notice.

I went to the park and did the workout as planned. I was still a little fatigued from working in the yard for half a day, but it didn’t seem to hinder my ability to move heavy stuff…as I began by doing 54 push-ups. Dakota had joined me for the workout, but the heat slowed her considerably and she spent some extra time in Clear Creek drinking and cooling herself. I thought about joining her, but I had the Wilson’s pool when I got home and that kept me moving.

I was drained by the end of the workout and easily downed a 32-ounce bottle of water on the ride home. I suppose I’d shed 10 pounds of water through the day and would have to make a concerted effort to replace it all before heading back out into the heat tomorrow. I’m really getting sick of this humidity and heat.

Survival Workout duration: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100 to 150 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 600