Week 4 training recap

This was the toughest week yet, based entirely on the air conditions. Last week there were more than 1000 fires burning in the state, many of them burning out of control. We had winds from the north and the south and the east, a smorgasbord of bad air. Our air quality went from dangerous for sensitive individuals to plain old dangerous. Absolutely not what you want when you're training for an event. But did that stop us??

Monday was an off day, celebrating a friend's birthday instead of gulping in bad air. Tuesday and Thursday were swim days with increasingly high yardage. I skipped the track workout on Wednesday to avoid the bad air and instead did cross training in my own home. Friday was the normal off day. Saturday was scheduled for a run and a swim. Although there was improvement in the air it was still too cruddy for me to run so I walked once around the circuit - just over a mile. Swimming was drills and a long swim which I missed while I was instructed in remedial swimming. Apparently I'm doing it all wrong -- who knew? Sunday was a bike ride along the route I used to ride with my cycling buddies a decade ago. I think I did about 17 miles and coughed pretty consistently, but enjoyed being out and about.

The winds are pouring in from the west now, cleaning out the air and bluing up the skies. This morning there was even a teensy bit of drizzle on my windshield. Although the fires continue to burn, they aren't spewing schmootz in our air so training will be easier this week.