Swim and Gym

    Despite sore muscles and assorted bruises I opted to swim last night. It was exactly what my aching body needed to loosen up. I did not swim as hard as I am wont to do, instead focusing the first half of my swim on drills and technique. I swam some laps with flippers, letting my arms float relaxed at my sides, to strengthen feet, ankles and legs for later this year when I will get dive certified. Flippers put a lot of strain from the knees down, and I don't want to be caught unprepared when I finally get to Scuba dive. For the second half I decided to do an easy mile, letting Body relax and muscle move in rhythm. At one point, for about a half a length, I felt like I had hit the point of perfect technique, sliding through the water with perfect streamlining, no resistance, barely making a ripple. Of course as soon as I acknowledged what was happening, the moment was gone, and I spent the next ten laps trying to recapture that moment of perfection. Of course I couldn't because I was trying too hard. But it was a good swim, and I felt great in the water.  
    I do some of my best thinking when I am swimming. Body moves through the cool water while Brain is on fire. I am rolling around ideas for additional workout gear for my Gym, to work muscles that will come into play in firefighting, search and rescue, and even the occasional obstacle course race and adventure race. I just put together a 10' climbing rope with a 1000lb test rated clip spliced into one end so I can attach it to a ceiling mounted ring. I decided to add a mounted ring to the top of a wall so I can practice wall climbs. Both rope climb and wall climb will be great additions to my arm and back workouts.
    I also made a great 15lb medicine ball from a rubber basketball and unscented, clay cat litter. I cut a 2" hole in the ball and carefully filled the ball with cat litter. Then I placed a large patch to the inside of the ball skin with silicone and replaced the piece I had cut out. It makes a great add to the gear. This got me thinking, with 25lbs of cheap litter costing a mere $2.15, it is a great filler to add weight. I have a 4' section of the 3" ABS pipe that I was going to make into a shorter version of my big slosh tube, but the caps are $7 each. I have two non-sealing caps already, and they were only about $2 each. Being cheap... er, I mean budget minded, I have been trying to figure out how to utilize that pipe. Now, I am thinking if I fill it with cat litter it is likely to be as heavy or heavier than my 6' slosh tube, and although it won't give quite the same effect as the slosh tube, I think adding handles for exercises like a clean jerk or deadlift would work great. I am also going to get a bag-o-litter to put into a backpack for weighted workouts, simulating the weight of the SCBAs we have to wear as firefighters. Amazing the things that can be done with an innocuous bag of cheap, clay cat litter.
    Tallying up the gear I have (and use regularly) or will shortly have for my Gym: treadmill, bike rollers, slosh tubes, climbing rope, free weights, resistance bands, weight bench, traverse wall (to be built), weighted pack, box jump, 5# and 15# medicine balls, 15# kettlebell, Indian Clubs, mini-trampline. I also plan on putting monkey bars across the ceiling, once I figure out the mechanics of it (food for thought during tonight's swim). Most of this gear is in use almost daily, especially treadmill, weights, bands, and slosh tubes, but in my living room. My free time is so limited right now that the traverse wall may still be a few weeks out, but I have the plans firmly entrenched in my brain. My gym is going to be great fun once it is fully up and running.