Wrecked like the Edmund Fitzgerald

The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they call "Gitche Gumee."
"Superior," they said, "never gives up her dead
when the gales of November come early!"

Gordon Lightfoot

So I know it's Minnesota week and Gordon is from a little further north but this song is about the big Great Lake I'm looking at as I type this. So it seemed extra appropriate to use this song this week. And as an added bonus Mr. Lightfoot will be playing for me in Madison on September 15th. Now before I recount my day I thought I would give you a little history lesson about the song.


On November 10, 1975, an ore carrier - the Edmund Fitzgerald - sank in Lake Superior during a November storm, taking the lives of all 29 crew members. Later that month, Gordon Lightfoot, inspired by that article in Newsweek Magazine, wrote what is probably his most famous song: Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald.

It was a rainy wednesday on the north shore of Minnesota and that changed up our schedule a bit. I spent two hours from 6 am to 8am in the pool. Lap after lap of individual medleys and then 20 minutes of heaving the medicine ball on to the deck while shuffling around the pool. It was hard but I really enjoyed a morning without a 6 am hike. However, the trainers seemed to think that was a great excuse to wratchet up our mid morning session. The 12 circuits became 18 the relays doubled to two and the ab work doubled as well. It was 3 hours of hard ass work and I was on my way to miserable. And there was no 15 minute break each hour. I would have been happy with 5 minutes an hour. But I had it better than my friend bob-a loo. Not often I get to dwarf a bear

After lunch we reconvened for our afternoon session that was promised as a 1 hour cardio session at the local gym. I spent 10 minutes getting reaquainted with my old friend the Nu-Step :) But moved onto the bike and spent the next 45 minutes on an old school life cycle. Was glad to finish that up before learning that I was going to be doing squats and presses over in the weight room. Thankfully that ended rather quickly and I thought maybe I could get a little nap in since it was around 3:30... Found out we would all be walking back to the resort. I'm guessing in the 1.5 mile range. UGH... Jimbo was

not a happy camper. My legs hurt and every step only adds to it. But an hour later I grumply waddled into the resort...Was I happy that I did it?...Not really. I just wanted to put the feet up, ice the knee and shut my eyes. That lasted about a half hour before dinner and a lecture on macro-nutrients

My ass is kicked. If I cough my ab's cry. If I reach out my shoulder shrieks. If I climb my knee sings a tune like a bowl of rice krispees. There is literally no part of me that doesn't hurt. I have a 5:15 am weigh in tomorrow. I don't really care. I have worked as hard in these 3 days as I can. I'm really proud of all I have done and all my FN mates have done as well. No dissapointment in anything I have done. I do really miss my volleyball teammates and my time in the sand. Volleyball>>>>>>walking home from the gym....Peace, Love, and Rainy Day People, Jim