I don’t remember the last time I was this tired, so I hope you’ll pardon me keeping it short.

Wednesday I swam across the Hudson River, about 1 km across, though the current took us from across from about 70th Street to 35th Street. The distance the current took us didn’t tire me, but I walked to 39th Street from home and from 35th Street home. I take cold showers every fifth day (days that are multiples of five), so I took a cold shower too.

Thursday I rested.

Friday I lifted in the morning, walked two miles to Grand Central carrying bags, met a friend to drive to Joe De Sena’s Vermont farm, where I climbed so-called Mount Sparta, about 1.5 – 2 miles round trip including 900 – 1,000 vertical climb and descent. That day also kicked in my 22 extra pushups per day at Jim Harshaw‘s request to support veterans.

Saturday I climbed and descended Mount Sparta four times, plus 22 extra pushups. The temperature hit the the high 80s, maybe 90s, though the hill, at least, was mostly shady.

Sunday, today, I climbed and descended two more times, plus I walked home another 2 miles from Grand Central carrying bags, plus a few stair climbs to my apartment, plus 22 extra pushups. The weather hit higher in the 90s than Saturday. Since my birthday was Monday, you could say in a different time zone I turned 49 years old while climbing.

I’d like to say I was the oldest person climbing Mount Sparta, but a few dozen people climbed it, mostly as a 24-hour event I didn’t go to participate in, as I learned about it less than a week ago. Want inspiration? One woman was 61 and finished more than thirty laps in 24 hours. One man was legally blind and climbed with a guide. A few guys, including Joe, climbed with ruck sacks, logs, or chains weighing 85 to 100 pounds.

One woman had one foot. She wore an attachment below her knee. Did she complain? On the contrary, she happened to be descending while I was climbing and a part fell off the attachment. Like a Tour de France biker with a flat tire, she concerned herself only with getting back on course and moving forward as fast as possible.

So while I’m feeling as tired as I have in years, I finished few laps than a seventh of the top finishers, though I cite my recent swim, deadlifts, squats, and kettlebell swings as holding me back.

Anyway, an enjoyable few days of exertion and exhaustion.

Tomorrow is a cardio and cold shower day (the 20th) projected to hit 95F, so the work continues until Tuesday, a meditation day.

The hardest part of it all was this evening’s burpees, I think my hardest since after the 2014 marathon. The marathon exhausted me more but I was almost six years younger.

EDIT, Tuesday: Yesterday I would have liked to have run outdoors but for my cardio, I rowed 5k. As far as I can tell, rowing exercises roughly running the same distance but doesn’t pound the body as much. Usually I prefer outdoors, especially when it’s hot, but I wanted to rest my body from the pounding. I walked two miles or so going to the farmers market, but that’s just a part of life, not exercise.

At last I can rest since today is a meditation day. This morning’s burpees were easier than last night’s so I think my body is starting to recover. My quads and calves feel the most sore.

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