Last Week

I tried to maintain some training last week despite the fact that the craziness of my Dad's death and my Mom's hospitalization has shifted the whole world off kilter. Monday after work, I waded into the Twin Rivers pool wearing a cheap shorty I bought several years ago. It was better than a poke in the eye but not much. Mostly it just made starting a little easier, less shocking to go flat into the water. I swam 1,200 meters in 62 degree chlorine, and then decided I wanted to be somewhere else. After my night class, I shuffled 4.36 miles alone under the cover of darkness. More and more I have been enjoying the dark, the anonymity, the touch of a wilderness experience that I get even in town.

Tuesday I ran 7.07 miles and then drove my poorly repaired truck to DSU for Masters Swim with the Mad Swimming Scientist, the first time in months. There I stroked

1,550
800 breathing 3, 5, 7, choice by 50s four times through
50 easy
4 X 100 @ 3:00
50 easy
4 X 100 @ 3:00
4 X 125 medium paddles
100 easy
Total: 3,850 yards = 3,518.9 meters.
I was pretty gassed. It's amazing how much fitness I lost in the last two weeks.

Wednesday I ran 3.51 miles, and Thursday it was back to DSU for

2,000
8 X 100 @ 2:00 middle 50 fast
100 easy
6 X 100 @ 2:00 last 50 fast
4 X 100 @ 2:00 fist 50 fast
300 easy
Total: 4,200 yards = 3,838.8 meters.

Friday I had to attend a conference in Goodman, MS at Holmes Community College. I carpooled with Anita Horn and Emily Riser. The campus I found to be surprisingly really pretty, and to borrow a phrase from Jerry Clower, it "flung a cravin' on me." I thought how wonderful it would be to work in such an atmosphere. While I waited for Niter Horn to finish her session, I walked around and got in 3.24 miles. That's all I did exercise-wise that day.

Saturday started with breakfast at Huddle House with my old friend, Daniel Collins. We do this about once per month, and he was the first person I told about the insecurity I experienced at my dad's death. I left home thirty-six years ago and was unaware that his mere presence in my life made me feel safe, surrounded, protected. He understood, having lost his parents a few years ago, and said he felt the same way when his dad died. It's nice to have someone knows what you are going through.

Later that morning, I took my new wetsuit to Twin Rivers and swam 3,600 meters in 56 degree water. Afterwards I felt sick, nauseous, shaky. I don't know why, but often I feel ill after a wetsuit swim. That night, in the dark I went out for a run and didn't stop until I had done 9.35 miles with three tempo intervals thrown in (1.02, .63, and .52). I am enjoying running in the dark and for the first time in a long time I felt fit despite having put on a few pounds of late.

For the week, I

ran 24.29 miles
lifted weights two times
walked 4.84 miles, and
swam 12,154.7 meters.

For the year, I have
swum 714,284.29 meters and
run 1,138.17 miles.