Oct 19-25

It was a good week improved by Mississippi State beating Kentucky on the road to retain it's number one ranking in the AP college football poll. The Bulldogs now sit all alone atop the national standings as well as the SEC West Division. Almost every time I think about State's football season, I cry. I wonder what Dad knows. Does he get to watch from heaven? What a treat it would be if God allowed me to sit down and talk to him and break the news, to tell him about the season, to tell him about whipping three straight top ten teams like they were ugly red-headed step children. I would love to see his face when I told him we are ranked number one in the nation and have been for three straight weeks.

I have written already about parts of last week. Monday and Wednesday afternoons I lifted weights with Big John in the back yard gym. Monday night ran 9.6 miles after work and Wednesday I ran 5.22 in the dark after class. My swimming fell off the charts with only 4,232 total meters in two short swims, one in the pool and one in the pond. The pond swim was in a wetsuit with the water all the way down to 68 degrees. For me, that temperature is life threatening. For Shawn C. Turner that temperature is a life threatening, but for a different reason. It threatens to freeze me and fry Shawn. What can I say? I am no longer delusional about my cold water abilities.

Friday I slipped out for a 16.38 miles run/walk, and Saturday I had a lot of things planned but all I did was a short run. There was simply too much football on TV to be very productive.

For the week, I
ran 33.4 miles.
swam 4,232 meters,
rode six miles on the bike,
walked 5.74 miles, and
lifted weights two times.

I am thinking very seriously about the Mississippi Trail 50. If I am going to do this, I need to pull it off before I get too much older. The last time I was there, in 2009, I tapped out after only 33.4 of a possible 50 miles. I didn't get my belt buckle. I want that buckle. I want to wear it to work, to church, to eat with my wife. OK, that does it. I'm in. Tonight, after class, I officially open my training camp for the Trail 50. My wardrobe needs an upgrade and a buckle is the kind of accessorizing that could make my wife proud.