long swim

2,000 yards in 59 minutes! Not fast by real swimmer standards, but I am happy. And I didn't feel beat when I was done--if I had had time I would have been comfortable going for the whole 3,000 yards.

hanging in there

I'm struggling with childhood feelings of being left alone with my pain. Worked on it yesterday but ended up somewhat retraumatized, though I also got to some healing. So I distract myself with my training. Today we were supposed to do a swim competition--3,000 yards (or however much I could do in an hour). It is what is called a postal swim meet: you swim wherever you usually swim and send in a time. But the coach forgot to set his alarm, and he was going to do all the timing, so when he didn't show up we couldn't do it. Beautiful weather this afternoon and the workshop I was supposed to go to was postponed so I got in a long run--4 miles. That is the farthest I have run, and it felt good.

home again

The conference was hard. I chaired one committee meeting and participated actively in three others. I went to two interest group meetings. I didn't get to many sessions but I heard a wonderful lecture on how discussions of Darwin's character have changed over time. I received an award.

The strangest thing was that when I stood up to say my few words when I received my award, I couldn't speak for a moment. I don't remember that ever happening to me before. It was partly that what I had written out presumed that the citation for the award would be focused differently than it was, but I was more aware of looking out and seeing all those people. I wonder if it was somehow a delayed reaction from my father's funeral--I was wearing the same pants and jacket and similarly standing at a high podium.

conference

I'm off later today to Minneapolis for a professional conference, where I am interviewing job candidates, chairing a committee that has a lot of work to do, participating in two other committees, and receiving an award. It is going to be exhausting.

October training

swim 10 workouts, 10 1/2 hours
bike 9 workouts, 21 hours
run 14 workouts, 42 miles

That's a big record for me for running. Travel and my father's death got in the way of biking very much--I got some good long rides in but 9 workouts is pretty sad.

home again

So many people told us what a wonderful memorial service it was. We kept the service short, but the receiving line took well more than an hour, and after the reception at the church family and out-of-town friends came back to the house. I got involved in talking to lots of people, then crashed about 7 pm (the service had started at 2 pm). We were staying with friends so we could leave. Sunday we went back to the house for a long meeting with the lawyer--no problems, just very complicated. Then we hurried to catch our plane home. I'm not doing too well underneath.

cold weather

We had warm weather until Monday, and then suddenly it went from summer to winter: lows in the 40s and a cold cold wind. For several days I couldn't face going out on my bicycle in the cold, but finally today I got myself out for a little under two hours, wearing long sleeves and a wind vest and knickers and wool knee socks. It was lovely! I had forgotten how nice it is not to be hot.