I've been kind of MIA for the past two weeks. School is definitely in full swing now, which is part of my absence here. Reading The Taming of the Shrew takes time, my friends. At the moment, I'm recovering from a rather nasty sinus infection. I haven't had any energy the past few days. Went through an entire box of tissues Saturday night. I consider that a bit of an achievement. Anyway, after going to urgent care and getting antibiotics, I'm starting to mend.
That takes care of the "Noses" section. Now on to "Knees." There is nothing more frustrating for a runner than when something hinders you from running. I've been having pain in my left knee for about 3 weeks now. It made running extremely uncomfortable, especially when I ran on pavement. It hurt to go up and down stairs, walk up hills, and sitting for long periods of time made it hurt when I stood up. After biking for a few days and not being able to run in our last race, I went to the doctor to have it looked at. I was thinking that it wasn't going to be anything too bad, but the fear that I would be out for the rest of the season was in the back of my mind. I was also nervous because I'd never been to the orthopedic place I went to. Being at school, I wasn't able to go back home to see my normal doctor.
The doctor I saw couldn't have been better. Specializing in sports medicine, he knew almost immediately what was going on with my knee. I have what is known as Runner's Knee. Basically, the muscles and tendons in my knee are moving around a lot and in directions that they don't want to move in. It feels like arthritis. But the good news is, I can still run! I can't do as much mileage as the rest of the team right now, but I have a bunch of stretches and exercises to help strengthen my knee and good things of that nature. I got to run today and I didn't have any pain! It felt strange, but I'll take that over pain any day. I realize this isn't the most exciting post in the world but I just wanted to give you an update on things. See ya later dude! (Note:if you can guess what movie that quote is from, you are wise indeed)
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Practical Jokes
Yesterday I learned something about myself. I'm not good at pulling off pranks. It started when I went to the cafeteria to get dinner. I met up with some of my teammates. Now, there are 3 Sarahs on our team, so we gave them nicknames. SarBear, Sarah B (I know, not very original), and Black Belt. The last Sarah has a black belt in karate. She's not in this story, however. I just wanted to put that awesome fact in.
I was sitting with SarBear and Sarah B. We were getting ready to leave when SarBear went to talk to someone at another table. She left her phone, which I proceeded to take and put in my pocket. My original plan was to just keep it until she figured out who took it. Then I got an idea. I remembered a story that my R.D. from last year told me. When she worked at another school, she snuck into one of her resident's rooms and hid under her bed. She waited until she came in and got settled and then scared her. Seeing that one of SarBear's apartment mates was in their living room, I knocked on the door. After explaining what I was doing and asking her to not give anything away, I went up to SarBear's room and got under the bed. I was giddy with excitement.
After figuring out I was the one who took her phone, SarBear and Sarah B had gone over to my apartment to ask for it back. Little did they know that I wasn't there. I was curled up next to a plastic bin, waiting with anticipation for them to come back.
Then, somehow, my plan failed. I don't know how, but SarBear and Sarah B figured out that I was hiding somewhere in the apartment before they even got there. Their apartment mate had left before they came, so she couldn't have told them. I heard the door open and Sarah B's voice.
"We know you're in here! You're going to die!"
Coming up the stairs, she opened the door to SarBear's room. She found me almost immediately. Grabbing my feet, she dragged me out from under the bed, SarBear's phone falling out of my pocket in the process. Sarah B snatched it up. As a last ditch effort, I tried to hold on to her legs to keep her from going downstairs, but she just kicked her shoes off and ran out the door.
In the end, SarBear got her phone back and we had a good laugh.I'm a little bummed it didn't work out, but it still makes for a good story.
I was sitting with SarBear and Sarah B. We were getting ready to leave when SarBear went to talk to someone at another table. She left her phone, which I proceeded to take and put in my pocket. My original plan was to just keep it until she figured out who took it. Then I got an idea. I remembered a story that my R.D. from last year told me. When she worked at another school, she snuck into one of her resident's rooms and hid under her bed. She waited until she came in and got settled and then scared her. Seeing that one of SarBear's apartment mates was in their living room, I knocked on the door. After explaining what I was doing and asking her to not give anything away, I went up to SarBear's room and got under the bed. I was giddy with excitement.
After figuring out I was the one who took her phone, SarBear and Sarah B had gone over to my apartment to ask for it back. Little did they know that I wasn't there. I was curled up next to a plastic bin, waiting with anticipation for them to come back.
Then, somehow, my plan failed. I don't know how, but SarBear and Sarah B figured out that I was hiding somewhere in the apartment before they even got there. Their apartment mate had left before they came, so she couldn't have told them. I heard the door open and Sarah B's voice.
"We know you're in here! You're going to die!"
Coming up the stairs, she opened the door to SarBear's room. She found me almost immediately. Grabbing my feet, she dragged me out from under the bed, SarBear's phone falling out of my pocket in the process. Sarah B snatched it up. As a last ditch effort, I tried to hold on to her legs to keep her from going downstairs, but she just kicked her shoes off and ran out the door.
In the end, SarBear got her phone back and we had a good laugh.I'm a little bummed it didn't work out, but it still makes for a good story.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Stopping and Starting
Have you ever had a day where what you're doing seems so difficult that you just want to quit? That was today for me.
A lot of people don't quite understand why I run. They can't comprehend why I would willingly make my body endure mile after mile at a pace that most people would never want to do. Well today, I was questioning it myself. We do speed workouts twice a week. They can be anything from mile repeats, running on a track, to ladder or interval workouts. Mount Vernon High School is right across the street from my campus, so we do some of our workouts there. The perimeter around all of the sports fields equals a mile. Coach had marked the 400 meter marks with flags. This was our workout:
400 easy, 400 race pace, 400 easy, 400 race pace
3 minute rest
800 easy, 800 race pace
3 minute rest
800 easy, 800 race pace
3 minute rest
800 easy, 800 race pace
3 minute rest
400 easy, 400 race pace, 400 easy, 400 race pace
1 mile cool down
For those of you who lost track, that's 6 miles of speed work, plus the mile cool down, which makes a grand total of 7 miles for the day. 800 meters equals half a mile. 400 meters is 1/4th of a mile. Make sense?
It was also extremely hot and humid today. I don't run well in humidity. By the third loop, I was losing steam. And the 3 minute rests? Yeah, it doesn't feel like much of a rest. My mind was basically battling against itself. Half of me just wanted to stop more than anything, but the other was screaming at me to keep going. I was overheated, my legs felt like jelly, and I was sweating so much it looked like I had gone swimming. I knew that if I stopped the workout, I would regret it later. There were some times during my summer training that I didn't do the full mileage I was supposed to and I felt guilty afterwards. I knew I was capable of going the distance, but my doubts got the best of me. But today, I kept going. I had to jog some of it, and I did the last loop in my socks because my shoes were rubbing, but I did it. It was really hard, but crossing the line for the final time, knowing I didn't give in, was one of the best feelings. The support of my teammates helped a ton too.
Sometimes we have to do things that are difficult. We may get to a point where we think we can't handle it anymore. But I'll bet that you're a lot stronger than you think. You'll make it through.
A lot of people don't quite understand why I run. They can't comprehend why I would willingly make my body endure mile after mile at a pace that most people would never want to do. Well today, I was questioning it myself. We do speed workouts twice a week. They can be anything from mile repeats, running on a track, to ladder or interval workouts. Mount Vernon High School is right across the street from my campus, so we do some of our workouts there. The perimeter around all of the sports fields equals a mile. Coach had marked the 400 meter marks with flags. This was our workout:
400 easy, 400 race pace, 400 easy, 400 race pace
3 minute rest
800 easy, 800 race pace
3 minute rest
800 easy, 800 race pace
3 minute rest
800 easy, 800 race pace
3 minute rest
400 easy, 400 race pace, 400 easy, 400 race pace
1 mile cool down
For those of you who lost track, that's 6 miles of speed work, plus the mile cool down, which makes a grand total of 7 miles for the day. 800 meters equals half a mile. 400 meters is 1/4th of a mile. Make sense?
It was also extremely hot and humid today. I don't run well in humidity. By the third loop, I was losing steam. And the 3 minute rests? Yeah, it doesn't feel like much of a rest. My mind was basically battling against itself. Half of me just wanted to stop more than anything, but the other was screaming at me to keep going. I was overheated, my legs felt like jelly, and I was sweating so much it looked like I had gone swimming. I knew that if I stopped the workout, I would regret it later. There were some times during my summer training that I didn't do the full mileage I was supposed to and I felt guilty afterwards. I knew I was capable of going the distance, but my doubts got the best of me. But today, I kept going. I had to jog some of it, and I did the last loop in my socks because my shoes were rubbing, but I did it. It was really hard, but crossing the line for the final time, knowing I didn't give in, was one of the best feelings. The support of my teammates helped a ton too.
Sometimes we have to do things that are difficult. We may get to a point where we think we can't handle it anymore. But I'll bet that you're a lot stronger than you think. You'll make it through.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Cross Country Round 2
Well kids, I'm moved back into school and the cross country season has begun! My teammates and I moved in last Thursday and cross country camp started. We were at this beautiful little house that a friend of coach's owns. He ran cross country in college and he has a ton of property. He cut out all these trails and courses on his land just for us to use! How cool is that? It's so quiet and peaceful there. We spent our time outside of running fishing, jumping on the trampoline, swimming, and pretty much bonding as a team. One night the guys challenged the girls to a game of charades. I haven't laughed that much in a long time. I'm proud to say that the girls won. We didn't go somewhere for camp last year, and there's a real difference in our team dynamic. Spending that much time together really made us close. We were all in the same house, cooking dinner together, sleeping pretty much on top of each other (the guys slept downstairs and the girls were upstairs). It was so awesome to see everyone come together.
Personally, I think we're going to have a great team this year. We're a lot stronger than we were this time last year. Our workouts are most intense, we're doing core work more often, and we're lifting once a week. I'm so excited to see how we do this season. I love these people.
Personally, I think we're going to have a great team this year. We're a lot stronger than we were this time last year. Our workouts are most intense, we're doing core work more often, and we're lifting once a week. I'm so excited to see how we do this season. I love these people.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
I'm Back For Real This Time!
I promise! Guys, I really do apologize for my absence this entire summer. I had so many things going on my blog just went on the back burner. But no more! I'm going to keep this as updated as possible this year, with everything from food to music to photography and anything else I come up with. And there will be adventures from my life as a college student and athlete. Who knows, maybe I'll even put some of my writing up here, if I'm feeling brave! Now, I'm in the process of baking bread, so I must leave you now. But here's a picture I took of the inside of The Bean in Chicago! Otherwise known as an acid trip.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Tonight I Can Write the Saddest Lines
Today was the last day of my World Literature class. We ended by looking at the poetry of Pablo Neruda. I haven't exactly enjoyed this class, but today I found a poet whose work I'm very likely going to read this summer. It is beautiful. He writes everything from love poems to odes to everyday objects like tomatoes. One poem we read was Tonight I Can Write the Saddest Lines. It's quite sad, but hauntingly beautiful at the same time. It brought a lump to my throat. I'm posting it here so you can see what I mean. Just sit back and take in the words
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example, 'The night is starry and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance.'
The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.
She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.
To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.
What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is starry and she is not with me.
This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
My sight tries to find her as though to bring her closer.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.
The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.
Another's. She will be another's. As she was before my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.
Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example, 'The night is starry and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance.'
The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.
She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.
To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.
What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is starry and she is not with me.
This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
My sight tries to find her as though to bring her closer.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.
The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.
Another's. She will be another's. As she was before my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.
Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Is This Real Life?
This past week, I scheduled my classes for next year. My advisor was happy with my progress because I'm right on track to graduate on time. It was when he said that that I had one of those "I can't believe I'm growing up" moments. I'm right on track to graduate. From college! Am I really going to be a junior next year? It seems like just two days ago I was a scared freshman at Kent State. Now here I am, 20 years old and signing up for a class called Traditional and Modern Grammars. I'm researching literary journals where I could submit my writing to hopefully be published. It's quite odd to think about sometimes.
There are other things that make me realize I'm getting older. Four of my friends are getting married this summer. I couldn't be happier for them, but it's so strange to think I'm at that age now where people I know personally are taking that step. One of my good friends just released her first book. Her first book! I'm so proud of her. And yes, I'm going to shamelessly plug it. It's called Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter by Sarahbeth Caplin. You can buy it on Amazon!
While these things make me feel like I'm getting older, there's still a part of me that feels perpetually 12 years old. The first night I was home for Easter break, my sisters and I built a fort in our living room. I still like to watch cartoons (Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry are my favorite). It's not unlikely for me to read a Garfield comic book before bed. Or Calvin and Hobbes. And some days, all I want to do is sit on my couch with a blanket and watch Hey Arnold.
I honestly think I'll still have that side of me even when I'm seventy. And I would encourage you, or whoever is reading this, to not forget that part of yourself. Hold onto that childlike excitement. That carefree spirit. You never know how important it could be in your life.
There are other things that make me realize I'm getting older. Four of my friends are getting married this summer. I couldn't be happier for them, but it's so strange to think I'm at that age now where people I know personally are taking that step. One of my good friends just released her first book. Her first book! I'm so proud of her. And yes, I'm going to shamelessly plug it. It's called Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter by Sarahbeth Caplin. You can buy it on Amazon!
While these things make me feel like I'm getting older, there's still a part of me that feels perpetually 12 years old. The first night I was home for Easter break, my sisters and I built a fort in our living room. I still like to watch cartoons (Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry are my favorite). It's not unlikely for me to read a Garfield comic book before bed. Or Calvin and Hobbes. And some days, all I want to do is sit on my couch with a blanket and watch Hey Arnold.
I honestly think I'll still have that side of me even when I'm seventy. And I would encourage you, or whoever is reading this, to not forget that part of yourself. Hold onto that childlike excitement. That carefree spirit. You never know how important it could be in your life.
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