Driving Home

I often drive up and down Interstate Highway Route 81 by myself for various reasons, like when I visited VT, Roanoke, or like today I came home by myself. I notice what when I drive by myself for long periods of time, I change into a different person almost. I become more emotional in a way. I might get really mad at some stupid driver and start yelling and cursing. Or I will be listening to my podcasts of Car Talk (hilarious NPR radio show) and just laugh at all of there little jokes so easily. Or I start getting into deep thought and a certain topic came up, my life.

So there I was doing 90 miles an hour, nah just kidding, more like 70 (the speed limit). I am on the way home for my third time, but its the first time alone since I have been at college. I get to thinking about how I am doing in school, then that leads to what I want to major in, then that leads to "what I really want to do in life", then that leads to self doubt. I think the main question I asked myself is "Am I heading in the right direction?"

I always come up with what I want to say on this darn thing, when I am not at my computer. It is kinda of frustrating. So your gonna have to wait for the rest of this post, cuz I cant think.

Roanoke Bball

Just saw my first Roanoke mens basketball game, I look forward to this season. People say they suck, but they played pretty good today I believe. I also wanna watch the lady maroons play too. Most people do not like to watch women's ball, but I do, mainly college though.

http://www.sidearmstats.com/roanoke/mbball/index.htm

Pain of the day: my foot hurts

About to go running. Can't wait to get home on Monday. I wish my School had a shorter fall break and made Thanksgiving break a full week. I would be home right now. I mean at least my class on Tuesday got cancelled.

Oh almost forgot (actually i still forget a lot of stuff that I want to post here tal). So we had our second essay exam in my History of Africa class. The first one I received a good bit of guidance from the professor. She looked over my draft and outline. This time around though I just saw her for a very brief outline that I had and got a better grade. Fist pump. first grade was 90 this last one was 91.

peace

VHSL State Cross Country Meet

So I came home this weekend to see my high school team run at their state meet. I was expecting a lot from them. The have had some good races this year. They have run really well.

They went into this meet after winning the tenth district title in Potomac Falls High School's XC history. Potomac falls is the only school ever to win the Dulles District championship title. Then they went into the VHSL Region II meet with high hopes. Region II is the most competitive region there is in VA this year and it has been in the past. There were teams from region II who were ranked in the top ten of teams in the state and were not able to go the state meet, because they only allow the top four(?) teams from each region no matter how you are ranked. PF earned 2nd place behind a very strong team who actually almost (in a mid season race) beat the top team in the state (Blacksburg High School) for the last several years. Western Albemarle High School are the Region II champs this year, they won by a fairly large margin (~30 points). The team was bummed, because PF has won it the past two years.

They put the race behind them and focused on the coming state meet. They went in as the favorite for top three spot on the podium. I was very confident in them and wanted them to succeed. Fourth. A fourth place finish. PF got second two years ago and third last year, then fourth. A team from our own district who had beat them in a dual meet in the late regular season, but PF had beat them in districts and regionals. Loudoun County HS came out and performed and I congratulate them. Seriously I am very happy that not only is our region the top region in the state, but our district is one of the best districts in the state with two teams in the top 5.

It went

1. Blacksburg

2. Western Albemarle

3. Loudoun County

4. Potomac Falls

5. Grafton

I was sad. I was sad, because I feel attached to the team and when they don't reach what they were reaching for, it hurts. There are guys on the team that are like my brothers. I wanted them to succeed so bad. And I still believed they did. They have been top five past three years, when most schools are just itching to be able to go the state meet. Good job. I am still sad, but still happy. Love you guys.

There is something that many people that look at our team don't know what they have gone through these past two weeks. My coach, Coach Dolph Null was in the hospital a few days before the region meet. He had a heart problem, where his heart muscles weren't in sync properly and they had to shock him back into sync. He also had high blood pressure. First of all this man was the most important person in my life through high school and I was quite worried. So Potomac falls not only did not have their coach at regionals, but he wasn't really even there for practice for a lot of the period between regionals and states. This team didn't have a head coach in a very important part of the season and I know it affected their performance. How much? IDK, no one will ever know.

peace

judging people

I'm pretty bad at judging people. Sometimes I can't recognize sarcasm. Sometimes I can't tell when someone is being a jerk. Sometimes I seem to get a long with someone who I hear from other people that this person is real bastard. I have also been led on by girls before and thats kind of annoying. People say it is bad to judge, but I believe to some degree it is useful to be able to tell what someone really means or their true intentions after properly judging them from what they say and how they act. Its like I talk to a person and I try to get an impression from them and I am like ok ok I think this is what is going on with them, then I go to someone I trust, talk to them, and they tell me "dude your wrong". I need people to be more straight forward I guess. When I try to follow my feelings to get that "impression" I am told by a good friend of mine that I am being "mellow dramatic". w/e IDK.............brough

lookin ahead a little

Met with my coach today. Finn and I decided that I will start running next week on Wednesday. Starting with 1 day on, 1 day off x3

2 on, 1 off x3

4 on, 1 off x2

6 on, 1 off

Planning out my winter training right now. I'll show him what I come up with then make something official. My goal is to have 2x sixty mile weeks right before I come back from break.

I just found out my RA, Nick Guendal, will not be my RA next semester. In a way I am sad but its really ok. He is a good RA. I just hope we continue to stay friends.

Pre Registration for spring classes is coming up. I think I will go ahead and take the two athletic training classes and then an econ course and then either an easy course or a political science course.

The thing is Im probably not going to major in AT. I realized that if I am an AT then I wont be able to coach XC and Track. So I looked to my interests: Econ, Gov/Politics, and history. Econ and Pol Sci would be a good double major possibly. They relate to each other so much. And I enjoy them. I do not know if I would enjoy a career in those fields though. I do like working outside though, and I don't think I would work outside with those, but if I can retire early and spend a lot of time outside then I don't think I care if I work outside or not. I still want to go into the military and I will spend plenty of times outdoors there.

Coach Null, my high school coach, was in the hospital yesterday and today. He had a problem with his heart and had high blood pressure. I heard from someone that it could be stress caused by coaching the team. I can def see how that could be. He cares so much about the team and it can get to him in a negative way. He did a lot for me and I want to know him for a long time. It is an important relationship in my life. I do not want him to be hurtin. I will call him tomorrow.

ah im done

good night

New kind of season

This is me at the 2010 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships at Randolph College's new home course at a Presbyterian home in Lynchburg, VA. 30:19. Pretty happy considering I was injured for almost 3 weeks in the beginning of the season, it was my second 8k, and it was the hilliest course I ever ran in my life. 36 sec PR as well from my first 8k at a much flatter course up in Maryland

I am currently in my (about) two week break before I begin training for indoor track. Our first meet is in mid January, so that that gives me about two months of training after my break.

I have never ran indoor track, it sounds fun. I hear a lot of people set good PRs, but I also hear that the air quality sucks. I believe I will just try and focus on the good things, like NO WIND. Thats gonna be great. There will also be something else that is new to me, like the 5k on the track. I'm pretty pumped. I really don't care that it is a bunch of circles, that doesn't phase me. What does phase me is that its flat and has great traction. No reason not to PR. No heat, hills, sharp turns, other forms of weather to blame, just myself.

My goal for winter training is 2 weeks of 60 miles before I come back to school at the end of my break at home. I need to talk to coach and discuss. But if I hit 35 my first week or about 260 mins (7.5/mile-underestimate of speed), I could easily hit my first 60 week late December. I might actually do 35,40,45,50,55,50(Christmas),60,60, and then comeback and hopefully stay at 60 for a few weeks. That sounds good to me. Like I said, I am gonna talk to Pincus (coach) and see what he has in mind. So Pumped.

peace

Been a while eh?

So I haven't posted anything in a while. Last post was the beginning of Spring Track of Senior year of high school. Now I am a student at Roanoke College in SW VA and just finished my first cross season as a college athlete. In between these to moments in my life I had my last high school season, as summer filled with running, partying, and no working (it was great).

My last track season was not really what I wanted, but I definitely consider it a successful season for me as an individual. My 3200 meter times went something like this.....10: 44,22,22,23,20,34, then finally ran a 3000 meter in 9:31 which equals to a 10:13 3200 meter. Made it to districts and that was it. I was ninth in the district, when in other districts I would have easily been top six and had gone on to regionals and would have probably beat 10 of the 26 runners there. Kind of ridiculous how slow runners can run at regionals when they just qualified out of place in there district to make it there. I mean I think that they should have people who qualified with time and then added the rest of the top runners from across the region based on times from the district meets. I know this may sound like me just ranting how the system did not benefit me at all, but I actually do believe this would be better. Just because someone was in the top 6 in their district doesnt make them competitive at the region meet. This also goes for the state meet. Its like I would have even been possibly faster than the slowest five guys at the state meet. There were 8 guys that were seeded slower than what I would have been seeded as at the state meet. I am not saying that I should have run at states, but I am saying I believe It would have been reasonable for me to race at regionals considering the people who did run at regionals. And there needs to be more regulation on who makes it to states and regionals.

This last summer, I ran in preparation for cross at Roanoke College. I had pretty good summer, except for three weeks that were pretty blah. One was a sick week, one was beach week, and the other was lack of motivation (i think). So those weeks pissed me off. So my volume wasn't where I wanted to be, but the miles were high in quality, a lot of faster running. I hit like two 50 mile weeks, I intentionally estimate my pace slower than what it may be, so therefore my mileage estimates may be low. Coach Pincus said to hit 50-60 and I did.

Cross season wasn't great. I was here for a week, then got injured. My ankle got stressed out. I believe it was a result of running in Asics which I do not like and from all these hills which I was not used to at all. So that put me out for about 2.5-3 weeks. Got back into running slowly. Didn't race until Oct 9th. I ran a 5k road race. I hit 17:36. I overestimated myself and wanted sub 17. I put that behind me and ran my first XC 8k the next weekend up in MD at Hood College, did not go great, but it was fine with me. I hit 30:55, pretty damn slow, but that was in my flat (bad traction) and it was not a well groomed course. Two weeks after that I ran in the ODAC Championships. I place 61st out of only 85 runners, ran a PR of 30:19 and this was a much hillier course in Lynchburg, VA. It was the hilliest course that I have ever run. I am fairly happy with my season considering my circumstances. I think I could have run like 29:30 possibly and that it is being conservative with my guessing. I want to ask what coach thinks. Null says to think positively, and I do.

Peace

Great first week of track. It didn't start out to hot, I hadn't really ran for two weeks because of illness. I did run three days last week but they weren't anything great, two thirty minute runs and a 45 min one. So I went in on monday and cut the run from what A group did. Then on Tuesday ran this workout slow which was a controlled, on the track fartlek. 1,3,5,5,3,1 min intervals with rest which was 2,4,6,6,4,2. I thought the work out was fine, even though I was angry after practice though. My quads were all sore to for like half this week, but I iced and they haven't been sore since Wednesday I think, maybe Thursday. Wednesday and Thursday were some distance days and then Friday was 12 hills. I felt good. Today was easy run of like 42 min. I finally feel normal, except for my voice comes and goes, which is so annoying. I don't even know what I had, the doctor mentioned a virus. It lasted for about two weeks. I have not had my normal voice for three. Next week we will have a time trial and some sort of tempo run. I am looking forward to it. Coach says he doesn't like to put people in a time trial that is the same as there race, because it puts them in the wrong mindset of where they are at for fitness. I would like to do either a 1 1/2 mile trial or a 2 1/2 trial, maybe even a three, but definitely no less that 1.5. Ended up with 332 min for the week, came out to be about 44 miles, I believe. 71 kilometers. I am going to try and understand kilometers too with my training, so when I go over to another country I can talk to them about training. I want to get to 60 before March and do some 60 weeks into the weeks with meets. Ill be racing tired but I think it will be fine then Ill cut back so I can get a qualifying time to at least districts. Its gonna be good. I really like how I bounced back from not running for pretty much two weeks. I know my legs are stronger, I just need to get my endurance back. Get my lungs and heart back into shape. Yeah definitely my breathing, it needs some whipping. That is why I think a 2.5 would be good. Nice and long. The team is ok I guess. Except one guy might be taken off by his parents because of some trouble he got into. He is pretty vital to our 4x8. Alvaro seems good, he is not complaining about any pain. I hope it stays that way. Adam, a sophomore, pisses me off so much. He has no respect. He has been acting kinda weird like thurs and fri. He wasn't even there on Saturday, I believe he needs some real discipline. Coach just keeps talking to him, but that doesn't do anything. I don't know what should be done but it needs to be more than just talking. The rest of the team and I need to learn to not support his behavior. The problem is some of them just don't care. It amazes me how selfish some people can be. One of the guys thinks this isn't a team sport. You have got to be kidding me. He is just thinking about the event which can be seen as individual, but the training is requires a so much team work and support from one another. He would not even be close to where he is with out a team. All the great runners at least started with team, they still dont train by them selves, they have others that they depend on. I depend on my team.

Dang. So I ran yesterday and today both around thirty minutes. So I figured a week of recovery from being sick was good enough, but no. I am still sick!. I have been sick since last Monday! This is slightly ridiculous. I'm trying to get ready for track which begins next week. I am not where I want to be with my fitness. I have a month and half until we start having meets. I'm thinking about pulling off some two a days in a week or so. I need to, for the sake of mileage. Coach says don't worry, but of course I am going to worry. I need to get rolling.

So I just tried out the new Wheaties cereal, called Wheaties Fuel. Peyton Manning was in the commercial, so of course I had to try it. It was delicious and its pretty darn healthy. Its not completely natural but it is limited on the refined ingredients. I definitely recommend it.

There is the Track Meeting after school tomorrow in the cafeteria after school. Hopefully we can get some decent sprinters out of the Potomac Falls woodwork.

Havent ran since thursday last week! last weekend i worked two twelve hour shifts of snow removal. That was very tiring. It wore me out so well that i got sick from it on monday. :( I woke up feeling horrible. Got home and was in bed for about and hour when I started feeling queasy. So i threw up. Then several hours later threw up again. Then went to the doctors. Felt better with some stomach relaxants the next couple days. So on thursday, thinking i was over it, I ate some ribs.......bad call. So I threw up Friday. COME ON VIRUS JUST LEAVE ME, PLEASE! So here I am, kinda sad/mad that track is so soon and I am not where I want to be with my fitness and I didn't run for a week. Beautiful

Feb 4th

I feel good about running. I feel like I am officially back into some sort of rhythm. Cornwall says I am in shape. That is based off these morning workouts I have done with him on Tuesday and Today. I feel like I am doing some legit distance running this week which I have been seriously lacking. Consistence, consistence, consistence. Coach Null has always said it is good to have consistency, that is my goal. I ran 60 mins. today through predominantly snowy trails. From school, to Algonkian Park, White trail, red trail, river trail, horsepen road, to algonkian parkway, back to school. It was slow in the snow and faster in on the pavement. I am guessing 730 in the snow and then 7 min pace on the pavement. I think that is ok considering what I did the day before in the fresh snow and faster run with Mogi and also the morning workouts, which have been plyometrics. I know I have gotten stronger, and continuing to get stronger. My goal is to finish the week off with what ever I can do in the snow. Im probably gonna do snow removal tomorow into saturday, so that will probably ware me out.

So as I mentioned I am gonna do snow removal. I'm working for the same business that I clean pools for in the summer, The Water Boys. They got contracted out by some other business. With all the snow we have been getting you would think we would be working quite a bit. Syke. I haven't done any at all. Jake says its because the business is being stingy with their money, but I don't know. Earlier at the basketball game, I texted him. Considering the incoming death blizzard, haha. He said he'll call when the other business calls. There is one problem though. Jake can't remember who he hired through me except for like one person. He didn't write them down of course. gosh. So I might do my first legit snow removal job in the biggest blizzard like ever for Northern VA. Oh man. Ima just tryin to get some dough! yo!

Oh yeah they called no school at 5:15 pm today haha. I'm pretty sure this is the earliest they have ever called it. Idk. siq. My friends and I wanna go trekking out in the snow. That would be sweet except I might be removing snow so it what ever.

Peace

Tuesday feb 2

Did well on all my exams, for my semester grades i had As and one B+, I think. Some of my averages are unofficial, until my report card comes out. Fair enough overall though.

In the morning, I went to Coach Cornwalls track workout. Its mainly for sprinters, but I believe it will definitely benefit me as well. Cornwall says I am looking kinda ripped. Nice. We did Plyometric training. Jumpin sideways onto and over mats, pushing a wood two by four wrapped in a towel across the floor, and jumping onto a stand as tall as my hips. It was legit and very challenging me. He says its good for my rhythm and it will help we react to surges and my kick. We also did some shoulder lifts with dumbbells; we did strait arm front raise, wing raises (for the upper back), and military press.
Ran 70 min for tuesday. with Adam, Mog, and Matt. Adam and Mog went a little longer, my foot and knees were killing me. I'm not really sure what I did to my foot. It hurts right in between the balls and like my index toe hurts too. My knees hurting is usual for me; it is a sign that I need new shoes and that I have been running on too much hard surface. Went a got new shoes later that night. Pegasus 26. 2nd pair of the 26's and like 6th pair of the Pegasus. They are good shoes, I recommend them.

Wednesday Feb 3rd

Snow Day! haha. We probably only needed a delay but what ever. The teachers, I believe, sometimes are more energetic about snow days than the students. This weekend we might get a blizzard! Holy Mackrel. Blizzard -A blizzard is a severe storm condition characterized by low temperatures, strong winds, and heavy blowing snow - From wikipedia. I dont believe I have ever been in a blizzard. I cant wait to try and run and walk in it! Gonna be intense.

I need to start reading again. I havent read a book since December. I believe reading is a good thing to do in order to expand your horizons and learn. I think I am going to read this running book my uncle gave me. It is by George Sheehan, I believe.

I ran with Mogi, I only got 45 mins in my new shoes. I was pooped from the day before, didn't realize it until I got into my run. I feel like I am complaining too much about my pains. My arms were the first things to feel sore, then my legs were tired. I was holding Mogi back. Track is not that far off...... I wonder what coach is gonna have us do on the first day. Last year he did a two mile time trial. HMMMM. I just realized that spring sports have a month of built in conditioning just like the other sports. I never really realized it, but Feb doesn't have any Meets, its all training, sweet. Got some time to get my mileage up to a respectable level. haha

runnin mode

Ran with Juan today, my Chilean bud, hes pretty fast. Ran 55 min, I wanted over an hour but this will do. He has been sick so he didnt have the greatest run. I didnt feel too bad though. Then again we didnt run too fast. I did single leg squats, core, and pull ups. I feel like this week I am truly going to be in running mode. Gonna go into morning practice tomororo with coach cornwall. wooh wooh.

saturday mornin run

ran at like 8:15am with Alvaro, 75 min. He isnt feelin too well with his foot. Kinda sad how that was my longest run yet this winter.........not good. I felt fine. It was pretty slow though.

I have decided that i have no interest in big parties. I prefer small gatherings. There is no point for me to go. I don't drink, so that's why. I ended up in my van, and took a nap, then drove my friends home. I do like naps though, definitely.

Treadmills

I ran on a treadmill today. I dont run often on them, i dont like them that much. It said a little over 4 1/2 at 6:58, but the begining of that run I was goin real slow tryin to figure out the controls. I wanna say it was actually 4 1/4 at 6:45 idk. But are treadmills legit like the same work as runnin regular

I also did a bunch of core, oh man tough as poop. planks, crunches, twisting crunches with legs, side planks, cable machine core, half up twists (with legs up)Kind of like this, except i have my legs up and i just move my hands grasped together from side to side

, supermans, push ups, leg lifts, scissors,
some pull ups, wide grip and narrow
tricep extensions
and single leg squats

and man oh man, i feel good
I love lifting!

Kinda pissed off about this week and i guess month, cuz ive been so inconsistent with running, >: I need to get my poop together

day before 1st day of midterms

ah well i was practically passing out in English so I decided against running. I went home and pooped around for like an hour then studied for like an hour and half on AP gov. AP Government is my first exam tomorrow. I studied, I feel confident, but that doesn't necessarily equate to a "good" grade. I always feel confident going into a test and then I end up not doing well at all. It is frustrating. I did do single leg squats in PE. I'm gonna do some push ups before bed. I went to Young Life Campaigners meeting earlier this evening, that was fun. I definitely want to get more involved with YL. Tomorrow I will run like an hour and five like the other night.

Lately my friends and I have been trying to book this apartment for "Beach Week" this July. In the beginning I was really excited for this week, but I have gradually become less enthused. I don't know if I want to go. All we are gonna do is drink beer and try to get with babes and I don't know if i am interested in that all that much. What should I do? I'm going to talk to my advisor, Alvaro. He is in the group that is going and so he would probably want me to go, but I know he will help me figure out what I wanna do.

ran last night at like 10:40 with Alvaro, like 1hr:05min. Alva and i saw a but load of cops, like ten. The poop was definitely going down in Sterling last night. It was weird though because I felt like I was pushing the pace and Alvaro is the one that usually takes that role. It was a great run, not very fast, but we both felt nice, even with my stomach still full with dinner (Pizza....eek). Alvaro said he felt "bouncy". Didnt run today though, busy studying for exams :D. Studied for AP Gov and Physics. Feeling pretty good. I kind of slacked this last quarter, so I really want to do well on exams to get an As for the semester. On Friday the crew (Connor, Patrick, Nick, Adam, Alvaro, Juan, and I; there are some others but this was the crew for today) ran a work out consisting of three 1200s, 2 1000s, and 3 800s? I kinda forget exactly. It was one of those deceivingly hard workouts. They start out easy and then by the end your like, what the? I actually felt surprisingly fast. I won my first interval in a work out ever! It was siiq. I need to get back into lifting. and not eat so much, Ive gained weight. Im gonna go do some core. Peace...........

startin out

this account is actually an accident, my friend johsua told me about his blog and said i should follow it. I thought i had to make an account, so i preceded to do so and it asked me to make a blog so i did.