A couple of months ago, I was pondering what I should get my mom for Mother's Day. I always seem to get her the same thing every year, so I was trying to think of something a little different, but nothing was coming to me. I started remembering how I haven't been home for Mother's Day since high school and how nice it would be to go home for Mother's Day. I checked my schedule to find that we had already planned a triathlon for that day, and I also had the hockey banquet the night before. And let's not forget that it was the weekend before finals week, so even if I didn't have obligations, I would still just end up studying all weekend. Then I checked my schedule for this past weekend. Absolutely no obligations. I was then sold on that fact that I would visit my mom for Mother's Day. It also made for a good excuse to get away from this terrible Boston weather (but no one could have expected it to be this bad at this time of year).
I left early Thursday morning (no seriously, 5AM flight...who does that?). Its usually hit or miss whether or not I can sleep on the plane. Sometimes, I fall asleep before I get to zero when counting backwards from ten. Other times, I don't think they put enough anesthesia in the air, which is what I was stuck with this time. I got a coffee in Charlotte to make sure I stayed awake during my layover, but it turned out to be a bad idea after not having coffee in nearly a month. I was wide awake until midnight!
My aunt picked me up in Gainesville and dropped me off at my parents house. I tried to nap, but was just too awake, so I went for a run at 2PM instead. I always forget why I don't want to live in Florida until I run outside and then I remember. I ran 1.5 miles and felt like I was going to die. I went back home and immediately fell face first into the pool. Although, that was the same temperature as bath water so it wasn't much relief at all. My aunt and uncle took me out to dinner at BJ's for my graduation present. They also gave me a lovely pair of Swarovski earrings (picture to come soon). Also that night, my dad and I stayed up late watching Game 7 of the San Jose vs. Detroit series (yeah, Sharks!).
On Friday, I went for a run in the morning with my mom. The temperature was much more tolerable. We went to lunch at Sabore which is a Caribbean restaurant. My mom scheduled us for a spa appointment for the afternoon as my graduation present. We got a deep tissue massage and a mani/pedi with ice cream.
Saturday morning, my mom and I ran a "5K". Well, it was supposed to be a 5K, but the instructions that were given the runners turned it into a 1.8 mile run. Apparently, we were supposed to go around the loop three times, but they told us specifically twice. Even the course marshalls were saying that it was only two loops. Imagine my surprise when I saw the clock as I finished. Best 5K time ever! I was ok with it though. It was getting pretty hot already and I'm not sure I could have kept the pace for the rest of the race. I did the 1.8mi in 13:59 and won my age group.
We then headed up to Amelia Island where my aunt and uncle own a condo on the beach. Unfortunately, as soon as we got there, this happened...
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| Somehow, storms on the coast just look so much worse |
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| This is not in black and white, its just that dark |
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| Waited just a tad too long? Its not like you couldn't see the clouds coming |
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| The wind was so strong, you can see it blowing water off the ocean |
Yeah, it was cutting into my beach time. It stormed until dinner time which was good timing because I was going out with my mom, my friend Brittany from undergrad and her date. We had dinner in Jacksonville at Caribbee Key which was delightful. We then went to a martini bar afterwards. It was nice to catch up with my friend and finally meet her boyfriend. Of course, as we were driving back to the condo, it started to rain again. Bah, humbug.
Fortunately, Sunday morning welcomed us with cool weather and the sun.
I had a great 7 mile run along the beach. And then finally it was beach time. We spent all day at the beach and I got some sun. Thanks to the spray sunscreen I was using, I have white circles on my reg legs. I'm trying to start a new tanning fad, crop circles. I tried to stay up late enough that night to watch the San Jose vs. Vancouver game, but I was passed out by 10PM.
My mom and dad had work on Monday, so I had the house to myself. I went for a hike that morning and then went with my aunt to check on her chocolate shop in Trenton, FL. Then we went to TCBY for dessert (as if we didn't have enough free chocolate samples). My dad got home shortly after my aunt dropped me off, so we went for a Tour de Gainesville bike ride. I had the pleasure of using my mom's bike from the 80's, you know the kind with the shifters on the drop bar? I never realized how many cow farms there are in Florida (or how many rednecks there are).
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| Just a few pics from my hike |
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| Spanish moss |
Another thing I learned this weekend, armadillos live in Florida. Just thought you should know.
Throwback Thursday:
Monday was a crazy gift receiving day. I finally got my BU cycling kit. Ok, so I paid for that, but it felt like a gift after waiting for it for so long. We then had our going away picnic for seniors and graduating GA's. I received a watch from the athletic training department and a picture of the senior class from the senior class.
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| I was going to test drive it today with a 30mi ride, but the weatherman was wrong and its pouring rain instead of being sunshiney. |
And as if I did not get enough swag from the Frozen Four, I got even more.
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| Plaque |
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| Hoodie (made out of Under Armor type material) |
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| Sweatshirt blanket |
I did struggle just a little bit trying to walk home with all of that.
And finally, last night I complete my one and only final for the semester, marking the end of my graduate school career and my school career in general (at least for now, but I don't plan on going back). I'm so excited. When you're in high school, it feels like this moment will never get here. It is so weird too, because I don't remember what life is like without school. The last time I didn't have to go to school was before pre-school. Although, I think I'm going to adjust just fine.
Western Wednesday:
On Friday, I got the call from my supervisor saying that it would be my last mandatory day of work. I will still be coming in for a little bit every other day to help wrap up the rehabs that I am coordinating. It feels good to know that its smooth sailing from now until graduation.
Following work, we (my co-workers and I) went to a party at Regina Pizzeria for the graduating athletic training students. Its a party to celebrate their passing over from students to our colleagues. Its pretty much we take the seniors out and buy them food and bevies. Then our bosses go home, and we buy them a lot more bevies. Knowing I had a race coming up, I personally stayed away from the bevies and went home when the bosses left. I was really struggling watching everyone else throwing back the brewskies while I sat there sipping my H2O.
I came home and watched the end of the Bruins game (swept those Flyers). It was good revenge after last year's result (lost the series after leading it 3-0).
On Saturday, Ben and I hung out and relaxed. I probably should have spent some time studying for my final, but yeah, didn't happen. We also took a dip in the Mystic Valley River Lake Pond Dam Ocean...whatever its called these days. I hate cold water, if you didn't gather that from my NE Season Opener Race Report.
Saturday night, we attended the women's ice hockey banquet. It was held on the 9th floor of the SMG building at BU. It was like your stereotypical Ivy school room where everything is ornate, wooden, and there are paintings of famous persons associated with the school in the past. It was so nice to see all the girls together one last time. The dinner was also fabulous. They started with a salad with balsalmic vinigarette and a roll. For dinner, we had roasted chicken in a lemon lime sauce and roasted potatoes. Finally, for dessert there was a small chocolate cake topped with fudge, strawberries and whipped cream. Perfect night before race meal, in my opinion. The coaches honored the student athletes by awarding them with various awards (MVP, Unsung hero, Spirit Award, etc.) and of course they announced next year's captain and alternate captains. I'm so proud of these girls and what they accomplished this year, and I know they will do amazing things next year. I just wish I could be there for it. They also acknowledged Jenn (my supervisor) and me by giving us a framed picture of the team and flowers.
Mellow/Mumford Monday:
A year ago at this very race, I participated in my first ever triathlon. A year ago at this very race, I almost participated in my last ever triathlon. Due to poor weather conditions, I almost pulled myself out of the swim, only to find out, much to my shivery dismay, that the rescue boat had sunk. I had no choice, but to finish the swim. Being an above average cyclist and a pretty strong runner, it only made sense for me to finish the race. Going into the race, I felt like a child who knows no fear, but I came out extremely shaken and with a big chip of confidence missing.
My final times for last year were:
Swim: 25:33
T1: 3:51
Bike: 44:28
T2: 2:00
Run: 27:02
Total: 1:42:52
AG: 16/16, OA: 199/208
(OUCH!)
Pre-race:
We got up at 5:45AM in order to drive down to Hopkinton. We had most of our stuff packed up the night before, so it was just last minute preparations and breakfast eating that needed to get done. I had an English muffin with peanut butter. I get so nervous before races that I have a hard time eating anything at all, but I have learned how to rise above and force feed myself at least a little something. I know I'll be the better for it in the end. We got to the park at 7:20AM, picked up our packets and set up in transition. Last pee was at 8:10AM as I wanted to get a dip in the water before the race to help myself to get acclimated to the chilly temperature. Ben and I took about a five minute dip at 8:30 and then reported back to transition for the "mandatory" athlete meeting at 8:45AM. The duathlon started promptly at 9AM and we started shortly after. I was in the second wave, so I didn't have to wait very long (one of the pro's of being in the F20-24 group).
Swim (400yd):
This year's race went a lot better, although I'm not sure the water was that much warmer. It definitely wasn't any warmer than 60 degrees (if it was that). I have issues when it comes to water. I'm fine (other than going numb) with everything from my neck down being in the water, but as soon as my face goes in, I start gasping. It takes me forever to acclimate to it. It was part of the reason why I did so poorly in last year's race. I was glad I did the pre-race acclimatization, but it still took me almost 100 yards to get my breathing down. Fortunately, I made it almost all of the way to the end of the swim before the speedsters in wave 3 started passing me. Trust me, there is nothing like having another swimmer hot on your heels (then calves, then thighs, then lower back) to light a fire under your but and get to swimming. Actually, it was shallow enough to touch bottom by that point so I just touched down and walked the rest of the way out. P.S. For all those who care, the swim was a point to point with an in water start (which was a first for me). There is nothing like treading water for a couple minutes before swimming.
Time: 14:11 (11:22 faster than last year!)
T1:
I came more prepared for this year's swim by wearing neoprene booties in addition to my wetsuit. However, it made it more difficult to get the whole kit and kaboodle off, so my T1 was a tad slow.
Time: 3:10 (41 seconds faster than last year)
Bike (10mi):
The bike started and ended on low notes. As I was getting on my bike to start my ride, I push down on my pedal only to find zero resistance. I look down and see that my chain had come off (probably in transition on those stupid racks). Before today, I had never had to and never learned how to put a chain back on, but it was pretty easy to figure out and I got it back on in less than 30 seconds. There is was nothing particularly exciting about the course other than it was extremely hilly for a 10 mile race. I knew what to expect after participating in this race last year, but I still agree with those who mentioned afterwards that it would make a good training course, but it makes for a terrible race course, especially when its that short. It was also my first race using my aero bars. Definitely need to get them readjusted. I like how much more comfortable they are instead of putting the weight through my hands. Most importantly I feel and look fast using them. I only used them sporadically throughout the course as there were a lot of frost heaves (crashing this early in the season would not be prudent) and I had to shift frequently for the hills. The end of the bike finished with a crash despite my attempts to avoid it. Fortunately, my bike crashes involve me traveling at 5mph or less, or in this case, not even on the bike. I was running the bike into transition, one hand on the handlebars and the other doing its usual running swing. Somehow, the bike started to tip away from me causing the wheels to hit me and knock my legs out from underneath me. You never realize how many sharp parts or awkward angles are on a bike until you are lying on top of it. I immediately hopped back up to reassure the "ooo"-ing and "ouch"-ing crowd and continued on to transition.
Time: 40:55 (3:33 faster than last year)
T2:
I check to make sure I have all body parts still attached and that they're not profusely bleeding. Yup, looked good. Grabbed my visor and pre-run Gu and I was off.
Time: 1:13 (47 seconds faster than last year)
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| Arm: Flesh Wound |
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| Leg: Giant bruise (not that visible here, but hurts like something that rhymes with duck) and flesh wound |
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| Hand: Extremely bad bruise (so...much...pain! Glad I was done with the bike) and more Flesh Wound |
Run (5K):
As if running right after biking wasn't bad enough, they put transition at the bottom of a ginormous hill. As I'm running up, I kept thinking "I knew this race would be rusty, but I didn't think I would be this bad. This is horrible. I'm not sure I can do this. I can't...move...my legs!" And then as they always say, what goes up must come down. I started feeling much better as I pretty much galloped down that ginormous hill. I made it to mile 1 in a speedy 8 minutes (well, speedy for me in a triathlon anyways). I didn't see the mile 2 marker, although apparently there was one, but I felt like I was keeping up the pace fairly well and fairly easily. My favorite distance races are those that despite the fact that you have had to traverse that much land to come to the end, you are still neck and neck with another competitor. I like when you really have to dig deep and find something, ANYTHING!, to get yourself to kick it into another gear. I have had a lot of practice sprinting at the end of a race in high school cross country. I had to put it to practice in today's race. With all of my running experience, I almost always win those sprints as I know just when to kick it (or maybe I'm just too damn competitive). This was one of the closest sprints, but I barely pulled it off.
Time: 25:23 (1:39 faster than last year)
Total Time: 1:24:50 (18:02 faster than last year!!!!)
Definitely pleased times a million with that time.
AG Place: 11/17
This was my fifth triathlon. In all four of my races last year, I beat a total of 1 person in my age group. Take that 2011 season! It seems my change in race goals from "just finish" to "beat somebody" actually worked.
OA Place: 261/366
Oh, and Happy Mother's Day, Mom!
In my short career as an amateur triathlete, I have met many athletes of many different experience levels. I rarely get discouraged by the training aspect of triathlons, but some of the personalities of the triathletes I have met has really frustrated me (and to use some French, pissed me off). Obviously, its not true of everyone, but a good many of them are what my hubby refers to as Type A personalities. I call them intentionally helpful, but accidentally ignorant. They say there is only one sure fire way to do everything and you, yes you, must do everything exactly as they do it or you will never succeed as a triathlete. You must eat certain things. You must train a certain way. You must fit the triathlete physique. I know they are only trying to help others experience the same success that they have, but they chronically forget that there isn't always one way to do something. They forget or don't realize that what works for them doesn't always work for others. And a lot of the "advice" that I have gotten is just regurgitated information from some "get better now" company, and they know nothing about it other than "I must wear compression socks to run 4 minute miles". Initially, I was taking all the advice I could get as a newbie, but now I'm just getting sick and tired of being told what to do. Half of the stuff you are telling me to do doesn't work (scientifically proven) and the other half doesn't work for me (I can't eat a pizza in the middle of a marathon).
So I dedicate the song of the week to all of you Type A triathletes. I like this song because Sara Bareilles is an amazing pianist, and the video is pretty awesome too. I like how the broke the video up into smaller parts so you are watching a couple different things at once. The lyrics state exactly how I feel...
Going into the weekend, I wasn't expecting it to be much (other than the royal wedding). Man did that change.
First, I LOVED the wedding. If I watched another (ie. Harry's), I probably wouldn't get up as early to see the guests arriving. I don't regret doing it the first time, but its kind of a one and done kinda thing for me. It was interesting see the ceremony that is the arrival of the royals. Kate's dress was gorgeous. It was royal and elegant, without being overdone. I liked how well it looked against the red walls of the palace.
My favorite moment of the wedding was this (probably not anyone else's favorite moment, but I thought it was cute).
My scones came out amazing. I was kinda disappointed because they got chewy and stale by the afternoon (still tasted good), but my co-workers still enjoyed them. My nieces are coming to visit in three weeks for my graduation, and my one niece wants me to make them again for her. I'll probably try to experiment by adding some mix-ins.
The weekend ended with some of the most talked about news. As I was about to get ready for bed, my husband's cousin tweeted that the President was about to make an announcement about an unknown topic. We speculated that it was something about Libya, or possibly something domestic like the economy. When it was announced that it was an international issue that was NOT Libya, we had no idea what it could be. Before it even started to leak out what the true topic was, Ben said, "They killed Bin Laden. It has to be that. What else would it be? They wouldn't make a top secret announcement on Sunday night if it wasn't important."
As happy as I am that he is dead, I don't think we are anywhere near seeing the end of terrorism. Al Qaeda is such a huge organization, that killing one person hardly makes a dent. Sure, he is the name and face of Al Qaeda, and he was the man that started it all, but I think his death will only fan the flames that much more. I am glad, though, that those who lost loved ones in 9/11 can finally have some kind of closure.
I am flying down to Florida next Thursday to visit my parents. It should be interesting to see what security will be like. It will only be 1 1/2weeks after Bin Laden's death and I will be flying out of Logan airport which is where the two flights that crashed into the WTC's departed from. I'm only assuming that means extra security. Anyways, I have plans for a spa day with my mom, as well as a 5K and some much needed beach time. Can't wait!
Less than 24 hours to go!
Call me a nerd, royal watcher, whatever, but I've been excited for this wedding long before the couple were even engaged. My parents weren't even married yet when Charles and Diana got married. I can't wait to see what all goes into a royal wedding. Plus, I have actually been to London and have been inside Westminster Abbey. Its gorgeous and its unreal knowing that I've actually been there.
I think what is most amazing about this wedding is that is every little girls' dream, to one day marry a prince. Heck, I even grew up thinking that one day I will be marrying one of the princes (although I always preferred Harry). The long distance relationship thing didn't quite work out. But Kate Middleton seems to be the perfect girl (who isn't me) to do that. She's beautiful, fashionable, smart and seems to be into charity as much as William is.
I can't imagine what is going through Kate's head right now as she is only one sleep away from becoming a princess. I'm nervous for her! I'm sure everything will go swimmingly and she'll look as gorgeous as ever.
Of course, I'll be up early tomorrow to watch it on TV (damn you, Atlantic Ocean...why can't I live closer to London?). While watching the coverage, I'll be making British style scones from scratch to bring to work with me in honor of the wedding. I attempted to make clotted cream last night to put on the scones, but failed miserably. The recipe I followed said that you could use un-pasteurized or pasteurized cream, but not ultra-pasteurized cream which is how most creams in the US are made. I had a hard time finding pasteurized cream, but I eventually did at a local Whole Foods. However, its seems as if even pasteurized cream doesn't work well for making clotted cream as it didn't "clot" at all, but rather just created a burnt film. Hopefully, the scones turn out better, but I feel like its harder to mess those up. I'm still kinda disappointed. I loved the clotted cream that we had in London, and there's no where to purchase it pre-made in the US.
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| My prince and I at Buckingham Palace |
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| Our Royal Wedding |
Happy Easter and happy really nice day in Boston!
Benny and I went for a 32 mile bike ride today. It was my first ride outside. It felt so good to not be on the trainer any more. And it feels even better now that its not 40 degrees anymore. It was in the 60's and sunny for our ride today. We had a strong head wind on the way out, which also so happens to be a gradual incline as well, but it made it that much easier on the way back.
And I got my first sunburn of the season. Very mild, but it will be nice to not be pasty white going to Florida in three weeks. Although, it will be a solid farmer's/biker's tan.
It felt so good to finally be sweating it outside finally. Its hard to want to stay on a bike or do a run for a couple hours inside, or to even go that hard for that matter. I burned 1230 calories on my ride this morning opposed to the 600ish that I have been burning indoors.
Finally, it feels like its really triathlon season soon.
Again, hope you all are having as enjoyable an Easter or Passover as we are! And as Twitter folk put it, hope you get the egg with Lady Gaga in it.
With two and a half weeks until the first triathlon of the season (New England Season Opener Sprint) and just about two months until the Patriot Half Ironman, I have started upon my least favorite part of training. The building up of an endurance base and the focus on quantity of miles is now wrapping up (hooray!), only to segue (I spelled that right on the first try!) into a quality of miles focus. This means I'm doing a lot more sprints, hills, etc.
On the positive side, I must say I really love how much I am sweating these days. Makes me feel like I'm getting in a really good workout. I also feel like I am getting stronger and faster instead of just putting in the miles. The recent running of the Boston Marathon has also inspired me to work harder. It has reignited my desire to qualify, for reals. I already have my victory dance planned out and it goes something to the tune of this...
Anyways, my weight continues to fluctuate and have in general been stuck at a plateau. I have determined that I might be doing a tad much snacking so I've put my jiggly tush back on the calorie watching bandwagon. Maybe I can finally take off those rascally last three pounds.
Also, to help me to eat healthier in general, I am going to go a week without refined sugar starting Sunday (really, who stops eating refined sugar on Easter?) and I am currently attempting to go 30 days without soda of any kind and limited caffeine. I have successfully survived to day four!
First off is my dad. I cast the Indiana Jones version of Harrison Ford. It may not seem like the best choice based on this picture alone, but I swear, when my dad wears that hat, they could be twins.
I am proposing that a new holiday be instated in North America. It will be similar to Passover or Hanukkah in that it will span multiple days. I am proposing mid-April to early June. Here is how I propose that it be celebrated.
1. Increased hair length or amount of hair will be how we honor the gods of this holiday. Therefore, no one, male or female, should shave during this time.
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| She's single, guys! |
3. As the celebration may be too intense for some, it should be broken up into smaller periods of time with a "breather" in between each one. The suggested amount of celebrating time is 20 minutes, with about 17 minutes of rest time. Upon experimentation, 20 minutes of rest was too long, but 15 minutes was not quite long enough. Thus, it was determined that 17 minutes would be best. Each nightly celebration will consist of three 20 minute periods of celebrating.
4. Some may choose to celebrate longer and this will be permitted so long as they continue to follow the "20 minutes on / 17 minutes off" rule.
5. The celebratory food and drink is to include beer in large quantities, six pizzas (one to be consumed every twenty minutes for an hour...the other three are for those who would like to celebrate beyond the required time), and a pound of Skittles per day.
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| Mmm...rainbows... |
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| I like to picture Jesus in a tuxedo T-shirt because it says I want to be formal, but I'm here to party. |
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| Worked out well for Tiger |
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| I found this one antiquing today. Would serve its purpose until we could find a better one. |
Not sure if you noticed yet, but I do a lot of traveling. Hardly a month goes by without me taking a trip for one reason or another, with most reasons being for work. Most recently, Ben and I took a vacation to St. Paul, MN. It may not sound exhilarating or tropical, because its not. Although, in comparison to Boston, it did feel slightly tropical. Anyways, we went for the men's Frozen Four. My dad and I started going to the Frozen Four in 2007 when it was hosted in St. Louis. It is held in a different city each year with it being at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN this year. My dad enters the lottery for tickets each year. So far, he has gotten tickets in 2007, 2010, and 2011. It's in Tampa next year, so we're hoping for a three-peat.
This year, my dad and my brother, Alexander, attended the games. At this time last week, we were unsure if Alexander would even be attending with us. He was hospitalized with a spontaneous pneumothorax on Friday, April 1 (was not a very funny April Fool's joke). On Sunday, it recollapsed meaning it would take him that much longer to be released from the hospital. Fortunately, they let him go home Tuesday night without any complications. This was great news considering the semi-final games were on Thursday. The bad news is that my brother is the biggest nerd I know. My parents had to force him NOT to do homework on the day of my wedding. Missing school for three days obviously did not sit well with him, so he decided to stay in Kansas on Thursday and Friday to attend school and meet up with us for the final game on Saturday.
Thursday morning, Ben and I flew out to St. Paul along with a plane full of other Boston hockey fans. There wasn't a whole lot of time to burn before we had to head over for the games. We made our souvenir purchases as soon as we got there as they usually run out quickly. The first game put UMD against Notre Dame. It initially seemed like an evenly matched game, but UMD pulled away for the win in the third period. The next game featured UND against Ben's Michigan. Being an Ohio State alum, I was rooting for anyone who played Michigan. Also, UND had a solid team, so I just figured they would win the whole thing anyways. Turns out, after a lucky goal and solid goaltending for Michigan, they advanced to the final game.
On Friday, my dad had to drive back to Kansas to pick up Alexander. Ben and I worked out in the morning and then spent the most part of the day at Mall of America and Ikea. We were told it was the largest Ikea in America, but I'm not sure it was that much bigger than the one in Boston. I love shopping, so I loved the mall. However, it wasn't as impressive as I thought it would be. Primarily, its big because it has two of every store that comes in a typical mall and there are roller coasters in the middle of the mall.
On Saturday, we all got our frozen custard fix (the rest of the country really needs to hop on that band wagon) before heading over to the MOA again. My dad and Alexander aren't as big into shopping as I am, so we went to the Frozen Four festival for a while before going to the game. As I had hoped, Michigan lost in overtime to UMD. Overtime didn't last very long, but you could tell from the get go that Michigan was tired. You knew it wasn't going to be a very long overtime. And unless there was a miracle, it wasn't going to end in Michigan's favor.
Our flight home wasn't until Sunday evening, so Ben and I just hung out at the MOA just to waste time. We got back to the great town of Boston and were greeted with a bustling T ride. We were confused as to why the T would be so busy on a Sunday night until we got closer to home and realized that a Red Sox game had just ended. They had just won their second game of the season. Unfortunately, its their eighth game overall. Glad I'm not a Sox fan...
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| ...or this could be me every day. |
Now, to wrap up social networking...for now. Lord knows that there will only be an infinite more to come.
I used to like Facebook back when it was exclusive to college students only. Recently, it has become too much like MySpace. Anyone and their mom can join. And they do. There are kids too young to walk, but apparently old enough to access the Internet and type up a profile. Pets can have a profile. And like I said, moms are on Facebook. Seriously, can you really have the full college experience if your mom can check up on you at any given moment with the click of a button? Forget drunk statusing.
But that's really the least of what irritates me about Facebook. If one more person invites me to play Farmville, Ima kill all their digital sheep. Seriously folks, I didn't move from the Midwest to Boston just to be bombarded with more dairy cows.
Is this what social networking has come too? What happened to good old wall postings and picture tagging? Do we need to plant fake corn and raise fake animals together to reconnect or stay connect to friends?
To continue on the Facebook tangent, I saw The Social Network for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Man, it really makes Mark Zuckerburg out to be a douche. Who starts a business with their friends and then runs away and keeps all the money for themselves? He then acts oblivious to what he did wrong when confronted by his friend. Granted, I have heard that he really isn't that much of a jerk in real life.
Regardless, you gotta give the man credit. He invented (and with the help of some friends) built Facebook from the ground up. That includes all of the coding and programming. I can't even imagine what a huge undertaking that is. He definitely earned every bit of the money he has.
Nonetheless, I am super jelly belly of him. I am not jealous that Zuck (yes, we're on a nickname basis now) can invent things. In fact, I have invented many things myself. For example, I invented the fashion trend of wearing a long sleeve shirt underneath a short sleeve shirt.
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| Not me, but I was this much of a fashion fail in middle school |
However, I have no technological savvy beyond the ideas, so I clearly couldn't build these on my own. I recruited the help of my husband only to be told immediately that its "too complicated". And besides, someone has already invented wireless headphones, so my idea isn't really all that novel. He still wouldn't help me even though I bitched about how big and bulky wireless headphones are and that us athletes/cool people would like something a tad more aerodynamic like wireless ear buds.
Anyways, I am super jealous of the fact that he could do all of the work to create his invention. If the next million dollar idea consisted of eating, sleeping and working out, my wealth would grow faster than Charlie Sheen's Twitter followers. I would host a show called "The Apprentice" and Donald Trump would be a contestant.
Until that time comes, I will go back to the studying that I should have been doing all along instead of writing a really long blog.
Oh, and follow me @RachelleRae. Its almost April and I only have 28 followers. 1000 by the end of the year is looking really far off right now.
Note: I will be MIA next Friday for Famous Friday, but in two weeks, check back for "My Family: The Movie"
Note: This was intended to be posted yesterday, March 28.
Hey all long lost blog readers,
Today is my birthday! I share this day with the likes of Keith Tkachuk and Lady Gaga. I know a few other non-famous folk who were also born this day, but I won't go into that. I already got a great present from Benny. He gave me a Nook Color. I have already put it to good use and purchased "My Horizontal Life" by Chelsea Handler. I love her books. They are so real and funny. Definitely makes my day. My parents are also giving me money towards souvenirs from the Frozen Fours.
Speaking of the Frozen Four...
As many of you know, BU women's ice hockey went to the Frozen Four last weekend for the first time in team history. They had to beat Mercyhurst in the quarterfinals to do so, whom they lost to in the quarterfinals last year. They pulled off a 4-2 victory to clinch a trip to Erie, PA. Not much about Erie made it an ideal town for any Frozen Four, other than the beer bar next door to the hotel. And despite the fact that there were at least 10 high end hotels in town, all four teams were placed in two adjacent hotels. It made for many awkward moments.
So much happened that weekend, I'll just go in chronological order.
Wednesday: We practiced at our rink that morning and left that afternoon for Erie. As our cross town rivals, Boston College, were also participating in the Frozen Four, we had to share a charter flight with them. It was quite humorous to see them sitting in the far back of the rear plane and our team sitting in the front with at least 10 rows of seats separating each team.
Thursday: This day was really slow. We practiced early in the afternoon. We also received our tournament gear (zip up hoodie, baseball cap and hockey pucks). That night, we attended the Frozen Four banquet where we also received beanies. The food was tasty, especially the dessert. There were a few speakers that included the hosts from Mercyhurst. They made it extremely clear that they were none too pleased that Mercyhurst was not participating in the Frozen Four. Sorry? Jennifer Botterill also spoke on her Frozen Four experiences.
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| Center Ice logo at practice |
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| Our own athletic training room |
Friday: Friday was the longest day of the whole weekend. Our game wasn't until 8PM! There was an optional morning skate and the rest of the day was spent just relaxing at the hotel. My dad got into town in time for the 5PM game featuring Wisconsin vs. Boston College. I went over to the rink early with him to watch the beginning of the game. It looked like from the get go that Wisconsin would win easily. Much to everyone's surprise, BC came back to make it a close game, but ultimately Wisconsin pulled off the win. Our game couldn't have been any more stressful. Even though the scoreboard showed that we were outshooting them, every shot they took felt like 10. Cornell scored first. I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. I thought, "This is better not how this games turns out. We tried so hard and had such a great season, only to lose now." But it didn't take long before we answered with a goal of our own. By the end of the second period, we were winning 3-1. In the past two seasons, we are undefeated when leading after two periods. That thought kinda comforted me, but I knew that 20 minutes is a long time in hockey and anything could happen. We ended up winning 4-1 to earn our first trip to the National Championship game. I got so many congratulatory texts that night that I just had to turn off my phone for a while so I could really enjoy the moment. I had so much adrenaline going that day, that I didn't eat much, so I went out for dinner with my dad that night. Unfortunately, not many places are open at midnight in Erie.
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| Motivational poster made by the team |
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| Pre-game vs. Cornell |
Saturday: Saturday morning, I went with a group of the staff to Tim Hortons for breakfast and went to the grocery store to buy ice cream cake. The coaches had promised the girls that they could have ice cream cake if they won the semifinal game. While we were at the grocery store, the girls were at a banquet to announce the Patty Kazmaier award winner. That afternoon, they had another brief practice. The coaches allowed the girls to spend the rest of the day with their families, so I spent the evening with my dad. We had dinner and went to the mall and Target to waste time while waiting for Benny to arrive.
Sunday: The big day that we had been anticipating all year was finally here! I have never been so nervous. I kept telling myself that it was ok and that just making here was a great accomplishment, but at the same time, I still really wanted to win. Being from Wisconsin, I had hoped all year that we would be playing Wisconsin in the NC game and now here we were. We left the hotel to a pep rally put on by the band and fans.
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| The fans! |
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| BU hockey's biggest fan (One of the assistant coach's nephew) |
The girls arrived at the arena and did everything that they have been doing all tournament for their pre-game activities. The whole warm-up and game went by so fast. We kept it close for a period, but then Wisconsin ended up just being too much and we lost 4-1. I'm feeling better about it now, but it hurt initially to think that we had had such a great season, and no championships to show for it. No Beanpot Championship. No Hockey East Tournament Championship. No National Championship. But it was such a great accomplishment be have had such a great season and to even make it to the NC game. After the game, the team went to a local restaurant to have one last team meal. It started off slow and quiet, but then the seniors started toasting to their teammates and the season and the group became their usual rambunctious selves.
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| Pre-NC game warm-ups |
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| Even the restaurant didn't expect us to still be around for the NC game |
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| U2's plane |
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| Interior of U2's plane...the seats reclined fully to be used as a bed |
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| Each individual on the team and affiliated with the team received a miniature version of the actual second place trophy |
A year after losing to Mercyhurst in the NCAA quarterfinals, the BU women's ice hockey team beat Mercyhurst to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time in team history. I am so proud of this team and I am so honored to have been a part of it.
I first took an interest in ice hockey by watching the Wisconsin Badgers men's team on TV. Since then, I have watched and been to many men's Frozen Four tournaments. I never thought in a million years that I would actually be working with a team, men's or women's, who would be participating in a Frozen Four tournament. Sure, I thought it would be cool, but I never thought it would actually be real. And I definitely never thought it would occur in my second year as a certified athletic trainer. This is all so surreal.
I think what I'll remember most about the game is not necessarily that we qualified for the Frozen Four, but how excited everyone was. The team was so happy. The coaches were so happy. The fans were ecstatic and loud. I was proud to be a part of it.
The Frozen Four is this weekend in Erie, PA. We definitely have our work cut out for us. We play Cornell in the semi-final round. Wisconsin and Boston College are competing in the other semi-final game. If we played Boston College in the final game, it would obviously be a big deal as there is a big rivalry between the two teams. In terms of the season series, each team has won two games, so the title game could easily go either way. Wisconsin is quite possibly the best women's ice hockey team, although their most recent games have been tight, so they are definitely beatable. Personally, I would love to play Wisconsin. It would be so bittersweet, growing up a Wisconsin Badger fan, only to face them in the National Championship game. Don't worry. I am 100% BU now, but I still have a tremendous amount of respect for the team and especially Mark Johnson. I didn't really know much about women's hockey until I worked with this team, but I have known who Mark Johnson was for a long time. It would be so unreal to be working for a team who was competing against Mark Johnson's for the national championship.
I am so excited and can't wait for this weekend to be here. The first game will be Friday evening. My dad is even making the trip up to watch the games. Ben will also be attending the final game, assuming we make it that far.
Go BU!
P.S. The BU men's basketball team also clinched a spot in the NCAA tournament by winning their conference tournament. Of all teams that they could possibly play, guess who they are playing in the first round? That's right. Kansas. Normally, I wouldn't care, but my brother is a freshman at Kansas. Its on like Donkey Kong!
Hey all,
I bet you didn't know that March is National Athletic Training Month? Well, now you know, so you have no good reason to lose at Jeopardy.
In celebration of this great holiday, the NATA is having a video contest for athletic training students. Needless to say, some students here at Boston University have put together a part cute, part funny video about what athletic trainers do to help promote the profession. It has recently come to a head that people are confused as to what athletic trainers actually do (they frequently confuse them with personal trainers), so clarifying it for the lay person has been a big initiative for the profession.
The video contest winner is based at least partly on how many people watch the video. Now, you don't need to watch the whole video. All they need are lots of hits. So please, please follow the link below. The video is about 7 minutes, but just clicking through takes 3 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8h5VzIXZ1A
Sorry, folks. I haven't posted in a month! I wasn't kidding when I said the past month would be crazy. On Friday, I turned in my big graduate paper. The hockey team also wrapped up the regular season with 10 games in three weeks. Thank goodness they had a bye week before the playoffs to recover from the intense season finish.
This weekend was one of ups and downs for the team. We were defending Hockey East tournament champions and we had just won regular season champs only to lose in the semi-final round of the Hockey East tournament this year. There was a lot of stress and nerves going into the NCAA selection show last night. We didn't know how much losing in the semi-final round would hurt us in our placement in the tournament. We were all ecstatic to find out that we were ranked third and will be hosting the first round. Even better yet, we will be playing Mercyhurst in the first round. This is a big deal as we lost to Mercyhurst in the first round last year. The team is excited to get another chance at playing the Lakers in the tournament.
The game is Saturday at 3PM. I am already bouncing off the walls with excitement. The weekend can't come soon enough.
