Every time I write my bi-monthly blog I wonder if anyone is really reading it. I know a few people check it out from time to time, but is anyone really interested in what I have to say?
There has to be a way to sensationalize my regular activities which are pretty average and normal to me. Some people have that innate ability to turn a low key, even boring event into something exciting, overly dramatic and life changing. Yeah, I'm exaggerating a little, but the point is I need to bring a little more razzle dazzle to my blogs. So, if you are reading this blog or future ones, just leave a little comment about something you like or dislike. You can even post subjects that you would like to create a debate about or even a little controversy. It is hard for me to come up with creative subject material on my own. Like I said earlier, what I do everyday is pretty average from my perspective. Basically I'm trying to add a little spark to my blog.
Now, on to what's happening in my world...
Today, my parents will be arriving in Colorado Springs to stay for the week. They are driving from Minnesota to enjoy a Colorado spring break. My mom is an elementary school teacher and she is on spring break right now, so she decided it would be an adventure to get away from the Minnesota grind. I'm excited to have them come visit me, they never had the chance to visit me when I was living at the training center in Chula Vista, CA because it was too far and too expensive. Now, I only live 14 hours on the dot from my folk's place back home. I'm hoping the weather is nice for them while they're here, because Colorado spring weather is crazier than it is back in the land of 10,000 lakes. Just last night Colorado Springs had a winter weather advisory. Right now, as I'm typing this and looking out my window up into the mountains I can see the mountain tops getting a nice dumping of snow. I now my parents are not going to be all that excited about seeing more snow, especially after the winter of record snowfalls they just had.
Also, I started volunteering with the Mesa Ridge Grizzlies high school track and field team. They were on spring break this past week but they still had practices and a good amount of kids showed up to train and prepare themselves for their track season. It is a different experience working with high school level throwers. I have not had much coaching experience, but I'm getting it now! It is pretty difficult to coach, so I have a lot of respect for the good coaching I have had in my time. I have found that I really need to prepare myself and what I want to coach the kids ahead of time. It's like a teacher creating lesson plans, I'm just creating coaching plans. Piece of cake once those are made...sorta.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Professional Job Hunter
I have officially become a professional job hunter...for myself. The past few weeks I have been feverishly searching for a job that would allow me to train to the full extent that I need to, but at the same time making a steady income along with some much needed benefits. This is a difficult task for aspiring elite athletes like myself. I know I am not alone in this search for a decent paying job and balancing a full training schedule. Many of my fellow throwing friends are in similar situations. But, if throwing the discus paid well like many of the big time sports do, I would not be in this situation.
I am so grateful for what In the Arena has allowed me to do the past few years, but I am coming to a point in my life where I need to work a full time job. It is a stark reality and hard to accept, but without a full time job with benefits I will have a difficult time not living in a fort somewhere in the mountains. ITA has kept me afloat while I was training at the Olympic Training Center, but now that I have a monthly rent payment to make along with large amounts of food I consume I need to bring a little more cheese in. I'm not trying to write a "feel sorry for me post" just writing about what I am experiencing as a struggling athlete about to enter into the work force...somewhere.
I'm not totally in despair, actually not in despair at all. I am welcoming a new challenge in my life. It may not be optimal in terms of training, but what is optimal for training? I believe it will help me a great deal to have extra responsibility. My brother Sam laid it flat out to me that I have had it pretty easy. He's right. Living at the training center was an awesome experience, but I didn't have any responsibility to make me work hard for what I was doing. Not to say I wasn't training my butt off there, because I was...I'm trying to say I wasn't hungry enough. I had everything I needed without having to work for it, and now I do.
I've filled out numerous applications, had a couple interviews that I am still awaiting answers on, so all I can really do is wait for an opportunity to open up while I continue to pursue other potential opportunities. It's not like jobs a readily available. I am finding out quickly that you have to be very proactive and patient while hunting for jobs.
Speaking of being patient, I am still waiting to start my ITA service at the local YMCA. I have been in contact with the Volunteer coordinator and she informed me that they are still waiting on my fingerprint and background check to come back. I think it is strange that it is taking so long for my background check to come back, but I was told it can take up to three weeks. So, I sit and wait. On a side note about the YMCA, the volunteer coordinator who I have been talking with told me her position has been cut and she will no longer be working at the YMCA at the end of the month. This is incredibly sad to me, especially after visiting the YMCA. I thought they had quite the operation going that seemed to be benefiting a lot of kids. I don't think it will effect me too bad in terms of my ITA project plan but I can't be too sure. So, again I wait to hear back from them before I go forward with new plans.
Aside from all the real world drama, my discus training is coming along very well. I have acclimated to the altitude and I am starting to get my strength back. I have been throwing as much as possible when the weather is good. Today I was supposed to throw but was unable to because of a sleet/snow storm all day. It was too warm for there too be much accumulation, but too cold and wet to try and throw a discus. The good thing about Colorado Springs snow is that it doesn't stick around for long. This week there are three days forecasted to be sunny and in the 60's! Pretty excited about that. Spring is almost here, at least back in Minnesota it has arrived, well, today it did. My folks called to brag that the temperature was 64 degrees, sunny and that all the snow had melted in the yard and grass was proudly showing.
Here is some video I shot earlier this past week after one of my throwing sessions. It's a little experimental so don't judge me too much.
I am so grateful for what In the Arena has allowed me to do the past few years, but I am coming to a point in my life where I need to work a full time job. It is a stark reality and hard to accept, but without a full time job with benefits I will have a difficult time not living in a fort somewhere in the mountains. ITA has kept me afloat while I was training at the Olympic Training Center, but now that I have a monthly rent payment to make along with large amounts of food I consume I need to bring a little more cheese in. I'm not trying to write a "feel sorry for me post" just writing about what I am experiencing as a struggling athlete about to enter into the work force...somewhere.
I'm not totally in despair, actually not in despair at all. I am welcoming a new challenge in my life. It may not be optimal in terms of training, but what is optimal for training? I believe it will help me a great deal to have extra responsibility. My brother Sam laid it flat out to me that I have had it pretty easy. He's right. Living at the training center was an awesome experience, but I didn't have any responsibility to make me work hard for what I was doing. Not to say I wasn't training my butt off there, because I was...I'm trying to say I wasn't hungry enough. I had everything I needed without having to work for it, and now I do.
I've filled out numerous applications, had a couple interviews that I am still awaiting answers on, so all I can really do is wait for an opportunity to open up while I continue to pursue other potential opportunities. It's not like jobs a readily available. I am finding out quickly that you have to be very proactive and patient while hunting for jobs.
Speaking of being patient, I am still waiting to start my ITA service at the local YMCA. I have been in contact with the Volunteer coordinator and she informed me that they are still waiting on my fingerprint and background check to come back. I think it is strange that it is taking so long for my background check to come back, but I was told it can take up to three weeks. So, I sit and wait. On a side note about the YMCA, the volunteer coordinator who I have been talking with told me her position has been cut and she will no longer be working at the YMCA at the end of the month. This is incredibly sad to me, especially after visiting the YMCA. I thought they had quite the operation going that seemed to be benefiting a lot of kids. I don't think it will effect me too bad in terms of my ITA project plan but I can't be too sure. So, again I wait to hear back from them before I go forward with new plans.
Aside from all the real world drama, my discus training is coming along very well. I have acclimated to the altitude and I am starting to get my strength back. I have been throwing as much as possible when the weather is good. Today I was supposed to throw but was unable to because of a sleet/snow storm all day. It was too warm for there too be much accumulation, but too cold and wet to try and throw a discus. The good thing about Colorado Springs snow is that it doesn't stick around for long. This week there are three days forecasted to be sunny and in the 60's! Pretty excited about that. Spring is almost here, at least back in Minnesota it has arrived, well, today it did. My folks called to brag that the temperature was 64 degrees, sunny and that all the snow had melted in the yard and grass was proudly showing.
Here is some video I shot earlier this past week after one of my throwing sessions. It's a little experimental so don't judge me too much.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Gold Medals
The 21st Winter Olympics are over after seventeen days, or something like that. It was pretty fun to watch, and there were a lot of new faces. For some reason I feel like faces were easier to recognize or I at least knew who the athletes were. Although now I can say I know a few of the Olympians on a personal level. It was definitely more exciting to watch someone I know compete and win medals for the USA.
Today I watched the gold medal hockey game. Wow, was that a close one! It was unbelievable how the US tied up the game in the final seconds of regular play, but crushing to lose in overtime to the Syrup Suckers. As usual there were some pretty amazing moments throughout the whole two and a half weeks of non stop Olympics.
This week I am hoping to start working at the YMCA. I got all my paper work and fingerprints done last week. It is quite the process applying to volunteer at the YMCA. Obviously that is a good thing.
Today I watched the gold medal hockey game. Wow, was that a close one! It was unbelievable how the US tied up the game in the final seconds of regular play, but crushing to lose in overtime to the Syrup Suckers. As usual there were some pretty amazing moments throughout the whole two and a half weeks of non stop Olympics.
This week I am hoping to start working at the YMCA. I got all my paper work and fingerprints done last week. It is quite the process applying to volunteer at the YMCA. Obviously that is a good thing.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Valentines Blog
This blog is not going to be about Valentines, so you can keep reading...I am just writing the blog on the big V day.
I am now situated, well mostly situated, in Colorado Springs. I have officially been here for one week. Everyday has been packed and busy as it should be. It feels weird to me living in the real world since I have been living in a training center for the past year and a half, but I am enjoying it. The one thing that is a wake up call though is spending money again on an apartment, food, and other things that sustain life. I have been trying to be as thrifty as possible, and I'm actually enjoying it. I'm hoping I am creating some good habits on getting by with only what I need. I have been frequenting thrift stores and bargain stores, I might never pay full price for something again. Maybe I'm going over board, but you can really save a lot of money if you try.
Right now I don't have a t.v. That's ok though, I shouldn't be watching that much anyways. Yeah I'm missing the Olympics, but I guess I'll just have to watch highlights on the computer. I just got the Internet yesterday which is probably one of those things that I don't really need, but when I think about it, I do. I would have no way of knowing how to get around my new city without maps, and google maps are a life saver! If I didn't have the Internet I wouldn't be able to update my blog unless I went to an Internet cafe...and I am not an Internet cafe type.
Anyways, life is good simplified I'm finding out.
To prevent myself from living in a tent I need to work. Since I am in a new town I decided to check out volunteering opportunities and continue with my In The Arena project. I contacted the local YMCA about any volunteer opportunities they may have and I was happy to find out they were looking for help. On Friday I had a hour and a half long interview/tour of the YMCA and it is quite an impressive place. I still have some paper work to go through before I can officially become a volunteer. Hopefully everything will be a go and I'll have more to update on within the In The Arena scope of things.
I am now situated, well mostly situated, in Colorado Springs. I have officially been here for one week. Everyday has been packed and busy as it should be. It feels weird to me living in the real world since I have been living in a training center for the past year and a half, but I am enjoying it. The one thing that is a wake up call though is spending money again on an apartment, food, and other things that sustain life. I have been trying to be as thrifty as possible, and I'm actually enjoying it. I'm hoping I am creating some good habits on getting by with only what I need. I have been frequenting thrift stores and bargain stores, I might never pay full price for something again. Maybe I'm going over board, but you can really save a lot of money if you try.
Right now I don't have a t.v. That's ok though, I shouldn't be watching that much anyways. Yeah I'm missing the Olympics, but I guess I'll just have to watch highlights on the computer. I just got the Internet yesterday which is probably one of those things that I don't really need, but when I think about it, I do. I would have no way of knowing how to get around my new city without maps, and google maps are a life saver! If I didn't have the Internet I wouldn't be able to update my blog unless I went to an Internet cafe...and I am not an Internet cafe type.
Anyways, life is good simplified I'm finding out.
To prevent myself from living in a tent I need to work. Since I am in a new town I decided to check out volunteering opportunities and continue with my In The Arena project. I contacted the local YMCA about any volunteer opportunities they may have and I was happy to find out they were looking for help. On Friday I had a hour and a half long interview/tour of the YMCA and it is quite an impressive place. I still have some paper work to go through before I can officially become a volunteer. Hopefully everything will be a go and I'll have more to update on within the In The Arena scope of things.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A Week of Change
My Vikings are not playing in the Super Bowl...just wanted to get that out of the way first. What a shocking end to a stellar season for the Minnesota Vikings. I don't think any Minnesota fans expected not to make it to the Super Bowl, but I know none of us got our hopes up too much, well maybe we did, but for the most part Minnesota fans as a whole know how not to get too excited just to stay protected from not being let down. We all were let down...not by the team, but just the fact that we weren't going on to the Super Bowl! It was an amazing season...the best season I've ever seen...proud to be a Viking here, and can't wait for next season! Skol Vikings!
On a more personal note, I will be relocating my daily life and training to Colorado Springs, Co next weekend. It is a sudden move, but a much needed move. I'm excited about my new opportunities in Colorado, and such a beautiful place to be. The only downside of living in the Springs is the lack of oxygen in the air. I can't hardly run up a flight of stairs without sucking wind.
I have spent the past week and a half here in Colorado Springs scoping out the situation and finding an apartment to live in. I also came here to get in a week of training, but it turned out I wasn't able to do much training when I got sick. I thought it was altitude sickness at first, just adjusting to the different air pressure, but I kept getting sicker and finally after almost a week of not feeling better and having a temperature of 101 for 4 days I took myself to see a doctor. Turns out I have bronchitis. I've never had it in my life and I didn't realize it made you that sick. No fun at all. Now I have to make a little come back and regain my strength, and put on some body weight.
On a more personal note, I will be relocating my daily life and training to Colorado Springs, Co next weekend. It is a sudden move, but a much needed move. I'm excited about my new opportunities in Colorado, and such a beautiful place to be. The only downside of living in the Springs is the lack of oxygen in the air. I can't hardly run up a flight of stairs without sucking wind.
I have spent the past week and a half here in Colorado Springs scoping out the situation and finding an apartment to live in. I also came here to get in a week of training, but it turned out I wasn't able to do much training when I got sick. I thought it was altitude sickness at first, just adjusting to the different air pressure, but I kept getting sicker and finally after almost a week of not feeling better and having a temperature of 101 for 4 days I took myself to see a doctor. Turns out I have bronchitis. I've never had it in my life and I didn't realize it made you that sick. No fun at all. Now I have to make a little come back and regain my strength, and put on some body weight.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Another Vikings Blog
Well, the football season is almost over. Thankfully my beloved Vikings are still going strong and live to play another game today after facing "America's Team," the Dallas Cowboys. This game was destined to be great...some predicted that the Cowboys would win but those were only predictions. The game really was built up to be a close one, but with the Vikes winning 34-3 it was far from that.
I was barely able to contain myself before the game started at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. I woke up this morning feeling like I was about to play in the game myself. I can't imagine how the real players felt. All week long I was anxiously anticipating the arrival of the Sunday morning football game. I had my brand new Vikings shirt (given to me by my girlfriend Mia) all laid out the night before to put on first thing when I woke up. I couldn't wait to put that shirt on, last time I was that excited to wear a shirt was back on the first day of school in the 5th grade. I proudly wore my shirt all morning and well into the evening. I was that guy today.
The game started out pretty tight, I thought for a moment that the Cowboys might be able to pull away with the game, but the Vikes got stronger as the game progressed. The Cowboys started making mistakes, and as they say about football, the team with the least amount of mistakes wins the game. All aspects of the Vikings arsenal was in full combat mode, and that is what it is going to take next weekend against the Saints for any hopes of getting to the Super Bowl.
On a side note, here in southern California the month of January is the rainy month, and this week according to the weather forecast each day calls for rain. It will feel just like home...in April.
I was barely able to contain myself before the game started at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. I woke up this morning feeling like I was about to play in the game myself. I can't imagine how the real players felt. All week long I was anxiously anticipating the arrival of the Sunday morning football game. I had my brand new Vikings shirt (given to me by my girlfriend Mia) all laid out the night before to put on first thing when I woke up. I couldn't wait to put that shirt on, last time I was that excited to wear a shirt was back on the first day of school in the 5th grade. I proudly wore my shirt all morning and well into the evening. I was that guy today.
The game started out pretty tight, I thought for a moment that the Cowboys might be able to pull away with the game, but the Vikes got stronger as the game progressed. The Cowboys started making mistakes, and as they say about football, the team with the least amount of mistakes wins the game. All aspects of the Vikings arsenal was in full combat mode, and that is what it is going to take next weekend against the Saints for any hopes of getting to the Super Bowl.
On a side note, here in southern California the month of January is the rainy month, and this week according to the weather forecast each day calls for rain. It will feel just like home...in April.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Happy New Year
HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2010 is here in case you didn't know. The new year has started off with some subzero temperatures here in Minnesota. Last night the actual air temp was -20 degrees Fahrenheit. That is cold to anybody, I don't care who you are. I may be from Minnesota, but people don't ever get used to cold air like that...maybe if you're from Siberia or live on the moon. So, as you can imagine I have not spent much more than 3 minutes outside in the past two days. That is what happens when it get that cold, you don't go out. Most people don't go outside because their doors are frozen shut, but for those people who are able to freely leave their homes choose not too. There is nothing going on or anything that could be that important to be outside for. Many good people here in the tundra take to making crafts. Others get bored and try new hairstyles. Lots of laundry get done during these cold days too...I don't think his mom showed him how to wash shirts like that. Anyways, you get the idea.
Aside from the new year coming in colder than your kitchen freezer, things have been good. The Vikings decided to start playing like they had been for the majority of their season. They easily beat the New York Giants 44-7, not that it's saying much beating a struggling team, but it was good to see them run up the score a little and not struggle to do so like they have been recently. The Vikes now have the number two seed going into the playoffs resulting in a bye week for next Sunday. Some rest should be good to heal numerous injuries that plague teams around this time of the season.
I will be heading back to California tomorrow to get back on a regular training schedule for the approaching season. Lots to do in the next few months to prepare. I will definitely miss home, but it's just like any other job, gotta get back to it!
Aside from the new year coming in colder than your kitchen freezer, things have been good. The Vikings decided to start playing like they had been for the majority of their season. They easily beat the New York Giants 44-7, not that it's saying much beating a struggling team, but it was good to see them run up the score a little and not struggle to do so like they have been recently. The Vikes now have the number two seed going into the playoffs resulting in a bye week for next Sunday. Some rest should be good to heal numerous injuries that plague teams around this time of the season.
I will be heading back to California tomorrow to get back on a regular training schedule for the approaching season. Lots to do in the next few months to prepare. I will definitely miss home, but it's just like any other job, gotta get back to it!
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