Well, I got accepted to my first college. I wasn't really worried about getting into it, I knew my chances. When you have a 4.1 and a 1150 (or 1800 if you count writing) on your first SAT (i took it again but haven't gotten my results yet) a lot of local schools aren't the most difficult ones to get into. The more difficult schools I applied to are Pitt and Penn State both of which I haven't heard from (Pitt being the harder of the two to get into). So the whole safety school thing is out the window. I never really picked a safety school in the first place. I had like a 2-4 week response on the first college I applied to so I figured if I didn't get into it I would start applying to a safety school.
I have absolutely no idea what I plan to major in. For the past two years I planned on majoring in journalism/communications but last year I did a graduation project on it and I wasn't happy with the results. I am a good writer. I don't know why but I can write papers well. Particularly journalism papers. So I always thought it would be easy to just do what I am really good at. But the problem is I would become a Sports Journalist. Sports journalist work the hours of 4-12 on most days in order to get their piece written before their paper sends to press shortly after midnight. Normally you start out with nothing writing articles for a paper just trying to get hired. Then you will most likely work at a small time paper and make (if you are lucky) the average $40,000 a year. When I decided I wanted to be a journalist I had this vision of myself working at a big paper like the NY Times and sitting in my office cubicle writing the latest piece on the current Professional sport. Then the reality hit me and the fact that there is such a small percent of people that make it that far. The reality is that most journalist work for small time papers in more rural settings. Their paper probably comes out once a week and they are the papers that have done articles on me besides the one article I got written about in the Reading Eagle which is the only legal city in Berk's County.
Then there is Short Track. Haven't really done much of it thus far this year. I think about 5-6 practices. One race. The little Lehigh Valley race we went to this past Saturday. Not to be mean but there wasn't really competition. I was racing my brother as my biggest competitor and I do that at practice. Discounting the 500 I was over 5 seconds off my PB in the 1000 and like a good 13 seconds off my PB in the 1500m. Three former inliners made the Junior ST World Team: J.R. Celski, Eddy, and Robert Lawerence. That's good. I think I'm going to try and attend that meet next year. Top 16 in a 1000m TT end up being allowed to try out and after looking at this years last couple qualifying times I'm pretty confident I can make it especially because I feel I'd be better at a 1000m TT then I am at the 1000m pack race. We'll just have to wait and see. I still might see if I can attend a meet where I could qualify for the Am Cup time. I'm about two seconds over it from last year but with competition I think I might manage it by the end of the season.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Fat Time
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas might make it a little easier to eat. Other then Halloween you don't necessarily have to watch what you eat. Right now you still might be looking over at the Halloween bowl that's sitting there on the kitchen table full of sugary sweets and chocolates. You do need to watch those. To much sugar can make you tired during the day. Not to mention the cavity watch for your teeth and the weight watch on your scale.
But during the year how often can you say that you eat a full meal? I don't mean a meal that fills you up but a meal that covers the majority of the food pyramid. Thanksgiving and Christmas are probably two meals you eat full. Not only that, but with all the left overs from Thanksgiving how often do you heat them up? Probably a few times which gives you a few extra full meals.
But if you live closer up north you may realize winter is approaching pretty fast. Or at least the weather is. The days get shorter and you become much more likely to stay inside rather then get out. You will be more tempted to eat then you are in the warm months. A few ways to make it a little easier is to surround yourself with healthier choices. Fruits, nuts, granola are all snacks that are healthier. Nuts actually are proven to be quite filling so if you just need something quick and small there you go.
One of the easiest ways (in my opinion) to offset weight gain during the winter and to stay in shape is weights. I think it is so much easier to lift weights in the winter then in the summer and if you are going to put on weight at least you'll give your body the ability to convert it to muscle. When someone mentions weights people automatically think heavy weights and big muscles but that is not the case. There are multiple ways to lift weights. One way is for strength. Strength is high weight and low reps. Then there is for muscle mass. Mass lifting is with a little less weight but higher reps. Then there is endurance lifting which is much less weight but way more reps. Any of which can keep you in shape during the winter. Don't let the cold months become the fat months.
Keep your goals in mind and body fit.
But during the year how often can you say that you eat a full meal? I don't mean a meal that fills you up but a meal that covers the majority of the food pyramid. Thanksgiving and Christmas are probably two meals you eat full. Not only that, but with all the left overs from Thanksgiving how often do you heat them up? Probably a few times which gives you a few extra full meals.
But if you live closer up north you may realize winter is approaching pretty fast. Or at least the weather is. The days get shorter and you become much more likely to stay inside rather then get out. You will be more tempted to eat then you are in the warm months. A few ways to make it a little easier is to surround yourself with healthier choices. Fruits, nuts, granola are all snacks that are healthier. Nuts actually are proven to be quite filling so if you just need something quick and small there you go.
One of the easiest ways (in my opinion) to offset weight gain during the winter and to stay in shape is weights. I think it is so much easier to lift weights in the winter then in the summer and if you are going to put on weight at least you'll give your body the ability to convert it to muscle. When someone mentions weights people automatically think heavy weights and big muscles but that is not the case. There are multiple ways to lift weights. One way is for strength. Strength is high weight and low reps. Then there is for muscle mass. Mass lifting is with a little less weight but higher reps. Then there is endurance lifting which is much less weight but way more reps. Any of which can keep you in shape during the winter. Don't let the cold months become the fat months.
Keep your goals in mind and body fit.
the Joy's of Local November
We are going to Donora for regionals. The eastern region. Located in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey is traveling west over four hours to Donora. If I didn't have relays there's a possibility I wouldn't have to go. The worst part is that I'm an official, my hotel will be paid for and I will get paid to be at regionals but all the people that are in the 2 hour (or less) range from the other option that if they had to could have drove back and forth cannot anymore. They will have to pay for a hotel. Two or more years ago I would not have stayed at a hotel at a meet unless it was more then 2.5 hours away. Last year the number of people that didn't make it to nationals in their division could probably have been counted with my fingers. But that is besides the point. I think if nothing else is added and my region wants to have regionals further away then it may be time to make it a one all-day meet.
We found this information out yesterday at our second league meet of the Keystone Speed League. League meets are fun. We go we skate four times (two division races two elite (nira) races) and you go home. It's good to get the racing in without having to go to an invitational. For me I use league meets for fun and I officiate them so that's always another reason for me to go. I don't show up to a league in my best shape because frankly I don't need to. Another reason I like league meets is they give me a chance to put on indoor wheels once a month. (Seriously.. I only wear indoor wheels at races) They also give me a chance to test indoor wheels that my sponsor company produces. There may not be a meet a skate this year until about April that I will not test something different, that is just how it goes. Testing wheels is a good thing it is something that has to be done. It's how you develop a wheel (hint research and development).
The best part about it is taking the shot's at the meets. There's always the people that will ask you about what you are wearing and it's simple "they're a test wheel, they're a prototype." Then there are the people that take shots. These are the best people. These are the people that despise you simply because they can. They go out of their way (considering I'm an official and usually in the center of the floor they actually have to come out of their way) just to say something smart. Just to say something to give them a little smirk on their face so in their head they can say to themselves "I really told him." Then it gets better. When you actually try to give a kind/polite response to their childish question and they cut you off with a childish comment. If you are going to go out of your way to say something to me, at least allow me to respond or get a word in.
The people that do this are never the people on your level.. never. They either have to be above you or below you. And because at a league meet few people are above those sponsored (in terms of skating), they are usually below. They can be a novice skater, a parent, or just some adult that has it out for you. This aggravates me, I will not lie about it. But I do not try to say anything else I do not stoop to their level. But I do something to give myself a little smirk. Needless to say, one of the people that did this saw their child get lapped in the first half of the next race.
We found this information out yesterday at our second league meet of the Keystone Speed League. League meets are fun. We go we skate four times (two division races two elite (nira) races) and you go home. It's good to get the racing in without having to go to an invitational. For me I use league meets for fun and I officiate them so that's always another reason for me to go. I don't show up to a league in my best shape because frankly I don't need to. Another reason I like league meets is they give me a chance to put on indoor wheels once a month. (Seriously.. I only wear indoor wheels at races) They also give me a chance to test indoor wheels that my sponsor company produces. There may not be a meet a skate this year until about April that I will not test something different, that is just how it goes. Testing wheels is a good thing it is something that has to be done. It's how you develop a wheel (hint research and development).
The best part about it is taking the shot's at the meets. There's always the people that will ask you about what you are wearing and it's simple "they're a test wheel, they're a prototype." Then there are the people that take shots. These are the best people. These are the people that despise you simply because they can. They go out of their way (considering I'm an official and usually in the center of the floor they actually have to come out of their way) just to say something smart. Just to say something to give them a little smirk on their face so in their head they can say to themselves "I really told him." Then it gets better. When you actually try to give a kind/polite response to their childish question and they cut you off with a childish comment. If you are going to go out of your way to say something to me, at least allow me to respond or get a word in.
The people that do this are never the people on your level.. never. They either have to be above you or below you. And because at a league meet few people are above those sponsored (in terms of skating), they are usually below. They can be a novice skater, a parent, or just some adult that has it out for you. This aggravates me, I will not lie about it. But I do not try to say anything else I do not stoop to their level. But I do something to give myself a little smirk. Needless to say, one of the people that did this saw their child get lapped in the first half of the next race.
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