09 February 2011
08 February 2011
'Is that wind or is the hotel falling down?' (AKA: BUCS Cross Country Championships 2011)
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| (Photo taken by a team-mate) |
So...back to BUCS. Neither wind nor rain nor cracked ribs was going to keep me away, although all three certainly tried. On Saturday morning, the team awoke (relatively) early to enjoy the hotel's complimentary breakfast. Self-labeled as a 'Victorian guesthouse', the Awentsbury was quaint but clearly was unused to having more than 3 or 4 guests at a time.I felt a bit bad as they clearly had not planned for having 19 hungry runners, but we had booked months in advance. And we were courteous.
The race was held at Sennelly Park outside of Birmingham. The course consisted of a small loop (roughly 1k) and a large loop (roughly 2k) with lots of hills. In fact, there were very few flat bits in the entire course. The only part that could be considered relatively flat was incredibly muddy and windy. The Men's Long Race was 10k and began at noon. Our top runner came in at 46th place, but a valiant effort was put forth by all Uni. of London men, as the pace was fast and the course particularly challenging.
Next up was the Women's Race at 1pm. The wind was absolutely howling by this point and as we (all 330 or so of us) lined up at the start, a fine rain started to fall. Unlike road racing where it doesn't matter how far back you start as chip timing means that your race starts whenever your chip crosses the start line, cross country is a free-for-all. We did wear ankle chips for this race, but they were there simply to confirm our finish times. The point of cross country is that you are actually racing against everyone else, and so how you start can have a huge impact on the rest of your race. Although I wanted to make sure that I was positioned mid-pack so that I wouldn't get boxed in by slower runners, a team-mate pointed out that it would not be do me any good to be elbowed in the ribs at the start. (Elbowing and spiking (hitting other runners with the spiked bottoms of your cross country shoes) are the two main ways that runners will try to sabotage each other's races). So I took a spot well towards the back and spent the first portion of the race (the short loop) fighting my way past the slower runners.
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| Photo by a team-mate |
By the time I hit the beginning of the first large lap, I was in the groove. I made up a lot of ground on the first downhill and found the first major hill to be relatively unchallenging. By the middle of the second lap, however, the wind and the mud were beginning to take their toll on me. Most of the time the wind was pushing against me, making me feel as if I were working twice as hard to get the same result. At the same time, the mud was attempting to suck my shoes off and made getting a good footing very difficult. Still, it wouldn't be proper cross country without it. The final loop was the hardest, and at some points I really just felt like it might be wiser to either walk or die - it was a toss-up between the two. In the end I did neither and finished the 4.8 mile course (it was over the 7k advertised!) in 35:37-ish. I was the 161st woman to finish (out of 318 finishers). That'll do!
The rest of the University of London women's team finished strong as well, with our top runner coming in at 34th. In a field as competitive as the one at BUCS, this is no small achievement! After we had recovered with Jelly Babies, cookies, and clementines, we walked over to the bottom of the hill to support our Men's B team in the shorter 8k race. I didn't envy them as by this time the course was simply nothing but one giant mud pit. Our men's team ran well and we celebrated their achievement by piling into taxis (much to the dismay of the drivers, who had to deal with the muddy aftermath) and heading back to the hotel for naps, snacks and warm showers (not necessarily in that order).
Following a nap of a few hours, we reconvened and went to dinner at an Indian restaurant. I have only had Indian food on one prior occasion and so spent the better part of an hour deciphering the menu. This was not an issue, however, as it took over an hour before our orders were taken. The food itself was delicious. I ordered the 'vegetable saag (something) garlic' with rice and a (huge) naan. So much food, but so delicious! (Perhaps more exciting was the fact that my stomach didn't give me trouble like it usually does when eating, well, anything.) The fact that I washed this down with 2 pints of Magner's cider probably helped. :) Afterward it was off to the Uni. of Birmingham's Student Guild for the after-party. It was a strange experience, especially as I: a) haven't been to any student-type parties since February of 2010 at SMCM, and b) haven't been single at a party since December 2009. :( Like I said, a strange (not entirely welcome) experience, but fun nonetheless, though I think it is safe to say that my hard-partying days, such as they were, are well behind me at this point. It was a tame evening for me.
Competing at BUCS was a special moment for me as it represents a highlight (although hopefully not the crowning highlight) of my running career. Had you told me two years ago that I would be competing in a cross country race (let alone championships), I would have thought you mad. I only started running (sort-of) in the fall of 2008 when I studied abroad at Oxford as a way to work off the doner kebabs and Katy ciders consumed at the pub by night. I competed in my first race, the 10k Bupa Great Edinburgh Run, in May 2009, by training 3-4 days a week with a few laps around the Meadows in Edinburgh. I remember that most days I would do perhaps 2 laps (around 2.5 miles) and usually had to walk at least once during that time. I ended up walking up most of the Queen's Drive hill in Holyrood Park and down the Cowgate during the Great Edinburgh run, but I finished. And that feeling was amazing. I didn't actually race again (in a real race) until January 2010 with the New Year's Resolution Run in Patterson Park, Baltimore. So my 'competitive' racing career has been relatively short. I still find it mildly odd that I manage to do so well in my races, because part of me is still clinging on to the memory of the days when I couldn't. As I cooled down after finishing BUCS, all I could think was 'how did I ever get here?' It just seemed unreal.
Running has changed my life in ways I never expected, and I have watched as my love for it has spread on to my family and friends. To those who believe that they are too slow, will never be able to run X distance, don't consider themselves a runner: do not give up! Persistence will help you achieve your goals. Even if you can barely make it one lap around the track, that is a start, and everyone has to start from somewhere. Running is less about the distance or splits that you run and more about the changes you bring within yourself. It is about working until you can accomplish your goals, about pushing yourself even when you want to give up. Everyone starts from somewhere and what matters is not the point at which you start, but how far you are willing to go.
In the next post: my recent speed-dating experience!
06 February 2011
Super Bowl Sunday
It is Super Bowl Sunday!!!! OMG!!1!
I'm not a football fan at all, so this is simply yet another Sunday in my life. But for most people in the United States, it is THE highlight of the winter sports calendar. Beer, nachos, salsa, and peanuts undoubtedly flew off the shelves at most supermarkets this morning and will be consumed in absolutely appalling quantities tonight. Body paint will be applied to the chests of individuals who would be better off leaving their shirts on. The infamous 'beer hat' will make a mass appearence. And families will be divided along the lines of who they support (Green Bay Packers or the Pittsburgh Steelers? This is clearly a matter of life and death, and choosing the wrong allegiance could result in disinheritance.)
I was born and raised in the US, and yet I still do not understand this custom. The only time I have ever even been faintly interested in football was when the Baltimore Ravens went to the Super Bowl in 2001 and then it was only because everyone else seemed so keen on them winning. (They did. My Baltimore-raised father was so happy.) There seemed to be a chance that the Ravens would go to the Super Bowl this year, a possibility that resulted in my neighbors back in MD displaying their allegiance on flags attached to their front porches and cars, but they lost to the Steelers at the last moment. Tragic. Anyway, to those readers for whom Super Bowl Sunday has assumed pseudo-holiday status: Good luck! I hope that the insert chosen team's name here win!)
Anyway, on to more interesting news. I spent the weekend in Birmingham at the BUCS Cross Country Championships where I was running as part of the University of London team. I have been looking forward to this event since I found out that I had been selected for the team in December. As my university running career (as short as it was) is coming to a close in June, it is the only 'championship' of any kind that I can possibly hope to attend as more than a spectator. So you can imagine my frustration when a freak accident on Wednesday resulted in my sustaining 3 cracked ribs. Luckily, the ER doctor did not forbid me from running and a Friday morning test run proved that running would be possible, if painful, so it was off to Birmingham for me! The team met at Euston station shortly after my classes ended at 6 and arrived in Selly Oak, on the outskirts of the city, by 8pm.
I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I was packing at 7am on Friday morning before class. I ended up with 3 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of tights, but no toothbrush, hairbrush, or flat shoes (only packed my spikes, trainers, and boots). I also forgot the book that I had hoped to read on cross-cultural communication, the QDAMiner and WordStat manuals (for the upcoming text coding at my internship) and my Garmin. On the plus side, I did remember to bring my swimming goggles...which i didn't actually need. It was a packing disaster.
And it is here that I will have to leave it for today. The rest of my race report will follow tomorrow.
I'm not a football fan at all, so this is simply yet another Sunday in my life. But for most people in the United States, it is THE highlight of the winter sports calendar. Beer, nachos, salsa, and peanuts undoubtedly flew off the shelves at most supermarkets this morning and will be consumed in absolutely appalling quantities tonight. Body paint will be applied to the chests of individuals who would be better off leaving their shirts on. The infamous 'beer hat' will make a mass appearence. And families will be divided along the lines of who they support (Green Bay Packers or the Pittsburgh Steelers? This is clearly a matter of life and death, and choosing the wrong allegiance could result in disinheritance.)
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| Keep it classy America - Source |
Anyway, on to more interesting news. I spent the weekend in Birmingham at the BUCS Cross Country Championships where I was running as part of the University of London team. I have been looking forward to this event since I found out that I had been selected for the team in December. As my university running career (as short as it was) is coming to a close in June, it is the only 'championship' of any kind that I can possibly hope to attend as more than a spectator. So you can imagine my frustration when a freak accident on Wednesday resulted in my sustaining 3 cracked ribs. Luckily, the ER doctor did not forbid me from running and a Friday morning test run proved that running would be possible, if painful, so it was off to Birmingham for me! The team met at Euston station shortly after my classes ended at 6 and arrived in Selly Oak, on the outskirts of the city, by 8pm.
I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I was packing at 7am on Friday morning before class. I ended up with 3 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of tights, but no toothbrush, hairbrush, or flat shoes (only packed my spikes, trainers, and boots). I also forgot the book that I had hoped to read on cross-cultural communication, the QDAMiner and WordStat manuals (for the upcoming text coding at my internship) and my Garmin. On the plus side, I did remember to bring my swimming goggles...which i didn't actually need. It was a packing disaster.
And it is here that I will have to leave it for today. The rest of my race report will follow tomorrow.
01 February 2011
Nostalgia
Video: 'Barton Hollow' by The Civil Wars
People used to tell me that you don't know what you have until you've lost it. I never knew what they were talking about until I encountered something called 'life' and now I am fairly well acquainted with the concept. I think this same thing holds true with traveling and the concept of 'home'. You never truly appreciate your home until you've left it. When I was growing up, all I wanted to do was leave the US. I dreamed of traveling far and wide. I would have no ties to hold me back, I would come and go as I pleased, and the concept of 'home' would have no meaning. 'Home' would be the place where my family was located and where I was not. But as I've grown older, I've realized that this is not as simple in practice as it is in principle. Like it or not we form attachments to the people and places around us. The goodbyes become a bit harder to say, the tears more difficult to choke back. The concept of having a 'home' is no longer quite as unappealing as it once was.
It is a bit ironic: my forebears made long and arduous journeys across the Atlantic from the Old World to the New in search of something - new possibilities, new freedoms, a new life. Several generations down the road, my grandfathers and grandmothers moved from the towns in which our family had settled to the cities of the north in the search of the same thing - new possibilities and a new life. I am the beneficiary of this new life and what do I do? Return to the same country that my ancestors left so long ago. I am changed for this experience, mostly for the better but not entirely, and the lessons that I have learned will remain with me throughout my life. The most important lesson (apart from 'an expiration date is there for a reason') has been the importance of my family, friends, and home. Yes, I may bitch about them quite frequently, and yes, I may hurt them with my careless words just as they hurt me. (I am, after all, a sensitive soul. Or a drama queen, depending on whether you are talking to my Mother or Father.) But in the end, they are always there. In good and bad, through thick and thin: they are there. And home is the place where I know that I can go when all else fails.
Why did I post this today? I watched the above video 'Barton Hollow' by The Civil Wars and it reminded me of when I traveled to Georgia in 5th grade for the Hendrick (my Dad's mum's family) family reunion. Georgia is the furthest into the 'deep south' that I have ever been. (I've been to Florida, but I don't really count it as the 'south'. It is a unique entity in itself, much like California). It was a strange trip...we stayed in a house that I was (and am still) convinced is haunted. We walked through the forest past dirt mountains that my Dad's cousin poked with a stick to show me how quickly the fire ant residents could potentially overcome a human. In the same forests we unearthed the long-buried tombstones of ancestors whose names appeared as three brief lines in my Dad's genealogical records: name, date of birth, date of death. In between lay a lifetime's worth of memories and experiences, details that forever lost to the winds of time as soon as they passed beyond. We visited the now-demolished Hendrick plantation, saw the site of the farmhouse where 'Great Grand-daddy so-and-so was shot for his Confederate gold' (which has definitely not made it down the line to me), and ate a strange substance known as 'grits'. Perhaps the strangest experience of all was hearing about the 'war of Northern aggression' as if it had occurred just yesterday. My 5th grade self was mystified at this strange culture of 'the south'.
Unfortunately, the same winds of time that erode our physical landmarks on this earth have also been at work on my memory. I no longer remember what it was like to experience that culture so markedly different from the one that I had been brought up in. I don't remember what it was about grits that I didn't like (although, in keeping with my 10 year-old principles, I probably would not try it again) or why I found it so incredibly odd that my Dad's cousins did not drink Diet Coke or Coffee (they're Mormons). My point is that for a long time I've been searching the world for something...although I'm still not quite sure what. I think that after this summer I may have to start looking within the United States itself. I may road-trip it back down to Georgia or to Clifton Forge, VA (population -2...just kidding! It has a population of 4289 according to that venerable and completely unquestionable source of knowledge: Wikipedia).
It is time to come home.
(Except by 'it is time' I really mean 'it will be time in a few weeks'. I've got 9 more weeks of classes, a month of spring break, and a month of exams to get through before this last rollercoaster ride is over.)
"My Father's Father' by the Civil Wars
People used to tell me that you don't know what you have until you've lost it. I never knew what they were talking about until I encountered something called 'life' and now I am fairly well acquainted with the concept. I think this same thing holds true with traveling and the concept of 'home'. You never truly appreciate your home until you've left it. When I was growing up, all I wanted to do was leave the US. I dreamed of traveling far and wide. I would have no ties to hold me back, I would come and go as I pleased, and the concept of 'home' would have no meaning. 'Home' would be the place where my family was located and where I was not. But as I've grown older, I've realized that this is not as simple in practice as it is in principle. Like it or not we form attachments to the people and places around us. The goodbyes become a bit harder to say, the tears more difficult to choke back. The concept of having a 'home' is no longer quite as unappealing as it once was.
It is a bit ironic: my forebears made long and arduous journeys across the Atlantic from the Old World to the New in search of something - new possibilities, new freedoms, a new life. Several generations down the road, my grandfathers and grandmothers moved from the towns in which our family had settled to the cities of the north in the search of the same thing - new possibilities and a new life. I am the beneficiary of this new life and what do I do? Return to the same country that my ancestors left so long ago. I am changed for this experience, mostly for the better but not entirely, and the lessons that I have learned will remain with me throughout my life. The most important lesson (apart from 'an expiration date is there for a reason') has been the importance of my family, friends, and home. Yes, I may bitch about them quite frequently, and yes, I may hurt them with my careless words just as they hurt me. (I am, after all, a sensitive soul. Or a drama queen, depending on whether you are talking to my Mother or Father.) But in the end, they are always there. In good and bad, through thick and thin: they are there. And home is the place where I know that I can go when all else fails.
Why did I post this today? I watched the above video 'Barton Hollow' by The Civil Wars and it reminded me of when I traveled to Georgia in 5th grade for the Hendrick (my Dad's mum's family) family reunion. Georgia is the furthest into the 'deep south' that I have ever been. (I've been to Florida, but I don't really count it as the 'south'. It is a unique entity in itself, much like California). It was a strange trip...we stayed in a house that I was (and am still) convinced is haunted. We walked through the forest past dirt mountains that my Dad's cousin poked with a stick to show me how quickly the fire ant residents could potentially overcome a human. In the same forests we unearthed the long-buried tombstones of ancestors whose names appeared as three brief lines in my Dad's genealogical records: name, date of birth, date of death. In between lay a lifetime's worth of memories and experiences, details that forever lost to the winds of time as soon as they passed beyond. We visited the now-demolished Hendrick plantation, saw the site of the farmhouse where 'Great Grand-daddy so-and-so was shot for his Confederate gold' (which has definitely not made it down the line to me), and ate a strange substance known as 'grits'. Perhaps the strangest experience of all was hearing about the 'war of Northern aggression' as if it had occurred just yesterday. My 5th grade self was mystified at this strange culture of 'the south'.
Unfortunately, the same winds of time that erode our physical landmarks on this earth have also been at work on my memory. I no longer remember what it was like to experience that culture so markedly different from the one that I had been brought up in. I don't remember what it was about grits that I didn't like (although, in keeping with my 10 year-old principles, I probably would not try it again) or why I found it so incredibly odd that my Dad's cousins did not drink Diet Coke or Coffee (they're Mormons). My point is that for a long time I've been searching the world for something...although I'm still not quite sure what. I think that after this summer I may have to start looking within the United States itself. I may road-trip it back down to Georgia or to Clifton Forge, VA (population -2...just kidding! It has a population of 4289 according to that venerable and completely unquestionable source of knowledge: Wikipedia).
It is time to come home.
(Except by 'it is time' I really mean 'it will be time in a few weeks'. I've got 9 more weeks of classes, a month of spring break, and a month of exams to get through before this last rollercoaster ride is over.)
"My Father's Father' by the Civil Wars
30 January 2011
My Future 'Eat, Pray, Love' Fail
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EAT
In the movie, Julia Roberts ends up going to Italy and essentially having a love affair with pasta. Indeed, I spent the majority of this section of the movie marveling at the enormous quantities of food consumed. Now, I am a fan of pasta...but my waistline is not. And with the added threats of gelato and pizza, a trip to Italy would see all of my marathon preparations disappear in a haze of carbohydrates. (But hey! At least I would die happy!)
Possible alternatives to fulfill the 'eat' section:
Norway (except maybe not since a Google search for 'Norwegian food' revealed this: I may not know much about vegetarianism since I am still relatively new to it...but am pretty certain that the dish below is not kosher with the veggies)
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Pray
Julia Roberts/the real author of 'Eat, Pray, Love' went to India to find her spirituality.
Italy (because of the whole 'Catholic' thing). Sadly, I won't have Elysa, Brad, and Tony to run around Rome with. Which means no 'God Save the Queen' BBC news casts in the Vatican. Maybe I will go back to Venice? Or to Naples again to see Pompeii again.
Alternatively, I could go to Greece, where the orthodox tradition is still going strong. (And by Greece, I really mean the Greek Islands. I want sun!)
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Love
The final third of the movie dealt with 'love'. Julia Roberts/the author heads to Bali, Indonesia to practice her newfound spirituality...but finds love on the way. I guess this third one is out since I am not looking for love and, indeed, probably would not welcome it at this point. I can't even manage to successfully be broken up (as in no contact, no feelings, etc.) with my ex-boyfriend, so there is no 'moving on to the next one' until that situation is resolved.
But if I were going to look for love, I would probably head to:
Malta:
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Denmark: They know how to color coordinate.
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Slovenia : Just because it tends to be ignored. (And look at those mountains)
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In reality, however, this would fail as an 'eat, pray, love' trip. Why? Because I really have no intention of doing 2 of the 3. I will eat, of course, but not to the excess one would expect in devoting an entire trip to eating. This is even more true since the vast majority of this trip would occur before my marathon and I need to be very careful about what I eat. (Also because my digestive system has zero tolerance for unexpected foods (heck, it has zero tolerance for foods I eat on a daily basis) and would go into active rebellion, thus making me miserable). I also have no intention of falling in 'love' on this trip. Indeed, it would be an unwelcome occurrence since a) it would mean that I've lost my damn mind, and b) could only bring heartache as I will be heading back to the US in June. This just leaves 'praying' and even though the G-man and I are on better terms as of late...I still don't know if I'm comfortable going on a trip for an extended pilgrimage.
So there goes the 'eat, pray, love' theme. Guess I will just have to travel for the sake of traveling. And once that starts, who knows where I will end up?
Note: I would like to point out to certain readers (you know who you are) that all of these countries are in Europe and none are in active conflict/rebellion. Aforementioned readers should also note that their cautions were heeded and should be happy with the tentative choices I have made.
28 January 2011
Blah blah blah
Today has not been a good day. I was going to post about overcoming adversity, but my current mood is not one which makes me feel like I actually could overcome a challenge.
Things currently pissing me off:
1. It is cold, windy, and miserable. Inside my room. With the heat on. (And my space heater has yet to arrive at Argos...despite the fact that I ordered it before break.)
2. Being assigned a philosophical topic for my Concepts & Methods seminar presentation. I present on March 4th (the day after I have another presentation for Middle East class) on the question: 'Is the Habermasian account of emancipation a sustainable approach to problems of world order?' Er...what? Guess that is what I will find out. (And, not so luckily, the assigned reading for this topic consists of 30 articles and books...so I will be finding out what this is in a lot of detail.)
3. Self-doubt and lack of self-confidence. Can I actually do any of this? I have so much to complete in the next few (10) weeks...will I be able to tough it out? Will I meet my parents' (and my own) expectations? Will I ever get a job or shall I be doomed to working at Target for the rest of my life?
4. Loneliness. When things ended with my boyfriend, I also lost one of my closest friends and confidants. Add to this the fact that my friends are scattered about the globe (quite literally - one is in St. Kitt's, another in Mali) and it makes it hard to keep in touch, despite the wonderful advances in technology.
Things that make me happy:
1. Family and friends. Without them I would not be doing as well as I currently am.
2. Hot chocolate.
3. I have successfully completed my second week of deliberately being a vegetarian. Last term I did not eat a lot of meat because it was a) expensive and b) not possible to keep it for more than a day in my fridge (and certainly not in my postage stamp-sized freezer). But since reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safron Foer, I realized that I may as well make the commitment and deliberately choose not to eat meat (as opposed to simply abstaining for convenience sake). Of course, once one deliberately gives up anything, one begins to crave it all the more. This has meant that each time I walk through Clink and Wine Wharf where the Gourmet Burger Kitchen and the Angus & Blue restaurants are, and I smell the delicious scent of steak...I immediately have the craving for a burger. But so far I have held out, and the desire to actually consume a steak or burger has diminished significantly.
4. The upcoming BUCS Championship...and the free physiotherapist sessions that accompany it!
5. My Dad's upcoming visit! Granted it is in mid-March...but that's soon enough for me!
Things currently pissing me off:
1. It is cold, windy, and miserable. Inside my room. With the heat on. (And my space heater has yet to arrive at Argos...despite the fact that I ordered it before break.)
2. Being assigned a philosophical topic for my Concepts & Methods seminar presentation. I present on March 4th (the day after I have another presentation for Middle East class) on the question: 'Is the Habermasian account of emancipation a sustainable approach to problems of world order?' Er...what? Guess that is what I will find out. (And, not so luckily, the assigned reading for this topic consists of 30 articles and books...so I will be finding out what this is in a lot of detail.)
3. Self-doubt and lack of self-confidence. Can I actually do any of this? I have so much to complete in the next few (10) weeks...will I be able to tough it out? Will I meet my parents' (and my own) expectations? Will I ever get a job or shall I be doomed to working at Target for the rest of my life?
4. Loneliness. When things ended with my boyfriend, I also lost one of my closest friends and confidants. Add to this the fact that my friends are scattered about the globe (quite literally - one is in St. Kitt's, another in Mali) and it makes it hard to keep in touch, despite the wonderful advances in technology.
Things that make me happy:
1. Family and friends. Without them I would not be doing as well as I currently am.
2. Hot chocolate.
3. I have successfully completed my second week of deliberately being a vegetarian. Last term I did not eat a lot of meat because it was a) expensive and b) not possible to keep it for more than a day in my fridge (and certainly not in my postage stamp-sized freezer). But since reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safron Foer, I realized that I may as well make the commitment and deliberately choose not to eat meat (as opposed to simply abstaining for convenience sake). Of course, once one deliberately gives up anything, one begins to crave it all the more. This has meant that each time I walk through Clink and Wine Wharf where the Gourmet Burger Kitchen and the Angus & Blue restaurants are, and I smell the delicious scent of steak...I immediately have the craving for a burger. But so far I have held out, and the desire to actually consume a steak or burger has diminished significantly.
4. The upcoming BUCS Championship...and the free physiotherapist sessions that accompany it!
5. My Dad's upcoming visit! Granted it is in mid-March...but that's soon enough for me!
27 January 2011
London Loves
To whoever signed me up for eHarmony, London Loves, and Active Singles: I don't quite know whether to be flattered that you believe my emotional fortitude so strong that I am ready to enter into another relationship or insulted that you doubt my ability to actually meet someone in real life. Perhaps a bit of both? Either way, thanks but no thanks. I'm not interested, not ready, and most definitely do not want. Check back in 2012 because at the moment I'm still a-hurtin'. (Also: you are sooo dead when I find out who did this. Revenge will be sweet.)
In other news: the London weather seems to have heard that MD was getting snow and felt obliged to mimic the conditions. Of course, all of this was on a much lesser scale (as in zero accumulation) than in the States, but it was still pleasant while it lasted. Much less pleasant was the fact that the temperature dropped about fifteen degrees overnight (which meant that my head felt like it was about to explode for half the day) and the wind gusts over the bridges became absolutely ridiculous.
Yesterday was the fifth London Colleges League race at Prospect Park in Reading. Since the course was only 2 miles (essentially a sprint), I ran 6.5 miles in the morning to keep on my marathon training plan. By the time I got back from the run, it was time to meet my team mates at Paddington Station where we took the mainland train to Reading. After a walk of a mile to Prospect Park, we were still really early for the race. We had a look at the course, essentially a giant football pitch, which was dominated by a rather steep hill. Perched at the top was a rather posh-looking pub that we were supposed to run to the left of before heading up another hill, dropping down a very steep incline, and then running around the long length of the park to the finish line. Since the race was quite far out (by London standards -- in reality it took about 40 minutes to get there), not many teams showed up. There were only about 35 women participating, although it was hard to tell since both women and men race together, and the mass of bodies at the start line makes acquiring an accurate estimate quite difficult.
For me the race went ok. I finished 15th (out of that unknown number of women) and was 2nd on my team. I went out quite slow at the start as I got blocked in by some slower runners and entered into a brief right with some low-hanging tree limbs that delayed me for a few seconds. The giant hill was the worst part since by the time I arrived at it, rain had started to fall and enough runners had gone before me that the ground had been churned to mud. Even with spikes on, I struggled to find my footing and almost went down on several occasions. Luckily I was able to recover some ground on the downhill, especially on the steep drop, since I am not one for 'playing it safe' in terms of slowing down to prevent injury. I attribute my ability to stay upright on these harrowing plunges and bouts of speed to my larger than average feet (size 11's...GAH) which, if they are not good for this, are good for nothing at all. After the race, I cheered in my team mates and then made the long trip back to London (made a bit more exciting by the fact that we arrived at Reading Central station only to find that we had 3 minutes to catch a London train located on the other side of the station).
This weekend will include a 12 mile run and then next weekend is BUCS!
For your viewing & auditory pleasure:
I made this video in February 2009 when I was studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh. My friend Elysa was celebrating her 22nd birthday and I wanted to make her a present that would commemorate our shared time at Oxford. What a blast from the past!
Adele's cover of 'Promise This' by Cheryl Cole. She is such a wonderful singer.
How are these two videos linked? Adele (the singer in the second video) also sings the first song featured in my Oxford video.
Upcoming: (More for my benefit than anyone else's)
Thur, Feb 3: Middle East paper #1 due (3000 words)
Friday, Feb 4-Sun, Feb 6: British Universities Cross Country Championships in Birmingham
Fri, Feb. 11: OSINT seminar presentation of collection strategy, analysis, and budgetary requirements in Democratic Republic of Congo crisis
Wed., Feb. 23: Last LCL XC race in Uxbridge
Fri, Feb. 25: OSINT paper #2 due (3250 words)
Sat, Feb. 26: Hyde Park Relays!
Thur, Mar. 3: Middle East seminar presentation on economic liberalization
Wed, Mar. 9: Teddy Hall relays in Oxford
Sun, Mar 13- Sat. Mar 19: Possible visit by my Dad
Mar. 23: Exam schedule released (I find out when I can come home!)
Thurs, Mar. 25: Middle East paper #2 due (3000 words)
Fri, Apr. 1: Concepts and Methods paper due (3000 words)
Apr. 25: OSINT paper #3 (3250 words) due
Apri. 26: Middle East paper #3 (3000 words) due
In other news: the London weather seems to have heard that MD was getting snow and felt obliged to mimic the conditions. Of course, all of this was on a much lesser scale (as in zero accumulation) than in the States, but it was still pleasant while it lasted. Much less pleasant was the fact that the temperature dropped about fifteen degrees overnight (which meant that my head felt like it was about to explode for half the day) and the wind gusts over the bridges became absolutely ridiculous.
Yesterday was the fifth London Colleges League race at Prospect Park in Reading. Since the course was only 2 miles (essentially a sprint), I ran 6.5 miles in the morning to keep on my marathon training plan. By the time I got back from the run, it was time to meet my team mates at Paddington Station where we took the mainland train to Reading. After a walk of a mile to Prospect Park, we were still really early for the race. We had a look at the course, essentially a giant football pitch, which was dominated by a rather steep hill. Perched at the top was a rather posh-looking pub that we were supposed to run to the left of before heading up another hill, dropping down a very steep incline, and then running around the long length of the park to the finish line. Since the race was quite far out (by London standards -- in reality it took about 40 minutes to get there), not many teams showed up. There were only about 35 women participating, although it was hard to tell since both women and men race together, and the mass of bodies at the start line makes acquiring an accurate estimate quite difficult.
For me the race went ok. I finished 15th (out of that unknown number of women) and was 2nd on my team. I went out quite slow at the start as I got blocked in by some slower runners and entered into a brief right with some low-hanging tree limbs that delayed me for a few seconds. The giant hill was the worst part since by the time I arrived at it, rain had started to fall and enough runners had gone before me that the ground had been churned to mud. Even with spikes on, I struggled to find my footing and almost went down on several occasions. Luckily I was able to recover some ground on the downhill, especially on the steep drop, since I am not one for 'playing it safe' in terms of slowing down to prevent injury. I attribute my ability to stay upright on these harrowing plunges and bouts of speed to my larger than average feet (size 11's...GAH) which, if they are not good for this, are good for nothing at all. After the race, I cheered in my team mates and then made the long trip back to London (made a bit more exciting by the fact that we arrived at Reading Central station only to find that we had 3 minutes to catch a London train located on the other side of the station).
This weekend will include a 12 mile run and then next weekend is BUCS!
For your viewing & auditory pleasure:
I made this video in February 2009 when I was studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh. My friend Elysa was celebrating her 22nd birthday and I wanted to make her a present that would commemorate our shared time at Oxford. What a blast from the past!
Adele's cover of 'Promise This' by Cheryl Cole. She is such a wonderful singer.
How are these two videos linked? Adele (the singer in the second video) also sings the first song featured in my Oxford video.
Upcoming: (More for my benefit than anyone else's)
Thur, Feb 3: Middle East paper #1 due (3000 words)
Friday, Feb 4-Sun, Feb 6: British Universities Cross Country Championships in Birmingham
Fri, Feb. 11: OSINT seminar presentation of collection strategy, analysis, and budgetary requirements in Democratic Republic of Congo crisis
Wed., Feb. 23: Last LCL XC race in Uxbridge
Fri, Feb. 25: OSINT paper #2 due (3250 words)
Sat, Feb. 26: Hyde Park Relays!
Thur, Mar. 3: Middle East seminar presentation on economic liberalization
Wed, Mar. 9: Teddy Hall relays in Oxford
Sun, Mar 13- Sat. Mar 19: Possible visit by my Dad
Mar. 23: Exam schedule released (I find out when I can come home!)
Thurs, Mar. 25: Middle East paper #2 due (3000 words)
Fri, Apr. 1: Concepts and Methods paper due (3000 words)
Apr. 25: OSINT paper #3 (3250 words) due
Apri. 26: Middle East paper #3 (3000 words) due
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