Girl the Olympian

It's been TWO whole weeks since I last posted! I don't really have an excuse. I would like to say it's been because I've been busy doing more important things than keeping my readership (N=3) abreast of my daily activities, but misleading journalism is unethical, indeed.

There has been one theme that's defined the last two weeks of my life, though: a feeling of Physical Inadequacy

While some people call it delusional thinking - I call it the Mindset of Champions! It's the voice in the back of your head that convinces you while you sit on your couch watching Tiger Woods win the US Open, Boston win the NBA Finals and some 5'2" girl land a twisting back flip on a balance beam @ the Olympic trials that -- "HEY!! You can do that!"

Yeah. What can I say. I'm a natural born delusional thinker champion.

Well, the past two weeks have been complete sensory overload for people like me. In addition to the aforementioned sporting occurrences - the Euro Cup soccer tournament is in its final stages, Wimbledon started a couple days ago, and worst of all: The US Track & Field Olympic Trials start this weekend. What makes the trials so bad is that I've actually competed against and with a large portion of the people who I'll be watching on TV (including my best friend!!!). As if I needed any more convincing that I am not living up to my sporting potential!

We're still about a month away from the Olympic Games, but I am being cautious & taking measures to prevent myself from spiraling into a deep depression, as the last two weeks have been only a taste of what's to come in August. Preparation has been as follows:

1) 3 hour stint in Sports Authority. Everyone knows that in order to be a world class athlete, you have to have the gear. In my case - I spent two hours trying on sporty clothes to see if I could at least look like a world class athlete if I were in fact able to afford said sporty clothes. Left the store with running socks, soccer socks, basketball shorts, power bars and soccer cleats. These will all aid in my rise to athletic greatness.

2) Play a recreational game of capture the flag. This was important. I had to test my skills. If I couldn't outrun the average 24 year old human being - there's no way I could compete in any sport on a national/international level. Although my team lost - I had one very successful jail run (i.e. freed our people from jail AND made it back to our side without getting tagged). Mission Accomplished.

3) Join a team. Organized sports provide much needed structure. I needed somewhere to wear my new cleats - so I joined a soccer team. I played my 1st game with them Sunday and was more help than hindrance! Check out the evidence: http://golerosteam.blogspot.com/2008/06/shootout.html

4) Conditioning. So, as a former track athlete, I have some sense of how to get into good running shape. I've thrown that sense out the window - as I need to be in top shape by August so I can blow off steam after watching others go for Olympic Gold. I plan to do this by running long distances at respectable speeds after particularly inspiring performances. Just finished my 2nd week of running between 4-6 miles a day. We'll see if I can walk come August.

5) Long Term Goals. Signed up to run a 190 mile relay race [split between 12 people] in September. That sounds healthy.

With all these precautions in place, I think I may be able to watch the Olympic Games in August. Last Summer Olympics I dislocated my shoulder in an expression of sheer excitement over the Games (that ended with me tumbling down a flight of stairs). SO - here's to hoping I can keep my cool this year!

Lightning

Lightning has struck within 50 meters of me twice within the last two weeks. Today's episode was a little more noteworthy though 'cause 1) it was closer, and 2) it was silly! I'm guessing that by the end of this summer, I'll have a keener sense of nature since I'll be traversing the city, MD and VA for the next three months in the elements without a car. So far, however, I think I've been stranded outside and improperly equipped during every thunderstorm and heat wave we've had since giving my car away.

I was actually doing better than normal today. About 30 minutes before the 1st raindrop fell, I could tell the weather was changing and started to make my way back home. 20 minutes before the rain I was on a shuttle from Georgetown to Dupont Circle and heard thunder. I was all excited because I managed to "predict" the arrival of the storm and it sounded like it was far away - so I managed to beat it!

5 minutes before the rain I was about half a mile from my apartment and it was pretty clear the storm was closer than I thought. The thunder was loud, but the sky still looked clear. Then out of nowhere, the most ridiculous thing happened! I had just crossed an intersection & the guy who was walking in front of me had just started to walk under a tree on the corner. All the sudden the entire sky was bright white and noise was everywhere (i dunno how else to explain it!! it was the loudest noise ever, but the origin was undetectable) . I think everyone was just startled and confused 'cause all the people in the area stopped walking and looked in my direction, and then a huge branch from the tree in front of me fell and almost hit the guy that was in front of me. Car alarms went off - the traffic lights we had just passed went out - people started running - and it started pouring!

It was actually pretty cool. The noise was the best part. I'm not gonna pretend like I wasn't scared though, 'cause I had my running shoes on and ran the fastest 800 meters I think I've ever clocked. If only the start of races at track meets were signaled with an uncomfortably close crash of lightning... I coulda been a contender!

Anyway - when lightning strikes your general vicinity twice, it's a sign. [That is a saying, right?!] I've got a final exam tomorrow that I don't feel like studying for. So, I'm taking it as a signal from above that I'll be fine and should spend tonight mentally preparing by relaxing to a movie to instead of hitting the books.

I know how to take hints.

UPDATE: Got an "A" on that final and subsequently the class... Lightning is great.

An XXX-treme Experiment!

While in Boston over Memorial Day Weekend, my Brother and I took a day trip down to Brown to partake in an hour or two of commencement activities. Providence, RI may not have a lot of things going for it, but after 3 years removed - I still wake up some nights craving the food the city offers! On our walk down Thayer Street (think a way smaller, more providence-y version of Harvard Square for you Bostonites or M Street for the DC folks), I made it a point to pick up a sample of all my old favorites (and then eat them on the spot). So, for dinner that night I consumed a plate-sized Meeting Street chocolate chip cookie, an apple and brown sugar crepe, a bite of Antonio's pizza and hot apple cider. It was only because I was way overstuffed that I didn't stop in to say hey to the workers at my favorite Indian restaurant and get a huge piece of the best naan in the world. On the ride back to Boston I pondered the nutritional value of the "meal" I had pieced together... I came to the very optimistic conclusion that I'm normally a pretty healthy eater, so one night of extreme carb/sugar overload was not only excused - it was necessary! I then made the unfortunate mistake of paying attention to what I ate/drank over the next 24 hours (pancakes, fruit, pasta, bread, pizza, popeye's biscuit, cannoli, water, Blue Moon!) in a failed effort to validate my justification.

Well, to my knowledge I'm not training for a marathon, nor am I an 8 year old kid with free reign of the kitchen for a day. I'm pretty sure those would be the only two excuses for my diet to consist almost solely of empty carbs and sugar (and beer?). Now, I'm not usually quite that bad - but carbohydrates, sugar and I have a very strong, complicated long-term relationship going.

Earlier this morning, I read the following two tidbits about low-carb diets:

* During the late 1990s and early 2000s low-carbohydrate diets became some of the most popular diets in the U.S. These were, in fact, noted by some food manufacturers and restaurant chains as substantially affecting their businesses (notably Krispy Kreme).

* A recent study from Stanford University ('07) comparing Atkins (low-carb), Zone (moderately low-carb), LEARN (low in fat and high in carbohydrates), and Ornish (very high in carbohydrates and extremely low in fat) diets found that "of the more than 300 women in the study, those randomly assigned to follow the Atkins diet for a year not only lost more weight than the other participants, but also experienced the most benefits in terms of cholesterol and blood pressure."

Now, as clearly demonstrated through the picture above, any enemy of Krispy Kreme is an enemy of mine. And, sure, the diet seems to have some benefits for the average American woman. BUT! What would happen if a chronic carb-o-holic like myself were to go on one of these no/low carb diets? Would I go through withdrawal symptoms? Would I starve to death?? [the only dishes I know how to cook are pasta, pancakes, oatmeal and microwave popcorn] Does the grocery store even sell anything but flour-based products?? Would it be the breakthrough I need as a Tour de France hopeful? * see below Well, I really just want to see if I'll feel any different. With my experimental history, though (which includes such backfires as the infamous "wooden rake to the face" incident) I'll probably slip into some sort of carb-deprived coma. The 1st of it's kind.

I don't really care what any studies say - I'm pretty sure carbs are a vital source of energy, especially if you're physically active. So, I'm only willing to stretch my experiment over a month's time (from today tomorrow til July 3rd). I'll do my best to stick to it, and report back with results/cooking mishaps along the way.

UPDATE: I made it one day, but was so carb-deprived I made blueberry pancakes the next morning. Conclusion: Stanford researchers are not to be trusted.

In other news: The Dragonboat Festival went well this weekend (check us out in our team's video!).

My Bones Hurt.

SO, I haven't written in a few days. Since the last time I wrote, I've learned the basics of how to samba, attended service at an 'evangelical megachurch', celebrated mom's day and b-day, had a fully embarrassing couple of nights, miserably lost a pub quiz with the help of fellow PhD & MD candidates (grad students have better things to think about I guess), met the 15 yr old girl I'll be mentoring for the next 2 years (over an $8 bowl of ice cream from maggie moo's. expensive!!), chatted with a member of the DC council about how Brown is just as cool of a school as MIT, and decided I want to spend some time in Africa (or France? or Cali... not a decisive decision, perhaps) after graduation.

I missed the opportunity to talk about all of those in depth - but there is one specific thing that's been constant over the last 12 days. The pain in my back! In a post to come I'll explain more, but on a particularly boring day at work a co-worker and I decided we'd like to participate in the 2008 DC dragonboat festival. We convinced 24 other unsuspecting novices to sign waivers and agree to jump into a 3 ton boat with us to paddle our way through a series of 500 and 250m races two weeks from now. We've had three practices since April 27th. I've become increasingly immobile since April 27th. I think the one-sided paddling has aggravated an old injury that previously went untreated (dislocated shoulder - the result of falling down a flight of wooden stairs while attempting to sing the Ukrainian national anthem during the 2004 Summer Olympics shot put awards ceremony).

Well, now when I move my right arm or shoulder it hurts, and I can't comfortably look down without tilting my whole body. I also noticed that I can no longer touch my feet to the floor over my head when I'm laying on my back - but since that's not really a motion necessary for getting through the day, I'm guessing I can't justifiably complain about that...! Anyway - the worst part is getting out of bed in the morning. I have to "warm-up" and stretch to get up!

My insurance company doesn't pay for chiropractic visits, so I started trying alternative (free) solutions. 1st - I relegated myself to sleeping on the floor tucked behind my bedroom door [below] instead of on the bed on which I spent multiple paychecks to make comfortable [above]. 2nd - I implemented a daily 'feet behind the head' test to mark any improvements the change in sleeping arrangements might have made.

I have consequently found that my $100 floor cushion is more beneficial to the health of my back and is maybe (just maybe) just as comfortable as my bed as well. This is quite discouraging news. So discouraging, in fact, that I've gone back to sleeping in my bed, feigning that the cushion was not the victor. I wake up with a sore back in the morning and look over at the cushion and get mad! I can't sleep tucked away in a corner every night when I've got a big expensive bed taking up half the space in my room!

So, I'm going to ignore these results and just try to sleep this one off (the way I did that shoulder in '04). It may take awhile, but I don't think I can be in pain forever!

[if you're a chiropractor and disagree with that last statement - do you ever have sales??]

Filler

I'm not going to do a real post today - it's raining outside. Nothing really happens on rainy days. I do have a really good way to pass (a lot of) time on a rainy day, though:

My Favorite Song Remixed 2253 Different Ways (and counting)!

I've got a favorite Song & Artist in every one of my personal music genres, and Radiohead is the overall winner in the "Boring Music: Male Vocals" category as they are both my all-time favorite artists in the genre and have had the favorite song title tied up since last Fall with Nude.

Next rainy day, I'll sort out the current frontrunners in my most recently created genre: "This Music Somehow Makes Me Want To Do Drugs Even Though I Never Have And Don't Plan To." I originally created this group specifically for Jimi Hendrix, but it's been growing (Nine Inch Nails, Amy Winehouse, house music, anything from the 70's...) pretty competitive.

Turpentine

"Its vapor can burn the skin and eyes, damage the lungs and respiratory system, as well as the central nervous system when inhaled ... can cause renal failure, among other things."
- Wikipedia

Among other things?!

I came up with the great idea last month that I would personally build or create all decorations for my apartment from now on 'cause I was frustrated with not ever being able to find exactly what I was looking for in stores. I planned to give myself a 2-month trial period to make sure I didn't unknowingly relegate myself to living in a room that resembled a toddler's who was allowed to paint his own walls.

I started that trial period this past weekend, and I think I passed the first test! I like to represent. Yeah, I think I'm a pretty good representer, so I wanted to find canvas paintings of three flags to hang up somewhere in my apartment (MD, DC, USA). I never saw anything I liked so I decided to make "learning how to paint with oils (on canvas)" my 1st project. I would've started with the American flag because I'm a very big fan of the states [and the very manly men who defend it*], and then ideally would have painted the Maryland flag next because it's the best state in the union and I spent 18+ years of my life there. I decided to go with DC first, though 'cause I figured my current artistic talent would only get me maybe 3 stars and a couple stripes into a painting before it expired in some tragic & irreversible way.

I did pretty well! [see above...] The only issue was that I chose turpentine as my paint thinner and failed to read the warning above until today. I read this warning today because I thought it was strange that 1) the small and unventilated room in which i sleep (and now paint, i guess) still smells like Turpentine himself has moved in and set up permanent shop, and 2) after sleeping in that room two nights in a row, I have a dull headache I can't get rid of. It only recently dawned on me that the two could be connected & now I'm just thankful I didn't end up on Reuters: Oddly Enough in a story about a girl who turpentined herself to death in an effort to honor the capital of her great nation.

I may have jumped the gun and tried to awaken my artistic side a little too quickly. For a math major, data analyst and scientific researcher, random acts of creativity can be deadly.

*I am also a fan of the women who defend this country, be they manly or not.

Girl for Sale: $20

(I'm a little behind, I know. I'll probably post a couple in a row --- I had a break from school last week which gave me the rare opportunity to waste a large amount of time. I took advantage.)

I found out today that for $20 I will do just about anything.

To give you some background, I "moved" last week from my original room in our 2-bed apartment to the BIGGER room (moving up in the world). Before I could move anything into the room or begin using my new bathroom, I had to sanitize the entire space. In fact, I spent 5 straight hours cleaning every inch of the new space. Just to put it out there - my obsession has nothing to do with the previous owner! The roommate was quite clean and left the room in really good condition - I'm just a severe germophobe at times - especially when it comes to bathrooms. I rarely use public bathrooms - and when I do, I take every precaution to come in contact with the least amount of surfaces as possible. I don't even use the public bathroom that is right outside of my office. I usually opt to walk either to the next building over or trek up to the third floor 'cause those are slightly cleaner.

Well, today I decided to use the gross (and grossly overused) bathroom outside of my office because I was too sore (another story) and too lazy to extend my trip past a 100 meter radius.

Needless to say, as i was reaching to flush the toilet with my foot (who would ever touch those things with their hands?!), my work ID card fell in and sunk to the bottom of the bowl. I need my ID to get back into my office, and I had just replaced the one I lost last month to the tune of a $20 replacement fee. I stared at my ID for a good 2 minutes contemplating my options and decided it wasn't worth it. If I couldn't bring myself to touch the outside of the toilet to flush it - how could i ever submerge my entire hand into it to save a piece of plastic? I flushed.

I watched it go down and turned to go wash my hands. After washing and drying my hands I decided to go back and look to see if it had caused any problems (i'm not sure if you're supposed to flush IDs). Of course it had re-appeared to taunt me. This story grosses me out so I'm cutting it short, but, in accordance with the title of this post I obviously ended up fishing around in the public toilet to retrieve my card. It was inevitable that I would be forced to become intimate with the interior contents of the one toilet I've managed to avoid for three years out of sheer disgust.

I think I took my money-saving practices too far this afternoon.