Hey There,
By the title of my e-mail I don't mean to infer that I haven't had lots of news to share lately...quite the contrary actually. However, I've been waiting for final word on some especially exciting news until I e-mailed you once again. So here it is...as some of you have probably guessed....My internship site has officially offered me a job which I have accepted! I'm pumped! I love Salt Lake City and so far and all of the people I've worked with at my internship are amazing. I will be working part-time as a research assistant and spending the rest of my time training the acceleration athletes. It looks like I'll get a nice combination of hands-on research experience and hands-on training of athletes. Since TOSH (The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital) also obviously does orthopedic surgery procedures I get the experience of working in a more clinical setting as well. So far everything about staying here is a plus. And still not a Culver's to work at within 100 miles! Great huh? So if anyone is wondering...I'll be an Exercise Specialist at TOSH by the time I'm home for Christmas. Yippee!
Speaking of Christmas, I found cheap airline tickets so I'll be flying home instead of taking the train. Not getting paid for the last three months has done nothing to increase me pocketbook so for awhile I was thinking I would have to spend 35 hours on a train and/or bus :(. I'm glad I found a flight since I'll probably be anxious to get home quickly once that day comes. Dates of my Christmas visit will be December 15th until January 1st. I'm hoping to do a lot of visiting while I'm home since I'll be flying back to SLC and hitting the job here really hard after the holidays.
What else I've been up to...I spent the entire past weekend taking video clips of the Speedskaters at the World Cup event here at the Oval for biomechanical analysis. It was fun since I got a special credential and got to hang out where the normal spectators couldn't go. I wish I would have realized the credential got me free food on the first day instead of the last ;) Apparently probably 6 million or so people in Europe saw me on TV...but here in the US speedskating isn't covered very well...I think they put bull-riding or something like that on instead...Bah!
My parents got out here to visit a week or so ago. They finally saw the mountains, although we had a bit of an inversion when they were here and the weather was sort of rainy. Thankfully, they being hearty Wisconsin farmers, we just bundled up and still managed to see most of the sites (though they were somewhat rainy/cloudy and I cursed the weather all weekend long). What we really need here right now is a good snowstorm. We've been having a bit of an inversion...basically causing the valley to be smoggy and cooler than it should be and it to be warmer at higher elevations. A good snowstorm will clear it right up. Not to mention make the skiers very VERY happy. Otherwise the weather here continues to be wonderful. Mostly sunny and high in the mid-upper 40's. No snow in the city yet but a few ski resorts have been able to open in the mountains.
I must send props to Ben Craker...the first non-family member to visit me here in SLC. Everyone else should come to town on business too so we can go do lunch ;)
I will be spending Thanksgiving with a friend from work and a few of her friends. All of them have families that are out of state and will not be able to visit them for Thanksgiving. I had several offers for Thanksgiving dinner actually...and for awhile we joked that people would need to submit menus so I could make a more informed decision. I was sold by Tara's peanut butter ice cream pie...I'll be bringing a big spoon...MMMMmmm...who needs turkey anyways? ;)
Since my last e-mail I have also had my first experience with sushi. I can say that although going to a classy restaurant with the kids from work was fun...I'd rather grill out around a bonfire and eat off a tailgate on somebody's back 40 than eat sushi again real soon. I don't want to say I hated it..but I do believe it will take some experimentation to figure out what I like.
There's so much I've probably left out here but I can save all of that for Christmas. A few of you are MIA...You know who you are...and I hope to hear from you soon. :) Take care and have a great Thanksgiving!
Steph~
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Sunday, October 9, 2005
To YOU from ME
Hey,
So lately things here have been flying by! I'm over half way done with my internship...which means half way closer to graduating (yay!) and half way closer to moving from "unemployed college student" to simply "unemployed"...the second of which is not acceptable and highly unproductive. In a few weeks I'm going to start handing out resumes to everyone I know here in Salt Lake City. Hopefully I'll be employed before Christmas.
The last month has been a lot of fun (in between my moments of boredom). I spent a couple of days out at the Olympic Oval--one day observing lactate testing on the biggest treadmill I've ever seen in my life (I kid you not it's got to be 12 feet across and 8 feet long...the skaters rollerblade on it, and the skiers rollerski on it for testing), and one day taking video clips of the speedskaters' starts for Steve (resident biomechanist) to anyalyze/critique. I've also spent a day or two in the lab where the typical bike/treadmill VO2 testing takes place--the victims of the day were the Junior National speedskaters. I sat in on the performance enhancement meeting for the speedskaters where I got to see Carl (my advisor) from LaX. It was nice to see a familiar face. The meeting was extremely interesting...I can't remember if I wrote about it in my last e-mail or not...but basically all of the coaches, doctors, therapists, nutritionists, physiologists etc for the team sit together and talk about all of the skaters behind their backs ;). Everything is fair game--training, diet, personal lives...it was interesting and unnerving at the same time ;) All joking aside, I learned a lot.
I've also gotten out and had some fun. After the football game that didn't work out, I did finally get the chance to hang out with the kids from work at the most amazing piano bar..."The Tavernacle" Two dueling grand pianos play songs by request (for $2), if you don't like the song they are playing you can stop it for $3...if someone wants it to keep playing $4...you get the idea. It was fun and right up my alley. I had never heard Eminem on a piano before... ;)
I got out into the mountains (finally) for a wonderful hike. Well, the altitude kicked my butt...but otherwise it was wonderful. Yesterday I drove up to Park City (where the olympic park is as well as where most of the skiing events were held) to sight-see and do some outlet mall shopping. The mountains are BEAUTIFUL.
Friday morning a few of us from work decided to work out together. We did one of the backpedal protocols from Acceleration. For anyone who hasn't heard of this, basically they strap you into a harness and you run backwards uphill on a treadmill. They are mostly short bouts (6-15 seconds at a time) however the slowest one was 6mph and the fastest was 9mps at a 22.5% grade. In english that's running backwards very fast up a very steep hill. Thank goodness for the harness. And if you're wondering...yes, everyone looks like an idiot when they do it the first time...and if you fall and need the harness the first time you might be doing it right. The science behind this is that it's great for your glutes and all of your stabilizers (somewhere's in the realm of 200% more muscle recruitment than running forwards at the same speed/grade...logical since humans really aren't designed to run backwards). In addition you get the chance to fall down repeatedly/and or lose your breakfast if you're not careful! :) In summary, I was sore for the better part of the weekend, it was a great workout, and a good deal of fun.
In the coming weeks I might get the chance to try my luck at pushing a bobsled..thanks to Robert (one of the athletes in the pool for the 4-man bobsled this winter olympics) who we're training right now, who thinks I'd make a good bobsled pusher. I told him I thought pushing wouldn't be the problem...it would be getting in before the thing takes off down the hill that would be rough. (Mental picture of me dragging along behind a bobsled with 3 riders in it). He also might hook us up with bobsled rides (I'm pumped!). I'm also going with some coworkers to a Switchfoot concert on the 24th and a Utah football game sometime in the next month. If Utah was actually winning I'd be more excited ;)
There's so much more to tell that you probably can't sit through reading it all. I'm going to stop here. Hopefully more individual e-mails in the next week....if I don't get an e-mail to you right away beat me to it! I hope you're well...be in touch!
Steph~
ps. I've created an actual "update" list...and you made it! (The desired response is "yay!" or "yippee!")
So lately things here have been flying by! I'm over half way done with my internship...which means half way closer to graduating (yay!) and half way closer to moving from "unemployed college student" to simply "unemployed"...the second of which is not acceptable and highly unproductive. In a few weeks I'm going to start handing out resumes to everyone I know here in Salt Lake City. Hopefully I'll be employed before Christmas.
The last month has been a lot of fun (in between my moments of boredom). I spent a couple of days out at the Olympic Oval--one day observing lactate testing on the biggest treadmill I've ever seen in my life (I kid you not it's got to be 12 feet across and 8 feet long...the skaters rollerblade on it, and the skiers rollerski on it for testing), and one day taking video clips of the speedskaters' starts for Steve (resident biomechanist) to anyalyze/critique. I've also spent a day or two in the lab where the typical bike/treadmill VO2 testing takes place--the victims of the day were the Junior National speedskaters. I sat in on the performance enhancement meeting for the speedskaters where I got to see Carl (my advisor) from LaX. It was nice to see a familiar face. The meeting was extremely interesting...I can't remember if I wrote about it in my last e-mail or not...but basically all of the coaches, doctors, therapists, nutritionists, physiologists etc for the team sit together and talk about all of the skaters behind their backs ;). Everything is fair game--training, diet, personal lives...it was interesting and unnerving at the same time ;) All joking aside, I learned a lot.
I've also gotten out and had some fun. After the football game that didn't work out, I did finally get the chance to hang out with the kids from work at the most amazing piano bar..."The Tavernacle" Two dueling grand pianos play songs by request (for $2), if you don't like the song they are playing you can stop it for $3...if someone wants it to keep playing $4...you get the idea. It was fun and right up my alley. I had never heard Eminem on a piano before... ;)
I got out into the mountains (finally) for a wonderful hike. Well, the altitude kicked my butt...but otherwise it was wonderful. Yesterday I drove up to Park City (where the olympic park is as well as where most of the skiing events were held) to sight-see and do some outlet mall shopping. The mountains are BEAUTIFUL.
Friday morning a few of us from work decided to work out together. We did one of the backpedal protocols from Acceleration. For anyone who hasn't heard of this, basically they strap you into a harness and you run backwards uphill on a treadmill. They are mostly short bouts (6-15 seconds at a time) however the slowest one was 6mph and the fastest was 9mps at a 22.5% grade. In english that's running backwards very fast up a very steep hill. Thank goodness for the harness. And if you're wondering...yes, everyone looks like an idiot when they do it the first time...and if you fall and need the harness the first time you might be doing it right. The science behind this is that it's great for your glutes and all of your stabilizers (somewhere's in the realm of 200% more muscle recruitment than running forwards at the same speed/grade...logical since humans really aren't designed to run backwards). In addition you get the chance to fall down repeatedly/and or lose your breakfast if you're not careful! :) In summary, I was sore for the better part of the weekend, it was a great workout, and a good deal of fun.
In the coming weeks I might get the chance to try my luck at pushing a bobsled..thanks to Robert (one of the athletes in the pool for the 4-man bobsled this winter olympics) who we're training right now, who thinks I'd make a good bobsled pusher. I told him I thought pushing wouldn't be the problem...it would be getting in before the thing takes off down the hill that would be rough. (Mental picture of me dragging along behind a bobsled with 3 riders in it). He also might hook us up with bobsled rides (I'm pumped!). I'm also going with some coworkers to a Switchfoot concert on the 24th and a Utah football game sometime in the next month. If Utah was actually winning I'd be more excited ;)
There's so much more to tell that you probably can't sit through reading it all. I'm going to stop here. Hopefully more individual e-mails in the next week....if I don't get an e-mail to you right away beat me to it! I hope you're well...be in touch!
Steph~
ps. I've created an actual "update" list...and you made it! (The desired response is "yay!" or "yippee!")
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Things in SLC
Hey All,
It's coming up on a month since I've arrived in Salt Lake City and I wanted you all to know I'm really loving it here. That's not to say that I don't miss everyone terribly from time to time, but that's the sort of thing that will make me very happy to fly home at Christmas to see as many of you as I can. Right now I'm really hoping to fall into a job where I'm interning and spend the next while living/working in Salt Lake. It looks like to become a full-fledged member of the community I'll need to learn how to ski. At least that's what everyone at work says. I guess that makes sense in a state where the license plates say "ski Utah". I think kids here are practically born wearing skis.
My internship is wonderful. I do have moments where I feel less than useful, but that's just because I spend a lot of time learning instead of doing. This week I will get to spend some time out at the Olympic oval while the speedskaters are training, and the US ski team will be performance testing in the lab. I've also met a bunch of fun kids/athletes working with the Acceleration program they have on sight at The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital. It's a unique experience because I get to work with elite athletes as well as aspiring athletes as young as 9 or 10. They also have a rehab program specifically for those getting back after knee injuries (usually ACL) so I'm learning a bunch there too. Some exciting research projects will be starting up in the next few weeks now that they are settled in their new facility, so things should get increasingly more interesting. If anyone wants to know the specifics on the research end of things e-mail me :) For everyone else I will spare the details since it will just be a lot of gibberish for anyone who doesn't get excited about motion analysis, running economy, and a really cool force treadmill.
The weather is great. I hear those of you in WI are getting some last humid nasty weather while here it's been nice and dry and a few degrees cooler than normal for the last few days. I'm liking the lack of humidity. I don't miss that one bit. I'm also getting a break on gas prices since here I can still find it for under $2.70 last I checked.
I joined a gym and I'm oh so glad I didn't get a second job. For the first time in as long as I can remember I'm working (only) 40 hours/week, working out regularly, eating well, sleeping well etc. It's so nice having a set schedule that allows me to have all those things.
Things I miss. All of you for starters :) It's hard making friends here since I don't know anyone to start with. I was invited to the Utah vs Utah State game last night with some friends from work, but unfortunatly that fell through. Maybe I'll make it to the next one. I also miss living in a city where I know exactly where everything is, and even when sort of lost is 5 minutes from not being lost again. Here I live in a constant state of lost. I imagine that will get better with time once I'm feeling more adventurous. I miss custard ;)
So to make me stop missing hearing from you guys, I think you should let me know what you're up to. I know mass emails are really impersonal, but I hope you're not bored to death hearing what I'm up to. If I never hear back from you I promise I'll eventually weed your name off the update list, until then there's always the delete button. Just in case let me know if you don't want that to happen :)
I hope everyone is well! I'll try to e-mail lots more personal e-mails soon!
Steph~
It's coming up on a month since I've arrived in Salt Lake City and I wanted you all to know I'm really loving it here. That's not to say that I don't miss everyone terribly from time to time, but that's the sort of thing that will make me very happy to fly home at Christmas to see as many of you as I can. Right now I'm really hoping to fall into a job where I'm interning and spend the next while living/working in Salt Lake. It looks like to become a full-fledged member of the community I'll need to learn how to ski. At least that's what everyone at work says. I guess that makes sense in a state where the license plates say "ski Utah". I think kids here are practically born wearing skis.
My internship is wonderful. I do have moments where I feel less than useful, but that's just because I spend a lot of time learning instead of doing. This week I will get to spend some time out at the Olympic oval while the speedskaters are training, and the US ski team will be performance testing in the lab. I've also met a bunch of fun kids/athletes working with the Acceleration program they have on sight at The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital. It's a unique experience because I get to work with elite athletes as well as aspiring athletes as young as 9 or 10. They also have a rehab program specifically for those getting back after knee injuries (usually ACL) so I'm learning a bunch there too. Some exciting research projects will be starting up in the next few weeks now that they are settled in their new facility, so things should get increasingly more interesting. If anyone wants to know the specifics on the research end of things e-mail me :) For everyone else I will spare the details since it will just be a lot of gibberish for anyone who doesn't get excited about motion analysis, running economy, and a really cool force treadmill.
The weather is great. I hear those of you in WI are getting some last humid nasty weather while here it's been nice and dry and a few degrees cooler than normal for the last few days. I'm liking the lack of humidity. I don't miss that one bit. I'm also getting a break on gas prices since here I can still find it for under $2.70 last I checked.
I joined a gym and I'm oh so glad I didn't get a second job. For the first time in as long as I can remember I'm working (only) 40 hours/week, working out regularly, eating well, sleeping well etc. It's so nice having a set schedule that allows me to have all those things.
Things I miss. All of you for starters :) It's hard making friends here since I don't know anyone to start with. I was invited to the Utah vs Utah State game last night with some friends from work, but unfortunatly that fell through. Maybe I'll make it to the next one. I also miss living in a city where I know exactly where everything is, and even when sort of lost is 5 minutes from not being lost again. Here I live in a constant state of lost. I imagine that will get better with time once I'm feeling more adventurous. I miss custard ;)
So to make me stop missing hearing from you guys, I think you should let me know what you're up to. I know mass emails are really impersonal, but I hope you're not bored to death hearing what I'm up to. If I never hear back from you I promise I'll eventually weed your name off the update list, until then there's always the delete button. Just in case let me know if you don't want that to happen :)
I hope everyone is well! I'll try to e-mail lots more personal e-mails soon!
Steph~
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)