high FIVE because this jawn is over!

By ddfdss   10:46 AM   4 comments  

talking about TED

the night before and morning of were just fantastic, per usual. 

just kidding. that was sarcasm. it was not fun.

on sunday, the day before the talk, I still had a little refining to do. but by a little I really do mean a little. I really wanted to nail this talk, so I had my script basically completed before they day before it was due holy crap new record new record new record!!! that refining took longer than expected, and I also had to create the actual PPT presentation, and by the time I knew it, it was already like 8 o'clock. here's the google slides presentation if ya wanna see it.

click the pic to view entire presentation!

that's not very late, but I was set on completing one final goal for this project. memorization. the only other project/presentation i didn't use note cards for was the christmas tree project (how to), but that was an accident. I couldn't find my note cards right before the presentation and i was like "o sh*t." but honestly it worked out really well.

I think that set something off, and made me realize that i really don't need to rely on note cards, so I didn't anymore. I thought it would be a major accomplishment for myself if i memorized this speech, so I did. 

from the hours of 8-12 that night all i did was practice practice practice. and then i decided that sleep was probably of use because YOUR BRAIN IS A SPONGE WHEN YOU SLEEP AND YOU WILL REMEMBER EVERYTHING WHEN YOU WAKE UP RIGHT???!!! actually kinda yeah that works...

the morning of I woke up at 6:00, about a half-hour before I usually do, just to get a few more practice runs in.

the real deal

okay so day fours suck for presenting because i had to suffer through two classes before I presented, essentially just stressing for like two hours. but finally, the time had come and I slowly walked to the audion, like Katniss, walking up to take her sister's spot in The Hunger Games. 

I enter the room and see some students and Perlman chillin, but not McD because he took his grand ol time getting there :)). they're all talking and having fun meanwhile I'm rehearsing the script in my head, over and over again, freaking out because I keep forgetting things/getting distracted by all the noise.

finally McD shows up and we can start the presentations, first Peter goes and crashes his drone, giving a great (and humorous) presentation along the way. the clicker seemed to be off when he was using it, but I assumed it was just user error. *spoiler it wasn't*

6 minutes passed and it was my turn WOOOOOO! I get up and plug my computer in. test the audio because i was starting off with a video, and the audio worked YAYYAY!!! so i go offstage (bc that's how i was starting), and play the video. the video plays... but IT HAS NO GODDAMN AUDIO THAT JUST WORKED THREE SECONDS AGO WHAT LE HECK. so I jump off stage to try to fix the audio, but to no avail. so i hop back on stage, and decide to say "screw the video", and just skip to the part of my presentation right after the video.

i was a little shook to be honest, so the first minute of the talk was a little rough. the clicker wouldn't change slides from the video, so there was just a random video of me with no audio in the background while i was talking about something completely different. finally, though, things settled in and it all worked out well.

to be honest, i think me not using the video may have been more useful to my message than if i had used the video. the video talked about a motivational message that I really didn't discuss at any point later on, so actually thank you technology for being an idiot.

the final finale

the breakdown of my half marathon run

the image on the left is shows the trail I ran. I started at my house (crap now you know where I live please don't rob me), and ran all the way to the GA track, and then back towards the school, and ended at my cousins house. the picture above was just one of the pictures I took along the trip, enjoying various beautiful nature things.

all in all, I'm extremely happy with the way things turned out. the TED talk was a success - no use of note cards and no major screw ups. projectrunn was a success, and I completed two goals I had - run 13.1 miles and understand the reasons why I should run. 

thank you to everyone who read/followed any of my blog/vlog posts. I truly hope you got a laugh or two out of them. and for one last time...

gotta blast.

too many kilometres // bonus vlog !

By ddfdss   8:24 PM   No comments  

wiss dash

Hey all! As promised, I created yet another vlog for the 5k I ran this weekend. Two seniors, Cameron Christopher and Ryan Newman held this race as a way to raise money for Philabundance for their senior project. I had a blast, and it was a great way to test my 5k skills. Definitely a really good workout.

If you ask, yes, I did have a goal going into this race. I wanted to run under twenty minutes. This time isn't the best, but I've never ran a competitive 5k before, as it is not an event in track. It is only an event in XC. good news... I surpassed my goal! I ran a 19:19 in this race, and I didn't even feel like dying the entire time.

The race got off to a decently fast start, but it was manageable. I tried to stick with the guy in third place, and by the time I knew it, I was already 1.5 miles in. That's basically halfway. The two mile mark is really when I went from looking something along the lines of this:

to a something more similar to this

and then right before the end of the course, there was a pretty steep hill that caused me to look exactly like this

but it's fine really because I did it!

Actual Vlog

okay so now that I've rambled on for longer than anyone wants me to, I will present you with the highlight of the post...

MY BONUS VLOG!

here ya go! please enjoy!!

vlog fun w/ a morning run!

By ddfdss   11:32 PM   4 comments  

vlogging > blogging

I knew going into this that the vlog would be a gt, but it seriously was an experience. I had some struggles, one being I lost 5 minutes of footage because the damn camera wouldn't stop filming so I just had to shut it all the way off (stupid idea). But its okay really because I just remade that portion and pretended like everything was fine with the power of editing. 

this vlog showcases pretty much how the whole project has been going for me - showing off my morning routine before I run, a little bit of nutrition, and some stuff about my passions.

I really hope you enjoy - I tried to make it look as cool as possibly. I'm not the best video editor, but it has always been a passion of mine and I take inspiration from famous characters such as Casey Neistat.

Without further ado, here is the vlog:

yes i am aware that it says Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School - the college and the high school campuses are like connected okay don't roast me.

enjoy!!!

interview time!

By ddfdss   6:34 PM   2 comments  

my expert... whom are they??

Anna Chiodo Ortiz is the expert I interviewed. She is a Wissahickon alumni who currently runs for Bucknell University's track team. She runs a really cool health/fitness/running/life account on instagram. 

it is she

Bucknell is a D1 school. Needless to say... they're pretty good. She was extremely excited and eager to answer some of the questions I had.

________

Les Questions

At first I literally had no idea what to ask. She runs. There's not much else to it. But as I dug deeper into my own soul, I realized the reasons for me not going on distance runs, I didn't have much passion. So I posed the questions: "What struggles do you face as a runner?"; and "How do you find motivation in everyday life to go out and run?"

She said that one of the struggles she faced was weather, which is relatable, and also the fact that "somedays I feel like I could run a huge PR (personal record) or a million miles and others I feel the complete opposite. There are so many factors that play into how you feel." But ultimately, the big picture was that I should "try not to dwell on them," them being the struggle. I think she offered some important advice there.

In terms of motivation, she basically finds passion from both her teammates and herself. She is "really passionate about running, exercise, fitness, health, etc." because she "care[s] a lot about keeping my (her) body healthy and running contributes a lot, both for my (her) physical and mental well being." Additionally, another important factor to consider is that fact that "you get out what you put in" and that there "you can't have good days without the bad ones!"

________

A lil' bit of life advice

I asked one question in specific that relates a lot to the original reason I started this project in the first place. That being I was considering running cross country (XC) next year. The question I posed was as follows: "I see you're running XC now as opposed to playing soccer in the fall, I was considering doing the same thing. How does the season differ from track. Was it a tough transition?"

her answer was very well thought out and very informative, as were all of the answers she provided me with. but this one was the most most thought out.

"During the fall we were thrown into one short xc race just for the training effect. I did pretty well, and that's when my coach told me I should consider doing xc. At that time xc was a complete nightmare to consider." 

just wanted to stop here to add a little bit of my own commentary... this is exactly how I feel lol. okay continue.

"However, as the year progressed I started to notice my speed stagnating and my strength increasing. I began to increase my training mileage and began to really like it too. So springtime rolled around and I made the decision to run xc!! I personally LOVE it... it's a lot on your legs. but it creates such an amazing base going into the track seasons and you find you're able to kick easier in races. Track is also different because the workouts are more on the track obviously! Cross country workouts at least for Bucknell are often on the fields and out on hilly courses to really be prepared for any type of race. If you like distance I think you should definitely try it!!!!!"

I'm really glad I chose Anna as my expert, as she seems like someone very similar to myself. Hell we even run the same events in track (for the most part). Reflecting on the advice she gave me, I have a slightly better understanding/appreciation of running. I'll definitely use what she gave me, and probably take up that suggestion to run XC!
________

e-mail exchange

McD talked about linking the full email exchange in here, but I'm not really sure how to do that. If I figure it out tomorrow I'll definitely edit this, but for now, I just put all the questions and full responses on this google doc.

A Week of Disappointments fo(u)r Me

By ddfdss   10:40 PM   No comments  

March 15 / Wednesday / 2017

Let me apologize before I even start this blog post, but this is most likely going to just be me ranting. This week has just not been going my way.

daylight savings

First things first, something I've been dreading since the project started... frick you daylight savings because now it's pitch black in the morning. I get it, you make it brighter at night, but can you maybe not be a thing anymore?? Like seriously, what are you for. Weren't you for farmers back when Jesus was alive? Update: okay actually it was used for many different reasons, one of the more modern reasons being that, in Germany, clocks were turned ahead one hour to lessen the use of artificial lighting in order to save fuel during World War I.

feeling like death

Another misfortune, I'm sick and have been sick for a little while and will probably continue to be sick for a while. I'm beginning to feel a bit better, but I still have a pretty gnarly cough, which is the worst part (the part that will affect running, at least). I'm hoping to get back by the end of this week.

mother nature hates me 

mother nature: *waits till mid-march to snow*

me to mother nature:    

          

alright, listen here mother nature (more like mothertrucker!). what the HECK were you doing all this time. either snow in the winter, or don't snow at all please thanks! this throws off my whole plan. I'm mostly mad because I was planning on making my vlog revolve around a 5k this weekend. But now it's probably going to be rescheduled thanks to this freaking snow. 

life hates me

to top it all off, I wanted to talk about my interviewer/my interview in this blogpost but they still haven't responded :((. I guess I can still talk a little bit about them and what information I'm hoping to pry out of them. Whenever I get in touch with them, I'll definitely post about it. I plan on interviewing a college runner, who is actually a Wissahickon Alumni! She went to Wiss and she's a pretty insane runner (who runs at Bucknell now). Interestingly enough, she used to play soccer, and transitioned to XC during her freshman year of college, so I'll definitely ask her about that. Hopefully she responds soon so I can stop freaking stressing about an interview!

eating things (three)

By ddfdss   10:55 PM   9 comments  

3 March 2017 // 9:30 A.M.

Okay I lied nutrition has gotta be a main post. After a workout, especially a distance one, eating (and eating right) is very important for your recovery - major plus! who doesn't like eating??? But eating the wrong things at the wrong time might pose some issues... this visual to the right is pretty much me after I run. although I may feel like eating actually my entire fridge, I need to find some self-control within myself somewhere...
                            

_______

post-run... what's going on??

I've learned that there are two windows of time that you should eat during. The first being 30 minutes directly after the run, and the second being 2-3 hours after the run.

____

thirty minutes after

• consume around 100-300 calories
• the ratio between carbs and protein should be about 4:1
• this is something I found very interesting, because I always thought that you should consume protein as soon as you finish working out. It turns out that too much protein directly after a workout will slow the body's absorption of carbs. The little bit of protein (mixed with the carbs), however, allows the body to restore its muscle sugars and build amino acids.
• some foods that are good for this time frame:

• bananas w/ peanut butter 
• fried egg with spinach and fruit
• yogurt with fruit
• something I've made to eat directly after my run is spaghetti with a little bit of vegetable oil and some spinach, and then just milk with a small scoop of protein powder  àààààààààà

____

two-three hours after

• consume 150+ calories
• eat a meal/snack that is higher in protein but still has a decent amount of (healthy) fats and carbs
• don't eat more calories than you actually need // the point of the food you eat in this time frame is to give your body the right combination of nutrients at the right time. In doing so, inflammation will decrease, muscle glycogen (sugars) will increase, and the muscle tissue that was damaged on the run will be repaired.
• examples of a food (actually a drink) for this meal:
• Protein shakes! **WARNING: REALLY GOOD RECIPE INCOMING CREATED BY MY MOTHER WITH MY OWN SPIN ON IT** (I also never measure anything out I kinda just guess so that's a thing. If you wanted to make this sorry; just find what works for you! I'll try to put some vague measurements down)

• spinach... a lot - I love spinach 'cause, no matter how much you put it, you won't even taste it! it just makes you look healthy (and be healthy)!
• chocolate raspberry greek yogurt^TM - I just use one whole self-serve cup of this 
• a banana
• whey chocolate protein powder from GNC - one scoop
• milk - maybe around a cup?? depends how thick you want it.
• a few ice cubes
• blueberries - preferably frozen
• cinnamon - I love cinnamon but you really don't have to put this one in
• the jawn looks like the pic to the right and it is freakin good

_______

wrapping it up

Carbohydrates are basic energy for your body, knew that. Protein helps rebuild the muscle fibers that you essentially tore apart when working out. I also hath been aware of that fact. MORE carbs than proteins right after the run *new info alert*

a quick way I get proteins is with chocolate protein powder by GNC. I always thought that protein powder was bad for you, but it really isn't. it doesn't give you ALL nine essential amino acids, but it gives you protein you need to rebuild the muscle fibers. I can get the other essential amino acids later in my day.

catcha guys next week with... who knows what?!

gotta blast.

creds to: https://runnersconnect.net/running-nutrition-articles/what-is-good-to-eat-after-a-run/

learning things (two)

By ddfdss   12:35 AM   8 comments  

February 26th 2017 

woooo blogpost #2 which means cycle two is over which means we're all getting closer to the final destination which means I'm slowly falling deeper into depression each passing day.
________

Many people have questioned me about the reasons for running in the morning. They bring up a valid point. Why to heck would I wake up an hour earlier if I really don't need to?? Why would I do those things to myself? A few things on this topic:

1. Track happens everyday after school, so doing that and then running right after doesn't seem like a very good idea
2. HOWEVER ^^^^ we're in off-season for this coming week, so I will be running after school rather than before.
3. Lastly, I did some research (wow good job) and stumbled upon a few things that caught my eye. Your core body temperature is lowest when you first wake up, but this would really only be useful in the summer months, as there is no fear of overheating at anytime during the day currently. Also, running in the morning is the best time to run when looking to burn fat because you'll be burning fat as fuel for the most part, rather than carbs (not really looking to lose weight, though). SO basically running in the morning in the winter is just a timing thing for me. I don't really have much time after school to run, and running in the morning is simply more convenient.

________

Friday Run

just a fun little before and after picture of my run this past Friday. It was about 72 degrees and honestly I couldn't have asked for any better weather. The run was pretty enjoyable, and it was my best run by far.

This was the run I completed on Friday. I ran seven miles, which actually might be the furthest I've ran ever. I did stop once to take pictures like these:

because I want to make myself look cooler than I actually am. also the campus I was running on is pretty cool, so I thought the second picture looked pretty.

This is something I've had the idea of trying out for a little while. I was trying to spell "run" during part of my run on an open field. For my first try, I think it worked out pretty well. I'll definitely try this again next time, maybe on a larger field

________

Changes

I have come to realize that many changes are going to need to be made to my original schedule. I have come up with something for this coming week, I'll have a project schedule next time. As of now, for this week I plan to...

• monday: soccer practice (cross-training/muscle strength training)
• tuesday: short long run (3 mile run after school)
• wednesday: soccer practice (cross-training/muscle strength)
• thursday: longer run (5 mile run after school)
• friday: rest
• saturday: soccer tournament (speed work)
• sunday: long run (slow paced, 7/8 mile run to rid the lactic acid from my legs/arms)

The schedule I had ended up making me run every day by the end, but then I was like 

and realized that doing that would not really help me. In fact, it would probably hurt me. Rather, I need to come up with a completely new schedule, with every day focusing on something specific, whether that be longer distance, muscle strength, or muscle endurance.

________

Illuminated (illuminati?)

OMG and I totally forgot that I got Knuckle Lights!!! These things are awesome. Once I get back to running in the morning they will be extremely useful in lighting up my path and allowing cars to see me. Here's how they look:

________

All the Nutritions

This is going to be a very integral part of this project. I have a lot of research on it, and a lot more to research about it. I'll probably have a bonus post this cycle about this topic. Here's a little sneak peak on what's to come in that blog post.

shoutout to @BeccaDolfman for getting me this

blender bottle for my birthday a few weeks ago!

__________________________________

sadly, that's all I got for this blog post. DoNT cry though!! I'll be back in a few days to talk about nutrition. see you then!

gotta blast.