The Wright's Tuff

Fem does Football

2011-11-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I attended my first football game ever. That includes all high-school, college, kids, professional... even pick-up games. Before this weekend, I had never been to a football game.

So I did the first in style! I took a whirlwind trip to South Bend with Matt and company to watch Notre Dame beat Boston College. Football is much more fun than I've ever given it credit for. For the record, I also feel it is the most confusing game in the world.

warm ups

Thursday woes

2011-11-18T17:45:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, I forgot to bring my computer charger to school. I also forgot to charge my phone. I also forgot my student ID card in Tuesday's jeans pocket, meaning no food while on campus for 9 hours.

So there I was, ravenously wandering the Geneseo campus, glumly toting my dead phone and dead laptop. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, I ripped my pants in an unfortunate spot. And if modesty wasn't a problem, strong gusts of winds and temperatures below thirty surely were. I quite literally froze my butt off.

BUT in the late afternoon, it started to snow! And it continued to snow! I drove back to Rochester in a mini-blizzard, and lifted weights in my own mini snow-globe. Giant snowflakes make everything better.

It was an excellent day.

Hello November!

2011-11-06T18:15:00.001-08:00

Happy autumn! The end of this week was absolutely gorgeous here in Upstate NY..... into the twenties at night and almost hitting sixty during the day. Crisp air, blue sky, and bright sun. Miss Nicole Mallory and I enjoyed pushing leaves around on the canal in our kayaks. That reminds me: I posted Brian's awesome Epic Fall mockup last year (1 year ago to the day, in fact. Weird). And guess what!!? Paddling over a carpet of leaves is still really annoying.

Last weekend I participated in the Barbells for Boobs event at Crossfit Rochester. It's a nationwide breast-cancer fundraiser in which crossfit gyms do a workout entitled "Grace", which is 30 clean&jerks as fast as possible. (95 pounds for girls and 135 for guys) I was 1 second shy of my goal time but it was still a fun day.

Matt is on the left; I'm on the right in the front, with Heather and Laurie behind me!

Fem's Dream World: Part VIII

2011-10-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Last night, I dreamt I got 30 speeding tickets in one day, amounting to $6,027. Then my hair turned pink and stayed that way forever.

Fall recipe

2011-10-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

This recipe was inspired by an article in the Democrat and Chronicle. I've been meaning to make it for several weeks, and since I had a ton of schoolwork this weekend, cooking seemed like the perfect way to procrastinate.

I tweaked the recipe to paleoize it. It was delicious- quite rich, in fact. It would pair perfectly with roasted chicken or turkey!

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chicken stock (I use this brand because it has the least amount of additives and weird ingredients)
1 cup coconut milk (I used the light kind)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1t grated lemon zest
1/4c loosely packed fresh sage

-First, use a food processor to "rice" the squash: pulse it until it roughly resembles grains of rice. I recommend using roughly 6 cups of riced squash... because that's how much I used.
-Saute the onion in the olive and coconut oils until it becomes translucent. (About 5 minutes) I used an electric frying pan. You want to cook this in something pretty big.
-While that is going, combine the coconut milk and the chicken broth in a small saucepan and heat on the stove. When it gets hot, you can set it aside.
-When the onion looks cooked, add the riced squash to the pan and stir it continuously enough so it never sticks to the bottom. Cook it for about 5 minutes.
-Add the coconut milk/chicken broth mixture by ladleful into the pan. Continue to do this until the squash no longer absorbs any liquid and the texture of the squash is tender but not mushy. For me, it took about 8 minutes. If the squash gets dry and you've already used all your liquid, you can add a few tablespoons of water.
-Stir in the lemon zest and the sage. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In terms of measurements, my recipe made 6 cups of food total. So per half cup serving, it is 2 blocks of fat and 1.5 blocks carbohydrate.

My goal for November

2011-10-24T07:33:00.001-07:00

Okay, interwebs. Here's my goal for November. (Well, one of several)

BLOG MORE. SLACK LESS.

6 days til go-time. Enjoy my lack of presence on your google readers while it lasts.

School

2011-09-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

I've started school at SUNY Geneseo! (SUNY= State university of New York)

After 9.5-hour class days, I have found a bit of time to go running and explore the area!

31 Heroes WOD

2011-09-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

On September 3rd, I participated in the 31 Heroes Workout at Crossfit Rochester.

This was a workout conceived by Crossfit HQ as a fundraiser for the families of the 30 service-people (and 1 service dog) who were killed by enemy fire on August 6th in Afghanistan. Worldwide, $300,000 was raised by Crossfit gyms for the families of the heroes.

The workout was done with a partner: the partner runs 400m with a sandbag (25 pounds for women or 45 pounds for men) while you do 8 thrusters, 6 fifteen-foot rope climbs, and 11 box jumps. (The rep scheme signifies that this tragedy occurred on August 6, 2011.) When your partner returns with the sandbag, you switch places, and they pick up where you left off. Your score is the total number of rounds [of the thrusters, rope climbs, and box jump] completed between the two partners.

I did this workout with Kameron, and together, we thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of this suffer-fest!

me on thrusters, Nick on box jumps

Kameron on box jumps

showing that rope who is boss!

Pictures from Empire State Regatta

2011-09-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

Actually, there are only a few, and they aren't from the regatta, but rather from "playtime" afterward.

Empire State Regatta

2011-08-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, July 30th was the Empire State Regatta. This was an awesome opportunity to race in my hometown of Fairport!

After the Lake Placid Regatta, I decided to take a short break from kayaking. I do this every year after the season; it provides an opportunity to rest, recover, and regain motivation to get out on the water daily.

The 5k at the Empire State Regatta was my first jaunt on the water since World Championships Team Trials in Lake Placid. Although my lower back didn't appreciate the introduction, it was a really fun course and a great summer race! I really look forward to upcoming editions of this regatta, especially since I see the Rochester kayak racing community growing exponentially right now.

Fem loves winter. THAT MEANS TRAINING IN IT.

2011-08-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I raced in the Empire State Regatta, which is an updated version of last year's Erie Canal Regatta. It was held in Fairport, right on the canal by the liftbridge rental shop. It was especially exciting to have an opportunity to speak on Wednesday evening on the opening night! I talked about how important the town of Fairport has been in my development as a kayaker. I also stressed that Fairport is a community that supports events like this regatta, and that this support is integral to the past and future development of paddling in Upstate NY. We certainly have a LOT of kayakers in the area, and many of those kayakers are now becoming kayak racers! (It's so exciting!!)

In many some ways, living in a place that has ice instead of water during the winter is a major disadvantage. In the past, I've spent only December and January at home in Fairport. When I head to San Diego in February, it takes me a long time to catch up to the other warm-weather paddlers who never stopped. It's certainly frustrating. However, I choose to structure my season that way because I truly think it's the best way for me to train. An off-season filled with training off the water has been important to my physical and mental strength. In fact, my most successful paddling seasons have come after a winter of cross-country skiing and lifting. (It's the Euro way!) I stay in touch with paddling with sprint workouts several days a week on on my kayak erg, and I focus on building strength in the weight room and endurance on the cross-country ski trails.

I'm looking forward to starting my junior year at college in 6 days (!!!), but even more looking forward to figuring out a system that includes both high-level school and high--level kayaking. Most of all, I'm looking forward to a fall [and winter] in Rochester, because I truly believe in my winter off-the-water training method. I'm sure it wouldn't work for everyone, but it keeps me my program varied and interested while keeping me injury-free and happy!

Speedy

2011-07-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

Jeret Peterson was an incredible athlete and friend. He'll be greatly missed.

Fall plan: university!

2011-07-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to announce that this fall I will be living and training in Rochester, NY (Fairport) as I work toward my bachelor's degree at SUNY Geneseo!!! I will be studying English. I'm really excited to work on getting my degree. Although it's nice to dedicate all my time to training in the kayak, it's impossible to do that while making a living, and I'm 23 now. I'm looking forward to having a degree and being able to make some money while I continue to train for the Olympics.

Crossfit Rochester Games

2011-07-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

The CFR games were, to put it succinctly, really fun. The games are basically a mini version of the world-wide Crossfit Games that takes place in 2 weeks in California. One of our own, Bill Pontius, qualified in the masters competition, so this year's CFR games was a fundraiser for him as well. There were 3 individual events: endurance, strength, and "mixer," as well as a team competition. I did the team competition because I thought it would be more fun (although if you're tough like MegN and Stash you just do everything.)

The workouts themselves were posted the morning of the competition. The objective: finish the workout first. Our team (Gang Kelly Green) did some strategizing to figure out the fastest way to get through it.
50% of G.K.G.

Burpee box-scale

Matt jumping over the box. It looks weird but you had to jump over and then do your burpee facing the box, so he's doing his turn in the air.

The 225lb deadlift was more manageable sumo-style, with a partner. As you can see, photo evidence shows that Matt was lifting his share as well as part of mine. Whoops.

There was also a keg-toss event. Here's the winning throw

Teams!

All this is to say, it was a really awesome event. Anyone is invited, and it happens every July! I believe all the Crossfit gyms in Rochester and Western NY were well-represented, as well as non-crossfitting athletes from around the area. You can see more pictures here.

Lake Placid International Regatta 2011

2011-07-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

On July 4th weekend, I raced the Lake Placid International Regatta, which also served as our World Championships Team Trials. The top 6 girls were named to the team and I am unfortunately lucky number 7: less than one second out of 6th place. So I won't be going to World Championships this year. Disappointing for sure. But I'm admittedly happy with my improvement since my relatively lackluster performance at team trials in April. I still feel positive about my training moving forward. I am also making a few exciting changes, which I'll detail in a later post! For now, some pictures of the regatta.

My club and all its members.

Mickle took this cool shot by the junior tent

The coolest part of the regatta was having my people there. Not only did my whole family make the trip for the weekend, but also Matt, Stash, and Isabel. They did some SUP, biking, and a workout at Crossfit Adirondack. I heard they had a great time. I heard more people should come next year!

This is clearly where the cool kids hang out. I want to be a cool kid. Next race, I'm getting one.

Matt and I pose as we leave the course at the end of the day. I felt like a pack animal with that huge backpack.

The three Emilys giving princess waves to the crowd after our 500m final. From left to right, Emily Vinson, Emily Wright, Emily Mickle

I met this friendly pig at the regatta course. Hello, pig!

June update 2

2011-06-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Next, Emily Mickle arrived for a week of Rochester training. We made plenty of time for fun in addition to some quality workouts with Nicole Mallory, who was also in town. I have to admit most of the fun revolved around trips to Wegmans... but then again, having Mickle around is just a riot no matter what.

She enjoyed the variety of paddling locations that we frequent here in Rochester. (Canoeing with Marc and Holly on Irondiquoit Creek, and paddling on the Genesee River and Erie Canal in various spots.)

Below, she is pictured under the lock in Pittsford, which apparently was somewhat of a novetly.
Winner!

I also introduced Mickle to Crossfit, and I think she's hooked. She tagged along on our Crossfit Rochester Goes Kayaking day at Bay Creek. A bunch of us rented kayaks and paddleboards and headed up the creek for a few hours of paddling. Afterwards, several brave souls tried their luck in the sprint boat. Thanks so much to Bay Creek Paddling Center for the fun day of kayaking!

Also in June: my brother Paul turned 18 !
Sticking to the tradition founded last summer, I got him a "cake" which is not really a cake at all but just a candle delivery device. Last year: a garbage plate. This year: a Chipotle burrito. Lucky.

THEN Paul graduated from HIGH SCHOOL! Wild! (Not that he managed to graduate, but that I'm so old.)
My new favorite picture of Paul and me

The whole family on Paul's graduation day!

June update 1

2011-06-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

June was a great month of training!

On Memorial Day weekend, I went to the 70-miler to support Team Forge. Matt and Tom finished 3rd, the Schlimmer brothers in 7th, and Marc and Holly were the first mixed team (and 15th overall!) I always love spectating at the 70 and I can't wait to race it someday.

Two weeks later, I raced at the Madrid Canoe Regatta in Madrid, NY. (By the way, the residents pronounce it "MAD-rid") This race is always a throwback to 2003, when I raced my first marathon race here. It's also my favorite race of the year, given that most of the participants camp out along the riverbank, drink beer, go fishing, and roast marshmallows (okay maybe I'm the only one who roasts marshmallows.)

Here I am getting back into my boat after the portage during the 20k kayak race. My race was okay. I was unable to hang on to two Canadian masters guys for longer than 8k, so I placed 3rd overall.

There were lots of dogs underfoot!

I brought Matt with me, and he was excellent with race-day support. Here were are brewing up some coffee in our makeshift kitchen.

Here's the start of Sunday's pro race. If you're a paddler in the Northeast, I highly recommend this regatta!

Paddling in the Rain: WHY IS IT SO HARD?!

2011-05-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

Now that I've talked to several paddlers about this, I'm intrigued. As participants in an outdoor sport, kayakers are at the mercy of the weather. When in San Diego, that generally works in your favor, but in upstate New York, paddlers must possess greater flexibility, lest they be constantly disappointed. [Read: RAIN. SO MUCH RAIN. ALL THE TIME, RAIN.]

Every sprint kayaker knows that you get wet when you paddle, especially in a team boat. It's unavoidable, and it doesn't take very long. I'd venture to say that by the time you finish your 2k warm-up, you're sufficiently wet. (And once you start your sprint pieces it's only going to get worse.)

So my question is: why does it suck so much to paddle in the rain? I guess I should be more specific. Why is it so hard to make yourself go paddling in the rain? You know that once you're on the water you won't even notice the weather. (True story.) What's more, you know you'd get wet even on the sunniest of days. It comes with the territory. Even after 7 years in the sport, making yourself get out of your vehicle to untie your boat and carry it down to the dock in a rainstorm is like moving mountains.

Maybe I'm alone in my exaggerated perception of misfortune. So let me just speak for myself: 8:59am found me huddled in my truck with the heat on, waiting for Nicole to arrive. I was wearing a warm long sleeve, spray skirt, and hat. I was freezing, and anticipating getting much colder on the water, so I put on my raincoat for good measure... and then proceeded to paddle while wearing it.

Paddling in a raincoat= an oxymoron. Or just ridiculous. Who does that? I do. Maybe next time I'll bring my umbrella in the boat, too. Because apparently I require substantial protection from rainwater. It's ever-so-much more menacing on my shoulders than canal water.

You know what they call these kinds of people, people like me who spend Friday nights writing long blog posts whining about getting wet in the rain when they spend several hours on the water every day?

Wimps.

So what's the plan?

2011-05-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

So I'm in Rochester. What's going on?

Well, I have 4 more days to finish my English degree at MCC, which is cool because it means that I am halfway done with my undergrad degree.... at age 23. Yay class of 2034!!

So training mostly consists of paddling on the Erie Canal with the Rochester gang, lifting at Crossfit Rochester, sneaking in some canoeing with Forge Racing, hopefully attending a few marathon races for some fun mileage, and building a third bookshelf to house my ever-growing library. I am also helping my dad cultivate some peas, onions, and zucchinis, as well as busting out my slackline moves and getting my trail run on.

I remain in a whirlwind of the above activities until late June, when I will trek up to Lake Placid for our World Championships Team Trials.

Additionally, as I endeavor to fund above racing and traveling, I am available for hire in the following occupations: babysitting, plant-sitting, tutoring, violin-teaching, personal training, pie-baking, driving long distances, kayak-fixing.

Overdue update

2011-05-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

I went in for a massage on Thursday and Anne said something to the effect of "good thing you have that website.... it's so nice that it's always up to date...."

Yeah, about that.... I've been busy, BUSY!! Moving across the country + training + school.... I don't even have an appropriate adjective. But, luckily for my three blog readers (Hi mom! Hi grandma! Hi dad!) I decided that my several papers and finals due this week warrants RIGHT NOW as a perfect opportunity to sit down and type out a nice, long, catch-up post. Not to mention I'm cozied up to the fire with half a cup of leftover morning coffee.

Let's do this.

So Easter weekend was US World Cup Trials. The weather was really gorgeous and it was great that my mom was there to watch, and take all of the following pictures.

Talking to Stein at the dock after one of my races

Mickle and me paddling in after our k2 500m final

My mom and I went hiking at Hollenbeck Canyon, off the 94. I wish I did more of this kind of thing this spring.

When the weekend was over, it was time to pack like a maniac. I moved out of my apartment and into my Saturn.

My dad arrived the following Sunday and we embarked on another cross-country road trip. We've done a bunch of these together, each time taking a slightly different route. This year's trip we decided to hit up some National Parks in Utah and then take I-80 home.

Bye for now, San Diego!

A lonely Joshua Tree on the road out of Vegas.... actually there were lots further down the highway to keep it company!

From Arizona to Utah

Southern Utah is so gorgeous

We drove into Arches National Park the following afternoon and did some hiking and driving and reveling in geology.

An arch inside an arch!

Perspective. And perspective. And perspective.

After hiking in Arches NP, we spent the night in Grand Junction, Colorado. We didn't drive further because we wanted to drive through the Rockies during the day.

Highway + train + Colorado River

GOOD MORNING, COLORADO, I LOVE YOU

We stopped to play in the snow at the top of the pass. I wasn't really dressed for the high elevation. Bare feet? I shrugged, What the hell? I scrambled up to the top of this big snowbank. No sooner did my dad snap the shot then I sprinted down the snowbank as if I was on fire. (Quite the opposite, actually.)

SO. Freaking. COLD.

Tons of snow in Vail. "Dad, can we stay forever?"

Unfortunately, as soon as we left Denver, the trip went downhill in a hurry (ha, ha!) We drove straight from Colorado to Rochester: 36 hours. During this time, I slept about 4 hours, had my first Red Bull, thought I'd rather die than keep driving, drank a gallon of coffee, narrowly missed running over a raccoon, entertained the idea of gouging my eyes out, and thoroughly enjoyed the road through Ohio. Just kidding about the Ohio part.

We made it home safely. And to my surprise, New York State filled the Erie Canal for me! It's nice paddling on a canal after having been on a lake for 4 months. Maybe like switching to running on a road after having run only on a track for a while.

Anyhow, I'm gonna hit the hay and write some more tomorrow.

World Cup Team Trials 2011

2011-04-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hello, blog, remember me? Training has been less-than-stellar lately, and I decided to follow the old adage that if you don't have anything nice to type on the internet, don't type anything at all.

This past weekend was the US team trials in Chula Vista, in which we raced for spots on the World Cup Team. I exceeded my expectations for the weekend by placing 10th in the k1 500m (with the 7th fastest time overall) and 9th in the 200m. Although my speed is not yet back to where it was before my 2010 hiatus, I'm happy with my progress this spring. An additional perk of the weekend was placing 3rd in the k2 with Emily Mickle. It was fun to get in the boat together for the first time since 2009 [when we raced World Championships.]

The women's 200m A-final

I am headed home next week for a block of training in May. The rest of the summer's plans should shake out within the next couple of days.

The Wright's Tuff is conducting an OFFICIAL poll! Please vote!

2011-03-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Who is more awesome: Jack Rebney, or Charlie Sheen? Post your vote to comments.

Raaar! Crunches!

2011-03-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hehehe

I looove looming deadlines on multiple papers

2011-03-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

This is my music of choice for the current essay on which I'm working (Beowulf).

Books books books

2011-03-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of reading for this semester's courseload, which is proving difficult to balance when my brain feels like mush 90% of the time from training.

But I guess all college students probably feel overwhelmed. The good news is that A. I to read and write, hence the whole English-major gig; and B. most of the literature has been good, or at least enriching.

And amidst all the work, I've found time to read fun books too! Like today, I sat down for 3-4 hours and read a book cover-to-cover. I only got up once. (To abruptly run from my towel on the lawn when 4 sprinklers went off within 2 feet of me.)

So here's what I've read since February:

Beowulf
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Canturbury Tales- Chaucer
The Kite Runner- Khaled Houseini
The Book of Ruth- Jane Hamilton
Between, Georgia- Joshilyn Jackson
An Unsuitable Job for a Woman- P.D. James
Utopia- Thomas More
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Twain
The Great Gatsby- Fitzgerald
My Antonia- Willa Cather
Of Mice and Men- Steinbeck
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee
A River Runs Through It- Norman McLean

Well, shoot.

2011-03-09T19:01:00.000-08:00

Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead?

Jambalaya recipe

2011-03-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

So dig this: I planned to make jambalaya this week, before I even knew that yesterday was Mardi Gras! How inadvertently festive of me! I based my recipe off of this recipe. But my version is way better. I zoned it out with the intention of blogging it for my Crossfit Rochester friends; the full recipe makes a 12P/6C/12F pot of deliciousness. I split it up into three tupperwares of 4P/2C/4F meals.

1.3 links Andouille sausage (I got mine from Trader Joe's. 1.3 links happened to equal 4 blocks protein)
6oz. shrimp (I started with about 9oz raw, so it would cook down to 6oz)
4 oz. chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (again, I started out with about 6oz. raw)
2/3c onion
2c chopped bell pepper (I used red and green)
14.5oz can diced tomatoes
4c riced cauliflower
4 cloves garlic
1.5c chicken broth
1T +1t olive oil
1t thyme
1.5T parsely
2t chili powder

Put the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken. When it's almost done, add the peppers, garlic, and onion and sautee until the onion becomes translucent. Then, dump everything into a large pot along with the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and spices. Simmer for about 20 minutes while you rice your cauliflower in the blender. (I bought 2 small-ish heads to make the 4 cups of "rice", and I had some left over.) Add the cauliflower to the pot and keep simmering while you cook the shrimp in 1t olive oil. When they're done, dump 'em in the pot. Add more spices as you see fit. When the cauliflower is cooked enough, it's done!!

*the original recipe called for less spices and less garlic, but I thought it needed more. At the end, I was practically dumping chili powder into the pot to make it more spicy. Finally, I found some "cajun barbeque seasoning" in the cabinet and used a liberal amount. That was key. The final result was so delicious.

Enjoy!

Welcome to hard week!

2011-03-07T19:42:00.001-08:00

Good evening, and welcome to week 4 of the training cycle: aka when everyone gets overworked and their brains turn off so that every day is filled with extreme fatigue and extreme lack of intelligence. Best of all, everything is funny! These effects will begin to set in on Wednesday, and will continue through the last workout on Saturday. Maggie calls it fatigue retardation syndrome.

I wish I had more to report but my days are only spent training, sleeping, and doing homework. It's very repetitive and boring in a pleasant way. Maybe next week when I have some free time I'll get out hiking or surfing like a real Californian and take some pictures to make you jealous. But for now I'll just keep wearing down the path between my bed to the boathouse, to the kitchen, bed, boathouse, weightroom, shower, kitchen, bed..... you get the idea.

Keeping in Touch with Friends

2011-03-01T22:05:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can 3-way video chat....

Across 5 times zones and an ocean!?

Differences Between Training and Normal Life, Part I:

2011-02-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

My deodorant scent during the week: "Sport Fever"
My deodorant scent on off-days or for a night out: "Sexy Intrigue"

Fem's Dream World: Part VII

2011-02-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

During my nap today, I dreamt that the team was on a flight to Europe. It was frigid on the plane. Mags was in the seat in front of me, and her feet were frozen solid. I handed her the -20 degree sleeping bag that I happened to have on my lap so she could get warm.

When I woke up, I was curled up in a ball beneath all my covers and my sleeping bag.

(This is what happens when it drops down to 45 degrees in California. Also, when it rains so much that the lake rises and you have to wade in 2 feet of water to get to the dock.)

Fem's Dream World: Part VI

2011-02-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

Last night, I dreamt I competed in next week's Cross Country Skiing World Championships. Then I built a life-size gingerbread man and stationed him underneath the Eiffel Tower. I circled the area in a helicopter with my binoculars, making sure no one disturbed my creation. I saw a man break off the gingerbread man's head and start eating it as he walked through the park. I flew the helicopter down beside him and swiped it out of his hand, yelling at him for being so insensitive as to ruin my gingerbread man.

Wisdom from one of my very dearest friends

2011-02-05T22:44:00.000-08:00

"There is wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness. And there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down in to the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces. And even if he forever flies within the gorge, that gorge is in the mountains; so that even in his lowest swoop the mountain eagle is still higher than other birds upon the plain, even though they soar." -Moby Dick

Nothing like snake pictures to ruin a perfectly good afternoon

2011-01-30T13:27:00.000-08:00

I made it back to California earlier this week! I don't have much to report. I've spent the last few days cleaning my apartment, working on schoolwork (I'm a full-time student this semester, online and at UCSD), and training. So I figured I'd just post a pretty picture of where I live and train.

However, much to my dismay, a google images search for "otay lake" comes up with not only pretty pictures like above, but also pictures of GROSS NASTY BLACK SNAKES!!!!!

Terrfied and confused, I researched further. I know there are rattlesnakes all over the place, but it's very rare that I see one. So what's the deal with all the snake pictures? Well, turns out Otay Lake is home to Rosy Boa constrictors (Lichanura trivirgata), which come in tons of different colors-- around Otay Lake, they're black. Some whacko-- I mean snake enthusiast-- has a website dedicated to them.

eww. scary. SNAKES, STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!!!!!

Momentum

2011-01-24T20:32:00.000-08:00

"The trick is to leap out of bed as soon as you are aware of consciousness. Up, into motion, no time for doubt, no questions asked. New day. Game on... we are out the door and in the van- on our way to work on the dream. On our way to training. This is a mission. Every day is a mission . Some days the mission is to rest, some days it’s academics, some days fun, but most days the mission is to work. The planning and thinking have been done. This is the time for doing.

Training can be fun. A run through sunbeams splintered by tall pines in the cool of evening, feeling fresh and light, skis in hard tracks, on fast snow, full of life. But today training threatens to be less than fun. Low clouds, dark and cold. We are pushing through a hard ten days of training. No one feels fresh and light. If tall pines and sun exist, I cannot remember having enjoyed running through them. Training right now is nothing more than work, laboring up a gravel road in the light rain and in complete discomfort. It is our last interval. All are head- down, snot and rain dripping off the nose, fully involved in the task. We are a soggy string of runners stretched out up a steep incline deep in the woods. Alone- save for Sten, soaked and shivering, hollering encouragement to us. We are doing it, and even if the act of training itself is less than fun right now, we are working on the dream, and working on the dream is what drives me out of bed each morning. No hesitation, no doubt, up into motion.

To commit to something grand, something that may not be possible, to say “I am going to do it,” even when you may not be able to: That is dreaming. To actually set about the task of living up to your commitment, to begin doing, to tenaciously pursue what you said you would achieve: That is working on the dream."

-excerpt from Momentum, by 2-time Olympic nordic skier Pete Vordenburg

Snowshoe Race Video

2011-01-24T20:23:00.000-08:00

Holly compiled a fantastic video of the snowshoe race. I think she got clips of almost all the participants in the 4-mile event, plus some requisite pre-race interviews from yours truly.

Snowshoe Race

2011-01-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

I raced in the Lake Effect Winter Trail Festival today: a 4-mile snowshoe race (I skipped the half-marathon option). Snowshoe racing is not for the faint of heart. If you haven't tried it, think about wearing weighted shoes 4 times bigger than normal, and running in soft, dry sand. Add 7 degree temperature and 15 mph winds and you've got yourself Sunday's race!

However, I am not complaining. I like epic conditions! Plus, I was toasty warm once we got going. The race kicked my butt for sure, and I always appreciate a good butt-kicking. At the start line when the gun goes off, everyone was engulfed in a white cloud from all the kickup from the hundreds of snowshoers running together. It was a riot.

Even though I donned my subzero parka as soon as I crossed the finish line, by the time I got to my truck my hands inside my gloves were frozen and numb like wooden sticks. I was able to get the door handle open using two hands, but I had to wait 5 minutes before my wooden hands had warmed up enough to turn the key in the ignition.
I may look warm... but I am NOT WARM.

Weight training in the Great White North

2011-01-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

Make sure you wear your furry boots!

Olympic Weightlifting meet

2011-01-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

My competition in Buffalo yesterday went okay. I was pleased that I got a tiny clean and jerk PR, but not pleased that I dropped 3 out of my 6 lifts. I underestimated how nerve-wracking it would be to lift in front of a gym full of people who are all silent and staring at you! I loved it though. Had a blast. I plan to get a lot stronger and then do this again as soon as my kayaking schedule allows. The sweet thing about Oly lifting is that it's a competitive sport--- but it's also a regular part of my kayak training routine. So win-win!

My last lift was an attempted 61 kilo (134lbs) clean and jerk. I got it overhead, and then one arm buckled. Instead of letting go of the bar like you're supposed to, I just held on, twirled the weight around, and then smashed it into the gym floor, making a nice-sized dent. Whoops. I'm such a n00b! Check out the video:

PRs on max lifting day

2011-01-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

I would like to commemorate this day, January 7, 2010, for several reasons.

First, it is the day that will go down in history as the first time my squat has ever been heavier than my bench press.

Second, I feel it will be the only day of my life that I will be able to say I got 4 serious lifting PRs in one day. (back squat, deadlift, shoulder press, snatch).

Third, it is a beautiful day in this gorgeous world and I loved every minute of it. It feels good to be stronger than ever and having a blast at the gym. I'm lifting a lot lately because A.) duh and B.) I'm competing at an Olympic weightlifting meet in Buffalo next weekend. Whoop whoop!!

Fourth, it's my last few weeks at home in Rochester and I'm soaking them up with fervor. I'd be happy to never leave New York... and yet I'm looking forward to getting back to California.... so basically I'm lucky that I love everywhere. Vie getz, bitches.

Tough Break

2010-12-31T07:19:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to join the slalom kayak team for their XC ski training camp in Lake Placid this week. I woke up Tuesday morning with a sore throat, but ignored it. I lifted weights, packed my truck full of skis, and made a playlist for the 5-hour drive. I made it about 30 minutes from home before I realized I was really sick and I wasn't going to make it.

So I sadly turned around and drove home, got into bed, and slept for 18 hours straight. The past few days I've been alternating between sleeping, reading, eating soup, and taking dayquil/nyquil. I'm finally starting to feel better but not in time to make the drive to training camp. Super bummer. The moral of the story is I that I did not sleep or recover nearly enough during the end-of-the-semester craziness this year. Staying up til 2am writing papers and getting up at 5:30 to work out does not mesh well with my need for 10.5 hours of shut-eye per 24 hours. That's why I'm putting Get Even More Sleep second on my list of Themes for 2011.

At any rate, I'm currently typing at my desk bundled in warm blankets even though it's a balmy 40 degrees outside and the snow is disappearing. To quell my desire to work out and be healthy, I'm watching crossfit videos.

"I don't want any training to be easy... I want it to hurt really, really really bad. I want to start too fast and just try to always maintain that speed until I break totally down. I want to push myself just.... so hard. I really want it. I really do. Every time that I do training, I am telling myself, 'you know that the other girl won't stop.' so I am pushing and pushing." -Camille Leblanc-Bazinet

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-25T13:01:00.000-08:00

Also happy belated winter solstice, first day of winter, lunar eclipse, full moon, and birthday to me.

I celebrated my birthday on Wednesday at crossfit with a special birthday WOD (workout of the day). For those who can't read workout speak, it's 12 minutes of as many rounds as possible of 22 kettlebell swings and 23 knees-to-elbows. This, of course, because my 23rd birthday is on 12-22.... and I wanted a strictly abs and arms workout. In the end it turned out to be a strictly forearms workout, but whatever.

I celebrated with my family with sushi!

My little brother Paul was less-than-enthusiastic about the sushi, but he did try a California roll before making himself a salami-and-mustard sandwich.

Our annual Christmas photo: me, Anna, and Paul

Update

2010-12-20T17:31:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, sorry I've been delinquent in posts. I've been slammed with end-of-the-semester work and finals. In fact, I have to get back to studying for my penultimate final, which is tomorrow at 10am. So here are some pictures of the latest and greatest in my life.

My cousins at Thanksgiving, arranged in age order: Emily, Justin, Emma, Anna, Evan, Paul, Tyler, Amory, Nicole, Melissa, Kyra

Creative workouts during Thanksgiving in Massachusetts: Push-ups With Cousins!

I got to hang out with my dear friend Heather a couple weeks ago!

Me with Ewa and Julie, some of the girls with whom I lift at Crossfit!

My fortune from last week

Studying for finals with a HUGE cup of coffee

This weekend Isabel and Laura and I decorated some cookies

The colorful ones are mine

Annnnd Isabel made snowmen characters. hehe

Yesterday my mom and I went for a lovely snowshoe!

2010 in snippets

2010-12-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

Exactly a year ago, I was in the hospital in San Diego, very sick and very scared. 2010 was completely improvised: taking time off of kayaking to recover, moving home, starting to train again, and going back to school. With all the challenges and setbacks, it's hard not to think of the past year in terms of all the things that went wrong.

But- as cheesy as this sounds- check out the snippets I wrote during the year.

It's pretty obvious that 2010 was phenomenal. There was nothing easy about it, but there was nothing unfortunate about it, either. It's clear to me that I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

Thanks, 2010, for kicking my as$ but leaving me undeniably happy, healthy, and smiling from ear to ear.

Snow abounds!!!!!

2010-12-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

We're getting quite an amazing snowstorm right now... in fact, for the past 12 hours. I've been stuck inside all day doing lots of of end-of-the semester homework, but tomorrow's theme= ski ski ski ski! And tonight's theme= wax wax wax wax!! I have about 12 pairs of Wright Family skis to get through during the next week.

It's my favorite time of the year!!!!!

Book Report!

2010-12-03T10:37:00.002-08:00

Time for my bimonthly book report! It's been a good few months of reading, despite the volume of schoolwork... or maybe due to the schoolwork, given I'm a champion procrastinator.

Moby Dick- Melville
Anna Karenina- Tolstoy
Open- Andre Agassi
Memoirs of a Geisha- Arthur Golden
The Primal Blueprint- Mark Sisson
Gone With the Wind- Margaret Mitchell
The Key-Cheri Huber
On the Road- Jack Kerouac
The Paelo Solution- Robb Wolf
Wuthering Heights- Emily Brönte
Complaint-Free World- Will Bowen
Walden- Thoreau

I can't pick a favorite because they were mostly incredible. But I will say that Open, by Andre Agassi, is the best sports autobiography I've ever read. But then again, I did harbor girlhood fantasies of being the next Serena Williams.

Fem's Dream World: Part V

2010-12-03T10:37:00.001-08:00

Last night I dreamt that Anna (my little sister) had SARS.

Fem's Dream World: Part IV

2010-12-02T06:43:00.000-08:00

Last night, I dreamt that my friend Colin brought me an armful of purple unicorn toys and explained that they would protect me from harm. I started laughing so hard that I woke myself up by laughing.

Some tuesday AM pain

2010-11-30T04:28:00.000-08:00

I would like to share the Crossfit Rochester workout I did this morning..... because it kicked my a$s. In fact, as I write this, I'm sprawled out on the floor at school with 10 minutes until my next class. I just took a Spanish test that was difficult not because of the content but because there was no way to sit in a chair without muscles cramping.

So the listed weight was 95 pounds for guys and 65 pounds for girls. I tried it with 55 pounds-- and was still slower than several of the more-badass girls at the gym. Fastest girl time on the board was 20 minutes and change. My time was 27:22. (As always with the CF workouts, the goal is to finish as fast as possible while maintaining proper technique.)

25 overhead squats
25 front squats
25 back-squats
50 double-unders (again, this is jump roping in double-time. If you can't do these, the substitution is 250 single jump-ropes)
25 shoulder presses
25 push-presses
25 push-jerks
50 double unders
25 power snatches
25 hang squat cleans
25 deadlifts
50 double-unders

Join the suffer fest and try it!

Weather report

2010-11-29T17:46:00.000-08:00

The canal was iced almost completely this morning, I noticed as I rode my bike to the grocery store for zucchinis and fish oil. Now for some snow, please!

Amazing Archeological Finds

2010-11-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

One of of today's projects was "erase all your old stuff from the family computer." I figured there wouldn't be anything interesting left over on there from high school. Boy was I wrong! I will now share with you some of my favorite finds.

This cell-phone snapshot is circa 2005, taken after a minor disaster during ski practice at Mendon Ponds Park. I was rollerskiing with Dylan and we ran into Warren McDermott and stopped to talk for a minute. While standing completely still and talking to them, I fell down hard. Thankfully (and oddly!) neither Dylan nor Warren noticed me crash right next to them (or the blood dripping down my leg) because they were so engrossed in their conversation.

From document I kept entitled "Westonisms" (quotes from our iconic high school ski coach Roger Weston):
"Back in the old days, they didn't use gloves, they just drank whiskey and stopped complaining"

"This shouldn't be too hard. The Norwegians used to ski on smooth logs and used one 20 foot long pole"

2005 World Canoe/Kayak Marathon Championship team, in Perth Australia

From the document entitled "Excuses for a Bad Race" which I compiled with Matt Deady in the back of the ski team bus as a satirical piece for those individuals just looking for excuses. The original list includes over 100-- here are a few of my favorites. * means that this was an actual excuse used-- sometimes they were even valid!:
My poles are too heavy
There were wild animals blocking the course
There were wild spectators blocking the course
There was bad cheering
I didn't wear enough clothes*
I wore too many clothes*
My roomate was snoring last night
My sunglasses were foggy*
I missed the start*
I missed the finish
I got stuck in a snow fence*
I got lost*
Fallen trees were blocking the course
There was an avalanche on Little White face
I had a non-motivational song stuck in my head
I tripped over my beard
I'm taking the Per Elofseson approach
Nobody told me there were uphills in cross-country skiing
Nobody told me there were downhills in cross country skiing
Our bus got stuck in a ditch and tipped over*
I was attacked by a _____ (fill in animal here)
I forgot my windbriefs*
Small animals became embedded in my kickwax
I stopped for a snowball fight
I was pushed into a thorn bush*
My leg was run over by a wagon
I put my skis on backwards
My wax iron was set 1 degree off*
I was too busy looking at ____(guys/girls) in spandex suits
The pitch of the cowbells was slightly too high
I gave this race as a sacrifice to the snow gods
I was trying to look good for the pictures

Me posing with my nalgene collection in 2006. (It's bigger now.) I think the purple and the yellow ones are having a fight.

haha. High school prom with Brian!

I also found a bunch of old itunes songs, the funniest of which is this song, which was a favorite in like, 6th grade. I used to sing along but I didn't really pay attention to the lyrics. Whoops.

Fem's Dream World: Part III

2010-11-23T17:56:00.001-08:00

Last night, I dreamt that all members of the US kayak team were paddling on a beautiful freshwater mountain river, led by Coach Guy. Suddenly, a flood of barracudas surrounded us; Guy caught one with his bare hands (without flipping his kayak) and held it up for us to see. Then he told us to paddle like hell downriver. Our race to safety attracted several great white sharks. The river became full of barracudas and sharks and the sky went black. As we paddled blindly downriver, my only thought were "Who put all these damn barracudas in this river!!!!?"

Fem's Dream World: Part II

2010-11-21T08:45:00.000-08:00

Last night, I dreamt that I was a nutella-eating geisha.

Um

2010-11-20T20:31:00.000-08:00

I saw Harry Potter. *swoon*

Fem's Dream World: Part I

2010-11-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

Last night I dreamt that I got married. I don't remember who the guy was, just what the ring looked like (haha!) After the wedding, the Australian men's kayak team taught me how to do tricks on a trapeze.

Pizza pizza pizza

2010-11-18T15:50:00.000-08:00

Pizza is:
A. Heavenly and delicious
B. Something I want to eat every day
C. Kicking and screaming in protest to its being lately listed as a sometimes-food
D. What my family had for dinner tonight.

Evil Fem wanted a slice, or four. But Focused Fem decided, for the sake of her 4 remaining workouts this week, to eat something nutritious that will power her through deadlifts and a hard paddle tomorrow. Aka not pizza..... Pizza salad!! While no substitute for real pizza, it was tasty and filling.

Ingredients:
3c shredded lettuce in a large bowl
1c finely chopped myriad of green, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers
1/4c (or less) finely chopped onion
basil
oregano
garlic
2t olive oil
1/2 serving 50% reduced fat pepperoni slices, finely chopped
1/4c mozarella cheese
1/2 can of diced italian tomatoes
3oz cooked shredded chicken

Toss the peppers, onion, pepperoni, basil, and oregano in a pan with 2t olive oil. Sautee them and then put them over the 3c lettuce. Next, put the diced tomatoes, garlic, and chicken in the pan and sautee for awhile. Add that to the bowl of goodness and top with cheese.

For those who are zoning I've rudimentarily calculated this meal to be 4 protein, 2.5 Carb, and 2.5 Fat

Epic introduces new "Fall Wing" for Northern paddlers

2010-11-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

Brian-who prefers paddling on top of water instead of on a carpet of leaves- is the mastermind behind this one.

Joshua Tree

2010-11-04T18:40:00.001-07:00

As I turned my calendar to November, I sadly realized that this is the first November that I won't be visiting Joshua Tree since 2007. I miss it. I guarantee it will be my first stop when I return to California in January. In the meantime, this is beautiful.... and exactly what it's like there. At night, I hate to blink, much less sleep, because the stars are too wonderful.

Holly is running Boston 2011 for Camp Erin!

2010-10-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is Holly, my good friend and training partner in Rochester.

Several months after running the Boston marathon this year (where the above picture was taken), she began toying with the idea of running not just for herself but also for others. Shortly thereafter, she found out about Camp Erin, which is a bereavement camp for children and teenagers. The camp is a safe place where children can go to learn how to grieve, and to feel some relief from the weight of overwhelming sadness that comes with the loss of a loved one. The idea really hit home for Holly because her father passed away three years ago when she was 26 and her little sister was just 12.

Holly has committed to run the 2011 Boston marathon for Camp Erin. Her goal is to raise $5,000 and to get a new PR (under 3:15) I know she'll be successful, because not only is she a great runner, but she has a real connection to this cause. Please visit Holly's page to learn more.

How to write a history paper that's due tomorrow that you had an entire month to write

2010-10-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Step 1: make coffee. the caffeinated kind.
Step 2: clean room entirely. you wouldn't want to work in a messy room, right?
3: oops, forgot the laundry in the dryer. get that and bring it upstairs. fold it and put it away.
4: put away all the amazing "new" clothes mickle sent you in the mail!
5: try on my wetsuit. it doesn't fit as well as it did when i was 14, darn.
6. lament
7. Maybe it's time to clean out my "mail and papers" box on my desk. it's getting sort of unruly.
8. Turn on christmas lights.
9. open window for a nice draft
10. light candles
11. write this list

....to be continued

Three years on the interwebs

2010-10-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today, I started this blog! Since then, I've written 393 posts: an average of 1 post every 3.7 days.

Another adirondack weekend

2010-10-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I headed for the mountains with Nicole and the Schlimmers in tow.

On Saturday morning at Jon's house, we woke up to snow on the ground.
We set out to do Algonquin, Wright, and possibly some others nearby.

The higher we climbed= the more snow there was= the happier I became! At the summit the wind was fierce, and I got so cold that I started doing push-ups to stay warm.

We summited Wright Peak, and probably would have done Algonquin as well if it weren't for the icy conditions and our lack of crampons. It was very slippery.

How sweet is it that I stood on top of a mountain that is named after me?

Boobs

2010-10-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

2010-10-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

Dear People in Rochester who complain about this weekend's forecasted snow,

Stop it. Move to Florida so we can excitedly anticipate the coming winter without listening to your bitching!

Sincerely,
Fem

Autumn Chores Workout

2010-10-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

Here's tonight's autumn chores medley:

10 minutes wood-splitting
10 minutes agressive leaf-raking
10 minutes turning over garden (with a shovel)

Repeat until chores are done.

2010-10-18T12:12:00.001-07:00

This morning at breakfast I was flipping through the cookbook, trying to decide what to throw in the crockpot.

"Hey," I said to my little brother, "What do you want for dinner tonight?"

"Bacon," he said, without missing a beat.

Dad's home!

2010-10-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

After more than a year of commuting home only on the weekends, my dad's company (Orthogonal) has moved their lab from Ithaca, NY to Rochester... which means he is home to stay! My mom and I made this poster, which has been hanging on the fridge for the past month.

On the last day, she counted down the hours and texted them to me periodically while I was at school. Aw.

New lifting shoes!

2010-10-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

These are the vibram no-fingers, which powered me to a new deadlift PR this morning.

Think you suck at kayaking? You're not alone.

2010-10-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Sam for this one!

"Do you have any advice for people who want to suck at kayaking?"
"Man, paddle less. The more you paddle the better you get, so you should definitely just stay off the water."

I need a computer wizard

2010-10-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

I have a dream... and it is of the Greatest Spreadsheet/Computer Program Training Log of All Time.

Can someone help me!?

Here's my vision: The log is daily. It has different codes for exercises, and you input the codes, total time, heart rate, feelings, workout notes, etc. Anything that can be computed would be computed.

It would be organized by time of day, and synced up with a food journal. That I can say I woke up at 5:30, ate a banana and 1c of soymilk, and then at 6am lifted for 1 hr. Everything is shown on the same interface so I can see how it all ties together. The food part would have optional inputs for calories and other nutritional values. There would also be input for daily body weight, hours of sleep, morning resting heart rate, etc.

It would also have an input for my goal training hours, goal calories, goal sleep hours, etc.--- and it could tell me on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis how far off I am from my goal.

And then it would compute.... BY ITSELF!! So at the end of each day, week, and macrocycle, I could see dozens of pieces of information, including:

total training time
total time spent in various heart rate zones
total calories
total grams protein
hours of sleep
etc.

Then I'd have conversations with myself like these:

"Wow, this week ended up being really heavy on zone 4 work and not much aerobic work. I'm glad my awesome self-computing training log can tell me this useful information!"

"Wow it says here that last week I only got 60 hours of sleep total. Let's go back to the daily breakdown. Oh yeah, I see that for 3 nights in a row I only got 6 hours of sleep. What a useful tool you are, training log!"

"My workouts have been totally sucking this week. Let's consult the training log program. Hmm... WOW, I see here that I've been consuming over 600 grams of fat per day! That probably has something to do with it. THANKS, TRAINING LOG!!!!"

I realize there are generic programs out there that kind of do what I want, but that is exactly why I've been using a pen and steno pad for 7 years.

It's time to go HIGH PERFORMANCE-- a program designed by Fem and for Fem, made by someone who is way smarter than Fem!!

Anyone interested?

Post- workout conversation today at the Forge

2010-10-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

"Ever seen those 100-calorie packs? With like 8 tiny cookie crumbs in them? What a joke. I'd like to see a 600-calorie pack, at least." -Matt

Speaking of out-of control seasonal joy....

2010-10-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Jordan..."It's decorative gourd season, mother f*#%ers!"

Dear mom,
This contains foul language and you probably won't like it.
Love,
Em

Soups and pies and apples, oh my!

2010-10-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it was the chill in the air, the thermometer reading of 40 degrees, or the fact that I could see my breath while walking to get the newspaper. But as soon as I finished the morning's training session, I was suddenly propelled by a strange primal urge to stock up the cellar for the long winter ahead... butcher the hog, hang dried herbs from the ceiling, and make vast quantities of apple and cinnamon-containing baked goods.

And my more 21st- century self wanted to make a bunch of food to freeze so I can 'nuke at night when I get home from workouts.

Problem solved. I made Margot Mickle's famous taco soup, cream cheese chicken, my grandmother's delicious apple coffee cake, a few apple pies [to further my practice at world pie-making domination], and applesauce. I did manage to make a dent in the 41 pounds of last weekend's apple orchard fun.

PS fair warning: my excessive autumnal joy is only going to grow with each passing day!

Pictures from a random training session

2010-10-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

I brought my camera to practice today, because the semi- brightness outside seemed such a novel and welcome change from the grey rain we've been having. Thanks to Jim for taking the shots!

We arrived to practice dressed like this. Ten points to whomever can guess which feet belong to whom!

Nicole and me, dressed to the nines on a crisp fall day.

Paddling downhill

Post- training we exude nonchalance

My dedicated parents

2010-09-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad just got home from their last meet-the-teacher night ever. (My little brother is a senior in high school.) It was a little bittersweet, but I think mostly sweet. She calcultated that she's been to 42 meet-the- teacher nights. That includes a span of 18 years, during which there were three kids who each went to preschool, kindergarden, and grades 1-12.

I said "42!? That's so many. But surely you didn't go to all of them."
"I sure did!" My mom said proudly. "I went to every single one."

Isn't she fantastic!?

Crêpes

2010-09-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

Wednesdays are my day off. So after my best efforts to sleep in (I have about an 80% failure rate) I usually take the liberty of eating something more interesting than my usual breakfast fare. This morning I made crêpes! We used to have these all the time as kids, and they were known to us as Swedish pancakes.

The recipe is easy: 1/3c flour, 1 egg, and 1/3c milk or buttermilk. Then grease a circular frying pan and pour in a tiny amount of batter-- when you tilt the pan around, the batter should just barely cover the surface. I cook it at relatively high heat until the egdes curl up a little and the underside is crispy. Then flip and repeat. It's a pretty easy concept but there's some finesse involved in making them perfect. We (my brother and sister and I) used to eat these with maple syrup but this morning I went for nutella and bananas. YUM!

Life in a Northern Town

2010-09-28T17:19:00.001-07:00

It was unseasonably warm and very windy tonight: eerily gorgeous. I couldn't resist a little run after dinner!

On my ipod:

Weekend

2010-09-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

Sweet weekend! On Saturday, I watched Jason, Marc, and Stash compete in the Full moon Vista cyclocross race at Ellison Park, though I guess in retrospect I really should have carved out some time for Fight Gone Bad, as I'm getting sh*t for not participating. (sorry!) But the bike race was so exciting! After hearing about cross racing for years from Jordan I have finally seen it for myself! If I had a million dollars- or just a couple thousand- I would definitely buy a bike and join them. Actually, let's be honest; I'd buy a new kayak first and then a cross bike.

Here I am with Coby, Jason's dog, who was my best friend while Jason was out racing.

When not watching races, I was reading Gone With the Wind. Can you believe I have never read it before? Since I just finished Moby Dick and Anna Karenina, I thought Gone With the Wind would be a nice change of pace. I'm in love. Last night I dug out my down comforter from the closet, opened my window to let in the cold air, turned on my christmas lights, and sat engulfed in blanket and engrossed in my book for 3 hours. *swoon*

The other awesome part of the weekend was my sister Anna, who came home from college for a visit! I love when my whole family is together. We went apple picking. If you can correctly guess the number of pounds of apples we picked, you win a prize. (Hint: it's well over 25lbs.)

Also, if anyone would like to buy a delicious, homemade apple pie, I am making them for $12. Proceeds benefit my Olympic journey! Email me at emily [dot] mary [dot] wright [at] gmail [dot] com!

Friday night hilarity ensues.

2010-09-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

"The zucchini was homegrown. If you needed any further incentive to cultivate your own fruits and vegetables, here it is: defense."

P.S. I love nutella

Happy Autumnal Equinox!!

2010-09-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Ain't that the truth

Evil food

2010-09-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

Jim calls desserts "evil food," and I think it's hilarious. Lately I've been trying to steer away from baking evil food, but today I couldn't resist autumn's calling, and whipped up a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

I changed the recipe quite a bit to make it more healthy.

Instead of 4 eggs I used 2 eggs and 1/2c eggbeaters.
Instead of 1.5c canola oil, I used 1c applesauce and .5c canola oil.
Instead of 1.5c sugar, I used 1c sugar.
Instead of 2c chocolate chips I used 1c mini chocolate chips.

This made a significant difference in the nutritional breakdown.

147 calories vs. 254 calories
6g fat vs 16g fat
22g carbs vs 27g carbs
2g protein (same)

Becoming a psychic

2010-09-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I dreamt that I got a new deadlift max at my morning lifting session. So when I got to the gym this morning and told Joe about it, and he said well, you're in luck, we're doing 5RM of deadlifts today.

Weird.

Long story short: I tried to make my dream true and succeeded by almost 15 kilos! Only 50 more kilos to go until I reach my goal. ha!

This strange and interesting episode of dreaming-something-into-reality has left me wondering if more dreams will come true. Two nights ago I dreamt I owned 5 talking cats.

Does this make me destined to be a cat lady?

Erie Canal Regatta

2010-09-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

**Editor's note, 9/24/10: I've kept this blog for almost 3 years. Its purpose is to truthfully record my thoughts and opinions about my journey to the Olympics and beyond. The thoughts expressed here are my own and I get to say whatever I want.

However, my intentions are never to offend or cause resentment. Though I stand by the veracity of this post, I would like to ammend it by saying that a miscommunication was resolved and all parties involved are moving forward in the spirit of camraderie, forgiveness, and of course--- HAVING FUN KAYAKING!!

Original post:
I can't believe how many people came out for yesterday's race! The whole parking lot behind Riki's was filled with cars carrrying boats! I definitely hope this will become an annual event.

My goal for the race was to stick with Jason and Jim for a hard first kilometer, then settle into whatever cruise pace they were going and try to stick with them as long as I could. It was very difficult but I did just what I set out to do and finished the race in 2nd place overall, just behind Jason. It was a really great day, minus the witnessing of an event that poorly colored the experience.

The cool thing about races is that you're supposed to go as hard as you can-- and you get to compete against lots of other people who are also going as hard as they can. Personally, I am thankful for each opportunity to race, so I'm typically happy before, during, and after the competition. Yesterday I was extremely upset after the race, which was too bad, because it was an effort I should have been proud of.

Here are some pictures that my dad took.

from left, Nicole, Jim, me, Jason

Riding Jason's wake on the last loop

Racing tomorrow- come out and watch!

2010-09-18T18:34:00.001-07:00

I'm excited to race tomorrow in FAIRPORT, my hometown!!!! Lovely Fairport , which exists only because of the Erie Canal, is where I've lived since I was 4 years old. The race will start here, at the historical liftbridge on Main Street. I'm so psyched that the first annual Erie Canal Regatta has been created... and it's just 2 miles away from my house!!

It's 15k and as far as I understand, consists of several loops, starting at the liftbridge and heading upstream towards Bushnell's Basin. If you're in Rochester you should come out to watch. The race starts at 10am and I will likely be wearing pink.

St. Crispin's Day

2010-09-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

Remember this from 8th grade English class with Mr. Burruto? St. Crispin's Day? (Henry V! Kenneth Branaugh!) I have the most wonderful memories of that class, and I know every single person who was there with me agrees!

Sweet Treats and Rafael Nadal, mmm

2010-09-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

Today, finding myself with 30 minutes before the Nadal/Djokovic match starts on television, and with a hankering to create something, I whipped up some culinary inventions.

First, I threw soup in the crock pot that closely resembles this.

Next, I started improvising with nuts and dried fruit. Usually my inventions don't turn out very edible... but these I'd say were a success!

1. Almond fig bites (inspired by this recipe)

1/2c almonds
8 dried figs
small slice orange rind
juice from a quarter of an orange
1/2t vanilla

Put everything in a food processor and grind it for about a minute, or until everything clumps together. Roll the "dough" into small balls and cook on a greased cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

2. Chocolate-peanut-date bites

1.5 T cocoa powder
1/4c coconut
1/3c chopped dates
2t water
1/4c peanut butter

Again, just grind it all up until it sticks together, form the mixture into balls, and cook at 350 for 10 minutes.

You could also eat these raw!! They would just be a little sticky.

Come out to Victor to support Brownstone PT!

2010-09-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

I'll be in Victor for Hang Around Victor Days today at the Brownstone Physical Therapy booth. (10 East Main Street, Victor, NY) Stop by to say hello and meet my incredible physical therapists! Without their help through the years, I would never have made it through all my injuries and would not be competing at the level I do today.

Also, I heard a rumor there might be pull-up contests.... anyone who thinks they can beat me should definitely stop by.

You'd think I'd never worked out a day in my life!

2010-09-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

I am sore this week. Not just a little sore... but extremely sore. The kind of sore where your face is permanently fixed in a grimace, your stomach is nauseous, you don't feel like eating anything, no amount of water satiates your thirst, you can't sleep at night, you can't walk up stairs- or walk in general, and you gained 2 pounds of weight for a few days just due to all the crap and waste hanging around in your body.

Thank you, Crossfit Rochester. I've done a lot of hard workouts in my life, but I can't recall ever feeling as awful as the morning after I did 3x (30 wall-balls and 30 full snatches). So obviously, I'm ecstatic. My weights program is working! I'm a believer! I drank the kool-aid!

I was admittedly skeptical for a long time before I tried crossfit this summer; but resistance proved futile. I became hooked after the first workout. No lifting program I've ever done compares to the full-body ass-kicking I get 4 days a week at the crossfit gym. Visit www.crossfitrochester.typepad.com and come work out with me before dawn!!

Hurricane Earl brings us wind, and I remember for the upteenth time how much I love paddling

2010-09-05T12:31:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed 46mph winds yesterday, lower-than-normal temps, and sunshine! It was the most beautiful day since the last time I said it was the most beautiful day. First Nicole and I hammered out some 2ks in k2 (ha ha!!) The wind was fierce but somehow Jason still managed to peg us several times with crabapples that he'd picked off a tree by the dock before practice. The annual Apple War has begun.

Afterwards, shivering, I immediately drove over to Irondiquoit Bay for war-canoe practice. Forge Racing is entering their annual war-canoe team in the 90-miler. Though I'm not part of this year's team, this weekend I helped fill in for Matt who is racing La Classique in Quebec. War canoe is great fun. Here in NY we do it marathon- style... that is to say, Native American style... that is to say, sitting down, not kneeling. The weather was strange, the waves on the lake were huge, and my spirits were high. Happy weekend everyone!

This is our war canoe team from 2007

Misfortune

2010-09-03T06:08:00.000-07:00

I was driving to practice this morning at 7:30am when my seat and hardware flew out of my boat and onto the highway in rush-hour traffic. I was able to recover the seat, but not the screws. I disappointedly turned around and drove home, as I am unable to use the boat if the seat isn't secured in place.

Now I have to go to the hardware store and figure out how to make homemade hardware. Including that little gold rectangular piece that fits underneath the platform of plastex seats. Oy.

So since I missed my morning paddle session, I came up with a quick workout on the fly. If you try it, tell me what you think!

3 sets of the following, NO rest:

2 minutes fast jumproping (double-unders, if you can)
20 snatches, fast, with a fairly light weight (good technique)
20 weighted push-ups (for me, a 10kg plate on my back)
15 Right-arm turkish get-ups (for me, a 20lb dumbbell is plenty!)
3 handstand push-ups
15 Left-arm turkish get-ups

--rest---

Core
3 rounds of:
90 seconds front plank
60 seconds right-side plank
60 seconds left-side plank
90 seconds back plank

Then 50 reps each of 10 exercises (mostly weighted and rotational ones) for a total of 500 reps

Time to bust out some ski vids

2010-09-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

This is old news, but I don't think I ever posted it here. Since it's almost SKI SEASON I thought I'd bring it back for laughs.

Newspaper Articles

2010-08-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here and here are a few short articles from the Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester's newspaper) about Nicole and me.

Nationals report, Day 3

2010-08-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

The third and final day of US Nationals was 200-meter day. I felt sluggish and slow during my heat in the early afternoon, but progressed on to the final. The k1 final was at 4:25, just 35 minutes after the k2 final at 3:50. Conscious of the tight crunch between races, Ariel and I ensured we had everything set up and ready to go: k1's, k2, seat pads, water, powergel, flip-flops in the right places (the pavement is too hot to walk on with bare feet!) etc.

We got in the boat together pumped to try to win the k2 200m... and we did! My dad says it was an exciting race, with Ariel and me just barely pulling ahead of Emily [Vinson] and Maggie [Hogan] to win by a margin of .02 seconds... pretty funny since they beat us on Thursday in the k2 500m by .09 seconds. The close competition between us pushed all of us and made for an exciting weekend. I'll hopefully get a video up on youtube in the next couple of weeks.

After the race was over, Ariel and I ran up the hill to get our k2 weighed. Then we took a moment for a tangerine-double-caffeine-Powergel toast. (The flavor we both eat exclusively. Nerds.) After slurping down our powergels we grabbed our k1s and immediately went out for a cool-down/ warm-up for the next race. My goal was to be as aggressive as possible and put everything I had left into this last race of the regatta. I placed 7th.

HOW AMAZING IT IS TO BE HEALTHY AGAIN.

I'm looking forward to going home, sitting down with my training log, and assesing this little 10-week season I put together. More to follow about my plans.... for now, some pictures from the banquet!

The Rochester crew... Nicole and me and our awesome dads!

Medals for the k2 200m: Mickle and Shelley in 3rd, Mags and Vinson in 2nd, and Ariel and me in 1st

The sun never sets on cool

Nationals report, Day 2

2010-08-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a hot one! 96 degrees! I combatted the heat in my tent by being silly with Mickle.

We also named my little tent FemCKC (Fem Canoe/Kayak Club). The sole members and my dad and me, but others, like Jen, Mickle, and Timmy, come to visit sometimes! We have cold water, a blanket on which to sit, and karaoke. Just kidding about the karaoke.

Amidst all the laughter today I did have one race: the k2 1000m with Nicole. We finished 2nd behind Mags and Vinson by 2 seconds and were pleased with that result. Although Nicole was my first-ever k2 partner, we haven't raced much over the years and it's always fun to get in a boat together.

Tomorrow I race the k1 200m at 1:15 (final at 4:25) and the k2 200m final at 3:50.

Cheers!

Nationals report, Day 1

2010-08-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

my dad and me at the racecourse

It's been a long day-- one of those days that, when you think back to it, breakfast feels like weeks ago. It all started at 5:30am with cheerios and coffee. My first race was the women's k1 500m heat, around 9am. For me it was satisfactory- not great- but I progressed through to the final. The next 5 hours were all about waiting. I kind of forgot about the "waiting" part of sprint racing... which is ironic, because it comprises WAY more of the regatta than actually racing. Yuck.

During my down time, I got an egg sandwich and some more coffee and laid down, read some of The Odyssey, and talked to my mom on the phone. (She's back in NY moving my sis into college this week-- hi mom! hi Anna!)

mmm, soggy PB&J, my favorite (you think I'm joking?)

The 500m final was at 3:05pm. My goal was to paddle faster than a 2:05, and I paddled a 2:04, which was actually (and this speaks to the elevation of the level of US kayaking during the past 4 years) only good for 9th place in the final. I realize 2:04 isn't fast whatsoever, but I have to be happy with it since it proves I am better than I have been since I first gotten sick. It's going to be one sweet comeback. (As Justin would say, "She'll be back.... with a vengeance.")

carrying my boat up off the dock after the 500m final

After the k1 race I jumped in the k4 with team Hawaii. It was a riot paddling with them although I'm embarassed to say I missed a stroke in the middle of the race, possibly costing us first or second place. It was a total rookie error, and it destroyed all of our momentum going into the second half of the race. We managed to hang on for 3rd.

The last race of the day was the k2 500m. I paddled with Ariel Fararr-Wellman. We were extremely pleased with our second-place result because not only were we just .09 seconds out of first place, but it was our first time in a k2 together, ever. We're excited for the k2 200m on Saturday!

Look for Nicole and me in the k2 1000m tomorrow at 12:10 central time.

Thanks for reading!

Nationals

2010-08-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

Check out live results from US Nationals at www.powerhousetiming.com!

Jon's Pasta recipe

2010-08-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

Since I've been posting recipes lately, here's a hilarious conversation that I had with Jon on the phone 10 minutes ago.

JON'S PASTA RECIPE

Emily: Hey Jon, so I'm making my pre-race dinner! Mac and cheese with tuna in my hotel room microwave.
Jon: Ok....
And I was just calling to find out how you cook pasta in the microwave.
What? *laughs* Um, with water?
No I mean like, how do you do it? What's the method?
I wasn't aware I had a method.
Well how much water do you add?
Uh, well make sure the water covers the pasta.
But like how much?
I dunno I've never measured. It depends. I just kind of put some water in there.
Well what if you add too much? Then do you have to pour some water off afterwards?
Yeah, I usually strain off the extra water with some tupperware or something.
Okay, how long do you cook it for?
Depends on what kind of pasta.
It's macaroni
I don't really know
Well, give me a ballpark figure here. 4 minutes? 20 minutes?
Try 6 to start.
What size bowl do I use?
Well it's definitely going to boil over. You need to use a huge bowl.
Uh oh.
It won't taste very good but it'll get cooked.

"Something is always going wrong, isn't it?"

2010-08-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well. I'm sitting in my nice chilly hotel room in Oklahoma, after already having read my book, watched a movie, taken a nap, packed for tomorrow, and mixed my drinks (lemonade accelerade). What's left to do? Blog, of course.

Tomorrow, US Nationals starts. My goal is to race my best. I know I am still on the road to recovery and I shouldn't expect PRs from myself. Frustrating? Absolutely. But it's been the hardest year of my life!

Let's see. Last September, I went through a devastating breakup while enduring months of the stress of impending big changes in our governing body. Because the changes would directly affect where I could live, train, and go to school it was unbelievably hard to stay focused and positive on a day-to-day basis. In November, I got very sick and was hospitalized with something that is yet un-diagnosed but I know is triggered by stress. After being in the hospital for 4 days and missing my ski trip to Utah, I got to come home in time for Christmas. In February I went back to California with the intention of putting my illness behind me and making the World Cup Team, and only had relapse after relapse.

Finally, I came to terms with the fact I was physically and mentally unwell; because I was completely unable to train, I made the heart-wrenching decision to go home and rest for awhile. At home I took up canoe racing (because I'm bad at resting), and I trained as much as my body would allow (not much!) In May, just two weeks before the 70-miler, I was thrown out of the boat during a race in rough water and dislocated my shoulder. I couldn't race the 70-miler for which I'd been training, and I had to stop lifting, stop paddling, and start grueling physical therapy for the umpteenth time in my life. All this time I was still having mini-relapses of illness which caused me to stay in bed for a few days at a time.

A few weeks after my shoulder dislocation (around mid-June) I was back in my kayak and began to carefully train for US Nationals. 10 weeks later, here I am, excited to race for the first time in a year and put some of these setbacks behind me for good.

It was a rough year. Nothing went the way I'd planned. I'm certainly not as fast as I was a year ago before the tumult started. But I'm on the upswing, and I'm not backing down. This is my journey; I'm proud of it!

Eggplant Parmesan

2010-08-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Another recipe comin' at ya.

My Mom's Amazing Healthy Eggplant Parm
(made from honest, happy Amish eggplants)

1. Wash eggplants and cut them into thin rounds.
2. Set out a pie tin filled with buttermilk and some skim milk (to thin the mixture just a bit)
3. Set out another pie tin filled with bread crumbs, italian spices, and parmesan cheese.
3. Dip the eggplants in the milk mixture, then the breadcrumb mixture; then set them on an un-greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 400 degrees until they start browning a little, then flip them and do the same for the other side.
5. In our oven, it usually takes close to an hour to bake.
6. Serve with my mom's mostacholi sauce (Sorry, that one's a secret!)

The milk instead of oil and baking instead of frying makes this super healthy. The eggplant is not goupy and soft like in a restaurant, which I appreciate.

Meet ROADY

2010-08-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

This is Roady, the newest addition to my bike-canoe-kayak-ski-snowshoe-rollerski-surf-climb fleet of toys.

"Roady" is short for "Roady the red bullet," and is named fondly after Matt Deady's first car. In lieu of a picture of said car, here's an old classic: Matt and me, circa 2006.

I picked Roady out myself, from all the other used road bikes waiting to be purchased at R Community Bikes. This is an awesome non-profit in Rochester that gives away bikes to needy members of the community. You can donate your old bikes to the program (my parents did) and friendly, helpful volunteers service them and eventually pass them on. They also have road bikes for sale in the upstairs room. Most are between $70-$120 and are perfect bikes on which to commute to school or with which to make a new best friend .

I've already been on several missions with my new comrade. We are going to make a fantastic team.