Finding that balance

Being a D1 athlete there is that fine line of finding balance. There is not enough time in the day it feels, but we do, it's just how we manage our time.

My friends are extremely important to me and between practices, work and school I find it hard to fit them into a schedule. It's bad when you have to schedule your friends. I have changed plans a million times with a good friend of mine. She was our team captain last year and someone I have always been able to really bond with. It all worked out that I was able to meet up with her (Dani), Nicole (my freshman roommate) and Melissa (one of my closest friends) and have some froyo (frozen yogurt).


I had team building for my work that afternoon and had an amazing time! As much as work gets annoying, tough and frustrating I have such an amazing work family! I know they would do anything for me and I would do anything for them. An afternoon just hanging out, go karting and playing so arcade games was just what I needed.

The evening I got that chance to spend with some amazing ladies who are extremely inspirational. Over a two and a half hour talk we poured our hearts and I left feeling better than I ever have. To sit and talk about everything that has happened since the day I got to Utah inside the pool and outside of the pool and to realize how far we all have come is truly amazing. I have grown up a lot and seeing my teammates and friends grow into the amazing people they are is breathtaking. Nicole has found so much peace within herself. She is a cross fit guru and she has found that family outside of the team. Finding a group of friends besides the ones you spend every moment with is extremely important. It's all about that balance. 

Leaving the conversation we all agreed that having more nights like that is needed and even though we are all extremely busy and feel like there is no time... We need to make the time. We all walked away feeling new and happy. I honestly am so blessed to have amazing friends and teammates. 2013-2014 will be an amazing season and a great senior year.

-Kersten xo.

Why can't I get this?

This past week has been a busy one and I'm sorry I hadn't  had the chance to even just jot down what has been happening practice wise.

So I was a "normal" college student for a little bit this week working on some new stories for the school paper. As I have mentioned before I do sports writing and trying to get that resume building, college experience I decided this is a good way... Well it is extremely time consuming. Interviews here there, phone and in person. I'm starting to realize what it takes to be a journalist... Maybe not exactly my thing, but the experience is there and I'm doing my best to embrace it. I also get to see the other side. I am the one to ask the questions not the other way around, which is new and a little nerve racking. I don't want to write the wrong story, but I also want to make sure I am getting all the information out.

Diving has been going quite well. I am back up on 3meter still. EEEE! So last year around this time I had quite an incident. I smacked pretty hard on one of my dives....

Watch it here

After that I had a long struggle to do it again. I was scared and always nervous. By the end of my season I was able to claim it as my favorite dive. Yesterday I had to get up and do it after a few months of not doing it. I was quite nervous.... My first one was FLYING OVER, I didn't really come out. After that first one, it actually wasn't too bad. I started gaining that confidence and realized it was a fluke that one time and to trust myself.

It's not just that dive I have been getting frustrated about.... I am having a serious time with my 107c (front three and half somersaults). I can figure out the heel drive to get into the dive on a one and a half and sometimes a two and a half, but as soon as I get to 3meter I draw into my flip rather than throw. I am lucky to have a good teammate who sits and breaks it down with me. Being an athlete having video replay is one of the most valuable things to have. I'm a visual learner so seeing all of my issues in front of me can help me start to fix all of them.

I just hope I can get past this frustration and even being nervous on the dive so I can start putting it down.

-Kersten xo.

Look at how far you have come

This morning I had practice at cottonwood. I am still trying to kick this cold so a little worried on the sinuses... Turns out it was a great practice. I brought another dive up to 10meter today. Inward, my not so favorite direction. There was this younger boy up on 10meter too he has just learned a build up for the first time and then went straight up to 10meter to do the dive! WOW! That's all I kept thinking. How he just shrugged it off and did the dive. If he could just get up there and do it without even really prepping for it man there are a lot of dives I should be doing.

I took that attitude and really worked at my armstand. I have a lot of issues with it and always underestimate the fact that I can actually do it. So I reminded myself that I could do it and well it actually worked. Mind over matter. Your mind is more powerful than you think; with diving being a mental sport it makes sense.

There is this amazing young girl who trains out at cottonwood and she is I believe around fifteen years old. Today practice just got the best of her. I hate seeing other people upset, especially with diving. If I could give her or really anyone any advice it would be remember how far you have come not how far you still have to go.  I added the photo above on Instagram as a small reminder to myself on my own diving. Write down your goals, write down how practice went. Keep a journal of your thoughts and how you're feeling. Everyone needs an outlet and especially as an athlete venting helps, even if it is not to a person.

Afternoon practice was another really good one. I worked on my front three and a half somersaults again too. Better attitude this time and well attitude changes everything. It worked out. My 1meter was coming along great too. Worked on some reverse and backs!

Life outside of diving well that's another story. Here at work again. Have to pay the bills somehow eh? Social life feels non existent, but I know it's there.

My really good friend and co-worker came in all bubbly today and told me that she has fallen in love with this new TV Show "New Girl" and the main character Jess; how she lives her life so happily. Kailey and I decided to be a little more like Jess today.

-Kersten xo.

Happy Monday

It's funny I am a person to actually enjoy Mondays, Tuesdays aren't my favorite. This is only because weekdays are extremely busy for me and weekends I kind of catch up on sleep... Kind of being used loosely. Tuesdays are hard because you already had to be up early one day and your body is just not liking you!

I decided that writing on the weekends might not always work just because I'm not really diving. I will however try and let you know what it is like to try to have a "normal" college experience on the weekends. Mine is usually filled of work, work and more work.

Summer practices have some advantages. I was so exhausted and did not think I would be able to get into the pool not to mention dive off of 10meter so I talked to my coach and he said we could move morning practice until Tuesday! Lucky right?

So season must be around the corner as our new head coach sent out an email for the upcoming year. It is looking quite amazing. Training trip to Hawaii, competing against some amazing PAC 12 schools. Only thing that really made my stomach turn was the condition aspect......

As part of the evaluation process for selecting our early travel squad, you will be evaluated on a number of fitness tests over the first 3-4 weeks of the season.  These may include any or all of a 1-mile run, pull-ups (max), sit-ups (in 1 min), push-ups (in 1 min), jump-rope (5min max), 

With that in mind I decided to give a one mile run a shot. Caleb being the awesome teammate he is decided to give it a go with me. Well he didn't make the full mile, but he was definitely on a six and a half minute mile pace. I thought I was running a mile, turns out it was a little less. I ran it in seven minutes and six seconds, so in reality I could do around an eight minute mile. My goal is seven minutes.... There is still a lot to go. I haven't attempted the other things yet. I think I should try and work on this everyday.

Diving was another good practice. I'm starting to see things all coming together. During that time of basics after basics. Hurdle after hurdle I couldn't see anything good coming out of it. I was annoyed and frustrated, but now I am beyond excited seeing the results.

Today was my first day back on 3meter. Oh how I do NOT like 3meter haha. I did a good solid 20 front three and a half somersaults. That is honestly the hardest dive I have in my list! There were a few moments I wanted to completely give up. I didn't understand what I was doing wrong, but it just wasn't working. I just kept going with it. My full outs were actually quite good for first day back. Looking forward to having a solid 3meter list... maybe minus the three and a half.

-Kersten xo. 

Happy 4th!

Today is the 4th of July also known as Independence Day in the United States of America. This is pretty much a first for me! Did you know you can buy fireworks from a stand and light them on your driveway? Yeah... I was shocked too.

I guess you can consider this a day off! Those don't come often being an athlete, even a day off means you are still training. I actually took today off. I am EXHAUSTED.


Life outside of the pool lately hmm.. Trying to have that normal "college experience" right? Well I am writing for the school paper. My first article was just published on Tuesday. Check it out here. 
One of the girls at my work just asked me "What don't you do?!" I laughed and said have a normal life. I sometimes wish I could just get up and go places. Again not all D1 athletes have the busy insane I live. I am trying to have the best college experience, build my resume and dive at a competitive collegiate level. I sometimes think I am insane, but at the end of the day I can look back and be so proud of everything I have accomplished.

 Summertime is the time for fun right?? Well I feel I'm busier in the summer than during season. Work, internship, diving, classes, friends, vacation is hidden in there somewhere right? I could go for a nice long week vacation sitting on the beach somewhere maybe not as warm as Utah has been haha. Then again couldn't everyone?

Taking each day one day at time, or as my Mom likes to say: take it one minute at a time.

HAPPY AMERICA DAY

-Kersten xo.

Getting excited

All I am going to say is IS IT NEXT YEAR YET?! I'm actually getting extremely excited for my senior year. Yes it is extremely sad it will be my last year, but diving is actually going quite well that I'm beyond excited for season to start.

Today I had outdoor practice at eight! My coach came back today too! So it was just me practicing. Kind of lonely, not going to lie, but it went surprisingly well. I worked on a dive off of 10 meter, my favorite so it wasn't too bad. I also started working on inwards again. I have a HUGE fear of inward dives, it goes back to when I hit the board in December. I currently an inward two and a half somersaults pike off of 10meter, but I really want to get an inward three and a half somersaults tuck. This is the summer to do it and get it! Learning new dives are extremely scary, but that's why I love diving. Diving is the one sport that will always give you an adrenaline rush, even if you have done it a million times. Standing on the edge of the 10meter platform backwards, throwing yourself toward the platform and insane speeds... Yeah nothing beats that feeling :)

Second practice was another enjoyable practice. I am finally getting everything I couldn't grasp before. Starting to see what my coach means about certain dives. The summer is an amazing time to practice because there is actually time to break things down. During season it's competition after competition so it is extremely hard to work on basics and technique. I am so happy I chose to stay here and train this summer, as much as I miss home.

Well it's that time... Work time!

-Kersten xo.

Happy Canada Day

EH!

 

Yes I am Canadian and very proud of it. Even though I am in America I still celebrated. I think one of the hardest things about being an international D1 athlete is being away from home, especially when holidays come around. My family was able to go to a huge amusement park in Canada and my brother was able to go to a lake with some friends. I still had class and practice, but I had some amazing friends who still made my day special.

Practice was different today as Richard is off recruiting so it was just my teammate Caleb and I getting work done. It wasn't too bad of a practice. As an athlete I always love someone else giving an opinion on my dives. A second look tends to catch something the first look didn't see. Caleb is great for that! He always sees things in my dives no one else does, that's why he is a wicked coach! He coaches a country club team during the day when he isn't diving. I'm lucky to have him as a teammate and as a friend. 

For a second day in a row I ran 5km on the treadmill. For anyone who knows me that is a shock! I'm loving it! Just me and my music giving it my all. I ran it in a little under 30 minutes, but I know I will improve. I'm looking to run a 10km race at the end of this summer, it will be a lot of work, but since there are no dives and I'm super competitive I need something to work for. Wish me luck!

It's not always work, work, work... Well mostly in my case ha-ha, but I was able to end Canada Day by making some homemade poutine and Nanaimo Bars. They were DELICIOUS! I could have ate a whole pan, but with training, never a good idea! Glad I have some good guy friends who gladly took them off my hands.

-Kersten xo.