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.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
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.
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.
Monday, July 1, 2013
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.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
There will be challenges
The challenges we come across make us appreciate the good things we come across in life. A challenge I have to face each day is a Lupus diagnosis. People misinterpret Lupus as being lazy, not being really sick or "there's nothing wrong with you". The biggest thing people can do is educate themselves on what this disease really is. The best way I can describe it is it's an auto immune deficiency. For more information on lupus: click here
Lupus is a challenge for me, some days I don't even want to get out of bed because I am so exhausted, sometimes everything just hurts so much. And sometimes I just want to give up. It's a challenge I face, everyone faces different challenges, but when we overcome the challenges that is what makes everything worth it.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon with a girl I babysit. We went swimming for 3 hours and was in the hot sun. I didn't feel to bad out in the sun, but it was as soon as I came back inside took a shower and stood for a moment. I became extremely light headed and felt HORRIBLE. I guess I forget sometimes. My lupus had been going so well I forget that I am not invincible and actually do suffer from it. It's a challenge. I was able to go home from work and rest, which was nice. Then it was time for a new day. It's that choice, stay in bed and feel sorry for myself or get up and enjoy the day.
Having lupus is just one of the challenges I face. For everyone it is different, but at the end of the day it is a challenge. We can sit back and let it consume us, or we can decide to pick ourselves up and carry on with our day. I like the second option because even though there is a big challenge in front of me overcoming it every day is the greatest feeling in this world.
Lupus is a challenge for me, some days I don't even want to get out of bed because I am so exhausted, sometimes everything just hurts so much. And sometimes I just want to give up. It's a challenge I face, everyone faces different challenges, but when we overcome the challenges that is what makes everything worth it.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon with a girl I babysit. We went swimming for 3 hours and was in the hot sun. I didn't feel to bad out in the sun, but it was as soon as I came back inside took a shower and stood for a moment. I became extremely light headed and felt HORRIBLE. I guess I forget sometimes. My lupus had been going so well I forget that I am not invincible and actually do suffer from it. It's a challenge. I was able to go home from work and rest, which was nice. Then it was time for a new day. It's that choice, stay in bed and feel sorry for myself or get up and enjoy the day.
Having lupus is just one of the challenges I face. For everyone it is different, but at the end of the day it is a challenge. We can sit back and let it consume us, or we can decide to pick ourselves up and carry on with our day. I like the second option because even though there is a big challenge in front of me overcoming it every day is the greatest feeling in this world.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Be in the present
Late night, early morning. I'm starting to feel the effects of lack of sleep kick in. Today I had practice at 8 a.m. Not too bad, but any time you step on the board that early it feels like it's around 5 a.m. Surprisingly it was an amazing practice! I am fixing my hurdle (the technique used to get to the end of the board). It finally came together and started to let me jump higher and actually be able to finish my dives. I was having issues with twisting on my entry, and I fixed that too. Maybe the lack of sleep my ability to not over think my dive really helped.
Diving is such a mental sport. When you are thinking of other things, especially negative things it really effects what you do off the board and into the water. I try my best to leave my thoughts of things besides diving at the door, sometimes it's difficult, but other times it makes it so diving is a safe place, an escape from reality.
Today I learned a fair about life in general. There needs to be balance. Having a perfect life isn't being great at just one thing there needs to be balance. I was told to listen to this one song by The Byrds called Turn, Turn, Turn! The Words were adapted from The Bible, book of Ecclesiastes. The song states that there is a time for everything. Time to laugh, time to cry. Everything we do in our life isn't worthless, but there needs to be a balance and we need to live in the present. Make sure everything we do that day makes us happy. If you're doing something that doesn't make you happy, change it!
Diving is such a mental sport. When you are thinking of other things, especially negative things it really effects what you do off the board and into the water. I try my best to leave my thoughts of things besides diving at the door, sometimes it's difficult, but other times it makes it so diving is a safe place, an escape from reality.
Today I learned a fair about life in general. There needs to be balance. Having a perfect life isn't being great at just one thing there needs to be balance. I was told to listen to this one song by The Byrds called Turn, Turn, Turn! The Words were adapted from The Bible, book of Ecclesiastes. The song states that there is a time for everything. Time to laugh, time to cry. Everything we do in our life isn't worthless, but there needs to be a balance and we need to live in the present. Make sure everything we do that day makes us happy. If you're doing something that doesn't make you happy, change it!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Falling into place
That moment when things are finally starting to click is the greatest feeling. Even in my life outside of diving when all of my hard work finally pays off is just a wonderful feeling.
Today I got to experience that in diving.
Practice has been quite interesting. During the summer we go back to basics, start at the bottom and build our way back up to our dives we compete. During competition season we tend to forget the basics and focus on the big dives, but ultimately if you can't do an approach, you can't do the dive! It was quite interesting going back to the "easy" dives. Trust me they weren't that easy! I was smacking on my back and on my front over and over. If I can't do the simplest dive how was I ever able to make my harder dives. The theory is if you can have the technique of the simpler dives you are able to transition into the harder dives. It has been a long few weeks of nothing but blah. Today was the first day it clicked. I was able to do my harder dive better than I have ever done. It was higher, it was faster and I had a nice come out. FINALLY!
Today in the "real world" my issue was MATH. Goodness I wonder if anyone else has as much trouble with math as I do. I feel the class started off fairly easy, I joked saying the class was a joke. I spoke too soon. I am now sitting here trying to do some conversions.... I don't even know how to start these questions. I try to tackle my math problems as if I were to tackle a new dive. Start with what I know and go for it. Don't be afraid, be confident. Sounds silly, but half the time I over think my math problems and at first I had them right, but then change them to the incorrect answer. Like in diving and life I need to trust my gut instinct even in math. If anyone knows math, let me know!
It was really exciting to be recognized for something outside of just my diving skills. My amazing teammate Al and I were acknowledged for going to the NCAA Career in Sport Forum, the one I had mentioned earlier this month. Check out this article and hear what we learned.
Happy Tuesday.
-Kersten xo.
Today I got to experience that in diving.
Practice has been quite interesting. During the summer we go back to basics, start at the bottom and build our way back up to our dives we compete. During competition season we tend to forget the basics and focus on the big dives, but ultimately if you can't do an approach, you can't do the dive! It was quite interesting going back to the "easy" dives. Trust me they weren't that easy! I was smacking on my back and on my front over and over. If I can't do the simplest dive how was I ever able to make my harder dives. The theory is if you can have the technique of the simpler dives you are able to transition into the harder dives. It has been a long few weeks of nothing but blah. Today was the first day it clicked. I was able to do my harder dive better than I have ever done. It was higher, it was faster and I had a nice come out. FINALLY!
Today in the "real world" my issue was MATH. Goodness I wonder if anyone else has as much trouble with math as I do. I feel the class started off fairly easy, I joked saying the class was a joke. I spoke too soon. I am now sitting here trying to do some conversions.... I don't even know how to start these questions. I try to tackle my math problems as if I were to tackle a new dive. Start with what I know and go for it. Don't be afraid, be confident. Sounds silly, but half the time I over think my math problems and at first I had them right, but then change them to the incorrect answer. Like in diving and life I need to trust my gut instinct even in math. If anyone knows math, let me know!
It was really exciting to be recognized for something outside of just my diving skills. My amazing teammate Al and I were acknowledged for going to the NCAA Career in Sport Forum, the one I had mentioned earlier this month. Check out this article and hear what we learned.
Happy Tuesday.
-Kersten xo.
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