Ouch!

Other than one small bump in the road with my first vaulting day, practices have been going well here in Knoxville. Last Monday we were run off the track by thunderstorms so the day was cut short. But this Monday it was sunny and gorgeous, so I got the full enjoyment from the workout. (Oh yes!) It started with about 45 minutes of plyometrics. Think bounds, frog jumps, lunges.... It definitely went better than last week but I still have work to do. The main workout was next... 8x80m. I wanted to post this workout up because I was pretty proud of myself. All of them were right around 11.3 sec, which I realize isn't terribly fast. But I was running in flats, from a standing start, and on legs that felt like lead weights. I'd say it's pretty good for someone with 8 years of distance running in their background. It felt really good, I may be coming around on this whole sprinting thing. But it was a very good thing that Tuesday was mostly upper body workouts with gymnastics and weights.... My butt hasn't been that sore in a looong time! Haha. :)
The rest of this week is a bit of a hassle trying to get track time with the Sea Ray Relays in town. The UT team is barely allowed on the track so us other folks aren't left with much. I will be competing Friday at 1pm if anyone wants to come out and watch. It's really just a practice for me, but there are 32 girls entered. Several of them are capable of 4 meters or higher so there will definitely be some good jumping to be seen. Plus there will be high jump, mid-distance races, sprints, hurdles, and throwing all going on while we are vaulting so it should be an exciting day. Just as long as the storms hold off....

New Places, New Faces

So I did it! Just finished my first week as a Knoxville resident. The last few weeks have been quite the whirlwind getting everything sorted, moving, and then trying to get settled in, all while making the transition in my training too. Leaving Boone was not easy. I have made a lot of close friends there. I made it through all of the goodbyes fairly well, the only time I truly got choked up was finishing my last practice. Daniel has done so much for me over the last 3 years. There is no way I would be at the level I am if it wasn't for him. I know it's not really goodbye, it's simply the next step. But it was still hard.

The move was rough, but I owe a HUGE thank you to all the friends that came out and helped. I really don't think I have a ton of stuff, but it would have taken Geoff and I so long to move it all on our own. I will find a way to pay all of you guys back somehow. I basically tried to hole myself up in my new apartment most of this week so that I could get all of my furniture put together and boxes unpacked. Now that I am officially moved in, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Though the final stage was very quick, the actual move to Knoxville has been a long time coming. It is refreshing to think that I may not have to move again for 5 or 6 years!!

There are so many big changes between life in Boone and Knoxville. It was cold and snowing when we pulled out of Boone last Saturday. Aside from a few passing storms, it has been sunny and gorgeous every day in Knoxville. I feel like I moved from the middle of winter to the middle of summer. I had to buy some sunscreen because I already got cooked on my first day out vaulting. I can't say that practices are a ton harder, they are just fairly different. And the volume has been upped a LOT! So the first few days it was a big adjustment, amplified by the fact that I wasn't really getting any recovery time because I was having to drag furniture around the apartment and unpack boxes every moment I was at home. But it's all done! And the ice maker in my apartment is getting put to good use making my ice bath every night.

I'm looking forward to some more intense training ahead. And while I do the job search, I'm going to make sure I get out and about and see all that Knoxville has to offer. For anyone that wants to come visit, there are museums, a zoo, an aquarium, awesome greenways, public gardens..... But I'll be sure to always remember the reason that I am here. My outdoor season will officially begin this weekend. I will be jumping in the Sea Ray Relays at UT. Because it is so close to this big coaching change, I will limit myself to a shorter run (12 steps) and focus on getting a good push off of the pole rather that focus on getting a PR. The rest of the season is still up in the air, but I will be sure to update you guys soon so you can come out and watch. Cheering fans are always welcome!!