Tuesday Kayak

On Tuesday I went for a long kayak on the Charles.  There's a Waltham site for the kayak place that's right by the dam there, and you can go upstream (no real current) for 6 miles to Newton Falls, which is what I did.  It was a perfect day on the water - the sun was out and it was beautiful!  At one point I came across a bird fight - this swan was all puffed up and angry with this goose family, I think they got too close to mom goose and the babies (who were hanging out and watching).  Angry, puffy swan kept going after the geese, who were distracting him from the baby geese.  Finally all the babies got away, and the geese went in one direction, swans in another.  I would not want a swan to be angry with me, that dude was fierce!

For much of the time the water was completely flat - I love it when it's like that!  It took me like 4 hours, but I took my time, and had lunch, etc. Definitely will try to do that again!

So, my big news that I didn't mention in my last post:
1 - I defended my research proposal and passed.
2 - My IRB was approved
3 - I reached out to people to interview and have 2 scheduled for Monday, and 6 others who have expressed interest/willingness.  I need a minimum of 6 interviews.
4 - I have a job interview at Harvard on Tuesday!!  (Made it through their screening interview already)

Boom!

Galehead and South Twin

I did something to my elbow and I've taken a break from crossfit to let it heal.  I think it's starting to get somewhat better - I haven't stopped kayaking, hiking, climbing or paddle boarding, which I guess could slow recovery...?

Anyhow, it's Memorial Day weekend, and I decided to get in some 4000 footers.  The plan was Galehead and the Twins, staying at Galehead hut.  It's so cheap when it's not full service season, just $30!  You have to carry up your sleeping bag and food, though it turns out that there's coffee and home baked cookies (which I couldn't have because I didn't have any money. Sad.)

Because I was sleeping up there, I was able to get a little later start, I got to the mountain at about 9:30 and started climbing a little before 10.  Galehead is a pretty gentle climb for the first 2-3 miles, and it was nice just being out there, walking, not stressing too much.  Then, of course, it got steep.  The steep part was long, but not too hard, and I got to the hut in about 3.5 hours.  The hut's so nice, it's a little bit smaller, nice view, really pretty part of the Whites.  I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some gummy bears, and left my main pack in the hut, and left to do South Twin.  It's only .8 miles from the hut to the peak of South Twin, but man that was hard core!  I was huffing and puffing, and I could feel my heart beating!  About a half hour into the hike I got to the sign that said I was a quarter mile from the hut, and I thought about turning back and giving up, but then I reminded myself that it's a mental battle as well as physical, so I continued.  It took me almost an hour and a half to get the .8 miles!  It was an amazing view from the top, though, that's for sure.  I sat and ate and looked at the mountains and felt proud of myself.

I had the option to hike over to North Twin, which is 1.2 miles away, but I decided not to because #1 I could see rain in the distance and I didn't want to go down the rocky South Twin trail when it was wet and #2 I still had to summit Galehead mountain, and by the time I did the 2.4 miles, I was worried I would be too pooped.  It's a half mile from the hut to the top of Galehead, but I was a little worried that would be another couple hours.  So, I went down (much easier) and back to the hut.

I asked the caretaker about Galehead, and how hard it was, and he was like "it's easy, but not very interesting, and there's no view from the top."  He made it sound pretty unappealing, but I had to hike it anyhow, because that's what I do.  The top was just a cairn with no view, but there was a nice scenic overlook, so it was good.

I was so tired I went to bed at 8:30.  At 11 I woke up and thought I had slept a long time - ha! Then I went back to sleep.  I got up at 6:30 and started down at 7:20.  It was a little rough at first going down because it had rained and there were slippery rocks.  But I got down in about 2.5 hours.

After I went to my friends in North Conway.  We went climbing today - I did a 5.5, a 5.9, and a 5.10b, though I think I skipped the crux on the 5.10b, and my friend assisted me a little with her rappel.  I got to the top of the 5.10b, and my belayer went to lower me down, and I didn't move.  Apparently the rope was twisted.  I was shaking in my shoes.  So scary.  Because there was slack on the other end of the rope, and I wasn't moving.  I had some Dark Climbing Thoughts.  And it was a high climb!  But then they got me untwisted and down.  So, survived another long weekend!

A day late + a few days late

I've been a bad blogger once again.  But, last weekend, on Saturday I did go for my favorite walk in the Fells, to the overlook rock.  It's finally spring, and it was so nice to go for a walk in just jeans and a sweat shirt! I did spend some time with my dark thoughts, but I guess I have to get them out. I think they're dying down a little. On the bright side, I decided that since I will no longer be killing myself over work, it will be fine to join the Canoe and Kayak place again - especially because they've opened a new location on the Mystic River that I can practically walk to!  So, I decided that's my tax refund, the canoe and kayak for the summer + the conference I went to.  I can't wait to get back out on the river!

I also went to crossfit on Monday. I had a pretty crappy day (again) and was feeling a little blue. It didn't help that when I got there it was a huge class, and we were doing back squats, so I had to share a platform with tiny people who were lifting way more then me. And my quads are still killing me!  I did squat 83 pounds 20 times, which I feel is pretty hard core.

For the WOD, I wasn't feeling it. There was running and I was a little tempted to just run to my car, get in, and drive off. But I didn't. So I gave myself credit for what I did.

WOD: 2 rounds
400 meter run
15 overhead squats (I lifted 35 pounds)
I don't remember my time, but I do remember it was killer!

Rope Climbing (not)

Once again I didn't climb the stupid rope.  I did however go to crossfit twice this week, which is what I wanted to do. So, check.  It was a lot of rowing, and deadlifts. Plus rope climbing, which I eventually just skipped, because I felt like it.

We started with push press, 5 sets of 2. I got up to 75 pounds, which I was happy with!

WOD: Dork AMRAP 20.14
33 calorie row
15 deadlifts (I lifted 95 pounds)
5 rope climbs (wiffed it)
I rowed like 4 times and lifted 3.

Work has just been all around yucky.  I'm not applying for the director position after all - after I emailed my current boss earlier this week he put me on the hiring committee. And then emailed back to say "oops, my bad." That's just mean. They aren't going to offer me the job, no matter how hard I try to prove myself.  As I tell my students, sometimes when you are hitting your head against a wall, it's just good sense to stop.

Marathon Day

Marathon Monday today, but it rained and was miserable out all day.  I watched a little of it, but tried to work on my resume and cover letter. I can't believe I'm hear again.  Letter is just started, needs lots of work.

I did want to get to crossfit today - tomorrow I'm going climbing, Wed to pub quiz, Thursday there's a workshop on salary negotiation that I really want to go to, so that leaves the weekend. For the last two weeks I've only gone once, which is lame. So, I had to go.  Which was rough, because there were a lot of burpees.

WOD: 4 rounds:
4 squat clean and jerks (I lifted 55 pounds)
10 pull ups (I used bands)
13 burpee lateral jumps
after 4 rounds are complete row 1000 meters
my time 24 minutes 20 sec

It was supposed to be a 800 meter run, but it was so nasty outside, I'm not sure anyone went out to run.

All those damn burpees were killer, I really thought I might puke at the end of the 4th round. It took me 6 minutes to row because I was so nauseous.  I was going to cut down the burpees, but then I was all, if you're going to hike the AT one day, you can't be taking it easy.  So, there's that.

I emailed my boss today and told him that I was applying for the director position and that I "appreciate your support and guidance through the hiring process."  That was the second time today that I almost vomited. But, as a friend of mine pointed out, that's what I would say to him if I was the director.  Now, I just have to write the damn letter.  Yuck.

Networking

This weekend I'm going to a conference that I paid for myself and I'm going to try to network!  I hope it doesn't totally suck. But, I have to do some job searching, and I have to do it now.

Crossfit today was a lot of rowing, which of course I like. But, we rowed 3000 meters, which is pretty far!  1600 is a mile, so almost 2 miles. We also did ring dips, which I can't do, but I learned that if I have a band holding the rings together, I can jump up and hold myself up on the rings. Small steps.

WOD: 5 rounds
500 meter row
5 pull ups (I used bands)
10 push ups (I used bands)
20 sit ups
my time 25 minutes, 38 seconds

I'm working on the IRB paperwork for my dissertation. I hope this year of crazy hard work pays off with something good. I think it will.

Skateboard!

Forgot to blog on Thursday, now it's Saturday. Lame. I only went to crossfit once this week. I was still sore from the hike on Monday, was very busy feeling sorry for myself Tuesday, Wednesday was full of burpees and I really didn't want to, and Friday I went hippy dancing (more on that later). So, only once this week - I was going to go on Friday, but decided that hippy dancing was an allowed alternative.

Thursday started with push presses, 5 rounds of 2. I got up to 75 pounds, which I did 8 times. That's heavy!

WOD:
40 calorie ski erg
30 thrusters (I lifted 35 pounds)
40 calorie row
30 kettle bell swings
my time around 15 min 20 sec

I just got off the phone with my dissertation advisor, and I'm going to start working on my IRB paperwork!  Yay!  She approved my lit review, and made some recommendations for edits on the rest of it, but I could work on the edits as I wait for the IRB approval.  Hopefully I will submit it in a couple of weeks. That's my goal.

I bought a skateboard because, well, not really sure why, but I did.  I took it outside for the first time today and totally wiped out. Ouch!  I'm icing my knees now. Why do I do this??