Saturday September 17th, 2011

Okay, I'm finally writing. I've been meaning to for a long time but I have been working extremely hard on school after practice every day. This is the time of the year when I need to take advantage of how  much time I have because the second part of the year is gonna be hectic. Lots of competitions close together - traveling, getting ready, extra preparation, etc. School is finally picking up steam now that there's time. I guess I'm making sure I get A's and not rushing through it. I'm going to finish High School slow anyway so I might as well have great grades. Just wait till I start a math course, i'll be singing a different tune probably.
  The first competition is soon. We leave for St. Louis the 28th and the competition starts the 1st of October.
I'm doing at least as well as I did last year on the sprints already and I think I'll surpass my fastest lap times from last year pretty soon.
  After working my tail off all week on school, I went to Andrew's to hang out. He picked me up in his Beamer convertible with a huge sub in the back, and we went to his house where his dad made a killer meal of fresh, farmer's market-bought perogies and raviolis in a vodka sauce and a muffin. Then I got a chance to witness Andrew's baseball skills first hand as we drove to the field and tossed the ball around for over an hour. Andrew, like me, has two passions and in the summer he plays lots of baseball at some of the best facilities in Texas and California with one of the best teams in Cali. He gets emails from colleges saying he's too young for them to make an official offer, but that they would love to have him at their school. He can throw an 87 mph fastball and he's sixteen and only trains for baseball maybe a quarter of the year. So background done, yesterday it took me a while to get used to the power and movement of all his throws. His curve ball just doesn't stop moving once it decides to begin its six foot diagonal dive. I couldn't believe how many times I just missed it because I blinked at the last second. Then once he threw his fastball with a crow hop which makes it faster and I caught it but it went right through the glove and got stuck in between the fingers.hahahaha! We had a blast. I still have some of my baseball chops for sure.

  so then we drove to Harshaan and Ryan's apartment (they are teammates) and hung out. I slept over and am still here relaxing after going with Harshaan to his campus gym and going on a long run. Harshaan goes to RMU, which has a typically PA-like rural campus with lots of flowery decorations, steep rolling hills, and everything pristine. Ryan's working at Sam's Club now and Harshaan's napping, as I shall do too now. It is sooooo nice to have a weekend of relaxing and doing productive recovery. I still did some school work today and will do more after I wake up. Last night I submitted another lesson of Literature of the Future - my six essays on the Andromeda Strain. Next, I will read A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

So here I am, back in the Burgh. Its the season. Much much different feel. Only two sessions in one day once a week (Friday). Different kinds of drills - more speed and sprinting, shorter, more intense intervals. More time in the day for school, cello, and of course writing in the blog. The weather is pitching in to the intense change in life for me. Its cold and rainy, not hot and sunny. Its exciting. I realized on the way back that the summer is over. I made it. Now no matter what the workout is in the morning, the schedule cannot be as grueling. More fun and enjoying going fast!! This morning, back on the ice for the first time in a week and a half, with hardly any sleep (got in very late last night), and extremely stiff from sitting in a plane all day yesterday, I really surprised myself with the lap times. I felt terrible but my times were pretty fast considering. Hopefully being burnt out is a thing of the past (or of the summer - haha) and I can really kick it into gear for the races!