Tag Archives: college

Running Coaches

By Posted in Reads, Running, Training Tagged , , , , , 45 Comments

I posted a while back (probably about a year ago) about my thoughts on coaching and people having coaches.  Long story short, as a collegiate runner at the time, I thought it was great.  Coming from a cross country team that I was NOT forced to do track workouts and NOT forced to make a certain weight or compete inner team like…I full enjoyed the laid back appeal of my coach.

Hard to believe this was 6 months ago...

Hard to believe this was 6 months ago…and one week into cyst recovery

OH the joys of running D3.  Honestly, though I still keep in pretty good contact with both my college coaches and they inspired me to keep running after college.  This post isn’t about giving them all the credit they deserve though, because that would take a few thousand words.

This post is about why I do not think everyone and their mother needs a coach. To me personally, it seems like everyone talks about their coach and how their coach forces you to run harder…you never would have made it out there without HIM (please comment if you have a female coach because I’m curious to find someone who does).  I often feel when I say I’m at the point where I’m uncoached on my blog, people don’t get it.

Well why don’t you have a coach?

Because I’m improving right now without one…because I don’t need external motivation to go out in run…I run almost every morning with no coach telling me…Hollie go run this morning.

I’m not doing speed workouts and even if I was…there are plenty of sources to tell me what goals I need to hit my dreams.

I’m not saying every person should not have a coach. Caitlin and I are on the same boat with this…I think elites obviously should.  I think high schoolers/collegiate obviously should…their running is much different than those going to road races for a good time (ie: me).

I do not think for the average runner that it is necessary to further your running career by having a coach.  I think running basically boils down too: if you train smart and run more…you will improve.  If you aren’t improving, maybe then it’s time to look for a coach.  (or maybe it’s time to change your training first).

If you have a coach, that’s great and I’m happy for you.  If you have an exact mileage, speed you need to be hitting daily with no room for change and thrive off that…well great.

For me I need the flexibility to start off every run, not knowing exactly how far or fast I’ll go.  I wouldn’t mind having a coach but I am not obsessivly looking for one nor do I feel incomplete without one. 

Questions for you:

Do you have a coach?  Do you want a coach?

Unprepared for College Part 2

By Posted in College, Reads Tagged , , , 62 Comments

Last Friday I posted an infographic about high school students not being prepared for college.  There were a lot of responses…some people agreed…some people didn’t.  Some people felt as though their high school prepared them enough and they easily graduated college (go you guys!) and some people felt they could have been more prepared. 

I just wanted to follow up with that one because it sparked a lot of commentary.  One of the main themes that people chattered about was that college is NOT for everyone (which I 100% agree with).

There are many jobs that do not need or require college.  We NEED people to do these jobs in society just as we need people to do college based jobs as well.  Without having all types of jobs, our society will fail to exist.   It is not possible for everyone is our society to go to college because of expenses or because of job opportunities in such fields.  Not everyone in this world can or needs to be a doctor or something that requires an extensive amount of schooling.

Let me give you an example that I’ve had a VERY hard time putting out there.  I don’t want to go to graduate school.  Not in the slightest, it doesn’t interest me and I could honestly go the rest of my life without going.  I don’t feel like I need too either.  The amount I have been told oh you’ll change your mind.  You’ll want to eventually is not only sad but obnoxious.  It’s almost as if it’s expected to go to college, graduate and then go to grad school in the culture I’m living in.  Graduating college for me, was A HUGE DEAL.  A HUGE DEAL.  I’m not belittling it, I’m not saying it was easy.  I’m not saying by any means that I got perfect grades (does it seem like a lot of graduates say that?) I’m saying I worked my butt off to get through college, had a good time and graduated.  I learned a lot in my studies but also about myself.

I changed (read about that here) majors after my junior year of college.  It took me three years to realize that math education was not for me.

A lot of people take college for granted…oh I was supposed to graduate college, it’s frowned upon in my family if we don’t…wasn’t bad… then they look at the infographic and they wonder…well why didn’t the other 46% of people who started college graduate.  When your parents are paying for it, you don’t realize that college is very expensive.

Question for you: Talk to me about your college thoughts. 

Unprepared for College?

By Posted in Uncategorized Tagged , , 51 Comments

As someone who works in college health I thought this was extremely interesting.  As a former college student I found this extremely interesting.  

I know I don’t normally giant photos to flood random information with you guys (but I don’t normally do a lot of things…).  I thought it might be interesting to you (since most people reading are primarily in college or went to college). Just so we are clear, I did not receive any payments to post this on my blog or anything free..

I just found that so many people feel so much unnecessary pressure in college when it is more than your studies.  I could do a whole post on that topic alone really.

Provided by: CollegeatHome.com

Questions for you:
Anything surprise you?
Any big plans for the weekend?

I’ve got a pocket fun of Sunshine

By Posted in Personal Tagged , , , , 29 Comments

I was nominated for the Sunshine award (mostly because I love the color schmellow yellow and that is sunshiney…).  I also feel like I can’t take life seriously on Saturdays because I’m just too excited for the weekend.   Brittany is awesome blogger so go over there sometime.

1.       Who is your favorite philosopher?

I was not nominated for the scholar award.   Let’s be real here and I do not have a favorite philosopher.  My favorite one was whichever I needed to quote from Wikipedia to pass my term papers.

I can look like I’m pondering and being scholarly and be my own favorite philosopher.

2.        What is your favorite number?

12 because my birthday is July 12th.  It’s an even number.  Those are my reasons.

3.       What is your favorite animal.

Black leopard or snow leopard.  I used to want to be a zoologist in high school.  I don’t know why I changed my mind from that to math then to health.  Well I didn’t like biology enough to take all the classes required for zoology.   I enjoy paining leopards as well.

Yes I have a wall of cats that I painted…you know judge away.

4.       What are your Facebook and Twitter?

My twitter is FueledbyLOLZ.  I don’t have a facebook for my blog.  I don’t really need one…my real life friends that care enough that I blog know where to find me.  My twitter friends can find me via that…I need no more social media.

5.       What is your favorite time of day?

6:15 am obviously because my alarm is set for that and even when it’s not I still wake up at that time…

6.       What was your favorite vacation?

I’m just going to pretend I’m taking this survey after Thanksgiving and say when I go down to Texas.  What can I say, I’m a fucking time traveler.

7.       What is your favorite physical activity?

Dancing on a stripper pole.  Dancing is good, rapping is hard work.  Right now it’s ellipticalling.

Or you know…dancing on the pool deck during swim meets…this was over a year ago? Oh dear, where is time going.

8.       What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?

Non alcoholic?  rum extract and coke.  There is no actual rum in rum extract…I think.  But really I like coffee…you can find me instragramming everyday #coffeeaday

I know I’m cute.

9.       What is your favorite flower?

Seeing as I don’t grow flowers because I have a black thumb (is that even what it’s called?).  I’m not too picky with any sort of flowers really.  I like most all of them.

10.   What is your passion?

In no order: blogging,  anything health related , helping others, running and working out and most importantly-living the dream.

And blogging in prom dresses.

Nominate some people.  I nominate everyone on my blog roll over there_>>>

Also speaking of that, I need to update that. 

Answer: any or all of the questions.  I love learning about my readers! 

Weekendcation

By Posted in Uncategorized Tagged , 15 Comments

I had an amazing weekend going back to my college.  I visited some of my awesome friends and cast of characters you saw on the blog last year and also just hung out.  It was so nice to just relax outside of Oswego and at work.   I have certainly missed these guys.

I find these posts a lot easier if I just photobomb and then caption the photos because all the moments are clearly the most important.

Northern New York issues…

Justin, my infamous 50k BFFer.

and of course the lovely Jenna! :-)

Mackenzie and I had a photoshoot with Justins dog…why?…why not…

How we really felt…

 

And a nice photo of us at the bars. I know…I forgot I could be a real girl too….

 

Question for you:  Do you visit your old college (or high school)?