Running in Orlando

I went for a four/five mile run at this park yesterday to get some new scenery into my running. Not a bad place to run, but the Pennsylvanian in me would've liked some more elevation changes. I could see the entire park while standing as it was so flat. One of my roomates, Dan from Georgia, joined in too.

The area directly around my apartment complex isn't the best for running as there is only like a mile stretch along a busy highway road that is runnable. For the most part, I've kept myself active by hitting up the gym, playing some volleyball and basketball, and getting a few local runs in. I'm perfectly fine with that as I can get a good sweat on, no big deal. I don't really have plans on doing an extensive amount of tri-training down here because why throw time away like that when I get to spend most of my time in the Disney area. I've got to admit that it has been nice to have a mental break from the bike. I'll be pumped to get back on it when my time hear comes to an end, but I'm going to enjoy my time down here sans the double-wheeled gyroscope.

Give me that sunshine

I'm now in my third week working at Disney World and it has been an amazing experience thus far. The first two weeks of work consisted of a redonkulous amount of orientation/training and sitting in front of computer doing e-learning... so glad that's over. Now I'm doing my rotations at two deluxe resorts at Disney, the Grand Floridian (see previous post) and the Polynesian Resort. The shifts have been a bit slow so far, as the weather is a bit chilly and overcast/rainy, but that will pick up in the coming weeks (Though I did get to watch Jon Stewart having a good time at the pool while I was on duty).



There is so much more to the experience here than work too. Although I am putting in full time hours, I have been to most of the parks in Disney, some cool spots around Orlando, and I'm checking the area today for some nice trails to run to get out of the gym and outside. I've got to say that I'm not sure if I'll have a favorite park out of the Disney parks (Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios) since they all have their own cool nuances. Downtown Disney, not actually a "park", is a spot I'll be hitting up for some nighttime fun throughout my time down here. The main attraction down there is the restaurant/bar/club, The House of Blues, which hosts concerts occasionally with upcoming shows from Flogging Molly, Yellowcard, and My Chemical Romance. Also, I hit up the club, Roxy, the other night with some of my roomates and a handful of girls from New Zealand and Australia. That was a new atmosphere for me there with a solid dance floor and DJ throwing down some good beat music. I'll make a trip there every now and then, but I dropped a bit of cash there that night so I need to watch myself.

The apartment living situation for us here is so diverse that it makes college seem, well, not diverse. The apartment complexes for the College Program kids here are pretty much an interactive map of the world. I hang out with kids from all around the country (all my roomates are from different states) and the globe. I used to think that American accents made people crazy different, but talking with Brazilians, Australians, New Zealanders, Brits, and others really opens the mind. I'll be bringing some crazy words and phrases back to town with me after the program for sure.



Enough sitting behind the computer, I'm heading out.

Black and Yellow

GO STEELERS!

1st few days

This Disney gig is sweet. So far there has been a few sunny days of high 60s. The apartment complex I'm at (Vista Way for those playing at home) houses about 2,500 people and sounds like it will be quite a good time. It is stocked with 2 pools, hot tub, tennis/volleyball courts. Not too shabby. I lucked out with roommates. 6 people living in one apartment from Montana, California, Georgia, Michigan, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania (fun crew).

The first few days and the rest of the week are orientation and training days. All of these are paid, so it is not all that bad. Plus, I get my Disney ID tomorrow which is my pass to all the parks! My job placement is a lifeguard is at the Grand Floridian Resort... one of the higher end Disney resorts:
Disney Grand Floridian Resort and Spa



My brother, thankfully, drove down with me to split up the driving and is staying for the week. We got a few good runs in and have been checking out the Florida scene here. Once again, not too shabby.

I'm pumped to check out the area more and meet more people. For now, I'm laying low for the 6:45 a.m. start tomorrow. Cheers.

A Unique Look at my Grad School Options

I had some fun with Google Maps putting this together. It's really cool to think that I'll be going to one of these places this coming fall. Enjoy.

Trip to Oregon State University
Johnstown, PA to Corvallis, Oregon
1 day, 20 hr (car)


Trip to Florida State University
Johnstown, PA to Tallahassee, Florida
16.5 hr (car)


Trip to Oklahoma State University
Johnstown, PA to Stillwater, Oklahoma
19 hr (car)


Trip to St. Louis University
Johnstown, PA to St. Louis, Missouri
11.5 hr (car)


Trip to Marywood University
Johnstown, PA to Scranton, PA
4 hr 17 min (car)


Trip to University of Pittsburgh
Johnstown, PA to Pittsburgh, PA
1 hr 30 min (car)

Pittsburgh to Orlando

Statshot of the trip. Any better sites to find cheap gas, anyone?



$105 isn't too bad. The Aerio should be more efficient than that though (hopefully a new ride in the near future?).

Last brick of '10

I did a brick workout on 12/31 with an easy 30 min spin, followed by ~6 mile run to test out my ability in that regard. I felt strong for the most part with some evident weakness at the end as I haven't ran in about 2 months. This workout was followed by a solid day of soreness (the kind that feels good). All things considered, I am confident that I can improve myself with some more honed-in training with the swim/bike/run.

A few more weeks of Pennsylvania and I'm gone... it feels like its going to be a long wait.