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.

Awesome Christmas!

This year has been great to me and today was no different. I scored big today with a triathlete training book (Friel's training bible), Steeler's jersey #92 (rep black and yellow when I head to grad school), a sweet book about various molecules (deal with it), and a bunch mo'.



I plan on making use of the training guide while in Disney to look into various training plans to use to improve my athletic potential as a triathlete. Although I most likely will not be taking my bike with me to Florida, I will still be able to improve myself. Without going too in depth, I plan on working on my running volume and swimming technique. A little guidance from Joe Friel will go a long way, as I have seen firsthand the continuous improvement in fellow cyclists and athletes who adhere to dedicated training plans.

I almost forgot to mention the great early Christmas present I gave to myself... a solid 3.71 GPA for my final undergrad semester. I got a B in Biochemistry; the class I was afraid of failing! I get to relax a bit know knowing that I rocked undergrad. Additionally, I figure I should be getting word back from grad schools by the end of January.

Giggity.

A Few Ounces of Preparation

It took a bit of work to get into the Disney College Program; going to the initial presentation a few years back, applying online, and then going through the phone interview. Accomplishing some of this during this crazy semester stretched me a bit thin at time, but just looking at this, it is worth it:





Cheers to warm, sunny weather!