AU May Term Student Bloggers

Day 6 North Cheyenne Canyon and Rockies game.

2009-06-01T21:38:00.004-05:00

OK so this was our last day exploring in Colorado. The day before we found out that the Colorado Rockies had fired their manager so our trip to Coors Field was cancelled. So to improvise we went to North Cheyenne Canyon and decided to go on another hike

So we decided that the medium trail was our best bet and we had a blast. Throughout the trail there were numerous waterfalls and and rivers flowing and the whole thing was relaxing.

The only difficulty with the hike is that when we got to the top of the hill we had hiked 1,00 feet up in elevation. A lot of the trail was steep inclines and a lot of us had to take a break and catch our breath.

A long the way we would catch an awesome view of the city of Colorado Springs. It was a great view and with the waterfalls in the background it was truly awesome. We were also amazed that as we were going up we got passed by a lot of cyclists both going up and down. Those paths were very narrow and I was nervous walking the path let alone riding a bike on the path.

Coming down the hill was more interesting than going up. It was very easy to go down but the step incline turned into a steep decline and going down the hill was interesting. The path was slippery at times and we ere all in a hurry because we had a rainstorm on the way.

Now this is the twist in the trip that I just had to post about. On the way down the path a couple members of the group decided to run. When they got to the part where the trail met the road they stopped and waited for the rest of us. While they were waiting a lone cyclist was coming down the road and when he hit a dirt patch he lost control of his bike and slid down the road to where our students were. One of the students Mike, helped the guy out of the road and helped him to the side of the road. Our assistant athletic trainer at Aurora, Nicki, came and assessed the individual to make sure he was alright. The cyclist insisted that he was fine but he had cut up his elbow and knee really bad. He also told us he had fallen before. We assessed him and immediately called 9-1-1. The ambulance came and took care of him. Afterwards we talked about the whole situation and what happened. We noticed that the bike was a one-speed bike and the tires had no traction. This is not good for riding up on mountains and could have contributed to his fall. But this was enough action for one day and we went back to our hotel to get ready for the Rockies game.

Later that night we went to the Colorado Rockies game to watch the Padres and Rockies play. The game was a good one and the Rockies won with a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth to win. We then went off to have some ice cream and the retired to hotel to prepare for our trip back to Chicago.

In the end this trip was amazing, we all had different parts we liked and everyone had something that they were interested in occur on the trip. We loved everything and would not have changed everything that went on with the trip. I would definitely recommend the the trip to anyone interested because you will not get so many great experiences in one experience.

I have one more post before Colorado is over. I hope you enjoyed these posts and I look forward to the last post of this may term. Until then take care and enjoy!

Day 5 Flying W Ranch

2009-06-01T21:22:00.002-05:00

So later in the evening we went out for a relaxing dinner at the Flying W Ranch. This was a working ranch and had an area set aside for tourists to go through and learn about the old west.

We went through the replica wild west town and just enjoyed the sighs and sounds of the whole area. We saw an Indian tribe perform some dances in traditional outfits. We also saw what the churches and housing complexes back then looked like. We also went into a tepee and walked around the rest of the town.

Besides walking around the town we went into this saloon looking area for our dinner. The dinner was a chuck wagon style set up and the food was amazing. I had a steak, baked potato, apple sauce and biscuits (from scratch), all the lemonade and ice tea we wanted. The meal was great and we all got our fill. If anyone did not want to have steak they had the option of chicken or beef that was barbecued.

After dinner we were treated to a western music performance. This was a good time to just sit back and relax and enjoy the evening and we did. The Flying W Wranglers were the second oldest western band in the world and they were a very talented group. After the performance we retired to our hotel for the night. The next day would be our last day in Colorado unfortunately but we have a fun day of events planned. So stay tuned for my last post of the trip.

Day 5 Air Force Academy Part 2

2009-06-01T20:26:00.003-05:00

OK so these next couple of posts will not be as long as the others but I still want you to know about everything we did. So we headed back to the Air Force Academy to meet with Allen Hedrich, Director at the National Strength and Conditioning Association headquarters. We met with him at the Academy because the NSCA headquarters was hosting a symposium and we didn't want to get in their way.

So at first we had a 1 1/2 hour presentation on periodization and the various ways to set up a conditioning program. We learned a lot of variations to the basic periodization model and Allen was very helpful in answering a lot of questions that we had. We went through different cycles and different scenarios that can occur during a year-long conditioning program.

We then went out into the weight room. Allen showed us some different kinds of exercises and showed us how to get a workout in with water-filled kegs. We did a variation of squats and lunges and these were not that easy. We then went to floor exercise with barbells and Allen showed us how to do some core exercises with one end of the bar anchored into the ground.

The last thing we did was go through a shortened tutorial about how to do the Olympic movements with dumbbells rather than barbells. This was the best part of the weight room session because there were some people in our group who had never done an Olympic movement before and to get a lesson from one of the best strength coaches in the countries is not a bad place to start. After the session we thanked Allen and went on our way. We went back to the hotel and relaxed for a few hours because later that night we went to the Flying W Ranch. Until then buh-bye!

Day 4 Pike's Peak

2009-06-01T19:29:00.005-05:00

Back again with more fun in Colorado. Here is our excursion of the day. After the Air Force Academy we decided to catch a train and take it up to the top of Pike's Peak. Where we were staying was around 6,500-7,000 feet above sea level. The top of the peak was over 14,000. As we drove around the previous days we noticed a big mountain the distance with snow covering the top of it. Little did we realize that that was Pike's Peak and that we would end up on the top of it.

To get up the mountain we took the Cog railroad and the trip itself was a little over 45 minutes.
We were part of a 3 car system that took us up the mountain side. We were told to make sure we had a jacket or sweatshirt with and we would soon know why.

At the start of the trip we went through a thick forest with a lot of dips and turns. We didn't see much wildlife but there were numerous rock formations that resembled things like an elephant, diamond, Santa's sleight, and a seal. We had a an enthusiastic tour guide and learned a lot of little tid bits of information about the mountain and surrounding areas.

As we made our way up the mountain there were markers that pointed out every 2,00 feet that we had risen. As we got about halfway up the mountain we realized a slight change in temperature and we notice a difference in the air.

At about the 3/4 mark we were 11,50 feet and when you looked out the side of the train we noticed how high we were. At one point on the trip we could see past Colorado onto the plains of Kansas. We also were able to see the tallest mountain in New Mexico. On the way up we also saw the largest gold mine in the world and many lakes and forests throughout the mountain range.

The closer we got to the top we started seeing snow on the ground and some of us in the group were getting headaches or sick. We found out that we were suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness. By the time we go to the top of the mountain it looked like a Chicago winter up there.

When we got to the top we were informed it was 31 degrees and that we were at 14, 429 feet above sea level. We had heard that at the top of Pike's Peak they had the best doughnuts around. I thought it was weird when I first heard that but I go to try one and they were actually really good.

When we left the train station is was 78 degrees and sunny and when we got to the top we still had the sun but it was 47 degrees cooler. At the top the view was amazing and we could not believe how far we could see.

On the way down we were told that the song America the Beautiful was written when the songwriter looked out over the mountains and was inspired by the view she saw. As we made our way down the mountain we could see how she was inspired and we all felt better as we came down the mountain. All in all we enjoyed ourselves and loved the journey. We have two more days in Colorado which means I have a few more posts to do so until then, talk to you later!

Day 4 Air Force Academy

2009-05-31T01:23:00.003-05:00

Alright so here we are on day 4 and what a day it was. We started out with a trip to the United States Air Force Academy. Before I go any further I just want to state that this place is enormous. We met with Buck Blackwood who is the head of the Strength and Conditioning Department. He took us on a tour throughout the athletic facilities and showed us what the athletes of the Academy had at their disposal.
Stat-wise there are 4,000 cadets at the Academy ad roughly the male to female ratio is 3:1. The cadets have a course load of 20-23 hours on top of military priorities and then athletic practices. These athletes are extremely devoted and have a lot on their plates. The Academy also doe snot give out scholarships and competes in Division 1 athletics.
On their grounds they have three athletic weight rooms, a ice rink, two basketball courts, wresting room, indoor track and football practice field, and a human performance lab. These are the main rooms on the complex. they have numerous smaller rooms but this blog is not big enough to contain all the different rooms and services that the Academy offers.
We also got a tour of the athletic training facility and our AT students were blown away. The part that I got the biggest kick out of is that they had a hydro-recovery pool on site and it was bigger than our pool that we had at the hotel. I thought that was funny. The AT's here operate on a more laid back environment than most other AT's do. This is a good thing because they have more time for individualized attention for the athletes and they can provide the best services for athletes from fencing to football regardless of skill and talent.

The last place we stopped was the human performance lab. Here we talked with a coach who trained the vision of the athletes. This was probably the most interesting part of the training. The instructor told us that by training the vision the athletes performance increased dramatically and it showed on the field. We were able to play with the tests the athletes took. One of the boards resembled something you see in a doctor's office but you had to hit the lights and they gave you feedback on your strengths and weaknesses. This was a fun but educational experience and opened our eyes to other forms of training that maybe considered "outside of the box".
Overall we gained a lot of useful information from Buck himself when we had a question and answer with him. The most interesting part of the discussion was how the athletes train. A lot of the the training that Buck does with his athletes requires the use of water filled implements. They had specially designed dumbbells, strongman logs, and kegs filled with water that the athletes do various exercise with. The method behind this was that by lifting the water-filled implements the athlete has to balance them and use more of their core and stabilizer muscles than if they lifted with a stationary weight.
After talking with Buck we were able to take numerous training methods and exercises to incorporate into our conditioning programs. As the days go on we keep adding to our knowledge base and this is crucial to us because a majority of us want to go into fields that require a knowledge in the strength and conditioning field. The more exposure we get to these professional settings the more we feel that we want to go into this field and contribute something to the field once we are there.
In the end we enjoyed ourselves at the Air Force Academy. A couple of us were jealous of what their athletes had to work with and others were envious of the laid back attitude of the coaches and AT's. Nonetheless we learned a lot from them and looked forward to our exploration of Pike's Peak later that day. So until then talk to you later!

Day 3 Garden of the Gods

2009-05-31T01:03:00.004-05:00

Back again with more blogging from Colorado. So i might have mentioned this before but just in case I didn't, each day we are in Colorado we do an educational experience and an exploratory trip. This was the exploratory part of our third day in Colorado. The first picture is how we looked and felt after the day.
So the Garden of the Gods was a state park that was discovered by Zebulon Montgomery Pike on his way up to Pike's Peak. As they went through the garden there were large red rocks throughout the park and plenty of trees and other vegetation throughout the park. The explorers who discovered the park felt that this place was a garden "fit for the Gods" and so the name Garden of the Gods was given to this park.
So overall we hiked a little over 10 miles and were out in the park for 4 hours. While this was a lot of hiking we enjoyed exploring the park. A major reason we hiked so long and were out there so long is because we were going off the paths marked and exploring the rocks and climbing all over them. As you can see in the pictures we did stunts and other things on these rocks that provided for great photo ops for Jen.
The funny part of the rock climbing was when we would get to the top we realized how high we were and it was scary at times. Also as we went through the park we would see people professionally rock climbing up the larger structures and it was crazy to see them dangling hundreds of feet above the ground.
We walked through a majority of the park and saw many of the major rocks structures throughout the park. Some of the structures we saw were the Siamese Twins, Balance Rock, and Giant Red Rock. Overall this park was gorgeous and my words do no do the beauty of this park justice. If you are ever in the Colorado Springs area I would say that Garden of the Gods is a good idea of a place to stop.
After the garden we went to a mexican restaurant called Amanda Fonda and the food and service was great. After a long day of hiking and exploring we enjoyed a good meal ad sat around the table and talked and shared stories until ti was time to go. The next day we went to the Air Force Academy in the morning and then went to a train that took us up Pike's Peak. I look forward to sharing Day 4 with you until then, see ya!

Day 3 Carmichael Training Systems

2009-05-30T01:30:00.002-05:00

Here we go, look a live! On day 3 of the trip to Colorado we went to the Carmichael Training Systems lab for testing. The center is owned by the Mr. Carmichael who is world-renowned for training endurance athletes, mostly cyclists and some triathletes. The one thing Carmichael is known for is training Lance Armstrong the 7-time Tour De France winner.

So before we left for Colorado, Katy offered to do a blood lactate test and a VO2 Max Test. Pretty much these tests allowed for endurance athletes to see how far their body can be pushed before it reaches exhaustion. I felt tired watching Katy go through about an hour and a half of tests. She was spent afterwards and during the testing we learned how they train athletes, what protocols were taken, and how they communicating with their athletes.

Surprisingly a lot of athletes talk to their coaches via email because they train all over the globe. They get athletes from all aspects of the endurance sports. They get mountain bikers, cyclists, marathon runners, triathletes, etc. and they are serious about their training. Lance Armstrong is currently training again for another Tour De France and our guide told us about the preparation that goes into Lance's training.

Overall we learned about a different variation of training but we still picked up some information. Even though endurance training may not be what I am interested in it is importance to have knowledge in all aspects of training. In my profession i want to teach people about fitness, if I only know about some aspects of fitness I would not be as successful if I would have common knowledge in all aspects of fitness. This was the shortest portion of the trip but we still learned a lot, next I will post about our trip to the Garden of the Gods. See you later!

Day 2 Cave of the WInds

2009-05-30T00:47:00.003-05:00

OK back again, here is the second half of day 2. We drove up into the mountains to take a lantern tour of cave of the winds. This was a pretty cool deal. The view from the top of the mountain was gorgeous and we were amazed.

So you can imagine how this expedition went imagine this. We are let to this wood door with a 4 foot by 3 foot hole cut out. Our guide told us that there were numerous passages in the cave like this so if you have knee or back problems, the tour is not for you. We were also told that their were steep inclines and lots of ups and downs so you needed to be in some sort of shape to complete the tour. Next we are led to a wooden set of stairs and railing and are handed a kerosene lantern. We were then told that after the stairs there was no more concrete and no more electricity.

So on the tour we definitely got a workout in. At one point I was duck walking through a tunnel and my heart rate was up to 160. The picture below was me trying to fit through one of the holes. I legitimately almost got stuck in this hole. Throughout the tunnel it was hard to see Jen, our head chaperon would always turn around and take a photo op. FYI a really bright flash in a dark cave is not cool, But we wouldn't have pictures so it's a Catch-22.

The caves were discovered in the mid 1800's by two entrepreneur/explorers. They would charge tourists $1.50 to take a tour of the caves. One of the owners was stealing money and the other ended up splitting and buying another set of caves in the area. Eventually He got a hold of the cave of the winds and died protecting the cave from his crooked partner. They say his ghost still wanders around and it made the tour a little more interesting.

The one thing that creeped us out on the tour was the owner that died had a wife and she always wore a rose smelling perfume. Well as you go through certain parts of the caves you could smell the aroma and it was kind of weird. There were certain areas that it was really strong and some of us were creeped out by it.

There was also this part of the cave were it was significantly warmer than the rest of the caves and it was kind of weird too but we just went with it. There were points in the tour where we would put out the lanterns and it was pitch black. You could not see the person standing right next to you and it was creepy.

After we got back from the tunnel we took some goofy pictures on the surface. Overall it was a great experience and we loved getting out and exploring some of the nature that Colorado has to offered. After the caves we went to a pizza place in Colorado Springs and they had a slide in the building that we were only allowed to play on once we finished our food. That is all for the day 2 hold on because there is plenty more from Colorado.

Some PICS

2009-05-28T21:49:00.004-05:00

The 4 girls that were lucky to experience PARIS!!! this is at our last diner in Paris with Carol, Terri, Professor Sawyer and his wife!!

This is me at the Musee D'Orsay!!! I love it sooo much!!!

Yup CHICKEN IT IS!!!! I seriously think I ate chicken every day in Paris!!!

Noheli and I at the Louvre Pyramid!! AMAZING!!!

4 girls in a 9 story mall!!!! wow!!!!

Day 2 Olympic Training Center

2009-05-28T21:28:00.010-05:00

OK so here is the next installment of the Colorado trip. Our first stop on the trip was the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The site we visited is one of three Olympic Centers across the country and they specialize in swimming, rifle, judo, wrestling, weightlifting, and a few other sports.

We ended up with four tour guides on the trip and the first guide took us on a tour of the facilities. He explained to us what went into planning the facilities and how to create an environment that your clients/athletes would be productive in. We were told that Michael Phelps was in the building but that he would not see any groups so we could not get a picture or anything with him.

The next step we made was in the athletic training facility. We first met with the director of the department and he explained the model that the AT's follow at the Olympic Training Center. In a "nut shell" their model is that that everyone involved in an athlete's development should be on the same page and know what each other aspect is doing. For example the Mr. Phelps will have a strength coach, a doctor, nutritionist, massage therapist, and a swimming doctor. Now if the physical therapist is working a problem in his back all the other involved in his training will know what is going on and will be contributing to getting him back to 100% as fast as possible. This was a good model to have and it was good to hear about the treatment that the athletes were receiving and to see the teamwork it takes to make an elite athlete "tick".

The next person we met with was the head AT and he showed us around their facility. The highlight of this mini tour was when they took us to a brand new complex that was built called the Recovery Center. In this building there were massage tables, recovery nutrition, cold/hot whirpool, aroma therapy, and any other method of healing that you could think of was available to the athletes. Any athlete would die for these services and this center will be crucial in the training and progression of the Olympic athletes.

The last tour we took at the OTC was the strength and conditioning center. Here we met with three of the strength coaches and talked to them about the facilities and there methods of training the athletes. Basically the coaches want to make the athletes better athletes. They all train primarily the same systems and one athlete does not have an advantage over the other. We also talked about supplementation and learned that at the OTC the athletes are strictly tested so they have to be extremely cautious with what they take. Overall the athletes respond well to the coaches and the coaches work hard to make sure that the athletes are in the best shape possible at all times.

Overall the experience at the Olympic Training Center was great. We learned a lot about the people behind the scenes and how hard they work. The one thing we took away from the OTC was that egos need to be checked at the door because everyone involved, coaches, ATs, and athletes are in this together and that is the only way they will succeed. Well that is all for now, stay tuned for more from Colorado

France and Germany

2009-05-28T14:04:00.004-05:00

Since Luxembourg isn't exactly the biggest country on the map (unless your map excludes every country on the planet save for maybe Malta, Monaco, Andorra, Liechtenstein and a few tiny island nations) there is subsequently not a whole lot of geographical area to be explored. While this is not to say that we have seen every square inch of the country, you can only pack so many exciting adventures into one tiny nation. Because of this, yesterday we stepped (or, more correctly, rode a train) across international borders into France, and today into Germany.

In France, we visited a town called Metz. This was located in the once German region of Lorraine, and is a remarkably historical city. I believe, if my memory isn't completely incorrect, this is the region from where part of my family (the Selles) are descended --Grandma, if you're reading this, correct me if I'm wrong. The town itself was gorgeous, and the Gothic architecture was remarkable, especially in one particular cathedral with what I have been told sports the most extensive collection of stained glass in all of Europe. We also saw a museum dedicated to a host of ruins from the area and a contemporary art section to blow your mind, including one of the coolest sculptures I have ever come across (pictures will be posted as soon as my technological incompetence stops impeding my ability to get pictures onto this computer). Later in the night, Keith and I took a trip down to a small English pub in a valley called the Grund to watch the Champions League final, FC Barcelona vs. Manchester United, which was an awesome game with an exciting crowd, just an overall good time.

Today, we did the same thing, only to a town called Trier in Germany. This was perhaps one of my favorite things so far, as it just so happened to be the birthplace of my --and everyone else's-- hero, Karl Marx. We had the wonderful opportunity to visit his house, and the entire thing was awesome, I learned so much I had never previously known. It was a really great exhibit, although there were some interesting flaws in some of the information provided that were clearly intentional --i.e. the contemporary applications exhibit failed to mention that Salvador Allende's 1973 overthrow by fascist right-wing paramilitary soldiers led by Augosto Pinochet had been U.S.-backed. I also had another fun time at a small restaurant we went to while we were there; the waitress was from Spain, and so only spoke Spanish and German. As I can only speak Spanish and English, it has been frustratingly difficult at times to communicate with many of the locals. It provided me the first real opportunity of the whole trip to communicate with someone in a foreign language. Robyn had done the exact same thing at a small restaurant in Metz the day before (only her performance was far more commendable, even trying to pronounce those French syllables is way more of a challenge than I am willing to tackle), and got a pretty friendly response from the waitress we had.

Only one more day left in Luxembourg, and then it will be on to Brussells (or Bruxelles as they spell it here, which is infinitely cooler) for us. Keep checking back! Pictures soon... for real this time.

Day 1 in Colorado

2009-05-28T00:11:00.006-05:00

So we have been in Colorado for three days and I was looking at all the pictures so I decided to do a blog on each of the places we visited. So this first day is the airport. We got to the airport at 9 to catch our flight that left at 11:18. We then flew out to Colorado and got in around 12:30. They are in mountain time and are an hour behind. So here are some pictures. Here is us at the airport:

So the guy in the middle of the picture on the right is Will. He had never flown before so this was his first plane ride. So you know the guy on the left is John and on the right is Mike. In the picture on the left going from left to right is Katie, Megan, Heather, and me. On this plane this is the seating arrangements:

OK so when we got to Colorado we could feel a difference in the air. Denver is called the mile high city due to their high elevation above sea level. because they are higher there is less oxygen and for us coming from the Midwest it took some getting use to. As we were waiting for the our transport the guys noticed that if you could take successive deep breaths you could really feel the effects of the air. As we drove through Denver to Colorado Springs where our hotel was we were amazed at the view of the mountains. Will pointed out that it looked like they were not real and were more like a picture. Even with the clouds hanging low we were still amazed at the beauty of the mountains. I will get some pictures up from my phone of the mountains but words can't really capture the view. One of our chaperons said that she liked their skyline a lot better than Chicago's and the group agreed. Well this is all I have from Day 1. The next blogs to be posted will contain pictures and information from the Olympic Training Center, Cave if the Winds, Carmichael Training Systems, and the Garden of the Gods. But until then stay tuned for more of this trip.

Less than a week to go...

2009-05-26T10:48:00.002-05:00

It's unfortunate that there's less than a week to go here, time has flown by fast. We have been spending so much time doing so many things, that its hard to really just kick back and relax, and I haven't had much time to post on this blog --and, admittedly, when I have, I have had trouble remembering. In the past three days, we have done some pretty exciting things. A few days ago, we went to an American military service for Memorial day, presided over by the American ambassador to Luxembourg and a few other officials at the American war cemetary where General Patton himself is buried. That entire day had been quite interesting; before we went to that cemetary, we went to a German one so that we might experience firsthand the contrast between the two, and it was remarkable. The crosses in the German cemetary were not religious in nature, but were Nazi crosses, and needless to say there were of course no Jewish headstones. They also featured 3, 4, and sometimes even 5 names per headstone, each of which was made of weathered (but natural) stone. The only large monuments on the whole premises were a large stone entryway, and a ten or fifteen foot cross at the end of the cemetary signifying the location of a mass grave. The entire thing was niceley shaded, and almost ominously serene.

Meanwhile, at the American cemetary, nearly every stone surface was made of white polished marble, and there were a number of huge monuments dedicated to the soldiers buried there, including an outrageously tall marble tower engraved with words describing it as a "humble tribute" to the American casualties of WWII. There were also two giant murals, one describing the direction of offensives in the West, and another describing solely the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes. The landscaping was unbelievably well kept, and the entire walkway surrounding the marble tower was lined by a tall green hedge, with not a single branch uneven. There was also only one soldier per headstone, and to each unknown soldier was written a small epitaph describing the nature of who was buried there, something along the lines of "here lies a fallen soldier known but to god" or something (the german graves had been "ein deutsch soldat" or "zwe deutsch soldaten." Later, we came back to the house to have a small party with many of the people who had attended the memorial service, and were given a chance to meet the Ambassador herself, who had been a hold-over political appointee from the Bush administration. After meeting her, I can say that I am thankful she is on her way out, and that we as a nation are no longer being represented by someone such as her.

The following day, we went on an all-day cruise down a river to a winery, which was a lot of fun. The cruise itself wound its way down the river marking the Luxembourg-Germany border, and we were able to just sit and relax and talk while enjoying the absolutely beautiful (and apparently extremely unusual) sunny, 85 degree weather. The winery itself was interesting, very dark, and very cold, and the tour guides spoke only Dutch and French, so we had to piece together what was being said as we went along, but it was still a nice experience.

Yesterday was perhaps the coolest day yet, we went to a castle in a small town called Vianden. It was seated up in the mountains, which was strange to me because prior to coming here, I had no idea there even were mountains. Through each of the rooms, there was a small model documenting the progression of the castle as it was expanded upon throughout the years. It would be difficult for me to adequately express the regality of the building in words, and I'm a little crunched for time at the moment, so later tonight or early tomorrow morning I will upload as many good pictures of the castle as I can, keep checking back frequently; I just need to go through the hundreds that I took and find only a few I can post on here.

I'll post again by tomorrow morning at the latest with all the pictures.

Velocity Trip

2009-05-25T18:45:00.006-05:00

So I know I said I would post about a week ago, but I had outdoor nationals for track and field and getting my stuff packed for this trip left me with little time to post. So the trip for Velocity was a fun. Since I was leaving for nationals the next day I did not particpate in the workout. But the rest of our class did. I also work at Velocity part time so I knew all of the drills and practices that they went through. Here is a phot of the group before they started the workout.

We started out with a dynamic warm-up which was a little longer than usual. When athletes come to train at Velocity they train in one of three areas. Multi-Directional is practicing moving in different directions and being able to cut and pivot and other related movements. Acceleration is when the students work on building up from 0 to 100 % as fast possible. Maximum Velocity is the ability to maintain 100 % fro as long as possible. Each dynamic warm-up is tailored to it's individual discipline. Since we were there just for a sample we included parts of all three disciplines into the dynamic warm-up.

We then did specific drills that pertained to each discipline and this is a picture of the group doing an acceleration drill. After we did drills in each discipline we went into the weight room where the classes at Velocity focus on the Olympic movements (snatch, clean, jerk, etc). Our class went through a tutorial on how to do a hang clean and each person in the group demonstrated the movement. The next picture is one of the students performing the exercise.

We then ended the workout by stretching and the performance coach answered any questions that we had that could be used to for our conditioning programs. Overall the experience was a great one and the group seemed to benefit greatly from the session. We are leaving for Colorado today so I will have another post shortly about our first two days in Colorado. Until then talk to you later!

I AM HOME!!!!

2009-05-24T06:52:00.003-05:00

I am home!!! We got hear yesterday but I was soooooo exhausted that I had to energy to even turn on the computer!!lol... oh and the hour change is horrible... I seriously went to bed at like 6 pm and then woke up at midnight... Its about 7 am and I feel like it should be 2 pm. It was a smooth flight and I have to say that it was a lot more comfortable then the one going to Paris. The eight hours were not that bad...

Well anyways before I tell you guys about our last night in the magical city of Paris, let me say that I had miss my family so much and I'm so glad i get to see them!!!

Ok well we couldn't have end our wonderful trip in a better way. After going to the Louvre which is by the way incredible. I mean seriously knowing that you are in there looking at the real paintings gives you a little goosebumps. Seeing the Mona Lisa is kind of surreal. I was also excited that I recognized some of the painting from the once we study in my Art class. But anyways after the Louvre Professor Sawyer invited us over to his house to meet his wife before our "last" dinner. Mrs. Sawyer needless to say is a wonderful lady.

Our last dinner was great. We ate a a little but expensive restaurant. We sat outside in a high balcony that overlooked the surroundings. The weather was great so we could enjoyed every minute of it especially the delicious food and dessert!!!! I like usual had chicken but everything looked delicious. What really got me were the desserts.... mine had rose petals on it!!! yup that's right rose petals!! crazy right?? They looked gorgeous and tasted even better!! I have to upload some of those pictures... I promise I will do that tonight!!!

Our first night out!

2009-05-23T03:37:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was really cool. We began the day somewhat early, with a walking tour of the city from a tour guide that seemed as though he spoke every language in Europe; both a help and a hindrance when considering that he had to repeat everything he said in more than one language to ensure that all the tourists he was catering to could understand exactly what they were seeing. We saw one of the first fortresses ever constructed in this city, which has stood since (I believe) 923, and a really cool multinational winery that was located --for the most part-- underground. It's interesting just how international the atmosphere is here, it seems like just about everyone who doesn't live in this city is a foreigner, and nearly every sign everywhere is in more than one language. They also have a lot of foreign restaurants simply called "Snack [insert foreign country name here]." So far, I've come across a Snack Brazil, Snack Portugal, Snack Istanbul, and Snack New York, and there's no doubt a number of others that I have yet to come across.

We also had our first opportunity to go out on our own last night, which was a lot of fun. We trekked down a gargantuan hill on a cobblestone street into a small neighborhood packed into a valley known as the Grund; we were advised that it was where the majority of European kids our age liked to hang out. We found a small place called Oscar Wilde's, which was awesome as well because it was run by English-speaking management, so we were able to actually converse fluently with our waitress, something that has become quite rare to us here in Europe.

We have a lot of pictures from the last three days, either today or tomorrow we will all sit down and get the good ones off each of our cameras, and post some up! Keep checking back.

El Final

2009-05-22T16:26:00.008-05:00

Our last night in Puerto Rico has come so fast. The time has seemed to just fly by while we were enjoying ourselves and learning down here. On Tuesday we had the opportunity to visit a local university, University Sagrado Corazon. It was quite an adventure getting there and figuring out the public transportation system. We used our Spanish skills the previous night to ask some local university students directions and the correct buses to take. Luckily, they didn't steer us wrong and we made it there. This university reminded us all a lot of AU, especially since it was a small campus which gave it a similar atmosphere. The staff there was extremely welcoming and helpful and gave us a tour of the campus. We even had an opportunity to have a taste of student life and see the inside of the dorm rooms and eat in the cafeteria. After that, we ventured off to one of the larger shopping centers to converse with native speakers closer to our age. While walking around, we observed and compared the surroundings to those back home. It was a lot of fun and we were able to learn a lot about the people, language and culture.

Wednesday, we had class in the morning where we read the local newspaper, along with other materials, and continued in our pronunciation proficiency of the language. Afterwards, we began our adventure and long trek back to Old San Juan to visit the San Cristobal and do some souvenir shopping. The San Cristobal, like El Morro, was used to protect the island from the pirates..Arrg! This fort was set up much more like a museum with tons of replicas and explanations. We even had the chance to lock up Dr. Hatcher in a dungeon! :) Afterwards, we got something to rehydrate and were off to shop. While shopping, we had the opportunity to converse with the store owners and ask them about how life is in Puerto Rico. The true test of our language proficiency was using it to get directions back to our hotel. Luckily, we all made it back and even learned a lot while doing so.

Yesterday, was Mackenzie Kerby's birthday so we helped her celebrate it. We had some class time in the morning followed by the long walk back to the grocery store to stock up on some snacks for the plane ride back home on Saturday, as well as a delicious birthday cake! On our way back, we got caught in a downpour and had to wait it out for a little while. This gave us the opportunity to really observe the neighborhood and see all the differences in the houses and the beautiful vibrant colors they were painted. We learned that their houses have to be painted once a year due to all the wear and tear from the salt water. We had a really fun excursion planned for Mackenzie's birthday to the bioluminescent bay, where the organisms glow when the water is disturbed. This would have involved kayaking, in the dark, out to the bay. Unfortunately, it got canceled because of a thunderstorm and lightening. :( We were all pretty sad about it, but we made the most of it.

Our last day here we adventured off to the Camuy Caves in the west side of the island. The bus ride there was quite lengthy, but it was amazing to see a different area than where we are staying. The land here was hilly, mountainous and very green. There were cows, horses and chickens everywhere! The cave system was so unbelievable and slightly treacherous in rain. Our guide was able to call the bats out of the bat cave and we even saw some ginormous spiders. Next, we went to the Arecibo Observatory, which is the world's largest radio telescope. They use this to gather radio signals from the atmosphere, far off galaxies, planets and stars. In order to help us all remember this trip, we even got matching glow in the dark Einstein t-shirts. We can't wait to wear them!!

For tonight, we are going to eat some authentic food for the last time as a family. We are all sad to have to leave this beautiful island tomorrow filled with amazing, extremely kind people. The information and experiences we have had will never be forgotten. As a group, we have grown together and become more proficient in the Spanish language we all love so much. Adios! :)

Our LAST DAY!! :-(

2009-05-22T03:28:00.003-05:00

So this is officially our last day in Paris... we leave Saturday morning!! and you have no idea how sad I am... I really really love Paris!!!! I have come to the conclusion that I will move to Paris one day! I have to cause it really is amazing!!! With us leaving there is sooo much things we still have to do... today is a busy day for sure!! First we just finished our final test and well lets just say that a little more studying would have helped.

Yesterday the girls and I were sooooo tired after our long day at Montmartre ( a part of Paris). We were to meet our professor at a metro stop in Montmartre at 3 pm but omg!! when we were on our way the Metro people made everyone get out in one station that was about 4 stops from where we had to meet Dr. Sawyer. We are still not to sure why we all had to get off I think it had to do with an "accident" but anyways you could just imagine how not fun it was...there we were in the middle of Paris and not exactly sure where to go to or how to get to Dr. Sawyer. I am so glad that Noheli is a genius in terms of map reading!!! She figure out where we were and how to get to our destination... but it was not easy we had to walk like a lot!!!!! We found a pay phone and called the professor just to let him know and then started our long journey!!! By the time we got to Montmartre it was like 4 pm. We were very tired but we had to keep going.

Montmartre is located at the highest point of the city which means that there are sooo many hills and yup we had to get up there!! Let me tell you guys that it was the first day that my feet really did hurt!! ;-(. The walk was crazy but Montmartre is a beautiful place. I love the way it has a village feel and it is very relaxing. Noheli and I had to do our presentation on the Sacre Coeur Cathedral and I think we did great well hopefully!!!

Well this is the last post that I will be able to write from Paris!!! ;-( IT'S SOOOOOOO SAD!!!!!
As soon as I get home I promise I will upload some pics!!!

but for now bye!!!! Au revoir!!!!

We're Here

2009-05-21T13:05:00.002-05:00

Well, the day has finally come, and we're in Luxembourg. After an extended (and probably unhealthy) stint of not sleeping, it's safe to say we're all exhausted. The hop across the pond to Heathrow wasn't bad, we flew Virgin Atlantic and although I've never flown before, I'm under the impression it was a particularly nice airplane. In the back of each seat was a small television screen that played a wide selection of newly released movies and television shows, from some outrageous film entitled Lesbian Vampire Killers to Seven Pounds with Will Smith to the newest episodes of Family Guy. The food, however, was unfortunately not up to the same standards as the airplane, and I think it's safe to say that airline food is not my cup of tea.
The rest of the day was interesting as well; we had a three-hour layover at Heathrow where we were stuck in an area that really seemed to be a kind of international holding area for foreigners waiting for a connecting flight. Luckily for us, they accepted all major forms of currency and we were able to get some breakfast at a pretty cool restaurant, and grab a beer at a small pub. After killing some time, we boarded our next flight on BMI to Brussels, which was extremely turbulent at the beginning and much more relaxed as our altitude increased and over in less than an hour. From there, we boarded a train from the Brussels Airport to the Brussels North train station (and were yelled at in Dutch for putting our feet on the seats), and then switched and hopped another almost immediately to Luxembourg. Unfortunately, because 24 hours of unbroken conciousness is incredibly taxing, I wasn't fully awake to enjoy the beauty of the European countryside during the ride.
At the moment, it's about 8:15PM here, making it around 1:15 back home, which means it's been over 24 hours since any of us have really had a nights worth of sleep, save for short napping on either flight and the three hour train ride to Luxembourg, and I think everyone is probably equally exhausted. I will update this tomorrow, as we spend our first day out doing things that don't involve simply getting from point A to point B.

Check back soon!

what? what do you mean only one more day in PARIS????

2009-05-21T06:32:00.002-05:00

We only have one more day in Paris... :-( I feel like I waited so long to come and the 2 weeks have passed by sooooooo fast!!!!

I really wish we could stay a few more days!!!!!

The real Van Gogh, Monet, and Manet!!!!

2009-05-21T06:24:00.003-05:00

OMG I love the Musee D' Orsay!!!! There are so many paintings that I recognized from my Art Appreciation class that I took at AU. I new that I liked impressionist painters but actually being there and seeing the really thing its amazing!!! Van Gogh, Monet, and Manet were definitely my favorites!!!

After the great time at the Musee Me and the girls when up to see the Sacre Coeur Cathedral. Let me just say that its soooooo beautiful. We went up because Noheli and I have a presentation about the cathedral today so we wanted to go see it before the presentation. The church is built on the highest point of the city. From up there we had a perfect view of Paris!!!

Class, shop, food!!!!!

2009-05-20T04:20:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we went to visit the History of Paris Museum, it was very interesting and I think that Professor Sawyer does such a great job keeping us interested. We got to see some paintings that really helped describe some of the history of Paris during the first Revolution.
After the museum our assignment was to look at the hotel des Invalides and see the tomb of Napoleon. Let me tell you that the tomb is huge and the Hotel' des Invalides is beautiful.

Me and the girls like always wanted to continue our shopping so we went to the little vendor shops by Notre-Dame. I got a few more things and I think that I am finally getting close to getting things for everyone back home.

We had dinner at a very cute place called le Petit Pont. I order what I have order in all the places we have been CHICKEN!!!! as I tell the girls you can never go wrong with chicken. And i was right the food there is really good. But not only the food was great just the atmosphere was great. There was a man playing the piano right behind us and we ended up staying there for a few hours. We all agree that we want to go back before we leave!!!

When we got back to the rooms we all called home. I talked to my Mami and she can't wait till I get back. As I said yesterday I miss my family soooooo much!!!!!!! But I kind of wish we could stay a few more weeks!!!

oh today we got our test back and I am happy to say that we all did really well, i guess studying all night pays off ehhh??? lol!!!

Today Musee D'Orsay!!!

Weekend in Paris!!!!

2009-05-19T04:19:00.004-05:00

My first weekend in Paris was great!! We did so much and everything was great! On Friday we went to see the Hotels Particuliers. This hotels were built by Kings in the 1500's. They are like everything else in Paris just beautiful. After that we went to the PAMPIDOU center. This building is crazy. We went to the top of it and had a great view of the city.

Saturday we went on a boat trip on the Seine River. We had a good time and it was very relaxing. After the boat trip we spend some time shopping around and we ate at a really nice restaurant right by the river. We also went to the Piccaso Museum. The museum was not very big but the collection was impressive. At night we went to see the Effiel Tower and the experience was amazing!!!! The Effiel Tower looks so beautiful at night.

Sunday has been one of my favorite days in Paris. We took a trip to Versailles. The train ride was a little long but worth it. We went inside the chateau. The chateau was the house of many kings between the 1600's. The inside of the chateau is so elegant and beautiful. But what I really enjoyed was the Gardens. The weather was not the best but I enjoyed the gardens so much. They are huge and so green. I can just imagine how beautiful they must look in the summer ( I might just have to come back to Paris in the summer to see them) lol...

Monday in class we had our midterm test... the girls and I stayed up till late studying so hopefully we did great!!! I must say that our professor is great and has explained things. After our test we got to go to a 9 level department store. The Galeries Lafayette is really cool. I got a few things and we are already planning to go again!!! jajaaja 4 girls and a huge department store!!! yup it was amazing!!! After the Lafayette we went to see the Pont Neuf which is the oldest bridge in Paris. We also go to see the outside of the Louvre. Let me just say that it's impressive how large the Louvre is. I can't wait until we get to go inside.

I really wish I could upload pictures but i can't so I promise that as soon as I get home :( i will upload some because you guys have to see how beautiful Paris is!!! There is sooo much I want to tell everyone but really I don't get a lot of time in the computer we are always doing something.

Oh by the way only 4 more days in Paris :-( I wish i could stay!!! but I do miss my family!!!!

Pictures!

2009-05-18T19:14:00.004-05:00

Snorkleing and Rainforests

2009-05-18T18:55:00.003-05:00

For the first time we tried some authentic Puerto Rican food and to everyone's surprise we all loved mofongos, which is made with smashed plantains and a type of meat in the center. Our server was extremely nice and we even had the pleasure of listening to some live jazz while we ate. It was a lot of fun and we are all hoping to try some more before we leave.

Yesterday, we woke up bright and early and went snorkeling. The first place we went was a deserted island with very shallow coral reefs. That was our "bunny slope" for snorkeling. There were tons of fish and we even saw an eel. Most of us made it out alive with only a few battle wounds. Next, we went to a larger reef with deeper waters. From here we could see the meeting of the dark waters from the Atlantic Ocean and turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. There were larger schools of fish here and we did not have to worry about thrashing up against the coral reefs! The ship's crew were all extremely nice to us and told us the best places to snorkel and helped us in becoming more proficient in our Spanish speaking abilities.

Today, we went to the only rain forest in the United States, El Yunque. Our bus driver gave us a tour from the bus as we drove through the winding mountain roads. We began to embark on the trying endevor of hiking through El Yunque to the amazing waterfall La Menina. Here, we were able to swim in a pool created by the waterfall. This was an experience none of us had even imagined. The sights here were magnificent and we wished we could have stayed longer.

Tomorrow we are going to visit the local university and having a chance to mingle with the locals. Until next time...que tenga buena noche. =) =)

Week 1 in the classroom

2009-05-18T15:26:00.003-05:00

So last week was a busy week for me and I forgot to post but there wasn't much to post about. Last week we spent a majority of time in the classroom discussing chapters and going over notes and other information that will be vital to our final project. Each day two of the students presented over a chapter from the text so our instructor did not have to give us lectures on each chapter. some of the lessons were made into hands-on learning and others were power points but we all appreciate the change of pace. This week we only have classes on Monday and Tuesday before we leave for the trip on the following Monday. I will post after tomorrow because I will have more information to post. We are going to Velocity Sports Performance in Naperville to do some sports testing and I will post about that experience and have some pictures from the trip. but until then that is all I have for now. Talk to you later!

Our First Impressions

2009-05-16T11:08:00.002-05:00

We have been in Puerto Rico for only 2 days and have already seen so much! The first day we walked around a lot to get to know the beautiful island and to find a restaurant to eat at. To our surprise we discovered that all of the stores and restaurants were closed between 3-6pm, which was terrible because we had not eaten all day. There was absolutely no food given to us by the airlines on a 4 1/2 hour flight (that lasted during both breakfast and lunch)!! We luckily found one, only one, restaurant open that served Mexican food, but it was much better than nothing. The food was good and we all enjoyed being able to relax and get to know each other better.

Yesterday, was our day of exercise and excess walking! We walked to the grocery store and found a beautiful park along the way. We bought some food for a few days, so we do not have to eat out every meal. Afterwards, we headed towards Old San Juan to see El Morro. Since we decided to walk instead of taking a taxi there, we were able to see all the history of the city. We even found the capital building along the way and saw an exhibit displaying the Holocaust. It was really interesting to find such a display in Puerto Rico. We took a break and sat in the plaza taking a drink break and getting to know the locals. They were all extremely kind and helpful to us. El Morro was used to protect the island of Puerto Rico from the pirates and anyone else who attempted to threaten them. It was filled with dungeons and dark crevices with a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean. There was so much history there and we spent hours trying to take it all in and capture on film.

The weather here is aboslutely beautiful. After some class time today, we are all looking forward to having some beach time and some authentic Puerto Rican food! Until next time....enjoy the cold weather back in Chicago! :)

Notre Dame and Champs Elysees

2009-05-15T01:57:00.004-05:00

Hey Everyone guess what we did yesterday??? We got to see Notre-Dame!! OMG it is soooo amazing!!!! I have seen pictures of it but up close and in real life it is just so amazing to look at!! Our professor did a great job of describing the different architectural styles that were used when building it. I was excited to know that I knew a lot of the thing he was saying cause I remember talking about them in my Art Appreciation class my freshman year at AU.

After the Notre-Dame we went to the Champs Elysees. Let me just tell you that its huge and nothing compare to Michigan Ave in Chicago!!

oh by the way I am working on uploading some pictures but its not really working

Lutetia, the Crypt, and Roman baths

2009-05-14T01:59:00.002-05:00

hey guys so I am really sorry that I didn't get to write as much as I wanted to yesterday its just that there is so much we have to do that time in the computer is really limited!

Let me contiune to let everyone know that Paris is soooo beautiful we got a chance to go see the old part of Paris (Lutetia) and saw the ruins of the Crypt and Roman Baths. Also we saw the old Arena that is still used by people. We saw a few boys playing soccer it look like a lot of fun!!
After visiting these we had a chance to walk around and we even got a few little gifts for our love once back home!!! And by the way I love shopping!!!
I am very happy with the way the French are treating us they are just so nice and helpful. I did take a few years of French so I try to use it as much as I can but the French are very nice and they help us out!!! Well everyone once again I have to go because We have class in a few minutes!!!

Today I am really excited because we are going inside Notre-Dame Cathedral!!!!

In PARIS

2009-05-13T01:56:00.003-05:00

HEY EVERYONE!!! SO WE ARE FINALLY IN PARIS AFTER 8 LONG HOURS IN A PLANE WE ARRIVED. I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW BEAUTIFUL PARIS IS... WOW!!! WE GOT HEAR YESTERDAY AT ABOUT 9; 10 IN THE MORING PARIS TIME WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT 2 AM OVER THERE!!! WE WERE SOOOOOOOOOOO TIRED BUT WE MANAGED TO WALK AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVEN GOT TO SEE THE EIFFEL TOWER!!!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!!

I HAVE TO LET YOU GUYS GO BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN ORIENTATION AND THEN OFF TO OUR FIRST DAY OF CLASS!!!!!

HEY...

2009-05-11T11:55:00.003-05:00

HEY!!! so I realized that I never introduced myself in the last post... sorry!!! but well I guess I will take the time and do it quickly... My name is Sandra I just finished my second year at AU and I'm majoring in Biology Secondary Education. I've always wanted to go to Paris especially because I took about 5 years of French in middle school and high school. I am very excited about the trip especially because the next time that I post something it will be from the beautiful city of Paris!!!

I will be leaving to the airport in just a few hours so I have to say good bye!!!

Talk you guys later from PARIS!!!!!

Finals Week...Over (Yay)

2009-05-09T10:33:00.003-05:00

So I tired posting earlier in the week but with finals, resident checkouts, and track practices/meets this week was a hectic one. I just got an email from the instructor what our course entails and it seems like this course is going to be fun. We have three main assignment thats I see. The first is a peer teaching assignment that we will probably teach the class a chapter from the textbook with our partner. The second assignment is our learning journal which will consist of our feelings about the experience and things we have picked up over the three week course. The last project is the one that is the real killer. We have to create a year-round conditioning program for the class. The good thing is that we get to pick what we are doing it on so that works out. Since my time is limited I will probably start working on that project net week. I talked to some friends who have already taken the course and they are letting me look at their plans so I have a template to go off of which will be nice. This way I won't be going through the assignment blind and have an idea of what is expected. I am excited for the class to begin because I think the information that I learn in this class will be invaluable. Well that is all I have for now. See you later!

Hola

2009-05-07T21:21:00.003-05:00

Hola! My name is Cory Heyob and I will be a junior at Aurora University this upcoming school year. I am a math/secondary education major with a Spanish minor, hoping to teach middle school math after graduation. This year I will have the pleasure of visiting Puerto Rico with Dr. Hatcher and six other students in less than a week. Originally, we were supposed to be traveling to Playa del Carmen in Mexico, but because of swine flu (or H1N1 to be exact) our plans had to change. But, I am still extremely excited to still have the opportunity to learn about the Puerto Rican culture, become even more proficient in my Spanish skills and have tons of fun along the way!! :D

Stay Tuned

2009-05-07T20:07:00.006-05:00

To anyone about to take the time to read this, I apologize for the disappointment you might experience if this post isn't as exciting as you'd hoped since we haven't actually even began the class yet, much less left for our trip.

I suppose it would make sense to introduce myself. My name is Adam Hosey, I'm now a senior here at Aurora, and I'll be receiving my B.A. in History this December. As of now, I'm eighteen years old, and my excitement abounds as this will not only be my first trip out of the country, but also my first ride on an airplane, and needless to say my first time blogging for a general population about the joyous experience of a foreign adventure.

With our itinerary full as time shortens the gap between the present and our departure for Heathrow, it easy to look forward in elation about the days ahead; by the good graces of a friend of Dr. Butters, we --the five or seven or something of us-- have been offered the opportunity to stay at a home in the U.S. Embassy, and, as I understand it, the opportunity to speak with a few foreign diplomats. Perhaps even greater is the way that this trip is facilitating my early graduation; without it, I'd still have two semesters left.

To come down off that tangent, perhaps now would be an appropriate point at which to conclude this entry. As a whole world of foreign culture, unforgettable life experiences, great food and good beer approaches, I can assure any inquisitive readers that I will in fact post more frequently and with far more substance and excitement. Stay tuned for more!

Hello There

2009-05-03T09:51:00.003-05:00

My name is Tom Sroka. I am a junior physical education major at Aurora University and this year I will be going on the May term trip to Colorado. i wanted to go on this trip last year but things didn't work out and when I talked to a couple of my friends that did go I was determined to make sure that I went this year. On top of the PE major I have a double minor in Health Education and Fitness and Health Promotion. The reason I wanted to go on this trip is because I want to expand my knowledge on the human body, how it works, and fitness in general. I love to workout and compete in shot put and hammer on the school's track team and I am always looking for more information. I eventually will be teaching and want to coach and I feel that the more I know the better.

On this trip we will visit the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs (which I am the most pumped about), Carmichael Training Center (where Lance Armstrong trains), the National Strength and Conditioning Association headquarters, various hiking and related activities, and we're also catching a Rockies game. We will be in the classroom for three weeks and then we are in Colorado the last week in May. Our class meets five days a week from 9am until 12pm. I look forward to the trip and to further contributing on this blog. For those who are reading I hope you enjoy. I have to go study for finals so I will catch you later.
Tom

Count Down!!!

2009-04-29T14:32:00.002-05:00

WOW! 11 days 9 hours 23 minutes and about 2 seconds until I' am sitting in a plane traveling to PARIS!! I been waiting for so long an it finally seems like its just around the corner. With finals this upcoming week I can't seem to concentrate... i mean seriously how can I think about test when Paris is calling my name.

Welcome!

2009-03-27T09:12:00.001-05:00

We'll have student bloggers posting their updates from May Term trips.

Stay tuned!