me, the Boilermaker alumni

Every year since my sophomore year at Purdue, the first outdoor meet of the season was the ASU Invite in Tempe, AZ. This being my first post-collegiate year, I didn't throw at the ASU Invite, which was this past weekend. I did, however, drive over to Phoenix to see my old teammates and coaches!!!! I stayed with Mandy Bodnar, who graduated in 2007 and threw discus and hammer for Purdue. I also got to have breakfast with one of my favorite friends from high school, Rachael Pike, on Sunday before I headed back to San Diego.

It's strange to be out of college, and then sort of go back.

After a workout at 24 Hr Fitness in Tempe, I arrived at the track by myself and was kinda nervous! For some reason I forgot that I would know so many people on the team still. When you're away from something, sometimes you forget what it's like a little bit, even though you love it dearly :). Turns out, the same awesome people are doing the same awesome things at Purdue as when I went to school there. I love catching up with friends :). Staying with Mandy was so fun, as she and boyfriend Johan have a house they're renovating and it's looking great! I am pretty jealous that Mandy gets to paint walls and decorate and make spaces her own.

I look forward to that!

Here is (left to right) Stacey, me, Mandy, and Sheena at Indoor Big Tens at University of Illinois in 2007. My only Indoor Big Tens ever and the last meet I competed at with Mandy, as I got injured that outdoor season!




Breakfast with Rachael on Sunday was wonderful. :) I absolutely love just sitting and chatting with food and coffee at cute places that are new and fun. High school friends are easiest to talk to about everything, because they have known you since before you really knew yourself. At least that was the case with me, because I was really awkward for a long time (and still am a little!). And Rach is just an awesome person in any case! There she is at my brother's old apartment when we went to Seattle for New Year's a few years ago!




I've been throwing in practice, last week and this week. Not just walking, either :). I have also been feeling good enough to increase the weights and attempt some of the more back-demanding exercises I haven't been able to for a while. I'm really excited about it!

I haven't said anything about acupuncture! Vasa Mik is my acupuncturist, and he's awesome. The people at AcuSport Health Center are super friendly and the therapy is doing me well. I have had three treatments in the past two weeks, and what I didn't expect was how all-encompassing the sessions are! First, Vasa puts the needles in various parts of my back, hooks me up to electricity, then sometimes I fall asleep while the work is being done. After they take the needles out, sometimes Vasa does cupping and some soft tissue work (massage). Then, hip/leg/back stretches and I'm out! I am sore for a few days, but the thing about the needles is that they stimulate and release the muscles much deeper than a massage is able to. That's why I'm sore, and that's why I feel like it's helping! I didn't know what to expect, but I'm happy to say, "yay."