Virginia Tech University.. Well let's see here.. Tech.. Technology? I guess the blog is related to technology :)
So I just read Kali's (Canada's) blog and since she called me out, I figured I should write about last Friday's unreal, awesome, incredible, stupendous, spectacular (and any other synonyms you'd like to throw in there) game vs. Virginia Tech..
A little background- Virginia Tech went to the NCAA College Softball World Series LAST YEAR and they entered this year pre-ranked as 20th in the nation- not a bad team I'd say. So we played them 3 weeks ago in Tennessee. We weren't very impressed to say the least, however we did leave with a 4-1 loss against them. They were a good team, but not great and most certainly not world series caliber- or at least I thought so- I honestly think the UNH softball would have a better chance of going to the world series this year over them*. But regardless of my lack of being impressed by them, an L is an L and we had to wear it. Lucky for us, and rather unfortunate for them, we met up again last Friday down in South Carolina.
Let's just say this was a grudge match.
It's Friday and our entire team is running on mayyybe 5 hours of sleep in total (if that) after the travel day we had on Thursday. We didn't get in 'til around 2-230 and had an early game the next morning followed by a break then a 430 game vs. VT. After killing Western Carolina 6-0 we'll fast forward to the story you guys have been dying to hear.
--- Just to let you know before we get started here, unlike baseball that goes 9 innings, softball only goes 7. Anything over that is considered extra innings (hmm a little foreshadowing huh?) ---
So we get the draw as home team. This means that VT hits in the top half of the inning and we hit in the bottom half. This is the most beneficial spot because we get "last-ups" which means if we're losing, we have the last chance to win.
As the home team, we take the field first.
Inning 1:
VT- 0
Maine- 0
Inning 2:
VT- 0
Maine- 0
........................................
Inning 7:
VT- 0
Maine- 0
Time for extra innings. Now the way extra innings works in this tournament, is called "International Tie-Breaker". This means that whomever made the last out in the previous inning, gets to start at second base. So at the beginning of the 8th inning, VT had a runner on second with no outs. They bunted the runner over to 3rd.
1 out, runner on 3rd.
I can't recollect the exact outs and hits etc., but they manage to push that runner across, before clocking 3 outs.
Top half of the 8th:
VT- 1
Maine- 0
Time for our at bat.
Same for us, runner on second. We go to bunt it, but the pitcher throws a wild pitch past the catcher. Our runner advances to 3rd and comes off the bag a little bit. The catcher gets the ball and tries to throw our runner out at 3rd, but the 3rd baseman misses the ball and it gets by her. Maine scores to tie it back up.
3 outs.
End of the 8th:
VT- 1
Maine- 1
Time for the 9th inning.
Again, VT has a runner on second with no outs. We manage to pull off 3 big outs and VT leaves that inning scoreless. This is great news for us because all we have to do is score that runner for second and we win.
With no outs, we manage to draw a couple walks and load up the bases for our leadoff batter Ashley Waters. For those that haven't heard of Ashley, she was our Conference's Player of the Year last year. She typically keeps about a .350 batting average, give or take (which for softball is unreal). This is the exact person the team wants up during this situation. I'm on deck (up next) and once she gets up to the plate I feel like I'm not even going to get up because she'll win the game for sure. First pitch she smokes the ball...... right at the 3rd baseman. The 3rd baseman catches it and steps on 3rd before our runner can get back and doubles her up. Now there's 2 out with runners on 1st and 2nd. Not the best-looking situation I've ever seen. Ashley walks off the field, and I get up to bat.
At this point in the game I was 0-3 or 0-4, 2 of those at-bats were strikeouts. So, I guess you could say I wasn't having that great of a game, at all.
First pitch- ball 1
Second pitch- strike 1
Third pitch- fouled off, strike 2
Fourth pitch- ball 2
So here I am, 2-2 count, bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, tie game, 2 runners on...
Fifth pitch: Change-up
--- BAD MOVE: I hit 8 home-runs last year, 6 off of change-ups and all 3 of mine this year are also on change-ups---
I wish I had seen a picture of my eyes once I realized she threw me a change-up-- HUGE-- the ball was the size of a watermelon, it might as well have been sitting on a tee. I swung and next thing I know I see it soaring in the air and I know it's gone as soon as I see it leave my bat. I start gunning it to first base, and right before I get there, sure enough, it dropped over the fence!
IS THIS REAL??? DID I REALLY JUST HIT A WALK-OFF HOMERUN THE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9th AGAINST VIRGINIA TECH?!?!?!!
This is the "stuff" you see in movies and I just lived it.
I sprint around the bases, jumping on occassion and pump my fist in triumph. I round 3rd, give my coach a high five and make my way to home plate. I look and see my whole team crowded around the plate waiting for me to step on it so they can swarm me. I run harder toward home, jump up and slam both my feet on home plate. We all start screaming, yelling, jumping, crying, absolutely uncontrollably.
It was something you dream about. Winning a game like that is the reason why you play the game.
We line up and give 5's to VT for a game well-played. After we break off we all get together and keep tradition by singing the Stein Song after winning. We were all screaming and yelling the song, Ashley was in the middle just screaming, she couldn't even say a word.
The highlight of my career so far... Unbelieveable
Thursday, February 26, 2009
This is what I Meant to Talk about Before
So going back to the technology applied to Personal Training article...
The article reminded me- I got the chance to attend the MAHPERD conference down in Rockland, Maine this fall. In a nutshell it's pretty much a conference for P.E. Teachers and Strength Coaches/Personal Trainers. While I was there, I went to a presentation about heart monitors and other technologies in a P.E. setting. Gotta say, it definitely caught my attention.
I can't remember the presenter's name for the life of me right now, or where she is from, but I guess it's not that big of a deal anyway since whomever is reading this probably won't care about who she is or where she's from. Anyways, she started off the presentation with a video of an elementary school P.E. class. The kids entered the gym, walked over to a wall, grabbed their heart rate monitors, put them on and checked in with their teacher- without any hesistation and began their warm-up. I was really curious as to why these kids had heart rate monitors on in an elementary P.E. class. I remember P.E. back in the day, and we played dodgeball and learned how to dance the stray-cat-strut and did jumprope for heart- what do heart rate monitors have anything to do with that?? Well, good thing she answered my question.
After she showed the video she began to explain the reasoning behind using these heart rate monitors. And there was so much more to it than I had originally expected. What happens is throughout the class, the monitors record the student's heart rate constantly and save them into this program that charts the rates. After class is over, the teacher puts the heart rates onto her computer and reads them. This allows her to know whether the students are putting in too much, just right or not enough effort into the class. If their heart rate is below the green and in the yellow, they weren't putting enough effort into the activity, their oody and heart isn't working at the ideal rate. On the flipside, in the red is more on a caution side, and they are working too hard.
If the students' heart rates rised or fell below their green area, the monitor would beep to let them know and bring them back to where they should be. This allows their body to work in ideal conditions and not be pushed too hard or not enough. It's one thing to be able to run a 6 minute mile, but running that mile while the heart is pumping a mile minute isn't beneficial to the body and fitness. Running a mile while in the green allows for improvement because next time the student runs that mile, they will be able to run a little harder and stay in their zone.
I think using these heart rate monitors is a great idea. It allows students at a young age to get a basic and simple understanding of exercise and how to exercise properly. Running around with your heart in the red only hurts you and puts you in danger, and on the contrary, walking in the yellow isn't hard enough work for the body to work efficiently. Sure, there are situations in which working in the yellow or red would be required, but it is ideal, overall, to remain in that green area.
From a teaching standpoint, it allowed the teacher to grade much easier. If the student was in the yellow most of the time, they didn't try and give any effort. So for that day, dock off some points. It kept grading simple, either they put effort in or they didn't, and if a parent had a problem with their student's grade, well it's right there on the chart. It's in yellow, green and red, pretty simple and laid out bluntly. There isn't much room for confusion on that.
I think it is a very cool idea to use, and I think it would also be not only beneficial to P.E. programs across the country, but to sports teams. I know I would love to have a heart rate monitor and computer system like that to get an idea of where I am during practices and such.
Maybe one day. Who knows, maybe I'll be a trainer for a sports team one day and introduce such a program. I mean, if the team loses, at least I'll have done my job and they'll be in prime condition :)
On a complete other note- leaving for FLORIDA TODAYYY :) :) :) ohhh can't wait!! We're heading down there for a little over 2 weeks to play about 20 games and the way things have been going, I couldn't be more exicted! We look pretty damn good as of late, and I can't wait to see what we do down there. If you want to check out how we're doing feel free to go to "goblackbears.com" and click on "teams" then "softball". It should give updates there, stats, results and such.
Alright time for this girl to head out.
Keep on keepin' on ;)
Lex
The article reminded me- I got the chance to attend the MAHPERD conference down in Rockland, Maine this fall. In a nutshell it's pretty much a conference for P.E. Teachers and Strength Coaches/Personal Trainers. While I was there, I went to a presentation about heart monitors and other technologies in a P.E. setting. Gotta say, it definitely caught my attention.
I can't remember the presenter's name for the life of me right now, or where she is from, but I guess it's not that big of a deal anyway since whomever is reading this probably won't care about who she is or where she's from. Anyways, she started off the presentation with a video of an elementary school P.E. class. The kids entered the gym, walked over to a wall, grabbed their heart rate monitors, put them on and checked in with their teacher- without any hesistation and began their warm-up. I was really curious as to why these kids had heart rate monitors on in an elementary P.E. class. I remember P.E. back in the day, and we played dodgeball and learned how to dance the stray-cat-strut and did jumprope for heart- what do heart rate monitors have anything to do with that?? Well, good thing she answered my question.
After she showed the video she began to explain the reasoning behind using these heart rate monitors. And there was so much more to it than I had originally expected. What happens is throughout the class, the monitors record the student's heart rate constantly and save them into this program that charts the rates. After class is over, the teacher puts the heart rates onto her computer and reads them. This allows her to know whether the students are putting in too much, just right or not enough effort into the class. If their heart rate is below the green and in the yellow, they weren't putting enough effort into the activity, their oody and heart isn't working at the ideal rate. On the flipside, in the red is more on a caution side, and they are working too hard.
If the students' heart rates rised or fell below their green area, the monitor would beep to let them know and bring them back to where they should be. This allows their body to work in ideal conditions and not be pushed too hard or not enough. It's one thing to be able to run a 6 minute mile, but running that mile while the heart is pumping a mile minute isn't beneficial to the body and fitness. Running a mile while in the green allows for improvement because next time the student runs that mile, they will be able to run a little harder and stay in their zone.
I think using these heart rate monitors is a great idea. It allows students at a young age to get a basic and simple understanding of exercise and how to exercise properly. Running around with your heart in the red only hurts you and puts you in danger, and on the contrary, walking in the yellow isn't hard enough work for the body to work efficiently. Sure, there are situations in which working in the yellow or red would be required, but it is ideal, overall, to remain in that green area.
From a teaching standpoint, it allowed the teacher to grade much easier. If the student was in the yellow most of the time, they didn't try and give any effort. So for that day, dock off some points. It kept grading simple, either they put effort in or they didn't, and if a parent had a problem with their student's grade, well it's right there on the chart. It's in yellow, green and red, pretty simple and laid out bluntly. There isn't much room for confusion on that.
I think it is a very cool idea to use, and I think it would also be not only beneficial to P.E. programs across the country, but to sports teams. I know I would love to have a heart rate monitor and computer system like that to get an idea of where I am during practices and such.
Maybe one day. Who knows, maybe I'll be a trainer for a sports team one day and introduce such a program. I mean, if the team loses, at least I'll have done my job and they'll be in prime condition :)
On a complete other note- leaving for FLORIDA TODAYYY :) :) :) ohhh can't wait!! We're heading down there for a little over 2 weeks to play about 20 games and the way things have been going, I couldn't be more exicted! We look pretty damn good as of late, and I can't wait to see what we do down there. If you want to check out how we're doing feel free to go to "goblackbears.com" and click on "teams" then "softball". It should give updates there, stats, results and such.
Alright time for this girl to head out.
Keep on keepin' on ;)
Lex
Monday, February 16, 2009
Alright, So I Lied.........
Okay, yeah, I did say in my last post that I would write about that last part of the article in this post-- well, I lied, but I'm sure you can handle it.
I'm watching Transformers right now and felt the need to write about that more than boring technology stuff and heart rate monitors that I know no one else (well other than myself and big Eddie B) would care about (sorry Ed-- 1. because you know I'm right and 2. for using a nickname I didn't run by you first; I like it though, I think it's pretty good haha). So, anyways, I though I'd write about my latest feat in the world of technology.
Some of you might be confused as to why I'm choosing to write about watching Transformers over writing about something pertinent to my field of work, allow me to explain....
I live in Orchard Trails, and I decided to renew my lease a while back. Because I decided to do that I was automatically entered in a raffle, along with the rest of anyone that decided to renew for next year-- however, I'm not going to go into what the prizes were because that will definitely ruin and giveaway the story.
So, last night I'm at the Olive Garden with a couple of the girls on the team (none of the ones in class), the assistant coach, a recruit and the recruits parents. I have my phone out, of course, because as previously stated in my last post I'm a texting maniac and my phone is NEVER off (and when I say never, I mean it; I could probably count how many times I've actually decided to turn my phone off--> don't comment on that Kali, Jordan or Kirstin). I look at my phone and I see one of my good friends up here Joe is calling me, I don't want to be rude and answer, so I just ignore the call and figure I'll call him later or he can text me if he needs me. 30 seconds later, my other good friend Joe (they live together too) is calling me. Now, I just figure they're calling me to bug me and tell me to come over because I haven't been over and hung out with them in a few days.
I ignore his call too, I have more important things to deal with at the moment.
30 seconds after that, Orchard Trails calls. I figure that they're calling because I haven't paid my $5.94 conservice bill yet.
Ignore.
30 seconds later, I get a text message from my real good friend Taryn--
and I quote, "Joe just informed me u won the 42 inch flat screen from orchard trails".
I read this and am not sure whether or not to believe it. I mean that's a pretty mean lie, but I wouldn't put it past these boys to mess with me like this, especially since I'm rather, well, gullible. I get up and excuse myself from the table to check the two voicemails I have on my phone. One is from the second Joe that called me--
Alexis, me and Joe are leaving the community building right now, and well, we hate you. We're not going to tell you why, but we hate you.
Okay, now my heart starts to race a little bit because he sounded serious and he would leave a message like that if he was jealous of me winning a sweet new television. So, I check my next message- from Orchard Trails.
Hi Alexis. We just wanted to congratulate you as your name was picked in the drawing for the t.v. You can come and pick it up tonight before we close, or you can come in tomorrow after we open at 8:30. Congratulations again, and hope to see you soon.
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW. A PHILLIPS 42" FLATSCREEN LCD HD TELEVISION. MINE. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AND MY NAME GOT PICKED.
Let me explain something for a second-- I never win ANYTHING like this-- EVER. The only awards I have won are ones for sports or school. I win what I earn, I'm not one to have great luck. I am horrible at BINGO, I either lose money or break even with scratch tickets and I most certainly have never been the one name out of hundreds to be pulled to win a raffle. I guess you could say this is new to me.
I come back to the table and can't help but exclaim how excited I am and boast about my big win. The best part is one of my teammates Brynne lives in Orchard Trails and renewed just like I did, so she was entered in the same drawing. Bad news for her because I was the big winner and she came out with nothing. I mean, she was legitimately mad I think. I couldn't help but laugh because hell if I know what I'm about to do with a new t.v. like that. I had a t.v. of my own but told my roommate she could put it in my room since I don't even really watch t.v. Here I am talking about how I might sell it and such and she's dying because she's been eying it since she was entered in the drawing and saw the flyers for it. Me being me, I brag and joke with her about it. I love it. I let her know that if she's lucky I'll let her come over and watch it sometime. Everytime she said something I would just come back with "Oh Brynne don't be upset because you didn't win and I have a new t.v. waiting for me when I get back". Always some smart ass comment. However, I think I found it funnier than she did-- oh well.
I finish my dinner and figure I'd celebrate by getting some dessert. White chocolate raspberry cheesecake, MMMM yes please!
I come back to Orchard Trails to claim my prize. I walked into the building carried it out with one of the employees to my Jeep. Boxed up with bal-----
----Sidenote: In mid-word I closed out of this website and shut my computer because I just had to leave to talk to one of my teachers. I've been so caught up in writing these blogs that I lost track of time and forgot to go to class. Good thing one of my teammates Kristen just called me to let me know she saw my teacher. Back to the story----
----oons tied to it I drove to my building with it in the trunk. I parked the car out front and bombed into my apartment screaming "PUCH!!!" (pronounced pooch) looking for my roommate. She wasn't home but another one, Janessaaaaa, was sitting on the couch. I asked her if she could lift things and would help me. She proceeded to question whether or not what she was about to do was legal.
Smart ass.
I say yes and we go out to my car and carry my new goliath of a television set in. As soon as I put the box down in the living room I ran back out to my car to visit the Joes. I get to their place and soak up how much they hate me for winning the t.v. It's great. I love to gloat about things, and this is definitely something I loved boasting about-- feels good to be a winner, especially when others who had the same chances as me lose, even more especially when they're my friends. I hang out there for a while and my 3rd roommate Marleah's boyfriend Justin volunteers to help me set it up when he comes over. Of course I accept, and can't wait to get this thing up and going! I leave, and Justin comes over about a half hour later to help me out.
THANK YOU ORCHARD TRAILS
We take it out of the box and let me tell you it is a thing of beauty. I don't have a nice flatscreen HD at home or anything, so the fact that I have one now that's mine is unreal for me. My family is very simple and doesn't splurge too much on things like that. I'm surprised we don't still have an analog set somewhere in the house. So we hook it up, choose the settings and decide that there's no better way to break in a nice, new t.v. like this than watching Batman: The Dark Knight. I happen to be obsessed with this movie right now, so I figured that was the greatest option.
So here I am now, sitting out in my living room (which is where we decided to hook it up) watching Transformers on the new flatscreen writing this post. I figured I'd boast a little bit more about my latest technological feat rather than writing about heart rate monitors in elementary PE classes.
I figure my next move is to get surround sound, HD and a PS3 just to complete the whole package.
Enjoy :) oh and if you're jealous, that's okay-- I would be too.
Rock on ;)
-Lex
I'm watching Transformers right now and felt the need to write about that more than boring technology stuff and heart rate monitors that I know no one else (well other than myself and big Eddie B) would care about (sorry Ed-- 1. because you know I'm right and 2. for using a nickname I didn't run by you first; I like it though, I think it's pretty good haha). So, anyways, I though I'd write about my latest feat in the world of technology.
Some of you might be confused as to why I'm choosing to write about watching Transformers over writing about something pertinent to my field of work, allow me to explain....
I live in Orchard Trails, and I decided to renew my lease a while back. Because I decided to do that I was automatically entered in a raffle, along with the rest of anyone that decided to renew for next year-- however, I'm not going to go into what the prizes were because that will definitely ruin and giveaway the story.
So, last night I'm at the Olive Garden with a couple of the girls on the team (none of the ones in class), the assistant coach, a recruit and the recruits parents. I have my phone out, of course, because as previously stated in my last post I'm a texting maniac and my phone is NEVER off (and when I say never, I mean it; I could probably count how many times I've actually decided to turn my phone off--> don't comment on that Kali, Jordan or Kirstin). I look at my phone and I see one of my good friends up here Joe is calling me, I don't want to be rude and answer, so I just ignore the call and figure I'll call him later or he can text me if he needs me. 30 seconds later, my other good friend Joe (they live together too) is calling me. Now, I just figure they're calling me to bug me and tell me to come over because I haven't been over and hung out with them in a few days.
I ignore his call too, I have more important things to deal with at the moment.
30 seconds after that, Orchard Trails calls. I figure that they're calling because I haven't paid my $5.94 conservice bill yet.
Ignore.
30 seconds later, I get a text message from my real good friend Taryn--
and I quote, "Joe just informed me u won the 42 inch flat screen from orchard trails".
I read this and am not sure whether or not to believe it. I mean that's a pretty mean lie, but I wouldn't put it past these boys to mess with me like this, especially since I'm rather, well, gullible. I get up and excuse myself from the table to check the two voicemails I have on my phone. One is from the second Joe that called me--
Alexis, me and Joe are leaving the community building right now, and well, we hate you. We're not going to tell you why, but we hate you.
Okay, now my heart starts to race a little bit because he sounded serious and he would leave a message like that if he was jealous of me winning a sweet new television. So, I check my next message- from Orchard Trails.
Hi Alexis. We just wanted to congratulate you as your name was picked in the drawing for the t.v. You can come and pick it up tonight before we close, or you can come in tomorrow after we open at 8:30. Congratulations again, and hope to see you soon.
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW. A PHILLIPS 42" FLATSCREEN LCD HD TELEVISION. MINE. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AND MY NAME GOT PICKED.
Let me explain something for a second-- I never win ANYTHING like this-- EVER. The only awards I have won are ones for sports or school. I win what I earn, I'm not one to have great luck. I am horrible at BINGO, I either lose money or break even with scratch tickets and I most certainly have never been the one name out of hundreds to be pulled to win a raffle. I guess you could say this is new to me.
I come back to the table and can't help but exclaim how excited I am and boast about my big win. The best part is one of my teammates Brynne lives in Orchard Trails and renewed just like I did, so she was entered in the same drawing. Bad news for her because I was the big winner and she came out with nothing. I mean, she was legitimately mad I think. I couldn't help but laugh because hell if I know what I'm about to do with a new t.v. like that. I had a t.v. of my own but told my roommate she could put it in my room since I don't even really watch t.v. Here I am talking about how I might sell it and such and she's dying because she's been eying it since she was entered in the drawing and saw the flyers for it. Me being me, I brag and joke with her about it. I love it. I let her know that if she's lucky I'll let her come over and watch it sometime. Everytime she said something I would just come back with "Oh Brynne don't be upset because you didn't win and I have a new t.v. waiting for me when I get back". Always some smart ass comment. However, I think I found it funnier than she did-- oh well.
I finish my dinner and figure I'd celebrate by getting some dessert. White chocolate raspberry cheesecake, MMMM yes please!
I come back to Orchard Trails to claim my prize. I walked into the building carried it out with one of the employees to my Jeep. Boxed up with bal-----
----Sidenote: In mid-word I closed out of this website and shut my computer because I just had to leave to talk to one of my teachers. I've been so caught up in writing these blogs that I lost track of time and forgot to go to class. Good thing one of my teammates Kristen just called me to let me know she saw my teacher. Back to the story----
----oons tied to it I drove to my building with it in the trunk. I parked the car out front and bombed into my apartment screaming "PUCH!!!" (pronounced pooch) looking for my roommate. She wasn't home but another one, Janessaaaaa, was sitting on the couch. I asked her if she could lift things and would help me. She proceeded to question whether or not what she was about to do was legal.
Smart ass.
I say yes and we go out to my car and carry my new goliath of a television set in. As soon as I put the box down in the living room I ran back out to my car to visit the Joes. I get to their place and soak up how much they hate me for winning the t.v. It's great. I love to gloat about things, and this is definitely something I loved boasting about-- feels good to be a winner, especially when others who had the same chances as me lose, even more especially when they're my friends. I hang out there for a while and my 3rd roommate Marleah's boyfriend Justin volunteers to help me set it up when he comes over. Of course I accept, and can't wait to get this thing up and going! I leave, and Justin comes over about a half hour later to help me out.
THANK YOU ORCHARD TRAILS
We take it out of the box and let me tell you it is a thing of beauty. I don't have a nice flatscreen HD at home or anything, so the fact that I have one now that's mine is unreal for me. My family is very simple and doesn't splurge too much on things like that. I'm surprised we don't still have an analog set somewhere in the house. So we hook it up, choose the settings and decide that there's no better way to break in a nice, new t.v. like this than watching Batman: The Dark Knight. I happen to be obsessed with this movie right now, so I figured that was the greatest option.
So here I am now, sitting out in my living room (which is where we decided to hook it up) watching Transformers on the new flatscreen writing this post. I figured I'd boast a little bit more about my latest technological feat rather than writing about heart rate monitors in elementary PE classes.
I figure my next move is to get surround sound, HD and a PS3 just to complete the whole package.
Enjoy :) oh and if you're jealous, that's okay-- I would be too.
Rock on ;)
-Lex
Okay, So Here's a Start...
Alright, bear with me here for a minute while I lay out what I read just now...
I copied and pasted the part I read, but here's the actual link to the article...
Trainer: Deborah Plitt, B.S., C.C.S., Life Fitness Academy Trainer
Okay, so after reading this, I'm finally able to write something about technology in my field. Perfect. I never really considered or looked into what I could do with technology as a personal trainer. I mean, my idea of what my work would entail was basically "run faster, lift more, lose weight". Given, that's very much a nutshell, but there's not much more to it than that for me. So, I figured other than using heart rate monitors, I wasn't really going to have much use for technology. I mean, I obviously would like to be the best I can be in my field and train elite athletes-- and in which case I would definitely rely much more heavily on technology (heart rates, VO2 maxes etc.)-- but as a girl who's about to graduate college in a year and a half, I'm not about to work with the Lance Armstrongs and Usain Bolts of the world. So, considering that, that brings me back to the question of "what the hell am I really going to use technology for?" I guess this article answers my question, and quite frankly, it was a very simple answer for me.
I didn't really consider the fact that, yeah, I could send out texts to my clients and talk to them over a Podcast about what they're supposed to do for a workout that day. Things happen, and I'm to expect that my clients will not be able to see me every time they make an appointment, so sending text messages, emails, skype-ing them etc. really would be a type of useful technology for me. However, I do have to agree that it does take away from a personal connection with the client. If it gets to a point where that is the main form of communication, that's a problem. I'm a very personal kind of girl. I like to talk face-to-face about different issues and such. Sure, I'm a texting maniac and my phone is never off, but if I had a choice to text and/or Podcast, or talk in person, I'd much rather see someone in person to talk. Especially for my job I need to have a good connection with my clients. I need to know how they work-- do they respond better to me pushing them, or patting them on the butt-- issues of that nature. Clearly, it is easier to read people when in person (well, for me at least). I feel like I am able to read people pretty well, so seeing them in person will make my job that much easier.
I don't really see a need for me to go in depth about the importance of the internet. Obviously it's a very convenient and powerful tool that I will have as a trainer-- there's not much more to say than that, I think we all know about how useful the internet is-- I'm not about to divulge my thoughts about the internet through the internet.
As for the last response in this article, I'm going to make a new post about it because there is so much I'd like to say regarding it and I'd rather not turn this blog into a novel. So, for my next blog I plan on going into more about the new technology that the trainer in the article was talking about and some technology that I have heard about regarding a similar subject.
You know the deal-- Truckin', Keep On
Souhlaris OUT!!
I copied and pasted the part I read, but here's the actual link to the article...
Trainer: Deborah Plitt, B.S., C.C.S., Life Fitness Academy Trainer
Q: How long have you been a Personal Trainer?
A: 14 Years
Q: How has technology helped you as a personal trainer?
A: Technology has helped me as a personal trainer in that it allows me to work with multiple clients at one time. I can train in person, online, provide Podcasts and record video demonstrations for my clients. In addition, technological advancements have allowed me to communicate with my clients 24:7. For example, I’ve sent e-mail and text message workouts to clients on vacation for their exercise fix.
Q: Are there any disadvantages to technology?
A: The negative side of technological advancements for personal trainers is the lack of in-person communication. With more and more advancements in equipment, programs and web sites that provide exercise programs, the personal trainer is viewed as less important. Technology has provided a more affordable way of personal training, although it will never be the same as having a trainer right there with you making split-second decisions and providing you with years of experience.
Q: How do you utilize the internet as a Personal Trainer?
A: The internet has allowed me to more effectively research a vast array of areas that clients ask me about, such as joint pain, supplements, and any other common questions in the areas of health and fitness. My clients have also gone online to become more knowledgeable and ask more educated questions.
Q: Is there any new technology that you’re looking forward to getting your hands on?
A: Yes, the USB capabilities on the new Life Fitness Treadmills. With a USB stick and the USB port on the new 95 Series Treadmills I can provide my clients with customized cardiovascular workouts. In addition, after their workout, my client can store their results on the USB stick so that I can record and track their progress on my computer. This new technology will allow for better retention, feedback and motivation for my clients.
Okay, so after reading this, I'm finally able to write something about technology in my field. Perfect. I never really considered or looked into what I could do with technology as a personal trainer. I mean, my idea of what my work would entail was basically "run faster, lift more, lose weight". Given, that's very much a nutshell, but there's not much more to it than that for me. So, I figured other than using heart rate monitors, I wasn't really going to have much use for technology. I mean, I obviously would like to be the best I can be in my field and train elite athletes-- and in which case I would definitely rely much more heavily on technology (heart rates, VO2 maxes etc.)-- but as a girl who's about to graduate college in a year and a half, I'm not about to work with the Lance Armstrongs and Usain Bolts of the world. So, considering that, that brings me back to the question of "what the hell am I really going to use technology for?" I guess this article answers my question, and quite frankly, it was a very simple answer for me.
I didn't really consider the fact that, yeah, I could send out texts to my clients and talk to them over a Podcast about what they're supposed to do for a workout that day. Things happen, and I'm to expect that my clients will not be able to see me every time they make an appointment, so sending text messages, emails, skype-ing them etc. really would be a type of useful technology for me. However, I do have to agree that it does take away from a personal connection with the client. If it gets to a point where that is the main form of communication, that's a problem. I'm a very personal kind of girl. I like to talk face-to-face about different issues and such. Sure, I'm a texting maniac and my phone is never off, but if I had a choice to text and/or Podcast, or talk in person, I'd much rather see someone in person to talk. Especially for my job I need to have a good connection with my clients. I need to know how they work-- do they respond better to me pushing them, or patting them on the butt-- issues of that nature. Clearly, it is easier to read people when in person (well, for me at least). I feel like I am able to read people pretty well, so seeing them in person will make my job that much easier.
I don't really see a need for me to go in depth about the importance of the internet. Obviously it's a very convenient and powerful tool that I will have as a trainer-- there's not much more to say than that, I think we all know about how useful the internet is-- I'm not about to divulge my thoughts about the internet through the internet.
As for the last response in this article, I'm going to make a new post about it because there is so much I'd like to say regarding it and I'd rather not turn this blog into a novel. So, for my next blog I plan on going into more about the new technology that the trainer in the article was talking about and some technology that I have heard about regarding a similar subject.
You know the deal-- Truckin', Keep On
Souhlaris OUT!!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Not Impressive
And here we go again, blog #2...
So I'm told to keep this blog professional, which I will, but I'll put it out there now I'd really prefer to keep it a little more on the casual side of professional. So, Ed, if you're reading this and think it's a little too laid back, just let me know and I'll clean it up for you.
So I'm supposed to link technology, my future profession and this class within this little blog of mine throughout the semester. I know it's pretty early still, but I'm having a little trouble with it. I guess it's because I'm in college to be a personal trainer/strength coach, and this class is aimed toward future teachers-- not quite me. But, no one ever got anywhere complaining about things, so I'm not about to either.
I haven't really thought much about technology in my field. With the exception of using excessive amounts of money for high tech equipment to train elite athletes, it seems like personal training doesn't rely very much on technology. But, I'm sure there's new research and literature out there about using new equipment for training, it's just a matter of finding it.
Basically, I'm going to use this blog as a small segway into what I'll be talking (or well blogging?) about for the semester. I'm hoping to get out of this class with new information on how to use technology in my field of work and in my daily life. I'd like to think I'm pretty savvy and up to date with this stuff, but I'm probably just fooling myself. There's a lot to learn, and I'm excited to check it out.
For my next blog, expect some sweet gadgets and links. I'm definitely going to start playing around with this thing a lot more. Seems to me like blogging is the new "thing to do", so I might as well get into it since it's part of this class. Just have to see how it goes!
Sorry to dissapoint with this one, I know it was lame. No worries though, I'll find a way to keep this more interesting this semester. Time to go stalk the other bloggers in my class! I'm out.
Keep on truckin'
-Lex
So I'm told to keep this blog professional, which I will, but I'll put it out there now I'd really prefer to keep it a little more on the casual side of professional. So, Ed, if you're reading this and think it's a little too laid back, just let me know and I'll clean it up for you.
So I'm supposed to link technology, my future profession and this class within this little blog of mine throughout the semester. I know it's pretty early still, but I'm having a little trouble with it. I guess it's because I'm in college to be a personal trainer/strength coach, and this class is aimed toward future teachers-- not quite me. But, no one ever got anywhere complaining about things, so I'm not about to either.
I haven't really thought much about technology in my field. With the exception of using excessive amounts of money for high tech equipment to train elite athletes, it seems like personal training doesn't rely very much on technology. But, I'm sure there's new research and literature out there about using new equipment for training, it's just a matter of finding it.
Basically, I'm going to use this blog as a small segway into what I'll be talking (or well blogging?) about for the semester. I'm hoping to get out of this class with new information on how to use technology in my field of work and in my daily life. I'd like to think I'm pretty savvy and up to date with this stuff, but I'm probably just fooling myself. There's a lot to learn, and I'm excited to check it out.
For my next blog, expect some sweet gadgets and links. I'm definitely going to start playing around with this thing a lot more. Seems to me like blogging is the new "thing to do", so I might as well get into it since it's part of this class. Just have to see how it goes!
Sorry to dissapoint with this one, I know it was lame. No worries though, I'll find a way to keep this more interesting this semester. Time to go stalk the other bloggers in my class! I'm out.
Keep on truckin'
-Lex
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