travel Month (the great outdoors)

Armed with my phone for catching up on my blogging (I love this thing), my ipod music and podcasts (President's weekly address, Photography 101, Al Jazeera Listening Posts are my current favorites + I'm always a Radiohead fan on airplanes), a new book (In Pursuit of Elegance, Matthew E. May), and a backpack full of PB & J's, I am on a plane again. It took a little while to cool down after being reamed by United for my poles (see previous entry) but after writing about it and getting my mid-flight stretching session (a must) I'm settled in and ready to open up the outdoor season this weekend.
I'm fortunate enough to be able to head home to California this weekend to not only get a chance to see my friends and family but also head back to my alma mater to compete. I haven't been on the track at UCD in 2 years so I'm looking forward to seeing how far I've come.
Last weekend I ended the Indoor season on a great note with a 4th place finish at the US Combined Events Championships - my first medal in USATF National Competition. I went down to North Carolina more so to get a meet in and test where I'm at than expecting any big placing. Although nothing was huge and my strongest event, the pole vault was pretty ugly, everything else was real solid based on the time of year. I was third overall in the HJ, 2nd in the Shot, and 2nd in the Vault. I'm a little bummed when I realize that clearing a height or two more in the PV or HJ would have earned me some decent prize money, but all-in-all I'm excited to see what's coming this outdoor season.
A lot of snow in Boston has kept me indoors the entire year thus far so this weekend will be the first time I touch a full-size track (or a real discus and javelin) this year. The hurdles are going to feel a mile long and the discus awkward, but I'm psyched. No matter what happens it'll be good to be competing amongst friends I haven't seen in too long.


Upcoming:
March 14 - Aggie Open, Davis CA
March 28 - Bayou Classic, Houston TX
April 24 - Drake Relays, Des Moines IA
May 9,10 - Multistars Decathlon, Descenzano Italy