Items

• 
  2020-07-07

  Title: Navigating New Normals: Embracing Vaccination for Access in Brooklyn

  This shows my point of view and experience to the pandemic
• 
  2021-04-10

  An Ode to my Treadmill

  Today was momentous. After 13 months, I ran a tentative (but amazing) five miles outside, in my neighborhood. I’d like to say it’s because now that I’m two weeks past my second dose of vaccine and back to teaching in person full time, I feel safe. Nope. It’s actually just that my best and most reliable quarantine companion, my treadmill, died. The poor motor is toast and even after taking it apart and trying to fix it, it is beyond repair. As a competitive trail runner, my treadmill was supposed to be a backup. It was never intended for daily use. I live in Southern CA, it’s a very rare day the weather isn’t great for running. However, quarantine turned my occasional treadmill run into a daily experience, but after a year, my low end, but loyal treadmill couldn’t take any more runs. I mean, I did run a marathon on the poor thing in December (and a variety of other virtual races throughout the year). So thank you trusty treadmill for getting me through this pandemic year. Thanks for not only supporting my daily runs, but also the 9 - 15 miles walks I would take on you while grading. Thanks for letting my daughter run on you three times a week to stay in shape for competitive gymnastics. And thanks for waiting to die until two weeks after my second vaccination. And most of all, thanks for dying and forcing me back out (fully masked) into the world I love running in so much.
• 
  2020-06-02

  Sign of the times

  I would say I share the same feeling as most, in that being stuck inside has forced me to venture outside more than ever. Hiking, running, kayaking, sitting in nature has become the one place of solace in this crazy, scary world. As mask mandates began to be put in place I began noticing so many people with their noses sticking out of their masks. I can not understand what possible line of logic they were operating on but what is the point of wearing a face mask if it does not cover your face. One day I was on a hike and I noticed this sticker stuck to a trail marker, I could not help to think that it is simply the best sticker I have ever seen.
• 
  2020-03-22

  The Run

  In the beginning of the pandemic, I, like many others, was somewhat sure everything would inevitably blow over and we would be able to return to our normal lives. However, I came to unfortunately realize that we were in it for the long haul. I realized that I was going to have to start taking charge of my own life as it was essentially flipped on its back. I no longer went to school where I was preparing for APs. I no longer had my Track and Fields practices which were keeping me active and in shape. And I no longer got to see all of my friends everyday. The pandemic taught me that I would have to take the position of my teachers and prepare myself for my APs as well as my coaches to keep myself in shape and healthy. I began to study almost everyday and really developed a theme of resiliency within my life to bounce back from the detrimental effects of the pandemic. However, this story isn't about how I studied and prepared for my APs, its about how I ran and kept running the whole time of quarantine and how it led to some unforgettable experiences. When quarantine began I knew I was going to have to start taking charge when it came to my health and fitness. So, my friend and I began to run everyday at a local park near our houses. We would run through the woods and by the rivers and we just had a really good time. We were staying in shape and felt better than ever. And, we weren't just running on a track in a loop 20 times, we were exploring nature and becoming more accustomed to having to do things for ourselves. However, one day, this excitement that running brought to us would be exchanged with fear for once. My friend and I were running besides this river that we always run along. The river was quite tame a majority of the time but that day it had rained the night before and the rapids of the river were growing increasingly ferocious. We decided to stop at this one edge along the river and take a break as it was extremely humid that day. The river was very close to where we stopped so my friend decided to splash his face with some water from the river. And, without hesitation the river stepped him into its fearful rapids. I was scrambling. I didn't know what to do or what to think as my friend barreled down the river. I started running, screaming, and trying to think of something, anything, to help my friend. He was already at least 50 yards down the river and I was slacking behind trying to come up with some makeshift idea to save him. I knew there was no waterfall to worry about, however, the river was shallow rocks beneath the rivers surface were sharp and deadly. I began to run down the rivers edge to catch up to my friend. I looked around to find anything to throw to him that he could lodge between a rock or something. I began to dig up a bunch of leaves to look for a long enough stick, however, I ended up finding something that would prove to be even more useful. I found an old wooden plank. I was so scared and restless to find something so I took what I could find and threw it to my friend. And, he was able to lodge it between the bank and a rock sticking out of the river. I was able to pull him out of the river and he was saved. We were both in shock and had no idea what to make of the situation. I was scared and confused and didn't even know what to say. My friend finally broke the silence by saying the most anticlimactic phrase for that situation, "thanks." I said "your welcome" and then we both just started laughing and got up and walked back home. Evidently enough, the plank from the picture is the one that perhaps saved my friends life and is something I don't think I will ever forget. This event showed me just how unforgettable this pandemic is going to be. Like I said, I don't think ill ever forget what happened to my friend, and I will always remember the year 2020 as the year of unforgettable instances. My friend falling into that river showed me that things are going to happen in our lives that we aren't prepared for. I, like many others across the world weren't prepared for what this pandemic was going to do to our day to day lives. However, we learned to live with it and how to solve this problem just like how I was able to solve my friends problem and save him from that river. The pandemic has taught us just how unpredictable our lives can be, and just like how I saved my friend from that river, we have to learn how to save ourselves and overcome the unpredictability that this world has to evidently offer.
• 
  2020-03-31

  Staycation Races

  A link to register for a virtual running race