Day: October 4, 2011

The SAT

venturatrekerLeave a comment

Today I took the SAT for the second time.  I took it once before last year. I, like most first time takers of the test did not do nearly as well as I would have liked to.  So for the second time I devoted about five hours of my saturday to taking a ten sectioned test that tests reading math and writing.

I will say it is probably one of the hardest tests I have ever taken and even will take.  The questions are misleading and the constant jump between subjects make it long and arduous.

Although it seems impossible to tell how I did on it without seeing my scores, I feel I may have done better than my previous attempt, I guess all I can do is wait and see if I’ll be going to college or not when I get my results.

Altitude training in Peru

thehungryrunnergirl1 Comment

10000 ft high up, I ran hard.

The program offers an opportunity to high school runners all over the country for community service and altitude training every summer to Peru and Kenya. I was one of the lucky ones to go.

When I flew into Cusco (where I stayed for 3 weeks) from Lima (capital of Peru), as soon as the plane landed, I felt the thinness of the air. My lungs couldn’t get enough oxygen and the heart rate was so high. I thought to myself, I am going to stay here for 3 weeks… How am I going to survive? I’m at 10,000ft high. I didn’t have my oxygen inhaler, so all I could do was to get used to it.

On the first day of altitude training, we ran 30 minutes which supposed to be nice and slow, but somehow for the last mile, the pace went up to 6:30 minute mile. I was dying…

On the second week, I started to work out on track. I felt really fast, because the air is thin but the burden on my lungs killed me. My legs are moving really well but I felt like someone was pressing on my chest. I was dying… But the pain felt good after all. I really can’t wait for track season to start although its like… 5 months away.

Well, three weeks of high altitude training ended and I got back home. I went for a run on the next day, and… OH MY GOSH I felt nothing. I did a 6 mile race pace and I literally felt nothing, and wasn’t out of breath at all. It was just so amazing. BUT…it only lasted for 5 days… and those were the best 5 days of my life.

Next year, I’m planning to go to Kenya. A lot of my friends went there last year and met world record holders and world champions in running. Gosh, I can’t wait. But I also would love to go back to Peru and stay little bit longer than last time.

I want to write a lot more about Peru, but I have too much thing to say.

MUCHOOO LOVE PERU.