A Peek Inside (Part 1)
Hello loyal readers,
So I thought that I'd make a long post today and give you a run down of my life as a coach. Consider this a day in the life, extended edition. In this post I'll try and cover some of the basics that make up my daily life or way of living 9-10 months of the year.
Where I live
I live in a 26 foot by 8.5 foot travel trailer by Forest River. I do not like the Forest River company for a myriad of reasons and if you're considering purchasing a travel trailer, I strongly suggest that you look elsewhere. If I'd known then what I know now about trailers in general, I would have never considered this brand. But, it is what it is, and we move on.
Why the trailer life? Simple. When I was in grad school, I interned with OSU women's rowing and split a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment with a friend in the same grad program. My rent hovered around $750-770 a month. Tack on groceries, gas, and other necessities, and I was spending nearly $1000 a month. When I decided to volunteer for a year with OSU women, I knew that in order to do what I wanted to do within the program, I'd have to make a few sacrifices which included good hours for a part time job. I looked at a few options, and then decided to look into a travel trailer. Rent at a nice park in Albany was under $475 (At the time) plus electric. Combining that, plus the mortgage (for lack of better word) on the trailer, it came to less than $650 a month. So trailer life it is.
I've made a few changes to my unit to make it workable. I'm in the process of replacing the shower, and I've swapped the dining area for a desk (see the other site) and I've replaced the mattress with something better, and the trailer is fairly solid.
While I was unsure about going the trailer route, I'm glad I did. The parks I've stayed at have all been nice. I look for laundry facilities, and bathroom/shower facilities (Saves $$$$ on propane), with concrete pads. The best part about the parks is that I simply need to verify monthly income rather than prove that I make three times the rent as any apartment would demand. I also have my own space, and plenty of space between neighbors. I also am able to carry everything that I need so if I decide to move on, I simply hook up and I'm on the road.
Is the trailer life the way to go, forever? Absolutely not, though I have been looking to upgrade the trailer to something larger with a little more space. There are cons with the trailer, mostly being how cold it can get - trailers are simply not made for 4-season living regardless of any claim - as well as dealing with some of the general nuances of a smaller water heater, but the pros are numerous.
Diet
9 to 10 months of the year, I go nearly vegetarian. I will eat meat on occasion, but I do not have meat in my fridge though I do have solid canned tuna for a quick meal. Any meat is consumed when eating out. This has helped my diet tremendously, as well as saved me a ton of money each shopping trip. Staples in my fridge are cheese, eggs, almond milk, lots of salad items, fresh and frozen veggies, rice, stock, etc. I am slowly working animal products out of my diet for the 10 months in season, though not for health reasons as much as cost reasons.
Going mostly vegetarian was difficult to start with. I committed to a 30 day challenge and only broke once though that was less out of choice and more out of necessity at the time (road trip, late at night, far from home). I am not committing to the vegetarian lifestyle, but I do enjoy it during the season. I simply feel better especially during the months where you're going full whack without a stop.
The one item that I won't part with is stock. I use chicken stock for all soups because I've yet to find a veggie stock that tastes halfway decent. And I don't have the desire to make my own veggie stock at home.
The other benefit for going vegetarian is saving on propane. I have three tanks, two standard and one larger, totaling around 30 gallons/pounds. Showering in the park rather than the trailer, and not doing as much cooking means I can stretch the propane from a week and a half to nearly two months before needing to fill.
Computers
I have two computers, and while that sounds extravagant, it's truly not. My personal computer is a six year old MacBook Pro, and my work computer is a 2018 HP something. I've never been a fan of hooking my personal laptop up to public WiFi even at a university, so the HP was purchased to keep personal and professional lives separate. That being said, my HP is a piece of garbage that doesn't hold a candle to the much older Mac.
I'm a space person and when there is too much on a screen, or when I have to flip between screens, I begin to feel claustrophobic. Having two computers removes that level of anxiety and I've found that it makes building training plans, or comparing data or video much easier. I can watch on one and type up notes on the other cutting down my time.
Cell phone
The cell phone follows the same story as the laptop. I had two Android devices, hated them when their updates began to slow down the phone and so I switched to an iPhone. I've found the iPhone to have a better camera than any Android device, to be more stable/reliable than the Android devices, and generally have been much happier since switching. Apps seem more compatible with the iPhone than the Android devices, and while I wouldn't rule out returning to Android, I've been very happy with the switch.
My favorite app is Coach's Eye though I never use the video system in the app. Instead I will take a video using the camera setting, then upload the video to the app. I've found that if you use the app, the video comes out grainy when you download it. This problem doesn't exist if you upload a video to the app. I like being able to put the video into slow motion and break down each segment of the stroke with an athlete there on the phone.
I realize at this point that I'm doing less a "day in the life" and more a general rundown, so let's switch gears a bit and try and get back on track.
Morning
I've been trying to get my sleep schedule back on track which begins with going to bed earlier. I wake up around 6-630 each morning and head to the gym.
I know that I should be erging, but I've always hated the erg - I get bored, then distracted - so I'll usually split between the stair-stepper and the elliptical. MWTH are my cardio days where I get in 90', and TF are lifting days. I don't do anything specific for lifting meaning I don't focus on a group of muscles. I'm not trying to build anything, just maintain general fitness. I usually do curls, bent over rows, front squat, pull down, bench press, inclined press, lat pull, and a few others that I can't recall the names of. I try and do 6x15 reps going for less weight. I'll bench around 125 lbs, squat around 100 lbs, curl/incline press around 30-35 lbs.
Breakfast is something that I'm always skipping so I try and work that in. After the gym I'll smash two shaker bottles of water with some lemon and a tiny grind of Himalayan pink salt. I'm not into the mineral claims that others make. I like the pink salt because it's less...salty than table salt or kosher salt. I'll usually eat breakfast at this point, usually a bowl of cereal and a banana, or peanut butter toast and a banana, or three egg whites and toast and a banana. Funnily enough I hate bananas.
I try and be showered and out the door by 930, no later than 10.
Because the internet and cell service where I stay is pretty sketchy, I'll head to the boathouse and check my work email.
Then it's onto projects at the boathouse. Depending on the time of year it is, that could mean measuring oars, cleaning or rigging boats, or general TLC. If I don't have a project, then I'll head to the office and check in.
Lunch
I try and bring my lunch with me which usually means a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a piece of cheese. Other times I'll snag lunch at Laughing Planet - a small salad and soup is always a great option - or some salad rolls from Baguette. If I'm feeling a bit more hungry, I'll get some sushi from Amatsu downtown. If I have time, I eat in, or if I'm in a hurry I'll grab and go. Sometimes I like to grab and go anyhow and just enjoy some quiet time at the boathouse.
Practice time
I'm usually at the boathouse by 130-145, well before practice. I like to arrive early, make sure the laundry is going - towels first, always - and check emails again. In the fall, most emails will revolve around looking at recruits, or planning a recruiting trip, or looking over the fall race schedule. Fall is fairly low key, and even our big regatta, Head of the Lake, doesn't take too much planning. If I need to set up a recruiting trip, I'll usually spend a majority of my time setting things up.
Spring is a bit different. Recruiting is less about finding people in the spring, and instead focuses on logistics: When and where are we picking them up, who is making the run - I will volunteer if my work schedule allows - etc. We'll also talk about the spring racing schedule, boatings, what purchases might be made, and travel. I like to look far ahead to get some idea of what's going on, though that's not always possible. For example, I was asking about general travel and practice ideas for IRAs in May/June because IRAs were at Mercer Lake in New Jersey - they will be there the next two years - which means a place to train on the east coast as well as a 14/15 day road trip for the trailer & drivers as well as boat logistics at the boathouse once the racing shells leave.
Home/Evening
I need time to detox after any day. It doesn't matter how good the day is, I will need my space and time. I've had incredible days with lots of news to share and I've still needed an hour or so before talking with anyone. That's simply my thing.
One of the benefits to going vegetarian during the season is how quickly dinner gets made and ready to go. The benefit to this is that I get to spend some time taking a walk. I like to get in a walk between 45-90' in the evening either before or right after dinner. Whereas in the morning, my workout is to work up a sweat, the walk in the evening is simply to move and stretch my legs. This becomes more difficult when winter kicks in because of the rain/cold, so I will occasionally head to the small gym at the par and hit the treadmill right after work. This way I get my time in before they close, and I'll have a light dinner afterward.
Evenings/Night
When I was a younger coach, I didn't have a clock out time. I would be available on my phone at all hours. That has changed drastically over the last three years. My phone is on, and I can respond to texts from time to time depending on what is being said or who is sending them, but when I reach home, I'm out of work. I will glance at work, or work through the practice, but it's at a leisurely pace rather than frenetic. I like to settle in with a warm cup of decaf tea and a few shake bottles of hot honey water with lemon and either read or watch a movie. And I try and get into bed by 9/930. I'm notorious for surfing my iPad or cell phone at night so I've stacked my headboard with books to try and eliminate that problem and it's slowly coming around. Usually the last thing I do before lights out is to set my alarm.
That's a slice of a day in the life for me. This particular slice is from after I quit my overnight job this past fall. While I miss the money, I grew tired of trying to work my schedule around what I needed to do for OSU. When I was offered the job, I made it clear that OSU came first, and that the night job worked because our schedules shouldn't conflict. I also made it clear that there would be times that I would need to step away - a few days or so - for regattas or other duties - recruiting trips - which was okayed by management. But we got a new district manager and she decided that original agreement wasn't something she was interested in and so I ended up leaving. That's the way things go with part time work and full time coaching at times. No bitterness there, though I do miss the extra money each month which was significant. A part time, get me through job, can't or won't trump the career.
Stay safe out there readers. And wash your hands.
So I thought that I'd make a long post today and give you a run down of my life as a coach. Consider this a day in the life, extended edition. In this post I'll try and cover some of the basics that make up my daily life or way of living 9-10 months of the year.
Where I live
I live in a 26 foot by 8.5 foot travel trailer by Forest River. I do not like the Forest River company for a myriad of reasons and if you're considering purchasing a travel trailer, I strongly suggest that you look elsewhere. If I'd known then what I know now about trailers in general, I would have never considered this brand. But, it is what it is, and we move on.
Why the trailer life? Simple. When I was in grad school, I interned with OSU women's rowing and split a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment with a friend in the same grad program. My rent hovered around $750-770 a month. Tack on groceries, gas, and other necessities, and I was spending nearly $1000 a month. When I decided to volunteer for a year with OSU women, I knew that in order to do what I wanted to do within the program, I'd have to make a few sacrifices which included good hours for a part time job. I looked at a few options, and then decided to look into a travel trailer. Rent at a nice park in Albany was under $475 (At the time) plus electric. Combining that, plus the mortgage (for lack of better word) on the trailer, it came to less than $650 a month. So trailer life it is.
I've made a few changes to my unit to make it workable. I'm in the process of replacing the shower, and I've swapped the dining area for a desk (see the other site) and I've replaced the mattress with something better, and the trailer is fairly solid.
While I was unsure about going the trailer route, I'm glad I did. The parks I've stayed at have all been nice. I look for laundry facilities, and bathroom/shower facilities (Saves $$$$ on propane), with concrete pads. The best part about the parks is that I simply need to verify monthly income rather than prove that I make three times the rent as any apartment would demand. I also have my own space, and plenty of space between neighbors. I also am able to carry everything that I need so if I decide to move on, I simply hook up and I'm on the road.
Is the trailer life the way to go, forever? Absolutely not, though I have been looking to upgrade the trailer to something larger with a little more space. There are cons with the trailer, mostly being how cold it can get - trailers are simply not made for 4-season living regardless of any claim - as well as dealing with some of the general nuances of a smaller water heater, but the pros are numerous.
Diet
9 to 10 months of the year, I go nearly vegetarian. I will eat meat on occasion, but I do not have meat in my fridge though I do have solid canned tuna for a quick meal. Any meat is consumed when eating out. This has helped my diet tremendously, as well as saved me a ton of money each shopping trip. Staples in my fridge are cheese, eggs, almond milk, lots of salad items, fresh and frozen veggies, rice, stock, etc. I am slowly working animal products out of my diet for the 10 months in season, though not for health reasons as much as cost reasons.
Going mostly vegetarian was difficult to start with. I committed to a 30 day challenge and only broke once though that was less out of choice and more out of necessity at the time (road trip, late at night, far from home). I am not committing to the vegetarian lifestyle, but I do enjoy it during the season. I simply feel better especially during the months where you're going full whack without a stop.
The one item that I won't part with is stock. I use chicken stock for all soups because I've yet to find a veggie stock that tastes halfway decent. And I don't have the desire to make my own veggie stock at home.
The other benefit for going vegetarian is saving on propane. I have three tanks, two standard and one larger, totaling around 30 gallons/pounds. Showering in the park rather than the trailer, and not doing as much cooking means I can stretch the propane from a week and a half to nearly two months before needing to fill.
Computers
I have two computers, and while that sounds extravagant, it's truly not. My personal computer is a six year old MacBook Pro, and my work computer is a 2018 HP something. I've never been a fan of hooking my personal laptop up to public WiFi even at a university, so the HP was purchased to keep personal and professional lives separate. That being said, my HP is a piece of garbage that doesn't hold a candle to the much older Mac.
I'm a space person and when there is too much on a screen, or when I have to flip between screens, I begin to feel claustrophobic. Having two computers removes that level of anxiety and I've found that it makes building training plans, or comparing data or video much easier. I can watch on one and type up notes on the other cutting down my time.
Cell phone
The cell phone follows the same story as the laptop. I had two Android devices, hated them when their updates began to slow down the phone and so I switched to an iPhone. I've found the iPhone to have a better camera than any Android device, to be more stable/reliable than the Android devices, and generally have been much happier since switching. Apps seem more compatible with the iPhone than the Android devices, and while I wouldn't rule out returning to Android, I've been very happy with the switch.
My favorite app is Coach's Eye though I never use the video system in the app. Instead I will take a video using the camera setting, then upload the video to the app. I've found that if you use the app, the video comes out grainy when you download it. This problem doesn't exist if you upload a video to the app. I like being able to put the video into slow motion and break down each segment of the stroke with an athlete there on the phone.
I realize at this point that I'm doing less a "day in the life" and more a general rundown, so let's switch gears a bit and try and get back on track.
Morning
I've been trying to get my sleep schedule back on track which begins with going to bed earlier. I wake up around 6-630 each morning and head to the gym.
I know that I should be erging, but I've always hated the erg - I get bored, then distracted - so I'll usually split between the stair-stepper and the elliptical. MWTH are my cardio days where I get in 90', and TF are lifting days. I don't do anything specific for lifting meaning I don't focus on a group of muscles. I'm not trying to build anything, just maintain general fitness. I usually do curls, bent over rows, front squat, pull down, bench press, inclined press, lat pull, and a few others that I can't recall the names of. I try and do 6x15 reps going for less weight. I'll bench around 125 lbs, squat around 100 lbs, curl/incline press around 30-35 lbs.
Breakfast is something that I'm always skipping so I try and work that in. After the gym I'll smash two shaker bottles of water with some lemon and a tiny grind of Himalayan pink salt. I'm not into the mineral claims that others make. I like the pink salt because it's less...salty than table salt or kosher salt. I'll usually eat breakfast at this point, usually a bowl of cereal and a banana, or peanut butter toast and a banana, or three egg whites and toast and a banana. Funnily enough I hate bananas.
I try and be showered and out the door by 930, no later than 10.
Because the internet and cell service where I stay is pretty sketchy, I'll head to the boathouse and check my work email.
Then it's onto projects at the boathouse. Depending on the time of year it is, that could mean measuring oars, cleaning or rigging boats, or general TLC. If I don't have a project, then I'll head to the office and check in.
Lunch
I try and bring my lunch with me which usually means a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a piece of cheese. Other times I'll snag lunch at Laughing Planet - a small salad and soup is always a great option - or some salad rolls from Baguette. If I'm feeling a bit more hungry, I'll get some sushi from Amatsu downtown. If I have time, I eat in, or if I'm in a hurry I'll grab and go. Sometimes I like to grab and go anyhow and just enjoy some quiet time at the boathouse.
Practice time
I'm usually at the boathouse by 130-145, well before practice. I like to arrive early, make sure the laundry is going - towels first, always - and check emails again. In the fall, most emails will revolve around looking at recruits, or planning a recruiting trip, or looking over the fall race schedule. Fall is fairly low key, and even our big regatta, Head of the Lake, doesn't take too much planning. If I need to set up a recruiting trip, I'll usually spend a majority of my time setting things up.
Spring is a bit different. Recruiting is less about finding people in the spring, and instead focuses on logistics: When and where are we picking them up, who is making the run - I will volunteer if my work schedule allows - etc. We'll also talk about the spring racing schedule, boatings, what purchases might be made, and travel. I like to look far ahead to get some idea of what's going on, though that's not always possible. For example, I was asking about general travel and practice ideas for IRAs in May/June because IRAs were at Mercer Lake in New Jersey - they will be there the next two years - which means a place to train on the east coast as well as a 14/15 day road trip for the trailer & drivers as well as boat logistics at the boathouse once the racing shells leave.
Home/Evening
I need time to detox after any day. It doesn't matter how good the day is, I will need my space and time. I've had incredible days with lots of news to share and I've still needed an hour or so before talking with anyone. That's simply my thing.
One of the benefits to going vegetarian during the season is how quickly dinner gets made and ready to go. The benefit to this is that I get to spend some time taking a walk. I like to get in a walk between 45-90' in the evening either before or right after dinner. Whereas in the morning, my workout is to work up a sweat, the walk in the evening is simply to move and stretch my legs. This becomes more difficult when winter kicks in because of the rain/cold, so I will occasionally head to the small gym at the par and hit the treadmill right after work. This way I get my time in before they close, and I'll have a light dinner afterward.
Evenings/Night
When I was a younger coach, I didn't have a clock out time. I would be available on my phone at all hours. That has changed drastically over the last three years. My phone is on, and I can respond to texts from time to time depending on what is being said or who is sending them, but when I reach home, I'm out of work. I will glance at work, or work through the practice, but it's at a leisurely pace rather than frenetic. I like to settle in with a warm cup of decaf tea and a few shake bottles of hot honey water with lemon and either read or watch a movie. And I try and get into bed by 9/930. I'm notorious for surfing my iPad or cell phone at night so I've stacked my headboard with books to try and eliminate that problem and it's slowly coming around. Usually the last thing I do before lights out is to set my alarm.
That's a slice of a day in the life for me. This particular slice is from after I quit my overnight job this past fall. While I miss the money, I grew tired of trying to work my schedule around what I needed to do for OSU. When I was offered the job, I made it clear that OSU came first, and that the night job worked because our schedules shouldn't conflict. I also made it clear that there would be times that I would need to step away - a few days or so - for regattas or other duties - recruiting trips - which was okayed by management. But we got a new district manager and she decided that original agreement wasn't something she was interested in and so I ended up leaving. That's the way things go with part time work and full time coaching at times. No bitterness there, though I do miss the extra money each month which was significant. A part time, get me through job, can't or won't trump the career.
Stay safe out there readers. And wash your hands.
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| Sunrise on the road |
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