There aren't many downsides to training for the Olympics but I am definitely in the middle of a downside this weekend-or more appropriately April 16th, tax day.
Unfortunately, the life of an elite athlete in a sport that doesn't involve a ball being thrown around is not a lucrative one. The USOC grants are wonderful until tax day because taxes aren't taken out of the grant until the day you pay taxes and the amount that you are given do not cover the costs of the taxes you have to pay. It's quite the catch-22. The upside, the USFA just provided a results grant to the women's foil team for about $1,000, but I can't cash in because the fencing assocation is having cash flow problems. Hmmm....
This money complaint is fast becoming my new favorite country song, I just need a truck and a dog. Someone recently wrote a check to me through GRAAF, but it turns out the guy who writes the checks at the non-profit has been "out" for about a month. I don't know where he is but I can't even leave him a message on his machine anymore because it's full.
Shall I go on? How about, I feel as though while I am training for the Olympics I feel extremely pressured by all the money I owe for medical bills, taxes, and other bills. I think April 16th is a rough day for everyone but just know that it isn't any easier for an Olympian. I can't tell you how many bills I have stacking up in the corner for medical expenses from x-rays to the cast that was on my hand a few months ago. The US Fencing Association was supposed to pick up the tab for that but their insurance company told me I have a $500 deductible-which means they are only responsible for $200 of the total bill. Great, thanks.
I am not really looking for sympathy so much as a solution. Hopefully I will come through with something before I mail those thick tax return envelopes on Monday.
Good luck to everyone else this tax season.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Relax?
Today I went to the doctor for my annual physical. I believe I passed with flying colors. She asked me several questions about my health, do I smoke, do I drink, etc. Of course I said no and then she came to the question, do you do physical exercise on a regular basis? She then paused, looked at me, and we both laughed out loud. I guess that's a yes, she said.
And that wasn't even the funniest part of the whole exam (you can find laughter in anything, especially when you're wearing a hospital gown). The doc sat me at the end of the table and then proceeded to do the reflex test. You know the test, the one where they take a triangular rubber thing attached to the end of a stick and they hit various places to produce a reflex. I haven't failed at many things in my life but this is one instance where I never produce a reflex.
I don't think she has ever done this test on me so she was puzzled when she didn't get a reaction. She tried the other knee, then my elbow, then my wrist, and then furrowed her brow.
The doc: Relax, Iris.
Me: I am relaxed (I'm sort of nervous and shouting-yeah right I'm relaxed).
The doc: Um, well, we should talk.
Me: (Nervously-of course I am nervous, I am in a hospital gown) About what?
Doc: So, what do you do for fun?
Me: I don't know. (Should I have a good answer for this?)
Doc: You don't know? Do you do something other than fencing that is just something you do for you know, F-U-N?
Me: Fencing is the fun?
Doc: You know what relaxation is? Don't you?
Me: Sure I know what it is. I started playing piano a few months ago, but I was starting to get frustrated that I couldn't practice more often to play the songs more fluidly. It was stressful. Oh yeah, and when I was living in California I used to do bollywood dancing for fun. Yeah, they fitted me for an outfit the first day and when I couldn't get the steps after a few weeks, I quit. It was stressful.
Now that the conversation is written out I understand why my doctor responded with pure and deep laughter. I mean, the laughter just came from her toes to her stomach and out her mouth as a loud raucous laugh. This laughter wasn't really about picturing me doing bollywood dancing, but this laughter was about my inability to feel relaxed.
This got me thinking. The reality is that I wake up each day with the Olympics on my mind and questions for myself-am I doing enough? Will I win the next competition? If I do more of x will this help me become the best fencer? Did I get enough sleep? Should I eat more, should I eat less? You should hear these crazy conversations and questions I ask myself each day all for the sake of being the best I can be as a fencer.
At some point I accepted these questions because this is my life and didn't see it as stress but just part of an everyday routine. However, sometimes without realizing, the questioning and the drive to excel can become overwhelming. I really think there is something to be said about rejuvenating the mind, body, and soul through doing things just for the sake of doing things.
This isn't to say that I am stressed out, but I think it's important to acknowledge that rest can sometimes do more good than getting back on that treadmill for an hour. Sometimes the mind just needs a day off. Which I ended up doing today thanks to the doctor. I called up some friends and just hung out, talked about nothing in particular, and enjoyed a nice tall glass of milk and chocolate cake (it's on the diet...not really...but it was so good and felt relaxing).
In the long term relaxation plan I'm thinking about taking up pottery, painting, or some form of artwork when the season is over because I know that I am hands down the worst artist out there. Maybe knowing that I will never be good at it may be an effective way to find something that I won't try and overachieve at. If you ever met an Olympian, you will know that they never want to lose at anything so finding something to just do for the sake of doing is a little difficult.
So, that being said about me, what have you done to relax today? This week? This month? (Don't make me ask this year.) If nothing else you can try my doctor's prescription, just take a deep breath. Take as needed.
And that wasn't even the funniest part of the whole exam (you can find laughter in anything, especially when you're wearing a hospital gown). The doc sat me at the end of the table and then proceeded to do the reflex test. You know the test, the one where they take a triangular rubber thing attached to the end of a stick and they hit various places to produce a reflex. I haven't failed at many things in my life but this is one instance where I never produce a reflex.
I don't think she has ever done this test on me so she was puzzled when she didn't get a reaction. She tried the other knee, then my elbow, then my wrist, and then furrowed her brow.
The doc: Relax, Iris.
Me: I am relaxed (I'm sort of nervous and shouting-yeah right I'm relaxed).
The doc: Um, well, we should talk.
Me: (Nervously-of course I am nervous, I am in a hospital gown) About what?
Doc: So, what do you do for fun?
Me: I don't know. (Should I have a good answer for this?)
Doc: You don't know? Do you do something other than fencing that is just something you do for you know, F-U-N?
Me: Fencing is the fun?
Doc: You know what relaxation is? Don't you?
Me: Sure I know what it is. I started playing piano a few months ago, but I was starting to get frustrated that I couldn't practice more often to play the songs more fluidly. It was stressful. Oh yeah, and when I was living in California I used to do bollywood dancing for fun. Yeah, they fitted me for an outfit the first day and when I couldn't get the steps after a few weeks, I quit. It was stressful.
Now that the conversation is written out I understand why my doctor responded with pure and deep laughter. I mean, the laughter just came from her toes to her stomach and out her mouth as a loud raucous laugh. This laughter wasn't really about picturing me doing bollywood dancing, but this laughter was about my inability to feel relaxed.
This got me thinking. The reality is that I wake up each day with the Olympics on my mind and questions for myself-am I doing enough? Will I win the next competition? If I do more of x will this help me become the best fencer? Did I get enough sleep? Should I eat more, should I eat less? You should hear these crazy conversations and questions I ask myself each day all for the sake of being the best I can be as a fencer.
At some point I accepted these questions because this is my life and didn't see it as stress but just part of an everyday routine. However, sometimes without realizing, the questioning and the drive to excel can become overwhelming. I really think there is something to be said about rejuvenating the mind, body, and soul through doing things just for the sake of doing things.
This isn't to say that I am stressed out, but I think it's important to acknowledge that rest can sometimes do more good than getting back on that treadmill for an hour. Sometimes the mind just needs a day off. Which I ended up doing today thanks to the doctor. I called up some friends and just hung out, talked about nothing in particular, and enjoyed a nice tall glass of milk and chocolate cake (it's on the diet...not really...but it was so good and felt relaxing).
In the long term relaxation plan I'm thinking about taking up pottery, painting, or some form of artwork when the season is over because I know that I am hands down the worst artist out there. Maybe knowing that I will never be good at it may be an effective way to find something that I won't try and overachieve at. If you ever met an Olympian, you will know that they never want to lose at anything so finding something to just do for the sake of doing is a little difficult.
So, that being said about me, what have you done to relax today? This week? This month? (Don't make me ask this year.) If nothing else you can try my doctor's prescription, just take a deep breath. Take as needed.
Monday, April 09, 2007
New Arrival
Hanna Thompson, ranked second in the country and a teammate on the USA women's foil team, is moving to Rochester this week. She used to fence at RFC before she went to Ohio State for college. The funniest part of it all is that she started fencing, in part, because of me. Her older sister, Emmy, started fencing because we were classmates and heard that was something I did. Then, her younger twin sisters, Hanna and Metta, started fencing. And now look at her, training for the Olympic Games.
She and I will be training together for the Olympics with coach Nat. I am looking forward to having a training partner that is focused on the same things that I am focused on. It's nice for those days where motivation is a little lacking.
Welcome to Rochester, Hanna!
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter everyone! It's a fine Sunday morning at State College, PA with two inches of snow on the ground. I'm hoping for a quick turn around of the weather so I can make the 4 hour drive back to Rochester without an issue.
Quick story about the weekend. On Friday afternoon I drove down to Penn State to fence and visit with some of my friends. The fencing has been great and seeing my good friends after so long has been good for the soul. But there is one moment in particular on Friday that made me realize how far I've come with my fencing.
Friday's practice was a practice like any other. There was fencing, there was fun, there was learning, etc. Then, at the end of practice four of the guys decided that I needed a little challenge, a team of four of them would fence against team Iris Zimmermann. Yup, four against one and I am not sure at the moment they asked that I believed that I could actually make it to twenty touches.
The first fencer got up to fence me, I beat him 5-3.
The second fencer got up to fence me, I beat him 5-2 and the score is now team Iris 10 and the four man team 5.
The third fencer got up to fence me, I score only 1 to his 2 points but then time ran out. The score was now 11-6.
Then the final fencer, the anchor of their team, starts to fence me. And for some reason something clicked and I scored 9 points to make the win 20-7.
I couldn't believe it. When I walked off the strip I was in awe-how did I beat four guys at the end of practice? Granted-the guys that I fenced were not in their best shape and haven't been training like I have, but still. You would think that they would at least make it to 10.
Needless to say, I had my own Billie Jean King moment and loved every minute of it. Take that, boys.
Quick story about the weekend. On Friday afternoon I drove down to Penn State to fence and visit with some of my friends. The fencing has been great and seeing my good friends after so long has been good for the soul. But there is one moment in particular on Friday that made me realize how far I've come with my fencing.
Friday's practice was a practice like any other. There was fencing, there was fun, there was learning, etc. Then, at the end of practice four of the guys decided that I needed a little challenge, a team of four of them would fence against team Iris Zimmermann. Yup, four against one and I am not sure at the moment they asked that I believed that I could actually make it to twenty touches.
The first fencer got up to fence me, I beat him 5-3.
The second fencer got up to fence me, I beat him 5-2 and the score is now team Iris 10 and the four man team 5.
The third fencer got up to fence me, I score only 1 to his 2 points but then time ran out. The score was now 11-6.
Then the final fencer, the anchor of their team, starts to fence me. And for some reason something clicked and I scored 9 points to make the win 20-7.
I couldn't believe it. When I walked off the strip I was in awe-how did I beat four guys at the end of practice? Granted-the guys that I fenced were not in their best shape and haven't been training like I have, but still. You would think that they would at least make it to 10.
Needless to say, I had my own Billie Jean King moment and loved every minute of it. Take that, boys.
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