Peace, love, fat week.

My cross country season officially ended last Thursday, and I have been enjoying the annual post season "fat week." Which basically means we finally get to eat whatever we want all week long instead of having to plan out healthy meals in preparation for practices and meets.
In my off season, I usually like to continue training. But even though its important to stay in shape, and to make sure you don't lose all the progress you made this season, its still a good idea to take at least a week off at the end of your season (especially when it comes to running) to give your body a break. You don't want to over do it and injure yourself. It always amuses me when I'm driving home from school and I see girls on my team who are still running miles and miles after school, trying to keep in shape and prepare for next year, when we aren't even a week into off season.
As far as what you should be doing in the off season, it depends a lot on whether or not you are planning on running track in the Spring. I play tennis in the Spring, so in my off season I take privet lesson at my local tennis club once or twice a week. But track runners should work on establishing and aerobic base. Why is this such a simple answer?
Everything stems from this aerobic base, especially when it comes to distance running, and it takes time to properly establish this. That's what makes the off season the perfect time. Almost the entire time your are running a cross country race, you are using this aerobic base.
As far as how long you should run.. However far you can run today and still be able to run again tomorrow. How fast? Go by feel. Sometimes that may mean fairly fast, other times, more slowly depending on how tired you are from your run the previous day.
Most people like to make some fancy schedule of workouts that are strenuous and aimed at optimizing every last second the time they have. But if you can maintain most of your effort and training from your previous season, you are doing pretty well. Don't over due it. Just run as much as you think is appropriate.


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Are tattoos taboo?

Getting a tattoo is a very permanent and very personal choice, but it seems like lately this topic has become more popular when it comes to pop culture. When celebrities get tattoos, it's all over the tabloids, and it seems like this happens for all the wrong reasons. Its almost become taboo in our society to get this permanent piece of art engraved into our skin. But why?

Tattoos have been around for thousands of years, beginning with the Egyptian societies. So why do we still see getting a tattoo to be stereotypical of "bad" boys and muscle men? Especially when its a practice that has gone through so much history. I think it has a lot to do with what the media puts out, and the way we are raised.

Personally, I've gone back and forth on this topic. When I was growing up, my parents always beat it into my head that I was never to do a thing to my body like get a tattoo. I grew up always assuming it was the worst possible thing a person could do to themselves. Now that I'm older, have more exposure to the realities of life, and am confident when it comes to making my own decisions about my body and what I do to it, I've realized that getting a tattoo has really gotten a bad rap. It's a way to express yourself, and like many other things in life, it really just comes down to personal preference, and ignorance. If you don't like tattoos, don't get one. You don't have to convince someone that is a good or bad idea, just because their opinion may differ from your own. 

I know a lot of people who can't wait until they are 18 years old so they can march into the tattoo parlor and get their first tat. They've planned out what they want, where they want it. And if you think about it, when you have that much time to make a decision, chances are you will have less regrets later in life.

I think the key is to find a place to put it that can be easily concealed and not go too crazy with the ink. 

Getting a tattoo is a great way to make yourself unique from other people in society, but should be done with caution and maturity. 

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