Summer 2011 by the Numbers

Once again, summer has blown by in a flash and school is about to start for students everywhere. This time every year, I seem to look back at the past three months and think "What the heck did I even do all summer?" Well, this summer, I feel like I did everything. Here's a quick look what I actually did all summer during my hybrid rowing/triathlon season.

During the summer of 2011...

I raced 6 times in 3 different sports in 4 different states. I also attended 5 events as a volunteer or intern.

I ate 67 PowerBars, drank 450 oz. of Gatorade and drank 525 oz. of coffee.

I spent $384 in race fees and $55.50 on tolls.

I ran 161 hills and 65 sprints.

I spent 17 nights away from home in 3 states and 2 countries.

I got 5 awards, 5 t-shirts, and 2 bags from events...gotta love the swag.

I drove 1650 miles.

I worked out with people from 10 different sports backgrounds and learned a lot about sports that I knew little to nothing about.

I used up 2 sticks of deodorant, 3 tubes of sunscreen and bought 14 nail polishes (my new obsession).

I spent 54 hours in the weight room.

I spent 108 hours rowing, 5 hours swimming, 10 hours running, 17 hours biking and (unfortunately) 8 hours erging.

I interviewed 3 people, wrote 12 blog posts, tweeted 104 times, and had 1915 total page views from 10 different countries.

I met lots of new people, some of whom I believe will be my friends for a very long time. I learned the value of bringing baked goods into an office of hungry people. I learned that English majors can like (and be good at) marketing, but that I chose my major for a reason. I learned how to work hard in demanding environments under pressure and that the best way to keep people calm and happy is to keep smiling.  I learned how amazing it is having someone to cheer for you at the finish line, even strangers. I learned how much better wings taste on Wing Night. I learned that you can get people to do a lot of things for a free t-shirt. And I learned that having a blog is an incredibly rewarding experience that I am excited to continue with.

Thanks to everyone for a great summer! Here's to hoping that the fall is even better.