Soaking it in

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I’ve been feeling really lucky lately to get the chance to sit and listen to people talk.

Whether this is worthwhile depends mostly on the people speaking, and based on who I’ve been listening to, it definitely is.

I spent last weekend in San Francisco at the Associated Collegiate Press Midwinter National College Journalism Convention, where I sat in on sessions with titles like “How to be an editor without killing someone,” listened to keynote speeches from people like Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Mark Fiore, had a small group Q&A session with a news reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle and enjoyed complimentary coffee and red pens.

acpsf I geeked out, to say the least. These conventions get me pumped about my career, and getting the opportunity to engage with professionals and my fellow student journalists from all over the country is priceless. Not to mention the fact that my own newspaper won first place in the Best of Show contest and took home a trophy. I triumphantly carried that bad boy home on BART and then back to the newsroom in Chico. We also won second place in the multimedia package category and fourth place for our website.

The awards were a nice way to end the weekend, but the networking I did and much of what I got to learn were the best parts. Just getting to see how other student newspapers run and look was interesting. And I mean, Storify cofounder Burt Herman made a Storify about the conference during his keynote speech using what all of us had been posting online with the #acpsf hashtag. How cool is that?

I got back to town from the convention Monday, but by Wednesday I was already gaining more insight from another professional, this time on campus. Ali Manzano, the social media editor at The Oregonian, visited our newspaper critique session this week to talk social media as part of the Scripps Howard Foundation/AEJMC Social Media Externship Program.

oregonianShe talked to us about branding, referring to our social media accounts in print and engaging with our audience on these platforms through questions that go along with articles.

Manzano basically created her job at The Oregonian in 2010, which is pretty impressive. It’s always interesting for me to hear about the backgrounds of people with awesome jobs in order to see how they got to where they are.

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And even with all of that, I’ll also be sitting and listening to people talk Thursday and Friday. Chico State is hosting its This Way to Sustainability Conference, where I’ll get to gain insight from professionals about various global, national and regional environmental issues. Many of the sessions directly relate to my minor and my interests, so I can’t wait to see what else I can soak in this week.

A busy Bay Area weekend ahead

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I’m back in the Bay!

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I’m home for the first time this semester, but I definitely won’t be relaxing. I drove down from Chico late last night after my night class and woke up at 6:30 a.m. to make it to BART. I’m currently on a train making my way from the east bay to San Francisco, where I’ll be attending the Associated Collegiate Press National College Journalism Convention.
It’s conveniently located just across the bay from my hometown this year, so I’ll be spending the weekend at workshops and skill sessions with hundreds of other student journalists from across the country. It should be a good time, and I’m hoping The Orion can bring home a Best of Show award. We’ll see!

Running shoes

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I’m at the point where I’m itching for a new pair of running shoes. They definitely aren’t cheap, so this purchase is going to have to wait a while, but a girl can dream, right?

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I’m interested in shoes from Mizuno, (clearly) Brooks and Saucony. I like Nike, but I already have a pair of Free Run 2s, so I’d like to switch things up.

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My brother bought me the Vivobarefoot Lucy Lites for Christmas. I’m not used to the barefoot type of shoe, and I definitely need to get a pair of insoles for these. The 3mm sole might be too thin for me. They’re strictly for treadmill or road running. I’ve had my Free Runs for a while, and they’ve been a solid pair.

Running around

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Before class. After work. Between class and work.

And if I’m feeling especially weird, I’ll run at 11 p.m.

I don’t do it every day, but I am always trying to fit it into my busy routine. This means I’m always showing up to class in gym clothes and my hair is in a ponytail way too often. Tragic, I know.

I started running regularly when I got to college, and more than three years later, I’ve never been more consistent. I started with a mile at a time on the indoor track at my gym, which got easier every time I laced up.

But this isn’t to say I don’t hate it sometimes. I do. Sometimes I dread getting out there and other times I’m exhausted by the time I hit mile two, but it’s even worse when things just feel off for no apparent reason.

Despite the fact that some runs kick my ass, I’ve moved into trail running in Bidwell Park. With 3,600 acres, I don’t ever get bored there. I start my runs by setting a goal distance on my Nike+ app — and then I set out to pass it.

I’ve also started racing. I’m not really competitive about it, but instead run them for myself.

My first race was the San Jose 408K Race to the Row in March 2012. It the inaugural race and had a really great route from HP Pavilion (where the Sharks play!) to Santana Row. An 8K (5 miles) was just the distance I needed to get a feel for racing.

I ran my first 8K in 43:31 and followed it up with a post-race banana.

I ran my first 8K in 43:31 and followed it up with a post-race banana.

I then ran the famous Color Run (5K) at Candlestick Park in July. It was a big, early-morning party held in the coldest, foggiest and most dreary part of San Francisco. I didn’t bother tracking my time, especially because we kept doubling back to each mile checkpoint to get more powdered color flung at us. I did this one with my best friend, sister and brother. Color Run

The most recent race I participated in was the Jack Frost 10K last month. I was most excited for this one, because a 10K was the perfect challenge for me. The course was hilly and slightly muddy, with some trail, some pavement and quite a bit of rain. You’d be surprised at how awesome it feels to run in the rain at 8 a.m. The only bummer was that I was out there by myself once I crossed the finish line, but I felt great. I hung around to cool down until I realized it was raining pretty hard and 40 degrees out. These minor details don’t seem to matter much when you’re running, but they don’t call it the Jack Frost for nothing.

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I ran this 10K in 56:57.

With a 10K under my belt, I’m looking forward to more races in 2013. I’m already signed up for a second Color Run in March, and I plan to sign up for the Nike Women’s Half Marathon later this year.

Full Moon Mt. Wanda Walk

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Full Moon Mt. Wanda Walk was a blog written for Diablo Magazine.

Spend a summer night under the full moon in Martinez for Contra Costa County views at dusk.

Martinez may not seem like the likeliest of places to find a clear view of the full moon, but the John Muir National Historic Site makes it easy to look past the industrialization and feel like you’re getting away from it all. Happy with the chance to spend some time outside, my boyfriend and I arrived at the base of Mt. Wanda with comfy shoes, a bottle of water, and not much else. We met upwards of 100 others, all ready for the evening stroll. Some had full-on hiking gear and walking sticks, while others sported blue jeans and T-shirts.

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