2012 Olympics

My first three competitions had begun, starting in the Czech Republic. The first stop was Ostrava, a small town. Arriving at the airport early in the morning, I was greeted by a local driver. Thankfully he had been holding a card bearing my name, since I soon realized that he did not speak much English. The driver took my bags and loaded them into the car before we headed to the hotel. [continue reading…]

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Well, it’s 2012…I survived my trip to Las Vegas and Indoor Track and Field is about to kick off! I will have my first three competitions in Czech Republic. I will compete in Ostrava, Hustopece, and Trinec. I had a minor set back in training due to a hamstring sprain, but it is starting to get better just in time. I try to rehab at my desk by icing and stretching. The temperature has dropped drastically so I have to start packing more layers so I can stay warm. My weight room is still consistent. I am very strong and plan on getting even stronger. I am slowly getting back into my top speed in sprinting, though my hamstring does prevent me from going 100 percent. It’s still very early so I do have time to get everything back to normal.

Work has been great over the holidays. I love how Thanksgiving rolls over into Christmas. The office has been decorated with lights and bulbs. Christmas cards from all of our healthcare travelers (travel nurses, locum tenens physicians, school therapists, etc) are hanging everywhere. People are shipping out gifts and holiday greeting cards. There is always a smell of freshly baked goodies roaming around the cubicles. The radio station is playing Christmas carols instead of the 80’s all day (thank goodness!). The Soliant choir is practicing in the meeting rooms for the big holiday party. People are secretly asking around the office of what to get for the secret Santa gift exchange. I had the pleasure of being Tera Tuten’s secret Santa (smile). The whole company went up to David’s clubhouse for a Christmas brunch. The food was great. I swear I gained about 8 pounds because I kept going back for more. I had the chance to get to know my co-workers on a more personal level. I think it’s very important that you know the people around you at work because Soliant is a big team, and it takes teamwork to be successful here.

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Training
I finally adjusted to training and working. I switched up some things in my workout to get home at a decent time. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday I used to lift weights after practice. Weights take so long that I wasn’t getting home till around 8:30pm – and that’s a LONG day. There’s an LA Fitness across the street from work at Soliant Health, so I bought a membership, and now I do weights on my lunch break or right after work. That way I can head straight home after my track workout. It saves me a lot of time.

My workouts are shorter now but are high intensity. I do everything at a faster pace. The only thing I hate is all the driving back and forth. If home, work, and training were all 5-10 minutes apart, I’d probably jog to practice straight from work and warm up at the same time. When you’re short on time, efficiency counts.

Work
Work is still great. I love working at Soliant Health. Everyone smiles and sings. It’s a great environment. I could not participate in the Soliant charity run a couple weeks ago with my work team because I had practice, but they had a great time and I’m sorry I missed it.

I am still doing random assignments each day, and I really like it because I get to do take on a new challenge every day. Also it gives me a chance to get up from my desk and stretch out a little; my lower back sometimes tightens up after sitting too long.

After I’d been here a few weeks, I referred my brother Mitchell for a position in our nursing division. After several interviews, he was hired. Interestingly, over 90% of Soliant’s employees in Atlanta were referred into the organization. I’m excited that my brother and I are working together! He just finished his week of training and is anxious to get out and get the job rolling. I think he’ll do great. He’s very tall and looks just like me. When he walked into Soliant, I heard people say, “There is another Keith walking around here somewhere!”

Other News
I went to Las Vegas on October 28 for a High Jump Summit. Basically, it was a meeting with other high jumpers and coaches, where we talk about bettering ourselves as athletes and in our events. For an athlete, attending things like this is much like attending trade conferences or continuing education classes for healthcare professionals. You learn things, hone your understanding of the sport, meet important people…and you get to size up your opponents. Even an athlete needs to network!

Last year when I went to Las Vegas for this meeting, I got addicted to the slot machines. I don’t know what it is about slots, but I could not stop. This year the plan is to ignore the slots – I’ll tell you how that went next time. Wish me luck!

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