Why I've been MIA

Here is the Boston forcast for Monday's marathon:

Monday
Rain in the morning...then rain likely in the afternoon. Rain may be heavy at times in the morning. Brisk and cold with highs around 40. Chance of rain 80 percent.

Monday...Rain. Rain May be heavy at Times in the morning. Brisk and cold with highs around 40. Chance of rain 80 percent. Windy. With gusts up to 50 MPH

I am currently home in Newton. Sitting on the new green couch mom and dad got. It is good to be home and reacharge my batteries after a stressfuls couple months at school. I haven't written much on my blog but I hope to go back and fill in some spots. This is what I've been up to this semester:

-GMATs
-Applying to 3 business Schools- Cornell, NYU, Columbia
-5 classes
-Work 3 days a week [first at Sesame St., Now at Y&R]
-Training for Monday's marathon
-3 weeks in Thailand
-applications/ interviews for summer internship (I will stay at Y&R and also work at clarity consulting doing executive coaching0)

Whew. I'm exhausted.

In addition to all that I've been doctor hopping the last couple weeks getting second opinions and MRIs on my groin which hurts when I run.

The diagnosis: a stress fracture in my pelvis.
The Rx: don't run for a couple months.*
The response: NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Due to the stress fracture and the impending Nor'Easter I have made a final decision today not to run the boston marathon. This year. Next year not even Thai dogs will stop me from running it.

My treat after a hard week- running

Well, the GMATs were great. Most especially is the part that they are over! Whew, I did a lot of studying. But I got a decent score too. It puts me in the good 'middle' range for what is accepted at the schools I'm looking at.

It was a pretty intense week as I prepared for the exam and did last minute practice tests. I didn't get to the gym or central park as much as I would have liked. The treat I was anticipating all week for when I finished was a long run....

I had a 20 miler on my training schedule for today, a beautiful sunny day. I started off on my usual path towards central park, but realized maybe it was a good day to head back to my fall running route along the river. I had abandonded running in riverside park because of the winter winds, but today there were none to be had. I was planning on a 10 mile run south along the running path and then turning around for 10 back. After 10 miles I had already passed the bottom tip of Manhattan and was running up the river on the east. I figured I'd keep on running (just like ol' Forrest Gump). My watch tells me my milage, so I figured I'd just run until 20 miles then hail a cab.

The run was glorious and I was able to keep a 10:10 pace for 20 miles! At that point I was so close to home I just extended my run for another 3 miles back to my apartment. I realized that my next long run would be in Thailand, in hot weather, so I should make todays run my longest one. 23 it was (although the last 3 were a little slower).

I can't seem to paste it here, but you can check out the loop here: http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=124571
- it was a full loop running from 120th down the western side of Manhattan back up the eastern side of the island to 120th- then across.

Here-ye, Here-ye

I have an announcement to make to all you out there in blogworld: I'm applying to business school. Yup, you heard me; actually I've been going through the application process for a month now. Some of you know this news already, but for the most part it's been a secret.

I am applying really late in the game- third round to the schools, which means my chances aren't good. But I'm certainly not going to get in if I don't apply.

I've pretty much cut off all social contact because on top of the rush to get in the B school apps I'm studying for the GMATs, taking 5 classes, have an internship 2x a week, and training for the Boston Marathon. Something has had to give, and it's been my social life. Thankfully this will all be over soon and I have the most glorious light at the end of the tunnel: my 3 week trip to Thailand! What could be better than Thai food, Thai Friends, and Thai beaches???

"But you're already in grad school, Rachel" you say? "Yes, I am, but I'm not terribly excited about my program and have always thought about business school." I respond.

I am taking a class at the Columbia Business school this semester and it was just that extra little bit of inspiration that I needed. So I'm taking the GMATs on Feb 28th, and will have my applications in to Columbia, Cornell, NYU, and Dartmouth shortly thereafter.

Please cross your fingers, toes, and all other appendages for me...

Sleepless in NY

I've been having weird sleeping issues lately. For the past week i find myself waking up around 4 or 5 am every day. Wide awake. So I get up and often can get some work done. Then ususally go back to sleep for an hour.

Yet again, it's 5 and I'm up. I just checked email and got the cutest letter from Jeeda and Wendy in Thailand. This one's mostly written in English so I thought I'd share. I taught them to use email before I left and here's what I just found in my inbox. You all know I'm going to Thailand in March, right?

Baan Screen
to me
show details
12:22 am (4 hours ago)
Hello!!!!! We miss you. We are EXCITE. You can sleep at Baanscreen. you're well come.Well come to Baanscreen.I will prepare meals, everything and else for you. My mother is glad to will miss you. She is EXCITE too. Everyone are EXCITE too. Kit teung mak mak. Have a nice day. We love you for ever. Bye Bye

A picture of Jeeda and Wendy in their kitchen/living room at Baan Screen (their house and business).

My dad is famous

This is on the Bretton Woods web site. Looks like they got some yummy powder and fresh tracks! http://www.mtwashington.com/alpineski/index.cfm-edit_id=56.htm

This makes dad's 45th day of the season this year. Lucky Duck.

This was Art's first time at Bretton Woods and I had the privilege of giving him a mountain tour. Art enjoyed skiing our steep trails that were well groomed, just like this shot on Waumbek!!!

In other parental news, there is a new piece of property in the Bobruff household. My parents purchases a piece of land in New London, NH on Wednesday. It is on King Hill Road, the access road to the now defunct ski area where I learned to ski at the age of 3 and later taught little tykes as a ski instructor. It was 'our mountain' until they closed in the early 90s (hence the cheesy outfits).

The parents will be building a house there. That means the dodechadedron of love is currently housing the Bobruffs for the last ski season.

Awards

I'm Time magazine person of the year. Can i put that on my resume??

Avoiding frostbite

It's officially FAC in New York city. That's Freezing-Ass-Cold for those of you who aren't in the know. While I have been loving my runs outside, the forecast of 2 degrees yesterday didn't entice me.

This is me in full winter running gear in front of my New Hampshire house on Thanksgiving day 2006.

Yesterday I had a 13 mile training run scheduled. I was imagining that running for 2 hours in the cold and wind would be even more miserable than 2 hours on a treadmill.

So I broke down and joined the New York Sports Club.

Each treadmill has it's own TV! So I got caught up on 'Last Comic Standing' as I ran. I have trained myself to read on the treadmill too, so I caught up on Outside magazine and Runners World magazine. Even was able to chat with dad a little. Ahh, the benefits of being inside....

For my treadmill inspiration check out my Feb 5th post.

All the RAGE

OK Go - Here It Goes Again

FABULOUS

Marketing and the Internet

I am taking a fascinating class at Columbia Business School on Thursday afternoons. We are learning a bazillion things about the internet. Every week we have to post on the class blog: http://alittleclass.blogspot.com/ Check it out. I am quite proud that the professor used my post last week and again this week to give an example of great blogs.

I'm doing a group project on Social Networking web sites, like MySpace, Friendster, and LinkedIn. We're evaluating the history of these sites and where they're headed in the future. Any ideas?

I ran 20 miles today

"Wow" you say? That is the appropriate response. I'm pretty impressed myself. My training schedule was for 17-18, but I was feeling so good I rounded it to an even 20.

I am starting to know the ins and outs of Central Park as well as I knew Golden Gate Park when I was living in San Francisco. I had a blast running on all the winding trails of the woods. It feels like the back woods of Vermont when you're tucked away in the little paths in the Park.

I'm feeling really confident about the Boston Marathon. I officially signed up today and am telling anyone who will listen.

I am honored that I will be a part of the most prestigious marathon in the world. But even cooler is that I watched every year as a kid from the 19th mile marker and handed out orange slices.

David is currently training so he can escort me past our house and up the infamous Heartbreak hills- the hills from mile 17-20. Apparently he's practicing his jokes too so I have a distraction from running uphill.

CHORUS LINE

Allie Lee and Family honored the Big Apple with their presence this weekend!!! A highlight was seeing her good friend, Heather, in her staring role on Broadway in A Chorus Line as Judy.

At the end of the show we walked to the backstage door and the man checked for our name on his clipboard and then escorted us backstage! We got to walk on the broadway stage, check out the changing area, and go down to the musical pit.


When out at Dinner with Ann and St. George Lee we were treated to a first class gourmet NYC dinner, yet our conversation managed to hit up the most important sex song. Ann and St. George were very interested to hear about this new video sensation.

Skiing makes me a superhero.

I went skiing on Sunday with the fam. The snow was great, but the precipitation was 'winter mix' which means sorta rain, sorta snow, sorta hail coming out of the sky. The coolest part of it was that when the H2O substance hit us, it froze, coating us in a layer of ice. On the goggles it resulted in seeing difficulties. On the jackets it resulted in cool web formations from the ice cracks when we moved.


Everyone had Spiderman- webs all over our jackets. I had this song in my head all day (except I could only remember the first line and forgot the tune):



Spider-Man, Spider-Man,
Does whatever a spider can.
Spins a web, any size.
Catches thieves- just like flies.
Look out! Here comes the Spider-Man.



Is he strong? Listen bud.
He's got radioactive blood.
Can he swing, from a thread?
Take a look, overhead.
Hey there! There goes the Spider-Man!



In the chill of night, at the scene of a crime,
like a streak of light,
he arrives, just in time!



Spider-Man, Spider-Man,
friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Wealth and fame? He's ignored.
Action is his reward. To him,life is a great big bang-up.
Wherever there's a hang-up,
you'll find the Spider-Man !!"

RETIRED TITLE

I can't fool myself anymore. This isn't true still. So say bye-bye.

เป็นคนไทยแล้วจริงๆ TRULY THAI

Past the 'adjusting phase' and into the 'This is my life' phase in Thailand. I prefer a squat toilet to a western one. I prefer pouring buckets of water over my head from the basin to a shower head. I couldn't imagine giving up my rice fields for a treadmill. I am even comfortable with the cultural norm of being called fat. It amazes me how I have become a part of this community and I live my days like a Thai (albeit a Thai with a fondness for 'Sex and the City' DVDs and a Coke Light habit).

Max Cafe

Has everyone fully recovered yet? I'm sipping tea at the cutest cafe and using my wireless. This place is where we have girls night on Wednesdays. My mom says it reminds her of the cafe in 'Friends.'


Here's when it was warmer and we could sit outside at girls night:

Today was a good one. Got a few errands done around the city and in my apartment. And I got my nails done. I got a deep deep purple that almost looks black. All the rage, wouldn't you agree?

There's not much going on for the next few weeks before classes start again on the 18th. I hope to get to Philly for the weekend to see colleen.

Rabbit Rabbit

HAPPY NEW YEARS 007!! Everyone having a good National Hung-Over Day? Hope you're not too hung over. And that you remembered to say "Rabbit Rabbit" for good luck this morning.

I'm not sure whether I love New Years as much as Halloween, but it's certainly either my second or 3rd favorite holiday (March 18th- my birthday gets #1 status). Oh and thanksgiving. That's a favorite. Here's a recap of my recent New Years:

2000: Edinburgh w Drew Oberst. 3 day party in the streets with thousands and Fireworks over the castle at midnight. Then hiking up the hill to watch the first sunrise of the millennium over the city.

2001: I was waitressing that night in Breckenridge Colorado. But I was off by 10 and we stacked the tables and charged $15 at the door and it turned into a big party.

2002: New York City with Rachel Nisselson. 2 house parties.

2003: Rachel Nisselson's house party in Millbrook NY w Allie, Megan, and a dozen others.

2004: Rural VT with camp friends. There was lots of sledding, a big bonfire, and a sweatlodge.

2005: Boston w Rachel Nisselson and Drew Oberst. Champagne and fondue at my place then a house party and eventually a bar in Boston.

2006: Southern islands of Thailand with Rach Nisselson and a dozen Peace Corps friends.

2007: Yesterday started with a scavenger hunt throughout Brooklyn. It was organized by Isabel and her friends from Hamilton college. There was an impressive showing. And the event itself was amazingly organized. By 4 we were out on the town in 5 teams of six or seven people. We had to get a digital picture of the entire team in front of a variety of landmarks, like the Brooklyn bridge. The best part was the bonus points for things like 'everyone on a roof'
or 'driving a cab.'

Mad props to my team: '007: license to hunt' We won. Here's our ham:

After everyone returned we had yummy food and more people joined and we had a fun house party. At 10 I went over to Rachel Nisselson's to ring in our 5th New Years together.