Venezia!!!!!!

August 31^st, 2011

Ahh Venice, such a wonderful city! I was so excited to finally be arriving in such a renowned metropolis. This beautiful city built on the water doesn’t have any motorized vehicles except for boats! There are hundreds of bridges and water-taxis at your disposal instead!

I arrived in the early afternoon to St. Mark’s Square and to my shock and amazement I found that most of the square was partially under water due to the coming in of the tides. I could not believe what I was seeing! All the stores just brought out mops and platforms. This was an every day occurrence that was just a part of the Venetian lifestyle.

Bustling vendors, swift moving tourists sloshing through the flooded pathways, and dozens of pigeons, surrounded the square. It was quite a scene. You could see the Byzantine influence scattered across all 118 islands connected by the snaking web of 150 canals and 400 brides.

The characteristic winged lion of St. Mark could be seen every few feet as it symbolized the city’s emblem. The richly decorated Basilica San Marco stood next to the great square, built as a Greek cross with several eastern domes; it truly exemplifies the Byzantine influence on the metropolis. The Basilica is so richly decorated that it really embodies its name, the “golden church.” Inside the great beauty stand bronze statues captured from the Hippodrome of Constantinople and intricate mosaic tiling of the domes and floors.

It provides the perfect setting for the great Venetian composers like Vivaldi and Monteverdi. Beyond the breathtaking beauty, the acoustics inside this masterpiece are so unique that the musical works of these great composers do not sound the same when preformed elsewhere.

This beautiful city is so unique and I truly enjoyed my time exploring its pathways and distinct culture. The famed Gondola ride was fantastic and picturesque. The boat ride through the web of winding canals gave me deeper insight into the city of Venice and a greater appreciation of the ancient tradition. The agile craft maneuvered swiftly and with such ease through the tight turns and narrow canals. The personalities of the Gondoliers alone were hilarious. I swear I couldn’t stop laughing. They sang some Dean Martin, explained the history of Venice, and even hollered at one another, cracking jokes the entire way. What an experience!

By the time the day was through I had managed to explore Venice and their gelato stores-that desert was the best ice cream I have ever had! The lunch was amazing! I don’t think I can ever get used to regular food again after my adventures in Italy! The pasta is really something else. But alas, all good things must come to a close. I had reached the final chapter in my European adventure. It was time to go home and to get back to fencing. Ciao Italy!

As always, I would love to here your feedback and questions! Please leave your comments below!!!!

Courtney Dumas

Arrival in Greece!

My arrival into Greece was a bit of a bumpy ride Friday morning. The sea was rough and the wind roared and slammed the waves upon the ship. We had to travel to Mykonos, Greece by tender, in other words- our boat would anchor in the harbor and another boat would come and fetch us. As soon as you left the safety of the ship, you could hear the howling and screeching of the wind. It was one of the most awesome displays of Mother Nature and the sea at work that I have ever seen!

Once we landed in Mykonos, we took another boat to the ruins of Delos. The island had been known for its religious importance throughout the ancient ages. Even the enemies of Athens-Sparta and Persia, respected this sacred ground. During this period of time Delos was the most important port in all the Mediterranean until it was deserted due to the fall of the Roman Empire.

The island was barren as far as vegetation growth, but many of the pillars still stood. It was very interesting to see the temples dedicated to the different gods in which they believed in. Much of the builds were made of local slate and granite. They were nowhere near as extravagant as the marble used to build the Parthenon. Nonetheless the layout of the town with its market place and intricate mosaics were still incredible. After the tour of the ruins and the Delos museum we grabbed some lunch and shopped around for a bit before we boarded the cruise once again.

I took a quick break before I headed on down to the gym to get in a longer workout since the boat had to leave earlier than the past few days in order to get to Istanbul by the next morning. I wanted to make sure I got my heart pumping this workout and to build my endurance and leg muscle. I need to have a lot of stamina for the upcoming NCAA season this year and my goal is to make the Junior World Team, so I wanted to improve my running to get into better shape. I have listed my workout below! The next stop is Istanbul and it should be pretty fun! Please leave your comments below!!!

1)   Run- 4 mi with 0.4 mi cool down for a total of 4.4 mi (500 calories burned)

2)   Vertical Chest Press- 60lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets

3)   Sit ups- 50 reps, 3 sets

4)   Bicep Curls- 20lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets

Courtney Dumas

At Sea Day

The journey from Italy to Greece was a very long venture, too long to arrive in Mykonos by the next morning. By about 5am we were traveling through the Straights of Massena. It was way too dark to take pictures, but the lighted shore was so beautiful, you will just have to take my word for it! The shore was lit up in all different colors and the land seemed to stretch forever as we plowed through the sea. But in the end I retired back to my bed to rest before the morning really got underway.

By 9am I was up and ready in the fitness center. My aunt had some how convinced me to participate in the spin class (biking) with her. I had never done a spin class before so I had no idea what I was getting myself into. For an hour we continually replicated the experience of biking up a mountain using standing bikes. Every couple of minutes we had to increase the resistance on the bike and keep pedaling at around 80-90 percent of our fastest speed we could pedal. I do not think that I have ever worked my legs so hard! The resistance training was tough, but the speed sprints were even harder!

We would do sprints and then increase resistance again to “climb the mountain” again and then sprint even harder and faster. It was really something else. But in the end it was a great workout that really worked my sprints and endurance training.

Immediately following the spin class I worked out in the fitness center for another hour. I worked my legs muscles by far the most as well as abs and some arms before the morning was finished. (Below is the workout) It felt good to get in a nice long workout for once. I had been traveling and touring so many great places that it was difficult to get in a long workout. But this sea day gave me the perfect excuse to hit the gym for a big session. Up next, Mykonos and Delos Greece!

1)   Clean and Press-10lbs

2)   Squat Thrusts

3)   Half Man Makers-(modified on knees)-10lbs

4)   Static Front Raise + Squat-10lbs

(Set 1-16reps, Set 2-14reps, Set 3-12reps, Set 4-10reps, Set 5-8reps, Set 6-6reps. No break between sets after set 4.) 

Abdominal Workout:

1)   Crossover Crunch with arm+leg extended

2)   Reverse situps

3)   Toe Reaches-(extend legs upwards and keep the back on the ground. Extend arms to the toes in pulses.)

4)   Crossover crunch legs in the air and bringing the opposite elbow to the opposite knee

(4 sets of 20 reps)

Courtney Dumas

To the Ruins of Pompeii

As I entered the ancient city of Pompeii, I was in awe of how well structured and organized the town was. The city was literally frozen in time. We explored the city and saw their amazing engineering feats and organizational skills. They utilized aqueducts to transport water to the city. Not only this, but the villagers of Pompeii had built water heaters to heat the water from the aqueducts to create spas without the assistance of natural heated springs!

The columns and buildings were mostly made of bricks with mortar to hold them together as well as lava rock. But the really interesting thing was that all of the buildings, both inside and out, were covered in stucco over the brick and painted with bright colors that have since faded due to sun exposer and polluted rainfall.

The mosaic patterns were also so detailed and extensive. I could not believe how the citizens of Pompeii could have created such beautiful works of art solely by hand! This city was just so different from anything else I had ever seen. There were literally complete skeletons that had been taken out from the compressed ash with the help of a plaster to preserve the shape and integrity of the find. You could see the teeth on some of them they were so detailed!

After 2 hours spent scurrying all over Pompeii, we moved on to the Amalfi Coast. We ate lunch in Sorrento at a great pizza place in the middle of town. From there we drove around the city and Positano. The coast was beautiful and then we even saw some Italian movie being filmed in the area. The city was very pretty and was nice and quiet-a nice change of pace from some of the other cities we have ventured into.

By 4pm it was time to head back to the boat. We came back and relaxed before we went out to the deck for a nice buffet dinner looking out at the sunset.

Courtney Dumas

Destination Italy!

We had an early start on Monday this week. The cruise docked at about 6 and we were off the boat and on the busses for the tours around Italy by 7am.  I went on the tour around the Cinque Terre region in the Italian Riviera. I got the opportunity to visit the Italian countryside and learn all about its amazing culture!

It was a blazing hot, but great fun. We hit the shops and toured the quaint little towns. I had to use some of my Spanish to try and communicate with some of the locals, but I got around all right.

We toured the Riviera and learned all about the special wineries that were terraced on the mountainsides by the ocean. All of the work had to be done by hand. The local farmers couldn’t use machinery since heavy machinery would damage the grapes. Now that’s tough labor and a good workout! One of the types of wine they made even takes 2 years before it is ready to be put on the shelves.  

By the end of the day I was exhausted, it was over 95 degrees with 90 percent humidity. The tour had taken us around the different towns and we visited the “lovers lane” that connected two of the towns that otherwise would have taken 1 hour and a half to get between. The site seeing was fantastic and Italy is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen! The waters were clear and the surroundings amazing!

We finished the day with a dinner on the porch with a great view of the sunset as we left port. Our next stop, Rome, should be fantastic! I will be visiting all of the usual sites and much more! I will make sure to take plenty of pictures!

Courtney Dumas

Last Day in Barcelona/Monte Carlo

After 2.5 fantastic days in Barcelona, it was finally time to board the cruise ship, the Ruby Princess. I spent my last day in Barcelona touring the Barcelona Cathedral and exploring Old Town.  By 1:30 it was time to head for the boat and get settled in our rooms.

Once aboard the ship, I took the liberty to venture around and get the lay of the land. This boat was huge! From what I heard there are around 2000 people on board! After I figured out where everything was, I sunned myself for an hour or so at the pool and then headed to the fitness center for a workout. I got in a nice 3.5 miles before I jetted back to the room for a quick shower and to get ready for dinner.

By the end of the day I was pretty tired, but very excited to be underway and heading to our next destination, Monte Carlo.

We dropped anchor in Monaco at about 11am the next morning. I decided to take advantage of the later docking time to catch some extra ZZZs, before I ate breakfast and headed to the gym. By about 10am I was up and ready to cross train for the upcoming fencing season and Northwestern.

I focused on muscle confusion and toning my body, working my legs and abs as well as my arms in a fast pace workout routine. I started off with cross slashes  (8lbs), sumo squats (10lbs), punches (5lbs), and crab crawls all in reps of 16. From there I decreased the number of reps by 2 until the final set of 6 reps per exercise. After this set of exercises, I moved on to abdominal work. Supporting my head with my hands I did 20 sit ups to start. Once I completed those, I moved on to cross leg raises (each time trying to bring my leg close enough to touch my toe with the opposite hand) at 20 per leg. From there I did 20 reverse crunches, making sure to really raise my hips. Finally I finished the set off with a 1 minute plank-my least favorite :P

For this group of exercises I did 3 sets. By the end of this workout my abs were pretty soar, but I wanted to make sure a did a little more cardio work before lunch, so I ran a quick mile.

After lunch, my family and myself went off to tour Monaco, a country within France. I was able to see the casino where the James Bond film Casino Royale was filmed and ventured up to the Prince’s palace. This quaint little town was pretty cool and it was really nice to get off the boat and explore a different culture!

To wrap up the day, we headed back to the boat after exploring the city to kick back and relax before we departed for our next destination later that night.

Barcelona Day 2

Today in Barcelona a tour guide led my family and myself around the city. I learned all about Gaudi architecture and Barcelona's history. The designs were amazing and I could not believe that so many of Barcelona's buildings were constructed of ceramic! The designs were so ornate and the attention to detail was fantastic.

I toured cathedrals, museums, the heart of the city, and so much more! The culture is just so fantastic!!! After our 4 hour tour we grabbed a tapas style lunch and relaxed in the room before we hit the city again. My aunt and I spent at least 2 hours exploring Barcelona's shopping, modern, and historic districts. We must have walked around 4 miles at the least.

 

 We found some great gelato and smoothies along the way as well as stumbled upon street mimes (the people who paint themselves to look like statues and hold still to entertain the public). They were so colorful! There was a great market as well!

 
On the way back to the hotel we took pictures by the arch of triumph. I love this city and am sad to be leaving tomorrow, but at the same time I am excited to be moving on to the next countries in this Mediterranean cruise!


 




 

 

      Courtney Dumas                                    

Adios Cleveland, Hola Barcelona!

Today was great! I made the long venture from Cleveland to Barcelona, over 7 hours, but in the end it was worth it. I survived the flight running on 1 hour of sleep due to the chatty stewardesses and the noisy man that sat behind me. But the endless episodes of the Office during the flight made up for the lack of sleep as well as the fact that I made it to Spain!

Once we reached the Palace Hotel at around 10:30 am, my family and myself found that we would not be able to get into the room until 3pm. Luckily the room was ready before expected and we were able to get settled and freshen up by 2:30pm. With a basic idea of where we were and where we wanted to end up, we headed out to take Barcelona by storm. Taking many of the side streets, we were able to gain a greater idea of the true Barcelona and not just the one seen in travel guides.

I had the opportunity to explore the city and get an idea of where everything was before our in depth tour tomorrow. We saw the Cathedral of Barcelona and the Roman Wall, as well as Main Street. The architecture was amazing and the weather was fantastic! I had a blast getting to know the sites and sounds of this city.

   There were mopeds left and right and Gaudi inspired buildings everywhere you looked. The tiny stores were quaint and unique in their own way. On top of it, I got the chance to practice my rusty Spanish!

After a few more hours of exploring, we were ready to kick our feet up and rest a bit before dinner.

For dinner we went out to a tapas restaurant, something Spain is known for. Dinner was great and I even tried some fried small fish…

After dinner I had this delicious brownie and ice cream for desert! Once we finished we headed back to the hotel to get some rest so we would be all set for our 4-hour tour around Barcelona the next day.

 

Courtney Dumas

Training...It's a Love/Hate Relationship

Training, every athlete does it, but not many actually love the cross training. It's work. At the same time, this work is what makes athletes great. Determination and perseverance drive athletes to work their hardest to be the best.

Personally I HATE running. Maybe hate is too strong of a word, but nonetheless running and myself are not friends. Unfortunately, to be a great athlete running is a necessary evil. It is probably the best form of cross training out their for athletes and especially fencers!

Although I dislike running, I feel that I have to do it in order to keep progressing in my fencing and hey, you gotta love the way you feel after a workout. Not the sweaty nasty feeling, but the accomplished and I can conquer the world feeling. My lungs just feel so much more open than before I went on the run!

Running is great for the body, but in order to keep pushing yourself as an athlete to the edge to improve, one needs to do more. Personally I love to hit the gym. Weight training is probably my favorite training outside of actually fencing more. I create my own playlists to jam out in the weight room and and a little pizazz to the routine.

I lift every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to improve my physical abilities, while allowing my muscles to rest and heal in between. After I complete my workouts I feel like the Incredible Hulk, like there is nothing that can stop me. It is such a great feeling and I hope you all are inspired to get up and try it after this post!

I mentioned above that I rest my muscles in between lifting days, and that is true to some extent. Tuesdays and Thursdays I do my footwork exercises. Footwork is vital in fencing. Without it you might as well be a padded dummy for all your opponent cares. It is the foundation of fencing and the true way to improve one's abilities. I created my own footwork workout that entails preforming exercises at normal speed for 45 seconds, fast speed for 30 seconds, and fastest speed for 15 seconds. (If anyone ever says they can do their fastest speed for more than 15 seconds then they aren't actually doing footwork as fast as they possibly could). I build my endurance, speed, and technique all at the same time with this workout.

On top of this I also go for a run every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays I either hit the standing bike or go for a run. In doing this I give my muscles time to heal from lifting by working other muscles. In this way my body is always working, except for on Sundays and I burn far more calories than I would otherwise. (Let me mention that I do not diet, I hate that word and its connotations-I eat healthily and I eat less calories than I burn off working out to destroy fat. My goal is always to build muscle, never to lose weight).

Let me end by saying that every person is different and my workout routine won't work for everyone. My coach's never did for me, that is way I created my own routine! Working out is hard, but it is fun too and the results are a plus too ;)

Happy training!

Courtney Dumas