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To the students, faculty, and staff of the SPS community:
Much of this week we have been reaching out and hearing back. The stories of lives disrupted make it impossible to deny the enormous impact of the storm, even as it feels impossible to reckon fully with that impact. But we have also been reminded of how we are bound together as a community of mutual support, how feelings of isolation or disconnection are temporary as we pull back together and return to our shared work and purpose.
We acknowledge that some of you have suffered grievous losses, and we are deeply sorry. If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know. Please feel free to email me directly at John.Mogulescu@sps.cuny.edu with your concerns, suggestions or needs. We have been making (and will continue to make) adjustments that should make it easier for us all to get through what remains of this semester. And we are confident that, however bad things may seem now, we will get through this. Already, the impressive resilience of the SPS community justifies that confidence.
Sincerely,
John Mogulescu
Dean, School of Professional Studies
John Mogulescu is the Senior University Dean for Academic Affairs and the Dean of the CUNY School of Professional Studies, and his responsibilities involve him in many different aspects of the University’s academic life. In addition to SPS, Dean Mogulescu has overseen collaborative programs between CUNY and the NYC Public Schools, CUNY Prep Transitional High School, the CUNY Language Immersion Program, CUNY Start, and the Adult Literacy and GED Preparation Programs. Dean Mogulescu also supervises the University’s Workforce Development Initiative, special training initiatives for City and State workers, and programs for welfare recipients, in addition to Adult and Continuing Education at CUNY and its non-credit programs, which serve over 250,000 students per year.
Does anyone remember what the feeling is like when you are on your way to school and you realized that you forgot your homework assignment at home? I had that heavy pit in my stomach last night at practice. A fellow American Cancer Society DetermiNator reminded me that we have just 4 weeks left of training before the big day in just 39 days. Race day will be here before I know it. Am I prepared? Can I do this? I’ll just say it, I am scared!
I hurried to practice yesterday evening straight from work, meeting up with my daughter and my puppy along the way. Pix11 was waiting there to interview me, hear my story, and meet my daughter and dog. As the official media partner for the American Cancer Society DetermiNation athletes for the ING NYC Marathon, they wanted to learn more about me. Who is this Alexandra person? She quit smoking, never worked out before—and now she is running a marathon? (Read: Is she crazy?)
Speaking with Magee Hickey was exciting and motivating. Hearing more about her story made me want to keep pushing and working on my story. I didn’t have a pit in my stomach during the interview—I was overwhelmed with excitement. In the end of the interview, she asked me what my final message would be to anyone hearing my story. I said, “If I can do this, anyone can do this!” I really meant that.
After my interview with Pix11, practice was already starting and I ran to join my team. It was test night—meaning, we needed to run 3 miles (with a short recovery time between each mile) as fast as we could. During the warm-up, I did a quick mental check.
1 – Hydrated / Fueled? Yes, Check!
2 – Positive attitude? Yes, Check!
3 – Ready to do this? YES! CHECK!!!!
The first mile, I pushed hard—like I was supposed to. During the recovery period, I had pains in my ankles and on the top of my feet. As a result, I had to take it very easy and slow the rest of my run. I recalled my statement to Magee Hickey… “If I can do this, anyone can!” IF I can do this, anyone can. Ah, and there is that heavy pit in my stomach. I carried that heavy pit in my stomach the rest of my run. Can I do this marathon? I. AM. SCARED.
Fortunately, my dedicated (volunteer) coaches from the American Cancer Society did not leave me stranded with my self-defeating thoughts. Through investigation, discussion and observation, I learned the cause of my discomfort. I learned that I’ve already worn out my first pair of running shoes (seriously?) and that I am not stretching correctly after my runs. What a relief! I can fix that!
I honestly don’t mean to whine about my training. Perhaps I whine or get emotional because I am scared of the unknown. There is always silver lining to every issue, if you are willing to look hard enough. I didn’t have to look that hard for it this time, because I hit a personal record for my fastest mile ever at 11 minutes and 30 seconds. I’ve made vast improvements since my first run. I am stronger. I am training for a marathon. I will finish the marathon! I am doing this for the American Cancer Society so I can help others celebrate more cancer free birthdays… and at the same time, I am fighting for my health.
For more information about my race, please visit my fundraising page at http://bit.ly/xahndra. You can also sign up to be an official cheer station volunteer on race day here: http://bit.ly/CowBellCheer.
Alexandra Hertel is an Ohioan living in Brooklyn, New York. She attends CUNY’s School of Professional Studies and works full-time in the events industry.
On Your Mark, Get Set…. Go!!!
Last Sunday, I joined the CUNY School of Professional Studies “Race for the Cure” team comprised of students, faculty, and staff. Being with our team of over 20-strong was such an emotional high for me. All dressed in our CUNY SPS blue shirts, we (and our mascot, Lex the Lynx) made quite an impression! I was proud to be standing with our school and overwhelmed at the same time with the sea of pink supporters out to fight breast cancer with us.
The Challenge
So race day finally arrived and I was eager to attempt the personal (and fairly public) challenge I gave myself: to beat my best 5K time. Why did I go with the public part? Was I over-confident? Was it for accountability? Well, it’s accountability that forces me to report that not only did I #FAIL to beat my last time, I exceeded it by over 2 minutes.
First, my excuse! Well, it’s not an excuse—but it’s an observation and a lesson learned. The race was combined with walkers. As a result, the first portion of the race was like playing an intense game of Frogger. I was weaving in and out of people trying to run while large groups were blocking the route. The key take-away for me was understanding that large races can be slightly overwhelming and a rough start. Since I am new to races, I think setting a goal time is an “over-achiever” mentality and I should instead be focusing on my form, my stamina, and my mental game.
Speaking of my mental game, my slower time almost had an impact on me during the last few minutes of the run. I remember thinking, “Now that I am running over 10 miles, a 5K should be a like a walk in the park!” Thankfully, when my subconscious is beating me up; sound-bytes from my American Cancer Society coaches speak up. Specifically, this time around, they reminded me that less than 2% of the world’s population has ever completed a marathon. TWO PERCENT! They also kindly reminded me to stop being so hard on myself. I have accomplished so much in such a short amount of time.
So by the time I crossed the 5K finish line, the sun was shining and so was my attitude. I celebrated with the team and relished in the excitement of everyone around me. Being a part of the finish line and celebration was a first for me. Usually, everyone is packed up and gone by the time I complete a race.
The Highs, the Lows and the HIGHS!
The Race for the Cure actually was the final act to a big running weekend for me. On Saturday, I ran for three hours and 6 minutes in extreme weather with my teammate and mentor from the American Cancer Society, Dawn. When the rain set in, we could have stopped and probably should have stopped (as we had no idea there was a tornado warning). Instead, we put our phones in ziplock bags and continued our long run. We made it fun even though we were literally drenched and sledging through puddles (that seemed like mini-rivers). We even sang some favorites (with minor modifications) together while running, keeping each other motivated through any discomfort.
We’re running in the rain,
Just running in the rain.
What a glorious feeling, we’re happy again!
Stride after stride, Mile after mile
Just singing and running in the rain!
Ultimately, I learned an incredibly valuable lesson this weekend. I can’t judge every running day against the last. There are so many factors that change how a run or race will go: extreme weather, health, crowded streets, or lack of energy—just to name a few. Every day is different and every time that I go out there is some victory to be had. As a runner, it’s my responsibility to find that victory and own it.
We are all winners!
I want to sincerely thank CUNY School of Professional Studies and our Susan G. Komen team. We raised over $800 toward community programs that will help run breast cancer out of town!
You can be a part of the excitement too. The American Cancer Society is looking for cheer station volunteers. Sign up to help cheer me and my team members on the 2012 ING NYC Marathon race day, November 4th! Cheer station volunteers get an American Cancer Society T-Shirt AND a cow bell. Who doesn’t need a little more cow bell in their life? More info at: http://bit.ly/CowBellCheer
Alexandra Hertel is an Ohioan living in Brooklyn, New York. She attends CUNY’s School of Professional Studies and works full-time in the events industry.
Wow! The last few weeks have flown by, and I’m happy to say that I’ve kept up my training schedule for the Run for the Wild, despite the fact that it feels like we’ve traded NYC for Seattle. For those keeping track with me, I’m now in my fourth week, and have one more run for this week. So far, I’m feeling pretty good, though I’ve definitely noticed my right leg seems especially prone to shin splints when I don’t stretch out.
Lucky for me, I happen to work with colleagues who are more seasoned runners, so the other day I picked their brains about what I might do to ease my discomfort. Rachel Smith, an alum who is also a member of the Marketing team here at SPS, offered a particularly peculiar answer. “Use a rolling pin,” she said. “I know it sounds crazy, but roll it down the front of your shin and the back of your calf before and after you run, and you’ll feel better.” I’ll admit, I was skeptical, but I looked online and saw that this was actually a pretty common recommendation among runners.
Sure enough, I went home that night, tried the rolling pin trick, and by the next morning, I was pleasantly surprised at how much better my shins felt. Now, two days after the fact and with another run under my belt, I’m feeling no pain whatsoever. Guess there’s nothing like homegrown remedies!
I’m off to do another run tonight, and am using these guys as my inspiration at the end of a long day. If you’re training along with me, drop a line or two in the comments section at the top of the post, and let me know how you’re doing!
With one month to go, I’m feeling pretty good about the run. If you want to join the SPS team, visit www.wcsrunforthewild.org and sign up today! In addition to the run, you’ll also get free admission for the day to the New York Aquarium, two free rides at Luna Park, and lots of other entertainment! Be sure to use the RFTWCUNY discount code for $5 off registration!
Heather Zeman is the Events Manager at the CUNY School of Professional Studies, where she coordinates a wide variety of recruitment and special events. She’s currently planning a gorilla trek, to take place in Summer 2012.
First things first, and in the interest of full disclosure, I want to be clear about this… I’m not a runner.
Don’t get me wrong, I used to enjoy running when I was in shape to run…you know, back in high school. Now that I’m no longer, shall we say, conditioned, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit nervous about this Run for the Wild.
I’ve had a couple of friends train for runs like this, though, and to a person, they’ve all raved about the Couch to 5K training program outlined on CoolRunning.com. The program is an interval-based training schedule that allows you to build up your stamina and running ability over the course of 9 weeks. That gives just enough time to finish this training by October 6th, and have a few days to rest before the run on October 9th.
After a little bit of research, I found that there’s also an inexpensive ($2.99 on iTunes) Couch to 5K app that can be synced to my iPod so that I can train with my own music. There are also lots of free podcasts that can be downloaded with pre-programmed training cues and music; just Google “Couch to 5K podcast” and you’ll likely find something to match your tastes!
If you prefer to walk, you can also use similar training programs to build up to walking a 5K. A quick Google search found a host of options, including this plan from About.com, which also includes helpful tips at each stage and an event-day checklist.
I’m heading out for my first run tonight after work, on what I’m renaming my “Desk Chair to 5K” plan, and hope that some of you will be too!
Heather Zeman is the Events Manager at the CUNY School of Professional Studies, where she coordinates a wide variety of recruitment and special events. She’s currently planning a gorilla trek, to take place in Summer 2012.
By now, you may have heard that SPS is a sponsor for the upcoming WCS Run for the Wild, to be held on Sunday, October 9th, 2011 at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island, Brooklyn. We’re hoping to build a good-sized team of students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of SPS to participate in this 5K event, and build some great SPS spirit!
Participants can choose to run or walk at this event, which makes it accessible to a pretty wide audience, plus all participants get free admission the day of the event to the New York Aquarium. If you’re interested in joining the SPS team, either as a runner or a walker, you can sign up at www.wcsrunforthewild.org. Make sure you join the CUNY School of Professional Studies team, and use the promo code RFTWCUNY to get $5 off your registration.
I’m choosing to run at this event, and will be blogging over the next few weeks about what I’m doing to prepare and how our team is shaping up as well as sharing behind the scenes details about the event itself. I hope you’ll follow along and join us on October 9th for a fantastic day at the New York Aquarium!
Heather Zeman is the Events Manager at the CUNY School of Professional Studies, where she coordinates a wide variety of recruitment and special events. She’s currently planning a gorilla trek, to take place in Summer 2012.
