Life is a Beautiful Struggle...

You play how you practice, isn’t that what they say? I think that is very true and most teams don’t go through a whole week of perfection on the court. To get better you have to make mistakes and learn from them, so I wouldn’t want to practice perfect anyways. Last Saturday we were back in our home gym for a game against Pabellon Ourense. We won a scrimmage against this team in the pre-season and we knew what to expect. In addition to winning again we needed to focus on playing a good game to be ready for better competition. Pabellon is one of two teams from the city Ourense which is only about an hour away from Santiago. And guess what? Each of those teams has a Swedish girl on the roster. Julia Tornberg is from Lund and told me her old team just played against my old club Asker in a tournament (?) in Sweden!  It is so nice to be able to talk to somebody that understand everything you say and I can speak Norwegian with. I still miss home right now, but I've had this feeling plenty of times before and I know I'll get through it. And Christmas isn't that far away ;)

We came victorious out of the game against Pabellon, but we still didn’t play consistently well for 40 mins. The first half was great and we go off to a comfortable early lead and despite two halfway almost decent last quarters we beat them by 20 points. I had a much better shooting day than previously and in only 14 minutes I had 11 points and was 5/6 from the field. I celebrated with some delicious pizza together with Andrea and two of our English-speaking Spanish teammates.

Our local men’s team had a game at home the next day and it was good to have something fun to watch inside while the rain was pouring outside. The four of us from last night met up again and got some awesome seats, or they weren’t so great after the old guy behind us cheered for the opposing team by blowing into his “17. mai” horn every 30 seconds..  Andrea even him a better spot to sit, but he enjoyed annoying us way too much to move haha. At least Obradoiro won in the end so we could tell him his noise-making was a waste of time. Both pro basketball teams from Santiago were now undefeated!!!

The next week went by slooow… I think this is the first season in 5 years where my team only has one game every week. My body is probably thankful and I get to spend more time with the team’s physiotherapist and get treatment on my plantar faSHIiTis which is what I like to call it. The one half-day we had off I spent together with Mr. Icepack watching movies on my laptop until Andrea came over and I showed her Area Central (the mall I live in).

Megan, Andrea and I  

Finally the weekend rolled around and the wheels on the bus started rolling too when we left for Aviles to match up against ADBA. A better team than any of the ones we faced before and I don’t know if I want to say anymore about what turned out to be our first loss this season. It was a close one until the end and definitely a team we can beat, but at lot of things didn’t go our way… The ball loved to hit the back of the rim way too much and rebounding played a big role as well. Throughout my career I have realized that having a short memory is extremely helpful after games like that so don’t expect to hear anything more about it. The gym and baskets was terrible by the way, reminded me of the old Rykkinhallen that I played in over 10 years ago and I’m sure the ref left his glasses at home on purpose so he could pretend to see fouls that didn’t happen just so he would be able to make out with his whistle ten more times! Sorry, I had to get that anger out of my system, feel much better now… Anyways, I’m sitting on the bus on the way home to Santiago and I think it’s time to attempt to find a comfortable enough position to get some shuteye. 


Thanks for listening! <3 

On the road a... for the first time!

All suited up! To prep my new bike?!

 I forgot to mention last time that I finally have an easier way of getting around in Santiago. My parents were so kind to buy me a bike for my birthday before they went home.  It has been put to use several times already and hopefully I won’t get lost trying to find the quickest way to practice anymore.

We played the second game of the season this week and Friday morning we got on the road with Caceres as the destination. And on the road we stayed for another 8 or so hours… The longest trip we have to take all year on the bus and it went by faster than I thought it would. Probably because I got used to 10+ hours on the bus at IPFW going to the Dakotas, Oklahoma and New York etc  :-P Or getting stuck in traffic outside Chicago…  It also helps to have some good movies to watch (with Spanish subtitles thanks to Lidia, so I can learn some more Espanol).

We arrived in Caceres in the evening and had some time to take a walk downtown and stop at a few stores. Like always in Spain there were a lot of people everywhere, I’m not saying that as a bad thing at all but actually one of the reasons I like Spain, there is always something going on. One exception is IKEA last week where it was almost impossible to get around as people seemed to have moved into the display apartments and rooms waiting for the rest of the family to show up in time for dinner.


Caceres is the hometown of our head coach Jacinto so I’m sure he was excited to make a statement and win the game Saturday night. Another thing that’s different from what I’m used to is to not having to go straight from the bus to practice. We don’t have shootaround the day of the games either, which I wished we did (not to use that as an excuse for my bad shooting lately…) but because the day is too long anxiously waiting for game time.  We didn’t get off to a great start this game and were behind after the 1^st quarter after poor defending and not making easy shots (and a turnover that will haunt my dreams).

I don't think I was being paTient enough on this play... 

Realizing we had to step it up we took control before half-time and took advantage of the increasing fatigue of the players from Caceres. One of the things we have to work on is consistency because we almost let the other team back into the game again towards the end of the 3^rd. This will be an even bigger challenge when we match up against better teams that will put even more pressure on us.  This time we responded well and managed to make some important shots in the last period to win comfortably by 20 points.

Mmmmm!

We left to go home to Santiago right after the game and I was happy being 2-0 in the league even though I have yet to be satisfied with my own performance. At least I had a long bus ride to reflect and beat myself up ;) I can’t wait to get back in the gym and get better!! The bus ride back took a lot longer than what I remembered coming the other way. I couldn't sleep at all and for some reason they wouldn't turn on the heat, or it was broken?, I just heard the word "calefacción" being sad a lot :-P At least I had enough movies to watch! Right before midnight we stopped at a restaurant in Calzada de 'something' for some Bocadillos (sandwich/sub) and Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish omelet). I wish I hadn't forgotten my camera because every wall was decorated with pictures and articles about bullfighting. From what I heard I wouldn't be a fan of the "sport" of breading bulls just to make a show out of killing them, but it was obviously a big thing around there and in Spain in general maybe (?).  Anyways, it's fun to explore new cultures, especially the food! So far I have tried different types of Tapas, Pulpo, Calamare, Empanadas, Rape, Gambas, Profiteroles, Leche Frita, Natilla and stuff I don't know what to call... So far I'm liking what I taste and I'll leave it up to you to figure out what the dishes I mentioned are ;) 

Rain, rain, SUN!!

I wanted to sum up the last week that went by way too fast, but I don't know where to start... I guess it's easiest to start from the beginning which was actually the end of the pre-season. After losing the semi-final in Copa Galicia to a LF team, it was time to focus on the teams in our own league as the first game was only one week away. But first I had a big day ahead... of total relaxation and recovery :) 

Speaking of recovery, I got a tip from my strength coach at IPFW on a great article for all interested athletes out there: How Do You Recover? (BTW I seriously really miss coach Rudo's workouts!!) 

I'm jumping straight to Wednesday evening since that was when my parents and friend/sister Megan came to visit me here in Santiago! I was very excited and happy to see them and I think they brought the sun with them from Barcelona where they had spent almost 2 days before flying here. Hopefully I can go see that city myself soon! I was lucky to have Thursday morning off so we all decided to take a trip to A Coruna which is only about an hour north of Santiago. It was a beautiful day and we saw a bunch of tourists as we walked around the Tower of Hercules and watched the waves hit against the rocky shore... We also checked out the beach and saw some surfers. We drove around a little bit to try to find IKEA and after realizing the GPS isn't always right we found it! Only to see that it was closed because of a holiday... A Coruna is definitely a city I want to come back to! Back in Santiago after my practice we had a nice evening watching Barca beat the LA Lakers :) 


The next day I couldn't join my visitors when they took a trip to Noia on the west-coast. Saturday came around and I was ready for the game against Aros Leon. In the morning I took a quick shopping trip with the fam to pick up some stuff for my apartment since the first IKEA try was a fail. 

C.B. Pio XII 2010/2011

Gametime was at 7 pm in our arena Santa Isabel and I think everybody was excited to finally get the season started. We had a good start and took over the game leading by 22 points at halftime. We had problems keeping the same intensity after the break and lost the third quarter. The last quarter was close too, but we were never in real trouble. The final score was 71-51 and Pio XII is 1-0 so far this season :) I finished with 7 pts, 8 rebs and 3 assists. I'm working on my shooting before the next game for sure :/ 





Megan and I had dinner with my parents after the game and then went out with a few of my teammates. If you didn't know the nightlife in Spain is crazy compared to most places I've been! You'll be home just in time for breakfast Sunday morning ;) This night however ended early according to Spanish standards as we were all very tired and knew we couldn't sleep the next way away...


Already at noon on Sunday it was time for some more basketball as we met up with my teammates again to watch the local men's team Obradoiro play their first home-game. Luckily and thanks to Lidia's boyfriend we all got in for free :) There was tons of people there and the ticket line was loooong. The weather was awesome too, but we were more interested in getting inside in time for tip-off. The game was really good and the crowd was amazing! 4000 sure can make a lot of noise. That's the kind of atmosphere I hope to experience at one of my games one day! Back to the basketball; Obra really picked it up in the second half after being down the whole first part. They took the lead and managed to win it by two points (thanks to some excellent defense in the last minutes). I know I'll be back for more of their games during the season for some great inspiration and motivation. 


The rest of the day passed by quickly and unfortunately my visitors from Norway and Texas were almost at the end of their stay... 


Hasta luego! 

Flashback: Summer 2010 part 2

After some very rain-filled days here in Santiago I'm happy to bring my thoughts back to the summer again. So, I was on my way back to Norway after a great vacation almost all over the states. This was the first week of June and I had a few days to get my sleeping on Norwegian time before the weekend, and the first practice with the national team. I was extremely excited to be back with the team and meet old and new teammates. It felt good to not be one of the youngest on the team anymore and it was good to see a lot of young promising players:) According to the tradition of weekend workouts with the national team we were able to look out at the sunny and warm weather from the inside of the gym...


The next couple weeks consisted mostly in basketball, working out and hanging with family and friends. I was also lucky to be invited to play with 3 of my girls in a street tournament!! Of course we became the queens of the Kuba-court and the price money wasn't bad at all :)

Switzerland was our opponent in a couple of exhibition games and I got to see my two teammates from Sierre; Katia and Alexia! (Hop Sierre/Helios!) We managed to win both games and I'm proud to say that Suisse is undefeated so far in the Eurobasket Division B. Then after another 10 hour workout-weekend in the end of June we got a break... well I didn't really take a break from basketball since I left for Tønsberg the next day. I had signed up for a coaching class at the famous "Basketskolen" basketball camp. It was fun going back, even though I'm too old to actually participate, and I got to see a lot of good friends and coaches again. I also liked hanging out with the kids and pretend I was a teenager again :) The best part was seeing my friend Erik again and show him that I'm still the better shooter :-P

My first all-star game as a coach:) 

Spis!

Back in Oslo the following weekend the triple T's (Tina, Torunn and Tori)  were ready for a night out!! I love Oslo in the summer! But not the pouring rain that starts right while you're waiting for the night bus to take you home... I don't know why I decided to get a job this summer too, but I did work as a mailman for a few weeks (and yes I drove the the little red car around on my route :-P ). The money is great, yea that's about the only reason I woke up at 6 am to work with hopeless people and walk around in the rain for hours... I'm happy now though as it paid for my new laptop and some other things I'm sure I could live without.
In the middle of July it was time to meet up with my Norway teammates again for some friendly games against Luxembourg. We got away with two wins again, but it wasn't pretty as it looked more like a wrestling match than a friendly game of basketball at some points. It was nice to see another player from the swiss league on the court though! (Good luck this season Laure, and hop Elfic Fribourg!)
The last preparation we did for the Eurobasket Division B games was a trip to Estonia to match up against another team in the other group. After a really close second game that we won in OT team Norway was undefeated and ready for the part of the season that really mattered! I hate to remind my teammates of the first game in Coimbra facing Portugal, but I think we all learned something from that loss. Moving  on to the next and a much better effort against Sweden later in the week... We were unable to hold on to an early lead, but at least there was no shame in the performance we put on that night. We kept our heads up before the final game facing Slovenia, but disappointed we left the game being outscored by a team that I think shot over 50%  from the 3pt line. The games didn't go as I had expected, but thankfully it's not over yet and we get 3 more chances in May! (For dere som kan norsk, her er link til Landslagsloggene fra i sommer: Landslagslogg)

One season ends and another begins... but not yet! I had already signed my contract with my new team in Spain earlier in the summer and I was just waiting to find out when they wanted me to fly down. I made the most of the last time I had at home. The summer had been the best in a long time and it was prefect to get the feeling that it was time to move on to something new as my birthday and last Saturday in Norway was approaching. And what a way to end it! My best friend Kristina and I wanted to celebrate our birthdays together and invited a ton of people to party with us. More than just a few showed up and now I know how fun birthdays are supposed to be!!

Flashback: Summer 2010

Since the weather here in northern Spain is exactly like Norwegian summers, with rain and cold morning and nights, I decided to share some of my experiences from this summer! My only real vacation was a 4-week trip to the US and it has been a long time since I spent more than just a few weeks at home at a time. I survived living with my parents again for almost 3 months!!! Anything to save some money and be able to borrow a car right ;) Not sure I can do that again... (Just in case they read this: I love you guys)

Back to the fun part about the summer of 2010; One week after the end of my first season as professional basketball player (swiss champs baby!!), I got on the plane to Chicago. The visit at my former teammate and friend's parents was a nice start to my trip ( R.I.P Star <3 ). I then headed to Fort Wayne just in time to celebrate my best friend and college roommate/teammate Sammy's birthday!! I only stayed a few days, but it was awesome to see some of my friends again. To all of you I didn't get to see: You better be around next summer! After a week in Indiana and Michigan (and some sad goodbyes...) the plan was to head south to Dallas, TX to see some more friends, but a T-storm wanted it differently and cancelled my flight :( Fortunately my insurance is awesome, so 36 hours and some new shoes and clothes later I finally arrived in the Lone Star State to see Therese and Lydia. That was the weekend we realized Six flags might not be the best idea the day after a late night down-town Dallas ;)

Therese left to go back to Norway and I my next stop was Forth Worth and the Atkins family that I hadn't seen in 6-7 years!!! I stayed with them one summer while playing AAU basketball with my "sis" Megan, and I had a great time with her and the rest of the family the two weeks I was there this time around. The trip to the lake with the quick stop at Hoot 'n' Holler in Gun Barrel City was definitely a high-light :) We even tried wake-boarding, with emphasis on tried :-P (On a side note; Megan is coming to see me here in Spain next week!) I hope I can go back to Texas next summer too.

The last stop on my trip was Washington DC which is a city I had never been in before. Pavla, who I used to hang out with all the time when we played together at IPFW, had planned out the perfect end to an already amazing vacation! Wine was for sure the theme of my stay with her haha. I met a bunch of great new people as we did everything from participating in a game-show, exploring the night-life in DC including a root-top party (I think Pav agrees that we did a little too much walking in high heels?!), creating our own "fairy-tale picnic" on a vineyard in Virginia, playing ball with some talented youngsters, to seeing the White House and the Smithsonian. O, I almost forgot we also got to watch men in tights at a free ballet event... Pav knows I'll come back soon for some more of those cupcakes she got me too. Yummy!!


I was sad to leave  after what seemed like a way too short vacation, but I knew the summer had just started and more fun was waiting for me at home :)

TO BE CONTINUED...