This summer we offered a variety of programming including UWild adventures workshops, fitness classes, personal training, mindfulness classes, yoga and meditation, and intramural sports. If you participated in our offerings, we’d like to offer you the opportunity to give your feedback!
Your insights will help us to continue to create innovative, high-quality programs, and to improve upon those that are in development. Please take a moment to fill out our Virtual Programs Feedback Form, found here or below: https://form.jotform.com/201245098558157
We hope you enjoyed joining us, and we look forward to seeing you this fall! As always, you can reach out to recinfo@uw.edu with any questions or concerns, and again, thank you for your continued support.
Taking good care of our physical and mental health has perhaps never been more important, and as we all adjust to the evolving changes in our lifestyles, it can be hard to know where to turn to find support. Fortunately, UW Parent and Family Programs recently posted a request on their social media channels for ideas for wellness resources, and its readers did not disappoint!
Thanks to those who contributed these helpful assets, we were able to compile them to help you and your loved ones see out the summer- and beyond – in good health.
BOOKS
I have been widening my reading. I highly recommend this author [Jesmyn Ward]. Reading more widely has allowed me the opportunity to learn and grow, as well as provide the mental relaxation needed to navigate the last few months. – Laura Targett
I found a book entitled “Back RX” by Hilary Hinzmann and Vijay Vad that has been so helpful with my lower back pain. It’s a simple daily routine of stretches designed to relieve and prevent lower back pain. And during this time when many are sitting more than usually it can be a real help! 😊 – Instagram user @rbrock6886
WEBSITES
@forksoverknives has amazing [vegetarian] recipes and great photos to entice the appetite. – Instagram user @fourpack4
I love using the guided meditation from Khan Academy! – Instagram user @happy.alice.qin
My kids got me going on the @chloe_t workout challenges in early May – they’ve all since dropped off but I’m still going! 😅 I love how much stronger I’m getting 💪 – Instagram user @juulia_goooliaa
Goalcast has great inspirational stories to inspire and make one work hard towards goals. – Instagram user @dmsteinmetz
@strong_mommas on instagram has great tips, inspiration, workouts, etc. – Instagram user @gleich4
I’ve been learning more about mental health with our college kids at Activeminds.org. – Laura Fencken Fehlan
University of Wisconsin Madison Center for Healthy Minds, “Cultivating purpose in uncertain times.” [Link to the video at the bottom of the page] – Marie Salamanca Bromley
More than ever the world is a place of constant change and uncertainty. The good news is that human beings have the capacity to adapt and be skillful even in the most challenging of times. This fall, recreation mindfulness manager Danny Arguetty is offering Be REAL (General Studies 297), a virtual course that will help students navigate these changes.
Danny Arguetty
Be REAL (REsilient Attitudes & Living) is an engaging one-credit course that will support students in cultivating lifelong skills to navigate perceived stress, challenging emotions, and employ compassion for self and others. Rooted in the ethos of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and mindfulness, time spent together in the class will focus on short, practical practices that support emotional regulation, executive functionality, and social connectedness.
The course has been offered previously, and was well-received. Some comments* past students have made follow.
“Connecting with other students made me feel much less self-conscious about my own efforts and I feel the practices were genuinely helpful and empowering in my own life.”
“I started to fall really low winter quarter and I began to feel like UW wasn’t where I belonged. I started meditating for 10 min as a study break and used the anchor phrase ‘I belong here’.”
“After using these methods, I treat myself better and tried not to put too much pressure on myself. When I’m tired or felt pain, I will leave myself enough time to relax and recover.”
Registration for General Studies 297 is currently open; learn more in the Time Schedule Course Catalog.
A collage created by Robin Brooks, UW Recreation marketing and communications manager, has won this summer’s “Intra Mural” Art Competition. The photos, which she took herself, were in response to the contest’s theme “What does recreation mean to you?”
She says of the piece, “I decided to use only nature shots, because when I think about what recreation means to me, it makes me think of all the incredible experiences I’ve had outside, and all the natural beauty I’ve had the honor of witnessing. These photos were taken while camping, hiking, kayaking, white water rafting, cruising, and even while working, believe it or not! They were taken in Washington, New York, Michigan, Idaho, Alaska, and British Columbia.”
Intramurals program manager and judge of the contest Sam Rodenberg writes, “I can’t believe [she’s] captured all of these shots. I think my favorite is the second row, third picture down. The sunlight is stunning.”
The certificates are part of the program’s Wednesday Wellness initiative, meant to inspire people to get active and enjoy some time outdoors in a lower-risk environment. You can learn more about “How going outside can benefit your health” in this article published by UW Medicine, which explores these rewards and offers tips on how to get more outside time in.
All UW community members are welcome to participate in the giveaways, and you may enter once a week. Winners will be chosen at random and contacted via the platforms they commented on.
The Waterfront Activities Center is currently renting canoes and kayaks on the hour and half-hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday – Sunday. The Golf Range is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Both venues accept reservations online and are open to the general public; please see their websites for details on COVID-19 expectations before you arrive.
We hope you enjoy these photos that were shared with us by UW alumna Nicole Savage (’08)! She’s been attending our UWild virtual offerings and was inspired by our Rock Refresher course to do a little climbing in the kitchen!
Nicole is staying at home in Sweden with her partner Zamir, pictured below.
We suggest you attempt this only with proper safety training – otherwise, you (and your cabinets) could take a tumble.
Our Intramurals Program recently hosted a Self-Directed Duathlon where participants had the month of May to complete the biking and running distance of either an Olympic, half, or full Ironman. They could set their own goals and break up the running and biking distances however they chose.
Thirty-nine individuals participated in the event, with seven competing in the Olympic Ironman, five in the half, and 27 in the full Ironman. In total, participants ran 1,218.36 miles with a time of 223:27:22 and biked 4,433.42 miles in a time of 386:19:40. The top competitors in the events were Sara Lee with the most miles biked in the Women’s Division, and Cassie Taylor with most miles run in the same division. Greg Barnes took top honors with most miles run in the Men’s Division, and Joshua Chu biked 421.13 miles to take the top spot in this division.
We reached out to the top competitors to get their thoughts on competing and some got back to us with their thoughts; here are their responses, lightly edited.
Sara Lee
Most miles biked, Women’s Division: 300 miles
Sara Lee
Rec: What is your past experience with intramural sports? Sara: I am graduating this year with my Masters in Teaching from UW. I also completed my undergrad in biology at UW and graduated with my bachelors in 2019. During my undergrad I participated in various intramural activities such as volleyball, soccer, softball, and inner tube basketball. I love playing sports and I love meeting people so intramurals were a great way to do both!
Rec: Why did you participate in the Self-Directed Duathlon? Sara: I participated in the Self-Directed Duathlon really on a whim. I had seen that UW was during virtual intramurals and I was curious as to what that meant. So one day I clicked the link and saw the duathlon. A friend and I usually do intramurals together so I reached out to her and asked if she would do it with me since we couldn’t do softball anymore. She said she would and so I registered. I thought it would be a good way to get some good exercise and challenge myself since I wanted to get back in shape.
Rec: Do you have a favorite walk, run, or bike ride from the event that you could share with us? Sara: My favorite ride was along the Orting trail. If you go up and down it’s about 30 miles even, which was just the right mileage for me.
Rec: What was the biggest challenge you faced while participating? Sara: Before the duathlon, I had only ever ridden my bike for fun. I don’t even think I had ridden my bike in the last two years before this May. It was hard to get into the routine of riding consistently plus my muscles weren’t used to training as hard as I was. I was so sore in the beginning and had to push through it in order to reach my goals by the end of the month. I also learned how to ride with clipless pedals which meant I fell … a lot. But it is definitely more efficient now that I am more used to it. Motivation was challenging but my friends were very supportive throughout the whole thing.
Rec: Did you set any goals for yourself during the event? If so, what was the outcome? Sara: My goals for the Self-Directed Duathlon were to bike 300 miles and run 30 miles. There’s no real reason why I chose these numbers; I just thought it would really challenge me and yet it was achievable. A couple of days before the duathlon was to be finished I almost gave up and settled for the mileage I had at the time. Luckily my dad pushed me to reach my goals and I accomplished my goals on the very last day of the duathlon. 🙂
This challenge pushed me way harder than I expected when I first registered back in April for fun. I am so glad I did it because it kick started my fitness journey once again. Thanks for the opportunity!
Cassie Taylor
Most miles run, Women’s Division: 115.16 miles
Cassie Taylor
Rec: What is your past experience with intramural sports? Cassie: This was my first time ever participating in intramural sports at UW.
Rec: Why did you participate in the Self-Directed Duathlon? Cassie: One of my loyal Strava followers (I have seven) sent this to me the day before registration closed. My roommate and I ran a half-marathon in April where we ran one mile every hour for 13 hours, so this felt like a good way to continue challenging myself. Also, the IMA is closed.
Rec: Do you have a favorite walk, run, or bike ride from the event that you could share with us? Cassie: Lake union loop, it’s about a 10K, pretty flat the whole way and [it] has good views.
Rec: What was the biggest challenge you faced while participating? Cassie: I have never been a serious and consistent runner until the gyms closed, so I learned a lot about pacing and timing. Also, I had to keep finding new music and routes or I would get bored. I used to play soccer so I run with my arms too high so after long runs my arms hurt.
Rec: Did you set any goals for yourself during the event? If so, what was the outcome? Cassie: I wanted to run one continuous half-marathon and I ended up running three. <3
Greg Barnes, software engineer, UW Clinical Informatics Research Group
Most miles run, Men’s Division: 63.11 miles
Greg Barnes
Rec: What is your past experience with intramural sports? Greg: When I was a graduate student (30 years ago), played on the Computer Science Department’s softball and ultimate Frisbee teams. The ultimate team won the championship a couple of times. When I returned as a staff member (20 years ago), I joined up with the astronomy ultimate team (I was not affiliated with the department), and we won a few other championships.
Rec: Why did you participate in the Self-Directed Duathlon? Greg: I run and bike regularly for exercise (particularly with the stay-at-home order), so it seemed like a natural thing to do.
Rec: Do you have a favorite walk, run, or bike ride from the event that you could share with us? Greg: Sure. May 31 is my birthday, and I decided to do a cycling loop from Auburn to Enumclaw I found in a 30-year[-old] book I own. There were a few changes I had to make, as some of the roads in the route no longer exist, or, in one case, were abandoned and are now a trail. Still, it was a fun 40+ miles on quiet, mostly rural roads with a lot of animals. I attached a few pictures. [See below.]
Rec: What was the biggest challenge you faced while participating? Greg: I did all my running and biking outside. On May 30, it was raining, with occasional thunder, but I had to do seven miles. I didn’t want to get too far from home, so I ran a ridiculous route where I was trying to cover every block within a few streets of my house. There was a lot of backtracking and running up and down the same street, but I got it done. There were a couple times I wanted to do a hike or kayak, but decided I should bike instead.
Rec: Did you set any goals for yourself during the event? If so, what was the outcome? Greg: To finish the required Ironman distances, obviously, although I knew this would almost assuredly happen. I had a running plan (I was, and still am, training for a half-marathon), so I wanted to stick to that, and did. I also wanted to ride the bike twice weekly. After dehydrating myself on one run, I had to skip the bike ride the next day.
Photos from the cycling loop from Auburn to Enumclaw courtesy of Greg Barnes.
Students gather for the 2019 Husky Experience event hosted by UW Recreation. The autumn 2019 Intramural flag football champs are all smiles on the turf.
UW Recreation employs over 400 students from all different backgrounds, majors, and levels of job experience in a normal year. These students serve at our front desk welcoming guests, they lifeguard at our pools, referee our intramural games, check out equipment, help us to create marketing materials, and so much more. We depend on them as valued employees every single day.
So it is bittersweet that we reach the end of 2020 and bid some of them farewell. Though we can’t be together in person, we want to take a moment to thank our 64 graduating seniors for all their incredible contributions. Thank you, if you’re reading this. Whether you’ve worked with us for months or years, we are grateful for all that you’ve done to help us to succeed, now and always. You’re special, appreciated, and we couldn’t do it without you.
And, we’d like to wish those seniors who’ve participated in our programming (and those who haven’t!) the very best. Some of our staff have written messages we hope you find inspiring; please find them below along with lists celebrating those student employees that will be graduating.
Administration
Max
Paddles at the ready, students gather on the dock of the Waterfront Activities Center.
“Congratulations certainly are in order for our graduating student staff in Recreation, but that word is not nearly sufficient in light of all that’s happened over the past few months: an abrupt switch to remote academics, an even more abrupt stop to employment opportunities with our department, and a long overdue push to address issues of racism and injustice in society. That’s a lot to handle, and you did it well, and we appreciate you. There really is hope for the future. Congrats to the class of 2020! Mush Huskies!” – Matt Newman, director
Aquatics
Aaliyah, Alyssa, Audrey, Braden, Cooper, Jessica, Jordon, Kera, & Sarah
Students pose during log rolling, a regular part of our Friday Night Activities series.
“What defines us as individuals is not the events that we get to do, but how we handle and define those events. 2020 so far has been a year of adversity and one of great change. I wish I could see you all walk across the UW stage, as I am sure you all do, but I am still proud of our seniors, because they are walking across not just any stage but Life’s great stage. The strength you showed by still following your dreams and earning your degree even with all that is happening is what is important and what will be remembered. Strength and determination is what I hope you take away from your time with us here at UW. That strength, determination and perseverance is what I know you will use to make an impact in this world and make our communities better.” – Joshua Yeager Deekins, aquatics and safety manager
Climbing
Erica, Mick, & Remy
Players congratulate each other this fall after a game of intramural volleyball.
“We are so proud of all of our graduating seniors and I can’t wait to see the heights to which the climb even outside of Crags Climbing Center! Stay in touch, and thank you all for your energy, passion, and positive impact!” – Nathan Page, climbing & wilderness medicine program manager
“Operations team, congratulations on graduating! Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication. Never stop learning and chase your dreams!” – Chad Yarbrough, operations manager
Creative Team
Alex, Aria, Jeet, Juancho, & Sunya
A student nuzzles up to a pooch at our December De-stress with Dogs event.
“Thank you to my team’s seniors for all their hard work and boundless creativity. Each of you has contributed so much to our department in your own unique way. I wish you much success, and remember, you are without question, ROCK STARS!” – Robin Brooks, manager of marketing and communications
Field Programs and Trips
Alexandra, Jaime, & Kera
Gear Garage
Abby
Golf Range
Albert, Amber, Dan, Joshua, Nathan, & Taylor
Intramurals
A table tennis player focuses on the ball while playing from a wheelchair as a part of our Rec Clubs.
Alam, Ethan, Kaylee, Matt, & Sarah
Mindfulness, Yoga & Meditation
Brittany & Hilton
“Thanks for all of the amazing work and dedication you have all put forth. These are new times that everyone is navigating, stay present, believe in yourself, do the small things that make a huge amount of difference, and trust that you can line up with your dreams and cultivate creativity, health, vitality, and wellness in your life!” – Danny Arguetty, mindfulness manager
Waterfront Activities Center
Austin, Gabe, Joey, Shawn, Zach, & Zach
“Best of luck to all of the graduating seniors! Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to UW. Keep your head up and always keep moving forward regardless of the circumstances and difficulties you may face. Go huskies!” – Jeff Palmer, fitness manager
The SHIN SPRINTERS, an all-women’s team composed of Diana Douglass (team captain), Quynh Nguyen, Ellen Tejera, and Jen Tritz took top honors in the Step Counting Competition managed by the Intramurals program at UW Recreation. The challenge ran April 20 – May 17 and was designed to be completed virtually; it encouraged participants to aim for 8,000 steps a day and to log their steps six days a week.
Ten teams of four people per team moved for a combined distance of 5,543 miles, or 11,707,755 steps over the four weeks! The MVP for the SHIN SPRINTERS was Quynh, who logged 492,626 steps. Combined, the team logged an impressive 1,553,088 steps for the competition.
Rec got in touch with the team to get their thoughts on winning the competition; here are their responses, compiled and lightly edited.
Team captain Diana Douglass
Rec: How do you know each other/how was the team formed? Jen: We are all second year students in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program. Quynh: We know each other through our Physical Therapy program for the last two years and thought that this competition can keep us moving more during this COVID-19 time. Ellen: As future PTs, we are always looking for ways to stay active!
Rec: Why did you participate in the Step Counting Competition? Ellen: As a part of our cohort’s workout challenge, I had made a goal for myself to log at least 5 miles of distance a day during this Zoom time. I am used to walking to and from buses and around the medical center. Although I intended to continue exercising at home in other ways, I didn’t want to miss out on these little bouts of walking throughout the day. (My dogs also agreed this was an excellent idea!) When the opportunity came up to be a little competitive with my distance, I jumped at the opportunity! Diana: I wanted motivation to move more, regardless of the quality, intensity, or intention. We are all in a workout challenge with our cohort, and I wanted motivation to move even if it didn’t count towards our other workout challenge
MVP Quynh Nguyen
Quynh: I participated in the Step Counting Competition because I wanted to motivate myself to go outside more. It is also a way for me to get on my feet after a whole day sitting in Zoom classes. I thought having teammates will keep us connected and also a motivation. Jen: I wanted another piece of motivation to run every day or just keep moving even with full days of school on Zoom.
Rec: While participating – did you face any challenges or do you have any highlights to share? Diana: There were some days that getting to 8,000 felt like a challenge, but I was always able to get it done for my teammates. My highlight of the whole challenge was that we were all supportive of one another, and had some friendly competition with BABY GOT TRACK, a team made of our classmates. My personal highlight was increasing my running mileage to the highest it has been since returning to school. Jen: A personal highlight was hiking Mount Si the day the trail opened up. It was exhausting after not hiking for more than a couple months but the step challenge motivated me to join my roommate (who was on the other DPT stepping team). My personal challenge was the last week- school picked up and it took everything to get my 8,000 steps in daily.
Ellen Tejera
Ellen: I am not much of a runner. Seriously, it is my least favorite form of exercise. So I had to push myself to take lots of short runs in order to log steps without it taking ALL day to do. Highlights include enjoying the nice weather and taking some leisurely walks with my husband.
Quynh: I faced some challenges during this competition. When the weather is really crappy and it’s hard to get in steps, those were the days I did not think 8K of steps would be possible but I did not want to let my teammates down. I felt like we did a great job communicating and keeping each other accountable.
Rec: What value did you find while participating in this event? Ellen: It kept me motivated, especially my fellow teammates, to get up and move at all possible times. It also reminded me to take little study breaks, which are great for your body and mind! Quynh: While participating in this event, I valued the health and appreciation for the people in my team and also the Baby Got Track [team]. We [sent] texts to check in with each other and also share our hikes/runs. We even started our own marching during class and it was fun to keep each other in the loop with our physical activities.
Jen Tritz
Diana: I loved being able to do this with my classmates. As PT students, we value personal connection and health and wellness, values that have been hard to prioritize during the stay home order. Jen: I appreciated an excuse to step away from my computer and school, and the motivation that came from me not wanting to let my team down.
Rec: Are you or do you plan to participate in any other virtual UW Rec programs? Quynh: I participated in the 3 Week Run/Walk Challenge and I am currently participating in the Self-Directed Duathlon. I would also love to participate in other virtual ones in the summer as well. Ellen: I do not have any plans yet, but I would consider it! Diana: I participated in the 3 Week Run/Walk challenge and am participating in the Self-Directed Duathlon. Jen: Potentially! I should go look up the summer offerings.
This spring UW Recreation coordinated a virtual 3 Week Run/Walk Challenge. We reached out to the top competitors Emily Vu and Travis Cox to get their insights into this unique opportunity; their thoughts are below on competing in the event.
But first, a little about the challenge: the goal each week was to complete the assigned distance, with miles not carrying over into the next week. For week one individuals walked, jogged, and/or ran a 5K; week two was a 10K, and week three was the distance of a half marathon. Miles could be broken up into multiple days with the goal of completing the assigned distance within the one-week period.
Fifty-three participants signed up for the challenge, 43 actively participated, and 39 participants completed the challenge.
Emily Vu, Top Competitor
Emily completed a distance of 93.17 miles, with a time of 28:16:56, and at a pace of 0:18:13!
Emily: It was great experience for me participating in the 3 week run/walk challenge. It was a great motivator to stay active and healthy during this time, and I was able to explore a lot of the trails around my house by running along them almost every day.
Rec: What is your past experience with intramural sports? Emily: I have played in several soccer leagues organized through UW intramurals.
Rec: Why did you participate in virtual intramurals? Emily: I have always participated in one intramural sport each quarter and the quarantine was not going to stop me from staying active. Before this challenge started I was already competing against friends and family in a weekly Fitbit step challenge to see who could get the most steps during the week. I thought it would be fun and a new challenge for me to compete against other UW students.
Rec: What was the biggest challenge you faced participating in this event? Emily: The biggest challenge was getting into the routine of running every day. I would often start the week with lots of energy and motivation, for the first couple of days I would run a lot but by mid-week I would feel myself starting to burn out. What kept me going was the strong sense of competitiveness inside of me and wanting to be at the top of the leaderboard.
Rec: What value did you find while participating in this event/virtual intramurals? Emily: I developed a stronger sense of discipline through this challenge. On days that I felt tired or the weather was heavy rain I still pushed myself to get outside and walk for a couple miles. The hardest part was getting outside but once I stepped out and started my run, I was happy to be outside.
Rec: Are you or do you plan to participate in any other virtual UW Rec programs? Emily: I am currently also participating in the Step Counting Competition.
Travis Cox, Top Competitor
Travis completed a distance of 122.26 miles, in a time of 20:41:23, and at a pace of 0:10:09!
Rec: What is your past experience with intramural sports? Travis: I don’t have any past experience with intramural sports at UW although I am a member of the Husky Triathlon Club. Outside of UW, I am part of a running club based in Mukilteo called the Japanese Gulch Runners, named after the park where we do a lot of our running. Additionally, I regularly compete in trail running events, and have finished several marathons and ultra-marathons.
Rec: Why did you participate in virtual intramurals? Travis: I decided to participate in the virtual intramural because of the challenge. I do a lot of trail running and had several challenging races planned for the spring but due to the shutdown all of these were canceled. This gave me another way to challenge and push myself.
Rec: What was the biggest challenge you faced participating in this event? Travis: The biggest challenge that I faced was the amount of road running I had to do. I primarily run on trails and those tend to be a lot nicer on joints. On some of those higher mileage days, I could definitely feel it.
Rec: What value did you find while participating in this event/virtual intramurals? Travis: The value that I found was being able to compete and be challenged even though I never was face to face with the people I was competing against. I am used to a standard race format where you are mingling with other runners and pushing and helping each other. Being able to see how everyone was doing each week was really inspiring and helped me push myself.
Rec: Are you or do you plan to participate in any other virtual UW Rec programs? Travis: I am currently in the last week of the Team Step Counting Challenge that the virtual UW rec program is putting on. That competition ends on the 16th so I am still doing my best to get as many miles in as I can. Beyond that, I haven’t decided.
Congratulations to our top competitors as well as those who finished or even attempted to complete the challenge. We’re so proud of all our Huskies and can’t wait to see you all again when we’re able to. #staystafe #stayhealthy
