COLOMA RIVER RUN RACE REPORT

I must apologize. It used to be that I would go for  a run on a Saturday and then be super excited to come home and blog about it. Lately, either I have been running from one event to the next or I just haven’t had the time (or energy/motivation) to blog.

This past Saturday was the Coloma River Run (5k, 10k or 10 mile option). I signed up for the 10 mile option and was super excited as this was a big deal for Gold Country Run and Sport.

GCRS Girl and I arrived at the race at 7 am to set up the tent, booth and to pick up our race packets. This was a pretty small race in terms of set up. They didn’t have a specific place for us to put our tent so it was up to GCRS girl to pick a spot.

Once we were up and running, we picked up our race packets and started talking to those who came to the booth or were friends doing the race.

TiggerT was doing the race too and I knew she would be arriving soon. Sure enough she showed up with her smile although she did admit that something about this race was making her nervous. She couldn’t put her finger on it but she had not been running much trail (at least with these types of hills) in a few weeks.

I tried to assure her that she would be fine and I figured that the three of us (GCRS Girl, TiggerT and myself) would be running together most of the race. Everyone else that was associated with the store was doing the 10K option or had their heart set on a PR.

The race is really low-key and all 3 events started at the same time. There wasn’t much fanfare about it all, it was more or less “ready set go!” I’ve run this loop before with TiggerT quite a few years ago so this was the first time in a while that I had been out on these hills. The elevation is nothing compared to where I have been running lately but the hills go up forever and ever.

I have never run with GCRS Girl before so it was kind of fun to run with someone new. She’s a very strong runner and she was tackling the hills right off the bat. Me? I was content to stay with her but I wondered how long we’d continue at that pace with these hills.

At one point, the course divides and the 10k runners go in one direction and the 10 mile runners in another. When this happened, it definitely felt like we were the only 3 doing the 10 mile option as there were not many people around us.

Right on cue, we came to another long hill. GCRS Girl and I just powered up and we lost TiggerT. I knew she wouldn’t be far behind us.

Pigeon and TiggerT would probably say that I am a “talkative” runner. I can run in silence if that’s needed but I always just find something to chat about … as long as I know the person. I don’t go chatting it up with random people. 🙂 However, Pigeon and TiggerT are not overly chatty. GCRS Girl is just about as talkative on a run as I am! I’ve met my match. We pretty much talked nonstop for 10 miles straight!

At one point we were hiking up a climb and we hear the pitter patter of running feet behind us … TigerT!!! The first words out her mouth were, “Please don’t start running!” We all laughed and continued hiking up the hill … except when I said it was time to take a photo.

TiggerT would stay behind us and GCRS Girl and I would just run and hike and talk the remainder of the race. I learned a lot about her on this run! TiggerT told us that our chatting was keeping her going and she was content to just listen since GCRS Girl and I were huffing and puffing from trying to talk and run at the same time. Sneaky TiggerT! 🙂

I wore my Garmin but it was a deceptive course. I kept thinking we were much farther along mileage wise but when I would glance down at my watch, I would see that we were only at mile 5 or something!

We had to cross the same stream twice on this run and I had completely forgotten about that before the race. I christened my new trail shoes by running through a shin high stream and red clay mud. Awesome.

At least on the last mile we had to go through that same stream again so our shoes were washed clean. The three of us finished and for some odd reason, it felt like we were in last place! hahaha There was no one else behind us and it just felt like everyone else was already at the finish enjoying the raffle!

GCRS Girl and I crossed the finish line, posed for a photo …

… then we took off in the car as we both had to race back home to catch our kids mock swim meet.

The Peanut has been swimming since she was 2, almost 3 years old. When we moved into our home that has a pool, I was quite adamant that she learn to swim. We enrolled her in Steve Wallen Swim school where she took lessons for twice a week for over a year before moving her down to once a week.

This past winter, instead of lessons we did Steve’s Swim Clinic which is a 45 minute session where essentially all she did was swim lap after lap after lap. She handled that pretty well and Steve asked us if we were going to put her on a swim team. Vans and I had thought about it but didn’t know how the Peanut would fare. She’s very shy and she does not like being the center of attention ESPECIALLY when there is physical activity involved. However, she KNOWS how great a swimmer she is and she has confidence in herself when it comes to swimming so we decided to go for it.

We first signed her up for a swim team summer clinic so she could get to know the coaches and the pool (outside vs inside). It was hit or miss every practice with crying or not crying, participating or not participating.
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Fast forward now to swim team, she’s familiar enough with the pool, the coaches and even some of the kids. Practices have been going well (minus a few days here and there).

When it was time for the mock swim meet, Vans and I thought for sure this would be the test of all tests for the Peanut. She had a team suit compliments of GCRS Girl (thank you!) so she looked the part compared to some other kids wearing just their every day suit. I think that made her feel more “on the team” if you know what I mean.

Her first heat was a 25 yard freestyle. When I told her it was only 25 yards, 1 lap of the pool she looked at me like I was bonkers! “That’s it?!” she said!

When her group was called she got on the starting block (I didn’t think 6 year olds started on the blocks). Swim meet starts are a bit different compared to anything else the Peanut is used to … first they blow a whistle, then someone counts down from 3 and then there is a buzzer and then the swimmers dive in.

Um, yea….neither Vans nor myself knew any of that and none of the coaches explained the starting process, let alone practiced it at any of the practices leading up the mock meet.

So when the whistle blew the Peanut jumped into the pool and with all her might started swimming down the lane. Someone had to jump in after her and of course it is terrifying having your leg grabbed when you think you are alone in the pool! It totally scared the Peanut and she started to cry. Vans was video taping. When the whole crowd saw that she had started sobbing there was a collective “awe!” throughout the crowd which caused the Peanut to cry even HARDER. She was mortified and could not be talked into swimming her lap. Needless to say, she was disqualified for that heat. 🙁

Vans and I both apologized to her and explained that we had no idea. I even told her that I would have jumped too! That seemed to make her happy. Vans practiced the starting sequence with her over and over as we had some time before she was supposed to swim again (a 25 yard backstroke). She was quiet most of the afternoon so I was worried.

When they called her group over to the ready bench to line up and head to their lanes, she followed. When she got to her lane I saw her standing and staring at the pool. Luckily in this heat, there were others who went first. I saw her watching. For backstroke, you start in the pool holding onto this board. She’d never done that before either.

The smart girl that she is, she watched every heat before her closely. When it was her turn, she got into the pool and grabbed the board. Whistle, 3, 2, 1 buzzer! She was off! The Peanut’s favorite stroke is the back stroke and she was swimming straight down the middle of the pool! She was moving at a pretty good pace and she looked beautiful doing it.

Towards the end, she veered off course just a bit and then saw the flags above and over estimated the distance between the flags and the wall. She stopped using her arms and just started kicking as fast as she could. She turned and touched the timing mat just as we had told her to do. She had done it! She swam her first swim meet lap! She hopped out of the pool with a huge smile on her face. High fives were given and I could see the energy racing through her veins. The Peanut may not be athletic but she can swim and is only getting better. I am so proud of my girl.

With the confidence of her swim meet still coursing through her veins, Vans decided to throw a bike race into the mix! Sunday he took the girls to Folsom where they raced their little bikes. Some struggles were had (a broken chain for the Peanut and a wipe out by Squeaker) but they both finished and received their ribbons.

I am beyond proud of my girls. In my last post, I talked about fear and both of my girls conquered their fears this past weekend. They both tried something new (to them) for the first time and they succeeded.

As my good friend, Sally Edwards says:

When was the last time you tried something for the first time?

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma