EDH Archives ~ TRAILMOMMA

Once again I apologize for the infrequent posts. Life has been busy lately (more on that later). This post however will explain some of it.

The Trailmomma family is happy to announce that the Peanut has completed her first season of swim team! We attended our first ever “Champs” which was last weekend and was a three day affair! You read that right. The kids swam Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Luckily for the Peanut, the 6 and Under group only had to swim on Saturday. As a parent however, I had to volunteer 3 hours of my time during the weekend and with the advice of Gold Country Girl, I picked Friday after work to do my volunteer shift.

It was almost 100 degrees and I raced from one job to the other but in the end, it was so worth volunteering Friday because that left me free to enjoy the whole event on Saturday.

Each team in the league picked a theme and the Peanut’s team picked The Lego movie. The costumes were pretty “awesome” and she was given that “awesome” yellow lego man t-shirt (Everything is awesome!).

The temperatures for the weekend were predicted to touch 100 degrees. The meet itself was held at Sierra College in Rocklin which isn’t too far from our house but with all the teams in the league attending, we knew parking would be a struggle.

We left our house at 5:45 am and set up camp with the usual crew. The kids and teams all performed in a parade and as soon as the festivities were over, the meet began.

The Peanut had to swim in two events. The 25 yard back stroke and the 25 yard free style. I am learning a lot about swimming this year. I learned that during Champs, the heats are reversed and if you are in an earlier heat, then you are more or less in a slower group. Later heats are reserved for the faster swimmers. The Peanut had the best of both. Her back stroke was an early heat while her free style was in a later one.

It is hard to explain the size of this event and the magnitude of craziness that was happening all around us. If the Peanut was worried, she didn’t show it, at least not until she had to leave for the ready bench where she would sit and wait for 20 minutes before it was time to swim.

Her first event was the back stroke which is opposite of what she was used to from every other meet. She was also forced to warm up in a side pool which is something she has never done before either. She handled it all like a pro and took her place in the pool.

Let's do this thing! — Let’s do this thing!

She was considered one of the faster swimmers in the slower heat so she scored a better lane which I know boosts her confidence. When the buzzer went off, she did her thing and swam her little heart out.

She ended up taking first place in her heat!!! Unfortunately, being in one of the slower heats, meant she really could not make it to the finals but she still supported her team.

In between heats we would wait it out in the tent trying toÂ stay hydrated. Squeaker, on the other hand, Â is pretty easy going and just finds something to occupy herself with …

Soon it was time for the Peanut’s free style swim. As I mentioned earlier, she was seeded in a faster heat but due to the competition, was placed in a slower lane. This always plays with her mind despite what Vans and I tell her. Still, she was ready to get this thing over with.

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I was across the pool with Squeaker during this event. I saw all the kids in her heat get up on the super high blocks. When the Peanut swims at her home team pool, they have mini blocks for the 6 and Under group. These blocks, were college level standard blocks. The Peanut looked at the block and then looked at the other kids. When we swim at other team’s pools, she “dives” off the side of the pool and not the block, especially if they are too high. You could see the inner turmoil going on in her head. What should she do? This was Champs! ALL the other kids were on the blocks! But she has never gone off the blocks before!?

I saw her coach say something to her and I saw the Peanut get up on the block. Seconds later the buzzer went off and the Peanut DOVE into the pool. OFF THE BLOCKS!!! I was blown away. I mean, it was more of a belly flop than a dive but she had done it. She had conquered one of her biggest fears on her very last swim of the season!

It took a while for the Peanut to surface and while I wish I could say she finished first place and qualified for finals, the truth is she was last place but she emerged from the pool with a smile and said, “I did a massive belly flop!” 🙂

Later I had asked her what it was her Coach had said to her and she said, “She told me that she would PREFER I dive off the blocks.”

That was the beginning of a whole new world for the Peanut. Her team went on to win Champs by only 7 points! Her 6 and Under group dominated the events and was a huge reason in their success. When the Peanut got home from Champs and started swimming in our pool I said to her, “Hey, you realize that the blocks you jumped off today are higher than our own diving board?” She didn’t believe me but she stood on the diving board and looked out at the water. And then she dove in and the rest is history. She is a diving fiend now.

With a whole new form of confidence the Peanut could not wait until her team awards night. We were all super excited because the team had won and had quite a few swimmers attending the Meet of Champions in a few weeks.

When we arrived at the park where the awards was being held, the Peanut caught a glimpse of the tables covered in trophies. She was giddy with excitement.

The first group that they introduced was the 6 and Under group. The Peanut took off like a shot through the crowd. Vans and I looked at each other completely shocked that she went up there all by herself. There was a time when even though she had friends, she would not go stand in front of a large group.

Coach Brownie announced that they were giving out individual awards to some of the kids. Sure we know the Peanut is a great kid, but she didn’t she didn’t break any swim records this season. You know what she did have though? Spirit and it didn’t go unnoticed.

From the girl that cried at quite a few swim practices in the beginning to the girl in the above photo, the Peanut has transformed this season. She stood there and smiled like she always does. Coach Brownie mentioned how she always has a smile on her face. I love that face.

Unsure as to whether or not she even wanted to BE on the swim team this year, the Peanut has made Vans and myself super proud. She practiced in cold weather, rainy weather and a million degree weather. She practiced five or six times a week!

As I have mentioned, Vans and myself were never swimmers on a swim team. We learned quite a bit ourselves this season. Most importantly, we learned we have a little girl who will conquer her fears (on her own time) and wow everyone in the process. Congrats Peanut. Thank you for being such an “awesome” kid!

Happy ~~Trails~~ Swimming!

~Trailmomma

I must apologize. It used to be that I would go for Â 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.

GCRSÂ 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 (GCRSÂ 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-keyÂ 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. GCRSÂ Girl and I just powered up and we lost TiggerT. I knew she wouldn’t be far behind us.

PigeonÂ 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, PigeonÂ and TiggerTÂ 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 pitterÂ 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.

You run with me, you have to take photos.

TiggerTÂ would stay behind us and GCRSÂ 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 GCRSÂ 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 onÂ 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 thinkÂ 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?

Winners!

Happy Trails!

~Trailmomma

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COLOMA RIVER RUN RACE REPORT

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