Finding her place

Rachel has been running all summer. She decided she'd try out the cross country team this year as she anticipates the next life jump from little pond to big pond; her first year of high school. It was a blessing to have 2 brothers in our neighborhood driving every day to Cross country as well. They'd pick her up around 7:20ish and she'd get home between 10:30 and 11:00.

She was kind of frustrated from time to time feeling like it took away her summer but you should see her tan... and those legs! She is looking good!

The team would run several miles in the canyons or in the neighborhoods and do weight workouts and ab workouts after running. She said, "those cross country people are intense!!!" She wasn't sure she was made of the same stuff.

Some of the girls she made friends with at the beginning of the summer dropped out midway through leaving her feeling out of place. The other girls that are left are nice but are good friends to each other and she feels alone. She's the only girl in her grade left.

In Cross Country the races are essentially 5K runs from what I understand. (3 miles)

The night before her first race which was this past Thursday she was very anxious, wondering if she had made a mistake with cross country, feeling slow and uncompetitive, friendless. I hate feeling like that and wished I had more of a solution to offer than the advice: weigh the pros and cons and think about what is best for you. Is quitting the right thing or sticking with it the right thing? She has a cross country PE class as part of her schedule so it would be more involved than just saying "I quit"

Plus... My little Rachel doesn't like quitting.

She decided to see it though. She came home from her first race happy and seeming to be at peace with her decision, feeling better about being part of the team.

Two days later (Yesterday) she left bright and early for her 2nd race. She left at 6:30 in the morning. Again... SO grateful for those boys who come pick her up! She thought she'd be home about 11:00 so I started watching for her but about 1:30ish she rolled in. My parents were in town and we were all in the corner of our yard in the shade of the big walnut tree, sitting and gabbing and up walks Rachel grinning from ear to ear with a medal on her chest.

5th place out of 67 JV girls with a time of 22:11.

So proud.

All that running made her HUNGRY.

She grabbed a Krispy Kreme doughnut and some green beans out of the garden.

Would you call that a balanced meal?

Rachel, Running & Rome

I haven't had a chance to report about Rachel's play.

We went opening night.

It was a fun play, one of the cutest I've seen there. The only one I have liked better was Nifty Fifties which was Carly's 8th grade spring play.

Rachel had several solo parts in songs and she did a great job. In my humble opinion, she had great stage presence and was about the cutest thing up on stage.

She was the Princess' maid so she was in most of the scenes. She had several speaking lines. In her past 5 plays she's only had one line, if any at all, so this was a big change for her. She missed being in the big "townspeople" song and dance numbers but having her own speaking and singing lines helped make up for it.

Most of all she LOVED her costume. It came from one of the local playhouses and she felt very pretty in it. Because she had one of the main parts for this play she got to have her hair done by one of the parent helpers who always helps the main characters. It was more elaborate every night and she loved that attention.

All in all, it was a great ending to her Junior high stage career.

She's not thinking she'll continue with drama in high school.

She has joined the jr high track team this spring and went with the cross country class instead of the drama class in her schedule for next year .

During the last few weeks of play practice she attended track practice only a handful of times as they let her keep her commitment to the play but now that it's over she's had track almost every day after school. She loves it.

She had her first track meet last week and bested her personal records in practice for the mile and the 800 by about 30 seconds each and they haven't got the scoring all in yet but she thinks she took first or second in her age group for both her events.

When she got home she was so excited, on her own little personal high. I could tell she was waiting to be asked so I said...

"How'd you do?"

and she exclaimed (and I mean EXCLAIMED!!!!!)

I Was A BEAST!!!

and went on to tell me her times. She was very happy.

She has a very quiet competitive streak in her. I remember noticing it first when she played soccer. She wanted to be on the field all the time. She didn't say much but she hated when the coach took her out and she played so hard and so well they didn't' take her out much.

She has a track meet at her school this week so I'm excited to be able to watch her in action.

Spinning: Advice from a chubby beginner

Having now attended 9 spin classes at my local rec center I feel qualified to give advice to anyone out there wondering what it might be like and should they "spin" too.

Let's just get the basics out of the way...

Spinnning is an exercise class involving stationary bikes, loud music and a perky instructor who's goal is to get you pedaling. I love the atmosphere of the spin class I go to. They have the lights dimmed, some white lights around the ceiling and lots of fans going.

The first class I attended was an evening class. Alone- I walked, tentatively, into the rec center having a general idea where the spin class was located but not specifics. I hate that moment of being unsure, not knowing where I am going, what I will be doing.

I like my ducks in rows. (But they so often insist on paddling about willy, nilly- )

I saw a woman walking in the same direction and she looked approachable; a little round & squishy like myself but determined- like she knew her way around this place. I asked her if she was going to the spin class and she was. She introduced herself: Sue, and started taking me in hand, giving me advice on how to approach my first class.

What a blessing she was to me that first night. I know it was just an exercise class but it's never fun- that vulnerable feeling of trying something new, going somewhere where you might not fit, being overweight in a fitness class.

I needed someone like Sue, not some hardbodied athlete that would intimidate me but a motherly figure to guide me.

Sue's advice was very good advice so I'll pass it along to any other beginners out there:

1. Your bottom is gonna hurt.

2. Don't try to keep up with the instructor your first couple classes. Just find a steady pace and try to last the hour. Your bottom is gonna hurt.

3. Your legs are going to be sore tomorrow and maybe even worse the 2nd day. Your bottom is gonna hurt.

She was right on all accounts except I went swimming with my kids the next night and after that my legs didn't hurt at all.

Along with Sue's advice here's a little of my own:

1. FIND A FRIEND:

I went to 2 evening classes and then started going at 5 in the morning with my friend Amy. Going with a good, dependable friend is a MUST! Knowing she is waiting for me to pick her up or that her car will pull into my driveway at 5am is great incentive. I have never hit the snooze once. If I did I'd be late because I only allow myself 10 minutes to get up, dressed, grab my water and head out the door. I try to get my clothes set out the night before and my water bottle in the fridge. I set my clock ahead 10 minutes because seeing the time 4:50 would just do me in. I know, I know, it's silly, it's all in my head, but whatever works to get my behind out of bed I say.

**warning** the first morning you have to drive it may stress you out a little and you may wake up at 2:45 with a start, thinking you've overslept and left Amy waiting, you may also wake up at 3:45 with a start thinking you've overslept & left Amy waiting so, when your alarm goes off for real at 4:50/5:00 am you'll be ready and alert and happy you didn't oversleep and keep anyone waiting.

2. Your bottom is gonna hurt!

It will likely be class #5 that you find yourself happily surprised at the end to realize you didn't spend 75% of the class trying to find one comfortable spot on that bike seat. In our spinning class, there are 2 kinds of bikes. I rode a spinner on my first class, a schwinn on my 2nd and for some reason when I went for my 3rd class I couldn't bear the Spinner seat, but the Schwinn was AHHHHH so much more comfortable. I don't know if I just needed it to conform to the bruises it left the night before or what but I haven't had the nerve to try a spinner again since...

3. Don't take beautiful 16 year old daughters

Class #5 was a day when there was no school so Carly wanted to come with Amy & I. I had been going for a couple weeks and was feeling a little confident about my spinning abilities. I had been through the fire of those first "just get through the class" hours. I was actually switching gears now and able to get out of the saddle (ride standing up) for bits here and there although my legs tire quickly in this position and I usually can't keep up with the rest of the class quite yet. I gave her Sue's advice and helped her get her bike set up and then proceeded to watch her blow me away. She kept up beautifully, switching gears, out of the saddle. It was a bit demoralizing.

4. There may be times it kicks your butt. Whatever. Get off the bike but then tomorrow... get back on.

Class #8: The classes are 45-60 min, depending on how early you get there to warm up. I took Carly and Rachel to an evening class. It was an instructor I hadn't been to before & she was hard. And my bike was messed up, it kept switching gears on me and messing up my rhythm. I don't know what was wrong with me, I even switched bikes after I realized my gear issues. I just couldn't stay on so I left my 2 beautiful daughters spinning away (yeah, it was Rachel's first class, Carly's 2nd and they were going strong.....) and walked away feeling a little defeated. I hadn't walked away ever but I just didn't feel good. I stretched and walked on the track a few laps and then I went back on Wednesday with Amy which was also hard, but I did it. I don't know if it was harder because I quit on Monday or if my body is off rhythm this week. I have had sick kids and maybe I'm fighting being sick more than I realize. Friday will be better.

I'm going to stick with it. It's hard. It makes me sweat. I like it. Class #10 Tomorrow!