TRI Catching Cupid

Olivia is on the AZ Desert Dolpins Synchronized swim team and I am also the land conditioning and swim coach for her team.  I have to say, I love it.

Synchro is an interesting sport that I am still learning a lot about, but the more I learn the more I like it.  It takes a lot of time, work, and effort on the part of the coaches and the girls, but there are so many great things being learned it is worth it.

One of the hardest things about synchro is once you get into national meets it is EXPENSIVE!  I think they told me it was about $5000-$7000 per girl that went to nationals last year.  Crazy.  

So as a team we try to do a lot of fundraisers to help with these costs.  BUT, what I love about this team's fundraisers is that they aren't typical.  They don't just put their hand out and ask you for money, they try to do things that you get something out of.  So our fundraiser this year is a TRIATHLON! 

Ambitious, yes indeed.

I stepped up to be Race Director for this because nobody else was and I thought I was up for the challenge.  A challenge it most certainly is.  I have a whole new appreciation for these kinds of events.  There is so much work and money poured into putting this on.  But hopefully it will all be worth it.

My goal is to get 300+ participants out to this race.  That means YOU should do it and get your neighbors, friends, family members, kids, etc. to do it too.  It's Valentine's themed and it's gonna be fun.

Sometimes people will say things like, "Why would I want to pay money to do something like that?"  So I have written a little ditty below to help people realize what it is about triathlons that makes people come out and why they should probably "tri" too.   

For your reading enjoyment....

Why TRI?

Several years ago, after my last baby was born I needed something to motivate me to get my buns in gear and get back in shape.  I had heard people talking about triathlons.  It sounded exciting but out of reach.  I thought, That’s something that “other people” can do, not me.  But the more I thought about it the more I wanted to TRI.  If other people could swim, bike, and run then so could I!

What I didn’t realize at the time I registered for my first triathlon is that triathlons are such an amazing experience from beginning to end.  From the day you register to the moment you cross that finish line, your experience is in full swing.  When you pay that registration fee (and you feel butterflies in your stomach) you aren’t just paying for the race day, you are paying for every day leading up to the race as well.  What you receive with that entrance fee isn’t just a t-shirt and a slot on the bike rack, it’s also increased motivation, physical & emotional growth, endurance, excitement for life, the realization that you can do things you didn’t think you could do, a clear-cut goal, and more.  If you are training with a friend, spouse, or child you are paying for invaluable time growing together. 

When you register for a triathlon you get so much more than a day…you get an experience that lasts several months and memories that last a lifetime.

So why TRI?  I think the real question is why not?

Here's the link: http://www.active.com/triathlon/mesa-az/tri-catching-cupid-reverse-sprint-and-youth-triathlon-2012?cmp=1745&fb_ref=event_details&fb_source=profile_multiline 

Right now you can use coupon code: LOVE 2012 and get $10 off registration!  

***

TRI Catching Cupid is the perfect triathlon for first timers or seasoned athletes.  It will be a very fun event for the whole family.  Also, following the triathlon, before the awards ceremony, the AZ Desert Dolphins Synchronized Swim team will entertain us.  How often does that happen at a triathlon?  This is one triathlon you don’t want to miss!  Register today!

Learning To Do The Little Things...

The other day Olivia (8 almost 9 years old) came home from a play date with a friend where they painted their nails and apparently they also trimmed their nails.

She told me, "Sydney was really surprised that I didn't know how to trim my nails."

"She was?" I asked, a little surprised.  Then I said, "Did you tell her that your mom still does too many things for you that she probably shouldn't?"

We laughed and then I told her to bring me the clippers because she had missed several of her nails and they were driving me crazy and I just trimmed them up for her real quick. :)

I told Shane, "I started trimming their nails when they were babies, how am I supposed to know when to stop?"

I know I am not the only mom that would rather do things for her kids to avoid certain messes, save time, get it done the way I want it, make sure they don't get hurt, etc. but the more I think about it the more I realize I NEED to let those things happen for their sake.  I have figured this out in certain areas (swim skills, aka: learning to do hard things), but I have to be willing to have my life "inconvenienced" so they can learn regular, every day life skills.

I'm working on it....

I did let them pour their own cereal & milk this morning.

Baby steps.

Speed? I Am Speed.

Being fast can be a really good thing.  Especially in things like running or swimming, etc.  But there are other times it can just be annoying.

Shane has a loving little nickname he calls me:

"Reaction Time".

It's usually used like this:

Shane is cleaning up the kitchen, he turns around to do something and while he does that Dixie puts away five things he was just about to get to and he'll say, "Thanks Reaction Time."

Or, one of the kids will ask him to help them with something and I just walk over and do it before he even has the chance to stand up. "Okay, Reaction Time."

Or, he will be doing laundry and I will hear the washer finish and go put them in the dryer as he rounds the corner to do the same. "I was going to do that Reaction Time."

You get the idea.  I'm just one step ahead of him most of the time, which, as you might imagine, could get annoying.  Especially for Shane because he is actually Reaction Time Jr.  Before me in his life he had always been Reaction Time Sr.  But he tells me all the time that I even out pace him.

But I can't help it!

I like to do things fast...I always have. (for instance, I just typed that really fast just to prove a point...to myself.)

When I was at BYU I had a class where they tested our reaction time.  As you may have guessed :) , I had the fastest reaction time in the whole class!  I was quite proud of this, until I started realizing how annoying it is to have really fast reaction time when the rest of the world around you doesn't.

Any time I am at a stoplight I swear I see it turn green about 30 seconds before the car in front of me.

Frustrating.

When I am at the grocery store in the check out line the people in front of me all move like they are 95 even though I can clearly see they are probably closer to 35.

Irritating.

When I am walking pretty much anywhere I am again surrounded by 95 year olds and I have to figure out routes around them.

That one is kind of fun because it's a challenge for me, but if I have to stay behind them for some reason...lame.

So here's the thing...  I HATE this about myself.

My reaction time is crazy fast and it makes me crazy crazy.

I am trying to learn how to slow down.

It's hard.