2012 Northwest Region Age Group Championships
Our trip this year to Federal Way, Washington .....
Sunday, April 1, 2012
April Fool's Day! I completely forgot until Aimee told me her friend from Columbia River Swim Team tricked her by telling her she was going to Hawaii next week....Aimee got so excited only to be told Happy April Fool's Day! Don't worry....no tricks here. And unfortunately no medals today. Aimee gained and Reyna gained. Just not up to par. Yup, just confirms we need to practice harder.
Now that our afternoon was free.....we went out searching for a sled of some sort to use in the snow! We are planning to drive up to Crystal Mountain tomorrow to play in the snow! We were thinking of snowboarding, but none of us have the right clothes to do that....so we will just have fun on the side of the road! The mountain just got 6 more inches of snow last nite so it should be fun! I will let you know what we got to "slide" in the snow....if it works!
After some omiyage shopping at Trader Joes....off to CRAB POT! Crab, crab, crab.....mmmmmmm, seafood heaven! We noticed the girls are eating more now..... hmmm, next time we will need to order more. At least everyone got to enjoy this year... if you are wondering what that means, read about our adventure last year.
Now that our afternoon was free.....we went out searching for a sled of some sort to use in the snow! We are planning to drive up to Crystal Mountain tomorrow to play in the snow! We were thinking of snowboarding, but none of us have the right clothes to do that....so we will just have fun on the side of the road! The mountain just got 6 more inches of snow last nite so it should be fun! I will let you know what we got to "slide" in the snow....if it works!
After some omiyage shopping at Trader Joes....off to CRAB POT! Crab, crab, crab.....mmmmmmm, seafood heaven! We noticed the girls are eating more now..... hmmm, next time we will need to order more. At least everyone got to enjoy this year... if you are wondering what that means, read about our adventure last year.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
We are staying in a room with a small kitchen so I have been cooking breakfast and dinner. Cooking with one frying pan and one small pot can get tricky. I have to really plan what I'm going to cook and how. The hotel set-up the room for only two people...there's only 2 plates, bowls, cups, mugs, forks, spoons and butter knife. No cutting board or knife. I had to buy a small paring knife and flexible plastic cutting boards....which I will bring home! We ate spaghetti last nite and I'm going to try my ritz cracker chicken tonite. Lunch today was at Panera Bread....everyone had a cup of soup and 1/2 a sandwich. Whoa....it was good! Don't know why we didn't go there before. The muffins are good too.......we are definitely going back!
Aimee made finals for 2BR....that's it. Reyna cut a split sec in her 50FL but gained in her 2IM. Aimee moved up from 5th seed to ploace 4th in her 2BR but no personal bests. Tough competitions from swimmers we didn't even notice before. I think we need to practice harder......
It rained in the morning and it was the coldest yet since we got here.... 37degrees. It got a little better in the afternoon....first sun we saw since arriving in Washington. Tomorrow's is Reyna's best event.....let's keep our fingers crossed!
Aimee made finals for 2BR....that's it. Reyna cut a split sec in her 50FL but gained in her 2IM. Aimee moved up from 5th seed to ploace 4th in her 2BR but no personal bests. Tough competitions from swimmers we didn't even notice before. I think we need to practice harder......
It rained in the morning and it was the coldest yet since we got here.... 37degrees. It got a little better in the afternoon....first sun we saw since arriving in Washington. Tomorrow's is Reyna's best event.....let's keep our fingers crossed!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Sorry folks, had some computer problems and did not have access to this blogsite.
Flight here was quite uneventful...I guess that's good right? Movie was good..."The Big Year." I will never look at birds the same way again.
We spent Thursday swimming and grocery shopping. Walmart prices are so much cheaper here. Almost makes me want to stock up and take home...but my suitcase would be overweight. It has been raining since we arrived. Weather report says it's supposed to rain more Saturday....sigh.
Aimee swam 2FL and 1BR. Let's just say at least she got into finals for 1BR. Then I don't know what happened to all the top seeds, but Aimee moved up to finish 5th. Not her best time, but at least she moved up. Whew. Reyna cut a sec in her 1BR. Then she opted to swim the 5FR in time trials. She was swimming next to another ten year old....boy! Well, we all told her....your goal is to beat the boy. And she did! He led out for 1/2 the race, but you can tell Reyna was gaining some ground. But the boy cut lots of time too so it was all good! Tomorrow is 2IM and 2BR for Aimee. Reyna has her 50FL and 2IM. Go PCA!
Flight here was quite uneventful...I guess that's good right? Movie was good..."The Big Year." I will never look at birds the same way again.
We spent Thursday swimming and grocery shopping. Walmart prices are so much cheaper here. Almost makes me want to stock up and take home...but my suitcase would be overweight. It has been raining since we arrived. Weather report says it's supposed to rain more Saturday....sigh.
Aimee swam 2FL and 1BR. Let's just say at least she got into finals for 1BR. Then I don't know what happened to all the top seeds, but Aimee moved up to finish 5th. Not her best time, but at least she moved up. Whew. Reyna cut a sec in her 1BR. Then she opted to swim the 5FR in time trials. She was swimming next to another ten year old....boy! Well, we all told her....your goal is to beat the boy. And she did! He led out for 1/2 the race, but you can tell Reyna was gaining some ground. But the boy cut lots of time too so it was all good! Tomorrow is 2IM and 2BR for Aimee. Reyna has her 50FL and 2IM. Go PCA!
2011 Western Zone Age Group Championships
PCA swimmers, coach & chaperone's adventures on Team Hawaii.....
Monday, August 15, 2011
Welcome home and back to reality for Team Hawaii! Coach Ken, Uncle Ron, Matt and Aimee....great job representing Hawaii....and we are all proud you are PCA!
Welcome home and back to reality for Team Hawaii! Coach Ken, Uncle Ron, Matt and Aimee....great job representing Hawaii....and we are all proud you are PCA!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Day 9 - Great America! Not sure how Matt spent the day....but heard through the grapevine that Uncle Ron and Aimee did the bungee jump! Whoa! What an adrenaline rush....and so scary! As much as Matt works hard....I know he must have played hard too! I'm sure Team Hawaii had lots of fun....they deserve it!
Day 9 - Great America! Not sure how Matt spent the day....but heard through the grapevine that Uncle Ron and Aimee did the bungee jump! Whoa! What an adrenaline rush....and so scary! As much as Matt works hard....I know he must have played hard too! I'm sure Team Hawaii had lots of fun....they deserve it!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Day 8 - Sorry, the team got back very late from the waterpark adventure after the meet and battery problems prevented Uncle Ron from sending an update for the blog and pictures. I finally got the pictures....see below. Today was the 5th day of competition and fatigue was settling in. Matt and Aimee finished strong...no finals, but great swims and Aimee's 200 Free Relay team got 3rd place. The best news for the day.....Team Hawaii won the The Adam Szmidt Team Sportsmanship Award. The award is given for overall team spirit and sportsmanlike attitude. Sportsmanship and Spirit, not performance or team score are the criteria. Criteria, in order of importance are:
1. Sportsmanship.
2. Total team support.
3. Consistent, positive attitude throughout the entire meet.
4. Appearance (uniform, shorts, suits, etc.)
Co-captains Matt and Evan did a great job with the team! Congratulations Team Hawaii!
Day 8 - Sorry, the team got back very late from the waterpark adventure after the meet and battery problems prevented Uncle Ron from sending an update for the blog and pictures. I finally got the pictures....see below. Today was the 5th day of competition and fatigue was settling in. Matt and Aimee finished strong...no finals, but great swims and Aimee's 200 Free Relay team got 3rd place. The best news for the day.....Team Hawaii won the The Adam Szmidt Team Sportsmanship Award. The award is given for overall team spirit and sportsmanlike attitude. Sportsmanship and Spirit, not performance or team score are the criteria. Criteria, in order of importance are:
1. Sportsmanship.
2. Total team support.
3. Consistent, positive attitude throughout the entire meet.
4. Appearance (uniform, shorts, suits, etc.)
Co-captains Matt and Evan did a great job with the team! Congratulations Team Hawaii!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Day 7 – over the hump and everything downhill now? Maybe so, but Matt is proving to everyone in the pool that he has come to Clovis to take care of business. After dropping 4 seconds in his prelim in the 200M Fly, Matt cracks the top 8 with an 8th seed going into finals! Matt’s first Western Zone final and another personal best time! Aimee swam the 50M Breast and 200M Free this morning and made the breaststroke final. After a longer rest period at the hotel, it was back to the pool for the team skit. The swimmers did a hula to the song “White Sandy Beach” which caught the attention of everyone on deck during their performance. The audience stood quiet and mesmerized, and wondered how far in advance Team Hawaii practiced for this. Little did they know that it was arranged by the co-captains and rehearsed only a few days ago. The swimmers did a fantastic job and hopefully earned enough votes for the spirit award. After their skit the meet went right into finals where Matt was able to capture an 8th place Western Zone medal dropping another second in the 200M Fly! Just amazing. Aimee was in an all out sprint for the finish in the 50M Breast final. Although quite off her personal best time, she was still able to manage a silver medal for her hard earned efforts. Then it was off to the relays where the 11-12 Girls 200M Medley A Relay team with Aimee swimming breaststroke finished with a bronze medal for their efforts, and the 18 & Under Boys 200M Medley A Relay team with Matt swimming freestyle finished in 11th place. What a busy and productive day of racing for our PCA swimmers. One more day to go! Lets finish strong.
Day 7 – over the hump and everything downhill now? Maybe so, but Matt is proving to everyone in the pool that he has come to Clovis to take care of business. After dropping 4 seconds in his prelim in the 200M Fly, Matt cracks the top 8 with an 8th seed going into finals! Matt’s first Western Zone final and another personal best time! Aimee swam the 50M Breast and 200M Free this morning and made the breaststroke final. After a longer rest period at the hotel, it was back to the pool for the team skit. The swimmers did a hula to the song “White Sandy Beach” which caught the attention of everyone on deck during their performance. The audience stood quiet and mesmerized, and wondered how far in advance Team Hawaii practiced for this. Little did they know that it was arranged by the co-captains and rehearsed only a few days ago. The swimmers did a fantastic job and hopefully earned enough votes for the spirit award. After their skit the meet went right into finals where Matt was able to capture an 8th place Western Zone medal dropping another second in the 200M Fly! Just amazing. Aimee was in an all out sprint for the finish in the 50M Breast final. Although quite off her personal best time, she was still able to manage a silver medal for her hard earned efforts. Then it was off to the relays where the 11-12 Girls 200M Medley A Relay team with Aimee swimming breaststroke finished with a bronze medal for their efforts, and the 18 & Under Boys 200M Medley A Relay team with Matt swimming freestyle finished in 11th place. What a busy and productive day of racing for our PCA swimmers. One more day to go! Lets finish strong.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Day 6 – the second day of individual competition led out by Team Hawaii’s 400M freestylers. A great day for the team again in the same hot sun and temperature. Co-captain Matt had awesome swims in the 100M Fly, dropping time for yet another personal best, and dropping 3 seconds in the 200M Free – what a meet so far for Matt here in Clovis! Although always smiling on deck, he appears to be slowly losing his voice due to all of the fine sportsmanship and cheering that he and his other co-captain have been leading. A fine display of Team Hawaii support for all of the swimmers as all of them took part in cheering at the blocks for their teammates just as hard as they swam. I have to imagine that this really drives our swimmers to push harder during their races. Only one event for Aimee this morning as she was able to lock in a seat in top 8 for finals with her swim in the 200M Individual Medley against some really stiff competition, which includes two other Team Hawaii teammates. Although not able to achieve a personal best time in finals, she was able to fight her way to a 7th place medal. After finals, off to the hotel for a last hula practice before the team skit tomorrow. The team this year is bonding together really well thanks to our co-captains and Team Hawaii is hoping to bring home the spirit award for
their hard work this time – we just have to wait and see what happens.
Day 6 – the second day of individual competition led out by Team Hawaii’s 400M freestylers. A great day for the team again in the same hot sun and temperature. Co-captain Matt had awesome swims in the 100M Fly, dropping time for yet another personal best, and dropping 3 seconds in the 200M Free – what a meet so far for Matt here in Clovis! Although always smiling on deck, he appears to be slowly losing his voice due to all of the fine sportsmanship and cheering that he and his other co-captain have been leading. A fine display of Team Hawaii support for all of the swimmers as all of them took part in cheering at the blocks for their teammates just as hard as they swam. I have to imagine that this really drives our swimmers to push harder during their races. Only one event for Aimee this morning as she was able to lock in a seat in top 8 for finals with her swim in the 200M Individual Medley against some really stiff competition, which includes two other Team Hawaii teammates. Although not able to achieve a personal best time in finals, she was able to fight her way to a 7th place medal. After finals, off to the hotel for a last hula practice before the team skit tomorrow. The team this year is bonding together really well thanks to our co-captains and Team Hawaii is hoping to bring home the spirit award for
their hard work this time – we just have to wait and see what happens.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Day 5 – the first day of individual competition with the shorter events. Team Hawaii’s younger kids got us off to a great start by making multiple finals. Aimee was able to swim a prelim that put her as second seed in finals for the 100M Breaststroke, and a 5th seed in finals for the 50Free. Matt was awesome knocking about 4 seconds off his personal best in 200M Backstoke to get him into 11th place. Then off to rest up at the hotel for finals. Matt is doing a great job as Co-captain. Under his guidance
the swimmers helped make signs for the finalists during the afternoon break along with putting on tattoos and creating their own tattoos by improvising with Sharpie pens. Lunch was L & L drive in so the kids were able to have some comfort food and RICE! Chicken Katsu was the favorite, but RICE must have worked – Aimee was able to pull off a silver medal win in the 100M Breast and a 6th place finish in the 50M Free in finals. The highlight of the early evening was the 11-12 400M Medley relay where Aimee swam the Breastroke leg – she was able to bring Team Hawaii into the lead of the race and our flyer and freestyler did not look back at that point. They were able to collectively win the Gold medal with their efforts. Great job Team Hawaii and Team PCA!
Day 5 – the first day of individual competition with the shorter events. Team Hawaii’s younger kids got us off to a great start by making multiple finals. Aimee was able to swim a prelim that put her as second seed in finals for the 100M Breaststroke, and a 5th seed in finals for the 50Free. Matt was awesome knocking about 4 seconds off his personal best in 200M Backstoke to get him into 11th place. Then off to rest up at the hotel for finals. Matt is doing a great job as Co-captain. Under his guidance
the swimmers helped make signs for the finalists during the afternoon break along with putting on tattoos and creating their own tattoos by improvising with Sharpie pens. Lunch was L & L drive in so the kids were able to have some comfort food and RICE! Chicken Katsu was the favorite, but RICE must have worked – Aimee was able to pull off a silver medal win in the 100M Breast and a 6th place finish in the 50M Free in finals. The highlight of the early evening was the 11-12 400M Medley relay where Aimee swam the Breastroke leg – she was able to bring Team Hawaii into the lead of the race and our flyer and freestyler did not look back at that point. They were able to collectively win the Gold medal with their efforts. Great job Team Hawaii and Team PCA!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
On day 4, Team Hawaii finally got the meet started with two of our older swimmers doing the 1500 Free. The other team aunties took some time to set up our Hawaii store to sell “Hawaii” goods, while the swimmers warmed up. The gym that our team area is located is an air-conditioned gym, so the kids get to rest in comfort. They also let us eat in the gym, which I could not believe. Lunch was Subway sandwiches delivered to the pool and then to the hotel for some rest and back for the relays. Aimee finally got a chance to get in the water as the third swimmer in the 400 Free Relay. With solid swims, the 11-12 girls A team was able to pull off a bronze medal finish, just
a shoulder length behind the team that placed second. It was also a personal best 100 Free leg for Aimee. Team captain Matt got in the water with his 18 and Under relay team to finish in 8th place and a personal best 100 Free leg for Matt! The Pearl City Aquatics swimmers have gotten off to a solid start to kick off this 2011 Western Zones, and are looking forward to more individual swims and relays in the next 4 days. Sorry, no photos today – Uncle Ron’s memory card broke and can’t access the photos =(. But will make up for more pictures tomorrow with my other camera =).
On day 4, Team Hawaii finally got the meet started with two of our older swimmers doing the 1500 Free. The other team aunties took some time to set up our Hawaii store to sell “Hawaii” goods, while the swimmers warmed up. The gym that our team area is located is an air-conditioned gym, so the kids get to rest in comfort. They also let us eat in the gym, which I could not believe. Lunch was Subway sandwiches delivered to the pool and then to the hotel for some rest and back for the relays. Aimee finally got a chance to get in the water as the third swimmer in the 400 Free Relay. With solid swims, the 11-12 girls A team was able to pull off a bronze medal finish, just
a shoulder length behind the team that placed second. It was also a personal best 100 Free leg for Aimee. Team captain Matt got in the water with his 18 and Under relay team to finish in 8th place and a personal best 100 Free leg for Matt! The Pearl City Aquatics swimmers have gotten off to a solid start to kick off this 2011 Western Zones, and are looking forward to more individual swims and relays in the next 4 days. Sorry, no photos today – Uncle Ron’s memory card broke and can’t access the photos =(. But will make up for more pictures tomorrow with my other camera =).
Monday, August 8, 2011
Team Hawaii looked happier today, probably having acclimated to the time difference. One thing that is a problem here is the heat – not the real temperature which is not that bad, but the “feels like” temperature which includes the dry, windless heat. Committing to constant hydration is the big issue. Matt is doing a great job as co-team captain, exercising the leadership skills that won him his numerous awards in high school. Aimee is chugging along with practice as usual, but feeling great and smiling today. Only morning practice today – and a short one at that (courtesy of the coaches) which surprised some of the kids. Team Hawaii took their team pictures after a pizza, salad and fruit lunch at the pool thanks to our hardworking chaperones. Practicing the dance portion of the team skit at the pool kept the swimmers busy until our bus came to pick us up and take us to the mall for a pit stop of some shopping relaxation. Some of our coaches decided to catch up on their sleep on the bus while we were there (the bus kept the air conditioner on and engine running for them – can you believe that!). Dinner was a vegetarian’s delight at Sweet Tomatoes, then back to the hotel for rest and lights out. Matt and Aimee’s first swims tomorrow, with the 18 and Under and 11-12 400 Freestyle relays – let’s hope for the best for the PCA swimmers and Team Hawaii.
Team Hawaii looked happier today, probably having acclimated to the time difference. One thing that is a problem here is the heat – not the real temperature which is not that bad, but the “feels like” temperature which includes the dry, windless heat. Committing to constant hydration is the big issue. Matt is doing a great job as co-team captain, exercising the leadership skills that won him his numerous awards in high school. Aimee is chugging along with practice as usual, but feeling great and smiling today. Only morning practice today – and a short one at that (courtesy of the coaches) which surprised some of the kids. Team Hawaii took their team pictures after a pizza, salad and fruit lunch at the pool thanks to our hardworking chaperones. Practicing the dance portion of the team skit at the pool kept the swimmers busy until our bus came to pick us up and take us to the mall for a pit stop of some shopping relaxation. Some of our coaches decided to catch up on their sleep on the bus while we were there (the bus kept the air conditioner on and engine running for them – can you believe that!). Dinner was a vegetarian’s delight at Sweet Tomatoes, then back to the hotel for rest and lights out. Matt and Aimee’s first swims tomorrow, with the 18 and Under and 11-12 400 Freestyle relays – let’s hope for the best for the PCA swimmers and Team Hawaii.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
After a 4 hour 50 minute flight and the delayed arrival of a tour bus leading to a 4 hour bus ride, Team Hawaii was able to get a good night’s rest and wake up early Sunday for breakfast at the hotel. It was straight to practice in our air conditioned, tour bus complete with a DVD player system and screens mounted to the ceiling. Morning practice was shortened by the coaches due to our late arrival at the hotel last night. The swimmers all chowed down on lunch at the nearby Fashion Fair Mall, where they had some free time to do some shopping. Some of the boys bought matching logo “Hawaii” hats to celebrate their team spirit. Others made build-a-bears
as a keepsake of this 2011 Western Zones. It was then off to a 1 ½ hour afternoon practice in the hot Clovis weather, after which our team captains, Matt and Evan,
practiced the Team Hawaii cheers with their teammates. Dinner was at the Great Moon Buffet – Chinese buffet. I almost felt they were actually going to run out of food. Back to the hotel to start planning their skit and some free time, but lights out at 9pm. Morning practice only tomorrow and team picture taking day.
After a 4 hour 50 minute flight and the delayed arrival of a tour bus leading to a 4 hour bus ride, Team Hawaii was able to get a good night’s rest and wake up early Sunday for breakfast at the hotel. It was straight to practice in our air conditioned, tour bus complete with a DVD player system and screens mounted to the ceiling. Morning practice was shortened by the coaches due to our late arrival at the hotel last night. The swimmers all chowed down on lunch at the nearby Fashion Fair Mall, where they had some free time to do some shopping. Some of the boys bought matching logo “Hawaii” hats to celebrate their team spirit. Others made build-a-bears
as a keepsake of this 2011 Western Zones. It was then off to a 1 ½ hour afternoon practice in the hot Clovis weather, after which our team captains, Matt and Evan,
practiced the Team Hawaii cheers with their teammates. Dinner was at the Great Moon Buffet – Chinese buffet. I almost felt they were actually going to run out of food. Back to the hotel to start planning their skit and some free time, but lights out at 9pm. Morning practice only tomorrow and team picture taking day.
Welcome to the PCA Blog. I will try my best to blog about our experiences in Federal way, Washington for the 2011 Northwest Region Age Group Championships. The competition is being held at the King County Aquatic Center. Awesome indoor pool where the National Championships are held too.
Monday, March 21, 2011 (part 2 of 2)
Our adventure led us to the Pacific Science Museum by the Space Needle in downtown Seattle. We had just seen on the news the night before that the Star Wars exhibit was at the museum so we decided to check it out. Good thing there were lots of bathrooms nearby. Too bad the Millenium Falcon simulator was all sold out for the day. We spent a good 3 hours at the museum and ran out of time to check out the Space Needle. Reyna was a bit disappointed, but we did visit the needle 2 years ago.
On to Pike Place Market. Our 3rd year visiting there....saw some fish being thrown. Vendors were cleaning up so we headed over to the Crab Pot for our annual seafood feast. Dad was still feeling sick so he just ate a few pieces of corn and clams. Poor thing. Aimee was feeling better but her stomach would still get upset after eating so she didn't eat much either. Reyna and I tried our best to finish everything. It's just not the same when everyone is not enjoying the food. I can't believe Aimee still has an upset stomach.......sigh.
Our adventure led us to the Pacific Science Museum by the Space Needle in downtown Seattle. We had just seen on the news the night before that the Star Wars exhibit was at the museum so we decided to check it out. Good thing there were lots of bathrooms nearby. Too bad the Millenium Falcon simulator was all sold out for the day. We spent a good 3 hours at the museum and ran out of time to check out the Space Needle. Reyna was a bit disappointed, but we did visit the needle 2 years ago.
On to Pike Place Market. Our 3rd year visiting there....saw some fish being thrown. Vendors were cleaning up so we headed over to the Crab Pot for our annual seafood feast. Dad was still feeling sick so he just ate a few pieces of corn and clams. Poor thing. Aimee was feeling better but her stomach would still get upset after eating so she didn't eat much either. Reyna and I tried our best to finish everything. It's just not the same when everyone is not enjoying the food. I can't believe Aimee still has an upset stomach.......sigh.
Monday, March 21, 2011 (part 1 of 2)
SNOW! .......NOT! Dad now has the runs......darn. Guess we can't take that long drive up to see some snow. We wanted to ride the gondola and perhaps learn to ski or snowboard up at Crystal Mountain, but we will need to change our plans to always be near some bathrooms...........more later on our adventure.
SNOW! .......NOT! Dad now has the runs......darn. Guess we can't take that long drive up to see some snow. We wanted to ride the gondola and perhaps learn to ski or snowboard up at Crystal Mountain, but we will need to change our plans to always be near some bathrooms...........more later on our adventure.
Sunday, March 20, 2011 (part 2 of 2)
Well, competition is all done. Aimee came in 4th in 50Breast and 8th in 100IM. I wish she was in better health to show what she trained so hard for. Aimee was quite upset after the 50Breast and even more devastated after the 100IM, but what more can a body do after having to sit on the toilet about 5-6 times just after lunch and then having to go again 5 minutes before you race? I know my body would be aching and I would want to be curled up on a comfy bed and not do a thing. But Aimee showed she was a true athlete that came here to compete. I know Aimee learned a lot about herself and competing from this meet, but I sure learned a lot about this petite, very tanned swimmer all the way from Hawaii.
Aimee never let on to anyone that she was in pain. Everyday after warming up 30 minutes before her race, Aimee was bent over in pain....but every time someone she knew came by to say hi, she would pop up, smile and cordially greet her friends. At the blocks, she was the same....she never looked like someone with stomach pains and having the runs throughout the entire meet. No one knew except for some other Hawaii coaches and parents that only found out because they thought it was odd Aimee never showed up for the designated warm-up period and had asked if something was wrong. I don't know if other Hawaii swimmers have strangers coming up to them to wish them good luck, but Aimee had officials walking by that would wish her luck and even the announcer asked her if he got her name right and that he announced that she didn't come here for the weather, but that she came here to compete. She even had a mother who we had met at breakfast earlier that day come out and search for me in the stands just to tell me Aimee did great. How does one little girl from Hawaii attract so much good wishes from strangers? Aimee's name means "beloved" and I think she somehow lives up to her name.
I look forward to next year's Northwest Region Age Group Championships.....wishing every swimmer to be in good health to have great races!
Well, competition is all done. Aimee came in 4th in 50Breast and 8th in 100IM. I wish she was in better health to show what she trained so hard for. Aimee was quite upset after the 50Breast and even more devastated after the 100IM, but what more can a body do after having to sit on the toilet about 5-6 times just after lunch and then having to go again 5 minutes before you race? I know my body would be aching and I would want to be curled up on a comfy bed and not do a thing. But Aimee showed she was a true athlete that came here to compete. I know Aimee learned a lot about herself and competing from this meet, but I sure learned a lot about this petite, very tanned swimmer all the way from Hawaii.
Aimee never let on to anyone that she was in pain. Everyday after warming up 30 minutes before her race, Aimee was bent over in pain....but every time someone she knew came by to say hi, she would pop up, smile and cordially greet her friends. At the blocks, she was the same....she never looked like someone with stomach pains and having the runs throughout the entire meet. No one knew except for some other Hawaii coaches and parents that only found out because they thought it was odd Aimee never showed up for the designated warm-up period and had asked if something was wrong. I don't know if other Hawaii swimmers have strangers coming up to them to wish them good luck, but Aimee had officials walking by that would wish her luck and even the announcer asked her if he got her name right and that he announced that she didn't come here for the weather, but that she came here to compete. She even had a mother who we had met at breakfast earlier that day come out and search for me in the stands just to tell me Aimee did great. How does one little girl from Hawaii attract so much good wishes from strangers? Aimee's name means "beloved" and I think she somehow lives up to her name.
I look forward to next year's Northwest Region Age Group Championships.....wishing every swimmer to be in good health to have great races!
Sunday, March 20, 2011 (part 1 of 2)
Last day of competition is here. The days sure go by quickly when you are consumed with swimming and trying to find somewhere good to eat. Temp this morning was 36 degrees.....with a slight breeze....which makes it colder! Brrrr. Just when we thought Aimee was over her stomach bug....now how can I put this nicely on a blog....it was all liquid right after lunch. (I hope no one is eating anything while reading this blog.) More Pepto for Aimee. Not sure if she will be able to enjoy all the seafood tomorrow......
Prelims went well. Aimee is in the 50Breast and 100IM finals. Reyna gained a sec in her 100Fly. I think her nerves got the best of her....somehow the time trials were "easy" compared to the "real" races in the morning. I hope she learned from the experience and perhaps next year will be good for her. At least she got to swim this time around. Reyna goes back and forth to the locker rooms and the deck (which is downstairs from the stands) all by herself so at least the pool will be familiar to her next year and she can have more confidence.
It's nice to see Aimee talking with swimmers from the different teams. Even Reyna has girls saying hi to her.......swimmers she tells me she doesn't even know. Oh well. Hopefully these swimming friendships will last even when they are in high school and college.
Well, time for finals now.....summary of the results later tonite!
Last day of competition is here. The days sure go by quickly when you are consumed with swimming and trying to find somewhere good to eat. Temp this morning was 36 degrees.....with a slight breeze....which makes it colder! Brrrr. Just when we thought Aimee was over her stomach bug....now how can I put this nicely on a blog....it was all liquid right after lunch. (I hope no one is eating anything while reading this blog.) More Pepto for Aimee. Not sure if she will be able to enjoy all the seafood tomorrow......
Prelims went well. Aimee is in the 50Breast and 100IM finals. Reyna gained a sec in her 100Fly. I think her nerves got the best of her....somehow the time trials were "easy" compared to the "real" races in the morning. I hope she learned from the experience and perhaps next year will be good for her. At least she got to swim this time around. Reyna goes back and forth to the locker rooms and the deck (which is downstairs from the stands) all by herself so at least the pool will be familiar to her next year and she can have more confidence.
It's nice to see Aimee talking with swimmers from the different teams. Even Reyna has girls saying hi to her.......swimmers she tells me she doesn't even know. Oh well. Hopefully these swimming friendships will last even when they are in high school and college.
Well, time for finals now.....summary of the results later tonite!
Saturday, March 19, 2011 (part 2 of 2)
Note: I changed the arrangement of the blog entries so you don't need to scroll all the way down for the latest....sorry.
What an afternoon! As you can see from the picture Aimee took 2nd but what a race! Top 5 finishers were about even in the first 25 with Helen touching first at the 50, then Aimee caught up and was leading at the 100....then I couldn't help myself but start yelling....I'm sorry to those who were sitting in front of me in the stands. Aimee fell slightly behind at the last 2 turns but would catch up during the swim...unfortunately it's short course yards so she runs out of pool length quickly.....wish all of you were there to watch it. Now that was a good race!
Aimee even broke the meet record for the event...but of course Helen did too! And to a nice surprise, we found out that Aimee held the Girls 10 & Under 100 Breast meet record until yesterday when a 10 year old broke it. Oh well, at least we got to see Aimee's name on the heat sheet as record holder.
I thought Aimee's stomach problems were behind her, but apparently she said she had a sharp stabbing pain as she swam the second half of her event and she hardly ate any dinner....she spent half the time in the bathroom! We went back to Main Japanese Restaurant to see what they had for dinner.....Seafood Buffet for Saturday night! Crab legs, sashimi, 4 different soups, more sushi selection than lunch time and much, much more! I felt bad Aimee had to miss all the good food! We hope this stomach thing ends already....last day of competition is tomorrow with both girls swimming. Guess mommy will be yelling some more....sorry to everyone in the stands in front of me!
Note: I changed the arrangement of the blog entries so you don't need to scroll all the way down for the latest....sorry.
What an afternoon! As you can see from the picture Aimee took 2nd but what a race! Top 5 finishers were about even in the first 25 with Helen touching first at the 50, then Aimee caught up and was leading at the 100....then I couldn't help myself but start yelling....I'm sorry to those who were sitting in front of me in the stands. Aimee fell slightly behind at the last 2 turns but would catch up during the swim...unfortunately it's short course yards so she runs out of pool length quickly.....wish all of you were there to watch it. Now that was a good race!
Aimee even broke the meet record for the event...but of course Helen did too! And to a nice surprise, we found out that Aimee held the Girls 10 & Under 100 Breast meet record until yesterday when a 10 year old broke it. Oh well, at least we got to see Aimee's name on the heat sheet as record holder.
I thought Aimee's stomach problems were behind her, but apparently she said she had a sharp stabbing pain as she swam the second half of her event and she hardly ate any dinner....she spent half the time in the bathroom! We went back to Main Japanese Restaurant to see what they had for dinner.....Seafood Buffet for Saturday night! Crab legs, sashimi, 4 different soups, more sushi selection than lunch time and much, much more! I felt bad Aimee had to miss all the good food! We hope this stomach thing ends already....last day of competition is tomorrow with both girls swimming. Guess mommy will be yelling some more....sorry to everyone in the stands in front of me!
Saturday, March 19, 2011 (part 1 of 2)
Herbie! Yes, it was No. 53 in the parking lot! I just had to take a picture....
This morning was cold! 34 degrees! There was fog everywhere. Everyone had better sleep, but Aimee still had a bit of the stomach bug. Breakfast was not good for her. She skipped warm-up time again but swam her 200Breast pretty good....cut 2 sec. Now 200IM was another story. She refused to eat anything between her events and that probably was not good. At least we have one final to go to this afternoon.
Reyna swam 50Breast during Time Trials and cut almost 2sec. Good job! Reyna's 100Fly event is tomorrow....finally.
Temperature around lunch time was nice! Must have been in the high 50's with sunshine. Blue skies and sun always remind me of home and it feels good......off to finals now....
Herbie! Yes, it was No. 53 in the parking lot! I just had to take a picture....
This morning was cold! 34 degrees! There was fog everywhere. Everyone had better sleep, but Aimee still had a bit of the stomach bug. Breakfast was not good for her. She skipped warm-up time again but swam her 200Breast pretty good....cut 2 sec. Now 200IM was another story. She refused to eat anything between her events and that probably was not good. At least we have one final to go to this afternoon.
Reyna swam 50Breast during Time Trials and cut almost 2sec. Good job! Reyna's 100Fly event is tomorrow....finally.
Temperature around lunch time was nice! Must have been in the high 50's with sunshine. Blue skies and sun always remind me of home and it feels good......off to finals now....
Friday, March 18, 2011
We didn't get much sleep last night. Aimee was up all night with an upset stomach. Her ability to burp on que came in handy but she had to let it all out at one point. "Better out than in" according to Shrek. Had to run out at 3AM to the store to buy some Tums and Pepto.....sigh. At least now we know which store is open 24hrs. We had to alter our plans for the morning since Aimee's stomach pains were coming and going all morning. She was even considering scratching her best event all the way up to the event before. Glad the officials decided to let swimmers just NS because we let the Meet Referee know Aimee was going to scratch but was told just do a NS and as the prelim results show, she swam okay even with stomach pains. Now that's preseverence! Hang in there Aimee!
Reyna is swimming 50Free during time trials in between prelims and finals. More later.
Reyna cut a sec off her 50Free! Good swim!
Aimee tried to eat crackers and chicken noodle soup for lunch all the while fighting stomach pains that were coming and going. By 6PM she was feeling a little better and it was her turn to swim her 100Breast Finals. Well, as the results show, she took 3rd. She swam just about her seed time entering this meet so that was good. Race was for second place and Aimee was out touched. Shucks. She was so sad she had gotten sick so I had to keep reminding her that there will be many more races in the future.
Dinner was take out from Vince's Italian Restuarant.....can't go back to Olive Garden after Thursday's dinner disappointment. The pizza was better than the spaghetti. Hopefully we will all have a better sleep tonite......
We didn't get much sleep last night. Aimee was up all night with an upset stomach. Her ability to burp on que came in handy but she had to let it all out at one point. "Better out than in" according to Shrek. Had to run out at 3AM to the store to buy some Tums and Pepto.....sigh. At least now we know which store is open 24hrs. We had to alter our plans for the morning since Aimee's stomach pains were coming and going all morning. She was even considering scratching her best event all the way up to the event before. Glad the officials decided to let swimmers just NS because we let the Meet Referee know Aimee was going to scratch but was told just do a NS and as the prelim results show, she swam okay even with stomach pains. Now that's preseverence! Hang in there Aimee!
Reyna is swimming 50Free during time trials in between prelims and finals. More later.
Reyna cut a sec off her 50Free! Good swim!
Aimee tried to eat crackers and chicken noodle soup for lunch all the while fighting stomach pains that were coming and going. By 6PM she was feeling a little better and it was her turn to swim her 100Breast Finals. Well, as the results show, she took 3rd. She swam just about her seed time entering this meet so that was good. Race was for second place and Aimee was out touched. Shucks. She was so sad she had gotten sick so I had to keep reminding her that there will be many more races in the future.
Dinner was take out from Vince's Italian Restuarant.....can't go back to Olive Garden after Thursday's dinner disappointment. The pizza was better than the spaghetti. Hopefully we will all have a better sleep tonite......
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Happy St. Patrick's Day! We received St. Patrick's Day stickers at Trader Joe's.....I guess we were not wearing enough green today!
Breakfast was at IHOP. It was packed this morning! Surprising for a weekday. Temperature today was around mid 50's with a bit of rain. We hit the pool for an hour swim mid-day. The pool was busy with many swimmers from Hawaii. Thank you Coach Ken for the workout e-mail.
Lunch was at the Main Japanese Buffet.....don't let the name fool you. It was mostly Chinese food. Except for a selection of sushi and make your own udon, it was General Tsao's chicken that took over the buffet! Not bad for $8.99 per person. (My opinion: I miss Tsukiji in Ala Moana.)
After visiting The Commons at Federal Way (indoor shopping mall), we had dinner at Olive Garden. Now I know many people from Hawaii are tempted by those commercials on TV to eat at Olive Garden and the past two years have been pretty good. Take-out has been really good.....there seems to be more food when we take-out. Well, sorry to say, I was quite disappointed today. The amount was a slight problem...for the price. Spaghetti noodles were overcooked....not al dente. Definitely not worthy of the Olive Garden name. Then there was my dish....Seafood Portofino. The menu indicated mussels, shrimp, scallops and mushrooms. I was shocked to see mussels that were only an inch in size, scallops that were no bigger than the tip of my thumb, shrimp only a bit bigger than bay shrimp....or maybe they were big bay shrimp and mushrooms that were cut in bits! Bravo's Sauteed Scallops dish is much better than this!
First day of competition is tomorrow.....the 100 Breaststroke is Aimee's only event. Let's keep our fingers crossed!
Happy St. Patrick's Day! We received St. Patrick's Day stickers at Trader Joe's.....I guess we were not wearing enough green today!
Breakfast was at IHOP. It was packed this morning! Surprising for a weekday. Temperature today was around mid 50's with a bit of rain. We hit the pool for an hour swim mid-day. The pool was busy with many swimmers from Hawaii. Thank you Coach Ken for the workout e-mail.
Lunch was at the Main Japanese Buffet.....don't let the name fool you. It was mostly Chinese food. Except for a selection of sushi and make your own udon, it was General Tsao's chicken that took over the buffet! Not bad for $8.99 per person. (My opinion: I miss Tsukiji in Ala Moana.)
After visiting The Commons at Federal Way (indoor shopping mall), we had dinner at Olive Garden. Now I know many people from Hawaii are tempted by those commercials on TV to eat at Olive Garden and the past two years have been pretty good. Take-out has been really good.....there seems to be more food when we take-out. Well, sorry to say, I was quite disappointed today. The amount was a slight problem...for the price. Spaghetti noodles were overcooked....not al dente. Definitely not worthy of the Olive Garden name. Then there was my dish....Seafood Portofino. The menu indicated mussels, shrimp, scallops and mushrooms. I was shocked to see mussels that were only an inch in size, scallops that were no bigger than the tip of my thumb, shrimp only a bit bigger than bay shrimp....or maybe they were big bay shrimp and mushrooms that were cut in bits! Bravo's Sauteed Scallops dish is much better than this!
First day of competition is tomorrow.....the 100 Breaststroke is Aimee's only event. Let's keep our fingers crossed!