CYAC weekend

     It was a big weekend in Rock Hill, SC for the CYAC swim team from Charlottesville.  To say they won the Regional YMCA meet is an understatement, they handled it in dominating fashion.  Their point total was 3600 with 2nd place being 2600.  Their were 33 teams participating from 5 different states.  These kids work very hard day in and day out and deserve all the credit in the world.  B had a fabulous meet and took home 3-1st place, 4-2nd place, and 2-3rd place medals in individual events and 2-1st places in relays.  He was all kinds of jacked up (along with his mother).  Wish I could have been there, but work duties superseded.  B and P do great at swimming, but I am quick to tell them to make sure they thank the one that has blessed them with these talents.  

     We literally have been in the swimming world for less than 9 months.  I have not figured out yet if CYAC is just that great of a team or whether the entire swimming world is like this (I think its the former).  My kids have learned a lot about how to support someone else when they need it, and all the parents of other kids genuinely want your kids to do well.  It certainly brings back memories of T-ball for me, when I can remember parents cussing at their kids from the stands and yelling at the coaches (what a stark difference).  Swim team has been a wonderful atmosphere for kids to learn what it means to be a team player. B & P's coach spends time each week teaching them, not only swimming, but values that they can use in life.  What swimming coach does that?  B's teammates did awesome as well and all the boys are always yelling for each other.  Its exciting to have your kid find something they truly love and want to do more of it to get better.  It is a great outlet for their energy and has taught them to manage their time.

     As far as weeks 16-18 of marathon training go, the runs are all short from here on out.  Taper mode will last the last weeks til the race. There are mostly 5 mile runs with an 8 and a 12 sprinkled in to maintain some semblance of a long run.  These longer runs will make sure the long twitch fibers are still firing efficiently.