The benefit of sport...

Saturday I took off on a run with the kids on their bikes (Cam on a 24" 7speed and Annika on a 20" SS [bless her heart])...they just recently got to the point that they could ride the neighborhood hills and enjoy the fire road sections on a 45 to 60 minute run. Saturday Cam wanted to try a "really big" hill that we usually skip, so we went for it. As Annika slows on the bigger climbs I usually give her a little help with my hand on her back, and Cam on my left when he starts to struggle. Now this hill was a tough one, and Cam was cranking up it and didn't ask for help until we were almost topped out, once at the top he spun out...recovered and we just kept on trucking. Sunday, we do the same route and head up the same "really big" hill...

As the hill starts to kick Cam shifts down and starts after the hill, I look to Annika to give her help and there she is, out of the saddle cranking away, "don't need help Daddy!!" Now if you have seen good single speeders, there is a certain look they have while climbing out of the saddle, Annika has it down already!!

Eventually, Annika needs a bit of help, but Cam gasps, "don't EVEN help me Daddy!" He tops out about 10 meters in front of me, takes a deep breath and 'click' 'click' up shifts and tears off to catch Marja who had run a head....of course as Cam 'clicks' up, Annika stands up out of the saddle and is gone after him. Then there is me, struggling to catch up gasping for air....

Eventually I catch up and we make our way up and down through the neighborhoods and finally hit the dirt (a cut made for a new development that stalled back with the housing bust). Cam takes off and drops all three of us, crests the climb and descends across a meadow to the next neighborhood. Annika, on the climb, stands and cranks up it beautifully....talking to me the whole time, actually arguing with me over what I had called out to Cam who was way out in front of us....i.e. she wasn't breathing hard.

We wind our way back to Cam's school where there is a dirt climb, over a metal culvert, and on up to the top. Last time Cam spun his wheel and fell on the culvert and this time he spins toward it, cuts left through the little ditch and avoids the culvert all together and climbs to the top, makes a hard left and descends to the field behind my house with Annika close behind his wheel. Here they split, Cam takes a left, weaves down a dirt trail, around some bleachers at the baseball field and spins all the way across this gofer infested field. Annika, takes a right, rides along the school drops down a gravel descent to the empty lot and drops off a little dip onto the Tumble Time parking lot.... Marja and I walk our sorry butts across the middle of the field minimizing how far we had to walk.

Here is what I am getting at...sport builds character, it build confidence. Sure both the kids were out there riding their bikes and not giving up with me there....whats more important to me, is both of them are so much more confident in social situations, with friends, in school, etc. Cam has been slowly coming out of his shell, but since playing indoor soccer consistently the past few months he has become much more confident.

Annika, she has always been super shy and had a hard time "warming up" to new situations and people. Since she started on her Gymnastics team and especially since she has had her first meet, she is a different girl altogether. How anyone can argue against the pluses of sport is beyond me. Now I will be the first to admit age is a factor too, but the dramatic changes I have seen are totally amazing!

So now that I have bragged about the munchkins, I sit here taking a brake from work itching to get on the bike. Tonight I am heading east with Dave and Lou from work, looping around Lake Natoma and then heading back down to Marja's house...about 50 miles plus or minus on the CX. Tomorrow will be around 40 miles on the river trails, then Wednesday I have to go punish myself on my birthday. I am looking at a 36 mile loop at the red line....a little race pace romp! Then its Moroccan food!!! Thursday will be a run, Friday a 35 mile fun CX ride with Marja and Scott, Saturday is Mar's MTB Duathlon, Sunday the TBF MTB Race.

Saturday will go something like this:

1. Marja is near puking due to nerves
2. Marja will feel horrible warming up, have a hard time breathing
3. She will get on her MTB somewhere in the top 5 women (12 mile mtb after a 2 mile run)
4. She will come thru on her first lap in second
5. She will start her final 2 mile run in position #1

That's my prediction! I think it will be pretty close, I will keep you posted!!

Sunday is the first MTB race of the season, 21 miles, relatively flat (34x16). We shall see where my fitness is. I have been told all you have to do is get on this guy's wheel, Scott Clark's wheel that is, and its all good!! Its time to start ramping up for great racing season!