Athletics

The girls are busy as ever with all their athletic activities.  Sofia started with a new swim team at the beginning of April.  The team is awesome.  The coaches are fantastic.  They work the kids hard and expect the kids to give full effort.  The coaches are engaged with the kids and truly want the kids to improve.  Sofia has had more coaching in the last month than she has had in the last year and a half.  Her new team incorporates dry land training along with the swim training.  Some days it is shoulder work, push ups, squats, lunges and some days it is a mile and a half run before getting int he pool to swim for an hour.  The kids in the program are very nice and Sofia is already friends with her team mates.  She has her first swim meet with this team on Friday night.  It will be her first 50 meter race in a 50 meter pool.  She is scheduled for a 50 freestyle, 50 breast and a 100 back.  Unfortunately I can't be there for the meet but Jason will be so I will let you know how she does.

Sofia also started Softball at the beginning of April.  Her coach is impressed with her arm.  She told me she has one of the best arms on the team which is surprising since this is her first year playing softball.  The problem with softball from a spectator view is that it is painful to watch as ground balls roll past the kids.  Unlike soccer you can't fudge your way through beginner softball.  If you miss a grounder or don't catch a pass it is glaringly obvious.  I will say though that the kids have already started to improve from the beginning of the season.  Jason is working with Sofia in the back yard on her hitting since she either checks her swing into this wimpy swing or she goes big and lets the bat fly out of her hands.  She needs to learn the art of big strong swing with an easy drop of the bat.

The girls school also has a program called "The Marathon Fitness Challenge" in which the kids get a shirt of they rund 13.1 in 8 weeks and a medal if they complete a full 26.2 distance.  Sofia did the 13.1 last year and it was a struggle.  This year I told the girls I would find the time in the schedule to run with them but that I was not going to fight them over it.  For the most part they have been doing great.  We have been running 2.3 miles after school on Tuesdays and then getting in another 1.5 miles during the week.  For Sofia that is usually at swim practice so that leaves the weekend for Ali to run with me.  The girl
s are on track to meet their goal.  They have also signed up for a 2 mile race on memorial day weekend.  They had the option to complete a 1/2 mile, 1 mile or 2 mile race and they opted for the two miler.  The two mile race is no parents allowed to run with the kids so it will be their first solo run.  They have agreed on their own to run together and to encourage each other if the other one tires during the race.

The two mile race is in Vermont on the same weekend Jason is running his first marathon.  The girls are excited to be involved in the marathon weekend activities.  Jason has been training and is now on his taper so things are winding down.  Hopefully the race goes well for him as we is currently struggling with a tight calf and a rotator cuff tendinitis.  (Sucks to be getting old!)  I assume he will beat my time so I joke with him that in order to make all things equal he has to run faster than my time to really beat me as he is a guy.  We have a debate going about weather the difference should be the boston marathon qaulifying time difference or the difference between the elite male/female winners.  It is all in good fun though and I'm sure he will do great!