Living The Beach Life

Mini-vacation!  Last weekend I had the opportunity to head down to LA for NCAA Championships and it turned out to be a great time overall.  I woke up at 3:25am Friday morning (so gross), was at Alex's house by 4am, and on highway 101 not long after that.  For it being so early in the morning, we were pretty energetic.  We played music and kept the mood up as the sun rose and found ourselves a few hours into the trip before we stopped at Denny's for breakfast.  I was a little stressed about making it to the competition on time so I rushed it a little, but it at least gave us a chance to get out of the car and stretch our legs.  Alex drove the rest of the way to Woodward West where I dropped him off for a fun-filled weekend of coaching kids and then quickly continued on my way.  I made it to the UCLA campus with about 45 minutes to spare...perfect timing!

Stanford had a really rough showing in their prelim session and it was a little difficult to watch.  Their season ended on a somewhat somber note and all we can hope for at this point is that they'll take what they learned from the experience and use it as fuel/apply it next year.  After the meet the alumnae that were there went back to the hotel, changed, and went out to a sushi dinner.  Funny thing about the hotel was that the original one we were booked to stay in actually didn't have room for us so they sent us to another one and paid for it all!  We lucked out with a really great, free room right on the beach...how awesome!  After dinner and a little bit of shopping I went back and crashed (such a long day for me) while some of the others stayed up talking at the bar.

The next morning we all got up, rented bikes from the hotel (again, free!), and rode along the beach.  It was great to cruise along the boardwalk and I felt very Southern California  :)  We ate breakfast at a little beach shack, played around at Muscle Beach, and stopped off at the boardwalk on the pier.  Afterwards we returned the bikes and went down to the water.  We saw dolphins, threw the football, and just enjoyed the sun and the company.

After showering we went back to UCLA to watch Super 6.  Even though Stanford wasn't in the competition, it was still a great meet to watch.  There was so much good quality gymnastics going on all at once and we were actually able to watch history being made; Florida finally broke in and became the 5th team to win the title.  It's been four teams for so long now, but hopefully the door has been opened and more teams will be able to challenge for the top spot.  After the meet was over we drove through Westwood and over to dinner at the Shapiro's house.  Their daughter, Sami, is a former national team member and current sophomore on the Stanford team and they live about 20 minutes from the UCLA campus.  They had a great setup going on and were very welcoming to all the team members, coaches, alumnae, parents, and fans that were present.  It was nice to spend some time with Kristen, Swiz, Tabby, and Allan and get there take on everything.  After getting our fill of amazing food and yummy desserts, those of us at the beach hotel went back with the intention of going out together but we ended up staying in the room just talking about anything and everything.  The weekend served as a great reminder of why I love the SWG program and of the fact that we really were and always will be a family first and foremost.

Sunday morning we walked to brunch but I had to take mine to-go so that I could get on the road in a timely manner.  I made my way back up to Tehachapi, picked up an exhausted and starving Alex off the side of the road, and continued up along I-5 for what felt like an eternity before arriving back in Menlo Park.  All the driving was definitely worth it for the experience and good times we had.  I'm looking forward to other SWG reunions coming up and also can't wait (on another note) to take my last trip this weekend and end the optional season in style!  I leave for Las Vegas Saturday morning, have four sessions to complete, and then I'll finally be reminded of what it's like to spend a weekend at home!!  There is so much to look forward to upon the conclusion of this competition and as summer approaches, woohoo!  Let the good times roll...I'm ready!

Phoenix Sun

The level 8 season has come to an end...and rather successfully I might add.  Last weekend I made my first solo journey as a Twisters optional coach and took our three girls to the Regional championships.  I wasn't stoked about flying alone but the trip was quick and painless.  I knew I was going to be rushed when I landed due to the flight choice we made, but the new monorail/light-rail system the city has going made it easy for me to find my way to the hotel.  Luckily the meet site was within walking distance so I quickly checked in and changed before making my way over to the first session of the weekend.  I didn't have the chance until that point to realize just how hot it was outside and I arrived indoors sweating much more than I had anticipated.

The arena had four sets of equipment set up and was divided into two gyms.  Flight A and B would run separately on both sides, one side designated for the 9/10 competition and the other side for the 8's.  The first session I had was with Cecilia who has clean lines and pretty gymnastics that was highly rewarded.  One of the coaches from UCLA who happened to be in our rotation with his club gym came up to us and said that her bar routine was like art...it was just that pretty.  It was really nice to hear that and she continued on event after event with her game face.  She ended up 2nd on floor and in the all-around for her efforts and I was ecstatic.

After the competition I went to the Hyatt where Annie was waiting with Eli and Debbie; they weren't in the same session I was so they had the chance to go to dinner together.  I was exhausted from the day so I came in and slouched on the couch while we chatted and then Annie and I went to get some food.  We ended up across the street at Hooters and while the food was good I was a little taken aback by the waitresses and both Annie and I remarked that we weren't qualified to work there, haha.  After dinner we found ourselves at the bar of our hotel with pretty much every other coach in Region 1.  It was a nice chance for me to get to know some of them a bit better and while I love traveling with Allan and Ericka it gave me the opportunity to go at it on my own and really talk to a lot of them.  I walked away feeling more a part of the club and was ready to tackle my 8am session the next morning.

Unfortunately, that session didn't really go as planned and the highlight of the day was actually meeting Annie for lunch and spending time with her by the pool before she had to go for her 4pm session.  I went with her and watched the level 9's on the opposite side, gathering ideas for my own kids who will be trying to move up next season.  Once again the two of us had dinner and we called it a night a little earlier this time because we were both so tired.

Sunday morning (felt like Groundhog Day at this point) came and this time the result was much better.  Avery was up and I have to say that I really enjoy working with this kid.  We just have a connection I can't explain and she was so cute when she expressed how grateful she was for everything I'd done for her this year.  She ended up 4th on vault, 3rd on floor, and 6th all-around.  For having a goal of being in the top 10, I'd say that was a success!  I walked away happy and sad at the same time...sad because I had to say good-bye to Annie and head to the airport.  I was so exhausted when I got there that I fell asleep at the gate and almost missed my flight, but luckily I woke up just in time and made it home safely.  Alex greeted me at SJC as did cold weather and a lot of wind.

This weekend it's a road trip down to LA to watch NCAA's, then lastly it will be to Vegas for level 7 Regionals.  I can't wait to wrap up this season; while I'm proud of everything we've accomplished, back-to-back compulsory and optional seasons have taken their toll on me.  I'm ready for some R&R before other big life events take place (Stanford graduation, my friend James coming to visit...).  This summer is shaping up to be a good one and I can't wait to get it started!!

April Showers

They say that April showers bring May flowers but to me it seems like April just brings allergies.  I can't remember the last time I suffered so badly from them, but there must be something in the air this year because it's hit me hard.  I'm feeling better now but for awhile I was down for the count.  I don't think all the traveling for work has done anything good for it either as my body is just so tired, but only one more month until season is over.

Speaking of, this last weekend was spent in Lemoore, CA and let me tell you...it was an adventure.  Allan, Ericka, and I drove from the Bay Area together and after over three hours we arrived in a very desolate looking place.  The theme of the weekend was "Keepin' It Classy" and we started off strong walking up to our hotel...the Travelodge.  It was pretty terrible, including a blood stain on the chair in Allan's room.  Both rooms had a certain smell to them so we spent a little time just hanging out with the door open to try and get some airflow.

After a quick nap (trying not to touch any of the sheets on the bed) we got up for dinner, which was actually quite good.  We went to check out the competition site before heading to bed, as we had an early morning session to get to.  8am the next day and we were back, ready to kick-off level 7 State with Monica and Lily.  Both of them, as well as Izzy in the following session, really had the meet of their lives and there isn't anything more we could have asked for them.  Their performances alone beat the final team score we had last year and left us in second place behind Airborne by only 0.05!  If you aren't that familiar with NorCal gymnastics, that's a true feat.  We coaches left on a high and went to celebrate.

It was like Groundhog Day because the next morning we were in the exact same position.  8am came around and back at the meet site, this time with our top all-arounder this year.  We were looking for her to come up big, but unfortunately she was nervous and had a fall on bars.  We didn't end up counting her for our team score which hurt us a bit.  Our last session of the day got us back on track and left us in a pretty good mood about the overall performance.  There were teams out there that were definitely better than us but in all of NorCal we ranked pretty close to the top which is something to be proud of.  All of our girls qualified to Regionals and we even placed one on the State Team; off to Vegas it is!

This week is already flying by and I can't believe I'm headed to Phoenix on Friday.  I'm super pumped to see Annie there with her girls and can't wait for our level 8 team to wrap up their season.  In a turn of events I'm the only coach going to the meet but I'm still looking forward to it.  After that it's down to LA to watch SWG at NCAA's (they qualified last weekend) and then finally to Vegas before some well-deserved rest time.  Final push...here's to a fun and successful finish!

Passover: 2013 Edition

Carter Family Passover 2013 is in the books and I will be the first to say that it was a huge success.  Yesterday morning I went to work bright and early for Athlete Warrior before practice started at 9am.  I helped out with the optionals until 11am and then went home for a run, shower, and to change.  By 1pm I was ready to head out the door to meet Alex at the Ford Center.  Once I picked him up we stopped in Town & Country for lunch and then were finally on our way.  The drive was very easy and even though we went a round-about way (I-5...not the prettiest highway) we arrived a bit after 4pm.  This was great timing in my mom's eyes because she had tasks for us to do before the other guests arrived.  First we needed to get the tables assembled and then set them with some of my Nana's dishes.  Alex took some time to try to figure out how to fold the napkins into the shape of the Star of David; it was a valiant effort but unfortunately didn't work.  However he was successful in doing so with the $20 bill my mom had ready for the person who would eventually find the Afikomen.

The guests, including neighbors and other family friends, came pretty timely and my mom led us all through a new version of the seder.  Everyone was very interactive as the story of Passover was told and because my brother wasn't able to make it Alex had the honor of being the one to ask the all-important Four Questions (as he was the youngest boy).  Many glasses of wine were consumed and finally dinner was served.  The menu included beef brisket (my favorite!!), chicken, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, kugel (made especially for me my mom said), and a variety of condiments.  Many people were up and down for seconds and the table was lively with conversation the entire time.  Eventually we settled down again to consume the last glass of wine and finish off the ceremony in style.

After some of the dishes were done and dessert was served Alex and I made our exit because we still had the drive back in front of us.  My parents were thrilled that we could both make it this year and told us so multiple times.  It's nice to feel so loved!  The drive home was very interesting as a storm passed through on our way, heavy rain and lightening like we'd hardly ever seen before included.  Alex drove until we got to the Bay Bridge and then as we were waiting to get through the toll pass he decided he didn't want to go the distance so we did a Chinese fire-drill (where I got out of and ran around the car while Alex climbed over the seat to the passenger side) which was highly entertaining.  I drove the rest of the way and we were home by 11:15pm.

Today is Easter and I spent the entire day being lazy...as in I haven't even left the house and I even managed to get in a nap.  I'm still trying to fend off this sickness that's been hanging around for a couple of weeks or more.  With a very busy April coming up this is my last chance to really relax until the competitive season is over.  Coupled with the fact that classes start tomorrow and that now I'm teaching two sections instead of just one and my calendar is filling quickly!!

March Madness

Only two entries so far this month!?  Wow, I'm seriously slacking, for it isn't due to lack of things going on.  I've been sick recently and so I'll use that as my excuse.  Coupled with laziness and there you have it.

Since T's birthday and my trip to Malibu I tied up my first quarter as a Stanford professor (I use that term loosely because it makes me feel powerful, haha).  On the last day I gave my students their final exam where they had to perform the skill they were most proud of learning in the span of 10 weeks.  We had lots of front flips and handstands going around and it was fun to see how excited they still were about it all.  Next quarter I'll be teaching the same class again as well as the intermediate level; and for my efforts I get to continue my tennis lessons and other fitness classes.  It's definitely a great trade-off!

Our level 7's had a final regular-season competition in Novato on St. Patrick's Day.  It was pretty easy drive and because it was only one session it went quickly.  We were up against some stiff competition in CGA and we came in second.  Not terrible, but there is some cleaning up to do before State comes along in a couple of weeks.  We thought they really fought for the things that were off but it's all in the details from here on out.  When I got home from the meet Megan and I celebrated with pizza...always a favorite...and then I crashed.  I often forget how tired I am after meets...even one session of that type of emotional roller-coaster gets to me.

The next week of training was prep for the level 8 team because they had their state competition yesterday.  Held in Livermore, we had one kid in the 8am session and two in the 5pm session.  We decided to train through this competition in the hopes that the girls would make a good showing but not yet reach their peak given that they were trying to find their way to Regionals.  None of them had a problem with that, easily getting the required qualification score, but there were some hiccups along the way.  However, there were also some stand-out performances including my very first optional state vault champion!!  This girl, Avery, was in the morning session and her pike tsuk was good enough to earn a 9.425.  The score held throughout the second half of the meet and really I think I was more excited than she was.  Even better was that at the end of the day when the team scores were released I found out that as a team we ranked the highest on vault out of all four events.  Woohoo!!  Maybe I'm doing something right after all.

Sprinkled in to all these meets were other fun events, like Alex (finally) finishing up his Stanford degree!!  I give him a hard time because it's been almost 6 years now but of course he took the year off last year to train which requires such dedication that I feel bad about kidding with him.  His last Stanford final was on Friday and proved to be rather difficult, fitting of course given that we had more than our share of struggles along the way.  We went out to celebrate later that night and I had a fun time talking with everyone that came to Nola's for drinks.  Also in there was the Pac-12 gymnastics competition on Saturday night.  Carly and I drove up to see T's new digs (she's living in a "treehouse") before going into Berkeley to watch the competition.  T had called a few places and found one that was willing to show the meet, though upon our arrival the place was jam-packed given that Cal was playing in March Madness.  At first it looked like we weren't going to be able to watch it but the guy felt badly about the situation so set us up in his office at the back of the bar.  It was really great of him to do so though we were laughing at the whole situation.  Stanford could have performed better but hopefully what they lacked this weekend will fire them up for the upcoming regional meet.  They got seeded today and will be heading back to Oklahoma to vie for a spot at the NCAA Championships.

This weekend there's no competition but I'm going home for Carter Family Passover.  After that we have level 7 state (Leemore, CA), level 8 regionals (Phoenix, AZ), and this new thing USAG is doing...level 7 regionals (Las Vegas, NV).  Lots of traveling but it will all be over at the end of April which I know will come up all too quickly.

Meet In Malibu

Another weekend of adventure in the books.  Actually, a lot happened even before I left Friday afternoon:  I first found out that my friend from Wales, James, got his Canadian work visa approved and will be out this way for a year starting in a couple of months.  I'm really excited to see him as he's one of the few people from Australia I really connected with and still talk to.  Then on Friday morning the second baby for the Guth family and Alex's newest niece, Gabriella Christine, was born.  We were playing tennis when the news came and I was surprised it was a girl because I thought for sure it would be a boy this time.  I was the closest in the guessing game with the weight, only being 4oz off.  Then, yes there's still more, I got a text from Alex regarding the program in Germany he applied for...he got in!!  It's super exciting because I know how much he wanted it and how hard he worked for it.  He'll be gone for an entire year starting around the end of July and it's going to be like me leaving for Australia all over again but I'm reminding myself that it's an amazing opportunity and life event so I'm happy for him.  And it gives me an excuse to make a trip to Europe  :D

Megan was home and offered to take me to the airport which was nice because I was planning on taking the train again which isn't the most convenient way to go.  Once my co-workers and I made it through security and to the gate, we sat down and thought we were good to go until they made a "last call" announcement for our flight.  We looked around, realized there was no one else waiting, and jumped up and onto the plane.  Apparently United Airlines likes to start the boarding process much earlier than other airlines and even though we still had plenty of time before the plane was going to leave, they had gotten everyone else on board already.  It was a wake-up call and an interesting way to start the journey, but it all worked out.

We got to LAX, had some interesting times getting the rental car, and drove to Thousand Oaks where our hotel and the meet were.  We had some down time before the Friday evening session but soon found ourselves there and ready to work.  Xcel was competing and the Silver team came in second while the Gold team won!  I was just there to help Loren and Michaela because I don't coach those girls on an everyday basis; I was worried about getting in the way but we worked well together and it was pretty smooth sailing throughout.  It was late by the time we finished and we were tired from the long day so we ate dinner and went back to the hotel.  Michaela and I stayed up for awhile talking before we went to sleep, only to get up early yesterday to make it to the morning level 7 session by 7:45am.  Two optional team sessions later and we were finished, packed up, and headed back to the airport.  The optionals could have done a better job as a team but there were some highlights in there, including an all-around champion and a silver medalist.  There were some event champions sprinkled throughout as well but I think most importantly there were lessons learned for all of the girls that they can take with them into the post-season.  It was a fun opportunity for me because I was the only optional coach there for them...my first solo ride!

We almost missed our flight back to SFO because of the LA traffic but managed to once again run on before the plane took off.  T came to pick us up and to top off the weekend she got pulled over on the way home for a headlight that was out.  The police officer was nice and were just laughing at the situation, but I really also wanted to get home and get to bed because I was just exhausted.  I'm always surprised at how much competitions take out of me and I know it won't get any easier as time goes on.

Today we're celebrating T's 25th birthday (which is officially tomorrow) and enjoying the nice weather the Bay Area has graced us with.  Hooray for sunshine and relaxation, much needed as the days and weeks are only going to get crazier for the next month and a half or so.

Mrs. Shelley Jo Whalen

Another one of my former SWG teammates is off and married!  Following in the footsteps of Aimee ('08) and Nikki ('09), Shelley was married to fellow Stanford alum Ryan Whalen.  The ceremony was held in Shelley's hometown of Seguin, TX and then the reception was in San Antonio.  Carly, Tenaya, and I all managed to get on the same flight out of San Francisco and flew to Austin because it was much cheaper than somewhere closer.  We got a rental car (my first time driving one) and drove the 90 minutes to our destination.  We actually picked up an extra passenger at the airport, a Stanford kicker and fellow wedding invitee from the football team who didn't really think things through and needed a ride down south.  We jammed to some good music as we tried to stay awake and when we finally made it we just crashed in our beds.

Saturday morning CJ and I got up and walked around a bit to see the cool things San Antonio had to offer.  We got to see The Alamo which was actually a little underwhelming but we learned a lot about the history along the way which was cool.  T and I later took a run down the same way and it was nice to just be outside and explore.  Afterwards we all got ready for the wedding, the '10's piled in our rental car, and we drove the hour to the ceremony.  It was all beautifully done, short and sweet.  We stayed around to shoot some pictures but then it was back in the car to Sunset Station for the reception.  The place had meaning to the couple and it was a very grand and regal setting (definitely Texas-style).  The food and drink were good, the dancing and band were great, the bride was beautiful, and the couple looked happy.  Around 11pm they drove off and people began to pack things in, though some members of the SWG clan decided to head downtown to continue the festivities.

Yesterday we got up leisurely, got breakfast, and made our way back to Austin; we figured we would explore there since we had already done San Antonio the day before.  It was crazy for me to drive up and realize how familiar it all was since I had been there not too long ago for my Gymnastike interview.  There was a certain sense of comfort walking around even though I hadn't spent too much time there and it was fun to share that with CJ and T.  We finally got back to the airport, returned the rental car, and made it home (not without a delay in Long Beach though).  We're all ready for the next wedding and are placing bets on who the lucky couple will be.  Whoever it is, we're all geared up for a good time so it's bound to be fun!!