carry on

It hasn't felt the same.  Meet Season 2020: Soft Landing, RMI... Beach is only competing in one event. 

It's like a rock concert raging in the night has been turned turn to a gentle hum inside an elevator. 

The stress of how she is doing every day has been our main event.  

Practice has been the proving ground.  We bounce between the chiropractor and PT.  

Beach balances her workload at the gym hour by hour, day by day. Meets have become some strange pageant she's not really participating in. 

And yet the final numbers at PT were good. She is stronger and more flexible. Armed with exercises to keep her back and core strong and healthy. She was released to carry on, encouraged to fight. She is winning back one event at a time. Climbing back up the skills ladder.

Not only is she adding skills but doing it while getting her pain under control. 

No, it's not the same when you have an injured athlete.  You watch the clock working against you. The game isn't much fun.  The lessons are longer.  The work slow.  The progress never fast enough.

I am finding as we enter Travel Season it is the same.  It starts with lists of things to buy and do. House sitters, weather patterns, car snacks, Leo's... the same.  The same questions and even the same excitement. 

I hate the moments before the unknown.  The tight smiles and nervous legs. The long walk to the venues.  The first looks, the last looks, the goodbyes and good lucks.

I don't know if her watered-down vault can get her a number she would be proud of.  I know for me, seeing the last 2 scores made my heart sink. I was so sad for her.  Never disappointed but yeah, honestly sad.  It's hard to watch.

She competed a pike in the last 2 Meets (9.7 start value) both scored well below at 9.0.  Rumor is she might attempt a layout at Lady Luck. 

Each day she gets stronger.  Each day she makes gains. Little by little the Beach I know is returning. 

Snow is in the forecast for the first half of the drive. We plan to drive through it in the thinnest forecasted window we can find.  After that, well, who knows but I find myself brave enough to hope for sunny skies. 

To All the Little Giants of GTC,

Good Luck at Lady Luck! 

See you in Vegas!!!

Meet Season 2020

I don't know what to say about it.  We are 2 Meets in.  Soft Landing back in December and The Rocky Mountain Invitational (RMI host gym GTC) have both come and gone.  

Beach was able to Vault at both. PreSeason I had laughed at the thought that she would be vaulting again by either! She always amazes me <3 

Not her fancy twisting vault but we are hoping to see it return soon. 

She is working towards adding Floor next. She has her tumbling passes on the rod floor which I would say is little over half-way there.

Ahead of us this season is Lady Luck in Las Vegas, Metroplex in Texas, Pike's Peak, Colorado, Winter Classic Park City, Utah, some Meet deep in California, and then State. 

Beach has always been able to do what she needs to do when she needs to do it. 

She's in the gym every day working hard, conditioning, adding back skills, 2 steps forward, and 1 step back at a time. 

She is making her way.  We are going forward.  Meet Season 2020 is on! 

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup light brown sugar packed
1 cup white sugar
½ cup butter, at room temperature
½ cup greek plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon 
2 and 1/2 cups oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup white flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup soybean flour
¼ cup coconut flour
2 cups. milk chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar, white sugar, yogurt, and butter until creamy. The mixture should look like peanut butter.
Add the eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine oats, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, flour, and chocolate chips. Whisk until combined.
Add the dry to the wet and mix until just combined being careful to not overmix.
Roll out golf-ball sized dough balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes or until just lightly golden brown. Watch carefully to avoid over-baking; slightly under-baked oatmeal cookies make the best chewy cookies!

white notes

Good morning, our country seems to be at war. The coffee is full and hot but I lost one of the two dogs.  And not the one you think it would be.

I spent more time searching for Beach's Comp jacket.  Our house seems very big at 4AM. What I found is that we have a lot of little clothing that falls in the same category.  However, none of them is that jacket.

It's okay, we are made of money- I'm sure of it. Anyway, she can just wear a different jacket.  Maybe her ski jacket or her faux-fur coat- she'd look great! Or even better she could wear a different little black gym jacket at each event!!! That's really more her style.

Beach's session starts at 9:30... I think. Maybe we should ask someone who works there.  They should know.

I can't remember what time I told Beach we needed to be there so I will announce we are leaving when she looks like she is 95% ready to go.  Please don't blow it for me and ask what time I am leaving.

Please feed the dogs.  I have found the other one. There is a half pot of warm coffee and some sliced fruit. ham, and boiled eggs for your breakfast.

I fed the cats. Sorry about the ham.

My car needs gas but I am going to be gone for the next 2 days until after the pumps at Costco close. If you want to go pick up my car and gas it for me you can- if you can find it.  We have to park off-site.  I can text your address.  It will be fun, like geocaching but not really.

You will have to get your own dinner.  Please save me a beer (or 2).  But I will see you when you come up to watch Beach vault.  It will be like old times, you and me in a crowded gym waiting, and waiting, and waiting...

Still no jacket. And it turns out I was wrong about there being coffee.  You might want to make yourself some and if you wouldn't mind bringing me up a cup when you come, that would be amazing!

Turns out I was wrong about fruit and eggs too.  Perhaps the chickens will lay early today.  If not there is leftover pizza in the fridge.

Gotta run,

Misty