Mt. Vernon Candy Cane Classic - day 3

Well, this day was certainly one of emotional roller coasters! The morning started out with the 200 free. Rachel didn't swim her best time, but she wasn't that far off. Then came the 50 breast. We had another goggle fiasco. She was zigzagging all over the place because of not being able to see. She dq'd. Right before her 100 back, the coach "on duty" said something ridiculous to her about the breast-stroke fiasco...and Rachel broke down. I could see her up there getting ready to swim, just sobbing. My heart broke! She got in there and swam (still crying!), but as soon as she got out she was nearly hysterical and telling me she never wanted to swim again! I have to admit, I was so mad I could feel the mother bear inside of me trying to get out! And I also have to admit, I probably said more than I needed to about the situation to a couple of people, but I wasn't exactly thinking straight. Soooo...we got ourselves both calmed down, and I convinced her she had to at least swim the relay at the end because her friends were counting on her. After she agreed to that, I told her she was so close to that divisional time in the 50 free, the next event, that she ought to just get in there and take out her frustration on the water! She thought that sounded like a good idea, so she went in there and cut half a second! Now, I didn't tell her this, but if she had bombed the 50 free, I was going to nix the 100 butterfly. There would be no point in adding insult to injury, so to speak. But since she had done so well, and was feeling ok again, I didn't even suggest that dropping that event was a possibility. Anyway, she got in the warmup pool to practice a few butterfly strokes, and one of her friends made a recommendation of something she could do to improve her stroke (I found this out later.) So, Rachel dives in for the 100 fly....and cuts 37 seconds! And this was only the third time she has swam this event. (She cut it from 2:28 to 1:51 - a 25% cut!) She got her B time, and I didn't even consider that to be a real possibility for this season! Now, the child is on cloud nine, of course. Well, the relay is last. Rachel is swimming the freestyle leg of the 200 medley relay. She swam a time that would have qualified her for the divisional meet IF it had been an individual event and not a relay! Grrr!!! So close! But now at least, she knows that she can do it!!!! Her friend Emily qualified today with her 50 breast stroke, and Rachel SOOO wants to go to the divisional meet with her....the saga continues.....