I have often thought that perhaps the greatest athlete in the area, if not the state, is a 74-year-old woman named Peony Munger. Peony came to the United States about 35 years ago, during a long and illustrious career in nursing,  and took up the sport of swimming at about the same time. As she tells it, she was terrified of the water and sure she would drown during her first brave attempts in the pool.

Fast forward 35+ years and Peony swims with the Wenatchee Valley Masters Swim Team 5 mornings a week and has made several trips to nationals. Impressive? Sure. But that’s only the beginning. Every morning at 5:30am she begins her task for the day: swimming one mile butterfly. If you’re not familiar with the butterfly stroke, it is the stroke that Michael Phelps made famous this summer. Two arms reach out of the water simaltaneously, in theory, and swimmers add a dolphin kick to help propel them across the pool. Peony says that some mornings it takes her longer than others, but she does it every morning regardless.

I’ve been a swimmer for nearly 30 years and have adopted a strict “no butterfly policy”. It’s hard, and I’ve gotten lazy over the years. So, I don’t do it. But, Peony, my 74-year-old Korean friend does at least 66 laps EVERY morning- and has for years. In fact, during a swim meet last year she entered the mile- and swam it butterfly. Talk about a slice of humble pie.

Peony’s birthday was last week and every year for her birthday her one request is that the entire Masters swim team swim 400 yards of continuous butterfly- a “mere” 16 laps. By comparrison, every morning Peony swims 66 laps. Loud complaining ensues, but we all do it because we care about Peony and are humbled by her ability and dedication. It’s not pretty, but it gets done.  That birthday swim was last Friday morning, and as I donned my fins and prepared to violate my strict policy, it occured to me that we are upstaged and outswam every morning by a 74-year-old woman. Her talent and dedication is amazing. If anyone thinks they can swim a mile butterfly- even once- I challenge you to try. I barely made it 400 yards.

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I serve on a marketing committee for the Wilderness Society that focuses on the promotion of the North Cascades. While this is considered to be our backyard, there are many that have yet to really understand the wonder of this region. I have been asked to post a story for the website created to further this initiative: www.experiencewilderness.org

I thought I would use this opportunity to tell my story to online World readers as well…

My North Cascades Experience

Though I live in Wenatchee with my six-year-old son, I’m a transplant from a sprawling metropolitan where acres of concrete far outnumbered the acres of green spaces. And because we live in Wenatchee, my son and I are fortunate enough to venture to the North Cascades on a somewhat regular basis. Our visits are usually tied to an epic Nordic ski adventure, mountain bike race or winter triathlon, but we always make a weekend- and an adventure- of it.

Our favorite North Cascades activity? Deer counting. Though I’m 13 years removed from the urban jungle, I’m still completely speechless every time I am lucky enough to happen upon deer. Luckily, deer in the North Cascades are similar to pigeons in Gasworks Park; they’re everywhere and, unlike pigeons, they are incredible.

My son enjoys the deer too. The most deer we’ve been able to count in a single day in the North Cascades is 208. We don our “hickory eyes” and scour the scenery for any sign of movement, and when lucky enough to find one, we count it. Usually, we make a contest of it, and the winner is the one who has spotted the most deer in the day.

It’s fun to share my fascination with wildlife with my boy, and it’s even more rewarding to experience the North Cascades through the eyes of a six-year-old.

If anyone is interested in joining our deer counting fun, the one-day record stands at 208. Good luck!

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I wonder if anyone has ever calculated the number of world-class athletes from our area as compared to our population base.  It may be an interesting exercise that could validate what many of us already know: the greater Wenatchee area has turned out a significant number of exceptional athletes- especially when compared to our relatively small population.

Leavenworth is the only town with two representatives on the US Nordic Ski Team. We can now boast that our area has turned out two XTERRA Amateur World Champions in the last three years. Names like Tyler Farrar, Ryan McDonald, Tom Rothrock and Marlene Farrel have become household names. When you add the number of “under the radar” nationally-competitive athletes in sports such as swimming, softball, soccer and others, it’s easy to watch the talent mount.

 This causes me to wonder if this talent pool is inherent to our area, or if world-class athletes are attracted to our area due to its natural amenities. When I examine the list of extraordinary athletes from our area, it appears that most are “home grown”, rather than transplants from other areas. This level of talent, and the recreational lifestyle that many of us enjoy, further fuels the greater Wenatchee area’s reputation as an outdoor mecca.

Earlier this summer I was heading out for a solo evening bike ride. I was stopped at a red light when a pick-up truck pulled up next to me. There were two men inside and they rolled down their window and asked me “if everyone around here rides a bike”. I asked them what they meant and they explained that they were from out of town and it seemed to them that everyone in Wenatchee rode a bike- everywhere. They were surprised by it. I believe it’s something that most of us have embraced.

Whether there is something the water, or this exceptional talent level is a byproduct of the lifestyle we enjoy, we have a lot to celebrate. And, it will be interesting to watch who takes the lead next.

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Before I begin this blog post, let me first apologize for my absence. I lost a very dear friend last weekend, Mike Dempsey, and I haven’t felt much like writing. But today is a new day, and I’ve got something to say…

It seems I’ve struck a chord among aging athletes with my exploration of the mind/body disconnection. As I’ve mentioned, MANY people have responded to my post last month, both positively and negatively, and I wanted to recount a conversation I have recently had with a long-time friend, Kevin.

Kevin and I have known each other since college. He swam at CWU and I swam at WSU. We worked together at a lake in the Seattle area. When you’re a lifeguard at a beach in Seattle, you find you have lots of free time on your hands, since it is raining more often than not. So, we spent the time engaged in riveting conversation and making up ridiculous games. Occassionally, we would head out in the lake for a swim.

Kevin is now a middle-aged (sorry Kevin!) investment broker in Seattle and we’ve been in touch in the last year. He is just coming off of a 15-year hiatius from swimming to compete in his daughter’s fundraising swim meet this weekend. Thanks to poor judgement, he has entered the 500 yard freestyle. In swimming terms, that’s 20 laps of the pool.

Mentally, at some point this seemed like a good idea. I’m sure the thought process went something like this: “20 laps? No problem!”. I have no doubt that Kevin is fit, but that doesn’t mean that 20 laps isn’t a very long way- especially when you’re towing your dignity.

Of course I am giddy with anticipation to not only see how he will do next weekend, but to also find the priceless nugget of material with which to forever taunt him. That’s what friends do, right?

He emailed me today and told me that he swam a bit this weekend. He was rightfully concerned because after 150 yards- that’s 6 laps- apparently he could no longer get his left arm out of the water. I asked him if has had a stroke. He told me he had not and I responded by reminding him that this was a bad sign. He asked for advice and I told him to start praying. To everyone who reads this, I’m sure he could use your prayers on Saturday too!

I’ll let you know how he does. He just wants to make sure he finishes the race ahead of his 7-year-old daughter. In any event, this is a perfect example of the mind/body disconnection “enjoyed” by so many aging athletes. In Kevin’s mind, he is still a collegiate swimming phenom. In reality, he’s pushing 40, has 2 kids and a career.

As his friend, I truly hope he does well. And, I know him well enough to know that his pride will carry him through at least the last half of the race, though it may not be pretty. But, as his friend, I’m also calling the lifeguards, just in case.

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Last Sunday I had the privilege of attending the grand opening of the Town Toyota Center. As I pulled up to the building 30 minutes before start time, I was struck by the long line of cars waiting for their spot in the parking lot. It was the event of the year.

I purposely selected a seat about halfway up in the stands. I wanted to get a perspective on what it might be like to watch a show with a general ticket. I was incredibly impressed by the acoustics and the fact that there truly does not appear to be a bad seat in the house. From my seat, I could see the ceremony perfectly, while feeling like I was close enough to the ice to practically reach out and touch it.

I believe we’re lucky to have such a state-of-the-art facility in our neighborhood and I can’t wait to catch my first show at the new Town Toyota Center.

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It appears as though I have struck a chord with fellow aging athletes. After my blog posting appeared in last week’s Wenatchee World, I have been experiencing nothing short of a social phenomenon.

Remember that scene in the movie Ghost where it is discovered that Whoopi Goldberg’s character can communicate with the dearly departed? The next shot is her studio with a crowd of both the living, and the, well, dearly departed clammoring to be heard. In a sense, I feel like I have become Whoopi Goldberg’s character.

People have been coming out of the woodwork to comment on my blog posting. I have been stopped in the grocery store, at the gym, in the pool, called, and emailed. And, it seems that there are two camps:

1. Those that empathise, understand and have been there. These folks are generally quick to share a story of their own former glory days, which has been incredibly enlightening, and even quicker to follow it up with a play-by-play account of either an injury, surgery, or general ailment.

2. Or, there are those that believe that many athletes actually improve with age. It appears as though I have offended some members of this camp, and for that, I apologize. Folks in this category are quick to explain their former glory days, with an emotionally-charged story about their present, and often better, glory days. It has truly been inspiring, and it’s got me thinking…

Can it be that certain athletes actually improve with age? As I’ve been pondering this idea, I’ve been doing a little research and have found, much to my delight, that there are seemingly endless examples of people accomplishing amazing athletic feats at all ages. One recent example is Olympic swimmer Dara Torres. She joined the 2008 Olympic team at the ripe age of 41 and soundly competed with, and against, women half her age. I’m sure by now most of us have seen the amazing pictures of her physique, and have watched her grab the silver medal in her fifth Olympics. I swam against Torres in my glory days, and was promptly handed my dignity, so her continued athletic accomplishment is inspiring to say the least.

Of all the local, regional, national and international examples of “aging” athletes accomplishing supernatural feats that I have studied, they all seem to have one thing in common: they prepare differently than their younger, or injured, counterparts.

If you read any interviews given by Torres, you know that her Beijing comeback was not a solo performance. Rather, she employed a team of experts to get her ready, and keep her in top form. Members of Team Torres included a nutritionist, chiropractor, physical therapist, trainer and a pro whose only responsibility was to stretch her before and after a workout. Having swam against her, I can vouch for the fact that she did not travel with a team of experts 20 years ago.

It seems that to remain competitive, or to reclaim former greatness, we must act differently. It’s no longer enough to roll out of bed, run 10 miles and carry on with our day as though nothing has happened. We need to think about what it is we’re doing, and take some extra time to be good to our body, so that it can in turn be good to us. We need to stretch. We need to listen to our body and back off when it begins to scream at us. We need to pay close attention to nutrition. And, we need to recover.

This is a new approach for me, but one I’ve decided I’m willing to explore in an effort to continue to do the things I love. For all of you former superstars whom I’ve spoken with in the last week, I challenge you to join me in treating our bodies kindly. Collectively, let’s see if this theory works. And, for those of you who have already figured this out, brace yourselves for some (stiff) competition, because I’m willing to bet there are lots of comebacks on the horizon.

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My son is 6 and a successful entrepreneur. As founder and CEO of Luke’s Lemonade, he has managed to bankroll his 6-year-old toy obsession. This is good for him, as it introduces him to work ethic and earning the objects of his desire, and it’s selfishly good for mom, because I don’t need to have the discussion about what toys he may have, and if/when he can have them.

It’s also an interesting perspective for me as I work to develop an entrepreneurial training program for North Central Washington. Because of the inherent simplicity, my son’s business serves as a very interesting and fundamental teaching model. As the adage goes, if a 6-year-old can do it…

But, the lemonade stand has brought a variety of other, more unexpected lessons. For instance, my son has a working understanding of taxes. He was (rightfully) very confused to find that his latest conquest, advertised at $35 actually cost $37 at the register. I used this as an opportunity to explain the taxation system, and what the money is used for. Not bad for a 6-year-old boy.

He has also  mastered the understanding of delivering a quality product so that you develop repeat business. A cold, fresh batch of lemonade on a hot day hits the spot for customers- hopefully repeatedly.

 He has learned marketing, financial management, inventory and quality control. He knows about tips. And, he now gives tips to others, including the checker at Target.

Perhaps the greatest lesson has been mine. The customers of Luke’s Lemonade have been the nicest, most patient people. His customer base is broad and I’ve learned that it takes a special kind of person to stop for a content-looking boy sitting at a table on the side of the road.

The other day, after my son was finished with “his job”, we were tearing down and getting ready to bring the table back inside. A man pulled up across the street and, admittedly, looked a bit frantic. As my motherly instincts began to surface, I sent my son inside because I wasn’t sure what was about to happen. Luke’s Lemonade was obviously closed, and this man was certainly headed in our direction- with a mission. As he rushed across the street toward me, our eyes met, and I desperately tried to read his expression.

He handed a dollar to me and I explained that we were out of lemonade. By this point, my son had managed to creep outside, sensing something was afoot, and was now standing beside me. This kind stranger looked at my son and told us that he knew the stand was closed but he wanted my son to take the dollar to pay for two glasses of lemonade for an elderly couple on the next hot day. He had just taught my son the concept of paying it forward.

I was embarrassed. I had assumed something much different, and much worse, than what had actually happened, which reminded me of one of the fundamental concepts of business: never pre-qualify your prospect.

As we work to develop an entrepreneurial training curriculum for North Central Washington, it is refreshing to be reminded of the fundamentals of doing business. And, if we ever need an expert speaker, I have a connection with a lemonade tycoon.

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Don’t you just love this time of year in the Wenatchee Valley? The air is crisp, the leaves are just beginning to turn and the temperature is manageable. I’ve been conducting a (very) informal poll and preliminary results indicate that most folks, okay maybe most of my friends, think that September is the best month to be in North Central Washington.

Further marking the arrival of a new season is the return of students to Wenatchee Valley College. I was on campus today and pleased to find a significant turnout for the first day of orientation. After my meeting, I spent an extra few minutes observing the frantic, yet aimless wandering of lost students. I even pointed a few in the right direction, indicating my definitive move from possibly “one of them” to now “one of them“. In any event, the energy was contagious and I’m looking forward to the new school year, and a new season.

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It’s no fun getting older.

I enjoy competing in regional triathlons, open water swims, and running races. Prior to this year, I have enjoyed my hobbies relatively injury free. But this year started off strong, and ended with an Achilles tendon injury and plantar fasciitis. Initially, I was convinced that the source of my troubles was my shoes. Three pairs of running shoes later, and a thorough physical therapy program, it occured to me that I may be getting older.

 Here’s the problem with this: mentally, I’m still a collegiate athlete (aren’t we all?). I can still accomplish amazing athletic feats and turn in awe-inspiring performances. Physically, I’m a middle-aged athlete chasing her glory days.

There is much talk these days of the “mind/body connection”, but little talk on the “mind/body disconnection”. Here’s my point:

My mind says: Tomorrow would be a good day for a long run. After running Sage Hills, call Amy to see if she wants to lift weights.

My body says: After three cups of coffee, consider putting in a solid 20 minutes on the StairMaster- or until my foot gives out, followed by a nap.

My mind says: Enter the Trans-Tahoe relay swim next summer. An 11.5-mile open water swim would be epic.

My body says: Tahoe rarely reaches 70 degrees and that’s a VERY long way!

My mind says: Stretching is for old people.

My body says: You need to stretch.

Mentally, I’m still capable of training several hours each day and pushing my body to new limits. Physically, my body has been pushed, and it’s pushing back.

So how does a gal reconcile the two? For several years now, I have been trying to get my physical self match my mental self. I’ve attempted to contort my physical ability to equal what I believe I should be able to do. But, the older I get, the less of a reality this becomes. It has recently been suggested to me that perhaps I have this backward. Perhaps I should contort my mental ability to match my physical ability. That’s a pretty big slice of humble pie. But, maybe my arthritis-stricken and injury-plagued body needs a break.

As I ponder this, I realize that there’s no glory in sitting on the sidelines, so I’ll forge on. It will be an adventure to see what injury joins the club next. And, it’s good to support local physical therapists.

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Anyone who knows me knows that entrepreneurship is an industry that is near and dear to my heart. Professionally, through my work with the NCW Economic Development District I am working on developing an entrepreneurial training program in conjunction with a variety of regional partners, including Wenatchee Valley College. I teach business classes at WVC, and have owned and operated two businesses in the area, including my current work with a variety of local and regional clients to develop business and marketing plans.

 Having said that, imagine my pride when my 6-year-old son came up with the idea to start a business to pay for an airbrushed tattoo. If you’ve never been to Slidewaters, you may not know that they offer airbrushed tattoos for a relatively hefty price. Having discovered the tattoo craze, my son decided that he could not make it through another day without an airbrushed tattoo. And, as luck would have it, his daycamp was going to be spending the day at Slidewaters.

It didn’t take him long to calculate that given his weekly allowance, and the cost of said tattoo, he would not have enough to afford the item of his dreams. I empathised with him and embraced the moment to teach him that we don’t always get what we want. But, I underestimated him. It took approximately 10 minutes for him to figure out that he needed to start a business to generate the revenue for the tattoo. And with this, he announced the grand opening of Luke’s Lemonade.

Lucky for him, we live on a well-traveled street in Wenatchee, across from a popular park. He immediately enlisted the services of an angel investor (mom) to purchase his initial supplies and announced he was “going to work”. The first day he manned the stand for a solid 2 hours (while mom read a magazine under a tree!), and made $17! In one day, he had raised enough for the tattoo. During this time he had caught the entrepreneurial bug.

To date, Luke’s Lemonade has generated over $50 and diversified into soda. It has been a wonderful learning experience and I cannot even begin to explain how proud I am. In fact, at one point, he found a megaphone and was prepared to stand on the street corner “advertising” Luke’s Lemonade before mom reluctantly pulled it from his hands.

This initial journey into the wonderful world of entrepreneurship has brought a new lesson: financial management. And this lesson is a bit more difficult for his 6-year-old psyche to grasp. But, we’re getting there. I think next we’ll tackle a distribution system and see if we can’t enlist the help of some of his friends who are also saving money.

If you see Luke’s Lemonade open for business, be sure to stop. You’ll be an important part of a wonderful lesson in entrepreneurial training!

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