My First Triathlon

Before race

The last couple months, I have been training to do my first triathlon. A triathlon is a competition consisting of a swimming, cycling, and running.  This particular race was going to be a 400 meter pool swim, 13.5 mile bike, and a 5 kilometer run.  Finally, after two months of hard training, I did the triathlon.

That morning, I had to wake up at four a.m. It was pitch black outside, drizzling slightly, and very cold.  It wasn't the best morning to do a triathlon, but I was determined to do it anyways. I was the only child competing in this race, and I was ecstatic. We loaded my bike on the rack and drove to UCLA where the race was taking place.  When we arrived, we saw a gorgeous sunrise, and 30 minutes later, the race began. We had to arrive early to set up all the equipment at the two transition points, from swim to bike and then from bike to run.  After the swim, I quickly put on my tennis shoes, helmet, and jumped onto my bike.  After the bike ride, I went to transition area two and parked my bike, took off my helmet, and put on a running belt that had my race number. I was number 196. Swimming in the pool and running around the campus was the easiest part for me, but the bike part was difficult.  The bike course was a very hilly and biking the 13.5 miles was very hard.  During one of the bike laps, another competitor cut in front of me too closely, hit my front tire, and sent me falling to the ground.  Luckily I wasn't hurt and was able to get back onto the bike and continue the race.  It was an exhausting two hour race, but a very good experience. Here are some photos from the race.

The sun is just coming up over the pool

My race number, 196

Standing with my bike in transition area one

Getting ready to jump into the pool feet first.

Swimming

Running to the finish line

After the race

Have you ever trained for something? 

How did you feel when you completed the race?

My Adventures at Astrocamp

Photo by Ms. Harper

A few days ago, I went to Astrocamp, a camp located in the gorgeous green forests of Idyllwild. Those three days were probably the best ones I've had during camp.  We did so much like rock climbing, experimenting with gasses, swimming, making and launching rockets, and hanging out with friends. It was great to have some of my teachers, Mrs Bostrom and Mrs Duncan, as chaperons for the trip. They did a wonderful job organizing and making sure we had a great experience.

It was a long and gruesome drive that took 3 and half hours to get there. Luckily we were on a comfortable bus meant for traveling longer distances.

My cabin mates and I

When we arrived to camp, we had two afternoon classes that including rock climbing and swimming.  Rock climbing was a lot of fun, and even though some places on the rock wall were complicated to get by, I was able to make it to the top of the medium wall. In the pool, we were experiencing micro gravity.  This is how astronauts are trained before they go into space.  We couldn't touch the ground in the pool, but we had to build a cube while floating.  It was difficult to communicate with classmates as their was a no talking rule in the pool to simulate the environment in space.  Instead, we developed signs and signals for communication.  That night, I saw a beautiful deer family.  Their were two fawns and 4 adult, skinny, long legged deer.  After seeing a lot of people, they raced off into the dark, cold night.

The next morning, we experimented with gasses.  We put  a gas into two balloons and then lit them on fire.  We got a beautiful ring of fire, but unfortunately, it was so fast that I didn't get a chance to take a picture.

My Rocket, Speedy, also known as miniature Sputnik
Photo by Ms. Dickinson

We also made and launched rockets which was the  highlight of the trip. My rocket Speedy, was made out of a skinny Russian bottle that held a a drink called Kvass and weighted 175gm. The rocket had a nose made out of clay and three cardboard fins. Launching was definitely amazing because it went so high that I lost track of it in the air. It was one of the highest rockets launched.

Launch Site

I really enjoyed Astrocamp, and I hope I go back again some day.  Here is a video of a fellow student's rocket. I couldn't video my rocket because I was busy launching it.

Do you have a fun camp experience to share?

Our Latest Piano Experiences

I recently learned a new piece by Tchaikovsky, and this was my first time playing a piece by this composer. Sweet Dreams, is one of the 24 pieces that Tchaikovsky wrote as part of Album for the Young.  Although it was intended to be played by children and even dedicated to Tchaikovsky 7 year old nephew, some are are quite complicated.    

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk, Russia, on May 7, 1840 and composed during the Romantic era. The Romantic era was very emotional unlike the classical period. He studied at a Russian conservatory, and became one of the most influential and adored composer of the Romantic era.  Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer who had a gift for creating different varieties of melodies as well as contrasting different instrument sounds.  Tchaikovsky created many orchestral compositions as well as ballets and operas.  Some of his most famous ballets are The Sleeping Beauty,The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake. 

Sweet Dreams is a beautiful piece that is melodic and peaceful.  It is a slow piece but it really sounds like a sweet dream.  






Over the last few weeks, Michael has improved greatly and since his first recording was ABC, he is now playing more difficult beginner piece. He now has learned to play two hands together and even some simple cords. He also learned all his notes over two octaves in each hand.  He practices an hour a day, and his hard work has paid off.

Who is your favorite Romantic Era Composer?

Fantasy

Over the last 6 months, I have been working on a solo piano piece called Fantasy by  Mozart.  This 100 measure piece is one of Mozart's most famous compositions even though he died before fully completing it. The composition was never completed so it is believed that one of Mozart's admirers, August Eberhard Muller, completed the composition.  

Mozart was a child prodigy.  From age four he could play full symphonies and by age 6 he was already composing pieces.  As a young child, Mozart was learning from the tours he did.  He was best friends with Haydn which he later dedicated a composition to him.  On December 5, 1791, Mozart died at age 35, leaving behind 600 compositions, including works for symphonies, the piano, and the opera. Some of these compositions are considered to be the finest works in the Classical style.

I really enjoy playing this piece because the composition has a lot of different feelings to it.  At some points of this composition,  it sounds as if something bad is going to happen but then everything becomes mellow and sweet.

Who is your favorite composer?

Did you enjoy this piece?

Running the Calabasas Classic

My siblings and I

The race day finally came.  After training for the 5k with a running group for 2 months, I was ready for the big day.   I was a little bit nervous as I was going to run in the 11-14 age category and I am only 11.  My day started on a chilly morning with the sun just starting to peek its way through the clouds.  I warmed up with my track and field group that were also getting ready to run the race.  There were thousands of people watching, walking, or running the race. Two of my swimming coaches were also there running the race with me.  While I was resting from my warm-up,  I looked around, and tried to  find the start line. Since there were so many people, I couldn't even see it! There was also a DJ warming everyone up before the race.  A giant clock counted down until 8:00 am and the horn blew the start of the race. 

Coach Lara with me at the start of the race.  

We were running a large loop around the streets in our neighborhood. The week before the race, I ran the course many times for practice and felt ready for this race.  After the half way point, I got a cup of water and poured it over my head to refresh myself.  It felt so nice that I sprinted the rest of the race.  While I was running the race, my siblings were at work making a me a sign to cheer me on.   As I made my way to the finish line, my mom, sisters, and brother cheered me.

When I had finally finished, I had run the race in 23: 45: 38 and came in 5th place in my age group and 20th overall.  The fastest girl in my age category ran the race in 20:43:61.  

My sister and I after the race

Here is a video of the start of the race.

Have you ever been in a race with this many people?

Prelude

Isaac Albéniz was one of Spain’s greatest national composers who composed during the late romantic time period. He was a child prodigy who gave his first public piano performance at the age of 4. As a child, he studied at many universities and even won the Brussels Conservatory’s first prize. Franz Liszt, another famous composer,  was one of his teachers. Albéniz traveled widely, living at various places where he composed, taught, and performed.  He is most famous for his piano music, including, Iberia, an impressionistic 12-section suite that describes Spanish places and dances.  

Prelude (also known as Preludio in Spanish) is the first of five pieces in Chants d'Espagne, (Songs of Spain), published in 1892. The beginning fast part sounds like a Flamenco dancer tapping his feet on the wooden floor. The second section is a similar to the copla, a Spanish song, because it sounds like a verse that can be sung. The music changes between a solo and accompaniment that is typical Flamenco style. I've loved this song from the very first time I heard my piano teacher play it. I hope you enjoy it as well.





My brother has been watching us play for the past few years, and has now decided he wants to join the instrument fun.  He wants to play the guitar but my mom said that he is too young to learn the guitar and should start out with the piano first. It will give him a good foundation in music and reading notes.  When we recorded, he was playing for just 3 days, and this was his first song he learned by memory.  He has been practicing every single day and now has almost finished learning his first piano primary book. Like when he learned to read, he started with his alphabet. Today Michael will play for you the ABC song. 

What did Prelude sound like to you?  

Any advice or words of encouragement you want to give Michael who is just starting to learn an instrument?

Canon in D Major, Piano and Violin Duet

Every few months, my sister and I learn a few piano and violin duets.  Canon in D major by Johan Pachelbell, happens to be one of my favorite duets.  It’s hard to imagine a time when this piece wasn't a wedding favorite as it is commonly.  What is really interesting about this piece is that it is not a happy, high energy piece, nor is very melancholy, but it gives the feeling that it is being performed for a very special occasion. 

Not much is known about Canon in D major even though it is Pachelbel’s most famous piece. We don’t even know the exact date it was composed, although historians think it was composed around 1680.  Some people believe that the music was written for Bach’s brother, Johann Christoph’s wedding, on October 23, 1694.  Parts of the bass piece was used in Handel’s, Haydn’s, and Mozart’s compositions.   

Pachelbell was born sometime in August 1653 in Nuremberg, Germany and died around in early March 1706.  He wrote over 500 classical music pieces during his lifetime and composed in the baroque period. He was an organist in his hometown of Nuremburg, and even taught the man who became Bach’s teacher. 

This piece has a lot of emotion to it and also a lot of challenging parts to it.  When playing a duet, both players have to listen to each other in order to play the piece well.  Sarah and I always have trouble with that as we both want to be in charge, however for this piece, the piano set the beat. I am glad that in the end we succeeded in working together well. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Have you ever heard this piece at a wedding? 

Which piece did you choose for your wedding?