Triathlon

I wanted to attempt another triathlon this weekend.  K instantly wanted to do it with me.  C explained, "I don't want to do it, but if K does...I have to."  I tried to argue that his logic was not exactly correct, but he insisted, "You don't understand..."  Hmmmm...have I raised some competitive boys???  By the time we left for the race on Saturday morning both boys were getting really excited.

Johan stayed home with the girls for the day while the boys and I went to Lake of the Woods for the triathlon then headed to Medford for K's first soccer game of the season.

The race consisted of a 550 yard swim across Rainbow Bay at Lake of the Woods, a 3.1 mile run, and finally a 9.5 mile bike ride around the lake.

I had the benefit of a borrowed wet suit, so for me the water was lovely.  For my two skinny boys, with not an ounce of extra fat to protect them from the water temperature or to provide any extra bouncy there was no wet suit.  But they were brave and as always very good sports.  I believe the water temperature was 57 degrees.

They charged in, but it was quickly apparent that we are not swimmers.  I definitely have a phobia, when I swim it feels as though I am breathing through a straw and that is before I even put my face in the water.  K was much more comfortable in the water than C.  The three of us were the last ones out of the water.  But once we hit land C was off.  He is running so fast right now.  He can sustain 7.5 minute miles for 4 or 5 miles.  It is incredible...and to think that not long ago he could barely keep up with me on a bike while I ran.  At the triathlon I had to shout ahead to him that he didn't have to wait for me...and he didn't.

K was a little slower, I think the water temperature really affected him.  He was shivering for about the first mile of the run.  But once he hit his stride he was fast.  As he started to pass a few people K's confidence grew.  When we got to the bike transition area he was all in.  I had to change shoes so I told him to go ahead and that I would catch up.  He was off!  I hopped on my bike and....FLAT TIRE!  I didn't have a patch kit, and even if I had I wouldn't have known what to do with it, so my race was over (insert super sad face).  I felt a little like crying but there were spectators and I still had to be a mom.  K was racing and he wasn't really confident about where to go.  C was long gone, so I was pretty sure that he would have some other racers to follow.

I jumped into the van to follow K and help navigate.

Now merely a support crew person I was freed up to take some pictures.  Here is K as he makes his way around the lake.  I didn't get any shots of C, he was pretty far ahead of us.

Here are my two triathletes after the race.  They are so so much fun to be around.  We had a great day!   Both boys finished, and both would like to do it again...YAY!  How did I get so blessed!

Here is a shot of K warming up for his first soccer game of the season.  They didn't win, but it was a fun game.

Sunday C had his first game.  I don't know what I was doing, but I don't have a shot of him at the game.  A kept running off "making friends," and I tried to encourage her to stay close to me by asking her to show me different tricks so that I could film them.  She really likes me to film her because she really, really enjoys watching videos of herself.  So here she is tumbling:

A has never met a stranger.  As entertaining as her uber-confidence is, it can be a tad unsettling.  Today there were three or four boys about C and K's age huddled around an iPhone playing a game.  A quickly joined their circle, but I didn't know what they were playing so I had to distract her...  When I called her away, she asked her favorite question, "Why mom?"  Oh Mrs. A you are so spicy!!!