This past weekend I had the pleasure of racing in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Wilmington Sprint is a Set-Up Event that is one the last triathlons in the North Carolina Series. This is a fun event because it is a little longer than a normal sprint as the swim is 1500 meters. The swim seems less than 1500 meters because it's done in the channel and there are usually currents to help swimmers have faster swim times. The bike is a fast twelve miles out and back and the run is fast 5k that's done in a loop around the park and into a local neighborhood.
Not only do you have a 1500 meter swim in what feels like the,"ocean," but there were 1400 participants which makes this event seem like one of the bigger triathlons. Spectators lined the streets as we came out of the swim and again on the run, and anyone doing one of these events will understand the importance of a "stranger," cheering you on; it really does help.
More meaningful than good spectators was the fact that I was going down not only to compete myself, but also to cheer on some college kids from NC State University whom I have the privilege of helping coach. A long term goal of mine has been to somehow give back to a sport that has given me so much over the years. When I named this blog it really rings true that my life is intertwined with triathlon. I have been able to help coach the NC State Triathlon Team for just a few short weeks, but I can't express how grateful I am to be associated with such a great group of people. I mainly help them with the swimming aspect of triathlon but they have helped me in more ways than they know.
The club officers were thrilled with my offer to help with the swimming. They didn't really have a set practice or a structured practice so that was something that I could help with right off the bat. The appreciation and thankfulness they have shown me for showing up once a week to help out has been a dream come true. Teaching and helping other triathletes attain their goals couldn't be more satisfying. They are a very organized group of young men and women, most working on graduate studies. Most of these students have a full school and work load, and yet they are also incorporating training and racing into their busy schedules. These kids are living proof that you can stick to a regular exercise program. I love the dedication this club has.
The other great part of the day was the fact that when we finished we were at the beach. Wilmington is a great beach town and Wrightsville Beach has lots of great restaurants and shopping as well as a beautiful beach. After the race my friends and I were able to relax and have some great food at a restaurant called Tower 7 that offers fresh,"baja," style Mexican cuisine. A stroll on the beach ended our afternoon and even though the weather was a bit cool and overcast, life was still good.
A very powerful thought entered my head during the swim this past weekend... the channel was a bit rough which caused me to ingest salt water, my eyes were burning from a goggle malfunction, but I was reminded of how thankful I was to be there in the moment swimming and feeling more alive than ever.
Tri- On Friends,
Kelly
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Tri-Son
Last Sunday August 21st I had the pleasure of completing and competing in the Rex Wellness Sprint Triathlon in Raleigh, NC. This was a special event because it was my son Bryce's first triathlon. He trained, like most fourteen year olds, by eating a diet of burgers and sleeping in until around ten am all summer only to realize that it was,"too hot," to run or cycle. His famous words all summer were," I'll go with you tomorrow Mom." After much coaxing he would run with me some mornings only to moan and groan that he was tired, but it never failed that he would blow my doors off the last mile of each run we did together.
We developed quite a banter working out/training together. As Bryce's coach I would say something like,"I'm four times your age, you should be kicking my butt," for motivation. Only to be followed by Bryce's banter of," You are not encouraging me, Mom!" "Of course I am," I would say... "No, you are harassing me." "I want you to do well," I would say, followed by his,"You don't believe in me," and so on and so on... coaching your own kid is not as easy as I thought it would be.
One hot summer morning we got into such a banter that we ended up separating because he said I hurt his feelings. But the story was that Bryce decided to eat two bagels with cream cheese prior to our long run. This was after sleeping in until 9:30 am to venture out in the ninety degree heat; that was another reason for my last post- how to train in the summer heat...
We did manage to have some fun during our training together. We did a twenty mile ride together the week before the event and Bryce said later how much he liked riding with me. His idea for our next ride; we need to stop at Five Guys and get a burger on the way back. Leave it to a teenager to try to wiggle a fast food meal out of an activity that is supposed to be healthy. "We'll burn it off Mom," was his reply to my counter of, "I don't eat fast food." "Five Guys is not fast food Mom, it's good food." Oh boy.
We ate our pasta meal the night before, and although we usually do this as a family anyway it was more meaningful that my son was also eating pasta, not just because he likes it, but because he was trying to store up some carbs for the next day.
Sharing my pre-race routine with Bryce was almost as fulfilling as our training together. I loved going to the race site the night before and showing him where and how to set up his things. I must have bragged a hundred times to the volunteers passing out the race packets that this was my son and it was his first tri the next day. Cartoon bubbles formed over their heads with the words,"yeah whatever," inside as they rolled their eyes at me. I felt like I did when Bryce was born and I was showing off his new-born pictures with his puffy cheeks, bragging about how beautiful he was. Only a mother can appreciate the," new-born," look. Helping him affix his race stickers in the correct place gave me goosebumps. I know...
The next morning we packed the car and headed to the race as a family. Again that is something that we usually do, but this morning was special because one of my family members was racing along with me. Helping Bryce set up his transition area and hanging out pre-race with him was about the best morning I could ask for.
FSS,who put on the race did a wonderful job. I would highly recommend this race to any first timer. The directors were into safety first. When my swim time was off they let me hop into the pool with the faster group and they kept a keen eye on the pool during the race, spacing swimmers so that there would not be any collides. The course was very kid or first time friendly as the race took place within the Wakefield neighborhood. The course was well marked and they had plenty of volunteers directing; there is nothing worse than not knowing where to turn, but at the Rex Wellness Sprint there was no question.
Post race food was awesome. The Meat House provided their yummy beef tips and there were plenty of drinks and the usual post race fare of bagels and fruit. They even had lasagna.
Bryce did really well for his first triathlon. He finished very strong with a time of 1:11:00 and just missed placing in the top three for his age group. He was right behind me at 1:06:00.
The next day Bryce told me how hard he had slept the night before. He said,"Man was I wiped out. Hey Mom, that was really fun. I'd like to do another one sometime." I could have jumped, but I maintained composure. Then he said,"Hey Mom, do you think you could teach my kids to swim someday?" Needless to say my,"tri-life," has certainly come full circle with the recruitment of my first born.
Tri- On Friends!
P.S. Someone recently said that this race must have been easy for me, but I want everyone to know that no matter what distance of triathlon you participate in it is always challenging. The sprints are easier to finish because the length is not as long,but during a sprint my focus is to try to go as fast as I can in my pacing. This is more difficult as I get older. What keeps me coming back to this sport again and again is that there is always room to improve, no matter what the distance.
We developed quite a banter working out/training together. As Bryce's coach I would say something like,"I'm four times your age, you should be kicking my butt," for motivation. Only to be followed by Bryce's banter of," You are not encouraging me, Mom!" "Of course I am," I would say... "No, you are harassing me." "I want you to do well," I would say, followed by his,"You don't believe in me," and so on and so on... coaching your own kid is not as easy as I thought it would be.
One hot summer morning we got into such a banter that we ended up separating because he said I hurt his feelings. But the story was that Bryce decided to eat two bagels with cream cheese prior to our long run. This was after sleeping in until 9:30 am to venture out in the ninety degree heat; that was another reason for my last post- how to train in the summer heat...
We did manage to have some fun during our training together. We did a twenty mile ride together the week before the event and Bryce said later how much he liked riding with me. His idea for our next ride; we need to stop at Five Guys and get a burger on the way back. Leave it to a teenager to try to wiggle a fast food meal out of an activity that is supposed to be healthy. "We'll burn it off Mom," was his reply to my counter of, "I don't eat fast food." "Five Guys is not fast food Mom, it's good food." Oh boy.
We ate our pasta meal the night before, and although we usually do this as a family anyway it was more meaningful that my son was also eating pasta, not just because he likes it, but because he was trying to store up some carbs for the next day.
Sharing my pre-race routine with Bryce was almost as fulfilling as our training together. I loved going to the race site the night before and showing him where and how to set up his things. I must have bragged a hundred times to the volunteers passing out the race packets that this was my son and it was his first tri the next day. Cartoon bubbles formed over their heads with the words,"yeah whatever," inside as they rolled their eyes at me. I felt like I did when Bryce was born and I was showing off his new-born pictures with his puffy cheeks, bragging about how beautiful he was. Only a mother can appreciate the," new-born," look. Helping him affix his race stickers in the correct place gave me goosebumps. I know...
The next morning we packed the car and headed to the race as a family. Again that is something that we usually do, but this morning was special because one of my family members was racing along with me. Helping Bryce set up his transition area and hanging out pre-race with him was about the best morning I could ask for.
FSS,who put on the race did a wonderful job. I would highly recommend this race to any first timer. The directors were into safety first. When my swim time was off they let me hop into the pool with the faster group and they kept a keen eye on the pool during the race, spacing swimmers so that there would not be any collides. The course was very kid or first time friendly as the race took place within the Wakefield neighborhood. The course was well marked and they had plenty of volunteers directing; there is nothing worse than not knowing where to turn, but at the Rex Wellness Sprint there was no question.
Post race food was awesome. The Meat House provided their yummy beef tips and there were plenty of drinks and the usual post race fare of bagels and fruit. They even had lasagna.
Bryce did really well for his first triathlon. He finished very strong with a time of 1:11:00 and just missed placing in the top three for his age group. He was right behind me at 1:06:00.
The next day Bryce told me how hard he had slept the night before. He said,"Man was I wiped out. Hey Mom, that was really fun. I'd like to do another one sometime." I could have jumped, but I maintained composure. Then he said,"Hey Mom, do you think you could teach my kids to swim someday?" Needless to say my,"tri-life," has certainly come full circle with the recruitment of my first born.
Tri- On Friends!
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| Bryce Swim |
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| Kelly and Bryce at finish |
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| Swim start |
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| Bryce Transition 1 |
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| 1st place age group |
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| Kelly at finish sporting HydroWorx Jersey |
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| Bryce and Buddy |
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| Bryce Bike |
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| Bryce coming in! |
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| The Fam! |
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