It was a "Tri" Weekend

This weekend,  our family was involved in two Triathlons.  It was the first time any of us have participated in this type of race. 

The kids went to their first "Try-athlon" on Saturday. This involved a 25m swim, 1 mile bike, and a half mile run for The Little Man, and The Girl completed a 50m swim, 1 mile bike, and a half mile run.

The night before we had to prep ourselves with a pre-race pep talk:

This might be my most favorite picture of the summer.

Then the morning came,  and the athletes were ready. 

OK, maybe not.  Turns out they had to be up at 6 am to make it on time for their heats.  That's pretty difficult to do when you've been sleeping in all summer long.  Oh well.  The friends that raced with us made it so much easier:

The Female Athletes

The Male Athletes

Once they hit the water, there was no stopping them.  The Hubs and I were seriously impressed with their skills.  They both killed it.  The Girl was even in the top of her division (you know, my girl who hates competition and all things sports related?  Yes, that girl. She was even interviewed by a local news channel!)  I think the Olympics have motivated them in a whole new way.  (By the way, The Girl let me know that if she can't be an Entomologist, then she definitely will be in the Olympics.   Hey, I'm just thankful that she has a back up plan.)

Yesterday, it was my turn.  I've never done a triathlon, but my sister has, and she convinced me earlier this summer that I needed to get in on it.  It turns out that two out of the three of my sisters competed yesterday in the Tri-For-A-Cure event, so it was a family affair. 

Training for a tri is very different than preparing for a road race (obviously).   I felt like I could train five to six days a week without hurting my body.  Since swimming and biking are non-impact, I rarely woke up sore.  I had a great time doing different things each day, and since they were newer sports for me, I often saw a great improvement each time.  For me, this was/is highly motivating.  I was not seeing this with running, at all.  I had a goal to finish in under two hours, and am happy to report, that I did just that, and then some.  It's been a long time since I've raced, and an even longer time that I've felt that good after a race.  I can't wait to do it again sometime.

Here we are, pre-race, showing off our ink:

My sister and I are weenies and opted for wet suits for the swim portion.  I'm so glad we did! While everyone said the water was great, I thought it was mighty cold.

My sister is working her wet suit. Yes.  She is single.

See!  We are all still alive afterwards.  It was a challenge, for sure, but so fun!  

Next year: All four girls are going to rock this race!