Triathlon Weekend- (and the longest post I've ever written)

Sitting down to catch my breath....and going try to get caught  up on here tonight.....

So....first Triathlon of the season has come and gone!

Saturday.....my youngest participated in the Kids Of Steel Triathlon....and did an awesome job!

He came in 11th place out of 36 kids...and has hardly trained.

(I have to brag- right?;)

   Age Group: M8-9        #465 Ben R                  

Swim Time(200m): 3:18   Bike Time(5km): 18:38  Run Time(1km)6:14   

Total Time: 28:09.2

Super Proud of you Buddy!

~~~

The next day my alarm went off at 4am- but I was already up.

I'm not a sleeper~inner....especially on race days.

It was grey, rainy, windy, and looked a dismal day for racing.

Regardless of the weather....it was on.

My oldest and I ate a quick breakfast, loaded the bikes and gear into the truck,

and took off at the scheduled time of 5am.

Within mere minutes I could hear a strange sound coming from the back of the truck.

"Sounds like a flat"....my 16 year old calmly stated.

Calm wasn't my reaction.

I have never had a flat tire in all my days of driving.

21 years to be exact.

So of course all driver's education and training has long since dissipated.

Changing a tire, or even what to do when you're already miles from home ...isn't even 

on my driver-common-sense radar.

I whipped a U-Turn in the middle of the (dead at 5am) highway and drove 100km/hr (normal speed limit) back home.

Needless to say, (NOW I know...)  that wasn't the right thing to do. 

I guess your tire rim can be damaged driving with a flat.

Who knew?

(Kind of like not knowing lily pads grew flowers......

Pffft;)

Try stuffing two race bikes in the back of a mini-van.

When you're in panic mode.

And your bike is the most important of all things you own.

And you don't want it even scratched let alone bent up.

It was like a puzzle....and a puzzle that I wasn't up to at that particular moment.

I just have to say I'm very grateful for the Calm Persons of this world....

~~~

After all that chaos, we ended up at the transition set up only 15 minutes later than scheduled, and we found perfect spots on the rack for our bikes.

(I DO have to say that some people on race day can be quite.....what's the word? 

Oh yes.

Rude.)

I was just setting my bike into position, when a guy from a local Tri club threw a small purple hand towel right under my wheel, along with a bag containing a half rotten banana.

He was tyring to save MY SPOT for a friend.

Really people?

I got up before 4am, dealt with a flat, was drenched from pouring rain, only to be bumped out of a spot by a purple towel and a bagged banana?

Nu-uh.

I left my bike where it was, thinking I may have a confrontation on my hands in a bit....but fortunately keeping your mouth shut and leaving your bike hanging in its spot is the best method. 

He moved his "gear" about 45 minutes later.

I guess his friend found his own spot.....

Transition set up, chips on ankles, body markings done....

now we waited for our Swim Heats.

My son was in Heat 7- being that he was in the Junior Division.

I was in Heat 51.

He was finished his entire race before I even started mine.

Almost 3 hours of wait time beside the pool.

3 hours to wonder just why I decided to do this in the first place.

(Have I ever mentioned I'm a worrier? 

And that I think far too much?)

Making a long story a bit shorter now....

the race went well, and aside from 30km/hr winds on the bike, it went quite smoothly.

Oh.

Except for the part when I ran my bike back into transition area to begin my run, and I (still don't know how)....flipped over my handlebars in some sort of semi-sommersalt position.

All I can remember is hearing the GASP from the spectators as I slowly (ever notice how falls tend to happen in slow-mo?)

dropped to the pavement.

(Currently my elbow is swollen, gashed, bruised,

and I only have a few 3inch bruises on my leg.

I'm fine!

{Guess it's about time I quit typing and get on with race pics.}

My joke before it all was that I was out to beat my 16 year old son....

We were only 2 minutes apart in final time.

And he doesn't even train.

I on the other hand... have been getting up at 4am to fit enough miles on to my training schedule.

~it figures~

Division: M-JR        #986 Adam R                 

Swim (750m): 17:20    Bike (20km):49:34   Run(5km): 27:15 

Total Time: 1:34:08.3

~~

 

#283 Dawn R         

Swim (750m):14:44   Bike (20km):49:12   Run(5km): 28:27 

Total Time:  1:32:21.8

Place Overall:27/108    Placed in Age Division:8/36
~~~

Thanks Ad!

I had an awesome day with you....even though we didn't race "together".

And although I feel wiped that I train 6 days a week at 4am, 

and you just "have it without even trying"...

I'm SUPER proud of you.

(and a bit envious:)

But remember...I still beat you by 2 minutes;)

Maybe next year?

:)

~~~~

Next up: 

my Olympic~distance Triathlon

in less than 3 weeks.

Here's to more 4 in the morning training sessions....

I thought they were just frog beds....

I had NO IDEA lily pads grew flowers.
I truly didn't.


So you can imagine just how enthralled I was when I paddled out on the lake the other night and found these:

I would have posted all the photos I took....but in my new-found knowledge in the fact lily pads do in fact grow blooms,

....you can imagine just how many captures there were.

A ton.

So many in fact, that I think I almost used up my memory card.

I felt like a kid in a candy store.

(NOTE: I did NOT pick this flower.

I found it floating in the middle of the lake all by itself.

Broken off and upside down.

So as not to waste it- I used it to decorate my kayak.)

~~~

And here I thought lily pads were strictly just Frog Beds.


I need to get out more.

"if you don't like the weather..."

"....just wait a minute."

~~~

I'm pretty sure that must be a universal saying for most parts.

~~It definitely rings true for Alberta.

You can be outside enjoying a beautiful, bright, sunny afternoon...

when within mere minutes- 

you're all scrambling for drinks, plates, and cover~~

while your campfire is suddenly extinguishing itself due to torrential rain.

"If you don't like the weather~ just wait a minute"

~~~

I was thinking of this when I captured the above 2 pictures Friday evening.

Funnel clouds and rain within moments of sunshine and rainbows...

gets a little confusing at times.

Life can be like that.

Seems there is no continuous pattern....

it just happens.

Storms here....warmth over there.

Then rain. And snow.

Then it's sunshine again.

Life can be the epitome of this saying.

And that's not always a bad thing.

After all...

no one would enjoy continuous funnel clouds.

Never-ending rainbows would mean constant storms.

If you don't like the situation....

really....

just wait.

The weather does change. Sometimes~ in a minute.

out of proportion

Is it me....

or does anyone else tend to blow things out of proportion?

It's just....

some things seem a bit strange.

And I get carried away in my thinking.

(And then things start to bug me and people around me think I'm going crazy.

But I'm SURE what I'm thinking is right.

Sure of it.)

Or am I looking at things all wrong?

Just blowing things out of proportion...

...again.

Who knows.

It's Monday after all.

Have a good day....

regardless of how you're seeing things;))

You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.

~ Johnny Cash 

Hatched

Remember the Duck nest

on the edge of my yard?

(past post)

It's now full of eggshells.

Have a wonderful weekend.

~

Sure the Ducks will enjoy theirs....while making good use of the rain (lakes) puddles which are continuing to form in my yard.

I forgot and remembered~

I finally put the kayak in the lake for the first time last night.

I had forgotten just how therapeutic it is.

Being out there made me forget a lot of things.

Like schedules and things to do and issues.

After awhile I even forgot where I was.

I sat still and took pictures with my (phone)camera.

I think the best part of the evening kayak...

was that I remembered how to breathe again.

That's always a good thing to remember.

~~

~inner beauty~

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”                                     

- John Wooden

Bike Tour 2011

This weekend I cycled the Ms Bike Tour in Central Alberta.

Just under 100 people....169km of rolling (and some not so rolling) hills....rain and wind....connecting with old friends and making some new ones....and of course- good food;)

I just wanted to say a BIG thank you to those of you out there who donated for my ride. 

And to those of my blog friends who battle with MS....I thought of you while I biked. 

You were in my heart~~ and I hope that every bit of the funds that were raised this tour...is one more step towards a cure for you who battle MS on a daily basis.

mornings~

This morning....

I was called to the back door,

 and my son handed me this:

 Two mornings ago....

I opened my eyes to this view:

Every morning...

I start with this:

The 4:30 mornings....

 when I drive to town for my run/swim sessions:

For me....

there's no time during the day when I feel more alive~

 than the morning.

~

~And YOUR favorite time of day?~

Mornings

This morning....

I was called to the back door,

 and my son handed me this:

 Two mornings ago....

I opened my eyes to this view:

Every morning...

I start with this:

The 4:30 mornings....

 when I drive to town for my run/swim sessions:

For me....

there's no time during the day when I feel more alive~

 than the morning.

~

~And YOUR favorite time of day?~