The Boys First Triathlon
May 21, 2005
The boys did their first triathlon today. We practiced transitions the night before. I got the boys some quick-ties for their shoes and a racing belt for their number so that they wouldn’t have to put on a shirt. The next morning we had to be over at the neighborhood pool by 7:30 a.m. so that they could get their gear set-up in the transition area. The race was conducted in waves because only 8-10 swimmers could be in the pool at once. Derek was the first to start and he had some trouble swimming the 100 meters. He had swam in about nine months and it showed. At times I was worried that he might drown and hoped that the officials were watching him closely. No parents could be in the pool area so Sheri and I watched from a grassy knoll…
Derek was the last out of the pool in his wave, but he wasn’t discouraged and quickly ran to the transition area, put on his shoes and helmet, clipped on his belt, grabbed his bike and ran to the mount line. He hopped on and really dug deep on the bike leg. He passed about ten people on his ride, but they weren’t all from his wave, some were from a previous wave. Derek is a strong bike and the hilly course suited him well.
After doing two laps (5 kilometers) on the bike course, Derek turned into the transition area. He parked his bike, took off his helmet (forgetting this is something his dad frequently does), and took off running. Derek has been doing Fitness Club at school for the past month. They run 1.5-2.5 miles twice a week in this program and it helped Derek here. The run course is only one kilometer, but it is very hilly. Derek paced himself well on the out-and-back course and finished with a tremendous sprint! He moved up to 6th (out of nine) in the 8-&-under boys.
Daniel started while Derek was still running, so we missed his swim, but he later summed it up this way: “In the pool, I got my butt kicked!” But once out of the pool Daniel did well. He is a super fast in the transitions. Apparently the practice the night before paid off. He probably gained a couple of minutes over competitors here. Then he biked strong and ran well. He started his patented, furious kick too early this time, though. He unleashed it on the downhill section to the bridge, but the race doesn’t finish until after a 70-meter section that climbs the entire way. He ended up 7th (out of 16) in the 9-10 boys race.
The boys had a great time and did quite well. I hope they continue to show an interest in these races, as it is a blast to watch and cheer for them. They do need to get in the pool and practice a bit more before the next one, though.
