Kids of Steel Race Day

Saturday was Hannah and Jonathan's "race day". We hadn't made a huge deal out of it in the weeks leading up to it. On Wednesday I Jonathan if he wanted to do the race and he was still interested. They were both really good about it. Hannah did two races last year (one triathalon and 1 duathalon) so she had no problems with it. Saturday morning the kids got up early because they were all excited. When we left the house around 7am it was already hot. We arrived around 8am and got the kids bikes in the transition area, then they got their registration kits and then got their "numbers" on their arm and leg. Jonathan and Hannah were both in the same age group, but Jonathan was number 12 in the first wave and Hannah was number 31 in the 3rd wave. Joel took Jonathan up to the pool and waited with him while I watched with Hannah, Eden. Jonathan seemed fine and was dangling his feet in the water, but as soon as they said "go" he froze. He wouldn't get in the water. Finally Joel got him and they ran around the pool and over the the transition area. Once Jonathan got on his bike he past quite a few kids. I was at the pool with Hannah, but I was watching out the window and saw the first and last part of his bike ride. Joel said he did pretty good with the running part, but by far he was best on his bike. As soon as I came over to him he showed me his medal and said "I won" it was really cute (all the kids get the same medal). He seemed to have fun. As we were leaving he said "next time I want to go in the pool" (except he was using an acusitory tone as if we had said he couldn't go in the pool".

Hannah did great...expect for the start. When they blew the whistle to get in the pool, she stood up and jumped in.....her head went under and she got water up her nose, so she was a little stunned. Once she recovered from that she did really great. I ran with her (and Eden in the snuggly) to the bike transition area and then Joel stayed with her for her run. She is really good on her bike, but she could have been faster if she didn't still have her training wheels. We definitely need to work on that for September. She had no problem with the running...but it is hard to get your kids to be competitive, without making it all about winning. I don't think they really get the concept of a "race" and winning yet, but that is okay.

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