Family Race Day!

This is the only picture of us family racers together. We were sooooo photo-ready. haha.

Yesterday was race day for our little family! Fraser and Stefan had their Strider bike race, and I tethered to Lowell for a triathlon. It was terribly unfortunate that our races landed on the same day (and in different places), but thank goodness- ONCE AGAIN- for Nana & Papa. If you don't live two blocks away from my parents, well, you should. They divided and conquered. Nana & our friend Donna took the boys to their race, and Papa accompanied Lowell and me to Fort Macleod.

Warren was away, so we decided that I would tether to Lowell for funzies. I've done several triathlons in my lifetime, but the last one I did was this very event three years ago. It was good to be back in the saddle.... but humbling. Oh sooooo humbling.

The swim.

Lowell is faster than me, so we shared a lane and it was more of a leisurely experience for him. For the first several lengths, I was just casually swimming- apparently forgetting I was in a race- until I glanced over and the woman in the next lane was matching me stride for stride. I was like WHAT?! OH YA! RACE! So I picked up the pace. Lowell can pinpoint the exact moment that I kicked it up a few notches. haha! Too bad that was over halfway, but better late than never right?

How obvious is it that Lowell is straight up waiting to give me a head start?

Getting out of the pool... and Lowell is patiently waiting again. hehe.

Leaving the swim zone!

Transition!

 Annnnnd time to bike.

Wait a sec... it's been a while since I've ridden this thing, so I'm just re-figuring things out...

We're off!

 The ride was crazy as the wind was ugly. Our initial plan heading into the bike was to let Lowell do basically all the work as it's the only event where he could give 100% and we would both benefit. Also, he would then be slightly fatigued and I'd have some extra energy stored up which would theoretically even out our paces for the run. HOWEVER, the cross breeze was so intense that I put all of my effort into keeping us upright, and not in the ditch or roadkill. Those 60+ km/hr winds (plus gusts) really messed with our giant metal contraption. I felt as uncomfortable as I did the very first time we ever rode the tandem. I was a very happy girl when we arrived back in town (as one collective, healthy unit) and approached the transition area!

I was feeling pretty exhausted by this point... but here goes the 5km run (*cringe*)!

 I'll be honest- the run was a BIT of a struggle for me this time, so it was with great glee that we crossed the finish line alive and well!

Team 60! As Lowell's guide, I wasn't supposed to get a number (because we were only registered as Lowell), but the body marking ladies threw me a bone and indulged my dreams of bearing the tri status symbol. Now I can't shower for several weeks.

I was pretty discouraged by my performance. I had been sick in the weeks leading to the race, but generally felt adequately prepared(ish). The fact that I was dragging my butt the entire way was kind of demoralizing. Upon viewing the results, however, I don't feel quite so bad. We ended up finishing tenth overall. Eighth for males, and third for females. Hey! I'm a female!! That means had we been registered under my name, we would have gotten THIRD. And only 45 seconds off the top female. Yay us!

I love doing this kind of stuff with Lowell and I'm grateful that we both have bodies that allow us such luxuries. I'd tether to you any day, babe!

Thanks for the pictures, Dad! :)

Now for the cuteness. After our race, we wasted no time packing up our gear and trying to catch the tail end of the boys' race. Sadly, we missed it, but the photographic evidence is super cute. Thanks Nana & Donna!

The race is divided into age groups, and they have heats and a final and everything. Fraser did this race last year and was totally in his glory. See?

He even made it on web page!

Back to the present. This was two-year old Stefan's first race, but I assure you it won't be his last.

Stefan got new race shoes like Daddy's and Fraser's... I'm feeling a little left out!

 Fraser generally sticks with the pedal bike these days, but he was happy to push bike it up for the occasion...

I love how it's a whole bunch of dads... and Nana. The coolest nana EVER.

Poor kid had a hard time navigating his way out of the pack initially. Also, this is the only picture of him racing... he was smiley and cute the remainder of the time I'm SURE. ;)

Balloon ladybug bracelets and Donna... all great things. Thanks for helping out, Donna!

And that, folks, concludes the T family race day. As neat as it was that we all raced on the same day, I never want to miss their races again!

Lake Chaparral tethered tri!

It's been a whirlwind weekend of travel and triathlons for our family. Shortly after Fraser's first triathlon, we high-tailed it to Calgary in preparation for Lowell & Warren's first open water tethered tri at Lake Chaparral.

Warren-- wearing his orange cap that stands out among the light caps-- is pointing out the swim course to Lowell.

Hi boys!

Warren isn't wearing a wet suit because he didn't need the speed advantage (as he is some sort of super human hybrid), and they theorized that the transition would be quicker if he didn't have to remove a wet suit as well. I think they theorized right!

Allow me to zoom in on that there tether for you folks.

And let the mass entrance into the open water begin.

They're out there somewhere!

Killing time.

Coming out of the water!

Lowell very much appreciates Warren's support coming out of the water because not only does he struggle visually, but he often feels light-headed and disoriented exiting the swim. That Warren sure comes in handy!

Off on the bike!

Unfortunately, the chain fell off shortly after they began. Even after fixing it, they just sort of clickety-clacked the rest of the way. Not ideal, but at least they looked good AND still managed to whiz by many competitors!

Team Handsome coming through! Eeeeeee!

Warren's wife, Becky, and their FIVE kids.

A close up of Becky oh-so-casually simultaneously feeding the baby twins on the grass while supervising three other kids AND cheering on her husband. Such a rockstar mom!

Here we are... Warren & Lowell's families (aka their biggest, hugest, most loving fans).

Here they come! That's Liz on the left cheering them on!

Lowell, you punk. haha.

Coming in off the bike.

They experimented with Warren putting Lowell's tether on to see if it would speed the transition up. It wasn't super successful, but worth a try anyway. Liz is in the background recording their transition so they can review it and see what improvements can be made. Thanks Lizzie!

Smoke show!

Fruit snacks, shade, and mulch kept these tired, hot boys preoccupied and happy for a surprisingly long time!

The running route wasn't super clearly marked, and Lowell & Warren were unsure whether they were even on the correct route most of the time.  It was also a little more narrow and curby than ideal, but hey... good practise right?!

This is all I got of the finish: Lowell's upper body, Warren's hand, and this gentleman... darn those congested finish areas. 

The boys finished sixth overall (following their fourth place finish in Stirling last weekend). And that's with stopping to fix the bike. So great! I'm confident that as Lowell's training progresses, there will be some top three finishes in there. ;)

Awwwww!

Our crew!

Way to go boys! 

Thanks to our awesome hosts in Calgary! Warren & Lowell stayed with Warren's cousin, Randy, who lives right on the lake. He was very hospitable, and also extended an invitation for the boys and me to stay. He insisted that the kids wear their shoes and eat ice cream bars on his couch, and even generously gifted the luxury of ringing the doorbell as much as they wanted (very big in their worlds- haha). We very much appreciated the offer, but chose to leave the racer boys in peace and crash Theo & Liz's pad... also very gracious, entertaining hosts. Thanks guys!

Lowell and Warren's next race together will be the ITU World Qualification Race in Edmonton in less than a month. Even though Lowell doesn't feel ready (as he isn't even a full year into his training), they're going to leave it all on the line and hope for the best... I can hardly wait!!