Sunday, May 17, 2009

Triathletes



My daughter and one of my sisters participated in a triathlon on Saturday.
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The weather was brutal. The temperature was in the low 30's and the wind blew hard all day, gusting at over 40 mph. Not optimal weather for biking and running, especially right after a swim, with wet hair. My other sister texted me and told me to dress warmly because there was snow on the ground. She said she was staying home to make a cake.
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Triathlons consist of swimming, biking and running. This was a sprint triathlon and the course was: swim 500 yards, bike 14.7 miles and run a 5K.



The swim was done in the high school pool.


After the swim, the triathletes changed into biking clothes. Typically, they wouldn't go into a locker room and dry off and change but the weather was such that they had to bundle up for the ride. The time it takes to move from one event to the other is the "transition time." This triathlon was a fundraiser for the swim club and the triathletes didn't wear timing chips so the times were very approximate. Definitely more for fun than competition for this race.






At the bike staging area, my sister and daughter set out for the ride. They said it was mostly against the wind which made it a difficult ride.



Back after a brutal ride, the running begins. The finish was at the high school track. I sat in the car to keep warm until I heard my sister's and daughter's names being called over the loudspeaker as coming in off the course.


This was the first tri of the year but it won't be their last. They have both signed up for a few more this summer. Before noon, they had earned a tee-shirt, a medal, windburned faces, and day of memories.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Talk about a great family bond. Not just the support mom and her daughter or sisters but a aunt and niece!

Good job ladies!

SDS

Far Side of Fifty said...

Well I am impressed, it was very cold on Saturday..so I am sure it was no walk in the park..Good job ladies!