Kids Tri Hard

My kids always want to come to my races. I would love to have them there! But there’s so many logistics that make it too difficult. Either the race is an early start and I have to drive there in the morning, which means getting them up at 4 AM, or it’s too far away and I have to go the night before, or it just isn’t a good location for us to make a weekend trip out of it.

As each race draws near Hubs and I agonize over how to make it a family thing or if it’s feasible for me to take one kid. Problem finally solved! I discovered a whole series of kids triathlons! At first I pitched it to just J, and was shocked when B declared he wanted in!

I would like the record to show, that I merely suggested they sign up. I had no part in the following.

J immediately requested her bike be put onto a trainer so she could practice. They all wanted to set up a mini triathlon in the back yard, requiring 2 laps in the pool, riding bikes on the trainer, then running around the front yard.

This was not realistic as we were heading out the door to summer VBS. By “we” I mean Hubs was taking them. Which was wonderful, because he bore the brunt of the questions that followed. And boy oh boy, were there questions.

As is typical with B, he needed an immediate proof of concept. He was emotional and distressed until this was accomplished. Thus he biked through the woods (he promptly crashed) ran around the pool deck in the blazing heat (he immediately overheated and collapsed) and then we all talked him out of any sort of swimming endeavor.

However, the day ended thusly:

It’s been a good opportunity to explain working up to something. Typically, when the kids start an activity or sport, they expect to be amazing right away. Perhaps we all do on some level. This results in a lot of abandoned activities and unnecessary expense…but I’m not bitter.

They’re starting to understand that running one lap around the yard per day for a week makes it easier to run two laps the next week. I hope they enjoy the race, I really do. But if nothing else, they’re enjoying using all my training toys and insisting they need to drink my “electriclytes” after all their hard work.