Monday, October 22, 2007

Visual Race Report

Well, I couldn't get Superpounce to sit still long enough to let me type a race report for her. So rather than press the issue and clog up her weekend, I thought I'd give you a little sumpin' sumpin'

After all, it's all about you.



This was the first kid's triathlon I've ever spectated. As any good teacher will tell you, you can't fail to learn something if you look at the world through the eyes of a kid.

"I'm a little bit scared." That's what she told me the night before the race. She found out, from me and from the experience, that we all feel that way. Maybe that's the one thing that makes triathlon really work. We all face that fear, we toe the line, we overcome it, we have fun, and we want to do it again.

early

Of course when she had to get up early and ride an hour to the race site before dawn, she was not quite so sure this was going to be a good experience.

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Love this--just like Ironman, except there are bikes for 5 year olds, reflectors, no aero bars, and the comptitors are playing tag in the dark instead of shuffling to body marking with a 1000 yard stare of impending doom.






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You may have heard that obesity is socially "contagious" -- i.e., we eat like our friends and cut ourselves slack if we're not as fat and sloppy as Herb in the next cubicle. Well, maybe triathlon and fitness can be contagious too. When 'Pounce signed up for the triathlon, two of her friends heard about it and wanted to race too. This is Beach Girl with 'Pounce, showing off their body-marked guns.






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Beach Girl ready to race.






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Here's 'Pounce waiting her turn in the water. Her other friend, Mini-TriShannon, is to her left in the blue suit.




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Superpounce takes a running leap into the water. Like most kids (and adult first-timers) she went out hard with each discipline and kinda figured out later that maybe pacing was a good idea.




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Superpounce in T1. She apparently thought the race was being held in Minnesota, because she could not be talked out of bundling up in a sweatshirt for after the swim. We also suspect she had dinner and a movie in T1. But I kinda felt a little bit sorry for the kids with the Kona parents. No one needs a dad critiquing their pre-race warmup, their transition plan, or showing a kid how to use Yanks. I wore my IM MOO garb (of course) but I tried really hard to let the kids run and have fun. I think I succeeded.


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'Pounce hammers out of T1 and is off on the bike.


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Mini-TriShannon motoring back into transition.


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Beach Girl bringing it home.




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Superounce in supercool shades and sweatshirt.




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Beach Girl running in the home stretch with her finishing kick.






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Superpounce motors for home.






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The three champions and their medals.




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Their own podium.




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Post race nutrition with Mrs. Greyhound and Grampa Greyhound.



One little five year old boy finished his mini-sprint race and immediately asked his mom, "CAN I GO AGAIN!!??" -- like it was Splash Mountain at Disneyworld or something. Another turned to her mom and said, "OK, Mom! Now it's YOUR TURN to do a triathlon!"

'Pounce wants to do it again, and I wouldn't be surprised if this fitness thing infects some more moms and dads. So I consider the whole event an unbridled success.

31 comments:

Bigun said...

GO Pounce! Awesome job - and you had fun too!

Carrie said...

Way to go SuperPounce!!

Bolder said...

SuperPounce.

YOU ARE A TRIATHLETE!

just like your daddy.

i can't tell you t-hound how much this blows me away. it's just amazing...

BUT

don't ever question your daughter's bike tops when she is representin' Colorado!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

great race, great report!

well.done.

Amy said...

Way to go Superpounce!

21stCenturyMom said...

That was unequivocally the best, best race report EVAH! GO SUPERPOUNCE! You done your Mama and Daddy proud and that goes for the rest of us, too. Congratulations!!

SingletrackJenny (formerly known as IronJenny) said...

Fan TAStic!!
And Greyhound, this is the most priceless quote:
"just like Ironman, except there are bikes for 5 year olds, reflectors, no aero bars, and the comptitors are playing tag in the dark instead of shuffling to body marking with a 1000 yard stare of impending doom."
Love it!
hugs to all of you!

Jane said...

Yay Superpounce!! You look super cool and super fast!
You were stylin' with that pink tri-outfit and matching helmet.


love the comment of the 5 y.o. boy. I'll think I'll say that after my first Ironman "can I go again?"

FunFitandHappy said...

That's awesome....Way to go Pounce

Brent Buckner said...

Fabulous stuff Superpounce!

That's pretty good reporting there G-dawg.

Is it contagious? Heck yeah. I got a fever, and the only prescription is....

Brent Buckner said...

Also, congratulations to Beach Girl and Mini-TriShannon as well!

pinkgurugal said...

like father like daughter...looked like a great morning for a race!!!

Sarah said...

Congrats Superpounce and friends!

ss_luna said...

The kids were so great to watch! Congrats, and can't wait to see them back out next year!

ss_luna said...

The kids were so great to watch! Congrats, and can't wait to see them back out next year!

Unknown said...

Congrats to the triumverate!! (And those who got to see them tri!)

monica said...

CONGRATS TO SUPERPOUNCE AND THE GANG!!! i think someone needs their own blog....

and congrats to trigreyhound, the best tri dad. you don't even know what a great gift you've given her. way to go on standing back and taking it in. she's gonna be miles ahead when she's older.

"dinner and a movie in t1" - i have SO BEEN THERE!!!

LOVED pounce's water bottle set up!!

one thing: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure beach girl gets her helmet fitted properly. it won't do her any good they way it fits unless she falls backwards. i'm sure it was just the excitement of it all, but nothing scares the crap outta me worse than kids on bikes with helmets that don't sit right.

tri-mama said...

Hooray! What a great race-keep spreadin the faith! Soap says hi and welcome to the world of triathlon

ShesAlwaysWrite said...

That is ten different kinds of cool! I SO want this baby to love triathlon (or really, any physical activity) the way I do and I hope I can be like you and just let him have fun if he ever decides to give it a shot.

Trisaratops said...

YAY Superpounce and friends! Maybe JayZ will be having the same kind of crazy fun they did in a few years! :)

TriBoomer a.k.a. Brian said...

Hooo yaaahhh, SuperPounce! You were simply stupendous!

Stay tuned...

PS: KatGirl says, "Hi!".

LBTEPA said...

Gorgeous :)

Tarabay said...

How cool is that!!! Its awesome to see kids doing Tri's and not playing x-box... Congrats to all..

Real Deal said...

Awesome! Congrats SuperPounce! Looked like a beautiful day for a race!

Fe-lady said...

So cool- so wonderful! So just totally awesome....congratulations to you SuperPounce and to your friends too! You don't know how lucky you girls are to have triathlon available to you....
now when I was I little girl....naw, I will spare you!
(Kinda wish I was a kid again though!)

Unknown said...

that's so totally awesome. i wish that i had raced in a tri at that age... but, at that age, i was already 5-10 and nothing but arms and legs.

it wouldn't have been pretty.

congrats to superpounce!

Larissa said...

Superpounce rocks!! And props to her dad for supporting without pushing - she's lucky to have you.

the Dread Pirate Rackham said...

HOW DO YOU NOT FALL OVER FROM THE CUTE EVERY DAY???

OMG. She is amazing.

I trust that you, as her dad, makes sure she knows that. 'Cos you seem like that kinda dad.

Tri-Dummy said...

I think Superpounce needs to be Taconite's new superhero sidekick...

or maybe the new superhero...

where's Bigun?

Kim said...

super pounce is destined for tri-greatness :) congrats on having a kickass daughter!!!

Michelle said...

Congratulations, proud papa. Tell your daughter, I loved her hot-pink tri-duds. Very cool.

Steve Stenzel said...

Great Photos!!!! (including the food shot at the end!)