Weekend Update: Triathlon Frenzy, July 9-11

Friday, July 9....Mot and I hit the road as soon as I get home from work, and the kayaks were loaded.


(I drove while Mot read on his Nook - my birthday gift to him.)

Our destination, West Des Moines, IA. We were heading into Triathlon-apolooza.

Mot, Mel and myself had signed up to be on the kayak water safety crew for not one, but two triathlons that weekend.

Actually, we only signed up for one....but the organizers of the Flatland Kids Tri found out we were going to be in town, and asked us to come by their event as well.

Saturday, July 10th

We all got up at the b*tt crack of dawn. Mel and I have learned from our HyVee triathlon (an Olympic qualifier) volunteering, that the kayakers always have an issue leaving the area when their part of the race is complete. The swim course is usually blocked in by the biking and running courses, and you are forced to sit through the whole event.

I don't mind watching triathlons, I really enjoy it actually.....but it was going to be hotter than heck that day....AND....we were going to be out paddling the next day at another event. Because Mot hasn't seen the girls in quite some time, we all wanted to spend the day hanging out.

So.....we all got up early to take our vehicles (with boats loaded) down to the event. Then Sheila would take the three of us back down closer to the start time. And vice versa when we were done (if needed).

Actually, correction, the three of them took the boats down, while I got my run in. I felt kinda funny having them do it, but we only needed three people for the three vehicles....and I'm really committed to this half marathon thing. :-)



When I got back, Mot was playing Wii, and breakfast was cooking in the oven. Yummy!!!!

After breakfast was done, Sheila drove us down to the event venue.






Mot using his event bandana to fashion himself a sun shade. Man was it hot!!!!






Hydration is very important!!!


This picture was snapped just before we both almost tipped over into the water.

It would have been the second time for me that day.

(hanging head)

Yep....getting into my boat before the last heat....my foot got stuck in the muck and large rocks. I went to pull my second leg (the stuck leg) into the boat, and couldn't free it from it's disgusting prison. I went over....right in front of all the athletes lining up for the heat.

(sigh)

By the time we got out of there, I was sunburned to a crisp....and maybe even had a little sun sickness going on. Yuck!!!

We went back to their place, showered (the event was moved to a new location at the last minute because of flooding....and the water in the new venue was less than pleasant).

:-(~

Then we headed out. Lunch, shopping, goofing around....and back to their house for dinner and a movie.

The next morning we had to get up even earlier yet.....and head an hour out of town for the Summer Iowa Games triathlon.


The weather was a complete 180 from the day before. Rainy and quite chilly!!!

(neither Mot nor I had a rain jacket with us....whoops!)


















After we were done in the water, race staff had us line our boats up to mark part of the running route. The rain that night, and that morning, had made things a muddy mess. It was more adventure racing than triathlon running in some parts of the course. :-)

After the race, we all went back to their place, showered (again)....then headed home.


On our way home from picking up Sam at grandma and grandpa's. She's discovered the joy of putting her head out the window. :-)