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Possibly the best race report in the world, ever...

Oh my! Where to start? I accompanied two novice athletes to their first ever triathlon today. It was superbly well organised, the course was perfectly marked out, the marshals were utterly brilliant and very helpful throughout and the race referee was one of the nicest, most helpful and most approachable people I've ever met - despite being in the middle of a massive stress moment.

My first athlete completely blasted the swim... he started in the third wave - 10s intervals so he was 20s behind - with 4 to a wave but still exitted the pool in 3rd place! He then lost a few places by fumbling the bike in T1 but recovered a few of the lost places on the bike then hit the run really hard and had a strong sprint finish.

My second athlete was doing double the distance. She came out of the pool in a strong position ahead of the pack, picked up some places on the bike then settled into an impressive pace on the run. She slowed once to cheer on a competitor who'd stopped to walk, then carried on to a monumental 150m sprint at the end.

I was completely exhausted from all the shouting, cheering, running about, photography and emotion of it all.

Athlete #1 was my 9yr old son: he did a 50m swim, 800m bike, 400m run. Athlete 2 was his 11yr old big sister, who did 100m/1600m/800m.

Both of them had asked if they could do it, rather than have tri-dad push them into it. I hope they just followed my example of giving it a go. Both said afterwards "Can we do that again?".

No idea if I have given them the tri-virus, but my goodness - I'm the proudest Dad in the world right now!

Comments

  • CCSCCS Posts: 53
    Wow - sounds great!
    Can I ask where the race was, as my 8 year old is seeming keen to give one a try... (well, the 3 year old also keeps asking to do a 'trathlon' but might need to learn to swim / ride a bike first!)
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    Certainly. The race was in Southampton / New Forest area. The web-site is http://www.nfct.org.uk and it is a yearly event.

    I'll be looking for another kid's event myself, so let's share information as/when we find it.
  • The Vale Tridents childrens Triathlon club is holding an Aquathlon this Sunday at the Faringdon Leisure centre (Oxfordshire) and their Triathlon is on the 5th September. Very friendly club and lots of prizes etc!
    www.valetridents.co.uk (look under events)
  • gdh250467gdh250467 Posts: 237
    Fantatsitc, good on them.

    A local Tiathlon CLun have a Children's day in July, link is http://www.pencoedtri.org/race-events/1 ... thlon.html
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Bopo,

    What a breath of fresh air that report has brought. It made me smile reading it and I don't have kids.

    You must be really proud of your kids, and it goes to show what an example you have set them.

    Well done to your kids and you.
  • FlavadaveFlavadave Posts: 749
    Yeah nice one Bopo, you sound like the proudest dad ever!

    Watch out the Brownlee's eh?
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    How refreshing to hear of children getting involved in something like this and how fortunate they are to have parents who are genuinley loving and supportive. Well done to you as a parent Bopo and to your kids, I am genuinely pleased for you all.

    Unfortunately I deal on a daily basis with feckless 'parents' who should'nt even be left in charge of a garden gnome and succeed only in producing offspring who will never contribute to society or challenge themselves - sad, drab, wasted lives.
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    What happens when they start beating you though bopo?
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    Nice one Bopo
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    That's fantastic Bopo, you are right to be proud. I'm really pleased to see that there are good kids events, at Crystal palace they had several different age groups for the kids and it was great to see the little people doing something so demanding and doing so well.
  • Both my children swim better than me and they are age 8 and 9. Both do triathlons and love them!
  • CCSCCS Posts: 53
    Bopo,
    Thanks for the link - that sounds like a really nice race.
    Perhaps see you there next year with my 8 year old!
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 335
    Fantastic

    my children have no desire to participate however my godchildren do want to have a go so hunting for something suitable
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    What happens when they start beating you though bopo?
    Ah. Not sure how I'd feel about that one, Mowf...

    Wouldn't that be great! If I thought one of my kids was going to take it up seriously then I'd love to see them go flying past me. In Winchester tri this year a young lad (think he may have been 17) was sidling past on the run and he stayed with me for a chat. We ended up shouting encouragement at each other for the last couple of miles: he was a member of the same running club as his dad, who was a long-term tri-er, and so the son thought he'd give it a go. He beat me by about 50s in the end, but I think his dad was a few minutes ahead. That would just be so much fun.

    I reckon my daughter could potentially be out on a proper tri in about 5-6 years time (she'll be 16-17) when I'm 45. That would be some race!

    Got to find that fine line, though: enough encouragement, so they do it because they want to, but not too much pressure - I'd hate to think they were out there just because they thought it would make me happy.

    Saw one poor little girl sobbing when she came out of the pool - guess she swallowed water, or found it harder than she expected, or maybe just caved in with all the crowds of spectators. Looked to me like her parents just carried on shouting at her to hurry up and get her shoes on. Hmmm. I thought it was meant to be about fun and personal pride, not upset and fear of failure??
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    I went to a couple of running club events with my dad when i was younger - it was brilliant. I returned to running properly (ish) in 2008 but unfortunately my Dad's knees meant he couldnt really compete with me.

    I bet watching your son storm past you at the back end of a tri Is much better than standing around on the side of football/rugby pitch!

    Looks like you've got some expensive Christmasses coming up...
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Conehead....always first to latch onto an idea....

    What will Mrs C think....
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