Race Weekend

In mid-June of this year, a friend of mine from law school put out a blanket invitation for folks to join her in a triathlon in an effort to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma - just after her own diagnosis of Lymphoma.  At the time, I felt that this might be my golden opportunity to have some real inspiration to begin to be fit and to establish some lifelong traits that would not only benefit me but also my children.  I do not want them to ever hear me say that they should just go on without me because I cannot make it up that hill.  I want them to take their health seriously.  I wanted to begin to take mine seriously as well.  To support Mandy and to get my own agenda off the ground, I began to train.  I talked my brother-in-law, Bruce, into it, too, and together we swapped stories of trainings and our discouragement with swimming and our enjoyment of this tri-sport over the summer.  Last weekend, he flew East and we did this crazy thing together.  Here are a few photos from the weekend in Wilmington, NC - site of my first endurance race and home to our long weekend after the race on the beach with the Formans.  

 My friend, Mandy (center) found out only weeks before the race that she is now cancer free. 

I loved having Greta and Wyatt at the finish line.  I've noticed that some of Greta's imaginary play now centers on racing in triathlons.  She is drinking the Kool-aid and I am very proud.  Everywhere Wyatt goes in the car, he yells, "Bike!  Daddy's bike!"  Paul has shown our children a good example since they were born in both environmentalism and in fitness.  They see a bike, and they associate it with him.  To them, it is totally normal to be a family with one small car.  "Why don't all daddies go to work on a bike?"  I love it.

After our race, we hung out at Holden Beach with the Formans.  These four are pretty delicious together.  So sweet.  Greta asked me today if you could live on the beach.  I said yes - - that people do live near the beach.  She corrected me, "Not near the beach.  ON the beach.  Do people do that?"  I remember feeling that way as a child.  If everyone loves the beach so much - - why not live there?  Maybe one day.

 Thanks for coming all the way from Oregon to visit us Uncle Bruce.  These guys had a great time!