Try Boro Kids Triathlon

Carter did another triathlon Saturday morning.  This one was the Try Boro Kids Triathlon in Murfreesboro.  Because Rylan had baseball practice Saturday morning, it was just Carter, Grayson, and me this time.

Carter with our neighbors Emory & Cade (they are twins and also in first grade):

  

This triathlon had a longer swim but the other parts were comparable to the one he did a week ago.  For Carter's age group, they had a 100 yard swim, 2.5 mile bike, and 0.5 mile run.  On our way to the race area from our car, Carter was riding his bike and his pedal fell off.  I knew I could screw it back on but I didn't have a wrench and this race didn't have a bike crew on site.  So I only hand-tightened the pedal and hoped that it would be fine for 2.5 miles.  I also sliced my thumb open on a sharp place on the bike welding while doing it and wasn't thinking straight as blood was pouring out of my thumb.

Well, the pedal apparently didn't make it.

Carter did a great job on the swim considering it was 4 lengths of the pool (he does just one length at swim team meets).  I watched Carter in the transition and he did fine except for a volunteer that was trying to help him who actually slowed  him down because she kept handing him things he didn't need and talking to him.  The bike seemed to take him a long time but I blamed it on the fact that he's still riding a 16" bike (he really needs a 20").  He zoomed through the transition the second time and was back from him run really quick.

And he's off!!!:

Getting out of the pool after a long 4 laps:

Here comes Carter finishing up the bike leg:

Running his bike into the transition area:

Heading out for the run ("I don't need any water!!!"):

Finishing the run:

Crossing the finish line:

When I found Carter after the race he immediately told me his pedal fell off during the bike leg - DOH!!!  I felt so bad.  He said that he took his bike and pedal to a volunteer who put it back on for him.  Carter said it didn't take long but it definitely added some time.  I regretted not finding someone with a wrench but there was nothing I could do about it.  Carter was still happy and not upset at all.

For the awards, this race separated out the kids that had done only one or zero triathlons before into a beginner category.  Carter fell into this group and placed 6th out of 10 in the 7 year old boys.  Here are his splits (in minutes:seconds):

Swim - 3:49
Transition 1 - 2:14
Bike - 14:25
Transition 2 - 0:40
Run - 4:17

Total Time - 25:22

Next year Carter will have a better bike and I'll bring a bike tool (I did have a pump in the car though!).

Entertainment

Rylan is back at Crockett Elementary for speech therapy this year.  He is going twice a week from 2:30 to 3pm (he is done with his kindergarten program at 2pm each day).  Ms. Rholanda was so over-worked last year that the program finally hired a second therapist.  Now Ms. Rholanda is only doing evaluations and Mary Katherine is doing therapy.

Rylan had his first sessions of the school year today.  He is with another little boy named Seth who is doing 45 minute sessions on the same days.  Rylan said he really likes Mary Katherine.  He said she looks like a teenager (she is very petite and very young looking)!  I think he especially liked her because he got to choose something from the treasure box at the end of his session (this is something new this year).

Grayson and I are looking forward to lots of time in the school lobby (not really)!  Today Grayson was entertaining himself with a plastic orange for a few minutes (you could probably hear him all over the school!).

I think we may start going for a short run during Rylan's sessions while the weather is still warm!

Secret Project

Brian and the boys have been working on a project in our backyard this summer.  We can't wait until it's done!

Brentwood Library

We spend a lot of time at this awesome library.

On Monday, Carter participated in the READing Paws program and read to Lily (the dog) for 15 minutes.

It was great practice to read out loud to someone other than me.

Yesterday both Carter and Rylan did the After School Explorers program, which is like a storytime program for K-2.  It's a dropoff program so I was able to take Grayson for a run on the greenway during it.  This was my first time using the single BOB with Grayson (I had been using the double because it's the only one we have the carseat adaptor on).  He passed out pretty quick :)

Nolensville Kids Triathlon

Carter completed his first triathlon this morning - the Nolensville Kids Triathlon.  Carter's age group, 5-7 year olds (Carter was considered a 7 year old because age groups are based on your age on 12/31), did a 50 yard swim, 2.5 mile bike, and 0.7 mile run.

Carter all ready with his number written on his arms and leg and his timing chip around his ankle ...

Hanging with Grayson while he waited for his age to go ...

The race was at the Nolensville Rec Center (which is where we would go swimming most of the time this summer).

Carter waiting to jump in the pool for the swim (he's fourth in line here) ...

Go, Carter!!!

Since the swim was 50 yards, the kids had to swim the length of the pool, go under the lane line, and swim back in the next lane.

Carter running from the pool deck to the transition area ...

Carter did AMAZING in the transition.  We've never practiced transitioning and he was one of the fastest kids in his age group.

Getting on his shoes ...

And helmet ...

Carter ran his bike out of the transition area and hopped on quickly.

 

We felt like Carter was gone forever on the bike section.  But then we remembered his itty bitty 16" bike was probably a big disadvantage compared to the mostly 20" bikes all the other kids in his age group were riding.  We've wanted to go up a size but I just don't know what we want for him (especially if we want gears or not).

Returning from the bike portion ...

 

Carter was quick through the transition again.  He had to take off his helmet and put his number on (he borrowed my belt).

I wasn't able to see much of Carter's run but here he is coming into the finish line ...

We are super proud of how amazing Carter did in his first triathlon.  He placed 7th out of 17 boys in the 7 year old age group.  Which is great considering the competition - there were a ridiculous number of kids with parents wearing ironman gear.  And a lot of them had expensive gear as well.

Here are Carter's splits (in min:seconds) ...

Swim - 1:42
Transition 1 - 1:16
Bike - 13:49
Transition 2 - 0:37
Run - 5:55

Total Time - 23:20

Carter also got a really cool finishers medal to add to his growing collection.  Way to go, Carter!!!

Beach Trip - Baby Pool

This was the best thing I packed on our beach trip ...

I'd blow up the pool when we got to the beach each day and then put several buckets of ocean water in it.

We were able to keep Grayson out of the sand (like most babies, he'd play in it, get it all over his hands, wipe it in his eyes and in his mouth, and eventually get mad).  And we could keep him cool.  It also meant we didn't have to be holding him for a bit.  Rylan liked to get in the little pool with him too so we'd also get a break from sitting right next to him in case he did a face plant into the water.

Williamson County Fair

Brian gave the boys $5 to play the fish bowl game at the fair on Wednesday night.

Another $30 and we now have a home for five goldfish!

Beach Trip - Charlie's Donuts

Two mornings we drove the mile down the road to Alys Beach to get donuts from Charlie's Donuts (a permanent food truck set up near the amphitheater).  The first time we were there we ran into one of the boys' on Rylan's soccer team.  Also, one of Rylan's preschool friends was renting a house in the same little neighborhood as us.  Small world!

The donuts were yummy!!!

We also walked down to the playground one morning to burn off some of the donuts.  Unfortunately the old playground had been torn down to make a larger parking lot for the coffee shop but there were some new swings that Grayson enjoyed.

Beach Trip - Naps

I really need to start posting pictures from our beach trip!  So I'm going to just do short posts to start getting them up!

Grayson took most of his naps on the beach.  Generally we went down to the beach twice a day right before Grayson would need a nap.  I'd hold him in the cool water and get him to doze off and then lay him down in the tent where he'd sleep for 30 to 60 minutes.

This worked so much better than one of us having to stay at the house while Grayson napped.  Child number three rarely gets a good nap in a crib :)

Brothers