Rockwall Criteriums

If you missed the recap of day 1 of our epic weekend then follow the link to read all about our experience at the Hot Rocks Bike Ride.  Fair warning about day 2 though ..... it's a long one.

The Beginning
Day 2 of our epic weekend didn't exactly start as planned.  The first event on the agenda was a 10k for Angelia at the Hottest Half & 10k.  This was a big event for her but she elected to skip it.  Why?  Well, here's a clue .... when she got out of bed and made her way to the kitchen she was wearing sunglasses.  Not a good sign.  She had a wicked headache and every sight and sound meant pain.

While the 10k was a lost cause, the rest of the family still had the Rockwall Criteriums to look forward to.  The itinerary included my first ever race at 10:55am (35+ 4/5), the Kids Showdown at 12:20pm for the boys, and another race for me at 3:30pm (4/5).  Have you ever tried to prepare yourself for a race while trying to keep two hyperactive boys from screaming constantly, and thereby adding to your wife's pounding headache?  Not easy.  In fact, I failed miserably at managing the situation.  The one smart move was enlisting the help of my dad as Angelia still wanted to watch me race and the boys needed to get there with their bikes.

Men 35+ Cat 4/5
Unfortunately, I got ready a bit later than planned, took a big longer to get my number and pin it than planned, and before I knew it I had practically no time to get warmed up.  Ideally for a short intense race like a crit you want a nice long warm-up.  Instead I rolled up to the line in the back of the pack with only several minutes in my legs.

Don't bother looking for me.  I'm in the back.

Once we started I thought I'd probably be ok.  Sure, the pace was quick and I was at the back of the pack but it didn't feel insane.  I played it a little too cautiously on a couple turns and 2 laps in, I was off the back.  At that point the wind became a factor and I just couldn't close the gap.  There were 3 of us popped off and we managed to hook up.  I spotted the pack at one point and realized this was going to be very short lived at our current pace.  I wanted to make something out of this race so I started thinking about where to put in an effort and distance myself from the other 2 riders.  I sat 3rd wheel after turn 1, drank a bit of Heed, and caught my breath for a bit.  Just before turn 3 I broke to the left and took the turn a bit wider putting me in a sheltered position from the NE wind.  That little relief allowed me to crank the cadence up and clear both riders in time to take an aggressive line on turn 4.  I got out of the saddle for part of the frontstretch to make sure the gap stuck.  I felt really good about this - it kept the race from feeling like a total waste.

Taking a short pull before recovering and
finally dropping these 2 guys for good.

A couple laps later the scooter was coming up on me and I knew I was about to be swallowed by the pack.  I kept the effort up the best I could including a leg-searing out of saddle effort up the hill.  I remember thinking, "Well, that's a new kind of burn."  I staved off my demise by more than a lap finally succumbing on turn 2 of lap 8.  I pulled off at the completion of that lap because I didn't see the point of killing myself for another 20 minutes in the heat when I was going to do another race in the afternoon.  With the way the morning had been, I thought it best to take what little opportunity I had to reset my brain, rest a little, and come into the 2nd race better prepared.  In the end, I was disappointed to be lapped only 20min in but was glad I salvaged part of it with 2 efforts in particular - my planned move to drop the other 2 stragglers and giving it that one last shot to hold off being lapped.

Kids Showdown
After watching the Womens Cat 4 and Juniors Cat 4/5 race that occurred after mine, it was time for the Kids Showdown!  The event was changed up a bit at the last minute and both the big and little kids did 1 lap of the mile long loop.  For the big kids, this was shortened from the expected 2 laps.  For the little ones it was suddenly much more challenging than the 1/4 lap they've done in the past.  This race story is best told in pictures:

Julian gets caught in a chaotic start.

Lining up the little ones.

Looking like a future cyclist.

Julian challenges for 2nd at the finish.

Connor up the final hill in a clear 2nd place.

First cycling medal!

3rd for Julian and 2nd for Connor

Mens 4/5

After the kids were done we loaded up and went home (a whopping 1-1/2mi away).  Sitting in the air conditioning with a little food and a chance to dry out my race kit were all beneficial.  I pulled out on time and got a better warmup than in the morning.

Unfortunately the race wasn't much different.  I did stick with the pack a little longer but it wasn't in an efficient manner.  A couple of those laps were spent "tailgunning", getting gapped every straight and closing it each turn.  Eventually I failed to close that gap and it was back to soloing in the wind.  There was no help this time around.  There were others popped off but the gaps remained.  This became a gruelling hot workout and not much more.  Just like in the morning race, I was lapped 20 minutes in.  I tried to hook on to the pack but no such luck - missed the train.  The solo laps were a struggle but eventually I was able to close a gap on another dropped rider that had consistently been 300m in front of me.  It didn't seem like he wanted to work together but he grabbed my wheel and I just couldn't find the energy to shake him.  After a while I started pulling a bit to the side and letting up hoping he'd pull ahead of me.  He would slow as well and made an obvious comment on how totally cooked he was.  Translation:  No way in hell was he pulling.  That bugged me enough that I found the small bit of extra oomph I needed to finally shake him.  By the time the race ended I was 2 laps down.  Heck, I didn't even realize when the race was over!

No-one around me.  Not a good sign.

I was a bit more disappointed in this race.  I thought it would go better than the first one and I was shocked at how slowly I was going towards the end.  I realize that was partially the product of the heat and wind which definitely picked up throughout the race.  In fact, towards the end I had a close call thanks to a swirling wind.  There were 3 of us, all 1 or 2 laps down, and you could see a swirl of leaves to the inside of the course just after turn 2.  That swirling mass of leaves started moving right for us and when it hit, all of our bikes were moved sideways.  The only thing that kept it from being a disaster was we all saw it coming and were able to space out and brace ourselves.

The End
With that, the day's racing was over.  Both boys were happy with their rides and medals.  Connor absolutely loves racing and getting bling.  Julian was a bit bummed about the shaky start and the shortening of the race but was pleased with how he rode, especially the sprint up the final hill.  Meanwhile, I got 2 official races under my belt, albeit with significantly less pack time than I hoped for.  There's a lot of work to be done before my target event in 4 weeks.  Connor gave me a tip that should help me get to the front of the pack though .....

"You know what you need to do better in your next race, Daddy?"
"What do I need?"
Connor rolls up the right leg on his shorts, points to his quad, and proclaims,
"These!"

Good advice little man.  Good advice.

Blazing Saddles Duathlon

This past weekend was my second ever duathlon (the first was Fast & Furious back in April).  A few things have changed in the months in between - namely the temperature has risen significantly.  My run "training" has been minimal so I wasn't expecting any improvement in that area.  However, I did anticipate a better bike leg despite the heat.  In the end I thought 1:05 was a good target for this 2miR / 9.5miB / 2miR course.

The race was put on at White Rock Lake, a very popular spot in Dallas among runners (like my sister) and cyclists.  Personally, I've always avoided it because of its popularity.  Cycling at high speeds around runners and other pedestrians, pets, etc. is hazardous at best so why would I seek it out?  In this case, it was a negative as I was likely the only participant who had never ridden the course.  On top of that, it's not a closed course so my first time dodging all these obstacles would be in a race situation while in aero position.  Not ideal.

Race morning went well as I got a decent breakfast, was well hydrated, got a great transition spot (open racking!), and generally felt ready to take it on.  This wasn't a major target so there was no stress.  In fact, I felt free to just "go for it".  I threw in a little warm-up run, had a pre-race GU, and then they announced a 15min delay. WTF?  I'm primed and ready to go!  With as quickly as temps were going up, every minute was precious.

Run 1 - 2mi
Eventually, they gave us the go signal and we were off running.  A 5k race started with us and this worked against me a bit as I got sucked up in the momentum and didn't manage my pace.  Normally, I'm excellent at finding the right pace which should have been around 8:30min/mi for the first run leg.  Instead, my first mile was 7:42 - oops!  That would be fine for an aggressive 5k but not for this.  I slowed up a bit and finished the route in 16:21.

T1
Transition was fairly quick.  No idea what the time was as the official splits haven't been posted anywhere I can find.  My heartrate was elevated higher than I wanted but I figured that would come down a bit once I got in my comfort zone on the bike.

Bike - 9.5mi
The bike started well except for one thing - my HR wouldn't budge!  This would be the downfall of my day.  No matter what I did my HR just did not want to recover.  Ok, ok, honestly I probably just wasn't patient enough to let it recover while out on the race course and I just kept pushing forward.  I had one spot where I slowed to a crawl as I wasn't 100% certain on the route and another where I dropped my water bottle (doh!).  It was a Camelbak Podium Big Chill so I pulled a quick u-turn and grabbed it - couldn't have cost me more than a couple seconds.  Unfortunately, in both instances my heart just kept on beating fast.  In the end I had a decent bike split of 28:17 but felt I could have done so much more had I taken it easy on the first run.

T2
By this point I was hyper-aware of my HR and intentionally took it a bit easier in transition.  I walked instead of running in transition and generally didn't rush anything.  Did it help?

Photos are thanks to my wife.

Run 2 - 2mi
Nope.  Relaxed transition or not, my HR was still up (did I mention the sweltering heat?).  I took off on the 2nd run which actually went the opposite direction from the 1st run leg.  This run was B-R-U-T-A-L.  By the 1/2mi mark I had slowed to a 10min/mi pace with a HR at max.  I had to do something so I walked and focused on my breathing.  I've walked once before in a race and ended up with a 5k PR so I knew walking a short while wouldn't kill me.  My HR slowed about 8bpm which isn't a lot but it was enough for me to give it another go.  I was doing better but still well off pace around 9min/mi then with only 1/2mi left to go I found my legs and was suddenly running around an 8min/mi.  Wow, a 2min/mi variance in the span of a single mile.  I crossed the finish line with a final run split of 17:38.

Overall
I crossed the line at 1:05:52.78 meaning I missed my realistically conservative goal by 53 seconds.  It was a weird feeling.  On one hand I was disappointed I missed the mark but on the other it was close enough I didn't think I could get too upset with myself.  It was clear what my issue was.  In my first duathlon my 2nd run was 6sec quicker than the first.  In this one I was 1:17 slower on the 2nd run.  I had clearly gone out too fast.  I knew it and it cost me.  If I had taken as little as 40sec longer on run 1 I would have been faster on the bike, in T2, and on run 2.  In the end, I would have hit my goal.  I know it.  When I got home and looked at the stats it was even more pronounced than I imagined.  AvgHR for Run1?  96% of MaxHR.  AvgHR on the Bike?  98% of MaxHR.  AvgHR for Run2?  97% of MaxHR.  Yeah, essentially I was at 97% MaxHR for over an hour in the hot Texas sun.  Surprised I didn't collapse.  In fact, something unexpected happened ......

Yep, 1st place Age Group!  Well, there was one guy in my age group who clobbered me by nearly 14 minutes (Really?  14 freaking minutes?), but he got 1st Overall so the Age Group award fell to me.  Heck, I don't get these often so I'll take it.  I wonder what I could do if I actually improved my running and had a tri bike?  Hmmm.

Try the Tri

Tri4SuccessMom and IronTexasMommy

Last weekend, the Try the Tri finally arrived.  This would be my wife's first triathlon.  It was originally planned to be my first as well but swimming is a work in progress.  As it is geared towards rookies (which made up about 2/3rds of the field), the distances are a hair shorter than the typical sprint tri with a swim of 250yds, a bike of 8mi, and a 2mi run to finish it off.  We knew the venue - it was the same as the Hooty's Kids Triathlon.  We also knew one of the volunteers, Shannon (aka IronTexasMommy).  She recently completed Ironman Texas and where did she get her start?  Yep, 2 years ago at Try the Tri.  If you're not familiar with her story, check out this article.

Pre-Race
With the hour-and-a-half drive to Decatur, TX and correlating early wake-up, it seemed prudent to ask the boys whether they wanted to come along or stay with my dad.  The little one chose a day with Paw-Paw while Julian wanted to witness his mom's first triathlon.  All the usual pre-race stuff was taken care of in terms of fueling the body, loading up the gear, and hitting the road with plenty of time to spare.

When we arrived I got her bike all set up while she checked in and got marked.  The field was capped at 100 athletes and Angelia would be starting 36th.  Then it was off to transition to get everything organized.  The racks were well labelled so there was no jockeying for position.  I thought it was nice that family was freely allowed in this area pre-race.  It probably helps a number of first-time competitors relax.  A stark contrast to the complete banishment of parents pre and post race at Julian's last kids tri.



Swim

Angelia just after entering the water in the top lane.

And they're off!  At 10sec intervals they enter the water starting with the swimmer that projected the fastest time.  I can only imagine what goes through the minds of those in the back of the line as they see that first swimmer glide through the water executing perfect under the rope flip turns.  Has to be nerve racking but that's the cool thing about this kind of event.  Almost everyone there is a bundle of nerves so you can't help but root for each other (which is pretty much standard for this awesome sport anyway).  Angelia entered the water and looked to be on good form.  Sure she got passed by the long-armed dude behind her but she made a pass as well.  Then around the 125yd mark I noticed a bit of a pause as she turned around.  The head was starting to lift and each time she hit the wall she seemed slightly less enthused to keep going.  I had no idea at the time what could possibly be bothering her on a swim of this distance.  Later it occurred to me the pool was heated and to put it simply - my wife and heat don't go together.  Post-race she confirmed that she was indeed over-heating in the pool.  Unfortunate and something we should have seen coming but she still completed the segment in a reasonable time.

T1
This went fairly well with only the small mistake of stepping on the transition mat with wet, grass-covered feet leaving her with no clean spot to stand while getting her shoes on.  Next time it'll be towel first then transition mat!  This combined with the lack of anything to grasp and a body recovering from overheating led to some balance issues while getting her socks and shoes on.  She ran out of transition with her bike looking ready to go but a traffic jam at the mount line slowed things for a moment.

Bike
With only 8mi for the bike leg, it didn't seem like this segment would present too much of a challenge and indeed she came in on the faster end of what we projected.  Apparently the course did have some toughness to it, especially considering this is a beginners' event.  Stretches of rough pavement were reported as well as it being a bit hillier than anticipated.  Check out this video where you can see Ang running to T1 at the 0:55 mark and on the bike at the 1:28 mark.

As a side note, while Angelia was out on the bike course Julian and I stood next to Shannon applauding each and every athlete as they came running towards transition from the pool.  The looks on their faces tell so many varying stories.  Shannon is such an enthusiastic volunteer, truly excited for these people and the journey they're beginning.  I appreciated having a moment to share in that.  Very inspiring.

T2
Angelia came flying in towards transition and had no problems with the dismount, unclipping a little early but not excessively so.  This being a rookie event you could see the fear in many as they had both feet unclipped and were slowing heavily a solid 200m from the dismount line.  As for Ang's transition, this one went very well.  The bike was on the rack in a flash, shoes changed, and she grabbed her Rockwall Running Center Race Team shirt to put on while running.

Run
Sponges were being handed out at the exit from transition and Angelia took advantage.  While the athletes clearly appreciated the opportunity to help control their body temps it should be pointed out that the weather that day was awesome!  When it has been triple-digits out recently and you manage to get a whole triathlon in with cloudy skies, minimal direct sunlight, lower wind speeds, and just flat-out great conditions you can't help being thankful, both as a competitor and a spectator.

Ang said the run started off uphill right away and her legs felt like bricks for about a mile and a quarter.  Replaying everything she ever heard from her running coach in her head is what kept her pushing through.  Most popular mantra?  "Suck it up."  Gotta love Coach B.  Eventually the legs did start to open up but she didn't push it opting to hold it steady to the finish.  Angelia came in right on target with a time of 1:06:39 for the event.  Big congrats!  Afterwards she said the run was the hardest segment for her but she's making great progress since the scary episode with the atypical migraine.  It's only a matter of time before her running returns to form and she knocks minutes off these times.  Congratulations to her and all the first-timers that slayed the triathlon dragon that day!

Look, I got a water!!! ..... and some bling too.

Angelia, Julian, and Vicki (another runner from our area that did her first triathlon)

Kids Tri at the J

So, if you were wondering why Julian didn't ride the Mesquite Rodeo Ride with us this year even though he had in the past, it's because he had a triathlon the next morning.  Originally we had him scheduled for the kids event at the Playtri Festival but switched to the Kids Tri at the J due to proximity.  The added bonus was the switch from Saturday to Sunday which allowed us to participate in the bike event in the first place.  Also, my mom happened to be in town helping with my sister's kids while she went for a little run in San Diego.  This was fortunate as it gave her an opportunity to see Julian in action for the first time.

As you may recall, 2 weeks prior he had participated in the Buffalo Creek Kids Triathlon.  We were surprised at his second consecutive struggle in the swim.  So much so that his big goal of the year (IronKids in Round Rock) got scratched.  Don't worry - he understands and is working hard to make sure he can be an IronKid next year.  Expect to see more on that in a future post.  This event was going to be a good stepping stone as the swim leg was 100m as opposed to the 50m of the last 2 events.  We were all curious how he'd handle it.  Well, he started off great!  The first length of the 33m pool was a solid swim.  Then he rolled onto his back and stayed there way too long veering side to side in the lane.  Kids were swimming around him and he just wasn't making progress.  There was no "race urgency" at all.  We've seen similar reactions before where he fails to distinguish between a training approach and a race.  As a result, his swim split was near the bottom of his age group placing 25th of 27.

The general lack of urgency continued in transition and was quite frustrating to watch.  Still, we hung on hope to the fact he sometimes starts slow and finds his groove as he goes.  I had set up his laces and we had practiced but it seemed like an eternity for the shoes to get on.  I'll be putting some Yankz on them in short order.

The bike route was 3mi long and looked to include at least one decent uphill segment.  There may have been more but we didn't scout the course so it was a bit of an unknown.  Julian's MO on the bike has been to have decent, but not great, efforts as his tendency is to reign things in a bit.  The average speed on his bike split seemed to indicate that's what happened once again.  However, he felt he pushed the bike pretty hard this time out and indeed he may have as he came in with the 4th best bike split in his age group.  Obviously he made up a lot of ground on the field with that result.  I believe he carried the momentum through transition though I didn't get to witness that (I was running across a field from my photo location).

The run, as most of you know by now, is Julian's strong suit.  This event like many others has a short run segment - in this case, only 1/2mi.  Unfortunately that works against him a bit as he's purely an endurance runner, not a sprinter, and 1/2mi just isn't enough time to do full damage on the field.  Even with that being said we were a bit surprised at first with his run placement putting him 11th out of the 27 competitors in his group.  We found out after he crossed the finish line that he had been fighting a stomach cramp that slowed him.  Oh well, that kind of thing can happen.  He still gutted out that 1/2mi and managed to finish 6th place in his age group.  Considering the hole he dug in the swim segment and the stomach cramps during the run, that was quite an impressive result.  There were positives (and lessons) to be taken from each phase.  The first pool length of the swim was excellent, the bike split placed highly, and the run was still respectable while fighting cramps.

All in all, with each triathlon he's getting closer to putting it all together.  He has the potential to absolutely demolish his current times and that day will surely come.  In the meantime there are some duathlons on the horizon so be ready for some eye-popping numbers.  While lack of urgency is sometimes a problem in kid-oriented events, that is a non-issue with full-blown adult events.  That's when he lays it all on the line (for proof, revisit the Fast&Furious race report).

My mom, Julian, Angelia, and the Amusing Athena (Jessica)

The American Heroes Race

It's been over a week since this race and I'm just now getting the recap posted.  Since then, Angelia and I have done a bike rally and Julian has done another triathlon.  By the time I get all 3 recaps posted, Angelia will be doing her first triathlon.  In other words, this blog is about to get heavy on the recaps.

The American Heroes Race was held on Memorial Day on a course around Texas Rangers Stadium.  Angelia and her running buddy Debbie were set to take on the 10k while Julian and I ran the 5k.  Julian had been doing the most running and expected to run well.  I think I had gotten out for a single 30 minute jog the week prior so I wasn't expecting greatness but felt I'd be fine.  Angelia and Debbie have both been overcoming injuries so their goal was simply to finish, preferably without walking, and in time for the 5k awards ceremony (in case Julian got anything).

Debbie, Angelia, Julian, and me pre-race

The day was hot, humid, and windy but frankly nowhere near as bad as it could've been.  There was a lot of cloud cover so at least the sun wasn't blaring down on us.  Julian and I weren't pre-registered so I headed over to the registration table to get us set up.  One problem .... I had no cash, no checks, and I forgot my ATM card.  Thankfully, Ang's mom swooped in to save the day!  We got our numbers pinned on, timing chips attached, and took the packets to the car (I somehow managed to get a spot literally across the street from the registration table).

The start was set up in 2 waves, one for those being chip-timed and one for those who weren't.  Julian and I got lined up, had a pre-race GU Jet Blackberry, listened to a good rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, watched a Blackhawk fly over, and it was time to race!

The first mile was very crowded but didn't feel congested.  It was like we had all agreed on a pace until things opened up.  It was a "just right" pace where I didn't feel like I was being held up too much and it kept me from taking off too fast.  Julian, as is typical early in a race, hung right with me.

Mile 1: 8:15

I told Julian to go on ahead, that the course was well marked and he has been training more on the run.  Once again he did his typical thing by pulling ahead of me by about a whopping 30ft then settled into the same pace constantly looking over his shoulder for me.

Mile 2: 7:45

The 5k and 10k routes split at this point with the 5k doing a quick turn-around before diverting around the ballpark.  Julian made the turn and I told him, "There's only a mile to go.  Kick it in!"  With that he suddenly darted forward weaving around everyone in his path.  This mile was strong for him and he smartly poured some water over his head at one of the aid stations (I didn't teach him that).  Me?  I maintained pace which was a good thing.

Mile 3: 7:47

The final stretch was all uphill in the wind.  Ugh!  It was also a bit longer than anticipated.  I did however succeed in my usual 5k goal - "to be close enough to see Julian cross the line".  The crowds were excellent with tons of cheering over the last quarter-mile.

Last .3mi: 7:43min/mi pace

Garmin says ..... 3.29mi in 26:00 for an avg pace of 7:55min/mi with a peak pace of 6:31min/mi.

Official results say:
Julian - 25:21.2 - 1/9 Age 9-10
Chris - 26:01.1 - 8/21 Age 35-39

All in all I thought it was a great race for both of us.  Not PR's but right in line with our best previous efforts even with the wind and humidity.  We knew we'd have some time before Ang and Debbie finished their 10k so we did what everyone does after a 5k ...... sit in a Blackhawk.

No, you may not take off.

The organizers began prepping for the awards ceremony and still no sign of the girls.  People migrated from their posts as cheering spectators along the final stretch to the award table.  Suddenly the finish was looking somewhat abandoned.  I hated that Angelia wasn't going to get the roar of the crowd that greeted Julian and I.  Even worse, by this point I knew Julian had won his age group and was worried she was going to miss it.  Remember, her modest goal going into the event was "Finish in time for the award ceremony."  Then ....

There they are!  Easily recognizable from a distance in their matching Rockwall Running Center race shirts.  This was going to be just like the Trinity River Levee Run earlier this year where after her first 10k I gave her a quick congrats and rushed her over to see Julian get his award!  Ang and Debbie crested the final hill holding onto each other basically willing each other to the finish.  It was clear the run had been a struggle but they were still putting one foot in front of the other and were almost there!  With a final surge they crossed the line - tired but happy.  This wasn't how they planned things when they put this race on the calendar but considering all the challenges of the previous month it was a clear victory.

And yes, she got to see Julian get his 1st place award.

Angelia, Julian, and Debbie after the awards ceremony.

After that, it was off to IHOP and then my dad's house where Connor was already having some good ol' Memorial Day fun!

Why swim when you can ride on a grandparent?

Buffalo Creek Kids Triathlon

So, I haven't done much any blogging this past week, but there's plenty of time to get to the details of another "race-pace" group ride failure on my part.  Besides, all the cool kids were at Ironman Texas - a BIG TEXAS SIZED CONGRATS to Shannon and Jeff (and props to Jason for volunteering)!

The Tri4Success family did have it's own event this weekend and that was the Buffalo Creek Kids Triathlon.  This was the event that started it all in September of 2009.

September 2009

May 2011

The weather was overcast and Julian was prepared for this race - right down to the carb loading.

Complete with Ritchey cycling cap, Timex Ironkids watch, and Hooty's Kids Tri t-shirt.

The Swim - 50m
Like 2 weeks ago at the Hooty's Kids Tri, the swim was a struggle.  He probably covers a minimum of 600m in his lessons but for some reason 50m in a race is a different story.  The form completely disappeared and his head was fully above the water for the majority of the distance.  This time he said he was bothered by the tri top and felt like he couldn't breathe.  I think it was more likely the temperature of the water which was reportedly very cold.  Either way it mentally unraveled him and he was very aware he was not at his best.
(Unofficial) Swim time: 1:50

T1 - swim to bike
The swim carried over into transition which wasn't terrible but lacked his usual urgency.  As a parent you learn to pick up on the little things that indicate how things are going.  When he ran towards the mount line with both hands on the bike instead of the usual single relaxed hand on the saddle, I knew right then that the confidence and aggression he came into the event with was vanishing.
(Unofficial) T1 time: 1:28

Bike - 3mi
The bike course is unique as the first half is on a path, which of course offers less passing room as well as some tighter turns.  Gear selection and short accelerations are important here.  Julian's ridden it before but not in a long time and never on his road bike.  The second half is on concrete streets through a neighborhood with what can be classified as hills for the smaller folk this event caters to.  All things considered I expected to see Julian back in transition in about 12-1/2 minutes.  He came around the corner a bit later than expected and rode a bit casually coming into transition but word is he was making a lot of passes out on the course.  Talking to him later he felt like he had a strong ride but admitted he wasn't completely on top of his game (hence no pro-style dismount this time).
(Unofficial) Bike time: 13:44

T2 - bike to run
I was running with the camera and Connor during this and got there in time to see him go out on the run but missed the actual transition.  Angelia said he was very careful laying his bike down (no racks) but otherwise had a good T2.  It seemed that with each phase of the triathlon he was getting more and more into his groove.
(Unofficial) T2 time: Who knows?  I forgot to hit the lap button!

Run - 0.5mi
As Julian headed out on his run, we all chatted a bit about how it was going so far.  This is probably a good time to mention that he had quite a group of fan support.  There was my riding buddy Keith, his wife Barbara, Julian's teacher (Coach Johnson), my dad (Paw-Paw), and the Amusing Athena (Jessica).  Thanks to all for coming out to support him!  Before I could even really get into a conversation .... there he was!  He was already flying down the finishing stretch clearly on form and feeling good.  He completed the triathlon and got his medal while acknowledging the many Rockwall Cycling and team Tri-ProSoap guys that recognized him.
(Unofficial) Run time: No idea due to the earlier missed lap button.  However T2 plus the run was 4:39 so the run was likely less than 4 minutes meaning a sub-8min/mi pace.

(Unofficial) TOTAL TIME: 21:41

Post-Race
Julian summed this race up best by saying "the swim was rough but the rest was smooth - definitely better than Hooty's".  All in all it was a successful event that was well run and supported.  I know Julian appreciated all the fan support.  The back-to-back swim struggles in races does leave some things to be resolved before determining what's next for our junior triathlete (IronKids or not?).  Rest assured, there is a plan and Julian is eager to take on the challenge.  Look for details in a future post.  In the meantime, congrats to him on completing his 3rd triathlon (and 4th multi-sport event)!

Post-Post-Race
Julian's favorite Athena, Jessica, joined us afterwards for some awesome breakfast at a local favorite - Chiloso's.  After the food had some time to settle, she went on a 14mi bike ride with Julian and Angelia (first ride on the new bike!).  I was glad to see Angelia get out on her new wheels and I know it was a highlight of Julian's day.

The Hooty's Kids Triathlon

Saturday was a big day.  It was the Hooty's Kids Triathlon which would mark Connor's first ever tri and serve as a warm-up event for Julian.  This is 1 of only 2 triathlons I've found that allow the under 6 crowd to participate and the other isn't till October.  This one was in Decatur, TX, a solid 90 minute drive, which meant the boys got the full triathlon experience complete with 5am wake-up.  They did really well though with nothing beyond standard 5am fussiness.

Then we arrived ....... and the one stumbling block I didn't plan for reared its ugly head.  You see, Connor doesn't like markings on his skin.  Stickers are OK but no temporary tattoos or writing and what's the first thing they do when you check in for a triathlon?  Yep, mark your bib number and race age.  The idea of that led to a lot of crying, some screaming, and Connor walking back to the car.  It wasn't until all of Julian's stuff had been unloaded and set up in transition that he finally calmed down enough to get marked so he could race.  In this photo, they're listening to the pre-race briefing with Tri4SuccessMom behind them and Shannon (IronTexasMommy - Good luck at IMTX!) next to her.  Shannon's daughter was the youngest competitor in a field of almost 40 kids and Connor was likely the 2nd youngest (there were four 4-yr olds).  Check out her race report here.

Connor was one of the first kids in the water.  Swimming has been a struggle for him this year as he grew quite a bit over the winter and is nowhere near as buoyant as he was.  When asked if he wanted his mom in the water to assist he declined --- prepared to take the 25yds on.  Once in the water it was much as we expected with him fighting just to stay afloat.  The fighting spirit shined through, he fought his absolute hardest to make it work, and did eventually make it across.

As Connor was exiting the pool, Julian was beginning his 50yd swim.  I didn't witness this part but apparently it was a struggle too.  Whereas we expected that with Connor, this was a surprise.  His warm-up in swim lessons is more intense so this should have been a piece of cake.

Julian runs to transition where I'm still helping Connor.  I helped him push his bike to the mount line but once again he declined any help on the course, embarking on a 1mi ride alone.  The course was 1/2mi long so the little ones did 2 laps while the older kids did 4.  Check out Julian as he exits and re-enters transition with his bike.  This is one area where he showed his experience and excelled - total pro.  The ride itself was unfortunately a bit rough with a lack of confidence in the turnarounds and just more laborious than it should have been.  Connor meanwhile would coast occasionally as his focus would drift but he completed the route with no problems.

Once in from the bike, it's run time.  This is Julian's natural strong suit and the area I initially was most concerned about Connor with.  One mile for Julian is nothing, but 1/2mi for a 4yr old is not a distance to take lightly.  Julian took off on his first of 2 laps around the hospital before Connor came in on the bike.

Once it was time for Connor to run though, he took off!  This is the one stage where I accompanied him though he did a great job following route signs.  The pace was solid, frequently around 11 minute miles (I checked my Garmin just for grins).  The last 1/4mi was mostly on grass where the pace slowed a bit but he kicked it in for a strong solo finish to the line.

TRIATHLON FINISHED!  Connor crossed that line and got his medal right away.  He asked me if he won to which I replied, "Did you finish?"  "Yes."  "Then you won."  He also gave the classic answer to the question of whether or not he wanted to do one again --- "No ..... eh, yes!"

Julian crossed the line shortly after looking completely exhausted.  Not sure what happened but the event just didn't go as planned for him.  It was a struggle from start to finish even though the distances were all relatively short.  Needless to say, it was a bit of a wake-up call for him in a number of ways.  He's very focused on IronKids in June which will be a MUCH tougher event so I think he's ready to learn from this and move on.  Connor is so proud that he wore the event t-shirt and medal for the rest of the day.  He's also very eager to do another.  Unfortunately I don't know of another event for him until October.  In the end, both boys did a great job completing a multisport event that the vast majority of their peers would never attempt.  A big congratulations to both!