So 6 months ago when Bob booked our Bahamas trip leaving on June 5th, I failed to connect that I had registered us to run a race on June 4th up in Show Low. I LOVED the Dueces Wild Triathlon last year and couldn't wait to get Bob up there to do it with me so I had registered way in advance. When I finally put all of the pieces together, I couldn't help but laugh about it. Sure......we can go camping/racing Friday through Sunday, fly home, repack and leave for 10 days on Monday right?
So that is just what we did. I blame the stress, but I entered the weekend on the verge of what became a major cold and if it wasn't for the fact that Lily was registered to run her triathlon again, I might have put a cabosh on the whole weekend. We briefly talked about not going, but then we thought, "Hey, its hot down here in the valley, and we have to stay indoors, why not go up there and be outside!"
Evie Frances snuck in an afternoon 3 hour power nap in the car, so the face above pretty much tells you how our first night in the woods went.
The girls love camping, they really do. Bob bought a super cheap little 2 person Walmart tent and we take that up and pitch it for their toys. They have their own little playroom onsite and they love it.
They are so cute. I just cannot get over it. I revel in these pictures because one day they will be beautiful grown ups with all this kid left behind and it will be fun to remember. Lily lost her second front tooth on the day that we left for the mountains. I LOVE her smile. Its perfect and everything it should be right now!
Many thanks to my girlfriend Bridgit for letting us crash her reserved campsite. It was PERFECT with an amazing playground within a short walking distance. We Longmires had some fun.
Saturday was a great morning.........I got to drive myself to Starbucks for starters! We lounged around camp and I read my book.....my cold was settling in nicely unfortunately and i felt less than awesome. Bob and Lily went through Lily's pre race check on her bike to make sure everything was ready for her triathlon and the kids played in all the dirt they could find.
Later that afternoon we went to the race site and Lily walked right up to the counter to check in and get her goody bag.
Lily's dream of owning a fidget spinner (I hate those things) came true when it was a goodie in her race bag (thank you Dueces Wild :) ). Lily is learning quickly that the goodies are worth doing the races!
Lily's race was a great experience........more to come on that next.
After she was done we played around camp and then got ourselves geared up to run our Olympic the next day.
(Bob and the girls swam across the lake right by our camp.....can you see them?)
The girls loved cooking dinner over the fire and Lily discovered the amazing combination of M & Ms on marshmallows.
The morning of our race came and I won't lie.....I felt less than awesome. Thankfully I had nothing to prove and simply was ready to enjoy my time out on the course racing with my husband.
Oh....that same husband, by the way, who grabbed the wrong tri kit (my other one) and managed to wear it better.......but, whatever.
The race is small and really well run. We all lined up at the start of the swim for an 8AM start. Bob headed out with the guys and then I started a bit later.
Fools Hollow Lake is nice for an Arizona Lake. Its a bit on the shallow side, but the water was a crisp 64 and perfect swimming conditions. I settled nicely into my swim and loved it. My lungs were cloudy from my cold so it was a little challenging, but swimming is my thing and it was good.
Bob and I both hopped on our bikes and headed out on course. The #1 reason I really love this race is the bike course. It is gorgeous up there and such a fun ride. It's challenging while being very doable and just beautiful. Oh its wonderful and I enjoyed every mile.
I felt reasonable on the bike and was able to keep my speed over 19 mph which for me is really great! I came into transition ready to run, but hoping the heat and my cold werenT going to conspire against me.
I will admit, the run wasn't my strength and I may have stopped to walk a couple of times. I also found a few teammates on the route and ran with them. If there is one thing the past couple of months has shown me is that when your body speaks, you better listen. So I did and kept it chill. Even chill I can hold a decent pace so I finished the run under the hour mark.
Bob nailed his event. I think Olympics are his wheelhouse. The guy can throw down on a bike and has the long legs and easy stride to cruise into a strong finish. We both came across the line with smiles on our faces.
Even under the weather I managed to come in 3rd in my age group which goes to show....I still got it. This race has my heart for sure and I love that I can share it with my family. Next year Evie will be old enough for it and maybe, just maybe it can be an entire family event!
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