for as long as I can remember, outdoor activity and exercise have been a huge part of my dad's life. he swam competitively in college, ran the Boston marathon when I was a toddler, led us on hikes and backpacking expeditions when I was a kid, and continues to participate in triathlons and Masters swim meets now in his 60s. during previous Geigerpalooza reunions, he has organized various family athletic events including a run/walk through a local nature preserve, and a hike up a nearby mountain with arrangements to paraglide back down to the base. when we were tossing around ideas for this summer's get-together, he mentioned it would be fun for those so inclined to participate in a local sprint triathlon (1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 5K/3 mile run) and those otherwise inclined to spectate. for various reasons, we realized that that wasn't going to pan out, so next he thought of holding our own mini triathlon suitable for even the youngest members to join. and it was the cutest thing ever!
walking down to the lakefront
the water was pretty chilly and the "beach" was quite rocky -- but they gallantly went in!
Mom and I stayed ashore to watch the little ones (and to be honest, I was perfectly happy staying dry myself!)
the sun finally came out from behind the clouds
then it was time to come out of the water and switch to biking mode! Dad, Kelli, and Kira have all done actual triathlons so they were giving helpful pointers on the transition process.
"we have to put socks on our WET FEET?!?!" (also, MAJOR points to Mom for taking Cece on a special Grammie/Cece date the day before to get a new pair of sneakers since we left both of her pairs in Pittsburgh...)
and then they were off! Elizabeth didn't have a bike and so I just assumed I would be keeping her with me, but she headed off down the path with Kira and Patrick and by the time I finished taking photos at the "start line", they were nowhere to be found. in the video below, you can see they got a bit creative with the modes of transportation -- biking, running, walking, and even piggy-back riding. Dad led the pack on an out-and-back course down the paved trail. when the girls finished the bike portion, they ran back down the path to meet up with us, and whoever crossed the white line first was declared the official winner.
James ran the whole way with the girls on their bikes, now heading back to the start of the bike course and getting ready to run right back down the same path!
yes, we all had matching Geigerpalooza shirts for the first time ever
then it was back to the house so the designated dinner crew could start cooking. a certain daughter was out of sorts about coming in a very close second after her younger sister. she was a good sport but just stayed quiet when we came back to the house.
after dinner, Dad pulled from his abundant stash of race medals for our very own award ceremony. the look on Greta's face when she realized she was also getting a medal was so sweet to see. and what do you know, we all won First in our particular category! we all went to bed that night feeling like champions. and that, my friends, is a very good way to end the day.
didn't realize *quite* how gray the underside of my hair is -- oh my!
slow-mo cheering to the Chariots of Fire theme song
I could totally see the Martin clan doing a family triathlon!! And the memories are so worth it. Did it take us a ridiculous amount of time to pack up the cars with baby swim stuff, towels, shoes, sunscreen, towels, bikes, snacks, and then figure out who was going in which car, and then unload all the stuff and haul it down to the waterfront? Yes, but since we were all together it was just part of the adventure. (Also major props to my younger siblings who are fully grown and lean hard into the fun aunt/uncle role to help with the toddler crew!)
good morning, Kate. Coming back to read this later, but I wanted to reach out and ask you for your email address so I can share my story link with you. ;)
it feels a bit preposterous to sit down and type out a list of woes on my personal laptop, in my own heated house, while my four healthy children nap or play (respectively) and I sip on a San Pellegrino flavored water from a case that a neighbor on our Buy Nothing group just gifted us. and yet. and yet! there has been quite a bit of woe in the last several weeks and I want to complain about it, so I shall. at the top of the list: car woes. not one, but two of Nick's cars were hit by other drivers within the past month. fortunately he was not injured, but working on his cars is essentially therapy for him -- so he lost not just two vehicles in his fleet, but also the time that was required to deal with insurance and police reports, and the emotional benefit of his favourite hobby. this car was rear-ended while parked. Nick wasn't actually in the car, but saw it happen -- the driver of the SUV in the photo below was driving full speed in the right hand lane and didn't reali
dear Victoria, sometimes I scoop you up and can't stop myself from squishing your little body right into my chest, and nuzzling my face into your neck until you squeal with giggles. you are just so darn cute! you can spend up to an hour scooting around the family room playing with various toys -- recently you've started to be interested in baby dolls and the Fisher Price doll house. you mostly army crawl, but sometimes you pull yourself forward when you're sitting, too, and a few times you've been able to launch forward an inch or so from a bona fide crawling position. you can stand supported for a little while, but you're not close to pulling up by yourself yet. we had another wonderful report from the orthopedic surgeon this month. both hips remain in place. your left hip has what they call a "delayed ossification center", meaning that it's still primarily cartilage since the hip socket didn't form properly to begin with, but the doctor said tha
you love sitting in the Boppy! (your little toes are just too cute) dear Victoria, you are well and truly into babyhood now -- I feel like every day your face changes a little, new rolls of chub appear on your arms and thighs, and you figure out a new way to express yourself, mostly through your constantly expanding "vocabulary". obviously, you're a ways off from speaking words, but you squawk, squeak, trill, chortle, grunt, snort, and make just about every other sound imaginable. you get especially loud and exuberant at night when it's time for bed! you continue to be the happiest little babe, belly-laughing at your sisters and grinning up at Daddy and me whenever we look at you. Greta says you look like a raspberry pie with your round, rosy cheeks! she also calls you her little chicken nugget, and Cece calls you "Vicky Micky". you are finally rolling front-to-back, and are just a hair away from rolling back-to-front (you'll get 3/4 of the way there a
Ummm okay, I want to be just like your dad when I am a grandparent - SO MUCH FUN!!
ReplyDeleteI could totally see the Martin clan doing a family triathlon!! And the memories are so worth it. Did it take us a ridiculous amount of time to pack up the cars with baby swim stuff, towels, shoes, sunscreen, towels, bikes, snacks, and then figure out who was going in which car, and then unload all the stuff and haul it down to the waterfront? Yes, but since we were all together it was just part of the adventure. (Also major props to my younger siblings who are fully grown and lean hard into the fun aunt/uncle role to help with the toddler crew!)
Deletegood morning, Kate. Coming back to read this later, but I wanted to reach out and ask you for your email address so I can share my story link with you. ;)
ReplyDelete