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's about time for a good old airing of the grievances. while we have ever so much for which to give thanks, sometimes we need the catharsis of enumerating our woes, big and small. (you can read the 2023 edition here.) _________________________________________ first up, potty training. I buckled down and trained Greta and Cecilia both around age 2 1/2, and it went fairly well (I'm a big fan of waiting until the kid is practically ready to train themselves). Elizabeth turned 2 1/2 near the end of the school year, and logically it seemed like a great time to buckle down -- we wouldn't be driving around to after school sports and activities and we'd have more time at home. I kept waiting for the day when I'd wake up full of excitement and motivation to strip off the diaper and chase a naked toddler around the house. and ... shockingly ... that day never came. then we were preparing for our trip to Seattle in July and it definitely didn't seem like the right time...
Easter was "late" this year, April 20, which has the added benefit of slightly warmer temperatures. it always seems incongruous to me when Easter falls at the end of March and all the pretty Easter dresses are covered up by coats and we might have to choose snow boots rather than sandals! this was the first year Elizabeth was allowed to be more involved with hands-on egg dyeing and she was so excited. I bought the "deluxe" PAAS kit with extra supplies to make glittery and foil-bedecked eggs and somehow, by the grace of God, did not end up with glitter all over the house. I don't know how this one was so blurry but you get the idea! Greta's pastel eggs Cece's jewel-toned eggs I debated once again about which Easter mass to attend. we have attended the evening vigil once before , but that involves a lot of faith and perhaps a dash of insanity to attempt solo with young kids. so we typically go Easter morning, but I asked the older girls about it and they...
volume 1 volume 2 volume 3 volume 4 volume 5 1) Trader Joe's. prior to this week, I hadn't set foot in a Trader Joe's in years. the closest ones to me are at least a twenty-minute drive (as opposed to Giant Eagle and Aldi which are ten minutes away), and since they don't offer curbside pickup or delivery, I couldn't even peruse their offerings to decide if I wanted to pay a visit. but Greta has been asking me to pick up these PB&J snacks that her friends bring to school, and I keep hearing about amazing products TJ's offers (mostly from the hilarious Girls Next Door podcast -- every show with a TJ's mention is linked here !). for some reason, I was thinking that Trader Joe's price point was even with Whole Foods (or as it is sometimes known, Whole Paycheck), so I wasn't in a big rush to check it out. finally, last week I had a rare pocket of time after dropping Greta off for a school event close to a TJ's location and decided to take 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