"TRI"-ing it with the Joneses

This weekend each member of the Jones family participated in a triathlon.  (yes, William too!)  Bobby and I were registered for the Enka Triathlon at Biltmore Lake, and this past week we learned of a Kids Triathlon Friday evening at the same location.  We asked both boys if they wanted to participate and got a resounding "yes!"

William's inaugural triathlon was a "micro" - 20 yard open water swim, 1 mile bike and 1/3 mile run.  Parental assistance was welcomed and encouraged as the goal is to introduce kids to the sport of triathlon and just have fun!  William did fabulous, grinning the whole way, and was thrilled to receive a Finisher's popsicle. (Kuddos to dad who assisted with the swim and Thompson who cheered him on every step of the way.)

Thompson opted for the most challenging of the three youth triathlons, the "sprint" - 75 yard open water swim, 4.4 mile bike and 1.0 mile run.  He raced against nine other boys aged 9-14.  This was by far the most challenging tri he has participated in to-date.  He was second to last out of the swim and was able to pick up a spot on the first bike lap, but a side stitch got the best of him in the run.  Nevertheless, he was the fastest 7-year old in the field!

We are also super proud of Thompson's friend Abby and her brother Charley for completing their first triathlons.  It is always great to have friends join in the fun!  Charley participated in the "micro" tri with William and Abby took 3rd in the girls "sprint".

As for Bobby and me, we had a great morning.  Our first triathlon of the season was definitely a challenge - 750 meter open water swim, 17.5 mile bike (with hills!) and 3.1 mile run - and our 35-39 age group is a competitive one.  As we tell Thompson, the goal is to try your best and have fun.  Finishing is an accomplishment in and of itself!

Avery - 2:10:46
Swim 18:01
T1 1:03 (6th fastest of women)
Bike 1:17:46
T2 1:01 (25th fastest of the women)
Run 32:57
43rd female overall (63 participants)
9th 35-39 female age group (11 participants)

Bobby - 1:52:11
Swim 17:16
T1 1:19
Bike 1:05:54
T2 1:01
Run 26:54
69th male overall (103 participants)
13th 35-39 male age group (14 participants)

And to conclude the day: family movie night.

No. 59 takes 5th

This year marks the inaugural season of the Carolina Kid's Multisport Race Series here in Asheville.  The first race two weeks ago was cancelled, so this morning's youth triathlon at Cliffs at Walnut Cove marked race number one.  Given the distances of the 9 and Under category (and his prior experience with triathlons and bike races), Thompson elected to "race up", competing in the 10-12 year old division.  He completed 125-yard pool swim, 2.6 mile bike ride and a 1.0 mile run in 27:42.  We knew the swim would be his greatest challenge, but coming out of the pool second to last didn't phase him one bit - he made great time in transition and on the bike, finishing 5th out of 14 young athletes.

Thompson was also joined today by his dear friend Jillian, and it was great to see them supporting and encouraging one another.  This was her first triathlon and she did great!  And as we continue to tell Thompson (and J) - the most important things are that you try your very best and HAVE FUN!  And to celebrate, crepes at Nay-Nay and Herbie's house!

Last Day of 1st Grade

What a fabulous year Thompson has had!  Sadly, he missed his last two days of school due to a persistent fever, but thankfully he was able to celebrate Miss Bloomberg's last day with his class and Mrs. Watson on Monday with a luau party.  He shed a few "happy-sad" tears when he said good-bye to Miss B and Mrs. Watson fought back some as well.

Fledged

My little ones have fledged! I had hoped to snap daily pictures this past week chronicling their growth, but momma and papa robin thought otherwise. Any time we walked on the back porch (even to water the plants) we'd get dive-bombed by them. Needless to say, they've been protective of their trio. Well, I thought I'd try this afternoon and surprisingly mom and dad were no where in sight. As you can see, we can clearly see two birds. I figured the third was either hidden underneath or had fledged.

Fast forward about 4 hours and look what I found!

So, today was the day! Thanks Mr. & Mrs. Robin for letting us share in this journey with you.