I wonder if I can ever make it through something without having issues. Maybe it will be my next years New Year's Resolution...Live Life Issue Free. Although I really don't think I'm the cause of the issues...just boils down to the fairness moral of mine.
We arrived for the Tiny Triathlon this morning and got all registered and waited. There were many more volunteers than I think there were participants and parents, friends and family combined!
It was a great event, although a little unorganized which was to be expected for the first year.
My son is clearly not a swimmer. He was the only one in his age group without goggles and he wore his contacts, which made it all the much more difficult to swim.
The age groups were 14 and under, 12 and under, 10 and under and 8 and under. Boys and girls participated together. The youngest competitor was 5.5 while the oldest was 14. The kids were all marked with numbers...100's, 200's, 500's, 600's. It appeared that the 12 and under group were in the 500's and the oldest group were the 600's. As there were only 7 kids total in the two oldest groups, they doubled them up in the pool lanes and had them go together. Of course, nothing was explained about the numbering system or the combining of the heats.
The whistle blew and off they went. Swimming as hard as possible. And then there was my son! He did swim his heart out, constantly drifting to the left side lane divider and then back to the right and back again. He was trying to swim with the others, but after the second lap, it was pretty obvious that he just couldn't. The third lap he switched to the back stroke, a much slower stroke and during this lap the first girl exited the pool. By the time he started the fourth lap, there was only one left in the pool. I felt his pain...I wondered if he wanted to quit.
But he didn't. He persisted, swimming as hard as he could. All the participants were at the bike getting their shoes on as my son hit the wall with his hand, then his head. Yep, that would be my son!
Fortunately he was OK and off he ran to his bike. One of his fellow baseball teammates, also a 5k runner, was participating as well. I told my son to do his best and try to keep up with him. We had also asked if it was necessary to put on a shirt to do the biking and the running as that would take time. He didn't have to, although it was a somewhat cooler morning and my son was determined he wouldn't bike without one. At least that's what he thought waiting, shivering in the pool for the event to begin. When he got to his bike, the transition was awesome. While he was over 25yds behind his fellow teammate, he wasn't that far behind him on the bike.
He had gained ground on a few of the contestants. The bike was 1.5 miles. He did really well with it. What surprised me the most, was his running. It seemed like the run was never going to end. They had them zigging and zagging up and around and through and guessing when the race might end. It wasn't like they ever could see the finish line. There was twice when I thought they were going to the finish line to learn that they had to go around another way first. The 14 year old had a racing bike and did extremely well in the biking. He was tall and lanky and looked really athletic. My son kept up with him in the run, initially and then...he passed him!
Honestly, I had tears in my eyes...no way did I ever think that my son, struggling in the pool, flailing, hitting the wall had any chance to finish anything but second to last, at best. I should have had more faith in him. I was proud of him for pushing on. For being determined, for not giving up. For he clearly during that race exemplified motivation, desire and drive. While I wasn't in his shoes, I'm sure he was stronger than I ever could be.
He raced on and on and on. At one point I saw him grab his side and figured he had a cramp. I wondered how his breathing was going, despite him using the inhaler. I worried all the motherly things. There was one boy ahead of him...a 600 kid. Then in the homestretch the 14 year old looked like he was going to give it his all, but he came nowhere near catching my son. Of the seven, my son finished 2nd, first in the 500 group.
My son was thrilled and said, "I finished 1st mom!" His teammate finished what seemed like a longtime later, 4th across the finish line behind the 14 year old.
When the top three were announced, we were stunned to learn, as were his friends parents, that my son won 2nd place. Apparently the 600 markings were for a separate heat, not for age, although the 14 year old was a 600.
Never seems to fail that I have some issue when we participate in recreational events. I tried to inquire of the director, which we battled it out a few years ago at a ping pong tournament when a 12 year old was competing in an 11 and under group...apparently he was 11 as of the December before which was three months earlier. Why there was a cutoff date three months prior to a ping pong event, still baffles me. Anyway, I'm still working the 12 step program on that issue.
Anyway, it was a great event. After talking to the other kids mom and being told he was 12, as well as three staff members, he was 12.5. So he was at least 1.5 years older than my son. Regardless, my son, the underdog of swimming...far surpassed what anyone could have imagined after the swim!
And regardless of how he finished, I'm so proud to be his mom! I witnessed his strength and perseverance, his drive and motivation and his love for the competition.
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