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A Renaissance Woman

4/30/12

#Mamavation Monday - Still Hanging On!

Mamavation
Ladies, ladies thank you so much for your words of support and encouragement. This is why it's so helpful to belong to a group that really does seem to get it week to week. It's up and down and all around. My to do list is a mile long but let me tell you this! What I saw today was a reminder of how important fitness and good health is for all of us. Today I was in a place that is a public office. Every person working there was over weight. I mean obese. They were stuck inside cubicles with their fast food drinks displayed on their desks. It was a real eye opener. All it said to me is that these folks work really hard and they multitask at their jobs and I'm sure by the time they get through serving the public there is no energy for anything else. It reminded me that as I have been recently swamped with work and chained to this computer that I MUST shut it off. There has to be some balance. I'm thankful for the group! I'm thankful that my gym, my trainer is on Facebook and Twitter to say "HEY! Get ur ars in here!" This is what I need. Too often we get overwhelmed and we lose sight of our health. We sleep less, we eat like crap for convenience and we forget fitness because we are too tired. It's easy to do! So please don't forget to reach out. There is nothing wrong with a reminder. It helps us to refocus our priorities and get back on track to what is important. At the end of the day, no one gives a rats patooty if you post. No one cares if you tweet or update your status! If you don't get to that email you don't. At the end of the day it's the people that aren't on your monitors that are important. Those are the ones you need to engage with. Give yourself permission to get up and walk away and be ok with it. It's almost like I'm writing this to myself isn't it?

Still working on: Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Eating out: IHOP, Dominoes Pizza, Chilis - Whoa this is more eating out that usual.

My Work Outs this past week-
4/23 Monday -
4/24 Tuesday - Crossfit
4/25 Wednesday -
4/26 Thursday -  
4/27 Friday -
4/28 Saturday -
4/29 Sunday -

Scale Reading-  Lost a pound.Total of 3 pounds down this month.

Stress Level - Coming down thanks to a few key people.

The UP side-I'm getting my ducks in a row STILL!

Injury prevention is important!
Be a good role model.
A special reminder for us all...







Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

  • The long term goal 37 pounds by the end of the year.
  • The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month. 
    • January 172 - 160 = 12 pound loss
    • February 165 - 161 = 4 pound loss
    • March 166- 165 = 1 pound loss
    • April 165 - 162 = 3 pound loss
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December


 

Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

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What is in Nail Polish?

What is in nail polish is exactly what I thought when I heard my son say, "Mommy.....Silly is painting herself all over her hands!" What is he talking about? She is suppose to be taking a nap. Oh foolish parent that I am trusting a three year old to be sleeping soundly in her room. I painted her piggy toes and nails before church this morning and I'm pretty sure I put that nail polish away. She can climb you know. At some point after we put her down for a nap she snuck downstairs and found the polish and took it back to her room without anyone hearing or seeing her.
Much to my horror this is what I found....Really little man, really? I mean look at her. You can't smell that? I asked him. No! Even though her big brother is right next door to her apparently he his oblivious to paint fumes.
pink nail polish
She painted her little toy family van too. There was nail polish all over her floor. What is in nail polish was a concern because she has a tendency to put her fingers in her mouth. I tried soap and water at first. It didn't work at all so it was time to ask Dr. Google! That's right, when in doubt and you need an answer quickly just search for it. We have a very small supply of nail polish remover, not enough to deal with this mess. The suggestion was hair spray which we have a pretty descent supply but would it work?
The remaining nail polish remover that we had was tried first but we had a long way to go to get it removed. Hairspray it is and so we began the scrubbing process.
It seems to be rolling off but not without effort. It was better than the nail polish remover though but it was sticky!
One hand down and one to go!

Hairspray! Who knew? Apparently some awesome person that shared it on Google. Thank you.
Both hands are free and clear from paint. But what about her face?
Oh sure she's all smiles but the scrubbing hasn't begun yet. I'm crossing my fingers.
I couldn't spray it all over her face so I opted for a wash towel and then tried to wipe her face in the opposite direction of how she applied the paint.
It was really sticky and unpleasant but it was working. Poor thing. Hopefully she will not paint herself any more.
Finally, there is that precious little face! Now what do I do for the hair? I think I'm just going to let her be cool and  have pink highlights while we wait for it to wash out. I'm not sure what is in nail polish but I think for her I might just stick with Piggy Pain for little people. At least I know it's non-toxic so if she does decide to give herself a paint job she won't get sick! In case it crossed your mind as to why in the world would you grab a camera? It keeps me from losing it! She's just a child and capturing it helps me find the humor in the situation. Besides I can't be the only victim of the Nail Polish Debacle!




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4/29/12

5 Fingers of Thanks


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1. Thankful I got caught up on my blogging.
2. Thankful I was put in a situation that allowed me to understand my worth and how valuable what I do can really be for someone else.
3. Thankful I got to finally go to a blog conference.
4. Thankful for how much I learned and how great it felt to be among people who understand what I do.
5. Thankful to have finally gotten some sleep! 

When I first started this meme I would put up a linky but found no one really wants to come out and play on a Sunday so I removed it so it wouldn't be sitting there lonely and empty. lol
But if you find yourself thinking you would like to share your thanks with me, please leave it in the comment section so I can share in your joy!


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4/28/12

BlogathonATX 2012 - The Rookie Experience

BlogathonATX first popped up in my Facebook Fan Page stream. The event is located in Austin which is about a four hour drive for me. Would I actually be able to attend? Would the universe finally align in a way that would allow me to attend? After all I have been out here for five years and have never been able to attend any conferences.

It happened! Finally my universe was aligning. Translation, my husband was agreeable to watching the kids, it wasn't out of state therefore I didn't have to worry about an airline ticket and I wouldn't have to hire a dog sitter for our furry babies. Now all I had to do was see if I could gather some sponsorship for all that gas. Insert Karen Nelson owner of an interior design firm, Design with Your Dime in Mind and Matthew Johnson my go to graphics designer owner of Seventhfury Studios. They provide fantastic services and I LOVE working with both of them. If your curious click on the hyperlinks to see their portfolios. There is nothing better than having people who support what you do. It can make you all warm and fuzzy inside.

First up rookie mistake #1 - No business cards. That part of my universe didn't align at all. There was absolutely no way for me to get those done at the last minute. Even though I only came back with three business cards those are three people that I will stay in contact with. Everyone had their little boxes of cards so next time I will be armed.
Business Cards

My husband and I were crazy enough to turn it into a family trip. That's right we took the entire family on a road trip. We started out at oh my God it's still dark outside 4am. All five of us were packed in the van. The plan was get the children dressed and then let them pass out again. It worked pretty well too.

Chucks
What do you wear to a conference? rookie mistake #2 - Caring about it. Recently while I was researching there was a media kit on a blogger's site that discussed sponsorship and the need to cover clothing expenses. Whoa! I thought if you can get your clothing covered for a conference then go on with your bad self.  Honestly, I went into my closet and thought carefully. For me it was about comfort, just be yourself. It made me less nervous and I would be in a lot less pain throughout the day. It's Austin for crying out loud and that's a great place to just be who you are so Chuck's it was....
Zoo on wheels

We drove and we drove and drove watching the sun rise. Let me rephrase that, my husband drove and drove and drove. Did I mention I only slept for 1.5 hours? Long story...moving on. The kids were getting restless. All of a sudden I look out my side of the window and there it is! SQUIRREL.
Pecans and Nuts Berdoll gifft shop Pecan Farm

This thing was huge! I went to the Berdoll site and found out this squirrel has a name, Ms. Pearl. My husband passed it and made a u turn so we could all get out of the van and admire the largest squirrel statue in Texas I'm sure. Don't quote me on that because I could be wrong but I think I'm sure. The kids went NUTS! ha ha no pun intended. We jumped back in the van and my husband drove and drove and drove.

Mom wants out
The road trip was starting to drive me NUTS! The kids were going bonkers in the back. The princess was nailing her brother with her Belle baby doll. It was complete madness by this time but we were so close. Finally the moment had a arrived and it was long over due. Not just the conference but meeting up with Shelley Oz author of Slightly Off Kilter and second in command at Mamavation
Mother's Day out
Once I was released from the zoo on wheels it was all fun and games. What a relief it was to know at least one person there. This brings us to rookie mistake #3 - wall flower syndrome. What if I don't know anyone? Who cares go! These are your people. These are the folks that get you and what you do so show up, set aside your fear and get ready to put the Twitter handles with real live human beings.


sponsors at blogathonatx
We went in to register and the first thing we were given was a bag to put all our goodies in. There were a lot of goodies. They didn't miss a thing! Breakfast tacos, fruit bowls, drinks, chips, candy, balloons (because every party needs them) water, and then there was the SWAG table. We stocked up!

AAuthor Amanda Evans
We found great seats right up front (at the cool kids table) with non other than Amanda Evans. I know of her from Twitter as @KeepComplicated. She is the very talented author of  Sadie The Paper Crown Princess.

children's book
 That's right Shelley is holding a pre-released copy! I think my little girl would love it. Pre-order a copy!
Blogathonatx 2012 room for improvement
Next up we were given the option to have our blogs critiqued in a small group 15 minute session. Do I really want to have people telling me what's wrong with my blog? rookie mistake #4 - If you don't go for it. These ladies are a wealth of information. Don't be scared! Throw caution to the wind and absorb what they have to say like a sponge.
Small group blog critique
 Susan Price owner of firecatstudio.com and Julie Gomoll author of JulieSays.com gave us so much information. I could do an entire series but that will have to wait for another day. The real diamond in the rough we found out is ChumpLady.com. She's an anonymous blogger! Even though I have a photo of her I can't share it because it would be unprofessional to not respect her privacy. She's going places. Just you wait and see. You can see her blog though. What does she have? She has original art work and a niche focus. $$$$ that's the sound of money coming her way. When Susan and Julie look at each other and smile you know that they know she's got something! We headed over to the Q&A with Lauren Modery but we only caught part of it. I'm hoping to go dig up some tweets and posts to see what I missed.
Lunch by Lonely Gourmet
Next up we headed over to WordPress101 and every seat was taken. People were sitting out in the hall way just to hear. This was the only issue this conference had. Too bad they weren't able to stream it live. There were so many people that wanted in on that session. We decided to go wait for lunch sponsored by Lonely Gourmet.It was great and even better Chump Lady sat with us and took in all the advice that Shelley and I had to give. There is nothing like being with people who value what you have to say.
Dog Ranch

Next up was a Q&A with Crystal Edwards about long term blog maintenance. Should I bring my lap top? Rookie Mistake #5 - I didn't but was it a mistake? There are pros and cons. I could have brought my iPad which would have been handy for tweeting and status updates on Facebook but not for blogging. I have had issues trying to blog on it. The iPhone came in handy for Instagram updates. However, I had to keep in mind that it would go to Twitter which was displayed for all to see. If I would have brought mine it would have been a pretty big bulky machine. I wouldn't have left it any where and would have had to drag it with me every where I went. That would have gotten old. Most likely my brain would not have been there. It's possible that I would have spent time checking emails and working on other things that really giving my undivided attention. I think a pen and pad worked just fine.
We decided to leave after that session but not before saying good bye to all the wonderful peeps at our table, Amanda of course, fellow Crossfitter Cindy BrummerRock Star Ronnie Burt and Super Adorable LeLein. We did a lot of laughing together. We bonded over R2D2 and more, it was amazing.
 
The party was over and it was time to meet up with my people. After all that I was running on less than fumes. Special thanks to Yelp for the fun SWAG. My little princess loved the gloves and glasses. Thank you to the team that put this event together. It was great to be around people that get what you do! Until next time.













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4/27/12

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

Are you hosting a #contest? Great! Post it here on Freebie Friday. What better time to search and enter contests than on the weekend? Sign in so that others can find your giveaway. I will be hosting Freebie Friday each week from now on so be sure to drop back by. Now go grab your tasty beverage, sit back and relax and contest hop with me! Don't forget to check out these hosted contest links too.
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Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

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#AlohaFriday - BlogathonATX


I have my ticket and I'm ready to go! After being online for the last 5 years I'm finally heading to a blogging conference. It's in Austin so it's pretty easy for me to get to with minimal cost. I can't wait to learn what they have to teach. This got me to thinking....



As a newbie what advice do you have for me?





Kailani at An Island Life has created this really fun idea. If you are interested in joining in, please visit her site for more details. Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

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4/26/12

Children's Book Week

Cast your vote! With exactly one week left to go, vote for your favorites at www.BookWeekOnline.com by May 3!

As a reminder, the Children’s Choice Book Award categories and finalists are as follows:

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year
Bailey by Harry Bliss (Scholastic)
Dot by Patricia Intriago (Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Macmillan)
Pirates Don’t Take Baths by John Segal (Philomel/Penguin)
Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester L. Laminack, illustrated by Henry Cole (Peachtree)
Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Scott Campbell (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year
Bad Kitty Meets the Baby by Nick Bruel (Roaring Brook/Macmillan)
A Funeral in the Bathroom: And Other School Bathroom Poems by KalliDakos, illustrated by Mark Beech (Albert Whitman)
The Monstrous Book of Monsters by Libby Hamilton, illustrated by Jonny Duddle and AlekseiBitskoff (Templar/Candlewick)
Sidekicks by Dan Santat (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic)
Squish #1: Super Amoeba by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House)

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year
Bad Island by Doug TenNapel (GRAPHIX/Scholastic)
How to Survive Anything by Rachel Buchholz,illustrated by Chris Philpot (National Geographic)
Lost & Found by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic)
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein (HarperCollins)
Teen Book of the Year
Clockwork Prince: The Infernal Devices, Book Two by Cassandra Clare (Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Little, Brown)
Divergent by Veronica Roth (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins)
Passion: A Fallen Novel by Lauren Kate (Delacorte/Random House)
Perfect by Ellen Hopkins (Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster)

Author of the Year
Jeff Kinney for Diary of a Wimpy Kid 6: Cabin Fever(Amulet Books/Abrams)
Christopher Paolini for Inheritance(Alfred A. Knopf/Random House)
James Patterson for Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life(Little, Brown)
Rick Riordan for The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus, Book 2)(Disney Hyperion)
Rachel Renée Russell for Dork Diaries 3: Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star(Aladdin/Simon & Schuster)
Illustrator of the Year
Felicia Bond for If You Give a Dog a Donut(Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins)
Eric Carle for The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse(Philomel/Penguin)
Anna Dewdney for Llama Llama Home With Mama(Viking/Penguin)
Victoria Kann for Silverlicious(HarperCollins)
Brian Selznick for Wonderstruck(Scholastic)

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4/25/12

#WordlessWednesday - Captured!

My baby girl caught me with my iPhone. Amazing how quickly even a 3 year old can pick up using a camera. I guess Apple did make it pretty easy didn't they? To bad you don't have to have a pass code to use the camera portion too! lol






For more WW participants head to:
Mom Blogs  


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4/23/12

#MamavationMonday - After 3 Years...

Mamavation
After three years of being a supporter and active Mamavation Sista it finally happened. I missed a post last week. It's not that I didn't think about it I just ran out of hours. I'm working like crazy which includes crazy hours because I'm a freelance business consultant. My life has lost it's balance for a bit but I'm getting back on track with the help of quite a few unexpected people. It's always a nice surprise.

So updates! The meds...I'm taking a ton of pills, way more than I would like but it isn't forever. I'm adding anti-inflammatory meds to the mix. They are helping because I'm in the gym and getting my ars kicked! I keep ending up on the floor afterward. If you are connected with me on Facebook then you've see the photos from my wonderful trainer who has a wicked sense of humor.

I spent a couple of weeks very sick to my stomach. No surprise it's all the pills. My eating is off, my sleeping is off, my water intake is off....I'm off ladies! Someone throw me a life preserve. STAT! I'm making changes though and I think things will calm down a lot this upcoming week. It happens to all of us. We get off track and we need the encouragement and the reminders to keep going. I'm there.


Still working on: Operation: Humpty Dumpty

Eating out: IHOP, Dominoes Pizza, Chilis - Whoa this is more eating out that usual.

My Work Outs this past week-
4/16 Monday -Rest
4/17 Tuesday - Rest
4/18 Wednesday -Rest
4/19 Thursday - Crossfit 
4/20 Friday -Rest Day
4/21 Saturday - Party day - logged over 17,000 steps.
4/22 Sunday -End of the 90 Challenge. I didn't do well but I still did a #Crossfit WOD

I don't know how accurate this is because I didn't log my work outs. Arg!


Scale Reading-  The scale isn't moving at all.

Stress Level - Most of you know by now that my husband is no longer. There is stress but it will be ok. Good things are to come.

The UP side-I'm getting my ducks in a row!

Injury prevention is important!
Be a good role model.









Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

  • The long term goal 37 pounds by the end of the year.
  • The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month. 
    • January 172 - 160 = 12 pound loss
    • February 165 - 161 = 4 pound loss
    • March 166- 165 = 1 pound loss
    • April 165
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December







 

Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

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4/22/12

5 Fingers of Thanks


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1.) Thankful for those family and friends that were able to come and share in the fun at my husband's birthday party.



2.) Thankful that he got to act like a kid again! Great to see him smile.

3.) Thankful that I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and healing.

4.) Thankful to finally have the 90 Day challenge over with. Wish I would have lost more.

5.) Thankful that we finally get some answers about my husband's crazy job.

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4/20/12

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

Are you hosting a #contest? Great! Post it here on Freebie Friday. What better time to search and enter contests than on the weekend? Sign in so that others can find your giveaway. I will be hosting Freebie Friday each week from now on so be sure to drop back by. Now go grab your tasty beverage, sit back and relax and contest hop with me! Don't forget to check out these hosted contest links too.
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Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

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#AlohaFriday #280 - Changes


This past month I have been through a whirlwind of changes. As soon as I get a routine it changes for one reason or another. At times I can roll with the punches and other times I get overwhelmed. This got me to thinking....


Do you do well with change?




Kailani at An Island Life has created this really fun idea. If you are interested in joining in, please visit her site for more details. Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

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4/17/12

#WordlessWednesday - Iron Man

I have never personally wanted a tattoo because I couldn't think of anything that I wanted permanently inked on my body. However, I saw this! Now this is a tattoo I would go for! If you complete an Iron Man then why not?






For more WW participants head to:
Mom Blogs  


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4/15/12

5 Fingers of Thanks

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1.) Thankful for another fun Parent's Night Out! It's always fun to see who shows up.


2.) Thankful that our son's triathlon is over. He trained for about 6 weeks so it's nice to be done.

3.) Thankful to back on a normal sleeping schedule. I think? I keep passing out at random times.

4.) Thankful to continue getting my ducks in a row.

5.) Thankful that I'm alive and relatively healthy!

Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

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The Houston Kids Triathlon

After weeks of training the big day is finally here.The YMCA did a great job helping the kids work on their triathlon training. We did our own training outside of the once a weekend gathering but when you ask my son, he will tell you it wasn't enough. This is the 1st year of the Kids Triathlon at University of Houston central campus. The event was sold out! There were thousands of people there. Considering it was the very first year with that many kids it went pretty well.
For the registration pick up our friends offered to pick up our son's packet but they wanted a parent signature. Interesting thing about that was they only asked my son's date of birth. They never asked for my husband's id to prove he was the parent. We also could have brought his bike instead of scrambling this morning trying to make it there by 7:30am when they were scheduled to close the transition spot.
His race wasn't scheduled to start until 9:45am in the senior division level so we had plenty of time to wait around. The seniors had to swim 200m, bike 6 miles and run 1 mile.
Here is his coach from the YMCA. He has completed an Iron Man before so who better to coach the kids than someone with all that experience! We had difficulty locating his goggles this morning. Lucky for us there was a tent there that was selling them and they had an extra swim cap. It was a crazy morning! We woke up late and had to go in two separate cars. My husband and son trying to get the bike there and then me and the little ones trying to gather everything that was left behind. The line to check in was long. We had plenty of time to get everything sorted out.

We even had time to make posters to cheer him on. His brother and sister had a great time making their posters. His other coach from the YMCA was there to run the poster table. Which was great because he was in need of a band-aid and they had a first aid kit on had.
We waiting a long time to start. They had a bloody nose to clean up and a bike accident and then they had to reroute the signs and such for the older kids. Finally it was time to take off!
This is where they begin their walk to the pool where they will wait their turn in order of their number to begin their 200m swim.
He said this part was really difficult because at the YMCA where they practice the water is not this deep. They could at least take a little break where they could touch or stand up. There were no rest breaks here it was the real deal, 8 laps.
He's finished the swim leg of the race and is off to the transition portion of the race to prepare for the 6 mile ride. He was a bit worried about running on the concrete but he seemed to manage pretty well. We were amazed at all the kids that were there with their professional bikes with the shoes on the peddles. It was like they had done this a million times. One girl just picked up her bike and carried it all the way to the transition spot!
He did great during the transition. There was a lot for him to do! Get the race belt on and make sure the number is on your backside. Get socks and shoes on along with his rec specs and his bike helmet. And then he was off! It was hilarious watching all the parents running along the sides with their kids cheering them on taking photos.
He said there was a lot of wind during the bike ride. There were a few kids that were out on the side lines with leg cramps or feeling sick. He and I thought the bike ride would be easiest for him but it turned out to be the hardest. He said that he wished he would have trained more with the transitions so he would be familiar with how hard it would be for his legs to switch gears.
Here he comes down the finish line! We couldn't be more proud. We are all giving him a high five as he goes by. He said the worst part for him is that he should have trained for more cardio. He should have swam more than the 8 laps and biked more than the 6 miles. He's already talking about next year!
Special thanks to the Rigby family who helped us out all along the way. It's always helpful when you have friends at these events. Their son completed the junior division. They both did a great job.Then we hunted down the ice cream. I don't know what his race time is yet. He thinks it was 1.5 hours but we will find out when they post the results online. There was a long wait to find out and our little ones were expiring. I told him, if you never do another one in your life at least you know you completed this one.

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