Makenna's First Open Water Triathlon March 27

Makenna trained for months with her friend Izzy for a spring open water (salt water!) triathlon.  They meet 2-3 times a week for combinations of swimming, biking and running.  They have gotten to know the paths around Arabian Ranches quite well.  They circled March 27th on their calendars and counted down.

The night before the race, Izzy brought all her equipment here and had a sleepover to make our early departure easier.  The girls checked and rechecked their clothes, numbers, hydration.....  Helping and watching made me wish I could join in the fun.  They were so excited, I was worried they wouldn't sleep, but they were totally zonked when I woke them up at 4:45.

I fed them as much as I could, and we piled in the jeep (with our new bike rack hitch!!) and took off for the north.  We did not get lost.  Yeah!  I dropped them off at the transition area and went to park the car.  By the time I got back to them, they had laid out all their kit.

There was some time before the start, so they walked around and tried to figure out the course in person.  

When the race director called for the beach briefing, they started to get nervous, surrounded by dozens of adults in their tri-suits.  I think we only saw one other person in a normal bathing suit.  Most of these folks were intense.  There was a super sprint(1/2 distance), the sprint, and the olympic.  Makenna and Izzy were doing the sprint.  They watched many adults and nearly all young people start the sprint race.  15 minutes later, they were called to the water for their wet start.  

Coming out after 750m swim.  

Transition, getting her bike. 

3 Laps, 8km each.  

 

Drop off the bike and run out.  

I was yelling to her to come have a bite of muffin to refuel, that guy was totally laughing at us--me trying to feed her, and Makenna saying, "No, mom, I'm fine!"

She didn't eat any.  But ran out smiling. 

Looking at the scenery while we wait for a 5km run.  Aaaand, here she come to finish strong! 

Towel instead of a t-shirt. WHAT??  

At the end is when I realized she had had a bit of an accident.  Some French dude knocked into her as he was trying to mount his bike and she went down, scraping both knees.  She was tough, got right back on and away she went.  She just told me the story at the end.  

Her medal and snack. 

Cheering Izzy at the end a few minutes later. 

Once their gear was packed up, we went home via Mirdif City Center for a celebratory lunch.  YEAH! 

Oh, a bonus--3rd place for age group!

This had a bit of a hiccup with timing chip stuff and computer glitches, but in the end it was a happy end.  And helped ease the tension left after the ambulance took one athlete away who had collapsed at the finish line.  We learned the next day that he never revived and was pronounced dead at the hospital.  That was sobering.  But she still had a marvelous time.