Our Labor Day

We don't usually do a whole lot on these 3 day weekend holidays. We lounge around, maybe go to the park/pool. But this Labor Day was action packed. Here's "a day in the life" almost hour by hour. I was too tired/lazy to lug my big camera and lense to the race, and I knew it'd be hard to hold/keep track of it while juggling the kids, so I didn't bring it...but I kinda wish I did, but still glad I didn't...confusing, I know.

5:45am woken up by Michael who is gathering all his items for the race
5:55am wake the kids
6:05am pack the groggy kids into the car, head to Austin
6:30am park and hurry ourselvess to the pre-race meeting
6:45am no mtg...so we got there 30 min earlier than we NEEDED to...(oh well, no complaining--keep on being that supportive wife)
7:00am Michael leaves us to go put his stuff in the transition area, we watch him from a distance
(here are the boys with the Austin skyline in back)

Alyssa still in her jammies, eating her "gra-nilla" bar for breakfast 7:15am Michael was kicked out of the transition area and we all waited an hour til his segmant of the race began...here are him and the kids watching earlier waves of swimmers in the lake. Notice on the back of Michael's calf is the number 33--his age. What is so fun about triathlons is everyone has their age written with a sharpie on the back of their leg. I love looking at people's ages. I saw a 15 year old all the way up to a 73 year old. All shapes and sizes, people. Not only "fit" people do races.
8:25am Michael's age groom in the green caps take off--a Dr. that he works with also raced, I chatted with his wife and son while they swam. We planned to hang together, but when Michael got out of the water first, I took off (sorry your hubby is so slow)!
It is very difficult to tell who is whoo in the water. With only heads and arms out of the water, and the head covered with a cap and goggle, very hard. Luckily, we knew Michael had his long sleeved wetsuit on and looked for those arms out of the water. Very few had on wetsuits.

8:36:45am Tyler actually spotted him, and I didn't think it was him---but he jumped out and I ran around a group of people to snap this shot while his most devoted fans chanted over and over "Go Daddy Go! Go Daddy Go!"

We took off with Alyssa in the double jogger and the boys running behind me. He was going to the transition area to get ready for the bike and we had to go all the way around it, and hope there was a spot we could see him come out...and there was.

8:41am (approx) our second chance to shout "go daddy go" as he began the 27K bike around the city.

Then we ran around to another spot where we tried to cross a bridge downtown to find it was not cross-able. I was bummed because we could have seen him 2 or 3 times on the bike ,but realized later, we probably wouldn't have gotten back in time to see him start his run. This is the kids waiting and watching for the cyclist to come over a hill, looking for a guy in a red shirt/blue hat/black shoes. (I was so proud of myself for thinking to freeze 10 box drinks and then remembering to get them out of the freezer in the morning--nice cold drinks to cool us)
We waited just at the point of a hairpin turn where a volunteer with a flag kept urging riders to "slow down" at one point, we saw a man biff it just a few feet away from him. After that the boys yelled, "slow down, keep it slow" along with the volunteer. This is Alyssa sitting on my feet as I stand. They waited rather patiently for over 30 minutes, unsure when he'd actually come.
9:30am (approx) Then, just as I sat down, here he comes. Our third time to chant "go daddy go" over and over.
We made a run for it to the spot for the run to start. I wasn't exactly sure where it was, and I had to plow my double wide through some crowds. We got there in time to chant once again, "Go daddy go" for the 4th time.
Waiting.....
9:45am ish We see him for the 2nd time in the run and our 5th time to chant "go daddy go go daddy go." After about 5 times, as he pumped his fist in acknowledgement, the people next to us thought it was so cute that the kids did that, they they joined in. This guy in blue is also in the previous picture. Michael said they ran the whole 5k together and "paced" each other (runner slang) but Michael in his ever so humble manner informed me that he "smoked" him as he sprinted to the end.
waiting.....
9:55am This is a shot that I wish I had my "good" camera, but alas...the zoom doesn't work so well on this one.
He came in 12th place out of 467--not bad!

Final time: 1:25:52 700M Swim 27K Bike 5K Run Now look at that face....doesn't it look fun????
The bikes all lined up...Michael actually had to turn in his baby...I mean bike the night before, and he was worried about leaving it in the "elements" overnight.
I made him get us pizza and fruit and water to share, then we headed out.

10:30am All done. If you are a racer and want to see Michael's stats CLICK HERE
11:20am the kids were sooooo good and supportive, I thought it would be a fun treat to stop at the Kawaii Shaved Ice in round rock. Michael had never been, and I had to show him how delectable the ice is. Here is me with my supportive shirt. Michael's race shirt is also pretty cool, made out of stretchy material, not cotton.

12:15pm We came home, changed into our suits, then met our friends at their pool for a swim. We had been so hot and sticky being outside all morning, it was very refreshing. Alyssa looks disturbing here, but I promise, she didn't drown. She is a little fish--moreso than her brothers were at this ago.
The boys and men played a submarine game with the Toypedo Torpedos (favorite pool toy)

2:30pm Home for naps and movie time. I slept for 30 seconds on the couch (I had hoped for 30 minutes) and I think Michael slept a bit longer.
Watching: Over the Hedge (Matthew didn't want to b/c he is scared of the bear at the beginning, but he hid around the corner until it was over)
As hoped, alyssa fell asleep.
4:30pm We met friends at Gattiland for pizza and games...i asked my kids to look at me, and this is what I got....:(
Arcade games

This was hilarious watching 2 3 year olds try to play air hockey. They would put it in their own goals, and we would all laugh. They didn't quite get it.


6:30pm Home and early to bed for the kids

9:30pm bed for us