Daybreak Triathlon #7

Our family has volunteered for the Daybreak Triathlon the past 7 of 8 years. Love it! June 2012 was the first time, when I volunteered alone, and was assigned to the bike route at the intersection of Soda Row. Ironically, we had just bought a home down the hill from that location and I was a bit nervous with moving plans! We've made family memories at this event, one of which was last year when Ethan participated in the Sprint distance the same week graduating from high school and turning 18!

Ethan, Maiya and I were up bright and early this morning at 5:30 AM to get our assignments for the event. Lightning and rain loomed, we kept our fingers crossed for sunnier skies. Everyone helps at packet pick-up for stamping, timing chips and check-in. It's always a treat to see all of these athletes who have put in long hours of preparation for this day and the energy, support and encouragement that comes along with it. A young man happily announced today was his 21st birthday and this was what he wanted to do! One determined lady was 65 and her granddaughter waited at the swim-bike transition with her glasses! So much fun!

After check-in, we headed to the swim-bike transition to hand out towels and cheer them on! Last year Maiya helped the firemen hold the firehose, but she was content dancing on the beach waving a flag to welcome the swimmers in as she has for years. She loves that spot. I hope she'll never outgrow the love of doing this stuff.

As the swimmers fan out finishing, the kids headed over to the finish area to help with medals or do whatever is needed. I was nearby doing crowd control and directing runners to the finish or Olympic loop (one more run around the lake). This triathlon is more open than others I've seen, in that residents are also using the same walking paths, so they're right up close to the action. Here's Ethan and Maiya getting ready to hand out medals and remove timing chips.





























I love the energy of these events! People are high-fiving and cheering on complete strangers because this stuff is HARD and finishing is the goal. One mom was waiting with her husband and 2 grandchildren at the bend of the finish, her son-in-law had finished then went back on the route to find his wife, and that mom started crying watching her daughter cross the finish line with her husband and kids. I knew the feeling having watched my Ethan run under that same finish line a year earlier.

Accomplishments rock. Ethan said he'd be game to do it again next year.

And so, as all the volunteers packed up another year of triathlon memories, so do I. I look forward to another year of growth and good times. So glad I get to do this with my kiddos!

And I'm sure this mama duck feels the same. We counted 20 ducklings and they were the cutest!