Jake’s Parker Triathlon

In all of my rambling over the years, have I ever mentioned that my husband is quite the athlete (*swoon*)?  Well, he is, and he has been one pretty much since he took his first steps on this Earth.  Wishing I could say the same for myself, it makes he admire his abilities all the more.  Two weekends ago (man, am I ever gonna pat myself on the back when I catch up and can honestly say “today, we did such-and-such,” but I digress), we journeyed to a quiet little town called Parker which sits right there straddling the California/Arizona border, on the banks of the magnificent Colorado River.  This was Jake’s first triathlon since we met, although he’s done other shorter races (like 10 kms).  The race was a 1 km swim in the river, 54 kms bike on hilly terrain, and an 8 km run.  We took the whole family, because I just had to be there to cheer him down his final stretch across the finish line!  I was so excited and busy hooting and hollering that I forgot to take a picture.  I am so proud of him!  Next race is the Tempe, AZ Rock-n-Roll Marathon (full) in January. :)

 

Ari, Bella, and Gabe woke up just in time to see a stampede of swimmers in the river going by our balcony window at the hotel.  The swimmers were so tightly packed in the water, that they looked more like a rush of salmon struggling upstream, but the kids were in love with the idea that their Daddy was amongst them.  Everyone was so happy to see Daddy flash across the finish line.

  

The Mountain Man Triathlon was hosted by the Blue Water Resort and Casino where we stayed.  The resort features an incredible indoor swimming pool with a big water slide.  Jake took each kid down the water slide several times.  The water was a frigid 71 degrees, but they came up with full-faced smiles every time.  I stayed in the hot tub. :)

After the race, we grabbed some quick lunch at the cantina on the river and realized that there weren’t any seats left, since it was mobbed with fellow racers and their families.  So we rounded the corner, did it up picnic style, and got the best seats available, if you ask me.  That river was so blue and so clear, I melted.  In my dreams, I live on a river that looks just like this one.  Yes, oceans are amazing and breathtaking, but there is just something inviting and approachably beautiful about a blue river…

 

Me loves this face. :)