Pete Pages: Tri, tri again

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Tri, tri again

So our "hot date" for the weekend was waking up before 6:00am this morning to do a little triathlon. As a side note, ironically Hewitt had a horrible night last night and we were up several times with him (poor Rob spent a sleepless hour or two on Hewitt's floor trying to get him to go back to sleep). All three of our kids are usually great sleepers so that was sort of unfortunate that this would happen on the one night we were trying to get a good night's sleep...

Anyway, Rob and I completed the "super sprint" distance (the shortest) and had a really good time. Our friends, the "Ice Cream Pirates" put this on and it was a small, friendly, friends & family affair. As expected, Rob did a lot of "waiting around" for me. I wasn't too far behind him most of the time and I liked the challenge of trying to keep up with his pace. You'll be pleased to learn that I finished in first place in the women's division...of course, I also finished in last place as I was the only woman doing the super sprint distance, so I felt a little lame accepting my prize water bottle:

What really mattered today was that we had fun (thanks Jake and Manon) and it makes me want to keep up the swimming, biking, and running because I feel a lot better when I'm doing these things regularly! I have never been much of an athlete, but three years ago (just prior to my 3oth birthday) I decided to challenge myself and I registered for the Ogden Valley Triathlon. This was my first competitive athletic event ever, and I did the "sprint" distance which was about a 750 meter swim (in Pineview reservoir), a 18 mile bike and a 5K (about 3 miles) run. I spent about three months training for this event (and lost about 20 pounds in the process). I have never been a good swimmer and am honestly afraid of open water, but I did it (!) and it was probably the greatest physical challenge of my life (seriously right up there with natural childbirth--maybe even harder?).

(Me with Burke just after finishing the race...boy, Burke looks little!)

I think it's interesting because as I get older I find that there are certain things I want to accomplish that I've never imagined ever even appealing to me (like triathlons and natural childbirth, for example). I think my point is that there is something truly satisfying about achieving a goal that seems out of reach or impossible.

Now, bring on the ice cream!

7 comments:

The Laundry Queen said...: Hey, prizes don't come along very often when you get to be our age--take the water bottle and run (oh, unless you're too tired to run, since you just did a triathlon...if that's the case, just stuff it under your shirt)!!!; August 30, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Angie said...: I'm glad you posted about this because I was wondering how it went. You got first place! Way to go! But seriously, I think you're amazing for doing such things as triathlons. Maybe you'll inspire me to such a thing one day.; August 30, 2008 at 8:05 PM
The Grant Family said...: Way to go Tamsen!!! BTW you look super skinny in that picture and Burke looks a little like Hewitt.; August 30, 2008 at 10:21 PM
Anonymous said...: Way to go, Tams!; August 31, 2008 at 12:49 AM
Tyler said...: Congrats on being first place in the women's division!! =) Seriously, I'm impressed. I've never done a tri -- probably because I would completely drown. Why in the world did I never take swimming lessons? Way to go Tamsen!! ~Brigitte; August 31, 2008 at 4:01 PM
Perschon Family said...: Go Tamsen...thats what I'm talkin about! Good for you! I love that picture with you and Burke! That is awesome that you are trying new things and accomplishing so much! I look up to you for that! (I'm a chicken!); August 31, 2008 at 9:39 PM
The Watty's said...: YOU ROCK! What an accomplishment...my friend just did the Spud Man. This is so hip and happenin'! It makes me feel too old...; August 31, 2008 at 10:27 PM

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Pete said...

Hewitt was just telling me about a new game he created where you can't touch the ball with your hands or feet. He said, "You can only hit the ball with your leg or foot-wrist." And so I clarified, "You mean your ankle?"
(10/8/09)

Me to Hewitt: Whatcha doin?
Hewitt: Arting. It's making art.
(10/2/09; Hewitt's 5th b-day)

Two jokes by Burke:
What does a storm wear?
Thunderwear!

What do you call King Kong's feet?
Big Foot!
(9/26/09)

I had the following conversation with Tosh:
Me: Are you a boy or a girl?
T: Boy
Me: Is Livvy a boy or a girl?
T: Baby
Me: Yes, but is Baby Liv a boy or a girl?
T: Girl
Me: Is Daddy a boy or a girl?
T: Big boy
Me: Is Mommy a boy or a girl?
T: Mommy a babe!
(Not prompted, I promise! 9/3/09)

Hewitt had set up a bunch of toy figures and Tosh was trying to play with them... Hewitt was telling Tosh not to touch them and I asked him to share the toys or to go and get some more figures for Tosh to play with. Hewitt said, "These are not toys! They are art!" (9/3/09)

We were driving along a road near our house (a rather quiet highway, really) and Hewitt suddenly exclaimed, "Mom! I just found the road to our old house! Keep driving straight!" I looked up and realized there were some big mountains in the FAR distance. Hewitt clearly thought he was staring at Utah. (8/28/09)

Hewitt brought home a little "Groundhog's Day" craft that he had made at preschool and kept calling the groundhog a bear. When I tried to tell him it was really a groundhog he looked at me like I was very silly and said, "It's a BEAR Mom, not a CORNDOG!" (2/2/09)

I explained to Burke about the recent airplane crash into the Hudson River and knowing that he would be very concerned, I quickly told him that all of the passengers were just fine. He looked at me with a worried look and said, "What about the birds? Are they okay?" (1/15/09)

I have a trunk full of old performing costumes from when I was a kid. Hewitt saw the trunk in the basement and told Rob that he wanted to open up the "treasure chest." Rob asked him if he knew what was in the trunk/chest and Hewitt replied that it was full of clothes. When Rob told Hewitt that he didn't want him to make a big mess Hewitt said, "I won't make a mess, I will just get out one clo." I guess that "clo" would be the singular form of clothes... (1/13/09)

Burke is always mentioning how he wants us to have lots more babies because he wants "hundreds" of brothers and sisters. I was explaining to him this morning about how it gets harder and more dangerous to have babies as a woman gets older...he looked at me and said, "Well, you look young Mom, like 19!" Then he leaned in closer and said, "Well, I do see some indents in your skin around your eyes (those would be wrinkles--thanks for noticing)." (12/26/08)

Hewitt blew his nose and must have accidentally gotten some snot or tissue in his mouth because he said, "Yuck! That tastes like cow dung!" (12/24/08)

Tosh got to Hewitt's cup of water at the table today and dumped it all over Hewitt's lap and onto the floor. Rob asked Hewitt, "Are you a little wet?" and he said, "I'm a BIG wet!" (12/24/08)

Rob was playing "Memory" with the boys and when Burke got a few matches in a row Hewitt said, "Wow Burkie, you're on fire!" (11/08)

We just bought some sod for our park strip and while Burke and I were looking at the pallet, I mentioned that some of the pieces looked like crabgrass and that we needed to find the best pieces of grass to buy. Burke looked at the sod for a little while and said, "None of it looks like crap grass to me!"

While I was flossing Burke's teeth he said, "Wait--I need to tell you something." I paused flossing and he said, "You sure know how to be a good mom!" (now there's a treasured compliment!)

Hewitt watched Rob kill a fly in our kitchen and then asked, "Did he cry? Did he want his mommy fly?"

I told Hewitt that I was going to get Tosh a snack and asked if he would like one. He paused and then said, "I'll take a milkshake." What am I, a drive-up window?

Hewitt was asking for toast today and when I pulled out the bread he said, "No, the 'letter O' toast!" I finally figured out that he wanted a toasted english muffin.

Burke came down for breakfast and said, "Mom, it might not look like my bed is made and you might not like it, but it's really stripes that I did as a design on my bed."

Hewitt has really liked eating plain tortillas lately. When I asked him if he wanted one he said, "Oh. Sure. I'll have a mamma mia."

Hewitt understands things very literally. When Rob told him that he "needed to fly" this morning (go to work), Hewitt asked, "Where is the fly? In the house?" When Rob asked him if he had a runny nose he said, "No. It's just boogers."

When Rob was leaving for work he hugged the boys and told them to "be good for Mommy and do exactly what she says." Burke said, "OK bye Dad, you be good at work and do exactly what your boss says."

We were discussing prophets in the scriptures for Family Home Evening and when Rob asked Burke which prophet(s) wrote the Book of Mormon Burke said, "Nephi, Jacob, Enos..." and continued to name the books in order. Rob and I were pretty surprised and couldn't help laughing.

I was just eavesdropping on Hewitt while he was playing with his toys and heard him say, "Ladies and jumpingmen..."

Burke was heading off to a neighbor's house to play and stuck his head back in the door and called, "I'll be traveling by bike."

When the garage door opens for us to drive in, Hewitt will pretend to be scared and say, "Oh no, it's the garage mouth! He's going to eat us!"

Hewitt got distracted and starting playing with his toys during lunch and when I reminded him to please keep eating he said, "But Mommy, I'm working."

Pete Pages

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Tri, tri again

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