Daddy, you can win this!

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My transition area

On Sunday I competed in the Solana Beach Triathlon. It was the culmination of Active.com's Charity Challenge and there were more than 70 of us from Active on the course. There were more in the crowds cheering us on, as were Laura, Melanie and Jenna.

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I found the girls after the race to thank them.

The course had two loops each for both the bike and run so I got to see them many times. Each time they yelled and cheered and each time I made sure to wave. They also cheered for my friends and co-workers. After the race, my friend Liz wrote this on Laura's Facebook wall:
Laura ~ You and the girls cheering me on was SUPER awesome!!! After the first pass, I looked forward to every other one after that. Y'all did a great job with the inspiration. THANK YOU!
One of the funniest moments, and the first thing I thought of when, after the race, my friend Mike asked me what my favorite moment was, was when Jenna shouted at me, "Daddy, you can win this!"  Well, I didn't exactly win, but I had such a great time!  And speaking of time:

CATEGORY
MALE 35-39

PLACE
84 (out of 118)

OVERALL
649 (out of ~1,200)

SWIM/T1
0:12:26

BIKE/T2
0:37:06

RUN
0:25:46

FINISH
1:15:18

I was pretty sure I would finish under an hour and a half, but 1:15 was a bit of a surprise and I am really happy with how I did.  I don't have much experience with which to compare the swim and the bike, but I know I've been running 10-minute miles recently, so taking five minutes off my expected half-hour run was a real surprise.  I credit the encouragement I got from the girls, and from the cheers and high-fives from all of my friends and co-workers on the course.

As I mentioned this was the culmination of our Charity Challenge.  We were raising money to benefit the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.  Many of you donated, and for that I can't thank you enough.  If you haven't donated, but would like to, please visit my fundraising page and get your Sprint Distance Dedication.

I've posted pictures on Flickr, including this one which I liked so much I made it my Facebook profile picture. 

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Next up, the Mission Bay Triathlon on October 3!
"Daddy, you can win this!" was posted Monday, July 26, 2010

End of the Year Program

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Thursday was the End of the Year Program for Mrs. Larson's Kindergarten class. Melanie was in three of the performances, captured below.

First, a Korean arirang dance with Kalena, Isabella and Katelyn.



Then "Doe, a Deer" with Jessica, Olivia and Annabel.



And the grand finale, "The World is a Rainbow".

"End of the Year Program" was posted Saturday, July 17, 2010

Fashionista

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Strike the pose.
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"Fashionista" was posted Saturday, July 17, 2010

Never Ask a Woman Her Age

Another one act play, presented by the Oakfort Players.

Auntie Ann: Do you know how old I am? I'm 39.

Melanie: So when Mommy is 39, you'll be 40?

Auntie Ann: Thanks for saying that, Melanie.

Melanie: And soon you'll be as old as your mom!

Cue laughter.
"Never Ask a Woman Her Age" was posted Tuesday, July 13, 2010