Triathlons

Alyssa caught the triathlon bug this summer! On July 13th, we participated in the Sprint distance of the Magrath triathlon (750 m swim, 26 k bike, 5 k run) as a team. Alyssa did the swim in the dam and I did the bike ride. Liz was supposed to be in town in time to do the run, but her family was delayed in getting here so we asked Alyssa's friend, Cassidy Cook to fill in at the last minute. Alyssa's swim was excellent--just under 15 minutes and the transition was superfast so I was probably the first or second woman out on the bike. Lots of people passed me on the bike which I found discouraging. The bike was quite challenging this year, especially because there was a northeast wind through the whole race and most of the race is going east. My time was 59:00 which was very disappointing, until I looked at the results and realized that most people were about 5 minutes slower than usual this year. Cassidy had a strong 5 K even though she had only run 5 K for the first time a day or two before the race. Her time was about 28 min. So overall, our team was the first place female team and we got the t-shirts they give to the victors. It is bright orange and says "I crushed it" on the back.

Then on August 17th, Alyssa and three of her friends entered the Fort Macleod triathlon in the supersprint distance, 200 m swim, 10 k bike and 2 k run. All the girls did excellent. Alyssa's swim time (which includes a little walking to the transition mat) was 3.47 which was one of the fastest times. She also had one of the fastest bike times. Her run was a little slower, but still good (12.28) so she ended up 5th overall and 2nd for women. Her friend Megan came first among women with Demi third. Their other friend Karah had the fastest female run, but doesn't swim very well and was trying the road bike for the first time. She was a little further back, but still in the top half of the pack. I believe there were 44 participants in their distance. 

There is a little asterisk beside Alyssa's results because she accidentally turned around before the turnaround spot on the bike. At the moment when her bike computer read 5 k (halfway), there was a big SS (for supersprint) painted on the road. She thought that was the turnaround point, but it must have been just a bit further up. She did pass a lot of people on the bike and did travel 10 K which is the distance it was supposed to be, so I would say she still had a strong bike. She realized the problem after the race and reported it to the officials and told her friends, but they didn't change her time or anything. After looking at the results, though, we realized the next person was 3 minutes behind her time, so I don't think her mistake would have changed her placing.

Alyssa swimming

Just finished the swim, getting out of the water

Almost done the bike

Heading out on the run. She is going at quite a hard clip, but she walked here and there on the run. I think basketball practice has trained her to sprint rather than find a steady pace.

Coming up to the finish!

Megan, Demi, Karah and Alyssa showing off their race numbers

The four amazing triathletes!

OK. Chronologically in the wrong order. This is Alyssa (blue suit) getting ready to start the swim at the Magrath Tri.)

Alyssa is somewhere in that pack of swimmers. I dare say near the front!

Sweet Sixteen

Alyssa turned 16 on August 16th. On the morning of her birthday, she went driving with her driver's ed instructor for their last session. He then took her over to the registry office to take her road test. She passed the test and now has her driver's license! Congratulations!

In the afternoon and evening was her 16th birthday party. Her friend (and 3rd cousin) Teesha Olson turned 16 on August 15th, so they did a combined party. They invited a bunch of kids to Wally's beach. We brought our boat and a few snacks and the birthday cake and Olsons brought the meal and cupcakes. It turned out to be a very warm and very windy day. The wind was bad enough that the lake had lots of whitecapped waves. So we didn't do too much boating. However, I think the kids still had a great time.

At one point, Austin Bennett connected the tube rope to his kayak. About ten kids piled on the tube and others along side and Austin pulled them out a long ways over to a peninsula.

It was fun for me to be around the kids and get to know them a little. Alyssa said we did good and didn't embarrass her too much.

Some of the boys showed up with big shovels and a tarp. They dug a big hole, put the tarp over it and filled it with water. I think they intended to create a hot tub.

Alyssa and her friend Megan Anderson double skiied in whitecaps. 

The birthday girls. The cake is a beach scene with gummi bears floating in water in peach rings and other gummi bears laying on towels on the beach.

All the kids that came to the party. What a good looking bunch! A few good friends couldn't be there since they were on holiday, but it was still a good turnout.

Gathered around playing games.

Cool picture, right?

Awesome Tally Lake Videos!

Brian Cliff jumping

Wild ride

The Amazing Austin

Chad: just try to take my rope!

Wake jumper

King of the platform

Tally Lake 2013

We went to Tally lake, Montana from July 29th until August 10th, 2013. Our  family and Rob's parents were there the entire time. We hosted lots of family members while we were there with various people coming and going at different times. My sister Sarah and her husband Brian were our first visitors, arriving while we were still setting up camp. They stayed until Friday morning, August 2nd. Friday was a rainy day and we went in to Kalispell for the day. We did all our back to school shopping, then spent some time at Michelle's house. The Kartchners came over and we spent the evening with them. They were having a family holiday of their own at Blaine Lake. Michelle and her family (minus Keston who was a away at work for the summer) came out until Tuesday (except Val was only there for a day). Ken and Tracy also came down with Kaylene and Nathan for the long weekend. A little later, Paul and Kendall came out together and the last one to arrive was Brad who, after returning home when his family dispersed, and working a couple of days came back to spend a couple of nights with us. We kept Nathan and Chad with us the whole second week after their parents had to get back home. 

Overall, it was a great holiday. We had one really rainy day and a couple of other cool days, but mostly beautiful weather and calm water. We had lots of quality time with everyone and lots of people learned to do new things behind the boat. Mark did really well, the food was great and the whole experience was relaxing and pleasant. We calculated that in all we (mostly Granny) served 359 individual meals over the course of 12 days. YAY for Granny!

I had never camped for so long before, but even after 12 days, when we went out for our last pulls on Saturday morning the tenth, I wished I didn't have to leave. I just loved being there.

Brian and Sarah on the tube with Alyssa. I wasn't smart enough to take pictures, but Brian and Sarah both kneeboards and wakeboarded. Brian about wore himself out with his persistence in learning new things behind the boat. It was so awesome having Brian and Sarah come. 

Cliff jumping! Sarah was way braver than I ever was and jumped off the cliff without hardly flinching! YOU GO GIRL!

Brian seemed to quite enjoy cliff jumping and did it a few times. He's quite the man for adventure!           

It was nice to see Paul and Tylissa together. These two are only 2 weeks apart in age. This fall Tylissa is starting university in Missoula and Paul is headed out on a mission to Zambia, Africa.

Preston does not like boating much, so we had to find other things that he could enjoy. In this picture, he just learned how to make a log cabin campfire. This is him standing proudly over the fire he just built and started! What a cub scout!

Men in Black! Which one best pulls of the skin tight black water shirt?

Preston was quite the bookworm at Tally. See him catching a bit of shade behind grandpa and reading Harry Potter #4. He finished the book while there. One night he was up past 10 reading by the light of the headlamp. It must have been a good part because the next morning he was the first one up and was sitting reading by the picnic table in the 7 am hour.

Mark even got to go in the water. He was nervous at first, but gradually decided he liked it. He only went in on the warmest day.

Another one bites the dust. Many a grandkid has considered it a major milestone to grow taller than Granny. Looks like Chad is the most recent grandkid to achieve this accomplishment.

Mark was so good at Tally--though each morning, he woke us up like clockwork at 7 am when he banged on the curtains and scratched the wall of the trailer. Almost every day he woke up in a puddle of.... We had anticipated this issue and had laundry soap and a baby bathtub we used as a laundry tub. Each morning Rob heated water and I did laundry. This way we were able to keep Mark in clean clothes and bedding for the whole trip. Anyway, I did Mark's morning and evening care and granny helped out a lot during the day. Lots of afternoons he came to the swimming area under the protection of the sunbrella.

The walk back to the campsite! Our camp was quite near the lake so every meal time we walked back to the camp. The scenery there is beautiful!

 The rest of the pictures are all of boating, so skip them if you think you will be too bored. The neat thing was that nearly everyone did stuff behind the boat and lots of people learned new things or tried doubling or whatever. As the week went on, those who stayed longest got more and more comfortable and creative with the boating. I hadn't totally anticipated that aspect of things and it surely kept things from getting boring.

Austin and Chad double kneeboarding. See Austin standing!

Michelle decided to wakeboard and got up the first time. I think she actually quite enjoyed it and went several times. I am so glad we got a new wakeboard this year. It was fun for a lot of people!

Paul is pretty experienced on the wakeboard.  Nice air....but watch out...Nathan is nipping at your heels!

Check out Nathan's air. And this is by no means his best.

Brad was the master. He schooled us in every aspect of boating.

Thumbs up for war amps!

Brad and Paul on the cliffs. This was their first time trying out cliff jumping at Tally lake.

It turns out Preston doesn't mind being in the boat if he can be the driver. 

Granny skiing. She went skiing three different times. She's an old pro! I think Rob texted this picture to the school division asking if this looked like a person who is too old to drive a school bus. (At age 65 she had to retire from driving)

Preston was forced on this tube ride with is grandparents. But it wasn't that bad afterall.

I really enjoyed wakeboarding this year too. Look, I actually got a bit of air, too.

Go Nathan!

Rob tried a couple of new things too. After lots of refusals to try, he finally gave wakeboarding a go. It is apparently no where near as fun as skiing, but here is proof he did it.

Another really fun thing we did was double skiing. In this picture, Rob is going to attempt to cross under Alyssa's rope. The attempt was not successful, nor was Alyssa's rope an an effective guillotine, but it was close.

Alyssa and Rob holding hands while double skiing. I also double skiied with Rob, but apparently no one loved us enough to take a picture.

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Alyssa learned how to ski on our new performance ski this year. She skiied lots and lots and must have had some powerfully sore muscles.

On one of the last days we wented a pedal boat. Preston loved the boat and went on with Granny and grandpa. He took control of the rudder and drove them around and around in circles. He thought that was so funny. Luckily his grandparents are good sports.

Granny looks so awesome in her bonnet and goggles. Later she put sunglasses on top of the goggles and added waterski gloves to complete her accessorizing.

Rob learned how to do a 360 outside the wake.

We discovered a new form of entertainment while tubing. On a smooth straight tube ride, the riders can do all kinds of craziness on the tube, like standing up, laying on their stomachs, trading places, trying to knock each other off, and even pretent wakeboarding, kneeboarding, and barefoot skiing off the edge of the tube. My favorite was when Chad was hanging off the back with half his body in the water while we tried to go over bumps to shake him off. Eventually he let go when he started to lose his shorts.

Look at that amazing kneeboarder standing up holding the rope. I bet you can't go that!

Alyssa was really learning to ride hard  on her ski. Look at the spray!

This is how we get the tube back to camp.

This is Nathan's pull on the last day. The water was so smooth you could see a perfectly clear reflection of the mountains and sky. As uncle Monte would say, it was SMOOTH LIKE UNTO GLASS!