Trip to Washington: Sprint Triathlon with my Dad

The reason we picked the first weekend in April for our trip to Washington was because of the Beaver Freezer Sprint Triathlon. My Dad has done this race twice before, along with a full marathon and many other races (running and biking). He's a rockstar! When he invited me to join him just a couple months ago, I thought he was on crazy pills. ;) But apparently I took a few myself and said yes! And I'm so glad I did. In this specific Sprint Tri we'd swim 500 yards, bike 12 miles, and run 3.1 miles...not much for some people, but I knew I had to get training! I signed up for swim lessons, learned different strokes, and became much more comfortable in the water. And swimming helped my stamina overall, which I think helped my run. I didn't get as much bike-time on the road while training, next time I'll spend more time there. But overall, it was an empowering experience for me and I'm so proud I did it!

EARLY Saturday morning we headed to Oregon State University, where the tri is hosted...the forecast called for overcast and rainy weather, and boy was it chilly that morning. But it turned out perfect for the race! My Dad and I got everything ready and went over my transitions (quick changes and things between events), he's so cute and has little tips to shave off time, every second counts in his book. :) We had to figure out a little mixup on my swim placement...so after talking with a few coordinators, we thought we had it all smoothed out, but I think it may have messed it up even more. I ended up not even being on the final record. Still waiting to hear back from Beaver Freezer peeps...but I'm glad Adam took pictures so I was able to use them to get times. :)

My first triathlon experience was INCREDIBLE! I worried most about my swim...but thankfully the pool wasn't as congested as I thought it would be, so that relieved some pressure. And in the locker room before the race started, I overheard different women talking about how much they love the race, they do it every year. How great is that?! I seriously prayed to be relaxed, yet driven to do my best. And my prayer was answered! I made a PR with my swim time, which I think was because I heard Adam cheer for me on my last lap, and I went into hyper-drive, thanks babe! Biking kicked my rear, but most of it was through gorgeous Oregon countryside. And I had a perfect playlist of good tunes to run to, and accomplished my goal of not stopping! Crossing that finish line with Adam, Brooks, Ava, and my sweet Mom there to greet me...it was THE BEST. And seeing them at each leg of the race was such a boost! Then cheering for my Dad as he came in (he started after me, so he finished after me, but with a better time. I told you he's an animal) was awesome!! I came in at around 1:34...so I have a time to beat on my next tri!!

I'm so grateful my Dad invited me to do this triathlon! I haven't really pushed myself physically in years...and it felt so good to work for this! And I definitely plan to do more. :)

^^ That's me in the middle! ^^

^^ Just hopped on my bike and ready to ride! With jello-legs after my swim ;) ^^

^^ During my run I took my phone off of my arm-band for a second to snap this shot...my Dad is the second one on the left (go Dad!)...and the fourth on the left, with the giant orange head, yea that's Ernie (as in Bert & Ernie). Apparently he's a tri-athlete! ;) hahaha ^^

^^ THE FINISH LINE! ^^

^^ Pops finishing!! ^^

^^ Although Brooks and Ava's faces don't look it ;) those three were the best cheerleaders EVER. ^^

^^ We. Did. It. ^^

^^ Love that baby-wearing man of mine. And the girl he's wearing! ^^

^^ Brooks was so excited about the worms on the cement pathway...love that boy! ^^

^^ Oregon State's Campus is beautiful. ^^

^^ They make a stellar team. Love you Mom and Dad!! ^^

^^ Jimmy John's Beach Club "Unwich" is my fave and it HIT the spot. ^^

^^ We stopped to get gas on the way home, and my Dad went in and got a few treats for us. ;) He's where I get my sweet tooth. ^^

Trip to Washington: A Day at the Coast

The day we picked up Adam from the airport, we drove straight from Portland to Lincoln City for a day at the coast. The weather was overcast and rainy, much like our trip to the coast last year, but this time even more chilly and windy. Our long-time family friends the Kellys were so generous though, and invited us to spend time at their beach house...it was absolutely charming, so we didn't mind one bit that much of the day was spent inside, cozy, eating delicious food and playing games with the sound of rain on the roof and windows. But stormy weather didn't stop us from getting out to explore a bit of the gorgeous Oregon Coast! Well, except Ava, she was a trooper to stay inside all day. :) Brooks loved marching around in the sand, hands in his pockets, looking for sticks...until the wind about blew him away. ;) And when Adam and I went out together, we turned into a couple of kids...stealing kisses, jumping for joy, and writing out names in the sand. ;) Loved every minute.

Thank you Dave and Jessica for the wonderful day!!

^^ One of "Gram-mom"s many kid-friendly card games that Brooks loves! We had a rousing game, as you can tell. ;) ^^

^^The incredible view from their deck...the water's right there! And Ava below, watching Grandpa & Grandma join Dave & Jessica for a little exploring.^^

^^ Head over heels for that guy of mine. ^^^^ Dave was so sweet and fixed us some cocoa with extra whipped cream when we came back inside...mmmm! ^^^^ Dad, Mom, Jessica, Dave...thank you again Kellys, for everything!  ^^

Trip to Washington: Next Adventure, Burgerville, and Powell's

This part of the trip was actually the day we spent in Portland. :) Love that city. My Dad and I first stopped by Next Adventure...that place is awesome and we found some great deals on gear. Then we enjoyed lunch at Burgerville first...the smoked salmon and hazelnut salad with a fresh strawberry shake hit the spot! And with our full and happy bellies we went to Powell's Bookstore. Even with an epic meltdown (Brooks was distraught to find that the isles were not race tracks for the umbrella stroller...apparently we need to go to more book stores and libraries) we had a lovely time. Brooks soaked up story time with "Gram-mom," and I found a few fabulous books to bring home. And I even bumped into an old friend from high school! It was a good day. :)

^^ Thought these old backpacks were awesome. Wish this place was closer! I found some steals... ^^

^^ She doesn't mess around with her icecream. HA! ^^

^^ While the kids and I got some fresh air (to cool down after Brooks' tantrum) I saw a sweet friend from High School! What are the odds?? :) So good to chat and catch up for a few minutes, that Caitlin is going places! Congrats on med school girl! ^^

^^ I saw this sweet sight four times while in Washington...they played hard and slept hard. ^^

^^ Love all the bridges over the Columbia River. :) Bye Portland!...until next time. ^^