Essex Kids Tri - MRC youth and friends
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 12:49 pm
Made a last minute decision to go to the Essex Kids Tri with my son, age 10 (but timed with the 11-12 year olds), and some family friends - we had 6 participants in total varying from age 8 to age 15. I had like 6 bikes loaded on my Volvo (fun for me - like a TdF driver). It was the first time for all of them - except my son had done a mini team triathlon in Natick in July 2010.
My son, Royce who is an MRC youth member, got 4th in the age 11-12 - plus we had a 2nd and 3rd in the age 11-12 and a 2nd in the age 13-15 and a 5th in the age 7-8. Basically a 75 yard swim (lake), a 4 mile bike (road), and a 1 1/4 mile run (off road trail). Reasonably well run, except for a dicey crossover at the start of the bike course and some course officials that were too passive in directing. They started the kids in something like 15 sec. increments rather than having them go all the same time (and fall all over each other in the water).
Just thought I would throw this out there for some input/advice. Maybe some other folks are interested in doing some tri's with their sons or daughters. I might see if some of my son's friends want to be MRC youth members and we can develop a little youth/juniors team - tri, road, cross, whatever - with some other MRC youth (John R, Todd S, etc.). All of them are pretty good track athletes and compete with the Waltham Track Club but most of them don't have decent bikes.
We are thinking about doing the Douglas Tri in mid-September as a family team - my son would swim 1/4 mile (he's better than I am), I would bike 11M, my wife would run 3.1M. The cost in reasonable - $60 for a team unlike some that are in the $100 - $150 range. Also thinking about signing my son up for the Topsfield juniors age 10-12 road race (6.6 miles) and hopefully some junior cross this fall if he can get past the "racing with 14 year olds" thing.
My son, Royce who is an MRC youth member, got 4th in the age 11-12 - plus we had a 2nd and 3rd in the age 11-12 and a 2nd in the age 13-15 and a 5th in the age 7-8. Basically a 75 yard swim (lake), a 4 mile bike (road), and a 1 1/4 mile run (off road trail). Reasonably well run, except for a dicey crossover at the start of the bike course and some course officials that were too passive in directing. They started the kids in something like 15 sec. increments rather than having them go all the same time (and fall all over each other in the water).
Just thought I would throw this out there for some input/advice. Maybe some other folks are interested in doing some tri's with their sons or daughters. I might see if some of my son's friends want to be MRC youth members and we can develop a little youth/juniors team - tri, road, cross, whatever - with some other MRC youth (John R, Todd S, etc.). All of them are pretty good track athletes and compete with the Waltham Track Club but most of them don't have decent bikes.
We are thinking about doing the Douglas Tri in mid-September as a family team - my son would swim 1/4 mile (he's better than I am), I would bike 11M, my wife would run 3.1M. The cost in reasonable - $60 for a team unlike some that are in the $100 - $150 range. Also thinking about signing my son up for the Topsfield juniors age 10-12 road race (6.6 miles) and hopefully some junior cross this fall if he can get past the "racing with 14 year olds" thing.