Alaska IronKids Aquathlon 2010 - 1st Leg

I edited this post May 25, 2010 to include the race results.

It’s eight o’clock on a Sunday morning and the house is devoid of any commotion and sound, save for the whirring sound of the fan blades meant to take away some of the intense summer heat and the clicking of the keyboard as I type away.  It would seem like any other lazy Sunday, except that today we have already come back from the Alaska IronKids Aquathlon. The Phillipine edition of the IronKids is a much awaited event, and here we are just done with it.  We have all gone back home to rest a bit before we catch the ten am service.  C and J have both gone back to sleep, and I do what I find most relaxing, writing...

We arrived at the Manila Polo Club at six o’clock, a good one hour before J’s age group gun start, to give ample time for any pre-race preparation.

Body marking with her race number

Timing chip and swim cap collection. 

Transition check-in

Her age group is to do a 200meter swim and a 1.5kilometer run.  Straightforwardly, it is easier that the Ateneo Aquathlon she participated in a few months back where she swam 400 meters and ran a 3k route. 

The participants start at lane 1 and flow to the next lane per age category.  

The 1.5k run course is a 2-lap run around the Enrique Zobel Polo Field.

Taking a sip and letting it all sink in after the race.

As with anything in life, there are mistakes made.   Allow me as I take time to congratulate J and discuss with her some of the things that she can improve on….

We are both so proud of the determination you showed in the race.  What comes next is by no means a lecture, but think of it instead as a one-sided conversation to address on how you can further improve your performance.

Always, always bear in mind that mistakes are opportunities to learn something new, something you did not know before.  All mistakes that are made have a lesson in them. It is up to us to find that lesson and apply it. Here are some tips to help you avoid making the same mistakes again.

1.  Always position yourself to swim on the left side of the lane.   

That is you at the end of the lane, clearly ahead of the others.  However, you were slowed down as you navigated to move to the next lane flow.

2.  This is a race, it is perfectly acceptable for bodies to get too close to each other as you all struggle to get ahead in the crowded pool.  Do not let yourself be distracted by a hand pulling on your leg, nor be hesitant to bump into other swimmers.  This IS a race - it WILL happen.

3.  One way you can improve your time in transition is to start taking off your goggles and swimming cap as you move to the transition area.  I have seen several participants with shoe laces already tied loosely allowing for their sockless feet to be slipped in without delay.

 4.  Just do your best!  You are already a WINNER just by finishing the race!

“Mommy and Daddy are so pleased on the event of your finishing the aquathlon.  We saw how you gave your best, and we are pleased with your finish.  While you were doing the race, we catch a glimpse of  your determination and we also witness the satisfaction in your lips as you run past the finish line.  

Her official race results:

Swim split:  4:37.5

Transition Split: 1:32.0

Run Split: 10:47.4

Total Race Time: 16:56.9