RIbbons of Green and Gold

Gus Ryder Swim Meet. It was Kieran's first ever swim meet.  Originally supposed to be at an outdoor pool in Etobicoke, but the rains forced the move to Gus Ryder.  It was like a sauna.  I was sweating just sitting.
The kids looked pretty calm.  If it were me I'd be heading to the washroom to pee from nerves.  Also from the morning cup of java.

So all the Rec center teams did their team cheer and then did a parade around the pool.  Sort of like the Olympics, but with no drugs, just sugar from all the juice and snacks.  Hopefully good snacks.  You know fishy crackers or organic cookies that look like Oreo's but are 2x the price.


Xander and Kieran raced early in the schedule, because they are one of the younger competitors.

The sequence of the races goes something like this.
* backstroke 25m race
* front crawl 25m race
* team (4 person) relay 4x25 m (front crawl)
* team medley (4 person) relay 4x25m (each person does a different stroke technique).

There was one more race, but Kieran and I didn't stick around for it.  Rachel (Xander's sister) did it.  I think it was the 100m individual medley that involved each competitor to do 4 different stroke disciplines.

Because he was only scheduled to do the two individual races that he did.   So we headed home to wash up and eat supper.  I was sure he'd be hungry, because I was starving.

But he did great in his two events.  Xander came in 3rd and Kieran came in 4th in the backstroke, which he says is his favourite, and he beat another kid that was in the far lane.  See video.

And then in the front crawl, he placed 5th.  He needs to work on his kicking.  We bought a nice flutter board for him to practice while he's at the cottage.

The Swansea Team coaches told Kieran he was too young to be on the relay team.  But we realized that there weren't any other 7 year olds from Swansea to form a relay team that they could enter into the race.  Kieran was a little bummed out because he was only able to get 2 ribbons.  And the other kids had 4 or 5.  I explained to him that even if he was old enough to be on a team, that he would still need to be good enough to be selected for the team.
So hopefully he takes this to heart and practices at the swim lessons and Splash sessions with more focus and attention.


They were quite proud of their ribbons.
I'm glad Kieran got a taste of the competition and how exciting it is to participate.  I know now if I ask him if he would like to go to another swim meet, he'll say 'yes!'

And were so willing to participate in more events, just to collect ribbons.

That is Asia beside Rachel.  She anchored the first relay and managed to bring home a 1st place ribbon for the team.

For the first Team relay they were pretty much neck and neck for 1st place, but by the 3rd leg, they had a bit of a lead.  And Asia opened quite a gap.
On the second Team relay they had to play catch up, they were in last place, catching up little by little, the 1st place team was to far ahead to catch, but Asia on the anchor leg motored past the other 2 competitors to capture 2nd place!



Gus Ryder Swim meet photos

Kuya at Lake Simcoe

It was Lake Simcoe day.  Can't recall the last time we were here, didn't seem that long ago, but Tresa's godmother said it was more than 2 years ago.  The water level here at Innisfil is great for kids.  I doesn't get deep for a long ways.  It undulates a bit, but it's only a few feet deep for hundreds of meters from shore.

The hot summer temps have made the water really warm.  Warmer than the Atlantic ocean on Jersey shore.

Liam was staying with us for a few days so we went to visit Tresa's godmother at her cottage.  The weather was perfect for being in the lake. The two had a really good time in and out of the water.  Surprisingly they were both very well behaved.  No bickering, just playing together nice, or else someone was going to get dunked with lake water, in the Dunking game.  Dunk their Face game.

Click here to view these pictures larger

Me, Fishy and Number 43

It was Me and Fishy, nobody else was home, as the clock turned 43 years for me today.

Tresa left me my present on the table.  I wasn't sure what is was, but it felt like Tintin books.
Maybe she re-gifted Kieran's books?
I didn't ask for anything, nor did I want anything.
Nor did I wish to accidentally slip on the stairs and cut my toe too.  I thought I'd only stubbed it, but I cut my skin.  Not a lot of blood, but it stung a bit.  But I was not going to let it deter me from having a good day today.

There were decorations on the walls.  And a sign on the window celebrating my 43rd year.  Tresa is always great about doing these artsy signs from leftover paper bags from retail stores.  Kieran has 4 of them.  He's kept them from when he was 4yrs.
I've been riding my bike a lot this year.  Been really enjoying it. The weather has been great!  Even getting pneumonia in late May didn't hamper my desire.  I was back out on the bike nearly 4 weeks later.
:-/
Yep pneumonia can put you out for weeks.
I even got myself a fast new bike!
Forget titanium.  This cruiser is the way to go.  Wide seat, ape hanger bars, flat pedals. 6 speeds, i think.  Big fat wheels.  Reflectors.  It's just missing a basket and tassels.
Felt like I could go to the 7-11 and back with Slurpee in no time!

This is what you get for bringing a bike back from Hilton Head.

I came home from my hill ride just in time to see Kieran and Tresa heading off to violin lessons.
The plan was to see Brave at the movie theaters when they got back. But dinner was ready and I had to eat and get cleaned up when they got back.
It was me and Fishy again.  Maybe it was because i was stinky from sweating?  But my sweat doesn't stink?  Does it?
It was just me and the Korean BBQ ribs and corn and green beans and salad, with organic dressing that Tresa had made before I got home.  Yum!

I opened the present Tresa left for me.  And it was triathlon magazines.  This one with Lance on the front.

I've only done a few races, I like them.  But the stress of getting to the race and setting up and the daunting open water swims, have prevented me from doing more.  Maybe I'm just not so gung ho and want to live with less stress. I still do the swim, run and bike workouts like I'm training for a race.  I just don't race.  I'll do another one.  Still debating about Bracebridge race.  Maybe i'll do it anyways.


Or maybe Tresa is trying to send me a subtle hint?
I either need to get off my couch potato arse and work off this gut and look more like Lance.
Or go to the cottage and practice my open water swims, so I can swim with the fishes.
Or she thinks I should take EPO?
She said she only takes blood at work, and not the other way around.
I have been feeling fatigued.

We left to see the movie Brave.  It was busy, it's not like Two dollar Tuesdays.  It was 7.99 Tuesdays for each of us.  Plus popcorn combo pack of 17.98 + taxes.  It's now TwoHundred dollar Tuesdays.
There were lots of teens and kids.  Some kids looked like they were there on a double date and the doubles looked uninterested or awkward.  Maybe he should've used AXE spray?  Then she would've been all over him like in those commercials.  Then it would have been awkward for everyone else.
In any case, figure out your tickets out of the line so I can get ours, dang it!
It was a Pixar movie and it was great.  I didn't know what it was going to be about, but it was good.

It was a pretty happy birthday.