Despite sickness, I'm starting to get really psyched for my daughter's first triathlon tomorrow. It's a super short race, but I'm optimistic that she's going to do well and really enjoy herself. Of course the pessimist in me is worried about it raining and the fact that she herself, was sick on Monday and is still not 100%, but I think adrenaline will carry her through the race.
It's interesting to be both the parent and the coach of a teenaged athlete. I wonder how parents who coach teams manage those emotions. Part of me wants to worry over her equipment, give her all kinds of mental strategies and tell her to get out there and compete. And the other part of me wants to be all warm and gushy, and tell her how proud I am of her, to be careful of the other cyclists so that she doesn't get hurt and that no matter how she finishes, she just needs to have fun.
She's quite a promising young triathlete. I was amazed when we bought her a bike and she easily clipped along at 18 and 19 mph on a flat course. She still struggles on the hills, but luckily this course is pancake flat. She's also quite the swimmer, having already garnered a 1st place finish in the female relay team category earlier this summer. So my optimism that she'll do well, is not unfounded. Before she got sick, I was quite hopeful that with 2 more brick workouts, she could secure a podium spot. I'm not as sure anymore, since it's been almost a week since she's trained, but youth is an amazing thing. There's something about the resilience of the young body and the optimistic naivete of the young mind that keeps them going strong despite obstacles.
All in all, I will be proud of her...heck, I already am. It's really cool having a kid attempting my sport. I tried not to push it on her, so it'll be that much sweeter if she really enjoys it and says, 'Hey Mom, that was fun; when can I do it again?'
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