The Power of Inspiration - Part 2

April 15: Tri the Rim Sprint Triathlon - Goal Accomplished!

When we woke to two inches of snow on the ground and a temperature of 25 degrees, we knew it was going to be quite a memorable day.   However, we had no idea just how amazing this day would be.  We had been working very hard with lots of miles on bikes and running and even a few days swimming before school, but just weren't sure how the race would turn out.  We did a lot of riding and hiking earlier in the week and wondered if that would make things difficult for Carver and Kayla.  On the way in I asked them what they would tell themselves when it got hard.  Carver said, "Just don't quit.  This is discomfort, not exhaustion" would be running through his head and Kayla said she would be telling herself her favorite memorized Vince Lombardi quote, "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear is when he has worked his heart out for a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."

Carver running from the pool to the transition area before his bike ride.

We set our transition area and the next thing we knew, we were off!  Brett raced with Carver and I stayed with Kayla.  They both did beautifully in the pool and Kayla had her fastest swim by far!  It was pretty cold when we ran out to climb on our bikes and the first lap was chilly, but we loved the fact that we were beating the boys!  She rode really well and was especially thrilled to pass Kenna, our niece Kara and our friends Jenny and Crystal who were cheering like crazy for us!  Carver is such a natural on his bike and had an excellent ride.  Brett and Carver did pass us on the bike, but that just fueled Kayla more.  By the time we started the run, Kayla was beaming.  She was truly having a blast and was soaking it all in.  Our friend Jenny ran with us at the beginning of the 5K and our friend Crystal ran us into the finish.  Kayla was determined to sprint to the end and she did!!!

Kayla at the finish!

Both kids were AMAZING and all four of us loved the whole experience.  Carver and Brett finished in 1 hour and 58 minutes and Kayla and I finished in 2 hours and 4 minutes.  Both kids ran the 5K leg way faster than they ran a 5K in February and that was AFTER they swam and biked!  Once the race was over we learned that Kayla WON the 0-17 female age division!   Carver was up against some high school boys and didn't win an award, but at 9 was the youngest participant.  They both received lots of encouragement from fellow racers and are hooked!  The whole way home they were talking about other races they wanted to finish.  It was an incredible Sunday!

Starting the 5K with Kayla

To share all the training and physical experiences of this spring with our kids has been tremendous.  Kenna had an amazing 7 mile run on Saturday getting ready for her race in June and I quickly realized that our window of training together is gradually coming to a close.  Very soon our children will totally drop Brett and I because we will be so much slower than they are! 

Brett after his finish

The Power of Inspiration

This January, my Kenna (the one who often shrinks from athletic activity) decided to run a half-marathon (13.1 miles!!!) to honor the memory of her Granddaddy and raise money on his behalf for the leukemia society.  Because of her example Carver and Kayla have decided to complete a sprint triathlon (500 yd. swim, 13.1 mile bike and 3.1 mile run) on Sunday, April 15th!  Here is the copy of Kenna's donation letter:

Dear Friends and Family,

Most people think that leukemia is a children’s disease and once I agreed with them.  But in January 2010 my whole family discovered that no matter how old you are leukemia is still a possibility.  It was at that time that my granddad, Avery T. Willis Jr., was diagnosed with the fatal disease that we had once called just for kids.  When he died on July 30, 2010 all of our worlds were rocked forever.  At this time I started to realize how many people and their families were and are affected by blood cancers.    

This past January, I found a small brochure with the words Team in Training across the top in my mom’s classroom.  When I opened it up I found out that I could raise money to find a cure for blood cancers.  When I read that Team in Training helped people run endurance races I admit it shrank a bit, but when I got home that night I went on to the website and found out that you did not have to be an expert runner.   I decided I had a mission I had to complete.

On June 9 this year and I will be running my first Half Marathon (13.1 mile race) with my mom.   You can help me accomplish my mission by donating a few dollars to the cause.  All the money will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for kids and adults with all kinds of blood cancers.  It will help people who do not have the money to go through with the treatment and research a cure.  For more information call me at (970)-764-7455 or email me at kennamykenna@yahoo.com or send me a letter at 786 Durango Rd. Durango Co.81301.  To donate go to http://pages.teamintraining.org/nm/SteamWrk12/gwillislfb. Help me tell these people that we care and want to support them.   

                                      Team in Training Member,

  

Ahhh, April - you are so bittersweet...

I cannot believe that it is April!  Where have the last four months gone?  This month always brings a flurry of emotions, but I think this year April is just painfully bittersweet.  You see, on one hand I CAN'T WAIT to have my own kids for two whole months!!!  (Football starts July 30, so in August I have to share them with coaches)  We have such great times in the summer and I truly treasure each moment...OK, maybe not "treasure" when they are bickering or begging to play Wii every five minutes, but I really love to just be with them without the pressure of a daily agenda that includes early alarms, schedules and homework. With the  finished school year behind us, we just get to relax and refuel together.  Kenna and I will share several books together, Kayla can't wait to spend time hiking with her camera, and working football drills and Carver will spend countless hours catching the football while jumping on the trampoline.  We will camp and climb 14ers, ride our bikes and enjoy a trip to Nana Camp in Texas.  Truly, summers are magical and just too short for my taste! 

But on the other hand, I will soon have to say goodbye to my other kids...the ones I have shared my life with for the past 8 months.  This class will be the hardest class I have ever given up.  OK, I say that every year, but this group is really dear to my heart.  This class has set several records for me:  the most time I have ever spent visiting with social services, the most bathroom accidents (remember I teach second grade...), the most I have been asked how I would parent the child at home and general parenting advice, the most I have actually lost sleep praying for my kids, the most I have been constantly touched by my kids (they hold my hand while I am teaching, walking down the hall and constantly play with my shoes and feet during read aloud), and by far the kids this year have just matured.  We have walked many painful journeys together and have had lots of fun laughing together as well.  Like every year I will cry telling them goodbye on June 1, but this year will be different.  This class of kids is just incredible and I am so shocked that in just 8 weeks they will walk out my door.  I only have 8 weeks left to make sure each one knows how valued and treasured they are and maybe teach them to subtract with regrouping along the way.  Just 8 weeks to share with them how much I have fallen in love with each of them...  Maybe if I get all of my tears out in April May will be easier...