The race, the Runner's Edge Tobay Triathlon, has a 1000m open water swim, a 15k hilly bike ride and a 5k run. The swim will be a wetsuit swim so I was able to get her a wetsuit to use.
Her training plan has been typical for a 15 year old girl. At the end of June she asked if we could ride the bike course so we did and she did well. Then she went to sleep away camp. She is home now so yesterday I asked if she was still planning on doing the tri. She said yes and asked if we could swim. I asked if she knew where her wetsuit was and if she ever tried it on. When she showed it to me it was still wrapped in plastic.
This morning we went swimming at Sunken Meadow. Sunken Meadow was crowded at 6AM. There were a few hundred people on the boardwalk chanting in some strange language. I figured they were either doing a baptism of some sort or a ritualistic sacrifice. Amanda said she knew that some people thought triathlons were a cult but this was a bit excessive. I didn't want to get closer to the crowd to figure out if they were looking for a volunteer for the sacrifice so I talked her through putting on her wetsuit and into the salt water we went.
She immediately realized her training had a hole in it as swimming in open water might be a little more difficult than she expected. The taste of salt water is an acquired taste. She found it hard to swim straight (really?). Siting was a concept beyond her. Contact while swimming was interested (I helped let her get a feel for a big old guy crashing into her). We swam about 25 minutes and then she stopped screaming "I SAW A CRAB." I said he lived there and named him Carlos. We stopped, stood up in the water (where we were was about 4 ft deep) and I tried to calm her down. Carlos then decided to nip at my toes so I jumped a bit. She looked at me and said "don't be mean" since she thought I was picking on her. Carlos then nipped at her toes. That didn't go over so well with her.
We decided to call it a day and headed towards the shore. The hoard then started to head to the water. Luckily they went a little down the beach from where we were. Safe!
Since her triathlon is now 4 weeks away Amanda asked if we could go swimming again next weekend. She said she might even want to bike the bike course again but will let me know. Wonder if Carlos or one of his friends will be there the next time we swim.
I'm sure she will be looking for him.