Although this is a race we’ve competed in for a couple years, this year we experienced some grey storm clouds—literally and figuratively. Unfortunately Gavin tore his ACL and medial meniscus which will prevent him from racing this summer. He’s approaching the situation with a great attitude while he trusts in God’s sovereignty. However, the grey cloudy morning matched some of our somber moods while only Brody prepped for the race. One of the things that makes Gavin such a great athlete is his focused, resilient nature. Instead of being glum, he focused on aiding Brody where he could and volunteered to help with the race. Perched at the swim out, Gavin’s job was to count swimmers upon their exit to ensure all swimmers finished.
Brody has years of experience setting up his transition area, but he looked different without Gavin by his side. He did a great job staging his transition area and warming up without his teammate/ brother. This will be a great boost in his self-confidence.
Brody was solid on his first run which kept him in the middle of the duathlete pack. Heading out on the bike course is a little tricky at this race. Hosted at a ski resort, the course weaves throughout mountain roads. The first hill looks small; but since it immediately follows the bike mounting line, it presents some challenges. Athletes have to be in the right gear to climb the hill, get their shoes on or click cleats in, and activate their watches (optional, but a necessity for some). Congestion of racers also complicates this scenario. Brody was one of the athletes who struggled to get his cleats fastened to his pedals; but once he did, he attacked the bike course. He had a great ride, a steady second run, and a strong sprint across the finish line. Brody placed eleventh overall out of twenty-one. Not only did he improve his finish time from last year by about ten minutes, but his performance proved impressive since he was the youngest racer.
When we can incorporate some family time with a race, that creates cherished memories. Race day transformed to family weekend since we spent the weekend in North Conway. Following the race, we headed to Crawford Notch to enjoy the beauty of the mountains. Sunday’s blue sky dotted with cotton-ball clouds provided the perfect atmosphere for a scenic train ride through the mountains.
Team AFR 