Worth a Tri Part 2

If you missed part one, click here.

This brings me to the triathlon. After such a successful 5K, our son wanted to push himself to the next level. To him, that meant a triathlon.  He trained with his dad and was ready. I again, was filled with fear. I knew he would be safe physically, but I was so worried about how he would feel if he didn't perform the way he wanted to.

Race day, I put on my bravest face, and needed my husband to talk me out of helping in they ways I could. As he dove into the water for his swim, I worried. He had planned to start in the water, because jumping messes up his goggles. I wanted him to stay safe and stick to the plan. But then, he had his fastest swim to date. As he ran into the transition, I was coaching him to dry his feet, tie his shoes tight, drink water, and not forget his helmet. But what I wanted to do was do it all for him. As he ran out of transition with is bike, I cried. He was doing it. He was ready. He was safe.

The bike portion was a loop completed 3 times. The first part of the loop was a pretty long hill. His bike is heavy, has no gears, and is not made for racing. I was worried. I wanted to make all of these excuses, prepare him to be slower than the rest. I wanted to protect his emotions. Once he rounded the corner after his second loop. I cried. He was flying. He came down that hill with such confidence and strength. His bike was not in his way. I was.

After transitioning from the bike portion of the race, my son set off on his run. We moved so we could see him enter the final portion of the race and finish. He was running with such speed, that he was nearly to the finish. Just in time, we made it to see him complete his final loop and cross the finish line. He was breathing heavy, covered in sweat, thought he might throw up, and safe. I cried. I was so overwhelmed with the realization of what my son is actually capable of. That, and a whole lotta pride!

My son finished his first kid's triathlon strong. He placed 3rd in his age group and is ready to do IronKids next month. He knows that it will be a longer swim, longer ride, and have over 1,000 kids. He also knows that he is ready. So do I.

As a mom, I have learned that I try to prevent my son from feeling disappointment by reducing risk. But, if I want my son to feel confident, I need to allow him to do things that make him proud. If I make things too easy, or prevent him from stretching his abilities in order to make him me feel safe, he won't feel the sense of pride that comes with great accomplishments.

I'm not saying I'm "fixed", or that I won't go to great lengths to protect my son, but I will work to protect him at his fear level, rather than mine. Hey, it's worth a tri!