Team Hardcore takes on Oliver...again

Bright and early this morning Kelsey got out of bed and started timing her food consumption.

It was beautiful and peaceful at 6:15...probably because smart people were still sleeping.




Just before 7:00, the part of Kelsey's entourage that had spent the night in Osoyoos, pulled into this parking lot to pick up some necessities before heading out to Oliver.

Timmy's for wake up fuel

Got our coffee...let's go!

Oliver bound

By 7:35 Kelsey was in the water, swimming hard. Her entourage was guzzling coffee and eating muffins, hoping to be awake soon. We were already a happier bunch than they had been the previous year...maybe something to do with the sun?

Rebecca in 2006...oh so happy!

Rebecca this year

Swimmers get set

swimming mayhem

Cheerleading parents

Go Kelsey!

out of the water (I think that's Kelsey)

Kelsey was too super fast on the transition and we barely made it up from the beach in time to see her fly by on her bike. It took us a while to find someone with a course map, but once we did, we set ourselves up on this corner to make some noise.

cheering for our home team!

Rebecca watching for Kelsey...where is she?

At 9:00 it was already sizzling hot and we were on the look out for as much shade as we could find and when there was no shade to be had, well, we made our own. Check out the umbrella!

Mom in the shade

Alex the cheerleader

We finally realized that super speed demon had already passed us, so we sought out some more shade on another part of the route. We met this puppy, Kody. He was four months old and very well behaved.

Kody helping us wait for Kelsey

Alex and Dad waiting for Kelsey (if you look carefully you might see Mom in the background)


Rebecca spying on the athletes...okay, she's actually watching for Team Hardcore who was wearing the same colour as 1093% of the other athletes, well, okay, maybe just 58%, but still!

And then...see that speck, off in the distance...it's Kelsey! Cameras ready everyone!

get your water gun ready, here she comes

Kelsey zooms past into the transition area, Rebecca, Dad, and Alex sprint up to catch her as she starts the run, but super speedy Team Hardcore is just too fast...and we miss her yet again. We'll catch her as she runs in!

INTERMISSION

Rebecca and I went up the hill to wait for Kelsey to come down to the finish line. Last year we found relatives on this hill.


We waited...in the sun...and Devon and Rachelle arrived, but Devon didn't recognize me right away. Might have been the big floppy hat disguise and the long sleeved shirt that was keeping the sun away.

aid station just above the finish line

Rebecca running in her "technical" flipflops beside Kelsey

cool down before the finish line

Run Kelsey, run!

see ya at the finish

And she did it again! Despite the heat, this crazy sister of mine took about 20 minutes off her 2006 time.

Gotta record that time for all eternity!

Yay Kelsey!!!

And this year's numbers:

2 km swim (32:18 with a negative split again! Watch out Rebecca...ATLS could belong to Kelsey this year!)
93 km cycle
21 km run
overall time of 6:20:51
20 minutes or so less than last year
7 spectators
2 long boards...Devon went to escort Kelsey, but couldn't find her
1 cute puppy
2 water guns
1 pair of binoculars to spy on other competitors locate Kelsey
at least 6 cameras capturing the insanity
37 degree heat

WAY TO GO KELSEY!!!