Splash and Dash

These past few months, the weather in Hong Kong has been less than ideal. Overcast and cool, with lots of pollution. This grey weather is starting to grate even though I am well aware that every cool day in Hong Kong is one less one. Our apartment pool (unheated) is now open but unused. Typically by April we have left the playground for the pool but not this year. While birthday pool parties have been cancelled left and right, one event carried on as planned. Recently on a cool grey Sunday, Tori competed in her first ever aquathon, a 75 meter swim in the ocean and a 400 yard run along the beach.

Despite our long ago love of triathlons, Phil and I are not clued into the triathlon scene here. There are plenty of races but we don’t know the details. This year Tori’s PE teacher from school sent us the on-line registration form and thus we easily got Tori and Phil signed up for the race. Tori’s PE program at school is fabulous by the way. Twice a year they have swim lessons and they recently completed a climbing course which culminated in the kids doing something called the flying squirrel. Tori showed me the bars and ropes, all at the top of the gym, used in the flying squirrel. I can’t quite figure out what she was doing but that may be for the best.

For the splash and dash race, the kids started the race with a short run across the sand at Repulse Bay Beach into the ocean. I was watching one pink goggled girl near the back until Royce pointed out that the pink goggled girl near the front was Tori. Royce was right. Tori tore through the transition area. She later told me that after adjusting the Velcro on one of her shoes, she decided it was taking too long and did not do this for the other shoe! The twins and I watched the run and cheered as Tori burst past us really running. It was all very exciting and over in about 7 minutes!

Phil also did a race that involved a swim, run and then another swim. Phil started in the senior group (over 40) which the kids all thought was amusing. But senior or not, he did fine and we all cheered for him as if it were the Olympics. After all this racing, Tori asked us to sign her up for more of the races. Adam wanted to get in on the action as well but is a few years too young. Royce is not interested yet but we have two years (before she is eligible) to get her going. We are already signed up for another splash and dash the day we get back from our summer vacation. With jet lag and the likely return of heat and humidity, we might not be so excited. But then again, we will probably be at the beach anyway.