The past weekend brought us to another WORS race, this time in Wausau, Wisconsin at Nine Mile Forest. My uncle and aunt (Gerry & Michelle), live a few miles from the race course and were gracious enough to welcome us into their home for the night. We planned to leave for their house Saturday morning, but cleaning our house for Sunday's open house and getting everything packed up took longer than expected.
We also had to make a stop at the bike shop so Ted could fix the tire on his bike before race day. As he was fixing his bike, the kids immediately found two little bikes that were just their size to ride around the shop. When Ted said it was time to leave, they both started heading towards the door on their bikes. He tried to explain we had to leave the bikes there, but couldn't resist their sweet little faces begging to take the bikes home. We have been talking about getting them bikes and decided to make this their early birthday gifts so they can enjoy them all summer long. And, of course, they were excited to bring them to the race so they could ride just like daddy.
When we arrived in Wausau, the kids spent the rest of the afternoon/evening riding their bikes up and down the driveway. Almanzo kept getting faster and faster and didn't even want to leave his bike to come in for dinner. Valerie was a lot more cautious and not sure how to use the pedals on her bike. Daddy came to the rescue and removed the pedals, crank, and training wheels as well as lowering her seat so she could ride it more like a balance bike. Needless to say, both kids slept very well that night.
Sunday morning, my uncle made us a yummy breakfast and the kids played outside with my aunt, who found a stash of bubbles to keep them entertained. We packed up for race day and visited with them before leaving a little earlier than usual to attend a church service before the race. By the time we arrived at the race, the kids were tired and hungry. It was a challenge to find a good spot to view the race that wasn't directly in the sun, gave the kids some room to move around and explore, and was in a good spot for water bottle hand-ups. Thankfully, Ted's friend, Cameron, offered to do his water bottle hand-ups, making for a much less stressful race day for the kids and me.
It was not the best day for the kids. They were crabby and extra naughty during the race, perhaps due to the heat and the fact that it would normally be nap time. I spent most of the race breaking up arguments and disciplining them, but there were moments that made the day worth it, like when Valerie saw daddy come by on lap two and yelled out loud enough for him to hear her cheer him on with "go, daddy, GO!" or when Almanzo climbed in my lap and cuddled up when he was tired. Almanzo also proved he is just like daddy when he took his little bike into the woods behind us and tried biking over tree stumps and roots. He looked so serious and concentrated, just like daddy does during a race.
Ted said the race went well for him, but it's a tough course with lots of big rocks and dry, loose soil. The heat made the riders kick up lots of dust too, making it harder to breathe, but he persevered to finish in the top 20 among 80+ elite and pro racers. We were proud of our favorite mountain biker - as Valerie says, "You bike fast, daddy!"
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