47°f/8 3°C this morning, overcast. Expecting a high around 70, but it is pretty chilly still as I compose this post.
So another year of the Great Greenbrier River Race is over.
The river was very low this year due to lack of rain, so the kayaks were out almost in the middle. This is a triathlon: run about 4 miles, kayak 4, bike 10.
The start/finish line looked a little lonely before the race.
Spectators on the bridge to watch the kayaks take off.
The first leg of the race is the run. My oldest is in the hot pink shirt, kinda in the right middle.
Here he arrives at his kayak. My videos were terrible this year, most not coming out at all or having to be greatly edited. Lord knows what I was doing!
Here's Grace, paddling downriver. You can see how low the water was, creating traffic jams. Several got stuck.
So after this there is a lull of about an hour or so for the spectators, as the kayaks get downriver to where the bikes are waiting. Then they run to their bikes and finish the race with the 10 mile ride.
And the finish! I almost missed George because he came in sooner than I expected!
Right after the finish. Boy do I look tired. (Very bad night's sleep, up at 5 to get on the road, and it shows!)
I missed Grace's finish, but here she is right after with her Dad
George placed 3rd in his age group, getting his first medal in the 15 years he has competed. He was 15th overall out of 400 participants.
Grace also placed 3rd in her age group same as last year, I think. Like father like daughter?
George's good friend since college, Jeff and his daughter Lexi also competed again this year.
What did we do while waiting for the bikes to come in? Well, the Greenbrier Grille is right there by the bridge, and has an outdoor porch overlooking the river, so we had lunch. BLT on marble rye for me,
burger for Larry. The food here is always good, and great coffee too.
We watched as the kayaks continued to take off,
and also watched this little rain shower move over the mountain and up the valley, eventually reaching town. But we were warm and dry on the covered porch, with our hot coffee and beautiful view.
Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.
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Fantastic to see your son and granddaughter doing that race! Super wow at their accomplishment!
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