Looking for other triathlete moms.....

One more mom checkin' in!  I have three girls, now 11, 8, and 6.  I started training three years ago after volunteering at a local women's-only tri.  I was able to complete a HIM this past summer and plan to do it again next year.  I do the same things - trainer in the living room, bike and run early (and sometimes run late), and swim while the girls have swim lessons.  I also will do OWS at first light if I can find anyone crazy enough to go with me.  Luckily for me, my brother lives close and just started tri-ing this year.  He gets up earlier than me, so it works out well for both of us - in the summer I can get a good swim in and be home before the kids even get up.  I couldn't even swim a length of the pool when I started so I still attend masters swim twice a week in the evenings.  Ok, I'm rambling.

Welcome to BT! 

Well, there is a mom of 5 out there who trains with her daughter.  They are awesome!  In my case3, all three of mine (11,8, and 6) did their first tri last year at 9,7, and 5.  Not much is cuter than watching a little 5-year-old butt swathed in Hello Kitty bikini bottmos heading off on a pink princess bike with streamers and training wheels!  The kids races are really at age-appropriate distances, and we did no training last year or this.  My 11-year-old is now running with me 2-3x per week - we just started - and is talking about a sprint tri in two years time.

So, really, what age to start at really depends on the child.  My middle girl at 7 was the most ready to try and the first one to try it last year, while the other two were a little more hesitant.  The bike and run are easy, and some kids' tris have a swim course that the child can wade if the need to or allow and encourage lifejackets or water wings for smaller competitors.  Check out local races in your area - I bet an 8-year-old is just the right age to start!