5th Annual Dan Harris Challenge

It felt more like a Saturday morning surf session with the gang than a race. In fact, as I paddled into 3-foot wind waves and 10 – 15 knot winds… I kept wondering, “Why didn’t we put in at Larrabee?”

The nearly 10-mile Dan Harris Challenge was, for me, not only fun, but a good test of my fitness. I had a solid race. It wasn’t my fastest, but it was steady.

I have been asked over the past year, “How has motherhood affected your racing?” As I sat sucking up the post-race sun, and watching Hayden play with his good friends Maddy, Abby, Nora and Zach – the children of our closest friends – it was all quite clear. I live and breathe racing and fitness and adventure. Brandon has supported me fully in helping me create a training schedule and watching Hayden during those times.

But, it is Hayden and his sweet innocent love of exploring a world that is brand new to him; it is him that truly defines me. And the pre-Hayden bonds we had with our friends have now become as tight as if we were one big family.

I would love to say that racing and training has been easy, that I just need to set aside the time. But that would be a lie. It is hard. After a day of chasing around a very energetic little boy, followed by a night of being up every 2 or 3 hours to nurse, it takes a lot of motivation to hit the water for an early morning paddle. It is even harder to make it a good, hard workout. And, I am plain tired! Even after a 3.4-mileWednesday Night Race… I need a recovery day!

In the bigger picture, though, it is those same Wednesday Night Races, seeing Hayden run off with a posse of ‘future paddlers of Bellingham’ to play on the playground… and seeing that same little posse smiling with pride as their Mommies and Daddies cross the finish line… that makes all seem perfect in the universe.

~In the Spirit of Compassion and Adventure~

Heather, Brandon and Hayden Storm