USA Triathlon Collegiate Nationals- April 21-24, 2016

Thursday, April 21, 2016

We have been looking forward to this trip for over a year. After Jon's first trip to Clemson, SC last spring for Nationals, and hearing him say what a great atmosphere it was and he wished we were there, we planned to attend this year. We flew down to Atlanta then drove to Clemson.  We stayed for the first time in a Courtyard by Marriott. I have to say, our experience at this hotel was outstanding!  

We were super excited to see the welcome to Clemson banner with the USA Triathlon logo. Then, upon exploring, we found a fire pit out by the pool. 

Of course, we thought this would be a great place for drinks.  (More on this later)

Sheldon worked the front desk every night we were there. And by the time we left, it felt like he was a friend. He was super nice and helpful. He always talked to us when we were in the lobby and asked about how our day was going. 

Another great feature of this hotel was the Bistro. It was open for breakfast and dinner with the added benefit of a full bar starting at 5:00.  

I don't remember enjoying the atmosphere and amenities of a hotel as much as I did this weekend. 

After checking in, we went out exploring. Jon wouldn't be getting until late, so we had time to check out Clemson. 

We had to check out the football stadium, of course.  We were able to get into the lobby of the "recruiting center" at the stadium and saw some cool displays of the Nat. Champ trophy and Bowl Game rings.  

Campus was pretty. I especially enjoyed the purple and white flowers on the boulevard in front of the bell tower. 

We met up with Kevin and Stephanie Karr and walked around campus a bit before heading to dinner. After dinner it was back to the hotel fire pit. We got drinks from the Bistro then took them out to the fire. Boy was that fun!!

Friday, April 22, 2016

Jon ended up getting into Clemson too late Thursday night for us to see him. So this morning we're pretty anxious to get out to the race sight and spend time with him. Friday was the "draft legal" races for men and women. 

Yes, we all met up at the finish line. It was sooo great to get a hug from Jon. We were able to hang out with him for most of the afternoon. We left the race sight at 1:00ish and went to lunch together at Chipotle. Jon then went back to his hotel so he could get to a swim practice before his team dinner. 

Back at our hotel it was nice to relax, read, and nap before meeting up in the lobby with the Karr's for a poster making party. 

Here's Mike's finished poster. 

And here's mine. 

Saturday, April 23,2016

It's race day!!! So exciting. We are going to be able to see Jon on the course as he will be biking and running laps on the course. We will not have pictures of his transition out of the swim, but will for the other sections. I'll let the pictures do the talking. 

Jon's swim wave is off!  He's out in that mass of people, believe it or not. 

It was super cool to be so close to Jon during the race. At his other races we only saw him on the way in and out of transition, so this was a real treat!  His proud mama was cheering like crazy!  

Almost done!  Last lap and it's on to the finish line. As soon as he passed we took off to get to the finish to see him cross the line!! 

He's in what's called the "chute" and the crowd goes crazy screaming and pounding on the sides for every racer, no matter the team. It is a super cool environment. 

A great race!  We loved being here to cheer him on. 

Dinner was at the Pink Pig, a local BBQ place. It was outstanding!! 

Sunday, April 24, 2016

We met Jon for breakfast before leaving for Atlanta. We had a great breakfast and visit with him at Waffle House. 

After breakfast, we hit the road to Atlanta. We had a late afternoon flight, so we decided to go to the Georgia Aquarium to pass the time. We really enjoyed it. Of course, the whole time we were remarking how much Chris would have loved seeing all the fish. 

Yep, just like Chris's tank at home!

It was a wonderful weekend trip!