ironman texas 2012

Ironman began in 1978 in Hawaii after a debate ensued about who was more fit -- swimmers, runners, or cyclists.  A Navy Commander and his wife created the ultimate test of fitness by designing a race in which athletes would swim, bike, and then run in succession.  "Whoever finishes first we'll call the Ironman," said the Commander.  Fifteen men competed in the first event.

The format of Ironman remains unchanged to this day.  Each race starts with a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run.  Those that finish in the allotted time proudly bear the name Ironman.  And last Saturday, my husband became one of those.  

Getting ready for the race.  A little nervous.

Last minute gear check.  His bib # was 1010.  My brother's birthday was October 10.  So cool.

Before the start with Honey and Cramer.  He is so handsome!

The swim start was incredible!  Such an amazing atmosphere!  The cannon is about to sound!

He finished the swim in 1:37.  Getting out of the water, smiling. 

T1.  Getting ready for the bike.

Transition.  Stopped to say hello to Luke, who was not too sure about the crazy helmet.

Leaving for a very long bike ride. 

Bike is complete.  Took about 6 hours.  Running into T2. 

The beginning of a very long run.  At 3 o'clock in the afternoon.  It is 91 degrees and the sun is so intense. 

He ran.  And ran.  And ran. 

A little encouragement from Pops & Marley.

Still running strong.  This was just 3 miles from the finish! The sun is going down and it is finally cooling off.

Stopped for a quick hug.  I am so proud of him.

Support crew.  :)

He finished!  "Adam Martin, you are an Ironman!"  Time 13:46:26.  Absolutely incredible!

Adam's proud parents.  They were out there all day!  Do you see that smile?  He looked awesome! 

Proud coach.  Matt has coached Adam's training for a year!  Go Outrival!

And a very, very, very proud love. 

Adam finished the race strong and smiling.
Beaming, really. 
It was the most incredible day. 

singin' in the rain

Luke and I go for a run almost every morning.  Running keeps me sane healthy, so we've made it a habit.  It has become such a habit, in fact, that we headed out for our jog the other morning without giving much thought to the weather.

About a mile from home, the skies opened up and it began to pour!

I turned that stroller around and ran home as fast as I could.  But by the time we got back, we were both soaking wet.  I put the stroller in the garage and took Luke out of it.  As I gathered our things, little man walked straight back out into the rain and before I could catch him, he was playing in the puddles.

He splashed, and laughed, and put his face in the water, and splashed some more.  He sang and made car noises and played peek-a-boo from behind the garbage can.

He was having so much fun.  And why not!?  Playing in the rain is quite entertaining.

I just had to sit there and laugh.  I had turned around to come home as fast as my legs would run.  To keep him from getting ... wet?

And the little stinker wanted nothing more than to stay outside and play in the rain. 

it's ironman week!

And we are getting so excited about Saturday!

To increase Adam's anxiety and anticipation spend a little family time together, we went to see Adam's name on the Lulu Lemon wall last night.

It was so exciting to find his name in that long list of athletes!

I'm so proud of him!

Then we walked over to his favorite pizza place for a little carbo-loading nutrition. 

Luke's sporting his first M-dot.  For those not so familiar with tri lingo, that's the big red ironman guy on his shirt.  :)  Thanks Meg!

And then we headed over to the transition area, where ironman prep is in full swing!  Our whole town is being transformed and there's an excitement in the air that is so much fun!

I think Luke could feel the energy, too.  All he wanted to do was walk around.  Adam had to pick him up and carry him most of the way to the car!

Just two more days to go!

fifteen months

You, my little man, are a toddler. 

You are walking everywhere, and you get faster every day.  You're walking up and down the driveway and across uneven surfaces.  You still fall sometimes, but this never stops you.  You are determined and amazing and words cannot express how proud I am to see you walk. 

You talk all the time, but still in your own language.  You love remote controls, daddy's water bottles, my hairbrush, and little toy cars.  You love to watch the school bus drive by, you can find an airplane in the sky, and any kind of truck gets your complete attention. 

You make car noises and drive your firetruck all around the house.  All the time. 
You "talk on the phone" every chance you get.  And I wonder who you think you are calling!

You sleep from 7 at night until 7 in the morning and take two naps a day.  You eat constantly!  Some of your favorites are PB&J, mac'n cheese, smoothies, and scrambled eggs.  But you will choose fruit over absolutely anything.  You drink milk from a sippy cup and still take a paci to go to sleep.

You love Daisy. 
You share your cheerios with her and give her big, wide, open mouth kisses!
She licks you on the face and hands and it makes you laugh so hard.

Your laugh is infectious. 

The older you get, the happier you have become. 
You are sensitive, tender hearted, intuitive, and you love to snuggle when you wake up. 

You are getting so big, I don't know where the months have gone.  I love you so much little man.

happy mother's day!

I'm not sure what it is about mother's day, but I've had two now and still no good pictures of me and the one who makes me a mother.  :)

I've dreamed of that perfect shot -- we're dressed to coordinate and I have on lipstick and he's looking straight into my eyes with a big huge smile and his hands are on my cheeks and the wind is blowing our hair and the sun is shining through the trees in the background.  I will blog it and frame it and remember it always as my very special second mother's day. 

Bahahahaha.  That dream was before I had a toddler!  A toddler with a mind of his own! 
This year, this was about as good as we could do. 
An iPhone pic on the way in to church. 
Luke just wanted to get down!

Despite the lack of photographs to prove it, I had a wonderful mother's day weekend.  On Saturday, my husband gave me a day to myself, which was amazing.  I was pampered with a massage, a haircut, lunch with my boys, a pedicure, some shopping, and dinner out with Honey and Cramer!  It was really wonderful.

Sunday was spent doing things that make me a mom.  And believe it or not, that day was just as special.  We built forts and played cars.  Took a family trip to the grocery store and had dinner with the in-laws. 

Speaking of in-laws.  I can't believe I'm going to share this but it makes me laugh out loud every time I think about it.  It seems as though my MIL overestimated the size of my derriere and gave me these as a mother's day gift!

Happy mother's day!