What a beautiful day it was today! God blessed us with a beautiful morning. Our boys were priceless. We got them up early, pushed them far quicker out the door then any of us had anticipated, and still..even after a few stressful moments...still they smiled and encouraged us. They were priceless. With cameras in their hands and 5 year olds by their side, they cheered their mom and dad on. Along with the kids, my mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-law all showed up to encourage us. It was a great morning! The weather was incredibly gorgeous. It was kind of chilly, but nothing compared to what I was anticipating. The water was 70 degrees.

Mark and I really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. It has been such a joy for me to listen to our boys. As I stood in the water, waiting for our turn, I looked around. There wasn't a sole in a normal bathing suit. Every participant was in racing suits or wet suits. I giggled because Mark and I stood out... me especially. I stood in a lime green, normal bathing suit... you know.. the kind you just go swimming at the pool in... NOT racing. But as Sam told me, I was easy to find. And as both our kids said (several times)... we stood out in every way.. we were very low tech. It's true. Nearly every participant had some form of racing gear. Their shorts, shirts, helmets, suits, and bikes were all pretty high tech. I noticed the bikes immediately when I placed mine on the rack next to everyone elses. They all had their bikes on the rack by the handle bars. All their bars curved and fit neatly over the rail. My handle bars are perfect for this old woman! They aren't curved, their isn't a place to rest my elbows as I race (I don't think my back could handle that). But that didn't bother me at all. I wasn't there to compete; only to reach my goal of finishing.

It was an incredible feeling. Difficult as all get out. And when I was finishing, I said to myself that I would never do this again. But by the time we sat down in the car, I was asking the boys to do it with us next year.

As for the race, I had a lead on Mark after the swim. He caught up to me by the end of the bike ride. We started running together. He could have easily pulled out and finished much faster and stronger; but he didn't. He refused to finish ahead of me. He is so precious! The running part was hardest on me, so he didn't leave my side. It was so cool to run with him. We did this to celebrate our 20th anniversary. As we ran, Mark reminded me of how much this triathlon compared too our marriage. He talked about so many different things, it was just very special to hear it while we ran it. Marriage is hard work. At times, it would be easy to quit. There are smooth roads, bumpy roads, and pretty darn nasty roads. But it is worth it. The hard work that you put in pays off. It can be exhilerating and frustrating and painful and fun... it is an amazing journey.