Remembering....

As I was driving around town today, the increased traffic and IRONMAN signs everywhere took me back to two years ago when Rob became an IRONMAN.  A lot of emotions ran through me as if it were just yesterday that it took place.  I remember wondering hmmmm...when is he actually going to commit to doing the race after signing up, starting to train and then stopping all training about 6 months short of the race.  About 2 weeks out, his sister called him and wanted to know if he was going to do it, because if he was she wanted to be there for the big event.  Her call is what it took for him to commit.  yes, 2 weeks out and basically no training for a race that entails swimming, biking and running for a total of 140.6 miles! I was surprised at his decision, but supportive.  We spent the night at the Hurricane house which is about a mile from Sandhollow Reservoir.  I remember waking up with him when his alarm went off.  He thought "What the hell am I doing?!?"
He got up, got ready and I drove him out to the main road where he would have to walk in from there.  I was so nervous for him! and scared! I asked him if I could say a prayer before he left the car.  He agreed.  I said a prayer, gave him a kiss, told him good luck and also told him that if at any point he needed to drop out, to do it and don't feel bad about it.  Though knowing my husband, once he's in...he is in.  I watched him walk away from the car and tears streamed down my eyes. Without sufficient training, the swimming part is what scared me the most.  Could he really swim 2.4 miles in open water with hundreds and hundreds of other people around him? I remember having the binoculars and looking at the boats pulling person after person in them from the water, watching and wondering if one of them was Rob.  I look back now and think "Oh me off little faith in my husband!" He gave me estimated times for each sport and he was pretty much dead on. When the 1 hour 46 minute mark started approaching, I started listening for his name to be announced as he exited the water.  We finally heard it and even to this day, it brings tears to my eyes.  Hearing his name was such a relief to me! Kim said "that was his name! that was his name!" All I could do was shake my head as the tears rolled down my cheeks again.

On his bike and he was off again! 112 miles ahead of him.  We were able to see him as he started his second loop out to Veyo.  He waived and smiled at us.  It was so good to see him and he was still on with the timing he gave me.  His goal from the beginning was nothing short of just finishing the race.  He knew he would need to take it as slow as he could but fast enough to finish in his 17 hour time frame.  There were a couple really big hills in the bike route.  He knew the only way he would be able to stay in the race was to walk the hills. And he did.  That impressed me so much.  So many others, it seems, would be "ashamed" to do that, but he knew himself well enough to know he had to do it and he has never cared what other people think.  His confidence, determination and stamina are ones to be reckoned with!  After 8 hours on his bike he came into the finish...though completely wore out and having 26.2 miles to go, he had a smile on his face for us.  What a sweet guy!

Oh the marathon.  What a killer it was for him.  Most people assume that the marathon is run by most all participants, but that is not the case.  A lot of people walk more than you would think.  Rob knew he had time to walk most all of it and that is exactly what he did.  It was a killer course, having to do the course twice (two loops).  Coming around the round-a-bout downtown, some runners would run to the finish line while others would go around and head back out.  As he came around the round-a-bout, it was so good to see him! He was completely blowing me away with his ability to do this race.  Again, I just didn't know how he could endure such a race without training.  He headed back out for the second loop.  As it got close to midnight, the cutoff time, we got a place on the bleachers to watch and cheer for him.  By this time the kids were all knocked out, sleeping somewhere on the grass.  As the minutes got closer and closer to midnight, I got more nervous.  I kept thinking "you've come all this way, you have got to make it!!"  Every time a runner would come around the corner I would eagerly look to see if it was him...every time, which seemed like an eternity, it wasn't! I was getting so worried.  I couldn't hardly stand it.  Finally,  the next person WAS him, he was headed down victory row.

Oh my, my heart about jumped out of my chest!! There he was!! I couldn't believe my eyes!! He did it!! With 8 minutes to spare he crossed the finish line.  I was so proud of him and his accomplishment.  He was famished and could hardly walk, but he was there next to me with a new title to add to all the ones he already has.  IRONMAN.

It is still kind of surreal when we think about it.  The whole experience and that he did it.
I love my IRONMAN and I am so thankful for all the many things that he has taught me.  Rob is an impressive and pretty meritorius individual and I am grateful to be able to call him my husband.  Love you, my love.