My husband, Ryan, and I met at a race. He proposed at the World Championships for Duathlon and we had a running themed wedding. Needless to say racing is a big part of us!
A few weeks ago Ryan participated in his second full ironman distance triathlon. That is 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run. All in one day, all consecutively! It is a long day for the athlete. It requires a lot of resources. Resources that are physical in the sense of gear and nutrition, but also muscle strength. It also requires mental resources such as: mindset, philosophy and believes. It takes a lot of resources to make your body continually work for 9 to 12 hours straight!
The race was going well! The course was proving to be tough, but he was in great position. At the half way point in the run he is in 3rd place! As he makes it closer to me I shout some encouraging words at him. He simply asks where someone in charge is at. He stops at the aid station. Then, a medic team is called over to check his vitals. He is concerned that his body is starting to shut down from dehydration. He is contemplating is it worth finishing the race. Ultimately, he decided he would not finishing the 13.1 miles he had left of the 140.6 even though he was in 3rd place.
I loved your story Cassie today and so did my readers… AND I love even more that running, God, marriage, blogging and now motherhood ties us together. Looking forward to more amazing things we will share.