lake placid

Let the holidays begin!

I can recall many times when I was eager to get away because I could see that Tim needed a chance to recharge. Lately, I think we've both been getting a little 'crispy' and I've been equally looking forward to the time to rejeuvenate in the Adirondacks and Algonquin as a family. This holiday is unlike any others -- first off, it begins with the longest race of Tim's life (more on that to come). We are taking both girls backcountry camping in a canoe -- never done that with two kids before. And, as you can see, I have a new laptop with wireless access to be able to keep you fine folks in the loop. (Thanks, Papa D!) I promise the computer and I will see little of each other as we soak up the natural surroundings. But I do love the chance to preserve the memories of our adventures for our family as they happen.

Funny story. In recent weeks, we've been trying to conceive a plan to get everything we need in the wagon for our triathloning-sightseeing-hiking-canoeing-visiting trip. (Maybe one day we'll break down and become van people like most of our friends, but for now, we're enjoying the challenge and the good mileage.) Thursday morning when we packed all our belongings in "Lionel" (our Legacy) and everything fit snug as a bug in just minutes, Tim and I looked at each other and said, "Wow. That was easier than we thought it would be." After which we realized we had forgotten a mongo tupperware container full of all our camping equipment. Ooooops. We scrunched our noses, unpacked it all and started again. Somehow, it all fit in...er... well... and on. Surprise blessing number one.

When you take a long car trip with a one year old and an almost four year old, you sort of expect that the youngest will sleep while the older one looks out the window. Not always so.

But truly, the girls have traveled really well so far. (Another surprise blessing.) A large bag of small cookies goes a long way. Nine hours down. About 12 to go. I'm hoping the finger puppets and books on CD will come in handy next week.

So... Lake Placid. About 2300 athletes and their families have descended on this town in the last day or two. They come from around the world, though the majority are Americans. Check out the cute mini with tri bikes I spotted arriving this afternoon.

The town has hosted the winter Olympics twice -- in 1932 and 1980. It's very charming and a perfect setting for an Ironman course.

Maia reminisced about snow on the main street. Remember snow, Maia? It wasn't that long ago you were playing in the white stuff!

So for a little background on the race... Tim has been racing triathlons for about 20 years. 2 years ago, many of you chipped in to get him a really great tri bike for his 40th birthday. (Thank you for that surprise blessing!) For many years, Timmer has dreamed of doing an Ironman... a 3.8 km swim followed by a 180 km bike followed by a 42 km marathon. It basically translates to almost killing yourself for a full day and paying money to do it. Okay, I suppose there's the elation of completing such a challenging mental and physical task, and the value of many months (years) of training. There's the glory of being out in creation and pushing your body and mind to its limits. There's an element of worship in it. The list goes on. There are about as many reasons for doing an Ironman as there are participants.

As for Timmer, he has tried to get into Ironman Lake Placid for about 5 years. That story is a whole blog in itself! Last summer, he was finally able to sign up and at last will be racing this Sunday. The race starts at 7 am EST with a mass swim start of about 2300 people (iyeee!), but the tracking system won't look like he's moving until he puts on his race belt at the start of the bike course at about 8 am. The athletes have 17 hours to finish the race (7 am to 12 am). I think Tim is hoping to finish early evening. I expect it will be entirely inspiring to watch. I can hardly wait to see it all unfold.

So it's a pretty electric environment in town. The Olympic village is buzzing with athletes and young families. Triathletes are picking up their race kits and milling about, telling stories, asking questions. This morning, Tim got registered and we also picked up a GPS tracking unit that he'll be wearing during the bike and run on Sunday. (No satellite tracking in water... hunh!) If you want to cheer from a distance, you can follow our tri guy as he bikes and runs here on a computer browser, or here on a handheld.

With Eliana on my back in a mai tei (her new favourite way to get around), we watched as a handful of triathletes checked out the swim course. Exciting. Tim will try it out tomorrow morning.

The whole community embraces this once-a-year event. Would you believe there are 3000 volunteers here, including 'wetsuit peelers' and 'finish line catchers' (for those who keel over at the end of the race)? Even the churches get really involved -- good on them. One church is offering a service tomorrow night to pray for the athletes. Can you read the sign?

IRONMEN BLESSING SATURDAY 5:30 PM

Another church has their people volunteering all over wherever needed. Maia had a balloon hat made for her by a group of them who were connecting with kids this morning. They were wearing shirts that read 'LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE, LOVE SPORTS'. Love it.

Now speaking of surprise blessings, I have one more I must share. Months ago when we were considering where we would stay (and wondering how on earth we would pay for a minimum of 5 nights accommodation at Olympic village rates!), a local church connected us to a family that offered us their home for the week. What!? We are feeling so spoiled being here. It is perfect for our family -- even has a crib for Eliana and rooms for family who are coming down tomorrow to cheer on Sunday. It is so quaint and is the perfect quiet spot amidst the buzz in town

So quaint...

...and great for a house full of guests!

Right now Tim is working through an overwhelming package of info in preparation for Sunday. This race is definitely not like other triathlons. Among other things, he was given a sheet of stickers with his race number and a list of a myriad of things he must label.

Every now and then, I check in with Tim on the E/T scale -- how much excitement vs. trepidation? He's stopped giving me numbers. I think he's trying not too get too excited or overwhelmed. My steady tri guy.

As for me, I think it's 90/10. Very excited to see the man I love live out one of his dreams. Actually, I'm excited for all the athletes. Each one comes with a unique story, and their own hopes, fears, dreams, experience, and reasons for doing this. And as for trepidation, I'm a wee concerned about the swim start. I choose not to dwell on the frenzy in the water that will take place at 7 am. It gives me some comfort to know that his race fee includes paying for kayakers and lifesavers nearby, as well as scuba divers who will be underwater at the race start. Still, yipes. That's my man out there!

I'll blog more soon... but for now, suffice it to say that this journey has been one marked by many unexpected blessings from a God who gives us the bodies, the minds, the will and the freedom to do such extreme and enlivening things. I can't wait to tell you more when there's more to tell.

Love to all from Lake Placid.