My stud athlete

The first weekend in April, Jesse and I headed down to Moody Gardens in Galveston so he could compete in another triathlon. Originally, he had signed up to do the half-iron (which is a LOT) and a few weeks before the race, realizing he had not trained the way he should have, he dropped back to the quarter-iron, or Olympic triathlon. Still, no small feat!

Because of the time of year and the location of the swim (the ocean!), Jesse decided to bite the bullet and purchase a wetsuit. He was very embarrassed wearing it, but once we got there and everyone had one on, he fit right in. And I hear it really helped keep the cold out during the almost 1-mile swim.
After they get out of the water, there is a "wetsuit strip station" where the athlete lay down on the ground and the strippers literally rip that suit off them! I saw a couple suits go flying through the air, because they were pulled so hard. It was absolutely hilarious watching the strippers, and they made sure to have a good time with their job. Funny stuff. That is Jesse on the ground (the guy to the left) having his suit stripped.

Next it was time for the bike. I hear that the bike ride can really help you out if you use it correctly, and shave a lot of time off. In Galveston, they had the athletes ride up and down the Seawall, so you can imagine how the wind factored into the equation during the 28-mile bike ride. Jesse did alright on the bike, but he is really working on that portion of the race for his next triathlon.

And of course, last is the run. I cannot imagine running 6.5 miles period, but to do it AFTER all the other events-- no thank you. But, Jesse made it look easy.

Nice and steady, all the way through the finish line. Of course, he had set a goal, based on times he planned for each of the three events. He pretty much stayed true to his goals, except went over a bit on the bike. He wanted to finish under 3 hours, and his final time was 3 hours 8 minutes. Not to shabby.

It never ceases to amaze me the pride I feel as I watch him finish an event. I wish I could explain it! My heart is beating and feels like it could jump out of my chest. Plus, I love the smile he gives me when he sees me near the finish line, right before he lifts his chin and runs in with his head held high. Very cool.

Before the race, while all the athletes were setting up their transition areas, the rest of us spectators had to wait outside the parking lot. We could see them, but were roped off. Well, another girl was standing there with me and talking to her husband, who was only a couple spots down from Jesse. Turns out the guys were in the same heat. She and I got to talking, (her name is Devon) and it turns out we had a lot in common! They both went to Texas A&M and live in Houston. We had a good time getting to know each other, walking together during the different events and cheering for each other's husbands. Her husband finished a few minutes before Jesse, and they both came back to wait with me at the finish line and cheer him in. I think Jesse and John have a lot in common as well, and hopefully we will hang out with them sometime in the future.

It was a fun race, and I was very proud of Jesse. He has signed up for another triathlon, of the same distance, for the end of May. He is really working on his speed so he can better his time and then maybe later on he will try again for the half-iron. Crazy boy. But oh-so-studly...especially in a wetsuit. :)