Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Okay, so it has been forever since I have posted. My early New Year's Resolution will be to post every week. We just got back from a great trip to Arizona. We spent 5 days in Sun City West with Kristi's parents, and sister and 5 days in Gilbert with my family. The weather was just great and the trip went off without too many hitches. On the way down the van started having starting issues. At one point in Tonopah, Nevada (Officially in the middle of nowhere) it wouldn't start. I called AAA and they said they had to send a truck from Las Vegas so it would be 2 hours. We had driven through the night and stopped there for breakfast at about 8am. After we ate I went out to the van and it started (one last time). I never turned the van off again until we got to the hotel in Arizona. I just didn't want to risk it.

We made it and the shut the van off and it never started again. I messed with it a bit but no luck. The next morning I got up and changed the started and voila no problems any more. I sheered one bolt off so two bolts have to hold it. Anyway, we went to the Arizona Zoo and the kids had a great time and got to pet some giraffe's which is really a wierd experience. We swam and ate (too much) but had fun. I was trying NOT to think of the Ironman coming up but it was hard. It kind of ruins the vacation but oh well.

Went to my folks place on Wednesday and the kids swam and we ate more. We ate a bunch, not good for the Ironman but oh well. On Thursday I went and checked in for the race and started getting nervous because you had to think about it. It literally had no idea what to expect. I kept having visions of people crawling across the line and puking along the course. I figured that would be me. Anyway, Kristi and I went to the pre-race dinner on Friday night with another couple from Central Point Oregon who we met through this Ironman race. We picked them up from their hotel and ate food that literally had no taste. A waste of $25 bucks for Kristi's meal but was fun to be together. The dinner was outside along Tempe Town Lake with 2500 or my closest friends so that was cool. They had the youngest competitor and oldest come on stage and the people who had lost the most weight and then Rudy Garcia-Tolson. If you don't know of him google his name and read about this motivational young man. Basically he had his legs amputated above mid thigh because of some medical conditions at around age 5. Since they he has, Oh nothing, won gold medals in swimming and competed in numerous athletic events and been a motivation to young kids with similar disabilities. However, he has never been able to complete a full ironman. He tried in Hawaii last month but did not make the bike cut-off. Long story short, HE MADE IT!!! I yelled at him each time I saw him and he motivated us all back.

Anyway, the race went better than I had expected and I finished in 13hours and 11minutes. I figured it would be at least 14 hours so I'm fine with the outcome. I can do better though and will try again next year. I think it is a bit addictive. I really enjoyed myself. Kristi and the kids and all the relatives wore TEAM KANTOLA shirts so that was cool. Seeing them each time throughout the day just gave me more energy. I actually felt good the next day. Felt like I should go for a long walk or a swim to loosen the muscles up a bit, but instead drove 9 hours to Fresno where we stayed the night. The next day sat another 12 hours driving back home. We had 7 kids, cousin Jordan and Niece Kendall, and a English Mastiff in the van for two days of driving, but it went well.

I am now officially and IRONMAN. I don't feel different but look forward to doing it again. I'll post more often, I promise.