A word or two about Hot Stuff…

I know this last year of training has not been easy on Hot Stuff. Since completing Barb’s Race 2013, I have logged over 2,500 miles swimming, biking and running. This equates to 349 hours or about 7 hours per week of training. Granted, he hasn't been with me all of those miles and the hours spent on the bike trainer were borne by my booty alone...but he's been with me a lot of those miles. Regardless of the actual training quantities, he has been a tremendous support.

My biggest support!

His buy in for Barb’s Race 2014 came last year when he helped me work through my self-assessment in the “Triathlete’s Training Bible”. He helped me keep my answers honest and worked with me to help develop appropriate goals for the 2014 race season. He's also extremely understanding when I tell him I need to get a 2-1/2 hour training ride in before we do anything.

Throughout this past year he has been an endless source of encouragement and extremely generous in terms of letting me buy triathlon gear (not that he hasn't bought his own share of gear).

Me, HS and my new helmet ;-)

As we near Barb’s Race, he continues to challenge me by asking about my race day nutrition plan and my tapering plan and my race plan...HS is much more of a planner than I am. The other day he asked if I had given my nutrition leading up to the race much thought...um, uh....sort of...LOL

I think the sweetest and most thoughtful thing is has done was offer to sleep in the guest room so I can get a goodnight's sleep in our bed without his snoring waking me up. Honestly, I don't like sleeping alone, but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy stretching out and slumbering in silence on our Tempurpedic...well, silence until the stupid dog started whining. Being able to get 7-8 hours of sleep per night leading up to the race is going to be a big plus.

2nd sweetest thing this week :-)

And he does all this even though he doesn't really understand my desire to race ;-)

2026 Update: HS has been my pit crew, my training partner, and my biggest supporter through more races than I can count. He also became the inspiration for Mark in my novel Transitions: Through Hardship to the Stars — the husband who shows up, loads the bike, and never stops believing. Life imitating art.