the pre-game warm up

we've been planning, training and preparing for the Tempe Ironman 2010 for over a year,

and although Kylan was the one to actually run the race

it was certainly a whole family affair.

we drove down to Phoenix four days before the race so we could take advantage of every

pre-race activity we possibly could.

for two days before the race the Tempe Town Lakes area was filled with athletes, volunteers and lots of family and support.

Kylan and his brother Kade, maybe the next Ironman?

Lili was definitely Kylan's biggest fan and she kept asking about Daddy's bike race for weeks before he actually raced! she was right next to his side the whole morning while he registered, got marked, and checked in his bike and gear bags.

one of the most amazing things about participating in the Ironman was to see how many volunteers there were to keep the show running. there were thousands of volunteers and they were all absolutely necessary to keep the athletes fed, massaged, and ready to race!

one of the iconic aspects of any triathlon, the body marking

one of the sponsors for the Ironman provided poster-boards, markers, ribbon, stickers, etc. so the family and friends could make posters to cheer on their Ironman.

Lili made the best sign of all!