Mission Success: A Condo Hunt and Ironman Experience

Well, I'm happy to report that we had just a little bit of fun in sunny Florida!  The sand was soft, the surf was serene, the kiddo was full of glee...

And, my parents came away with a beautiful condo so we can do it all over again, and again, and again!!  Here's a few shots of their new place:

A beach view from the master bedroom...pardon the grainy iPhone pick but you can tell it's a beach.

One of my favorite things - the balcony/porch - is HUGE at nearly 30 ft long and 7 ft wide.  It's got major beach party potential.

Here's the view of the bay from the balcony.

And, the best part about the inside?  The kitchen - designed for the previous owner/chef - with an induction cooktop, double ovens, pot filler, cushion close drawers/cabinets, and more.

(that's my cute Mom discovering all the nifty features that were packed into this kitchen)

The building's shared areas are pretty darn great too - the pool and patio lead right onto the beach!

After looking at those, I sorta want to go back already...

After a successful condo-hunting trip, we flew back and then I left to hit up another beautiful place - Lake Placid, NY.

It was a bit out in the middle of nowhere at nearly 3 miles from Albany, but it was a gorgeous middle of nowhere. It was an exquisite landscape in the Adirondack mountains - they've got rolling hills (almost what I'd call a "mountain"), tons of trees, and the most majestic lakes.

My aunt rocked the Ironman Lake Placid, finishing at right around 13 hours which is AMAZING!  My cousins and I racked up quite a few miles ourselves just spectating.

Here's the 2.4 mile swim early in the morning hours...

The 112 mile bike was next, during which the skies unleashed a deluge of water, but my aunt finished that portion with a smile on her face.  (True confessions...we went back to the room and took a nap while she was biking for hours on end.)

Check out these ominous clouds during the run portion!

While she was running we took a load off our feet by grabbing an unauthorized charge from the side of a gift shop and eating a few delicious crepes.  Our Ironman support crew motto throughout the day: Recharge and refuel!

Here's my stellar aunt finishing the 26.2 mile run...still with a smile.

Hooray Mary, we're so proud of you and your awesome repeat accomplishment - fourth times a charm!

That's right folks, a collective 140.6 miles on Mary's part plus 13 miles times three of us (that's 39...round up to 40 miles) puts us at about 180.6 miles total in one day for our foursome.  All made possible by tons of hard work on Mary's part and then fluorescent shoes.

I'd like to say I'm putting my feel up today, but instead I'm getting ready for our trip to Spain next week.  No rest for the weary...there's simply too much to see and do in this world!!