Fall Break

Our family spent fall break last week in Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Our tour director was Miss Jenny, who has planned, organized and labored over details of the trip for what seems like six months. Everything was seamless. We had a wonderful time, and I think we all have a greater appreciation for our nation's history and current government. I was surprised and proud of how much our kids already knew about these great places we toured. Highlights for me were the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and watching a Supreme Court trial. I also enjoyed shopping and hanging out in Georgetown. Seeing the Declaration of Independence in the National Archives after visiting Independence Hall in Philly, where it was signed, made me feel very connected with our founding fathers.

Yo Adrienne! I am thankful for safe travel. Enjoy these photos. More pics of the backyard coming soon.

Marshall

Great Weekend In Chicago

PR for me at the Chicago Accenture Triathlon last weekend! It was one of my most satisfying races. I improved in all three disciplines. I had my best bike split yet and my run got stronger as I went. This gets me jazzed for next summer!

Jackson raced on Saturday, but due to recent heavy storms in Chicago, his triathlon was converted to a run-bike-run duathlon. He did well, but as an 11 year old in the 11-14 age range, it was tough for him.

Our backyard is slowly coming together. We have a great team working on our project. Jim Stradtner, who owns The Pool Doc, and Brian Beard have been super. The pool is in and we are swimming with the Fast Lane. It feels like doing interval sprints on a treadmill. It definitely has an open water feel to it.

Marshall and Jackson had their first Holy Name School cross country meet yesterday. They did well against some tough competition.

Enjoy the pics,

Marshall

My Wife Rocks!

We have had a great morning! Jenny completed her first triathlon...a sprint race sponsored by the Evansville YMCA. She was a little apprehensive about the swim, but did a great job. She finished comfortably in just over 2 hours, and smiled the whole time. I think she is hooked! The boys and I were the official support crew and Team Howell photographers.

We saw several friends who all had a fantastic races today. Randy and Tom took it easy today with Ironman Louisville coming up next week. Allen and Michelle Walker trained all summer, and it showed! Bill Blanke finished his second triathon...his first was several years ago. I haven't seen Tom Dowd's time yet. This was his second Tri. And as expected, Alisha McDaniel won the overall women's division.

I can't wait until next weekend ;). Enjoy the pictures, Marshall

Summer Project

We are very excited at the Howell house about our summer construction project. With the goal of making our backyard a great place to hang out, we have torn down our deck and have started building a paver patio with an outdoor kitchen, fireplace and my favorite, an Endless Pool to simulate open water swimming. Here are some pictures of our work in progress.

Only one more week until the Evansville YMCA Sprint Triathlon. Jenny and I have been gearing up for this race and for my Olympic distance race next weekend in Chicago. This will be my third time in Chicago. It is really a great race that is very well organized for its size. I look forward to posting some race info next week.



















I hope everyone is doing well, and am thankful for everyone's safety.

Marshall

Vacation!

These are some shots from the pool @ Palm Coast, FL. We have spent a few days here with Jenny's sisters, Marcia and Phyllis. They are wonderful sisters and Jenny is about the happiest I have ever seen her when she is around them.

I love these pics of the boys. They are lovin' life. They make me so proud every day. They also bring huge responsibility. With all of the influences they have shaping their development, I think parents must work harder to make sure they are heard loud and clear. Good and bad. We keep trying.

Hope everyone is having a great week too! Marshall

Busy Week!

We have had a lot going on in the Howell house over the past couple of weeks. Marshall IV and Jackson spent the past two weeks at Sports Camp in Chattanooga. The camp is at McCallie school, where three generations of Howell men graduated from high school.

Davis has ruled the house with his older brothers gone. They got back tonight and had a great time at camp. They both have grown up quite a bit this summer.

My sister, Sarah, was in from Dallas this weekend for a nice visit. They are possibly going to Coeur d'Alene next summer for family reunion and Ironman CDA. I miss having them all in Henderson year round. Jenny and I ran the Sebree, KY Firecracker 10K on July 4th. It was hillier than I remembered. Jenny finished with a PR and I managed to hang with the 20 and 30 year olds. I also managed to get in a few bike rides and swims this week, as I had a few days off from work.

This pic is after a "brick" work out on 7/5 consisting of a 40 mile solo ride, followed by a 10K run. It felt really good, but I definitely have the need for speed. I will be doing some training this summer and fall with some folks from the Southern Indiana Triathlon Club. Unfortunately, most of the long distance people are training for IM Louisville. Our schedules are going to be staggered, but hopefully, we can share a few long rides. It was so convenient training on the same schedule with Pete Hagen last summer. I guess I took that for granted. I am keeping up with Pete now via his blog and email since his family moved to Minneapolis this summer. They are greatly missed in our community and by my family. Pete has been such an inspiration to me. I plan to follow his lead and raise money for a local charity and incorporate it into my Ironman journey this year. Please check out Pete and Shannon's blog. You may have found my blog through theirs!

It's getting late, and I've got an early AM ride to get ready for .

Write on, MH

I finally have a training focus. My workouts are usually hit and miss unless I have a significant race that I've signed up for. A lot like life, don't you think? Anyway, I signed up for Ironman Coeur D' Alene 2008. I did not think I would do another Ironman race for several more years, but I feel like I need to go in this direction. After much thought and prayer, my family is also encouraging me in this endeavor. I am Jenny's unofficial coach as she prepares for her first sprint triathlon this summer. I'll keep you posted. Marshall

Hello

I am a brand new blogger. I decided to start a blog for a couple of reasons. One, I would like for friends and family to keep up with the goings on in my family and practice. I have developed friends in medicine, church and triathlon that I have kept up with by reading their blogs. I think it is great. Secondly, I think it is important for current or potential new patients to get to know me better.

I am not the most creative or entertaining writer, but I hope to improve as we go.

Write on!
Marshall