The Couple That Runs, Bikes, and Swims Together...

...stays together.This weekend will be a celebration of a lucky thirteen - thirteen years of marriage, that is. We're going to actually spend a night away together, something we haven't done since our first kid was born over ten years ago. What will we do with ourselves? My mom suggested a can of whipped cream. Somehow, that's not something you expect your own mother to say... eeek. I won a night at the local Hilton in a drawing this winter, and one of our favorite bands is playing a benefit for Habitat for Humanity, so we've got a great night planned out.

My hubby accompanied me on my long run this weekend, ten miles. What a guy. He hasn't been running over six or seven typically, but he is one fit dude (not to mention a bit faster than me, so slowing him down he can go forever. This is the man who unadvisedly did a marathon with only having done one run of even 14 miles in training). When we get to do a long run together, we connect in ways it's hard to explain. Yeah, we're having conversation, but we have that over tea and coffee in the morning, or after the kids go to sleep at night. There's something that bonds a couple together when they share their passions in life. When my husband wanted to ride 100 miles to the coast with some friends to celebrate his 40th birthday, I was able to hop on my bike and go along (never mind I hadn't ridden over 65 or 70 that year). When he saw how passionate I was about triathlons, he did one (not his cup of tea, but my hat is off to him for trying it out).

We met through a shared passion for skydiving and flying (despite my claims that I would never date another flyboy or crazy skydiver), and over the years have discovered our mutual loves of hiking, mountain climbing, travel, and sports. We've played on volleyball teams together, I've watched him knock himself out in raquetball courts, he's stood by my side through many an early morning triathlon swim start. He borrows my motorcycles (and even took one completely apart when I was pregnant, so I couldn't ride it, the big overprotective goof.) I know many couples who each go their separate ways when it comes time to pursue the things that they love to do, we're so lucky that so many of our passions intersect and we've had so many opportunities to do things together.

Of course, there's many more reasons that I love him other than just our shared interests. He's a man of integrity, good humor, the best father I know, and honest as the day is long (sometimes to everyone's frustration. Never ask this man if he likes your new hairstyle unless you want the real answer.) He has the best laugh in the universe (maybe challenged now by our son), and any movie you go see is ten times funnier if he's sitting by your side. When he laughs, you can't help but laugh yourself. He's got his quirks and moments when he makes me want to tear my hair out (how did this introvert marry a man who never stops talking? A man who, when he was a kid, had the nickname Ratchetjaw, a man whose children inherited this trait so our house sometimes sounds like the Tower of Babble???) When he gets a wild hair about something, he charges forward like a bull on a street in Pamplona. That's probably why our entire backyard looks like it's been attacked by giant moles (his drain pipe retrofitting "project".) When he says "Honey, I've been thinking about something..." I feel a small pit of dread in my stomach because he's about to take something apart or do something crazy.

All in all though, I'm happy to whisk this guy off for an overnight of fun and dancing (oh yeah, he's the best dancer ever) and raise a can of whipped cream to thirteen more years like the last ones.