Rev3 Cedar Point - The Recovery

Basking in the after-glow of an Ironman finish is usually its own reward. But this time I wanted to plan something nice since I actually convinced Kelley to go north with me! So I planned for an extra night in Cleveland.  Sandusky isn't exactly what we would call a "nice" or "clean" town.  It's small, quaint, adorable, lakeside, sure.  and there's a big park. But it's also got kind of a weird vibe. We weren't really that into it. Monday morning, we woke up and realized that we could then instantly go to a much nicer hotel room in Cleveland! Actually we asked the kids if they wanted to take Monday to go into the park before driving home on Tuesday, and they said that they did not want to make the drive. When they opted out we made plans for Cleveland.  Turns out it was less than an hour's drive to get into downtown Cleveland. And, turns out, Cleveland does indeed Rock!

Progressive Field from the highway

We got a nice hotel room, tickets for the Indians game, and I couldn't make a decision on a restaurant reservation in time so we just had to wing that.  Still, we both love baseball so it seemed great.  And Cleveland did not disappoint!

Kelley found Cy Young in the hall of fame!

Walking distance to the stadium

Yay! Happy baseball fans

She bought an Indians hat, I stuck with the Finishers Visor from Cedar Point

She's in Tribe Town

Fox Sports Ohio was setup! total photobomb

Jim Thome statue

Kelley is a true student of the game. Girl knew her Satchel Paige history!

The Indians were playing the LA Angels. We were expecting a bloodbath, and that's what we got. We were just excited to be in the stadium enjoying the game. I was actually more excited about seeing the Angels than I was the Indians, but the excitement of being in the stadium totally converted me into a fan.  Kelley bit down pretty hard too!

Fan Photo!

Baseball is the best recovery

Great game!

Panoramic view of the stadium

Hanging with my boy Mike Trout!

Beer is totally a recovery aide

The mascot and the guy with the drum!

Eventually we got seats in the shade

Amazing time at the ballpark!

original seats were just under the jumbotron

Mike Trout is pretty incredible to watch live

This at bat in the 9th, just after I took this, Pujols hit number 518. Incredible!

Rev3 Represent!

We saw the Angels hit 4 home runs, including Pujols hitting #518. The Indians got one too, but they lost 12-3. Sure the game was a blowout, but we had an amazing time at the ballpark. We ate (well, I ate) everything I could get my hands on. Kelley had some really good ice cream.  We both had a blast, everything about the game and stadium was a wonderful experience. 

After the game we went back to the hotel for a bit, then went to walk downtown. I wanted to go down 9th street to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even though we knew they were already closed.

a cool park, and you can see the Browns stadium in the background!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! It's right on Lake Erie

Cool selfie in front of the Hall

I didn't know the Hall was right next to the Browns stadium!

The Browns stadium was a really neat surprise

My sweet girl in front of Lake Erie again! North Coast style.

For dinner, we ended up going to a place called the Winking Lizard to celebrate the end of Ironman for me. It was a really nice, local sports bar kind of place with one of the best burgers in Cleveland. It was good, and I found a really nice local beer as well.  I also found several Great Lakes Brewery offerings at the stadium....

the old leghumper.... hahahaha

Downtown Cleveland really lights up at night!

Tuesday we drove back home to Raleigh. It took about 8 hours and was pretty uneventful. Literally, we didn't have to stop in West Virginia this time so the highlight was getting gas for $3.06/gal in Virginia.

We found where the Cavs play - right next to where the Indians play! had no idea.

NFL hall of Fame is in Canton, OH, and visible from the highway

Canton is NOT a safe place to stop and wander. Turns out, it's really scary.

Capital of West Virginia again, this time with more football stadium in the foreground!

This was an amazing trip with a wonderful race and tons of special time with my special lady. After almost 16 years of marriage, with the kids and the work and the training and everything else that goes on in life, getting to spend time together just as the two of us is rare and necessary. She took really good care of me when I turned into a blob after such a hard race, and I planned something I thought she would really enjoy in the Cleveland side of the trip. It ended up being very special for both of us.  This was a fitting end to my Ironman journey and I could not be more satisfied.