Four magic words provide inspiration

As indicated in my previous post, I've been in need of something, anything to inspire me.  Well if you are ever in need of something like this....go watch an Ironman event.  Again, an Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run over the course of 17 hours.

Last Sunday was the second running of the Ford Ironman event in Tempe this year.  The first was in April.  After having record heat in April, the schedule makers decided that November might fair better for the athletes (smart choice.)  I've had numerous people tell me that they are incredible events to attend.  In need of inspiration, I volunteered for one of the run aid stations.

My volunteer shift was from 11am - 3pm.  I've heard that watching the swim start is incredible, so I headed down to Tempe early.  I arrived around 6:30 am.  I headed down to Tempe Beach Park which was the main transition area.  Wow, the energy was amazing.  Obviously I'm familiar with the energy surrounding a marathon, but this was something different.  The nervous excitement surrounding 2100 athletes preparing for a VERY LONG day was overwhelming.  

There is so much that goes into a triathlon, especially an Ironman.  You're making sure your transition area is set up with all the gear you need to transition from swim to bike (T1) and bike to run (T2).  You're making sure your bike is set up properly.  You are wedging yourself into a second skin...wetsuit.  This can be quite the chore as I witnessed many doing so by the lake.  All the while, your family is wanting to take pictures of you while your still able to stand.  You could sense the pride from families standing around looking to spend just a second with their future Ironman....signs, banners, T-shirt, bullhorns, cowbells every where you turned.  

I headed up to the bridge to get an ariel view of the swim start.  It was cold, and I figured being in that water had to be even colder.  An announcer asked everyone to begin getting into the water.  One by one Tempe Town Lake began to fill with athletes.  The pros, about 60 athletes, got a 10 minute start with the cannon going off at 6:50am.  Then the regular athletes lined up at the imaginary start line created in the water by canoes.   After the national anthem, the cannon sounded again.  After having witnessed it, I think the start of an Ironman event has to be one of the most incredible sites to see.  A seemingly calm lake comes alive with 2100 athletes kicking and splashing as they start the 2.4 mile swim.  Hopefully this picture does it justice.

After the start I headed down to the T1 area to watch the athletes get out of the water.  The first pro came out in 45 minutes.  I've read that the transition to land can be very difficult.  Having been in the water for that long, your body becomes disoriented and your legs don't always react well to being back on flat land.  I watched a number of people stumble up and out of the water.  In the meantime, you begin to unzip your wetsuit and head to the transition tent.  This is where you strip out of your wetsuit (very difficult), and grab your bike gear.  Next you head to find your bike within a sea of bikes.   I stood and watched a number of athletes mount their bikes, some falling as they ran in their bike shoes on a cobblestone walkway...oooops, and head out on a 112 mile bike ride.  

The corner of Mill and Rio Solado became what is know as the "hot corner".  It is the entryway into the transition area and the turnaround for the bike course.  Many spectators hovered in this area, ringing their cowbells or sounding their airhorns in support.  The athletes make the bike portion look very easy, but I know their quads and hamstrings must be on fire.   

Around 11am, I headed out to my run aid station, which was on the south side of the lake around Rural Rd.  I helped set up the tables.  We were providing the athletes with water, gatorade, coke, ice cold sponges, and food (pretzels, GU, powerbars, bananas, oranges, grapes).  We didn't see the first pro until about 12:45.  It's amazing to see the pro athletes by this point, they make it look so easy as they clip along at a 6 min pace.  Most of the athletes grabbed fluid and sponges.  By the way, I witness sponges being stuffed in places that sponges should not be stuffed normally....very interesting.  

My shift ended at 3pm, and some of the regular athletes were just making their way on to the course.  After this I headed back to the finish line and just missed the top 3 men finishing, the winner completing it in a little over 8 hours...incredible.

After grabbing some dinner on Mill, I headed back to the finish for the true inspiration.  For the next 4 hours I watched athletes ranging from 18 - 71 years old cross the finish line.    Many athletes would cross the finish line with their kids, running, jumping, and even saw one cartwheel. Each athlete gets the opportunity to break the finish line tape (very special), and awaits to here their name attached to those 4 magic words......"You are an Ironman".  For most people this means little, but for those who understand the training and determination involved....it means everything.  I have a new found respect for the Ironman "m dot", and hope to hear my name attached to those 4 magic words someday.

I headed back to the car around 9pm, I felt guilty heading back to my warm car knowing that there were many still out on that course who had 3 hours still ahead of them.  I gave them 14 hours of support, but those athletes gave me some much needed inspiration, that still resonates in my head.