Friday Five (plus a couple): Scenes from Ironman Texas



I've told you time and time again that I have some pretty ridiculous friends.  That was illustrated once again as I was fortunate enough to have no less that six (that's right, SIX!) friends competing in Ironman Texas in The Woodlands last Saturday.  Many of you are aware of what makes up an Ironman, but here's a crash course for those of you who are aren't -- 2.4 mile swim, followed immediately by a 112 mile bike ride, followed immediately by a 26.2 mile run.  All of the aspiring Ironman athletes have a strict time limit of 17 hours to complete this feat.  Texas weather came through once again and provided the us with an especially humid 90+ degree day.  Staying cool was impossible and I was merely a spectator.



The Luebs almost made it look easy!



Fi & I demonstrate proper jingle skirt/instrument matching

Stude on his final approach to Ironman Glory

 

Ironman Number 3 for Jason and his beautiful wife Karen

 

FIGJAM Central -- we had a premium spot on the run course along the canal

Erin & me with Buc-ee -- no trip down I45 is complete without him!

All in all it was a pretty incredible day.  There were tears of absolute joy for some and tears of utter heartbreak for others.  This was my second Ironman event to spectate in person and I can honestly say that I have walked away overwhelmed with energy and inspiration each time.  I have no doubt that there will be more of these adventures in my future and I can't wait!



'Nuff said.







Spectating...Tips from the Pros

Sunday June 3 found me with a with a variation in my usual long run routine....June 3 was the Play-Tri Sprint and Olympic Triathlon and there was cheering to be done.  My circle of friends is filled with some pretty incredible people and I find myself busting my tail just to keep up with them.  I am not sure I would have had half of the experiences (or fun) if it weren't for them.  Example: Drum and That Pink Girl were racing their hearts out in the sprint distance...and Mary, Alicia, DK, and Elizabeth would be venturing into new territory and trying their hand at the Olympic distance.  Time to make some signs, dress in "visible from space colors", and grab a pink tambourine!  These friends give me so much energy and inspiration daily, cheering for them is the least that I can do...seriously.

So here are my tips to make your next cheering adventure a successful one:

1. Bright colors are essential--it is much easier for your athlete to spot you if you are dressed in colors that are "visible from space." The more people in bright colors, the better.  I knew I was one the right track this day when a sleeping Mr K cracked open one eye, looked at me, and said  "Oh wow...you are jarring."        MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

2. Catchy signs--have a great inside joke or one liner that you share with your athlete?  Slap it on a brightly colored sign...bonus points for glitter.  And be sure to make some generic signs while you are at it.  Not every athlete will be lucky enough to have their own cheer squad and they will appreciate the word of encouragement or laugh along the way.

A special thanks to Stephanie for this catchy sign

                                   

3. Hydrate--this is Texas and it is hot out there...not just for the athletes.  Make sure you pack contains proper hydration for the support crew. 

4. Be loud--I grabbed a bright pink tambourine for this occasion, but any random cowbell or egg shaker will work as well.  Some of my friends are lucky enough to adorn gypsy-style jingle skirts. Also, yell at the top of your lungs.  There is nothing worse than running your heart out as you pass a silent crowd.  See an athlete that looks whipped?  Yell!  See a young kid working as hard as they can?  Cheer louder! See a girl about to pass a guy (aka "chick him") at the finish line? Cheer your loudest AND shake your tambourine! 

5. Wear your running shoes--you never know when your energy and spirit can be of help to your athlete on the course.  Sometimes just jumping in with them for a minute or two can provide the spark that they need.  And jumping in during the last mile on a steaming hot course can be just what they need to propel them over the finish line.

Coach Rainbow Brite to the rescue!

Mary's Frunner Bubble of Love

 6. Show your athlete how proud you are of their accomplishment!  Congratulate them when they are finished....but beware....they will want to hug you....and triathletes are pretty soggy.

I can guarantee you that I took away more energy, inspiration, and memories than the athletes did that day!  I would like to issue a sincere thanks to all of the athletes for sharing their race day with me.



As always...a special thanks to Mama C for providing many of the pictures that bring this blog to life!

Spectating At Its Finest...The Caveman Triathlon

On Sunday I traded spots and became the spectator at an endurance event. As you know, I usually do not get the opportunity to spectate as I am usually a part of the action. However, Sunday was a very special day....you see, Sunday was then day when my good friend Mary rocked her first triathlon! Before we go any further, I have to tell you what a champion Mary is. She committed herself to fitness a little over a year ago and hasn't looked back since. Mary decided that she wanted to be able to run in local races and signed up for a running class at Run On. During the course of these classes she began to suffer from tremendous shin pain only to discover that she had stress fractures in BOTH of her legs. This discovery would have sidelined or derailed many people. What a terrific excuse to quit, right? Not Mary, she saw this as an opportunity to work on her swimming and cycling and get this...train for a triathlon. Once her shins were healed she began to run again and signed up for triathlon training with Tri-Now Endurance (if you are looking for tri training, I highly recommend Coach Frank and his team). For the last nine weeks Mary has been swimming, cycling, and running nonstop. She has even been driving to Plano for 5:30 AM track workouts once a week and numerous swim/cycle clinics on the weekends.

Sunday dawned bright and beautiful (and a little windy....refreshing, as Mary would tell you as she ran by dripping wet, fresh from the pool). Mary's husband Keith, daughter Kama, friends Sylvia and Audrey, and Erik and myself comprised the most spirited spectator team at the tri. We had it all: clever signs, inspirational signs, funny signs, a cowbell, cameras, lawn chairs, coffee, muffins, unlimited spirit! I had so much fun watching Mary and I think that she had fun watching us.



We were even caught on film several times by the official race photographers--Team Mary was in full effect! And Mary seemed to be having a blast...she would run by with her arms in the air shouting "I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" I had so much fun being on the other side of the race. It was inspirational to see how many different types of people were racing that day too...the super speedy guys, the moms with their spouses and children on the sidelines, the old, the young, and the folks who were getting it done--even it it was at a much slower pace.



Mary crossed the finish line like a champ too--arms in the air and a huge smile on her face! She truly made it look easy, even though I know the huge amount of sweat and tears that went into this feat. I was itching to break out into a run at times, but I loved being on the other side of the event. It was neat to see how much our cheers helped Mary on her journey and I encourage everyone to get out and spectate at a race sometime. Support your runner, walker, triathlete, and cyclist friends by bringing your signs, spirited smiles, cheers, and even your cowbells. You will never know how much your cheers mean to them...especially in those rough spots.