So as someone who has one of the best Sister/Sherpas around here is what she does to make our race day the best experience possible.

1) Race morning she drives us where we need to go and deals with parking
2) Takes essential post race stuff from us (e.g. clothes, wallet, cellphone)
3) Carries/purchases essential post race stuff (e.g. clean clothes, beer, food, cell phone charger)
4) Takes pictures and is supportive during the race
5) Grabs all of our gear from transition and puts it in the car (they give you a claim ticket for that)
6) Meets you after the finishing chute with the stuff you want/need (e.g. beer and ben and jerry's)
7) Generally makes sure everything is ok
8) Keeps loved ones who can't make it posted/Social media duties, if I asked her to (I don't)
9) Generally has a plan for what to do in the event of anything (e.g. med tent or desire for pizza/burritos)
10) Drives you home when the time is right and unpacks the car


Not sure why she does all of this stuff for me and my wife. But we do our best to repay her dedication... though I am not sure it is possible.

I will bookmark this post for if/when I ever need a sherpa, this is excellent!!! What an awesome sister you have.

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“Bloom wherever you are planted"

Thanks for the solid advice. It sounds like mostly I should make sure all of the small details are handled so she can focus on race-associated stress only! Other than burritos and beer, anything that someone finishing an IM would really want that I might not anticipate?

My husband has been my Sherpa for the past 12 years, which have included a few Ironmans and quite a few halfs. I tell people that being a Sherpa is almost as hard as being the athlete.

The list the other poster wrote pretty much covers it. Here are the ones that have stood out for me:
- seeing my husband on the run course, which is when you really need support on Ironman
- the updates (time, photos, notes about conditions) he texts to friends and family, Twitter updates
- he will often slip a little note in my T1 or T2 bags. I don't see the note until I'm changing in the tent after the swim or bike. Those notes mean a lot.
- being at the finish line and having a plan. By the time I'm done, my brain isn't functioning. It's nice to just hand everything over to him and have him tell me what to do and where to go.

Wishing your wife good luck in Wisconsin!

This list pretty much nails it. Good thing about IMWI course is that it is very easy to get around from a spectating/Sherpa standpoint. Make sure you watch the swim from the helix as she'll be able to see you while running up it to get to her bike. Bike course has many spots that you can get to by car to stake out a place to watch, same with the run where you can watch from downtown near the capitol and then walk over to State St for the out-and-back section for each loop.

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"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

I've only done a 70.3 but at about mile 45 of the bike and all through the run I was fantasizing about iced lattes. After I finished my husband left to ostensibly take my bike to the car, and when he came back with an iced latte, I could have married him all over again.

Not at the finish line, but after marathons I've been woken up in the night by leg and foot pain. It's really nice when your SO gets out of bed to bring you ibuprofen and rubs your feet until you fall back asleep. =)

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http://mediocremultisport.blogspot.com

I agree with all that has been said before.

My wife has gone as long as the International distance. I've done 140.6 and 70.3. We always race the shorter ones together and talk training, strategy, etc.

However, when I did my IM, I really enjoyed when my wife gave me encouragement from a spousal perspective rather than a triathlete perspective. I was scared, anxious, nervous, unsure, etc., and it was just nice to hear her say spousal things like "I believe in you", "You're amazing", "I admire you", instead of triathlete things like, "You'll do fine if you manage your HR", and "Make sure you pay attention to nutrition".

Probably sounds weird, but I knew I did the training and what I had to execute. I just really appreciated that non-triathlete type of encouragement.

The 10-point list that is published is good. The key is having your bike and transition bag picked up and packed away already when you cross. I typically always come in 'running on fumes' and after finishing it gets ugly real quick. Only other thing I would add is having your sherpa ready with something warm to put on right after the finish. With lows predicted in the 50's and a beaten body, you'll be surprised how cold you will be right after.

as others have said this is a great list. Having something warm to change into, particularly upper body is also a great suggestion.

I will add this: on Sat afternoon evening and Sun morning the participant should have as few distractions as possible. Your job should be to manage yourself and the rest of the "support" team to understand this. Lots of support groups are genuinely excited for the athlete and the weekend. Therefore, they want to go to group dinner Sat night, talk talk talk, take pictures pre-race etc etc etc. Athlete should be quieting and focusing on task at hand. Your job is to politely steer this process away from the athlete without offending anyone. This includes yourself. By Sat night and Sun morning, I personally don't want to talk much to anyone including my spouse. Her awareness of this (ie. without being offended) helps take a piece of pressure off me.

just my 2 cents

All race day advice is great. I would add a few items for the days leading up to the race:

• Make sure your athlete always has a water bottle with them wherever they go so they can stay hydrated
• carry their purse/backpack for them while around town
• make sure the athlete stays off their feet as much as possible the day before the race
• Try to plan days activities (training, check in, time in expo, meals, ect.) BEFORE you go so there is not a lot of time wondering around or trying to decide what to do next

Ultimately, this will be a shared experience for you and her. Have fun and enjoy it together!

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Keats McGonigal
IRONMAN
Operations Manager

All of the above, plus a few other things:


Pre race:
- My best advice would be to take care of all the logistics and planning. Do a good job, and tell your wife that you've taken care of it and how it's all going to work out! Make sure your beloved athlete is where they need to be and when with no stress, so they don't have to think about any of that stuff.
- Pay attention to road closures!

During:
- The best thing you can do is look at the run course and find the MOST LONELY, EMPTY spot on the whole run. It's easy to get excited when you're running past the main spectator points and suck some energy out of the crowd, but it's out at the end of the isolated out and back where you start to fade, and that's where they will need your support most.

After:
- Just take care of them and make sure they don't have to do anything or walk anywhere.


Throughout:
- Tolerate your athlete being a bit stressed, and whatever you do, don't do anything to add to the stress. Even if you're shitty that the wifi doesn't work your accommodation, or if you're exhausted and cranky, just project an air of calm. Stress is contagious, and triathlons are hard enough without it!

I should add, that helpers/families/partners/mates are a huge part of this sport. I honestly don't know where we'd be without them.

Only thing I would add is to watch her closely after the finish line. I had a near pass-out situation about 10 minutes after one of my IM finishes - thought I was fine but I clearly wasn't. My sherpa was watching me like a hawk, recognized the signs and nearly force-fed me food and Gatorade until I felt better. Even at the hotel, he "strongly suggested" I finish another Gatorade and bottle of water before laying down for the night. It made a huge difference. Just be aware of her response times, coherence, etc. as you know what is normal, even in an exhausted state.

The loneliest spot is coming off of Park onto the trail. No one will cheer for you until you hit the the next aid station. I found this stretch to be difficult mentally, but it is fairly short.

Pre-race: set a time limit at the expo. Look around a bit, get what you need and get out. Finisher's gear is available Monday.

Everyone - this is an awesome thread and I am so appreciative for everyone's input. Some really good pearls that would never have occurred to me otherwise. What a great sport and community! Sounds cheesy but I am totally tearing up anticipating this huge event and accomplishment in my wife's life.

Specific to Wisconsin,

Be somewhere on the helix to congratulate after the swim; I would think on the outside of the lane would be easier to see someone coming up.
Be out on one of the 3 bitches ~ maybe wear a fun costume to blend into the atmosphere ~ if she is not a FOP, the spectators really thin out by the time you come through on the second lap. I had some friends out at spectator festival in (can't think of town off the top of my head), and we blew through so fast that by the time I heard my name I was already long gone.
If you want multiple places to see her on the run course, I think you can jump between the start/finish and middle of each loop by walking about two blocks ~ take a look at the map!
Be near the finish line to take any gear off of her before she crosses the finish line for a better? photo. I usually drop the hat, water bottle, and sunglasses with someone there.
If you're parked close enough, try and grab the bike and T1/2 bags and stow in the car when she starts the run...saves huge time later.
Try to take lots of pictures if you can as it will save money on having to buy them from finisherpix at a ridiculous price.
Start a Facebook post the day of that provides updates to family and friends following ~ update a lot; will save a ton of individual questions from others throughout the day!
Never say you're almost there unless you can see the finish line...just looking strong etc!

IronSherpas are the best! Good luck!

Most has already been covered but here are a couple more.

Don't add to the stress. Take care of yourself, especially race day and don't expect them to worry about where you are etc. Be there when they want you, back off when they don't, and don't make them entertain you.

The absolutely most helpful thing my wife does for me is make sure my stuff and my body makes it back to the hotel.

If you are planning on seeing her on the course decide where that is going to be. My wife swears she saw me and yelled for me 7 times at IMAZ in '13. I think she may have been back in the hotel sleeping because I never saw her.

Make sure you have a spot to meet post race. They may miss you cross the line. Pick a spot you can both get to so if you miss each other you can meet there. Have them check that spot regularly. My wife and I both did the Big Sur marathon a couple years ago. It took over two hours to locate each other post race. Not good.


ETA - and can't believe this has not been covered - make sure there is a special T3 set up.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

I'm going to plead ignorance - T3?

A la 'The 19th hole'.

End of the race! Something nice and comfy to come back to at home.

The general advice is spot-on, so I will go for the "bonus points" on specific Madison tips.

Pre-race drop special needs bag drop-off is at the capitol building. You should drop your wife off as close to it as possible and she can walk from there down to the terrace.

For the swim, follow everyone's suggestion regarding watching from the helix. A spot on the wall facing swim start and exit is the most prime real estate.

For the bike, a lot of people watch in Verona, where the festival takes place, but the riders go through town riding downhill at >20 mph so it is easy to miss your athlete and even if you see her, it is only for a split second. I would suggest one of the hills for spectating on the bike course where the riders are going <10 mph. The easiest to access are (1) Timber Ln (intersection of Old Sauk Rd & Timber Ln, Middleton, WI--park along Old Sauk) or (2) Midtown Rd (intersection of Midtown Rd and Shady Oak Ln, Verona, WI--park on Midtown east of Shady Oak). There are great crowds on both hills and it is a fun atmosphere. You should have sufficient time to watch the swim, grab some food on the way out , watch both loops and still make it back to see T2 unless your wife is really fast. (.)

For the run, as someone that has been both a sherpa and participant at Madison I agree that support on the lonely parts of the course is the best support. In particular, the path at the far west end of the course is the loneliest (especially on lap two). However, getting to the lonely spots requires some ambition on your part and a willingness to venture away from the party atmosphere on State Street after an already long day. If you have a bike (even a rented B-cycle), you can hit pretty much anywhere on the run course. My wife saw me 10 times last year (5 different spots x 2 laps) on the run course, which was amazing. You will get a lot of brownie points for support on the run course.

Post-race can be whirlwind, all depending on how she feels. There really isn't much planning for this, other than being supported and responsive. Good luck and enjoy the weekend. Sunday will be a long day for you too.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/..._latest_reply;so=ASC

It will take a good part of your day but stick with it. The payoff is worth it in the end.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

Great advice above.

Adding: If the athlete suggests you be in a certain spot-- maybe she knows it's a rough spot on the course for her, or just a place where she said she will be looking for you-- be at THAT SPOT. Don't over think it and go somewhere you think is better, because then your athlete is going to get to the place she picked and be disappointed that you aren't there.

Also--very important-- take care of YOU. IM spectating is a long day. Your athlete has people to talk to, and people handing her food/water all day. You don't. Make sure you stay fed and hydrated, and watch the sunscreen situation. Have a chair. Consider compression socks. If you get tired/hungry/cranky, you aren't as good for your athlete.

Have fun! IM MOO was my first, the inaugural year, and it was awesome!

Send her off on the swim. Get coffee. Get a good spot at TI and yell words of encouragement as she leaves on the bike. Get breakfast and a Bloody Mary. Take a nap. Get a massage. Be there to yell and kiss shortly after exit of T2 easy to see your mate then Then find spots along the run course for multiple butt slaps. Get a beer after each one and some cheese curds as well. Greet her at the finish. Have a blast!

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Jim Lukanich

Yes to everything everyone else has said, but this especially rang true for me:


My sherpa-husband and friends hung out at in a lonely spot in Ironman Muskoka last weekend (Canal Rd/60) and told me that almost everyone running past was so excited to see them because they were the first spectators they had seen in about 6K (besides aid stations). You may be your wife's personal sherpa, but you are a cheerleader to everyone. Bring a cowbell and a portable speaker to rock some tunes and you'll be everyone's BFF.

As for sherpa-ing specifically - do whatever your athlete wants you to do, and be self sufficient, and be ready for a long day yourself :)