I don’t.
But it seems to be increasingly common. At IMC last year… I saw several people on the run chatting on thier phones.
MP3 players are banned… why not cell phones? Even better… most cell phones have mp3 in them… hmm…
Maybe that’s why I enjoy short course more… people actually take the race seriously…
I’m pretty sure they are banned…
Doens’t matter, people still draft, wear headphones, pass on the right…
After the NYC tri last month there was some press thing that said several people had actually done the SWIM with their blackberries! I thought I’d misread it, but that’s what it said. I guess some of those type-As just can’t be disconnected for a single moment…
You know, I have to admit that I thought about carrying my cell phone at an Ironman for no other reason than to give my wife and son a call so that they could time their arrival at the finish line perfectly and not sit out in the hot sun for hours waiting for that 30 second stretch when I show up in the Lake Placid oval. But I resisted, because the cell phone would add too much weight to my pint size body…I won’t even run with a Fuelbelt or carry a small bottle.
Of course, if I was foolish enough to own a blackberry, I would likely be doing the entire race with it and posting live reports on ST from the course. To date I have resisted the urge to get a Blackberry, because I am addicted to being connected.
Now if Ironlive would wire up my Louis Garneau Chrono helmet with a live “Helmet Cam”, with an antenna and follow me with a motorbike and an accompanying overhead helicopter to transmit the signal to the TV crew, we could have live streaming video off the course…then again, you don’t need a helmet cam for that…you just need a guy on a motorbike with the camera…its that pesky little helicopter that adds to the cost.
Maybe helmet cam, plugged into a future 802.16e mobile WiMAX enabled Blackberry…that would be just enough bandwidth and would eliminate the helicopter and the motorbike from the cost structure…let’s wait for a few years for that to happen…if it does, I should be able to retire early from the semiconductor world (or maybe not…) 
Dev
Interesting thoughts… maybe in 10 years with better bandwidth and quality wireless cellular cameras… anyone with the money could broadcast their whole first-person view of the race. Seems like it would be insanely boring to watch though…
Ironman is a an ego-driven sport… I would image many people would do it…
Who cares if people use them (especially on the run)? How does it affect YOU? I personally always assume the person on the bike in front of me or near me is going to do something stupid anyways, so them using a cell phone is not going to put my health/race in any additional potential danger.
I can understand why someone would have one. For example, a MOPer or BOPer, has trained for an entire year, sacrificing time with family. Now the spouse and kids are out on the course hoping to catch a 7-second glimpse of their home’s hero. Why not let the person ring the family up with times/locations so they don’t miss the once-a-year opportunity to see them in action?
If I were going to do this, I’d get one of the pre-paid, throwaway cell phones. After the expense of a, IM-branded race, what’s an extra $40 or $50? Put it in your transition bag - it’s cheap enough to throw away after you make your “update” calls, or if it gets lost/destroyed somehow.
Yes, I know they are banned from races. I have never done it, and have no plans to do so. But I understand and accept why someone might have one.
I haven’t taken my cellphone on an IM race yet … but I do carry it when I train on the run … its compact and I put it in a tiny ziplock bag to keep it dry … hardly noticeably in the side pocket of my zoot shorts.
If I carried it, my wife or a friend would call me and I don’t care to talk to them then … but it’s really no different than talking to someone next to you while running.
My daughter (IMx4) always calls mom at key points (yes, she has IM live) but thats just a mom daughter thing … guys never have understood that!
I guess enjoying short course more doesn’t mean much except that you’re not out there for long … so who would care to know???
As long as it doesn’t interfere with my race, I could frankly care less … maybe I’ll take it next time.
Dave
I don’t have anything against it… what gave you that idea?
Seriously though…a few years from now, with WiMAX it would be viable for anyone to do live coverage of any mobile event like a bike race with minimal hardware and mobility infrastructure like helicoptors following a camera transmitting back to a mobile TV truck…all you’ll need a camera and a WiMAX enabled laptop/Handheld and then from there, you just leverage the existing WiMAX access network and associated backhaul…its going to make coverage of moving events like running racing, bike racing and triathlons really simple and cheap, provided that they are in the mobile WiMAX coverage area :-).
TdF coverage could be really cool with a number of live handlebar mounted cameras from right within the peloton !!! Imagine the view from Robbie’s camera as he comes up to and then slingshots past Boonen!
Dev
I think Pro cyclists are too anal about weight on their bikes to carry cameras!!
But the avg. AG IM competitor.
I haven’t yet, but I have seen (and overheard) more then one person use one on the run to give updates to friends and family. I have seen one athlete on the side of the road making a call to be picked up after he had a mechanical on he bike and an athlete with a phone called 911 when we both stopped for a rider that was hit by a car at IMAZ 2006.
I don’t see anything wrong with it, if someone was using one while riding that is one thing… but what is the problem with an athlete carrying one of the run. I guess one could get information from a coach on one… but ever try running and talking on a phone? The people I have seen using a phone at an IM have all been MOP/BOP athletes or have been used in an emergency.
"Maybe that’s why I enjoy short course more… people actually take the race seriously… "
Really? I doubt too many people who do an Ironman are NOT taking the event seriouslly.
Thank god the iphone is out, that saves me carrying too many gadgets…
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Some of the bikes are so light now that they need to add weight for meet the minimum weight - why not add that weight in the form of a camera?
I think that people need distractions while they’re enduring the hours of pain and boredom that takes in order to brag to everyone how they finished an IM.
“I doubt too many people who do an Ironman are NOT taking the event seriouslly”
You’re kidding right? Most people don’t even take the training seriously… then they get to the race with half-ass plan, poor fitness, bad equipment and blame thier shitty race on the heat, hills, wind, rain, etc…
Sure I used it to call god to put some get up and go in my legs at mile 18 of IMLP 2007,it work.
No, the real purpose of the phone is to call ahead to position all the family members/dogs/baby carriages…etc in front of competitors who are just about at the finishing chute and will impede their “PR” or Kona spot which seems to happen so commonly ;). It also can be used to get new batteries when your MP3 player gives out.
Dave
If i remember correctly cell phone are allowed at IM. I would not carry one while racing as I think that it would be very annoying.
I do often carry my smartphone while training and have often stopped to take calls and respond to emails while running. I aslo sometimes answer the phone while biking. Not trying to be a type A anything but remaining available to my office/clients and family lets me train at times when I would other wise not be able to.