After my 2+ hr tardiness at the finish line for IMC my wife requested I post a preliminary guide on how to support your IM athlete. I’d never really given much thought to what our people do for 10+ hrs out on the course so I thought this worth posting for everybody. You’ll have to forgive me paraphrasing but here are the high points:
Have a plan. Be ready for the plan to go to hell after the swim.
Get a map. A good one, not the course map that the race provides. The roads may be blocked and you will have to back track or have route B, C and E go out the window.
Know your racer and adjust your plan +30 min. The traffic on the course will totally F your first plan and don’t count on IMLive to trac you athlete.
PACK FOOD! If you are on foot or in a car it doesn’t matter. There will be food stops that you will ignor trying to get to your athlete. Just because it is a great place to see your guy or gal doesn’t mean that there will be food there.
Volunteers know nothing. They are great people willing to help in any way, but that does not mean that they know where they are, what time it is, or what time the racers you are looking at are in in their race.
If you are in a car, Bring chairs. Chances are you have arrived early, and if this is your (and their) first IM they are behind schedule - especially on the run.
Bring a cow bell. It is bad form to cheer just your racer and ringing a bell is a lot easier than coming up with creative remarks for the walking dead.
Cheer everybody. And understand that the racer going by is feeling like hell and may not -at that moment- appreciate your encouragement. (we do, by the way, we just hurt really bad).
My side note as a racer - Don’t tell me I look great as I walk (I feel like shit) better to say “the legs will come back” or “Keep moving, tough it out”.
I was out there just under 13 hrs which means that my fan club was out there just as long. At dinner that night, eating a big juicy burger and drinking a tall beer, my mother remarked that I looked the best of everybody. It was true, they had had a longer day than me. They had given me their energy and carried me through the finish. They were exhusted.
To my crew, I love you. May your Crew have a great experience.
Tottally with you on this one. My first IMC, 2008, I was in rough shape during the run. But my mind was with my wife. She was 5 months pregnant with child number 2. I found a volunteer with a phone at mile 16 of the run. The volunteer even dialled for me. I let my wife know I’m ok and at mile 16. Told her my estimated arrival time and asked her how she was. ( she was fine ) Yes I did the race, but she was with me, just having a different ordeal. Advice for other racers: tell your spouse/partner/iron-sherpa to have their phone on. I’m glad I did !! Train hard, train smart !!
That’s great that your wife went through all the trouble to be there for you! I can’t think of many sporting events more boring and long to watch than an Ironman if you’re not a triathlete. I feel guilty now even having my family come to my IM events. If they’re there with me, I just ask if my wife can nab a quick video of me coming down the finish chute, but with our two little ones to deal with, I’m lucky if even that happens.
Thanks for posting this. I am doing my first IM next week and my wife will be spectating her first with two little ones in tow. I forwarded this on to her I hopes it helps. I am going to have a water bottle in bike SN bag with a thank you love letter and a gift card inside (and trinkets for the kids if I can fit them) to hand off to her. Any other tips from anyone would be greatly appreciated
I’ve made “goodie bags” for my spectaors, who are all coming from out-of-state to watch my first IM.
Got those cinch drawstring bags and filled them with:
Course maps (my own), directions to good places on the bike course, and estimated times where I’ll be and when. I basically planned their entire day out for them, they can take or leave my suggestions.
Custom tee-shirt
Nalgene water bottle
Cowbell
Sidewalk chalk
Sunscreen
Emergency poncho
Bandaids
Antibacterial wipes
Kleenex
Chapstick
Gum
Personalized hand-written thank you note
Snacks (pretzles, non-chocolate candy, cookies, etc.)
For the kiddos I created an “Ironman Scavenger Hunt” with a list of things to take photos of… landmarks in the vicinity plus things like their favorite sign/poster, people volunteering, coolest bike they see, things like that. I found some “kids digital cameras” at Target for $15. Just something to take some of the boredom away from the little ones.
My GF joined James 11th-hour at the aid station at the top of Yellow Lake, and manned it from 10AM to 4:30 or so, then made her way down to the finish to see me. She met some cool people, had a great day, and got to see the best - and worst - of the IM sprit… it was a tough day out there. I’d recommend to anyone that they volunteer, rather than try and make their way around the course for a 10 second glimpse of their athlete’s butt…
We’re a funny lot - we abuse our SOs for a year during the training for these things (1st one, anyway) and then assume/presume that they want to schlep all over some strange town to ring a bell for us. Before she volunteered, I told my GF to go to the spa for the day, and I’d pay for it! I will admit that it was nice to have her hand me a gel at the top of Yellow Lake…
They are good points, tho, for the spectating inclined!
wow, that is way organized. My plan is to get the hubby to the swim start, hit the bricks as soon as the horn blows to wake up my hungover (or probably still drunk) friends back at the hotel. We’ll probably hit the hills on the bike course before heading back into town for our volly job (did we get that moved to closer to the Great Dane?), then wait for the hubby to finish. Then there will be more eating and drinking. Probably mostly drinking.
awesome advice! And so true. Being a spectator is a very tough job at an IM.
I think every potential IMer should consider the area and what it offers their support team before registering.
Questions to ask are:
Are there at least 2 bars close by, 1 is bad it will be packed, 2 thins the drinking herd making refills easier to come by
Do they have sunday drink specials
is there a way that your support crew can get the sunday paper
multiple restaurants in the area
childrens play area close by, only if you have kids or are a pedophile
casino in the area
can you put up signs in various areas of the course with encouraging words. My favorite is on 1 sign put “John I’m pregnant”. On the next sign 30yds down the road “It’s not yours.”
is it a loop course - this is very important b/c you want you support team to see you as often as possible and it’s nice to see your support team as you race
if your supprt team is driving around to cheer you on, are there multiple roads between cheering spots?
if not a loop course, is T2 close enough to the hotel that whomever you brought to cheer you on can go back and nap before your racer gets back to T2
If you can answer yes to questions 1,3,4,5 (only if you have kids) and 8 & 9, then you should register.
awesome advice! And so true. Being a spectator is a very tough job at an IM.
I think every potential IMer should consider the area and what it offers their support team before registering.
Questions to ask are:
Are there at least 2 bars close by, 1 is bad it will be packed, 2 thins the drinking herd making refills easier to come by
Do they have sunday drink specials
is there a way that your support crew can get the sunday paper
multiple restaurants in the area
childrens play area close by, only if you have kids or are a pedophile
casino in the area
can you put up signs in various areas of the course with encouraging words. My favorite is on 1 sign put “John I’m pregnant”. On the next sign 30yds down the road “It’s not yours.”
is it a loop course - this is very important b/c you want you support team to see you as often as possible and it’s nice to see your support team as you race
if your supprt team is driving around to cheer you on, are there multiple roads between cheering spots?
if not a loop course, is T2 close enough to the hotel that whomever you brought to cheer you on can go back and nap before your racer gets back to T2
If you can answer yes to questions 1,3,4,5 (only if you have kids) and 8 & 9, then you should register.
