I spent a very interesting six hours in the medical tent this afternoon. A couple things stood out-
It was hotter than the thermometer said. I can’t tell you how many people came here from the heat of the “south” figuring they would be ok only to find that it was hotter than they thought.
Broth is the miracle cure. I “fixed” tons of people this afternoon with 2 cups of broth and a gatorade. That stuff is a miracle cure and I don’t know why.
Many people who “blew up” had nailed their practiced nutrition. This was very discouraging to me. I would ask them how they did on the course and they would run down their entire nutrition plan. It certainly sounded like many of them took in enough electrolytes and calories, but still ended up in trouble.
The medical tent is a thankless job. I walked away discouraged. There were a lot of people who came in that I didn’t feel needed to. It took a lot of time and staff to take care of all these people. Most of them just needed to sit and drink a bit. Seemed like there were so many people who just came looking for a miracle cure to feel better quick. The docs at the tent were very conservative with IV’s. Just because you were dehydrated didn’t mean you were getting an IV.
It was pretty common to have an athlete come in and be 10lbs. under weight. I only saw a few overweight and they were immediately tested for sodium levels to rule out hyponutremia.
Ran into a few people I knew and met a few I new people. I guess this goes to #4–I met some of the nicest people today. There were several people who were genuinely hurting, but refused to be a burden. I guess that is what I expected of everyone which is not realistic. To those people I just want to say “thanks”. It made the whole thing worthwhile helping someone who needed it and actually was thankful.
I guess that is all for now. I did have the urge to sign up for next year again. Working the med tent cured that.
You’re probably right. Seems like many of them describe a light-bulb like experience whereas it was as if someone just flicked a switch and they were gone.
I know that in my heart. I don’t want to make light of the situations I saw today. Possibly a few (one in particular at the end of the night) tainted me concerning the whole. I can remember how I felt after last year and I felt some of these people just needed to realize that you just did an Ironman ; you’re not supposed to feel good.
I was in the med-tent at Lake Placid after my friends urged me to go. I was pretty delirious but I figured, I just did an Ironman. Ended up I was pretty dehydrated and almost passed out before they got me to a bed. After about 12 glasses of broth, I felt pretty good, went to leave and passed out. They put 3 IVs in me and said I could use another but after 3 hours I was just ready to leave… I was very thankful for the help and let everyone know even though I was used as a testing ground for new recruits (had 4 different IVs put in me, had them bust through my veins, and ended up laying in a pool of blood because it didn’t stop bleeding) I was just happy to get some help though.
I figured it out to not drinking enough at the end of the bike and not near enough on the run. I found it difficult to get all of the fluids in that I needed at each aid station on the run (i.e. I wasn’t pounding 4 cups of water at each one). For IM WI next year, I plan on bringing a large water bottle with me that sits on the small of your back with a belt. I’ll sip it throughout the run instead of just drinking everything at once. It should be pretty easy to fill up at aid stations.
Anyway, that was my experience and what I think will help me out for the next one.
First, thank you to you and all of the volunteers.
Second, I had one of those light bulb experiences. Might have gone a little hard the first loop, but mile 80 hit and I just could not get in another swig of nutrition. It took until mile 4 of the run where I started eating chips and grapes that I could even entertain the though of running. Had a good time overall though and finished my first IM. Was shooting for a somewhat slowtwitch approved 12 hours, but ended at 12:54:xx. It was tough out there and I heard there was a 10% DNF after the bike. I think one of the problems for those from WI especially was that it has been in the low to mid 70’s for the past 2 weeks and the last 2 days the heat had just continually gone up.
I’ve never had hydration problems because I carry a belt water bottle. My hydration needs have never coincided with mile markers. I refill at aid stations, but if I need a drink half way to an aid station and don’t drink, that could mess me up for good. The belt also allows me to carry salt and electrlyte.
For #3 Although people say the practiced their race nutrition but very few people actually practice race day intensity and bike 180 km straight in training. Most peoples training rides is something like bike a couple hours, stop for a break and refill bottles, eat some food, the repeat that several more times.
Also people underestimate how much swimming 1+ hour immediately before jumping on the bike will take out of them and their energy reserves
3. Many people who “blew up” had nailed their practiced nutrition. This was very discouraging to me. I would ask them how they did on the course and they would run down their entire nutrition plan. It certainly sounded like many of them took in enough electrolytes and calories, but still ended up in trouble.
No surprise. Many people think stuff like this is all based on formulas: 2 + 2 = 4. Yes they had a plan, but the plan did not work. Then what? IM races rarely go to plan. To be really “succesful” you need to be able to go from Plan A to Plan B then even to Plan C and keep going. The good ones know when to make that switch and be reasourceful.
4. The medical tent is a thankless job. I walked away discouraged. There were a lot of people who came in that I didn’t feel needed to. It took a lot of time and staff to take care of all these people. Most of them just needed to sit and drink a bit. Seemed like there were so many people who just came looking for a miracle cure to feel better quick. The docs at the tent were very conservative with IV’s. Just because you were dehydrated didn’t mean you were getting an IV.
I’ll apologize ahead of time for being an elitest snob, but we have in the last number of years bred and perpetuated this idea that an IM, is a “Race for Everyone”. But a lot of people are in way over their heads, and it’s clear that on race day they are pushing themselves way beyond what they have done in training. On one hand, they are to be aplauded, but on the other hand they rightly need to be asked if doing an IM was the right thing for them to do?
#2 - yes broth is a miracle cure, it tuned me up fairly quickly after IMC…next time I’m going to try a bit of it on the run
So True! Love Broth, saved me at IMAZ in April of 2008. Spent almost an hour in T2 drinking the stuff before heading out on the Mary.
Fleck, I won’t tell you then how many of the top finishers I saw in the med tent yesterday.
On the other hand I agree wholeheartedly with you. I think it is all related. We have become a society who wants to be comfortable. Better living through chemicals. I see it in my job daily. Ten years ago people would rarely call an ambulance for non-emergent situations; today toothaches, blisters, flu, runny nose, etc. are all reasons to call 911. I think we all like to talk HTFU, but few live it. I guess this has little to do with yesterday and probably belongs in the Lavendar Room as it is more of an editorial.
Sorry that you didn’t get the appreciation due to those who work the medical tent.
I had my first med tent experience yesterday, BTW, and was impressed by their resourcefulness. I came in with the soles of my feet all chewed up because of wet shoe issues. They cut a big Tegaderm in half and covered the bottoms of my feet with the pieces, then sent me on my way. I hope I made it clear enough how much I appreciated the ability to walk again.
Don’t get me wrong. There were plenty of people who were very thankful. Also, I was not volunteering so that I could have thanks or recogntion. Maybe “thankless” was not the correct word to use as I look back at what I wrote.
Christian1 - thanks for doing the med tent. We as athletes are indebted to this service and I personally want to say thank you directly. These races DO NOT HAPPEN without you.
My sister did the med tent at IMC in 2007 and really, really enjoyed the rewarding experience. She to spent 6 hours there and not once plugged in an IV. It was all broth, buckets (for puke), gatorade and taking vitals, putting blankets on people. She met some over-dramatic types but for the most part it was please and thank you’s all around.
As far as wanting an immediate “cure” to the ills the athlete faces of post ironman. Well, that is what pretty much everyone unfairly wants from the medical community so here again we learn a lot about society in the micro state of Ironman. Ie: “I just did 10 to 15 hours of exercise and feel really sick and sore, give me a pill so I can feel better instantly!”
I have never taken the med tent but there have been at least 2 races I should have and regretted it for DAYS after. Knowing you and your like medical community are on the ready is really a blessing for all of us.