Being a spectator is hard(er)

Listen, stalkers....this was my THIRD Ironman.  Every year I learn something new I use to take with me to the next year...if there IS a next year.  You just never know with these crazy people I have to deal with....

I am not lying to you when I say being a spectator is difficult.  It's exciting, exhausting, stressful, boring, painful (on your feet & legs) & mind boggling ALL at the same time.  Sure, there are people who are actually competing & doing the whole smash:  swimming, biking & running.  But hey, they signed up & actually PAID MONEY for the chance to attempt to kill themselves to do it.  They're expected to be exhausted & sore...

This year I wanted to give you a more in-depth view from the spectators vantage point.  And since I'm ALL about not making you endure such long posts & need numbers to win my made up contest I wanted to do a separate post about spectating...it's not for the weak at heart...

Most people come fully decorated in their Ironperson's garb.  Some have t-shirts...some have signs...some have noisemakers.  UGH, noisemakers...  

This little girl was so cute holding up a sign for her dad.  You can tell she wrote this side all on her own.  I thought it was cute & all ya'll with that maternal gene would go, 'AWWWWWW!'

 Noise makers.  I HATE THEM.  There were some chicks with those loud horns & it seemed everywhere we went to wait to see Rhonda those women with those damn horns were there.  But THIS woman right here with that cow bell hanging down?  Oh, well - I wanted to freaking kill her.  She rang that bell NON STOP.  Even when there was no one coming down the bike shoot.  Really?  Is that completely necessary?!  I mean , sure us spectators need to hear your cow bell to get all of us pumped up.  No thank you.

 Butterfly wanted us to go back to Rhonda's house while she was on the bike so we could rest (he was going to work out - boring...) & make us some lunch.  (I mean-what did you EXPECT us to do?  It's not like we could ride the bike FOR her.)  Rhonda is a Dachsund rescue person.  She has like 8 dogs in her home right now.  Some of them LOVE B-rad & as soon as he sat down, they jumped on him.  It's hard to tell because some of them are dark like the couch, but he had 4 dogs on him here.   (Tell me he doesn't love that attention....)

I am NOT going to lie to you.  I took like a 3 hour nap on Rhonda's couch in the basement.  It was cold & dark & perfect napping conditions.  When she sent me a copy of her bib to make for us to wear she thanked us for coming to watch her & that it meant a lot, blah, blah, blah & she was sorry if that was too sappy.  I said, "Hey, I'm gonna be taking a nap on your couch in a couple of days - be as sappy as you want..."

When I woke up from my nap it was time to go back downtown to catch Rhonda going out on her run, Butterfly took the tricycle she had used to train with while she was healing.  After a certain point during the day they let you go  back to the great lawn & pick up your athletes bicycle.  B-rad rode the tricycle & Butterfly rode...in that basket... (I'm just sad mom & I weren't there to get a pic...we were waiting for Rhonda to do the first loop of 4th street when they left on it...)

 I was happy this year that B-rad had someone to hang out with & talk to...

 Riveting conversation I'm quite sure...

 We hung out at Ri Ra on 4th street to watch everyone finish...look who found a cow bell?  Sigh...

I told you how some people wear t-shirts...well these chicks...I don't know WHAT they were wearing...

 I'm not even sure if they were supporting the Ironpeople or they just wanted attention?

When the athletes are out on the run, other people can run beside them to encourage them or whatever.  While we waited for Rhonda to never come, THIS dude walked by giving this gal words of wisdom... And his shorts were the shortest shorts I've EVER seen.  I know it's hard to see because they uhm, er, well - BLEND in with his skin tone, but trust me when I say it was disturbing...

I'm sure the Ironpeople have all kinds of stuff going on with their bodies now - blisters, sores, cramps, etc.  But spectators aren't immune to that stuff either.  I have 2 blisters on the back of my heels.  I didn't really sign on for all that.  I just wanted to go to watch & cheer.  Hmph.   
Tennis shoes are the devil....