LINDA’S MUCH MORE FUN RACE PLAN – IMAZ 2011

A couple of years ago Skip did his first Ironman and wrote a very detailed Race Plan and I mean DETAILED!!!  In my professional opinion it seemed a bit obsessively detailed (I am, after all a licensed clinical social worker) so I did what any good wife would do, I countered his plan with my own: a more tongue in cheek version and then followed it with a Race Day report.  This year, since Skip has more groupies, er, I mean fans/athletes following his progress, I am offering a chance for you to experience the life of the spectator. 

A little background, it was April 4, 2009 at the Ironman California 70.3 (or a half Ironman for the uninitiated) that I realized that a full Ironman TOOK ALL DAY LONG. That’s a lot of sitting around doing nothing, especially when the competitors are out on the course for hours at a time. You aren’t allowed to chase after them in your car since they frown upon vehicles on closed roads. I don’t have a motorcycle or Vespa so I needed to come up with a plan to spend my 12 – 15 hours (depending on when I start the clock) especially since I can only expect to see my husband 3 – 6 times during this block of time AND only for a maximum of 30 seconds at that! I could dutifully sit and wait for his reappearance and nap, read, knit, text, Facebook and/or chat or I could make good use of my time in between his magical appearances – especially since he had provided us with expected timeframes and splits.

In 2009, the first time Skip did IMAZ, he had three on-site members of the Get Sladed Nation (Son #1, Pasadena Trojan and me, Julie McCoy your Cruise Director.)  Last year IMAZ was a banner year for the Get Sladed Road Crew.  Dressed in matching team shirts plastered with Skip’s goofy face, we were seven strong in Tempe. This year, due to personal circumstances four members of the Get Sladed Nation will be back in California and we will miss them terribly, so here’s a shout-out to ItaliPhil (Head Sherpa), Son #1 (Assistant Sherpa and Photographer), ArmyMatt (Muscle and Assistant Roadie) and Pasadena Trojan (Assistant Cruise Director and Photographer’s Assistant); however, it’s important to note that Perfect Copy (aka Son #2) is basking in his field promotion to Head Sherpa.

The first thing you need to know is that spectating an Ironman requires planning, precision and advance scouting.  The second thing you need to know is it is much more exhausting than doing the Ironman.  Now, you might ask how is that possible?  Well, Skip will wake up at 4 am, start the swim at 7 am and he will finish around 7 pm.  If you are calculating correctly you will note that this is minimally a 15 hour day.  That’s a lot of waiting, watching and cheering for us. So for all of those who would never contemplate competing in a full Ironman, and to counterbalance Skip’s OCD/Anal Retentive Race Plan, here is my infinitely more relatable and probably easier to replicate plan.

Linda’s Race Day Plan And Important Details

Tempe is 1 hour ahead of California time or as my iPhone informs me Tempe is on Mountain Time
Sunrise: 7:01 am
Sunset: 5:23 pm
Temperature: Low 51/High 71
10% chance of rain at night

Skip’s Goals:

Swim (2.4 miles) Planned time: 1:03 hour (7 to 8:03 am)
Bike (112 miles) Planned time: 5:40 – 5:50 hours (8:10 to 1:50 – 2 pm)
Run (26.2 miles) Planned time: 4 – 4:30 hours (2:05 to 6:05 – 6:35 pm)

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4:00am Stifle my groans as Skip’s iPhone vibrates and wakes us both up. Call Perfect Copy’s room to make sure he’s up too.  Try to sneak in a few more zzzz’s while keeping Skip calm while he curses that he can’t find his socks, shoes, bike shorts, salt tabs, bananas, body glide, race bib, heart monitor, cap, etc. I will gently remind him that all of these items have been accounted for and are already packed and in the van or were already turned in Saturday at the race venue.

4:20am Pack the van and double check the check lists that have already been checked and rechecked, but must be checked again.

4:35am Calm Skip down and point to his race plan that states we aren’t supposed to leave until 4:45.

4:45 – 5:00am Leave for race venue, but not before we run through MY LIST (Do you have your…) so I don’t have to run back up four flights of stairs for Skip’s bike nutrition or some other vital item.

5:00am Drop off Skip and Perfect Copy (now Head Sherpa) at the venue.  Circle around the area checking for parking options for later and then picking up Head Sherpa and heading back to the hotel to pick-up Skip’s mom, JJ (DNA Contributor and Head Cheerleader). 

6:15 am (and an anticipated 53 degrees) go to the swim venue to scope out the best spectator spots.  The eastern bridge is an excellent spot, but this year we are considering dropping down to the river walk to try a different perspective.

6:40am Try to pick out Skip amongst the 2,800+ other swimmers. He’s planning to be 2 or 3 people from the front, about 1/3 of the way down the row. I think his cap is green. That should help, not very much since 2000 others will also be wearing green.

6:50am Get really pumped up by the music that will be playing.  My favorite part is when they crank up Black Sabbath’s Iron Man.

7:00am And it begins! Mad splashing. Arms thrashing. There are some terrible crawl strokes out there and some swimmers will actually be walking along the river edge at first. Try to spot Skip amongst the swimmers, 2 or 3 people from the front row. Green Cap. Zoot wetsuit, with full sleeves. Right. No problem.

7:01 – 7:59am Stroll along riverfront, try the bridge vantage point. Try and stay warm. Head over to try and see Skip exiting the water and running up to transition.  Immediately upon spotting Skip, #2861, the Get Sladed Nation will need to hoof it to the upper roadway to see him leaving on his bike. The timing is critical.  If we lollygag we will miss him and spend another 30 minutes wondering if he left already and why is Transition time is so slow.  Skip is now heading up the Beeline Highway, three loops, 112 miles.  We are now hiking back to our car on the other side of the river.

8:30am Return to hotel to change, grab some breakfast. We have nearly 6 hours to kill before Transition #2, which should be around 2:00pm. What to do, what to do? We will check out the movie times, but first we will head up Alma School Road and see Skip pass us by a couple of times on the bike leg. (Inquiring minds will want to know, WE ARE NOT SEEING THE NEW TWILIGHT MOVIE).

10:30am Movie time!

12:00 -1:30 Get out of the movie and stop by the hotel to pick up warm clothes for the evening.  Head back to Tempe Beach/Race Venue to see Skip leave transition for the run and to admire his compression socks.  They look a bit like medical stockings…Then we will head up the street to Tavern On Mill (404 South Mill) to catch a couple of quarters of the Charger game and have lunch.

3:00 pm Head to the finish line to see the pros finish.

5:15pm Grab a snack and return to our run vantage point. The run course is easy to follow and the runners will make 3 loops so we can see Skip coming and going and coming and going and coming and going. We plan to shout “HIPS FORWARD!” and “GOT GUTS?!?!” and “Aren’t you about done?”

6:30pm Head to the finish line and cheer on all the Ironmen. Stand on the bleachers that bounce up and down with the hundreds of spectators all watching anxiously for their athlete. Become emotional as each runner crosses the line. Text and call the Get Sladed Nation when it looks like he is getting closer to the end and they can watch on-line.

6:50pm Anticipate the end and the accomplishment.  Have my camera ready to capture the finish.  Scramble down the bleachers and find Skip at the finish line with his medal around his neck and his new hat on his head.  Give him a big hug and kiss and hold him as he cries and I cry.

7:15pm Watch Skip down FRENCH FRIES in the Athletes’ Tent.

8:00pm Bundle my exhausted Ironman and all his gear into the van. Hand him his O’Douls. Drive back to the hotel. Drag him upstairs to our room and throw him into the tub with lots and lots of ice.

8:30pm Head for Famous Dave’s BBQ for dinner.