Volunteering at IronMan Arizona

Volunteering at IronMan Arizona

We arrived in Tempe late Friday night. So excited to be a part of IMAZ. Eagle volunteered in the Massage booth last year and had a great time. This year I was able to join him - working doping control and in the medical tent.

On Saturday they held the IronKids race. Kids of all ages ran along Tempe Town Lake to the cheers of their parents and IMAZ participants. After the race the held the volunteer orientation meetings.  The numbers of willing volunteers was awesome. It boggles the mind to realize how many people are needed to pull off an IronMan race.

After orientation we took in the expo. I tried on, and then bought a pair of Newton running shoes. (I have a race coming up in December). We tried samples of gels and bars and protein drinks. We bought Eagle a pair of Tri-shorts (in red, of course). He's been talking for years about doing a 70.3 and then an IronMan, but something Always gets in the way at the last minute (bike wreck, son getting married, then daughter getting married, etc). Now, I've put the pressure on by buying a t-shirt that reads "IRONMATE".

We spent the rest of the day relaxing knowing we had a hard day coming up on Sunday. First thing in the morning we watched the swim and T1 (transition from the swim to the bike).  A picture doesn't begin to show the number of bikes in the transition area. Then we walked around a bit until the racers started coming into T2 (transition from bike to swim). A quick bite to eat then off to our volunteer positions.

Eagle spent his time from 2pm until midnight giving post race massages. I got to  stand at the finish line and hear the USADA rep say "congratulations, you've been selected for drug testing". I was assigned to one of the racer and was responsible to get their signature and then took them to the drug testing area. Then an hour break to watch the runners coming in before it was time for my shift at the medical tent.

Most of the racers just needed a warm blanket and electrolyte replacement (we gave them chicken broth). Some had abrasions from falls that needed to be cleaned. A couple wanted their blood Glucose checked because they were diabetic and felt like their levels were low. A little sugar water and they were on their way again. There were a few more serious issues, but overall a healthy bunch.

At midnight, I cheered in the final racer and then we went home. And back to work. I had a busy couple of days at work in the emergency department and then some of my kids were here for the holidays. So now I finally had a chance to write this episode. Looking forward to next year.