Take 2: Volunteering at IMTX

Last Saturday was Ironman Texas in the Woodlands.  Last year I volunteered at the finish line, but this year I wanted to volunteer on the course to support the runners, not just the ones to were finishing.

For those who don't know, Ironman kicks off at 7 am sharp.  The participants have 17 hours to complete a 140.6 mile course of swimming, biking, and running.  2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles on a bike, and a full 26.2 marathon of running.  Yikes!!!

My friend Katie does a boot camp twice a week that all the dues money goes towards a non profit that raises money for various non profits.  The manager of that non profit signed up to be the captain of aid station #3 on the run course.  I signed up a few months ago when they were just starting to get volunteers.  Our aid station had tons food and drinks that the runners could have on each of the 3 laps of the course.

My shift started at 2:30, but the traffic was so bad that I didn't get there until about 2:40 pm.  My friend Katie and Michelle were both working that day too, so I just found them and started working at their station.  At first I was helping put ice in cups for the runners, but then moved to the drink Perform station.

Our station had:
Cold sponges (a pool of ice and water was keeping them cool)
Ice
Water
Perform
Gu gel
Gu Chomps
Bananas
Salty chips (I think they were plain potato chip kind)
Bananas
Watermelon
Bonk Bites (no one wanted these! :/ )
Pretzels (those went fast)
Oranges
licorice
Broth (after it was dark)
and maybe other stuff, but I wasn't at the food station.  I only remember what I heard them say

My old running coach, Alain, was completing the Ironman that day, so we were on the lookout for him (Matt and Aly were at the same station too) and we all cheered him on when he came by our station.  He looked like he was hurting, but kept moving and finished!

I ended up staying past 6:30 when my shift ended.  Dawn (the captain) needed more people and asked if I could stay longer.  I told her I could stay until about 9 pm when I had to go back to the IAA fundraiser to help clean up.

All in all, it was a wonderful day and I was so inspired!!!  I have had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to do an Ironman, but Saturday clenched it.  I had flashbacks of mile 22ish of my marathon and I knew that I could do it if I trained.  I have to save up the $$ first though, the registration fee alone is around $700!  That doesn't include a coach, bike, shoes, etc.  Luckily, the IMTX course is in my town so I wouldn't have to worry about the travel costs that some do.  Last year I was inspired, but this year it was clenched that I want to do one!!!!!

Watch this video, you will be inspired too.