Ironman

I saw not one, but two of these on Sunday:The occasion was that I was volunteering for the Ironman race here in town, as a kayak paddler, to help ensure that all the swimmers got where they were going without mishap. I did my part--chased down a few folks who were veering off course, allowed one swimmer to rest by hanging onto the front end of my boat for a few seconds, and paddled beside one slower swimmer who was going to just make the time deadline.

There was talk of a shuttle for getting our boats back to where we put in, but it seemed like more fun to propel myself back without adding to the gasoline usage.

I was thus also able to see a need for my help breaking down and packing the stuff Ironman brings to the event so they could haul it to the next event. I had something to do before lunch time that way.

After lunch, Jenn and I moved down to the bike/run transition area, and helped there for a little while before going to her scheduled shift helping racers at the end of their event. The finish line at the Ironman is a phalanx of folks that the racer must navigate--health care folks, the team that removes racers' chips (timing system), the guys who take pictures of happy finishers, those who distribute t-shirts and hats to finishers--before being released to the care of either family members or providers of more intense health care. That was pretty cool. While I hadn't signed up for doing so, I decided to give it a shot, as it was something that needed doing.

I mentioned to Jenn that it would be cool to "catch" one of the frequent customers of Bluegrass Bicycle. I saw a couple of our folks come through, but was not in a position to help them at the time. However, one racer I helped had, indeed, been a customer. He came to town a month prior to the race to familiarize himself with the bike course, and during his ride had had a wheel failure. I sold him a new wheel that he could use for training the rest of the year, and suggested that he take his broken wheel to his home shop and try for a warranty fix. He reported that his wheel was replaced under warranty, and was glad to see me to tell me so.

Another racer I helped expressed great surprise that Ironman would be able to find so many volunteers who knew what was going on. She reported that many small running races where she lives have trouble finding any volunteers who know where basic needs can be met, yet every volunteer she encountered at this event knew what she'd need and how to get it to her or her to it.

That makes me feel good about the local volunteer community. Y'all Rock!