The purpose of our trip south (described in yesterday’s blog post) was to support Chris at the Ironman and to be there with Meryl, Katie, and the grandkids.

I don’t have photos to share from the trip from Joshua Tree NP to Tempe on Friday or on Saturday. When we got on the road Friday afternoon we were stopped on I-10 by an accident to the east. It took about two hours to move five miles and even after it cleared traffic was slow. That put us in Phoenix during the commute traffic and we didn’t meet up with Chris and Meryl until late in the evening.

Saturday was the day to check in the bike and set up all the gear. Dan went with Chris and Meryl to do that while I drove 2-1/2 hours east to pick up Katie and the grandkids (Kiirby and Kasen) at a small store at Bylas, Arizona. Katie had left her home in Texas Friday evening but Saturday morning she had car trouble and was stranded. Those two days remind me of our road trip this summer and all the delays due to traffic problems and car trouble. The country was striking, but I refrained from taking photos while driving.

By Saturday evening all of us were together. Kirby and Kasen were excited to have use of the hotel gym and pool after a long trip. The rest of us were ready to call it a day because we’d be getting up early Sunday.

We got to the venue about 6 a.m. These events always seem complicated to navigate. There are 1700+ athletes and all the people who are there to watch and support. The transition area has racks with all 1700+ bikes in place and all the other infrastructure needed. There is an Ironman Village with vendors. Streets have been blocked off for the bike course and sometimes the marathon. This was right in the middle of the city.

The map on the left shows the swim course (2.4 miles). That was in the Salt River, running through downtown Tempe. The start, finish and transitions were all at the far left on the swim and bike course maps and the middle of the run map. The bike portion (112 miles) was three times out and back on that course. The run was three times around that full course to get in 26 miles. As spectators it is our job to figure out where to position ourselves to find our athlete throughout the day.

Chris had been working through a knee issue so he taped it before putting on the wetsuit. No photo, but there is a story to remember about unknowingly flipping his timing chip into the river behind him when he pulled things out of his bag. Someone near by pointed out that something fell in the water and it turned out to be the chip. (All athletes wear the chip because that is how times are recorded and how us spectators can track them on our phones.) Fortunately it was floating near enough to just be able to retrieve it.

Pre-race photos.

Athletes lined up on the path to the swim start, men with green caps, women with pink. That’s Chris in the green cap between the pink and blue ones at the far side. They try to line up in order of anticipated finish time. Chris thought that he’d swim the course in about 1:10 but was behind the 1:30 to 1:40 time sign. It doesn’t really matter because the official time is from when swimmers enter the water to when they finish. That’s why that timing chip is important.

Swimmers got in the water at a platform under the bridge.

They swam east in the river to a turn around point, then back to that red buoy just visible under the bridge on the left, and to the finish.

Meryl and Dan and I wandered around the area hoping to find some sun so we could warm up. Katie and the kids didn’t try to make the start of the race. They walked a couple miles from the hotel to meet us just after Chris’ swim/bike transition.

This are the bins full of gear that the athletes left as they got ready for the swim.

Chris finished the swim in 1:09 and made the bike transition.

To be continued…