November Adventure – Ironman Arizona – part 3

Posted on November 30, 2024 by Robin

I left off in the last post with Chris starting the marathon, the third part of the Ironman that was two weeks ago.

This photo is about a half hour into the marathon.

This is a screenshot from my phone very nearly at the end of the whole thing, but I’m including it here to show the course and to show how spectators are able to track their athletes through the day on this app. The blue line in the river (which is truly more of a lake here because of a dam) is the swim course. The green line is the bike course and the red one is the run. It was complicated. The runners first went out and back on the red line that goes to the top of the photo. Then they cross the river and make the loop where it says 129, go down to the bridge at the bottom, run along the river, do that out and back part again and do this whole course three times. On the last one they turn where it says 123 and run to the finish. As spectators we try to position ourselves in strategic places to cheer them on.

This view shows the transition area where all the bikes are and where the athletes had lined up along the river before the start of the swim

Meryl and Katie and the kids and I walked across a bridge to position ourselves where we’d see Chris twice as he went around the loop on this side of the river. Kasen made sure he got a High 5 in when he could.

This was the best place to be with the Kasen and Kirby because there was a sandy beach for entertainment. It’s a long day for everyone, but especially for the kids.

More High 5’s for Uncle Chris from the kids. This is about two hours into the marathon.

At this point I walked back over to the other side of the river where Dan had been greeting Chris as he ran by. Meryl, Katie, and the kids stayed here until closer to the time Chris would finish.

The view back across the river. That arched bridge is the one I had just walked across and the kids were on the beach below there.

This is at about 3-1/2 hours.

The marathon finish.

Total time for the whole event: 11:49:56.

Meryl and Chris wearing a well-deserved finisher’s medal.

The family (except Dan snuck out of the photo). We went back to the hotel where they were all staying. The grandkids played in the pool and the big kids sat in the hot tub while we all rehashed the day. We got together Monday morning for about an hour and then we all had to go our respective directions. Katie had to get a rental car to get back to Safford, Arizona where her car had been towed the previous day after breaking down about 2-1/2 hours from Phoenix (and I had driven to pick up her and the kids, but that’s another story). Meryl and Chris visited a friend in the area for a couple of days and then made a trip to the Grand Canyon. Dan and I had to get home by that evening.

I took this photo just inside California at 11:40. We got home about 8:30 that evening. I sure enjoy hanging out with my kids. I wish we could do it more often.

Marathon Finishers

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Robin

The morning was crisp and cold at 4:30 a.m. when Dan drove Chris & Meryl and friends Ish and Daizsha to the start of the California International Marathon in Folsom. I stayed home to take care of animals but showed up for the finish at the capitol in Sacramento.

Dan caught all three looking cheerful at Mile 5.

He and Daizsha found them again at Mile 17.

They had separated by this time. Meryl points out that the Sacramento Marathon is NOT flat, even though everyone says it is.

There is Meryl at Mile 26. Only 2/10 mile to go.

I got to the finish about an hour before our first runner came in. I don’t know anyone in this collection of photos but they caught my eye. These were all taken as the runners turn the last corner and head to the finish line which was behind me. Top left to right and then down: A “guide” running with a visually impaired runner, a pacer (the clock said 3:23 as he crossed the line–amazing), the women’s finish line with the 3:28 pacer crossing the line, two guides with another visually impaired runner, women’s finish line at 3:35 (Boston marathon qualifying time), a dad who brought his young son across the finish line with him, a flag runner, a flag wearer, runner promoting the Sacramento soccer team.

I started to worry that maybe I’d missed Chris because I was at times distracted by the very impressive police horses. (Dan failed similarly at his pit crew duties at one event when he was distracted by airplanes overhead.)

But there he was, running a very respectable pace considering that he had done little training for this one.

This was Chris’ seventh marathon…

…two of which were at the end of Ironman triathlons.

Spectators can follow their athletes (on the other side of the fence)…

…to waiting family and friends.

We worked our way through the throngs of people to the women’s finish chute in time to catch Meryl…

…finishing her first marathon.

Ish was close behind her but on the men’s side so I missed his finish. This was his first marathon also.

Walking back to the cars we were passed by the magnificent police horses. I didn’t realize that they were using draft horses for police work. Can you tell how large that bay horse is from the stirrup position of the rider. I can always be distracted by horses!

Four BFF’s heading back to the car and looking forward to In & Out burgers.

Dan and I were in our car and were stopped on the way out of Sacramento by the drawbridge. I’ve never seen this one in the up position with the whole roadway up in the air!

I guess that would be one reason that the marathon isn’t routed over the bridge.

2016 Vineman – Ironman

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Robin

A lot has been going on here during the last month, from our 8-day road trip to the fair and sheep adventures. The most recent event was yesterday. Chris had competed in his first Ironman three years ago in Texas and I shared photos and the story here. This was his second Ironman although we were all at the Tahoe Ironman two years ago when it was cancelled at the last minute due to the smoke from the huge arson-caused King Fire.

The Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon (26.2 miles) all one after the other. The training is intense (understatement) and the event infrastructure is mind boggling. Athletes pick up packets and leave off gear, including bikes, the day before. This event was local (Sonoma County, CA) although it was not local enough to sleep in our own beds and still be there for a 5 a.m. check-in on Saturday. We left our motel at 3:30 a.m. to make sure that we would avoid the anticipated traffic jam of all 2000 athletes descending on the small town of Guerneville at the same time.

As the athletes arrive volunteers write numbers on their arms.

Chris’ support crew at the river included my husband (who took this photo) and me, daughter Katie, daughter-in-law Meryl, brother-in-law & sister-in-law Rob & Renee. Rob was also competing this time. Can you tell it was cold at 5 a.m.? Sonoma County is known for morning fog, especially this near the coast. I haven’t been that cold in a long time.

Morning preparation includes checking air in the bike tires,

…securing the chip that marks times throughout the course,

…and donning wetsuits….and lots of standing around for the support crew. Once the event begins the support crew can only support by finding places along the course to cheer on their athlete. No physical support is allowed.

The pros started at 6:30 and the rest of the 2000 +/- athletes started at 6:45.

Athletes are pensive. Many have put a year’s worth of training into preparing for this day.

My brother-in-law came from Colorado to compete with Chris.

They both anticipated about a one-hour swim time and lined up near the front of the pack.

It is daylight now but still cold. The rest of us just wait. The national anthem is sung and the athletes are off.

There was a fairly small beach area where the athletes entered the water so they were funneled through a narrow gate to avoid crowding at the beginning of the swim. (It was impossible to get photos of that or to pick out our swimmers.) I am so glad that our guys were at the front, because it took a half hour before all of the competitors were actually in the water and swimming. By that time the pros were almost finished with the swim portion. Our guys weren’t far behind.

The athletes pack transition bags prior to the event and they are all put in place the day before. Everyone has a bag for the swim/bike and bike/run transitions. As the athletes come out of the water they strip wetsuits with the help of volunteers. Most are already wearing their cycling/running clothes under the wetsuit. Wetsuits and goggles go into the bag and they take out cycling shoes, helmet, socks, and anything else they need while on the bike.

For competitive athletes (or those who are aiming for the best PR) the transitions become an important part of the whole event where time can be made up or lost.This is Chris (in white and navy) leaving the transition tent to get his bike…

…and running with his bike to the beginning of the bike route. I must say here that we were all worried (OK, it was us, Mom and Dad, who were mostly worried) about Chris’ ankle that he sprained badly about six weeks ago and then sprained again just three weeks ago while out in the bumpy pasture with my sheep. We saw him twist that ankle again while running here in cycling shoes and continue running with a limp to the bike course.

Rob left the river not long after Chris…

and got his bike. Rob has done these events for many years and was smiling at this point.

After the guys got on the bikes (well in front of most of the other competitors, giving us an edge on getting out of town) we got to our car and drove to Windsor where the bike/run transition and the finish would be.

Depending on the configuration of the course the Ironman can be a difficult spectator sport. At this point we had picked up another two support crew members (my cousin, Carol, and another family member, Barb, who both live in the area). We found a spot where we would see the cyclists come by in the first of their two loops of the bike course. We saw Chris who looked strong at this point.

As Rob saw us he slowed down and stopped. His bike had a broken spoke on the back wheel at about Mile 25. That meant he was out of the event because his wheel was getting more and more wobbly and there was nothing to do about it without a replacement spoke or wheel. It would be frustrating to train for this event and spend all the time and money on it and then have a mechanical issue end your day. But Rob has competed in many of these and he put his bike in the car, got something to eat, and spent the rest of the day enthusiastically cheering on everyone else.

We saw Chris get off the bike, pick up his bike/run bag and run through the transition area. He emerged with cap and running shoes. The run portion is a marathon and this one was three times over the same 8+ mile course. We found a place where we could watch runners coming and going as they made a loop around our grassy, shady area to enter the turn around and then see them come out again. This gave us four views for each lap.

Chris on the first lap. The athletes’ first names are on their tags and spectators’ cheers help buoy the runners’ spirits.

Part of the support crew waiting for the next sighting.

On the second lap Chris was picking up cups of ice chips at the aid stations to eat and cool his back. After seeing him on the second lap we went to the finish where we could position ourselves for cheering and photos. We didn’t know what time to expect him but he seemed to be ahead of scheduled, sprained ankle and all.

This is after coming around the last turn to the finish…

…at well under 12 hours. The official clock counts the time from the start of the pro racers but Chris’ actual time was an impressive 11 hours 37 minutes.

We were all so thrilled and proud of him.

Marathon, anyone?

Posted on December 10, 2008 by Robin

This has nothing to do with sheep or weaving or anything about my business, but it’s how I spent Sunday. The Sacramento International Marathon was Sunday and 4 family members ran (along with 6000 other people).

Sometime last August, my 17 year old son, Chris said that he wanted to run in the marathon. My husband, Dan, said that he’d train with him, to a point. When my husband’s brother from Colorado said he’d come out for the race, Dan decided to enter too. That’s 3 family members in. Then my 28 year old son, Matt, decided to run.

A marathon is not something to be taken lightly. It’s 26.2 miles! Rob has been training for marathons and Ironman length triathlons for years–no problem for him. Dan and Chris have been running, but had to work up to this distance. Matt is in good shape from his Forest Service firefighting job, but had run only a couple of 10-K’s in training. All of them finished well and close to the times they anticipated. Don’t think it’s easy. None of them were walking too well when it was over. Matt sent me a photo Sunday evening of him sitting in the recliner with ice packs on his knees and ankles. Dan spent the rest of the day in the recliner and Chris slept. This is Tuesday and they are still having difficulty going up and down stairs. But they say they’ll do it again!

Chris and Matt at about 5 miles

Matt almost at the finish line--under 4 hours

What about the support crew and photographer (other family members & me)? We got up at 4:30 along with the runners, dropped them at the start, drove to the first pre-arranged viewing point (5 miles). That was one way the runners could get rid of a layer of clothing–toss it to the pit crew along the side of the road. The runners pass and then the pit crew piles back in the Explore and heads along city streets to the next spot–13 miles. At this point our runners are spread out–Rob is on a 3:10 pace and Dan is aiming for 4:30–the boys are in between at about a 4:00 pace. That means that after staying to see Dan we have to hurry to the finish area to catch Rob come across the finish line.

The weather can be an issue for this January race. It could have been worse–at least it wasn’t raining or windy. But the fog was thick. The temperature at 7 a.m. when the race began was 39. It stayed in the low 40’s all morning. We of the support crew were very glad to get back in the car in between viewing points!

Chris, Dan and Matt after finishing the marathon

Meridian Jacobs' Blog

Life on the farm and at the loom.

Tag Archives: marathon

November Adventure – Ironman Arizona – part 3

Marathon Finishers

2016 Vineman – Ironman

Marathon, anyone?