Volunteering at my first triathlon
Posted October 28th, 2007 by lvanduzer
Today (October 28, 2007) I attended my first triathlon, as a volunteer at a runner's aid station, at the SOMA triathlon in Tempe, Arizona. It was quite an educational experience to say the least - and when I finally attend my first triathlon as a participant I will be more aware of the efforts of all the volunteers who make it possible. I took this opportunity to learn as much as I could about what a triathlon is like. Because of the course layout we were able to see the racers cycling as well as running. It was incredible to watch the cyclists, many of them moving at speeds I would envy for a short distance let alone for a triathlon (especially a quarter or half ironman). Then we got to see these same people passing our station later as we gave them water, Gatorade or whatever else we had. Being new to the sport I had to admire these people who kept going for distances that seem incredulous to me at this point. There was also a great variety of approaches runners took to our aid station: many quickly grabbed a drink as they ran past while other slowed down to catch their breath and drink; some stopped to use the port-a-john before getting a drink; some doused themselves with water or ice; and some had enough water to just pass by.
It was also interesting to see another side of a triathlon. One runner stopped at our station and had to request a ride back; the heat was more than this person was prepared for, and from the radio communications they were not the only one - it was 90+ degrees in late October with the desert sun beating down on the course in the middle of Tempe. We had to watch our own hydration, and we were handing out the water so I can only imagine how many of these athletes felt. This person was surprised at how they were not feeling too bad about having to give up, and I was impressed by their ability to focus on their health and not just the race.
After we cheered the last runner on, along with a generous helping of water, I felt glad to be packing up and heading off to eat and go home. However, I was also a little sad to be leaving the event; there was a certain camaraderie both with my teammates, but also with the racers even in that brief time we spent with them. There were many aspects of a triathlon that I was unable to witness, namely the start, transitions and finish. However, I feel less intimidated by the prospect of my first triathlon and will look forward to seeing my important friends at the aid stations.
~Lee Van Duzer
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Volunteering
I have always been more of a get-out-and-do-it athlete than one to watch it from the sidelines, my philosophy always being, why watch when you can do it yourself??
But volunteering at triathlons when I have been unable to race for one reason or another has been an incredibly motivating experience.
At Dueces Wild last year I did body marking which is a rather intimate experience: someone tells you their age then you take an upclose look at their biceps/triceps, quads and calves as you write the numbers! I would look at these bodies and guess late 30s only to be told a number in the upper 50s, talk about an inspiration to stay fit as I age. To look 20 years younger than I am when I'm 60 or 70?? Awesome!
With one exception: WEAR SUNSCREEN!! As 3+ sport athletes we're in the sun *a lot* especially living in AZ. The people who clearly didn't wear sunscreen looked twice their age, even as triathletes and had very rough, leathery skin.
At other events such as the Tricats Aquathlon and the Tinfoilman, I enjoyed directing people and being on the course to cheer them on. The smaller races are fun because in addition to the serious athletes there tend to be more people of all shapes and sizes out there using all sorts of gear (mountain bike with 3" wheels anyone? A cruiser with the basket still attached?) but good for them for getting out there! Such an inspiration!
Volunteering at triathlons and taking the time to stop and look at the sport and people around you compared to going in as an athlete in the zone, hardly noticing any but our closest competitors, is exciting, inspiring, motivating!
I think that through that
I think that through that athlete's experience you learned one of the most valuable peices of information that a triathlete can learn, and that's when to throw in the towel. It's probably one of the hardest things to do, but just calling it quits on one race is much better than throwing out an entire season.
You only get one of these things, so treat your body with the respect it deserves :) Let me stress the fact though, that there is a difference between hurting, and ligitimate pain. All triathlons hurt, but none should be painful.
Awesome post Lee. Sounds
Awesome post Lee. Sounds like you had fun and learned alot. I did my first triathlon today and it certainly was a learning experience...and lots of fun too!