2015 Ironman Canada spectator report: guest post by Mary

Posted by Rachel, on behalf of Mary

Ironman Eve, equipment check, gather supplies (pack up the gel packs and remember butt jelly),

No time to sit and mess with the not working telly,

Spectator planning gets under way, where to be and when,

Review course maps and then review them again.

Practicing cowbells and whooping cheers, planning and plotting those spectator beers.

Athletes up early,

Spectators follow, still so sleepy,

Hope those athletes left us some Tim Horton coffee!

Weather looking iffy, rainy and cold,

BUT, we are Ironman spectators; the brave and the bold!

The lake is a swarm of swimmers ready to start this event,

The spectators are wondering where is the spectator tent?

No cover for us so to the transition area we go,

Here comes Rachel, then Matt, Chen and Katie....but where is Travers?

He snuck by us..OH NO!

Soaked to the bones we head for our Canadian home, for dry clothes and perhaps a little rest,

Hey! This spectating is seriously putting us to the test.

Planning to catch our athletes as they ride through town,

We set out again to the bike to run transition, or somewhere there around.

Up the hill before it is too late, over the bridge, but whoa wait,

Looks like on the bridge we will remain,

An opportunity to see our athletes ride by and then go under again,

See, spectators need more than just heart,...we also have to be pretty smart

(at least one of us should be, no names mentioned here....Becky)

We see Rach and then Chen...who is next, who will be?

There she is! The always smiling and cheerful Katie!

No Travers again, where does he go?

It's now a new game, a step up from Where's Waldo!

Head to the run trail, juxtapositioning to get the best view,

Determined this once to see the whole crew!

First Matt, running true, a smile and he's off with a bound,

And then.....Eureka!!! Gold! Travers, high  fivin' has been found!

Chen and then Katie, with waves and smiles,

It's Rachel we miss -we'll catch her again around the last mile.

The finish is next, but first time for some beers,

We need sustenance as we prepare our finish line cheers.

Satiated we head to the last stretch of the run,

To cheer them to the finish...Oh no, rain again, gone is the sun!

In they come with so many, many others,

elated, triumphant, immediately joining us to cheer in each other.

You have all inspired and amazed; spirits upbeat all the way,

As your official spectators we trained and we hope we did okay!

Alas, the end, a final note to our crew; Mark, Matt, Travers, Katie, Rachel and Chen,

Now & Forever ->  IRONMEN!