With this idea of a triathlon in mind I searched the area, like I do for any running race, and discovered the Iron Girl Triathlon in Columbia, MD on August 19th. A women only race definitely appeals to me especially for a first triathlon. Since I wasn't going to race this year, but I was interested in the idea of a triathlon, I signed up to volunteer.
Because I had no idea what to expect and I have never volunteered for a race before I asked the coordinator for a suggestion on where to sign up. She suggested the swim finish/run start water station staffed by Team in Training volunteers. (If you have ever seen groups of people in purple at races it was probably Team in Training. Check them out here.)
They asked we arrive at the venue around 6 as they were starting road closures at 6:30. The drive was easy and the park simple to find. I was not prepared for the vast number of people pulling into the parking lot/field. After venturing of the road, volunteers directed us through patches of trees to the end of lines and lines of vehicles. (I loved seeing all the bike racks. It made me smile so early in the morning.) Families, racers and volunteers were all arriving bright and early on this Sunday morning.
It didn't take long for me to find the water station, have some introductions, and get my first Team in Training purple race crew shirt. The directions were pretty simple, hand out water and gatorade while yelling out to the racers what you had to hand them an/or fill more cups and place them on the table. I had a chance to do it all! It is hard to hand off those little cups. No matter how I held it I always felt like I was ramming the cup into her hand.
The spot we were in had a lot of action as racers passed by on both sides at different times during the race. I was able to see the ladies come out of the water and into the transition area, where the bikes are, and also after they finished the bike ride seem them off on the last leg of the competition, the run. The weather was really great for a race a little cool, but not cold if you were moving around. A few of the spectators had jackets and blankets though. A speaker in the transition area kept us up to the minute on the starting and finishing lines. The winner finished in just under an hour and a half. That's a 0.62 mile swim, 17.5 mile bike and 3.3 mile run. Wow. She was one of three professional triathletes in the race.
Over the speaker, we heard about a gentleman in a suit waiting at the finish line to propose. She said yes! Though we were wondering if she could hear what we were hearing of the speakers because if she could she knew something was coming before she reached the finish.
One thing I noticed was due to the wave start of the race (you can only have so many ladies swimming in that narrow strip at once) the water station doesn't get over run and backed up the way it does in a run only race. With 3-4 people handing out cups we had more then enough hydration for the racers that wanted it.
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| Me at the nicely filled water/gatorade station, lots of little cups... |
I had a great time working with Team in Training. I can see why so many people work with their organization. They were all welcoming, cheerful, supportive of the racers (loud trumpting followed by a chorus of "GO TEAM" every time a Team in Training member passed was quite nice,) enthusiastic and excited to be there. It was a wonderful atmosphere.
Being a part of the race this year as a volunteer, excites me to sign up for a triathlon next year. The energy of the participants, the supporters and the other volunteers was fantastic. I loved the atmosphere of the race and community feeling and the sense that everyone was invited and if you wanted to take part you could. This is definitely a race I would enjoy participating in.
So if you are on the fence about signing up for a race, any race, try volunteering for one or even just coming out as a spectator and cheering the racers on. It's a great way to give back, even if just a little, and it allows you to test the waters of a race before getting your feet wet. And then maybe you'll be ready to jump in.
