Ironman World Championships on TV

[colby]

We were just watching the Ironman World Championship on TV. They sure do make it look HOT!! Watching the first woman cross the finish and the guy that stood back and let her have her moment was really awesome. There's also a point where the eventual female winner (Wellington) gets a flat tire, and another competitor stops and helps her out. The finishing wheelchair competitor who lost his legs in an accident - now THAT is Iron. A 72 year old woman finished her 17th (or 18th?) Ironman as the oldest finisher.

I have this entirely different perspective on this experience that I didn't expect or realize until the moment when we were watching it. They super-dramatize everything - every time someone stops to walk, every grimace on someone's face, every finish. I realize that to most people, this IS "The Ironman" - they pretty much ignore that for regular people, you have to do an Ironman to get to "The Ironman" in the first place... it's absolutely a major victory to be in Hawaii at all, let alone to finish. My husband even commented that the winners mean more to him - he said it's such a journey to DO an Ironman, let alone WIN an Ironman, let alone WIN the world championships. Talk about a unique individual.

In all of the Ironmans, do the elite guys just get to pitch their stuff and everyone picks it up? Or is that just a worlds thing? I have never seen the "elite" portion of the Ironman transitions, just the race. (And I've certainly never been to Kona )

They finish with a quote: if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

[Tri Girl]

Dang it! I remembered it in bed last night, but it was too cold to go to the living room to set the DVR. I just *knew* I'd remember in the morning. This afternoon I was kicking myself for forgetting. Sounds like it was good- as always.

I had DVR'd Wisconsin a while back, so I watched that instead. I used to watch these things and be in awe of the type of person who could do that- like they were superhuman. Now that I've done one (and only one, I fear), I see it from a totally different perspective. When they show people finishing, I get all teary. There's been nothing in my life that was quite like crossing that line (ok- marrying DH, but even that wasn't as emotional as the IM).

Maybe they'll replay it on VS in like 6 months...

[firenze11]

I had my annual "watch Kona and cry" fest today. It was great. I look forward to it every year. I love how they dramatize everything, I love the images, I love the incredible stories and the people. I don't know why it makes me so emotional but I become a blubbering idiot and it feeds some fierce desire I have to do an Ironman one day. The elites are incredible, but I think I like watching the age-groupers the best.

I loved at the end when the 72 year old crossed and the narrator said something like "she's 72. How old are you?" and when the one man finished and the narrator said "you survived the creepy" because he thought being out there at night was so creepy.

[colby]

I loved at the end when the 72 year old crossed and the narrator said something like "she's 72. How old are you?" and when the one man finished and the narrator said "you survived the creepy" because he thought being out there at night was so creepy.

There was an older woman (60s?) that finished the Ironman Coeur d'Alene... her grandchildren were cheering her on, letting her know how much longer she had to finish. What a trooper. One foot in front of the other... she made it in time, her whole family there to cheer her on. (Makes me teary just to think about it - what an AWESOME grandma )

The "survived the creepy" guy was funny. They sure did a good job of making it look creepy! It didn't occur to me how soon the sun goes down when they do the race, people finishing 11-12 hours were already in the dark.

I really felt for the guy who had to stop and walk. That moment you make the decision to stop running... and the walking. It's SO hard to start running again after you start walking. (I felt less for him when he still finished 15th, but hey )

The look on so many of those faces after they finish... if you're at all an sympathetic person, you really feel for them. It's hard to feel sympathy for "you're going to have to carry me out of here on a stretcher at the finish line" but I hope they know how to push to their limits and not to the danger zone.

Maybe not superhuman... but it takes a certain something-something (dedication? commitment? crazy? ) to do that.

[Kimmyt]

I also watched it a few nights ago. I am amazed (again) by the female winner. She is such an athlete, and I totally dig that she wears a huge grin about 3/4 of the time she's racing!

I also really liked to see the comraderie btwn the female elites... the way they were joking about the winner and how 'she would still win, but just by not as much'. However I also sorta wanted to shake them and tell them to focus on their own race and stop thinking about someone who they thought was going to win!!!

I noticed the men didn't talk quite so much, though a few words were exchanged when one of them passed the other.

And the overall difference in the way the genders handled the racing, where the women might cheer on the other women as they got passed, and the men would say nothing. Interesting.

Oh, and I liked the intro section which showed all the people collapsing and stuff at the beginning. I wondered, so many people watch this event on tv now, I wonder if there are alot of people just going out and doing an Ironman first thing without really knowing or being aware how hard it is? In past years it's struck me that they only really show the elites pushing themselves to the limit, but don't really show the age groupers collapsing and getting medical attention.. I mean I know I respect that IM distance, but I can imagine that there are people out there that go, 'man that looks hardcore, I'm going to do an Ironman!' and just go sign up for it without realizing how very difficult it is....

[kacie tri-ing]

I thought the beginning was great too! Just people falling and crying. It made me a little nervous just watching it :-)

I also loved the winner's grin! I think it is amazing, but wonderful! We should all do things that make us smile in life! I just don't know if really racing an IM would make me smile :-)