Before heading back home to the States for the summer, Emily and I took a little trip to Italy so she could compete in an Ironman 70.3 triathlon. I was a ‘spectathlete,’ attending to cheer her on at every part of the race (before, during swim, bike, run, and after).
Before pictures:
Race day:
After Emily’s start, I went back to the hotel to drop off some of her extra things (flip flops, etc.). When I returned, I waited a couple minutes and then watched her come out of the water and run to the transition station. As soon as I saw her, I ran to a point on the bicycle route and waited for her to come. Sure enough….
Then I had about 3 hours to wait while Emily explored the villages above Pescara on her bike, so I explored the running route and took a nap on the beach.
Around the time I thought she might be coming in, I waited for her near the end of the bike route.
I didn’t see her – it had taken her longer than expected, but I didn’t know if I had missed her, so I went over to the running route.
I waited a little while, but finally saw her! I was located at a convenient place where I could see her twice in one loop, and she had to do this loop 3 times. It was also a good place to cheer because it’s a hard part of the run – over the hill of a bridge in the open sun.
After Emily’s second loop, I did a special maneuver. Without her seeing me, I sprinted to the other side of the street and ran down to the other end of the course so I could cheer her one last time in a place that not many other spectators go. She was not expecting to see me there waiting for me there!
After she came around that end, I walked to the finish line and waited for her to finish her final half-loop. She made it! It was a hot day for a triathlon, but Emily conquered.
The well-earned post-race relaxation:
If you’re around the Chicago area this summer, ask me to tell you the stories of people I met on the train ride home!
