Last night we stepped ashore again to dine, not with caped crusaders but with IRONMEN. Ironman Cam, Ironman Andrew and Ironman Viv. Like Superman they will in a couple of days (Sun 8thDec) don some weird Lycra ensembles for a public outing to display their mettle...no pun intended! We'll blow their secret right now: our Superheroes are not powered by Kryptonite but by pasta, steely resolve and a shed load of 'crazy'!
We've sailed down to Busselton for 5 consecutive Busselton Ironman Triathlons already and this will make it #6 for Viv and come to that, for Zofia also. It's worked out nicely that we've been able to collect this special event at the front end of our itinerary. It is a lovely reminder of our
First Ever Big Adventure where we set off for Bunbury (55km) en route to Busselton, having never even made it to the James Service Reef cardinal marker only 5km offshore until the return journey. The Busso Ironman now marks the start of even bigger adventure for us.
So just what are Ironmen (Ironwomen) about to do? Actually you aren't one until you've actually completed one, them's the rules.....until you've achieved this you are merely a wannabe and not yet an Ironman/woman.
Be enlightened about this
Xtreme sport. This is the Wikipedia entry:-
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run, raced in that order and without a break. Most Ironman events have a strict time limit of 17 hours to complete the race. The Ironman race starts at 7:00 AM; the mandatory swim cut off for the 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim is 9:20 AM (2 hours 20 minutes), the mandatory bike cut off time is 5:30 PM (8 hours 10 minutes), and the mandatory marathon cut off is midnight (6 hours 30 minutes). Any participant that manages to complete the triathlon within these timings becomes a finisher.
I'm not sure what being a supporter qualifies us as other than doting parents but I'm putting it out there, this event requires extreme spectating too. The bloke and I have been mentally very tough hanging about for the 9-12 hrs at strategic locations to encourage our boy and many others to keep going to the very end, punching through walls of pain, cramping, vomiting, self doubt etc... From what we've witnessed they really do deserve their title. This event requires meticulous preparation, self discipline, determination, oh and of course, a dose of madness - why would you put yourself through it? And that's just the spectators!
So we will not don Lycra on Sunday but put on our sombreros (gotta be sun smart don't you know) and have our tweeters in hand (a la Le Tour de France) and man the Layman Rd roundabout with Emma and Poppy; the shady spot under the Norfolk pines at Ford Rd and probably a section West of the Busso jetty among the Peppermint trees near the Yacht club where it's a bit lonely.
The Bloke and I find this event inspiring in other ways too. Not only are there hundreds of participating individuals and corporate teams in this event- now that you are aware of what it entails you'd find it hard to believe wouldn't you? there are also a number of supporters per "contestant" and then there are a probably a 1,000 or more volunteers that run the drink stations, transition zones, recovery areas, aide stations and so on. This event is enormous and couldn't occur without the generosity and support of the citizens of Busselton. A terrific effort and one of our clients is this year a '10 year volunteer' with her business (Busselton Land and Estates) and sometimes with the Volunteer Ambulance too The event organizers are giving special recognition to their long term supporters with a VIP tent etc! Congrats to all that qualify for entry - that is 10 X 17 hour days. Good on you all!! And good on you Robyn :-)) It's even bigger than the Rottnest Island Channel Swim (BTW Viv's signed up to do that again in 2014 in a 4 man team - Oooooh did you hear someone groan? Must have been the Bloke). Anyway this event and the Half Ironman held annually in May (this is a half course and not a whimps version of the main event) is absolutely HUGE for this region. It showcases the iconic 1.8Km Busselton Jetty because they pretty much swim the length of it and back. The bike leg of around 180km takes in the Tuart Forrest scenic drive while the run (ahem! marathon) is mostly along the scenic road along Geographe Bay. Accommodation in the district and ancillary hospitality is booked out. Participants arrive from up to 65 nations. You can bet the overseas contingent don't stay for just the week-end! The Margaret River wineries are sure to get a work out. The spin offs from a group of Lyrcra extremists doing crazy things to their minds and bodies are huge and lucrative.
Will all this fitness fanaticism make these athletes live longer? Maybe not, it'll just seem like an eternity while they are doing it!!
Photos to come.
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