How to Be a Successful Spectathlete

​It’s only April and this weekend at Ironman Texas will be my second spectathlon of the year – welcome to Texas! Spectathleting is HARD, so I thought I’d share some tips for fellow-spectathletes on how to have a successful day:

PRE-RACE PREPARATION:

• Study the map of the race site, or go down there to check it out the day before, and have an idea of where you want to park. Your Ideal parking scenario is close enough to the transition area that your triathlete doesn’t have to walk too far, but in a spot where you won’t be trapped in should you want to get out early (or go back for a nap during the bike).
• Bring warm clothes for the swim start – even in Texas (Galveston this year was FREEZING!). Chances are you are going to be standing on exposed concrete for several hours so bring a hat and sunscreen and use them. Wear shoes you can walk/run around in all day.
• Have breakfast, and bring sandwiches and drinks to the race site. This is going to be a long day for you too, but don’t expect the race to have thought of offering anything edible for you. (It makes me crazy that spectators are not provided for on race morning… Austin Tri Club has ambitions to change that!)
• If standing for hours at a time isn’t going to work for you, bring a chair or a blanket.
• Carry everything in a backpack so your hands are free, and leave plenty of room for the crap your triathlete ends up giving you before and after the race.
• Bonus tip: throw some Vaseline, safety pins, a power bank, and a spare pair of goggles into the backpack and you will inevitably be someone’s hero.

THE SWIM:

• Trying to spot your triathlete coming out of the water is nearly impossible. Stand a little further up towards the transition area as you’ll have a better chance of spotting them as they take off their caps, goggles and wetsuits.
• Bonus tip: if there are wetsuit strippers, position yourself where you have a really good view of them. It will be the funniest thing you have ever seen – I promise.

THE BIKE:

• I’m over standing around waiting for my triathlete on the bike when he just speeds past me without noticing. (For the record, when I did Ironman Louisville, I stopped to chat with my sherpas for at least five minutes on the bike course… I really hate biking and was happy to take a break though!). Here are some of the things you can get done while your triathlete is on the bike: go back to the hotel/car to take a nap, get a manicure (but be careful with gels… I missed a bike-run transition once because of gels), go for a swim, go for a run, catch up on work, catch-up with friends on Skype, etc. I’m sure I’m just scratching the surface here.

THE RUN:

• NOW YOU’RE UP! If you don’t see your triathlete at least three times on the course you have failed at spectathlon. Try to pick a spot close to where the course loops around and the finish line for maximum exposure.
• Since you are there you may as well cheer everyone else on as well. Ring a bell, wave your sign (if you do signs… I don’t do signs), shout encouragement – “good work”, “looking good”, “looking strong” etc. – you sound like a broken record and might drive yourself crazy, but they REALLY appreciate it. Especially the ones with desperate eyes.

THE FINISH:

• Make sure your athlete knows where to find you at the finish.
• Apply your interested face to their minute-by-minute debrief of the race. Tell them they looked great, it was hard to tell they were in pain, etc.
• Encourage them to eat before they get cranky, drink plenty of water (a beer is ok too), and if it’s a long-distance race, don’t let them sit down until you are fine with them not being able to get up again.
• Hopefully you were smart and brought some clean clothes for them to change into (they almost certainly did not… They are not thinking about after the race) or some towels to protect your car seats from getting super-stinky on the way back to the hotel/home.

Finally, even though you know your day was as hard as theirs – if not harder – never EVER say this out loud. Happy spectathleting!

Meghann Jones, Spectathlon Champion 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

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Austin Triathlon Club is a non-profit social club that promotes triathlon across the Austin area. Our members include triathletes of all abilities, from beginners to experienced Ironman athletes. We are a welcoming and inclusive club, meaning that you can be a member of Austin Tri Club, and still be a part of another team or train with a personal coach. The Club is an all-volunteer, member-run community.  For more information and to join, please check out our membership page.

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