The Check-in

The athlete check in was somewhat of a mystery to me until today. Today, we actually checked in at the Ironman event, and received our bib number and a whole sack of other stuff, but before that we had to have the "weight-in". It reminded me of a heavyweight fight where a day or two before the big event the two fighters get weighted and checked and all of that pre fight stuff. In a way, it was kind of like that. When I arrived at the check in desk, I was directed to another table and to an older gentleman who could have been a doctor. He took my name, age, and then had me step on a scale. I had just had lunch at Champions Sports Bar & Grill (8oz burger, fries, 4 glasses of tea) so I tipped the scale at 207.5 lbs (should be 204 to 205 but who is arguing) and a surprising body fat of 11.5% (had been 14 to 15%) and a hydration count of 57%. I was unfamiliar with the hydration number so he told me that the highest he had seen today was about 62% and the lowest about 50% and to try to get mine to at 60% if possible, so I just keep drinking fluid until Sunday morning. He writes down all of that info and then I am allowed to take that into the check-in area where another volunteer asked me for my bib number. There is a board with all of the names and bid numbers listed. I told him I was #2277 somewhat proudly and he said "One moment". Behind him was a table probably 50 feet long with 15 to 20 volunteers seated with numbers at their positions, kind of like when you go to get your car licenced renewed at the county clerks office (for those of you who live in Jefferson Co. you will understand what I mean). I was directed to position #5 where a lady pulled my packet with all of my numbers (I have two bib numbers, number for my bike, number for my helmet, a whole sheet of stick on numbers for all of the special bags of which their are at least 5 of and two other slips of paper with my number on it so if I elect not to collect my gear and bike after the race, I can send someone after it with this number on it). She reviewed all of personal info to make sure that it was all current and up to date and then had me sign the waiver...that's the part where you acknowledge that this is a dangerous sport and bodily injury and even death are possibilities and then you need to sign away your rights so you or your heirs can't sue us or anybody that we know type of stuff (you know the drill). I proceed next to another table where they collected my personal information and the waiver, by passed the travel table (this is where if you are from out of town, they collect info about where you are staying, etc,) and on to the chip check table. They scan your chip to make sure that the chip that you have is assigned to you and is working. Then on to the bag table where you get your choice of black, red, pink or purple bags to carry all of your stuff in. I choose red. Everybody wishes you good luck and out into the expo area you go. Whole process took about 15 minutes. Now...back to drinking or hydrating.