Ironman AZ Part I and Winner!

Where to start...  I have a winner for the MyMemories software giveaway and I will announce that here in this post.  Let's start with the fact that my dad and I are now officially Ironmen in training!  I spent the whole weekend giving my dad "outs" just to make sure he really wanted to do this and if anything his resolve grew stronger as the weekend went on.  Then after 3 hours of standing in line for the volunteer registration we did it!  It is getting way more expensive though, it's now up to $682 just for the entry fee!  I didn't realize active.com charges a fee that is proportionate to the cost of the race which made their fee alone $30!!  So starting backwards here are some pics of my dad and I signing up for Ironman 2012:

Hour 2 of the 3 hour wait in the volunteer line..

Signing your life away for the next year!

This will be our 1st father/daughter triathlon together!

Let me tell you if you have never volunteered for a race like this and always been a racer it is so worth doing.  Seeing the race from the other side was amazing!  I saw the emotion on the athletes faces and I remember what it felt like going through some of those same emotions myself.  Hearing the cheers and yells from the volunteers and spectators was thrilling and made me fully appreciate them.  The pros were amazing and non-stoppable seeing them in motion was one of the greatest experiences ever.  Not to mention watching everyone finish and seeing the proof that they left everything they had out there on the course!  I was relieved to see that the swimmers coming out of the water were as disoriented as I felt when I had done it.  It happens to everyone!  I remember when I race I am sometimes self conscious of how I look during a triathlon, I mean the bloated stomach, the wet dog look, the exhaustion that shows in your eyes you'd think that isn't a pretty look, right?!?!  But as I saw the athletes come out of the water or transition or finish all I saw was strength, determination and the will to overcome any obstacle it was beyond words and I will never again be self conscious. So because there were so many great pics I will have to do this in sections.

Part I - Swim and Transition I - These are the unedited pics.

Swim Start

Pros coming out of the swim no volunteers to help them!

Note the swim time..

Strippers, not as glorious of a job as it sounds!

Love the look on his face!

Remember to wear your bathing suit..

Unzipping duty

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It's hard getting out of the water because you are numb from the cold!

Worst job ever, taking the timing chip and telling someone they didn't make the cutoff!

Did I finish?

Ironman in to be?

Getting close to the swim cutoff..

All the kyakers coming in to guide the last people to swim finish as quickly as possible and cheering..

Being told she just barely made the cutoff

The "voice" of Ironman

Just found out she didn't make the cutoff

Heartbreaking...

Doggie support!

She was there to cheer on her dad..

My dad the real photographer and future Ironman

Already in the lead

Name that pro

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Getting bathed in sunscreen & a little booty shaking.

I am so thankful for having the opportunity to do some amazing things in my life and thanks dad for making this weekend happen!!!

Ok the WINNER for the My Memories giveaway is : Big Daddy Diesel!!!  Congrats, this might end up making a great Christmas present...  I will have a code that you will use to download the software.  Let me know an e-mail address to send the code and instructions to you.  

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!  Part II will come after Thanksgiving...