IMCHOO 2015 Race Captain's Random Announcements

Mariah Bridges

 

Eclectic Ramblings for CHOOCREW

ENKIDS TSHIRTS: They have been ordered and will be passed out at team dinner. If you are not attending team dinner I will have them at 4Keys, if you're not attending 4Keys, then I award you no tshirt and you're in trouble bc attendance is mandatory! (see how I did that) I would love to get a group ENKIDS photo before hand so come a little early and I will announce the location of the picture in the GroupMe that weekend. 

FYI: We WILL have a Family GroupMe specifically for the families to chat race weekend, get together with each other and support on course the day of the race. I will be on this GroupMe for questions from the families and to send pictures. When the normal GroupMe starts we will ask for telephone numbers and names to add. 

There is already a EN Family Facebook page. Let me know if someone wishes to be added. 

Kids race info: 

Register

Date: September 26, 2015

Time: 9:00 a.m

Location: Ross Landing

On-Site Registration & Packet Pick-Up: 

Thursday, September 24th 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.

Friday, September 25th 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 26th 7:30 a.m.- 8:30 a.m.

Ages: 3 to 15

Distances: 1 mile, ¼ mile and 5km

Price: $15

 

Team Dinner: Forum Information You have exactly ONE WEEK to Sign the event doc that you are coming to dinner, Pay for the dinner and note on the doc that you have paid. If I get a text the day before the dinner asking if you can come, I might cry. We've made sure you have been emailed multiple times and notified multiple times in the forums. There is zero reason to miss this. Don't make be bust out frustrated Mariah! I want to see you all there, smiling and ready to carb up! I have added a vegetarian pasta item so we are good to go there. If you need anything special RSVP to the dinner but you will pay separate as well as for munchkins. I NEED A FINAL HEADCOUNT though regardless. 

Family Discounts in Chattanooga: I have convinced a few awesome places in downtown Chattanooga to give us the group rate for the weekend. Below is the information. You do not have to say you are on Endurance Nation, mention you are with Ironman. They liked my idea so much they are extending it to all of the racers families. I ask that you represent us well as I would like to continue this discount every year, if you are on social media, post pictures and tag us. 

Aquarium: During the weekend of IronMan, the Aquarium will honor the Group Discount to any individual that mentions the race! For Aquarium admission, this saves adults $4 and youth $3-$12. On Sunday, September 27th the Tennessee Aquarium will also be opening at 9:30AM to better accommodate those family members with a little fun after watching their loved ones compete in the swimming portion of the competition!

1 Broad St, Chattanooga, TN 37402

(800) 262-0695

Creative Discovery Museum: Creative Discovery Museum will be open at 10:00 a.m. that Sunday. A special $20 Ironman Ticket will be good for the Ironman Week - Thursday, September 24 through Tuesday, September 29. The ticket would provide free admission for the designated adult or child for that time period. It would also be good for a 10% discount at the store and café.

321 Chestnut St, Chattanooga, TN 37402

(423) 756-2738

^^ These discounts also get you a discount to the IMAX theater connected to the aquarium. 

Live Weekend Social Media: As you might have seen at past races, I live post on Twitter and Periscope. Pro Tip: TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ABOUT THIS NOW! Get them to download Twitter and Periscope and follow TeamEN on both. When I "go live" on race day, they will get an alert straight to their phone to log in @teamen is our handle. Use the hashtag #EN4Keys if they are watching alone and promoting. Might want to add this information to any Facebook posts about tracking you on the day of. I run around the course like a mad woman so chances are they might see you. This is obviously not a guarantee as I am only one person with two hands and there are about 50 of you! However, I promise, I do my best, ask anyone who has seen me on race weekend. If you have a twitter handle, let me know so I can post pics there as well and if we aren't friends on FB yet, fix that so I can post there!

EN REPRESENTATION: Make sure you are registered with Ironman under Endurance Nation. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT! Please pack all your EN swag, borrow some if you can. Race day, leading up to the race, lets represent the best triathlon team in the world. Spotting you on the course is so hard if you're not wearing EN (i understand if you can't) but with 2800 athletes, its so much easier when I see blazing fast red EN singlets coming up the road! I have a ladies large in singlet and bike jersey if anyone wants to borrow. If you have people volunteering, make sure IRONMAN knows they are with EN as well (we get points for that) and maybe give them an EN visor to represent! 

4Keys: Four Keys has Inside Out Sports free give-a-ways and now we load up every athlete with 30 days post Ironman recovery workouts. Please promote this on your Facebook pages, emails etc. This is how we keep EN growing!!! Four Keys of Chattanooga

Hope I didn't forget anything. Thank you for being awesome and getting all this admin stuff out of the way. CHOOCREW rocks! 

 

321 Chestnut St, Chattanooga, TN 37402 (423) 756-2738

drjohnson08

This is awesome Mariah, thank you!

brandondu

Mariah,
What is the plan for the team picture? I thought I had read it would be at body marking but as I'm finalizing my race plan I realize that is scheduled for 4:30a-6:30a on race morning. That can't be right. Sorry for asking if it's posted somewhere else.
Thanks
Brandon

vrk3ds

You are frickin awesome!

My Family thanks you for the discounts!!

Mariah Bridges

@brandon - Last year I set the time on race weekend and put it in GroupMe but I don't mind doing that now. Swim starts at 7:30 so lets call it 6:30 at Body Marking. Last year I stood in front of the ice-cream shop right there at body marking (it was also under the large light IM puts out) but lets stay set on that time. So get your admin out of the way, get body marked and meet for pictures before heading to swim start to seed yourself. This will help you also not to line up super early like we don't want you to!

[Deleted User]

Hmmmmmm. Starts at 7:30 and ends at midnight? So that's 16 1/2 hours? What's with that???

Mariah Bridges

@carol - I just work here, take that up with Brian

kimmydct

Carol- Don't even get me started on that.... And if you don't get in the water til 8:00, that's only 16 hrs. I'll likely be one of the boneheads lining up early, cuz I may need every minute of 16:29! (That was my FL time....)

brandondu

The athlete guide states that the shuttles to swim start run from 4:30-7am. Is a 6:30 picture too late? I don't want people to feel rushed. I really am not sure how good the shuttle system was at last year's race. I know I have been a part of some horrible shuttles at other WTC events though that left me very stressed getting to swim start. Sorry if I'm overthinking this.

Mariah Bridges

@brandon - it was seamless last year but I don't mind bumping it up a half hour. Its hard to find a happy medium between people who don't want things too early and people who don't want things too late! I will make an announcement again but I'm fine with 6am.

Mariah Bridges

Ok everyone- if you want to bump the picture up even earlier we can..... 5? 530? I relinquish my choosing ability, majority wins.

Woody Freese

I just wanted to toss out a quick SHOUT OUT - a virtual fist bump and hearty THANK YOU to Mariah and Brenda for all of their tie, effort, energy and hard work in assembling this group!
Truly appreciated!!

Mariah Bridges

@Woody - from the man himself wow thank you! Its an honor to support the best team in the world! Ya'll do the hard work, its the least we can do! See you soon!

kimmydct

I'm planning on bringing my fancy special bike pump that works great for disc wheels and covers to IMCHoo. (I hate the crack pipe!) Problem is what to do with it after pumping.... Mariah- Are you going to be at the race to maybe help with this? Or does anyone have a Sherpa I can borrow to do something with my pump after using it? Happy to share with the team but dunno what to do with it afterwards...

Tom Box

I guess I would prefer an earlier picture time. I can't find any info in the athlete guide about self seeding yourself in the swim start line. And from last years race reports it sounds like you simply find the end of the line when you arrive. I'm debating on how early to show up at the start, balancing not having to stand/sit in the line for too long vs being towards the front so you can avoid some of the congestion on the bike course in the first 30-50 miles.

Woody Freese

This is a bit out of the ordinary way of thinking/doing things... What if we did a team photo at the Team Dinner? Or at Four Keys? Or at a practice swim on Saturday morning? (not sure if there is a practice swim...)

This avoids the chaos and/or congestion of trying to gather folks on Sunday morning, while they are trying to put last minute touches on their bikes, bags, kissing friends/family, going to the bathroom and catching the shuttle? We may not all be in EN kits at picture time... but it becomes one less thing "to do" Sunday morning.

Thoughts?

Mariah Bridges

As your marketing director and especially for a key race where you will have coach rich there, I would like a morning picture. We always find a way to get it done and it gives everyone last minute mojo and calm prepared ninja vibes from coach. If 5am works lets do that but its right by T1, body marking and the busses so you have to pass me eventually

Trish Marshall

^^^ this. I've not been in an EN pre-race photo yet. Too much going on race morning and quite frankly, too ADD.

I vote post EN4keys talk. I am assuming most will be in town then and plan on attending. Dinner lots of folks are still traveling.

Mariah Bridges

I will take a picture at dinner as well but thats a horse of a different color ---- bottom line, Im going to take team pic at dinner and one race morning, if you want to be there, be there or be square for mojo if not, you will be represented at team dinner pic

Woody Freese

So shut up Woody...


I am only kidding Mariah :-)

Mariah Bridges

Oh Woody what am I going to do with you?! I understand the frustration of one more thing race morning and Ive noticed over the years that there are always a few athletes who either don't make it in time or decide to do their own thing on race morning, which is cool. I take pictures at team dinner and at 4Keys in hopes that I have everyone represented somewhere on race weekend. If you can't make morning team pic, I would photoshop you in because you are a team icon

@kim - yes I don't mind taking bike pumps it tends to be hectic getting it back as you can tell on race weekend Im all over the place. I can bring them to awards in the morning and you can pick them up there is my only suggestion. If you don't think you will be around for awards, maybe we need to find another option. However, of course I don't mind helping anyway I can.

Emily Brinkley

My vote is a 5:30am picture by the buses to swim start. We all have to head that way anyway, so might as well throw it in the race plan now. Be there if you can, otherwise I'm sure we will get some epic mojo high-fives and fist bumps from each other out on that run course.

Woody Freese

I am sorry M - if my attempt a busting on myself was misinterpreted ?? in no way, shape or form am I or was I complaining about logistics. If I can make it... Great! If not... So be it -
You folks have done an amazing job and my poor attempt at making at joke, even if it was at my own expense went over like a fart in church!
Can't wait to see everyone -

Mariah Bridges

Oh I know its all good in the hood Woody, hope we can find a time for everyone to make it- we have a rock star CHOO CREW this year!

Mariah Bridges

Hello Everyone! Please be sure to finalize team dinner information tonight/tomorrow. Update the event sheet above so I can give the restaurant a count. Also if you knew anyone who raced CHOO last year, I have a super special CHOOCREW only present from your race captain (thats me) so I want to make sure I have enough for everyone. Really looking forward to seeing you all there, getting tons of hugs and passing out more Ironman Mojo than is legally allowed!