Sherpa pride!

Can I even begin to tell you how proud I was of my T3 teammates out here at Vineman today?! Seriously. I felt a little like a mother hen with lots of little chick-a-dees running in a million directions as I tried to race after them to keep track of them, check in on them, and ultimately let them do their thing! And they did do their thing...and they were great.
Some first time 70.3-ers and some veterans. Some who had great swims or bikes or runs. Some who had lousy swims or bikes or runs. Some who nailed their nutrition. Some who are heading back to the nutritional drawing board. Some who loved parts of the course. Some who were not that enchanted by any part of the course. And some things they had in common...long hours of training going into this; T3 - coaching, support, teammates; hotter than expected weather; and a doting Sherpa.
Seeing everyone out there reminded me of the guts it takes to tackle a triathlon (of any distance). People had to make difficult decisions on the course today about whether to keep going or call it quits. They made the best decision they could - I hope they all sleep well with those decisions tonight. They were supporting one another and allowing themselves to be supported.
Doing something like this makes you really vulnerable - you put yourself and your goals out there...the former quite publicly and the latter often privately. You risk disappointment. But there's the possibility of great joy. You often surprise yourself...and maybe others, too. But most of all yourself.
And from the sidelines you watch this all unfold, never quite sure of each person's exact story but always trying to figure out what to say or do that will be "just right" as you watch a friend and teammate (or sometimes a complete stranger) go by. It's neat to be on the sidelines as someone who's also raced because you have a small idea of what is helpful (and what is not helpful!) to hear. It's also really rewarding to be able to be out there for teammates who have cheered me on. It's sort of a "pay it forward" and "return the favor" all at once. And it's totally inspiring. All the more so when you know the people doing the race.
At the end of the day, I discovered that I'm a better Sherpa than cheerleader (are we surprised?!)...that I have the odd urge to race again (odd because I don't really like to race...but I do like what it brings out in me...although I'm content to wait until November!)...that T3 is a wonderful little family to be part of...that showing up and getting out there and doing your best still matters...and that it's a privilege and an honor to have friends and teammates like this in my life. Proud of you, all you T3 Vineman-ers!!! Most of all, I hope you are proud of yourselves.