This past weekend I traveled to Kansas for the half Ironman. No, I wasn't there to race. I was there as my friend, Jeneen's, sherpa. What is a sherpa you ask? A sherpa is someone who goes out to the race to support an athlete. The job of the sherpa is to encourage and support the athlete in any way needed throughout the day. Jeneen was a great sherpa for me when I did my half, and she even walked my parents through the race day sherpin.
As a triathlete I understand how important a good support system is on race day, so I was determined to do all that I could to be the best sherpa I could be. I knew it would be a long day so I made sure that I was prepared. I packed a chair, my nutrition (cliff bar, Reese's Pieces, and mixed nuts), water, a cowbell, and plenty of sun block. I also made a few signs to hold up for the athletes. One of my favorite things on the race course while I'm racing has got to be the signs people make.
Most of my day was spent waiting for Jeneen to pass by. I didn't have to wait too long for her to come out of the water. When she did I was there screaming and cheering her on while ringing my cowbell and taking pictures. She left her bike pump and transition bag with me, so after she came out of the swim I grabbed these items and sprinted to the bike mount line to see her off as she began her 56 mile bike ride. I may have taken out a few spectators during this mad dash. At this point I knew I had a few hours to kill before she would return to the park and begin her 13.1 mile run. I hiked a mile to the car and traded Jeneen's gear for my own gear.
I returned to the bike-in and run-out section of the race course to wait...and wait. When I knew it was almost time for her to come in from her bike ride I positioned myself on the side of the road with my signs held high, my cowbell ringing, and a camera ready to snap a photo. When she finally came by I screamed as loud as I could and tried to snap a picture. It was pretty difficult to maneuver the signs, cowbell, and camera. I was also trying to update friends back home via text and Facebook with both my phone and Jeneen's phone.
I spent much of the day moving between 2 spots on the run course with my sherpa gear in toe. I held up funny signs and cheered on tons of complete strangers. I knew what they were going through, and a big part of me was wishing I was in their shoes. There were times when the wind made it difficult to hold up the signs, but I knew I couldn't put them down. Many of the racers expressed their appreciation for the cheers, cowbell, and signs. It was fun watching their race as they read them. The sign that seemed to be most popular said, "Smile if you peed yourself today (we know you did)" Some of the racers pointed to their smile or told me that they had indeed peed themselves. It was a lot of fun, and their reactions made it worth the trouble of dragging the signs around and chasing them down when the wind blew them away.
When I saw Jeneen at mile 11 I told her I would meet her at the finish line. This is probably my favorite part of watching a race. I got to cheer on many racers as they came across the finish. I found myself getting choked up because I know that their journey began long before they stepped in the water earlier that day. I waited with anticipation for Jeneen to round the turn and come down the finishers shoot. You can bet that I was cheering as loud as I could and ringing the hell out of my cowbell when she came into sight. I am so proud of her! She rocked a course that threw choppy waters, big hills, lots of wind, and the blazing sun her way. Kansas 70.3 had no mercy on the athletes.
While I would much rather be racing than watching a race, I'm glad I got to be there to see Jeneen complete her first 70.3. Perhaps someday I will return to Kansas and take on this race, but for now my focus is on my first Ironman.
"The only one who can tell you 'you can't' is you. And you don't have to listen." ~~ Nike
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