From the Sidelines

If I have learnt one thing today, it is that spectating is exhausting.

I am currently flat out on the couch after a morning down at the local Gatorade Triathlon...and no I wasn't even racing! My body needed a little extra time to recover after last weeks half ironman at Shepparton, so for a change I was the one on the sideline and Sam was the triathlete.

I never realised how stressful it actually is being a spectator. So many questions! What to wear? When to arrive? Where to park? Where to stand? How loud to cheer? When to cheer? When to clap? How many claps (apparently this is very important...too many is over eager, too few shows dis-interest)? Camera or no camera?

It is so much easier being the racer, the only thing I have to worry about when racing is being on the start line by the time the gun goes.

Getting down to the race on time and finding the impossible parking spot in St Kilda was the first of the challenges. Then there was the stress of trying to find the racer before the start. Thinking I was running late I made a bee line to the start line where I was hoping to see Sam to wish him adios, but I couldn't find him anywhere...which was very stressful in itself as I was wondering if he was actually at there at all?? However, two minutes before the gun went I finally spotted him on the start line and was just about to run up and give him a big good luck hug...until commonsense prevailed and I stayed in my appropriate position on the sideline.

I had now found my perfect cheering vantage point and yelled my little lungs out as he went on by. So I had seen the start...check. Then it was straight over to transition to watch the him get his bike...check. Then up to the bike course...check. Then trying to keep count of what number lap he was on (one would think this wouldn't be too hard considering it was a 2 lap race, but apparently it is)...check. Then back to transition...check. Then to the finish line...check. (I decided it was just too hard to get out onto the run course...and besides, I was getting exhausted from all this cheering). Then when I thought it was all over, there's the hanging around after the race waiting to get the bike back, and then walking back to the car at the impossible parking spot in St Kilda.

By the time we got home and had some food (I did need a feast from all of my energy expended) it was well and truly time for one mighty nap!

So to Mum, Dad, Sam and everyone else who has cheered me on in a race, thank you! I now understand it is more stressful and more work than the race itself. Not only do you have to get up early, stand around for hours on end and say all the right things (at the right time, in the right volume with the appropriate number of claps), you also have to deal with my often unpredictable post-race moods ranging from excitement to disappointment, happiness to frustration.

*Also, congrats to my big sister Laura for running 21.1km up mountain today...apparently it is the hardest half marathon in the world. Personally I would stick to the flat, but whatever works! So good job.