Encouragement works -- both ways...

(The Finish Line)

• Recently i finished an Olympic Distance Triathlon in Knoxville, TN. It was a great experience all around. The race is part of a series of races put on by Rev3 and they did a fantastic job. I was very impressed by their emphasis on detail and on making it a family event (which was very important considering race day was Mother's Day). There just so happened to be 55 professional triathletes in this race as well as guest celebrity racer Tara Costa from Season 8 of "The Biggest Loser."

• There are many things i love about races -- whether they are strictly foot races or triathlons -- from the training, to the event itself, to the free s.w.a.g., to the adrenaline rush as you get closer to the finish line, to the sense of accomplishment when its all over. However, there was one thing about this race that really made an impact on me and that was the encouragement.

• By encouragement i mean the cheering on of the racers by the spectators & volunteers. Our race number bibs actually had our names on them in addition to our numbers. So not only did those on the sides of the streets cheer for us in general but they were able to yell our names as well. I was surprised by the difference it made. It made me feel singled out in a good way as in: "hey, that person is cheering for me." Which was a big deal considering there were 700 racers in this event.

• But not only did those on the sidelines get in on the verbal encouragement, racers were encouraging each other too. If you saw someone struggling or not feeling good it was not uncommon to hear another racer give words of encouragement. And one of the more touching moments was when one of the 2 groups that were pulling/pushing a disabled person through the mile swim, 26 mile bike ride, and 6 mile run passed we as racers would cheer and applaud for them. These were special moments indeed.

• All that said, the one thing that really left an impact on me was the actual effect my encouragement of others had on me. Whether i verbally supported another racer or just thanked a person handing me water as i ran by -- i usually got a boost of energy as i encouraged them.

• At times there would be large crowds of people in one area cheering -- even just a simple nonverbal display of appreciation from me to them via a head nod, slapping high five, or a simple thumbs up gave me a lift. It was then when i realized that encouragement works both ways.

• Who is encouraging to you? Who are you encouraging?
• Are you being generous & kind with your words?
• It really does matter because it really does have an impact!