By now, most of you have heard that the triathlon I'd spent three months training for was cancelled because of weather. Thank you to those of you who have called or emailed to tell me how sorry you were that I wasn't able to race. I was extremely disappointed, and your sympathy meant so much to me. What follows is a synopsis of the morning of the race, and what being a part of this training group and raising money to fight cancer has meant to me. Here's a link to an 8 minute video of how our team made the most of that morning. If you read no further, at least watch a few minutes of our extraordinary team.

This was the first time in the Cap Tex Tri's 16 year history that they had to cancel. They first announced that the swim was canceled at 6:08 am, and planned to wait until 7:30 to make a final decision about the rest of the event. At 6:10am, I was huddled in the Team in Training tent with my teammates, hoping for the rain to let up, and wound up like a top, ready to race. If the race went on, they would replace the swim with a 5K run, to make it a duathlon. In the past, I would've been excited about that change, because running is my strongest event, but this year, my heart sank when they cancelled the swim, because I'd worked so hard to improve, and felt confident, if not fast, in the water. I'd even done a few laps in the pool on Sunday afternoon, just for fun, and to work out some pre-race nervous energy.

So, as my teammates and I waited for an update, chatting with each other about race details and comparing notes on pre-race anxiety, I looked around at all these wonderful people that I'd spent the last three months training with. Some of them were supposed to complete their very first triathlon that day. I admired their courage, remembering how scared and anxious I was before my first triathlon, which was only a sprint distance race. Some of them were cancer survivors, and I admired their refusal to let a disease define them. Several of them had raised more than $10,000 to fight blood cancer. I admired their dedication to the cause. All of us had our own personal reasons to be there, and all of us were eager to race. If the race had not been cancelled, I have no doubt that every one of us would have gone out and had a good time, and finished proudly.

Our head coach, Adam, stood up to give us a pep talk to remind us that the finish line was just another milepost along the journey, that the important part was the training and the fundraising that we'd worked so hard on for so many months, and that whether or not the race went on, that this would not be the last or only tri for any of us, and that the work we had done was the important part. He asked us, considering the possibility of a cancellation, who would be interested in doing a 5K as a team, along the race course. To a person, we said yes. At that moment, word came around that the race had been cancelled.

We all agreed that it was the safest decision for everyone, but we were all very disappointed, nonetheless. Still, moments later, everyone started rummaging about for their running shoes, and getting ready for our 5K. We ran one loop of the run course as a team - an army of 50 in our purple and green Team in Training jerseys, stomping through puddles, and whooping and hollering as we went. Our coaches and mentors took up a spot at Congress and Cesar Chavez and cheered wildly as we passed. We had the race course all to ourselves, even the Marines had gone home.

Everyone crossed the finish line to high-fives and cheers for our fellow teammates. The event photographer was so impressed with our spirit that they got their equipment out and took group photos of the team. The only photographs taken at the event. Yes, we wanted to race, and yes, we are disappointed that the triathlon was cancelled. But, we had fun, and made the most of a disappointing circumstance. Most importantly, we did something together, as a team, and lived the spirit of Team in Training. Our coaches somehow managed to get us finishers medals, which they handed out at our victory celebration; the only finishers medals given out this year. I have several of those from other triathlons I've completed, but this is the one I'm most proud of. It's not about the race.

Thank you so much for your support along my journey with Team In Training. I plan to sign up for another endurance event with TNT, and perhaps this time it will be a half-Ironman triathlon. Next up for me is the Danskin sprint triathlon, which I will do in a relay with my mother. I'll swim and bike, then we'll walk the 5K together. I'm still figuring out which Olympic distance event I want to do, and will keep you posted.