Practical Caoching Fans Eric & Helen Willis, Priscilla and Michele are the best EVER!

I was thinking about nationals some more today (oh what a shock!) and I realized that one of the reasons this year was so special is because we had the luxury have having the very best cheering squad that Tri Nationals has ever seen! Priscilla Cross and Michele Beeson were at the race site bright and early to help get all of us organized outside of transition! I suspect they also help a great deal in keeping "their men" organized but seriously...who's it all about? By the time I found MP (Modern Priscilla) and Michele at 6:00 AM they had already set up camp under the big tent so that we would all have a spot to leave our post race crap, rest our bones or congregate for noshing! They were always ready with water, hugs and smiles now matter how confused, focused or delirious we were feeling.

There is nothing more exciting and rewarding than hearing your name called at a national event! every time I went up and down those silly hills I heard MP and MB screaming my name...and yes I wanted to smile and wave to them and thank them but I have finally learned to be appreciative and focused at the same time! So ladies please know that inside I was reeling with gratitude for your energy and cheers!

I also had the envious position of being stalked for a large part of the race! What woman doesn't enjoy the fact that a man she doesn't know (no matter how creepy!) is taking her picture at random! Yeah...well...time to check that ego...it turns out that the other two huge fans of PC were Sonja's parents who flew up from Southern CA to support their amazing daughter and all her crazy friends!

Early in the morning long before my race started I was wandering across the empty field and this man took my picture. Cool but creepy...of course I smiled...you never know! Later in the race I saw the same guy with a huge lens taking pictures of me...cool again but still creepy...not until after the race did I realize that my own personal stalker was Sonja's dad Eric, who was simply taking pictures of every PC uniform he saw! What an idiot I felt like! Fortunately for me Eric and Helen are two of the most gracious and welcoming people I have ever met. They dragged bags and coolers of food to the race site for us so that we wouldn't starve between the race and awards! Plus they brought good veggie food for which I am eternally grateful because a girl can only eat so much Kettle Korn without vomiting!

So the point of this particular rant is to say THANK YOU MP, MB and Eric and Helen for the support, hugs, food, pictures and of course the COW BELL!

There isn't another team in the country that has what you have given us! Please check out the pix as Eric used that big lens and made us all look hot!