It appears the origin of the term came out of the cycling world meaning “Support and Gear” or “Support Aid Group.” I laughed out loud at a SAG reference on a cycling site that mentioned it could mean "Sick And Grouchy" if having a bad day (http://www.steephill.tv/galleries/2005/high-pyrenees/).
Wikipedia has more:
"SAG" may derive from a rider "sagging" off the back of the group.
SAG station - a location along the course of a long mass participation recreational ride providing mechanical and/or medical assistance to riders in need.
Volunteers at the SAG station may also dispatch SAG wagons to assist riders stranded along the course. A SAG station may also function as a food stop.Now equipped with the definition I feel much better about using the term!
So back to this weekend... it was a friend's first triathlon. We wanted to be there to cheer and support in this endeavor! As a competitor, I know how valuable encouragement from a friend, family member or total stranger can be. One moment you are dragging along and then someone yells your name or says, "great job" and your head lifts a little higher and somehow your legs gain energy. The emotional and physical lift is amazing!
However, the logistics of athletic support is a sport in and of itself. Just ask my aunt, Carol, who did a phenomenal job chasing me and a friend around the city of Louisville to cheer and support during the marathon. The eve of the race, we poured over the course map to pinpoint locations/mile markers where she thought she could park, wave, cheer, throw pretzels and even coordinate a drop off for my wife to jump in and run the last ten miles with me. This race was over 5 years ago but the images of my "sag wagon" evoke strong feelings of happiness, camaraderie, and strength which pushed me through fatigue and pain to the finish line! Wow, I am about to tear up - such is the power of SAG!
We knew the Dunedin Tri course and set ourselves at the end of the Causeway at the bike turnaround to watch 2 laps of cycling. We also knew the color of our friends' bikes, the color of their helmets and what they were wearing. Although we had this information, discerning your friend in a pack of speeding bikes is not easy at all. The colors and faces were a blur as bikes flew past us. We cheered and clapped and kept a determined lookout. I was sent up to the first bridge as a "spotter" to see if I could warn the cheer/picture squad of our friends advance arrival. I was barely at the base of the bridge when I saw a white bike and gray helmet fly by. My brain quickly made the connection as our friend on the bike yelled and waived to alert her supporters, hahaha. I think we snapped one photo before our friend hit the turn and was cranking back towards Honeymoon Island. We discovered she was on lap two already and her wife was maybe still on the course as well.
We continued to clap and shout out to the bikers keeping an eye on the road for friend #2. The bikers were very appreciative and many thanked us for the encouragement. One girl stood out in particular as she pedaled along, she looked over and said, "thank you sooooo much". It was extremely heartfelt and stuck with me. It felt good to make someone else feel good.
Our friends finished the tri and had a great experience. We rehashed the details of the morning over a hearty, well-deserved breakfast! Our friend's daughter (who was part of our glee club) brought up the appreciative biker in between bites of banana pancakes. That girl made an impression on us all!
To all my friends, relatives and strangers that have motivated and encouraged me to conquer my goals - THANK YOU! I hope you felt the gratitude in my heart bestowed onto me by this unknown triathlete:)
No comments:
Post a Comment