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This morning we (my Masters Team) swam long course outdoor meters at Genesse Valley Pool. The air was cool but the water was warm. The sun was shining and the pool is right in line with the airport. Every few minutes a plane comes by so close.

"That never gets old." I told Dr. Les. I've overcome my fear of flying so much that I love to watch airplanes do airplane things. Like land. Take off. Go fast. Soar.

To say that my swim felt G.R.E.A.T. today would be a gross understatement. It felt effin G.R.E.A.T. . I stopped at the wall at one point and looked around at the lanes I swim with. With Mark and Kim and Ken and Travis. Grimm and his cycling tan, Dr. Les and his go fast ass whooping go go juice. Bill with his granny shawl on. Maureen and her go fast-ness, and Rauni. I looked over at the other lanes too and I just felt so damn appreciative of every single person I get to swim with whether they are in my lane or not. Whether we ever talk, we share eye contact every now and then and we share a bond.

I looked at my amazing swim Coach, Lorie standing on the deck and I thought..... life is good. And man are we lucky.

After swim practice Luc and I had breakfast with a friend and I again felt so grateful and appreciative of every single person I get to call my friend. What strikes me about this community is the trueness of the people.

In all honesty I have had some unfortunate experiences with some people as of late who don't bring about the trueness and passion of the sport that I love so much. for the first time in my 12+ years of being a triathlete they brought a dimension that I didn't understand and felt so darn toxic.

The experience of being manipulative, malicious and darn right cruel.

Of all places that does not belong in the community to which I belong and it took me a very long time to wrap myself around the understanding that.... that's what it was. It was no fault of their own, through the experiences of their lives the only way they knew how to be was controlling, manipulating..... through the circumstances they found themselves in being guarded, secretive, and undercutting is truly the only way they knew how to be.

I don't understand that at all. So I had to leave it behind. Does that make me a better person? No, I just need to stick with the community and the atmosphere that I love so much. It's free of all of that.

Like this morning when Grimm showed up with the most outrageous cycling tan I have ever seen. Think white tri suit kind of cycling tan. It's hilarious. We laughed with him. Or when we decide the order of our lane..... no one takes it personally if they want to go first or last.... we just accept each person as they are. There is no hidden agenda. Or when none of us can add 5 X 100's to be 2 lengths in long course (or maybe it's just me)...... it's not personal..... we just find the fun in everything we do.

Is it good? Is it bad? I don't know. It's the way we roll and it's the energy I love to bask in.

As I was swimming this morning and the sun was shining, the airplanes were soaring overhead, I just couldn't help but smile.

Last night I was pouring over training log entries of my athletes and I had the exact same feeling. WOW. Each year I think..... holy CATS I have the most talented group of athletes.... and each year I think..... man, does it get any better than this current team? I should not say that each year the team is better...... what I really mean is that each year we all seem to come together in the most amazing way. It makes each season so special.

I get to be in the best seat of all. Over the course of a year for some, three years for others..... I get to watch them do things and achieve things that during our first meetings they wonder.... can I do this? It might be a 5K, a Sprint tri or the Ironman. Whatever that goal is it's so amazing and such an honor to watch what they do. They are the ones who execute the plan. They are the ones who fit all of it in.

It's a group of athletes who are so much more like a family. If I was stranded on an island with these 30 athletes I would be okay. I know we'd have some struggles on that island but I know there would be no voting anyone off the island antics. There would be a ton of laughter. Hell there might be so much laughter we'd never get rescued because we were having too much fun to try.

I count my lucky stars every single day that I get to do what I do and experience the people and the life that I get to. I worked hard to build this business, yet the right group of people seems to find each other every single year.

What an honor.

As seven o'clock rolled around this morning I didn't want to get out of the pool. I wanted to hang out and laugh some more. I felt grateful to my swim coach Lorie, the greatest swim coach I have ever had. I felt grateful for a friend I used to have named Ellen.... who bridged the gap between swimmers and triathletes when the morning sessions began. And I felt grateful for Rauni who is our organizer, planner, caretaker, she's our freaking MOM.

And that's what makes a community, as my father taught me throughout my life. It isn't the house you live in, the size of your assets. It's the size of your heart that matters. I have found a bunch of people with great big hearts and a lot of love to give and receive. To have found that at home, and to have found that in the community to which I belong to....... that's the lottery right there.