Apparently, I hit a nerve in saying some tri's dont have the same feel as a Danskin....By no means am I implying the rest are all unfriendly, just that Danskin is something special. It is a wonderful first time experience to enter the tri-world and build confidence. But let's be honest...some tri's out there are pretty dog eat dog! When Mark Allen in Triathlon Magazine encourages athletes to thank "one volunteer" while racing to make "your" race better, I think there is a definite problem with the focus. We should be out there thanking THEM ALL! Touching the lives of others is much more the reward than winning the race, and makes the "victory" all the more sweet. Have FUN ladies!