XP - kind of disappointed

 I decided at the beginning of the year that I would like to set a goal of participating in a Sprint Triathlon. I picked out my Tri (the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon - here on the local beach) and signed up for a group training program. Other than meeting with the group training every Sunday morning at the Gulf, I also trained on my own with swim/bike/run as well as with my trainer.
    In August I was kind of freaked out to discover there were a LOT of people following my progress with interest. In September the freakout grew because there were a lot of people talking about being at the Tri to support me.
  My parent, sister, nephews, trainer, folks at work, friends..... wow!

Now, life and cir****tances have happened and it looks like my best friend will be the only one there. My trainer told me today she had hoped to just be late to the American Heart Walk but since she is the team captain (for my employer) she has to be there. She said she was super disappointed. And she apologized so much I couldn't admit to her how disappointed I was.  I told her I will need her support more at the 10k next week (which is probably true).
   My mom is bedridden / wheelchair bound and nearly breaks into tears about not being able to go, but there is just no way she can sit in her wheelchair for that long of a time.  We had discussed them coming out around 2hrs after the official start and just seeing the finish, but lately she has had a lot of knee pain and I just would rather her take care of herself.

  Anyway... I feel guilty for being disappointed. It isn't as if people promised and then just didn't show up, they all have super valid reasons and I totally understand.  But I guess the selfish part of me still is disappointed.

(adding - my older nephew has to work, youngest has a high school marching band competition; another friend has to go to Panama City with her family....)

 The cheesy line goes that they'll be there in spirit.... if that helps, then awesome!
If not, I'll join your pity party  because talk is cheap sometimes. (like when relatives are so interested in Half-Marathon training but don't cough up money during fundraising, forcing one to bankroll their own trip to Vegas. Oh, yeah.... that's my pity party. Nevermind.)

Own your feelings! You're entitled to them. Yes, everyone has valid reasons for not being able to be there, and likely that they'd really want to be there to cheer you on, but that doesn't change that you're entitled to feel a bit sad. No reason to feel guilty about that, it's just what you feel.

 I totally understand - my mom is too physically limited to go anywhere. I asked her to go to my tri last year and she ended up sitting in the car the whole time bc she could walk the 1/4 mile...

im doing my first 1/2 marathon in October and its a big deal to me but my friends/family won't be showing up to support me. But, I did make some friends from OH that will be going either for support or doing the 1/2 with me. If not for them, I'd probably fall apart. 

I wish I were closer - I'd go to cheer you on :)

 It is totally disappointing.  I love having people at my races....I totally love the lift they give me if they plant themselves in the middle of the course.

The upshot of people NOT being there, is that when you finish, you don't have to play "host".  you can celebrate, rest, nap, eat, puke, whatever it is you do without worrying about other people waiting for you.    That may sound trivial - but I always feel like I should get up and go real quick cuz they've been standing around waiting for me all day - but really I should eat, drink, stretch, etc.

In any case, you are completely entitled to feel disappointed.  They all have good reasons, so it's not like you are angry or being blown off, but it's still a let down - that is real, and it's ok to feel it.