I think I found the Iron Sherpa article on Trifuel.com about a year ago. It was a great article about the people who encourage you during training, help you with all your gear, pictures etc. while racing, and then help you recover post-race. My Iron Sherpa is my wife. She’ll be there at IMFL running around, trying to get every pic she can of me, as she has done in every race to this point. So, who is your Iron Sherpa?
I am Iron Sherpa-less.
I do not have an Iron Sherpa either 
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Oh no. I didn’t mean for this post to be depressing.
Definelty my wife. She is the epitome of an IronSherpa. Not only did she sit out waiting for me and encouraging me during IM MOO last year (freezing her Ass off), but she doesn’t let me carry anything race morning. She can pack my race bag if I’m running late and I know it’s right. And she even will set my bike up for me. I’m talking, pump tires up to 120#, Nuun Tri-berry in the Aerobottle, Lime in the down tube bottle, everything!
Plus if I have a hard/late workout, she makes me a plate and leaves it in the microwave. Cold spaghetti has never tasted so great!! And she’ll even kick me out of bed if I don’t want to go do a workout. Something about not wanting to hear me whine about missing a workout later in the day.
And to prove that she loves me: She took my shoes off for me after IM MOO last year. Now THAT’S Love!!
My husband. He convinced me to start training for tris because he knew it was something I always wanted to do (he does not do triathlons). He convinved me to sign up for IMLP - I would not have done it without his encouragement. He has done everything he can to make it easy for me to get my training in, including convincing me every week that I’m not abandoning my children when I go out for my long rides.
Now, he’s convinced me to cut back on work so I have more time to train. How amazing is that!?
Thanks a lot!
Are you saying that us losers are depressing you??? 
no sherpa here either
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no sherpa. have never had one, and that’s not really a complaint. by always covering all planning and execution of details i feel like i have control over things. i.e., did i pack this, that and that? i already know i did because i have a list and have a check mark by it. i do that because i don’t even trust myself to remember correctly.
i suppose this is somewhat of a peace-of-mind thing with me…and not wanting any slip-ups to be someone else’s responsibility.
what if i suddenly got a sherpa? i’d probably be a flop with the program. …don’t know. haven’t had the option. i’m pretty happy with things as they are. it seems to give maximum freedom.
peggy
I’m my own iron sherpa, as well as half-iron sherpa, oly sherpa, sprint sherpa. where can I find a sherpa. the spousal unit is not interested.
While I don’t do Iron distance events but I have a Sherpa for nearly every event!
My sherpa is my husband. He does all my bike work and is putting on my race wheels and new cleats for the race on Sunday.
He’ll help tote my stuff, take pictures, cheer for me and has a cold drink for me when I’m done.
He pushed me out of bed this morning so I could get in a short brick workout.
He doesn’t do tri’s but has watched countless tri’s or running events.
He’s been helping me learn some mtn. bike skills so I don’t crash too badly at next weeks Off Road Tri.
I couldn’t ask for a better Sherpa. (those race wheels better be on today! )
No, but you gave a sad face so I assumed it was depressing you.
Oh, and my IronSherpa always takes me out for a celebration meal after the race too, so I got that going for me, which is nice.
My wife! In '05 she was ready to be with me until Hurricane Wilma disrupted our plans and we both couldn’t take the chance of being stranded in Florida with the kids in NJ. She was with me in spirit and still mentions how disappointed she was not to be able to see me cross the finish line on my 1st iron distance race…
At IMLP '06 she made the coolest T-Shirts (she’s a graphic designer and really did a great job) wearing her “Iron Sherpa” on the front and “Where’s my Husband?, Swimming 2.4, Biking 112, running 26.2” on the back… My 3 girls were wearing “My Dad is an Ironman” on the front and the back it said “Where’s my Daddy? Swimming 2.4, Biking 112, Running 26.2”
The photos of my family, wearing those shirts, surrounding me after I finished are priceless to me!
I have often posted on this site just how important, I believe a supportive spouse/significant other, is in “balancing” IM training, family, and work. My wife, not only supports me in my training, but encourages me. I don’t balance IM training, she does, because she’s willing to pick up where I fall short, during the higher volume training weeks and months.
My Iron Sherpa is : TEAM DADDY!
My very forgiving (most of the time) IronMate plans and executes a WAY more complex process that I do on race day…making sure that she and my daughter are where they need to be to “ring the cowbell” and holler for those folks we know (and everyone else for that matter)! All this while making sure my daughter is “distracted” during the down times in the action (like the 5+ hours I’ll be on the bike) so that she stays enthusiastic until I can drag my old, slow ass across the line!
Having them there makes it all the more special!
Be on the lookout for the Orange clad “TEAM DADDY”…holler Slowtwitch at them and maybe they’ll ring that cowbell a bit louder for you!
Paul
My wife! Big time! I really am not sure I could have done it without her.
We saw the Iron Sherpa article, too. And that’s what we call her. My Iron Sherpa. She even wants to have a T-shirt made up.
Everyone needs an Iron Sherpa!
While she is no Tensing Norgay, I have to say my spouse.
My iron sherpa is my dad! I’m 24 and still a “daddy’s little girl”. My dad comes to almost every one of my races (including running, its been about 50 in the last 2 years), in addition to listening to me blather on about triathlon pretty much 24-7. 
He always has a huge smile on his face when he’s spectating and I think he’s living vicariously through me because he’s 65 and feels like he’s too old to participate even though he’s in awesome shape and often younger than a few of the participants. He’ll probably has no idea how much it means for me to have him at my races, even though I tell him that I love having him there.
This weekend my iron sherpa for Timberman will be my brother! It’s awesome to have a supportive family, it makes the sport soooo much easier.
And didn’t your husband have to convince you to fly off for a weekend with a bunch of people you’d never even met??? Smart man!
Sherpa? For the bike, it’s my man Tyler. He takes good care of my bikes. For pre-race Vineman it was the Hinds57 family, and a fabulous job they did!
clm