Beginning is winning- Hagerstown Duathlon

Occasionally, I participate in low- key races for the fun and to test my personal limits. It was a great day for sure. I watched my fellow triathlete get 2nd place in her age group and saw many familiar faces in Multisports that I have raced with all season. This was my last multisport race for season so what a wonderful way to end the season.

Yesterday, I completed a local Duathlon.

After the race, I packed up my belongings and drove to a local supermarket to grab food before heading home. I wore my medal to the supermarket. Someone asked me, “Did you win the race?” I smiled and said, “No.”The lady continued “ How come you got a medal and you did even win?” I smiled with my best Stacy smile thinking should I answer or not. I did. I replied “ Every athlete who finished earned the medal. They trained to get to the starting line and decided to put themselves through a 15 mile course that required them to run then bike then run again. The participants’ ages ranged from 14 to 80+ years old. “ She said “Wow, I had no idea. I guess you do deserve that medal. “ She gathered her groceries and walked away.
What is the lesson? Define what winning means for you. Please don’t allow someone else to define what is a win for you. You define your successes. A positive attitude and healthy lifestyle are a win in my book.

Just a little background- The Hagerstown Duathlon is a 1.9 mile run 10 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. This race occurs twice a year, once in the Spring and Fall. I completed both races. First race time was 1:28 min and I got 1st place. Second race my time was 1:24 and I got 8th place. On can not define "winning" by external factors per se. It must be self-defined. I improved on every aspect of my running and cycling, but did not improve in my age group. I'm ok with that. It is all about controlling the controllables. I can't control who shows up and their race performance. I can only control my own. Win for Stacy.

Enjoy the journey

Coach Stacy

For those who like data--- I'm extremely transparent about my races. Read away. Hopefully, I will continue to make improvement next year as I move into the 50-54 age group. Happy racing!

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