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!

Comments

Grit- Road to Chicago Olympic Triathlon

Definition Grit in psychology is a positive, non-cognitive trait based on an individual's passion for a particular long-term goal or end state, coupled with a powerful motivation to achieve their respective objective. This perseverance of effort promotes the overcoming of obstacles or challenges that lie within a gritty individual's path to accomplishment, and serves as a driving force in achievement realization. Commonly associated concepts within the field of psychology include "perseverance", "hardiness", "resilience", "ambition", "need for achievement" and "conscientiousness". This is who I am. Stacy the Grit. Yes, I could spend a lot of time talking to you about my finish time and what I could improve upon yadda yadda yadda but anyone who reads my blog knows that I rarely focus on the outcome. I focus on the process. I focus on how did I arrive at a specific point and time. I focus on the jour...

2021 Fort Ritchie Olympic Triathlon

General thoughts about the Fort Ritchie Olympic Triathlon and the race experience. On August 1, 2021, I participated in a 1 mile swim, 25 mile bike and 6.2 mile run. If you want stats, splits, watts, etc. you will find none of it here. Why? It’s not what is important to me in participating in triathlon. It’s not my why! I signed up for the local race in Cascade, Maryland because I knew it would challenge me mentally and physically. My expectations were to finish and learn. This race was not wetsuit legal and a USAT championship series race. I knew it would bring out some spectacular athletes from the area. But I also knew this, I have never swam in open water without a wetsuit. Never. Stacy motto- Safety first. I will not put myself or others at risk for me to race. I quietly spoke to the race director and he nodded that I could do the race but would not race in my...

Commentary: Compassion Fatigue and COVID-19-The Chronic Condition of the Helper

It’s April 12,2020. You are not reading an Orwellian novel. The first case of COVID-19 in the United States was reported on 1/22/2020 in Washington State. Eighty days later, the Untied States has reported 555,313 cases, and 22,020 deaths. Who was there from the beginning? Nurses. Nurses care but at what expense? COVID-19 sheds the spotlight on a well-known chronic condition in nursing- compassion fatigue. Since the very beginning of this pandemic, nurses’ lives have been a constant cycle of caring for critically ill patients; fighting to save each one; watching patients decompensate; mourning; clocking out after a 12-16hr shifts and returning to the bedside the next day. This continuous loop is unsustainable. Nurses are suffering from compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is a state of exhaustion related to the constant exposure to trauma and/or illness. Nurses not only experience increased physical and mental exhaustion, but reductions in work satisfac...

The Journey

Search This Blog