A year of change, hope, serenity and wholeness. It starts today. Part of this journey consists of working on consistency and finding my rhythm; with my training, my nutrition, my daily routines. Today was a run day...and I ran...in the rain. I will admit it took a bit for me to get out the door. I bundled up and waiting for the rain to subside. I was sure to wear layers and a good wind and rain jacket. I ran my normal route to the coast with the idea that I would run more than 3 miles, hoping for close to 6. I ran down to the camp ground and looked out at the water. It was misty and ominous but it was my Peace. I love the ocean it doesn't change it's purpose it just keeps ebbing and flowing but today it was a little more angry than other days. After a bit of time and a deep breath I restarted my run and decide to run along the 101...then it really started to rain. I half thought I should run back the way I came so I could dip into buildings for a bit of break from the rain but decided to push through and continue my route North to Palomar Airport Rd. i did come across this great tree that had a bit of a shade shape to it so I tucked in for a few minutes then got up the courage to keep going. I knew up a head there was a few options to take refuge in, if needed but I just kept running. I only saw a couple of others runners out there and I thought to myself. "I am hard core"...then laughed to myself because really, who am I kidding? I passed a couple of women who were out for a walk and when I passed we all collectively laughed at ourselves. We knew what we were saying. "What crazy person would be out here walking or even running,? We are crazy and we know it!" what a great way to start the year!
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I am working on being intentional in things that I have said I want to do or to get back into. Things that make me me and make me happy and bring me joy. One of those things is my blog. It is a place where I can freely think 'out loud' and share my experiences. This is part of my journey, a chapter in my book of life...my tri life. Here I go again.... Today marks the 4th day — post Coeur d'Alene 70.3, my redemption race. A deferral from St. George 70.3 in 2021. I have so many thoughts that I don't want to forget so here I sit. A lot has transpired since my last post and while I could recap everything let's just simplify it all, starting from this past race. Everything in between will just have to reside in my brain and heart. Coeur d"Alene 70.3 - A race I said I wouldn't return to but here I am posting my recap from my second race at this beautiful course and so grateful that I happened to get it as my deferral. The goal this time: don't get seasick on the swim and hopefully get to my desired sub 6:30 race time. Let's go back to the training and the preparation for this race because that is really where the work is done. I was able to slay some workouts and completely bombed others. The mental toughness you need for this sport can be bigger than the athleticism. After deciding to stop coaching and self coach I had to come up with a plan to get me to this race start. This took a lot of self discipline in order to get up early enough, put in the miles, do the hard workouts and be mindful of my nutrition and recovery. Train while traveling and stay healthy. The swim training could have definitely been better. I kept making excuses for why I didn't want to swim and when I did I was faced with challenges such as a closed pool, a closed gym, no swim lanes and cloudy pool water. I was able to get in a few long swims in the pool and sought out an open water swim before the race. I wanted to test out using Dramamine as I had used in Indian Wells, to make sure that it wasn't going to make me feel bad throughout the day potentially wrecking the rest of the race. Well, I failed to take it for my practice swim and that didn't go so well after only 400 yards, but I went back the next day and tried again....it worked, I felt great! I was ready for this race. I am not going to let this life long curse of motion sickness affect this race! The bike usually comes easy, except for the climbing and while I think I could benefit from a bigger cassette on my race wheels for race day, I decided to suffer with what I have hoping it would make me stronger on my climbs. I put in a few long rides both in San Diego/Carlsbad area and up in Santa Barbara while traveling for work and while in St. George volunteering at Worlds in May. I needed to work on my climbing and so I made sure to do a day of repeats on Torrey Pines. I was able to manage 8 repeats with energy to do more so I knew my bike was going to be good. The run was definitely better training this go-around then it was in December, when I raced Indian Wells 70.3. I had a couple long runs along the coast and was consistently doing long runs while traveling for work and for fun. My longest training run of 13.5 miles was where I discovered this internal voice that said: "When you think you can't go any further, take another step and you will see how much further you can go". It is amazing how much more you have in you when you think you don't have any more left. Just keep moving forward. The last 5k found me along the beach front running in and out of the waves and that was followed up by a Coke only 1 mile left when I felt I had no gas in the tank...that coke was glorious and tasted better than any soda I had ever had in a long time. My back has not been very happy during my long rides or runs so I found myself creating a race strategy for stretching during my run. As the race got closer I wanted to be more mindful of my nutrition and packing so focus was a must. I tried my best to put away many distractions (mostly social media) and focus on packing my bike (first flight to a race) and limiting my bag sizes and quantity. I wanted to be mindful of my carb intake and hydration. Pasta, pasta, pasta....I think I ate pasta for 5 days straight. A proper taper consisted of a lot of different lower volumes workouts including some yoga and stretching, and a little time for some kayaking! I believe that was the best thing I could have done for myself. It was a great time to help me focus on why I do this sport and that I was ready to put it all out knowing I had done everything that was in my control. Now it was time to put it all together, get to CDA and do what I trained to do. Thursday Hope was safely tucked into her bag and we hit the road to the airport. I accomplished my goal of brining minimal bags and traveling with my bike. My trusty Rudy Project bags have seen many races and travel and I have now added to that my Scicon bag that I was able to find last minute thanks to Brent at RIDE Cyclery! This thing is brilliant! No disassembly or reassembly needed, except for wheels. Alaska Airlines allowed me to check my bike as a piece of check baggage, $30 each way! Wow! They took such care of Hope. The baggage personnel at my arrival saw me look for my bike when we waked out on the tarmac to the gate, "Don't worry, we are taking good care of your bike," she called to me. Everything arrived safely. I was picked up by John and Karina, on my team. In CDA, I stayed at a Motel 6 two miles from the Race. I shared the room with my new friend, Melissa, who drove down from Edmonton, Canada. She was delightful. Friday Morning - Breakfast at JB's Restaurant - Coffee , eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast Afternoon - Fail on food, ate snacks all day while working from the hotel during the day. Evening - Rode to packet pick up on my bike, A nice 2 mile easy spin each way. Something wasn't right with my left bike shoe/clip. I discovered it was broken. Dinner was plain rice and teriyaki chicken at the nearby Chinese restaurant. No fiber, only carbs and protein A quick trip to the grocery store for water, Pedialyte, bagels, avocados and coffee. Saturday I made my way to the transition area to meet for a group ride then swim to test out the water, with some of my race mates on AP Racing. I am so glad we did. I realized then, that I needed to wear my Xterra Lava socks. I opted to not go for the ride and instead see if I could find a replacement cleat for my shoe, Thankfully I was able to find what I needed since it was a Wahoo part and Ironman and Wahoo have a relationship so there was a dealer in the Merchandise tent. I decided to drop off my bike also for a last minute tune-up in the expo. Spent more money on things I didn't need such as hats, water bottles and shirts but I am a sucker for these items of memorabilia. A quick stop to the Normatech booth to enjoy a little compression on my legs, as I do at every race. They are wondering when I will finally buy a pair! Me too!! I completely failed on eating properly all morning and day long. This poor decision may have haunted me in the race. After a great swim, I met up with some other athletes that I had yet to meet in person. One of my favorite Hammer athletes, Matt Sommer, was a delight to meet and way taller than he appears on our Hammer posts. Maybe I am just short? A quick hello to another friend and his family, Vincent, and then It was time to head back to the hotel room and prep my morning transition bag then head to dinner. Dinner was at Beverly's in the Coeur d"Alene Resort. Salmon with gnocchi and truffle fries hit the spot as a pre race meal. Home by 6:30, prepped overnight oats for the morning and in crawled in bed and asleep by 9. 3:30 am was going to come very early. ...and I still had to shave!! What was I thinking? Sunday - Race day! Up at 3:30 am, shower, shave, put in the battle braids. Eat the oatmeal, put on the kit, make sure the timing chip was on, Pjur 2skin was on my feet and potential chaffing spots, Zealios sunscreen and chamois cream was on and out the door we went. But first....coffee Stopping at the nearest gas station we grabbed a cup of Joe and headed to the venue with a couple from the hotel who were also racing. It was fun how much the locals were excited and fascinated by us and often asked if we were there racing. They take so much pride in supporting us athletes. I am grateful Melissa was there with her car! What a life saver. I actually thought I was going to have to walk 2 miles to the start. That would have been a drag and a much earlier morning! 6 am, Transition was set up and I went out to the swim start. "Look, if you had one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it or let it slip?...snap back to reality...you only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow this opportunity comes once in a lifetime...." This is the song that played as I made my way to the moment of my redemption. I was not going to let this water play with my body and my mind like it did in 2018. I was pumped! SWIM The swim was COLD, I am so grateful for the test swim that solidified my decision to wear swim booties and neoprene cap. (Shout out to Xterra Wetsuits for the last minute pick up!) I struggled once with air and needed a kayak to get my breath in control There were so many athletes everywhere and I needed to find a way to get to the outside so I can swim without running into people in front of me. I stopped a second time with a leaky goggle but on the second half I felt that I finally had a rhythm and found myself at the end of the swim. There were definitely a few moments of "I could stop now and be done with this sport" but then, I looked at my Garmin and it noted 47 min. I wasn't sure how accurate this was but I was so full of glee because my last visit to this Lake it took me 1:06 this was nearly a 20 minute PR on my swim! My feet were on land and I knew the day was going to be OK and I would finish this race and be completely content with the outcome because I had already accomplished one of my two goals for this race. Oh, I almost forgot...the right calf cramp that was starting about 2/3rds into the swim! Eeek!!! I tried my hardest to not bring thought and attention to it and thankfully it held off until the swim was over. Phew! T1 - this girl needs a new wetsuit. Dang that thing is getting harder and harder to get off! BIKE The bike felt great with the tune up. I am happy I decided to do it. As I started to ride making sure my kit wasn't rolled up from the wetsuit... because...pictures! Something was weird though and I couldn't figure it out ...until 10 miles in...I left my ear wax plugs in my ears from the swim! No wonder everything felt calm and quiet! After taking the earplugs out I kept hearing a squeak that was making me a bit crazy. I thought it was my breaks against my wheel so I stopped and did a check. Nope not my breaks. I discovered it was my new cleats and the way my foot was hitting the pedal made the squeak, every rotation and by moving my foot position, it went away but crap, that was hard to focus on so the squeaking didn’t resume. I felt strong on the bike and was passing quite a number of other athletes along the way, some during a climb which was shocking to me how some of the climbs felt easy. The last long steady climb was doing a number on my already sore back. I was looking forward to the downhills on the return. I stopped at an aide station and asked the firemen if they had any ibuprofen but no such luck. The hill I wanted to gain some speed on happened to be a no-passing zone which totally stunk since there were some much slower athletes ahead and several of us were stuck slowing our pace down the end of the no-passing zone couldn't come soon enough. As I came to the end of the ride I had a good feeling about my pace and time but my back was hurting pretty significantly and I knew the run was going to be difficult. T2 - On the way out to the run start arch I stopped at medical to grab some Tylenol. It seemed to work pretty quickly. RUN I started the run having to do a potty break. I wonder if some of my back pain came from my kidneys screaming because not soon after that little break, the pain subsided. The run course didn't seem long to me. Two loops in and around the neighborhoods. The residents were out in force, cheering, volunteering and providing moral support and water hose cool downs. One yard had a slip n' slide out front which I am sure tempted many but I knew if I did it I would probably break something so I passed. There was a group of bagpipe players that we passed out and back each loop and definitely some wonderful views along the way. I always remember the fragrant flowers along the fence lines on Lakeshore Drive. I stopped to "smell the roses". My run was not coming together as I hoped and I was finding myself walking more than I wanted but with every step forward I knew that was another step closer to the finish line and I was ok with not meeting my goal of a 6:30 in CDA. I will on another course another day. As I was heading back after my second run lap I started to pat the mile marker signs starting at mile 10, as if to say....Thank you, friend. At mile 12 and near the last aid station the bag pipe players were marching in a two by two formation while marching towards the aid station playing a song. I lost it, completely. I sobbed and cried. Was it because I was almost done, because I was going to have my 7th 70.3 finish, because I got my redemption, because although there alone I was surrounded by friends and like minded individuals, was it the community, the views, or simply because I was grateful and proud of myself? What ever it was ...it hit me hard. As I rounded the corner to head to the finish I remember hearing the announcer say , "Let's bring her home...Victoria Grammar, from Carlsbad"...and I stepped over the finish line! Exhausted, and happy. I was done, I had set my intentions, had my redemption and it was time to reflect on yet another great accomplishment. I love this sport and what it means to me. I often think about my "Why" and when others ask I often note the health aspect, that it’s my therapy, my community, my lifestyle but the very next morning when I woke up and my daughter had reposted my post noting that I was a "True Inspiration”...I then realized that ...THAT is my "Why". She is watching and I want to inspire her to do anything she dreams and that she can do hard things too.
Nearly 3 years since my last blog post. What? Wow, I have been slacking; or have I? A lot of things have happened since my last post. I am hoping that I can get back into a routine of doing this again. A safe place, where I can post my thoughts and recap my training and racing. A place where I can go back and find thoughts thoughts; like an on-line journal.
So what has happened since my last post? I finished the following events: (I may have missed/forgotten a few) 2017: Surf City 5K Santa Cruz 70.3 on my birthday in September 2017 Man vs Machine - road bike race. Grand Canyon to Williams (56 miles) A Mountain Half Marathon Hot chocolate 10K The Tucson Half Marathon 2018: Cardiff Kook 10 K Oro Valley Triathlon - Sprint Couer d' Alene 70.3 Raptor Ridge Half Marathon Santa Cruz 70.3 Mission Bay Triathlon - Women's Relay team: 1st Place!! Double Peak 10K Ragnar Trail Run-McDowell Mountain Ironman AZ. (Yes, I am now an IRONMAN) 2019: Part of the Carlsbad 1/2 Marathon (Not registered, ran 10 miles of the course- self supported) Cardiff Kook 10K KOZ Spring Sprint Solana Beach Duathlon - 3rd place AG June Lake Olympic distance triathlon ....then everything started to slow down and since that last race and until today the only event I can think that I had done was the Cardiff Kook 10K earlier this year. I was scheduled to do the IM Super Seal Sprint mid March 2020 and then the Oro Valley Triathlon's first Olympic distance at the end of March. Thankfully I will be doing the Oro Valley event in 2021. I am looking forward to getting back on a familiar course that I have raced 5 x, this time adding some more distance to the course. The cancellation of the IM Super Sprint awarded me a deferral to a different IM race of my choosing (I believe the event will no longer be held) so I chose the La Quinta 70.3 in Dec. 2021. My 2021 race year so far looks like: February: Huntington Beach 1/2 Marathon (hopeful) March: Oro Valley (Tucson, AZ) Spring Triathlon - Duathlon (registered) May: St. George 70.3 (registered) September: Santa Cruz 70.3 (hopeful) December: La Quinta 70.3 (registered) I am hoping that other events like the local KOZ series will open up but I also think this may be a good year to look at other options in California and Arizona for the smaller sprint races. Maybe I will even check out some of the USAT events or LA Tri series events that I have been seeing in the past. I am hoping to also find other events including the Ragbrai cycling tour/race in July. That may not happen in 2021 but certainly on my "race list" to eventually do. The one thing that hasn't changed over all the years is my nutrition brand of choice - Hammer Nutrition. After 30 years of production, they know what they are doing. Why should I change what works? Hopefully this won't be my last post for the next 3 years. LOL!! Here's to new chapters!! Sahaurita Lake. It looks so beautiful and peaceful in the evening. This was the few of our swim location the night of packet pick-up. Which I must say was very underwhelming. I enjoy the packet pick-ups, race venue expos and the post race celebrations. This was lacking in all three but it was still a race I wanted to do. I had such fears about doing this event for one reason only. Blue dyed water! I have heard stories of men coming out of the swim with their facial hair blue in color. The rumor is they dye the lake blue. I have yet to find out why. I couldn't imagine what we were going to look like . Something sparked my interest to do this event. I don't know if it was from the great Sprint time I had previously or if its was the fact that I was going to be able to race with a friend that I knew in Saudi Arabia that also lives in Tucson, down in that area. Prior to the even Tracy and I went down to do a pre-ride with Jeneane to check out the bike course. It was a great ride out near the mines and had a lot of rolling hills. I knew once we did that test ride that I was good to do the event, so I signed up for it. The day of the event came, we had stayed down with Jeneane to allow us to do packet pick up the night before and get to the start at a decent time with out so much travel. We found out they changed the bike route from what we had done and put it in reverse. I remember seeing old Real Estate clients out there that are often participating in IM events and the main reason I even became interested in doing triathlons. As we got ready to start the swim, I donned my wetsuit. This was going to be the first time I got to wear it since I had gotten it since the swim was cancelled at Austin. Come to find out that it is now getting too big on me as I have lost a lot of inches over the last year. I was so proud at how fast I was able to put it on only to discover that it was probably easy because i had it on backwards!!! I discovered this just minutes before we were to get in th water. Oh, to be able to laugh at your self is such a good feeling. Quickly, I put it on properly and got in the water to wait for our start. This was ladies group start. As we began, for some reason I had such an overwhelming since of panic. I had a hard time getting my crap together to the point that I had to get to the side of the lake and catch my breath. Eventually, I made it around the turn around and headed into the exit. Man, I was never so glad to be out of the water, but I did it and it was on to T1. T1 went well. As always I had my Hammer Nutrition on board and my Rudy Project Helmet and Sunglasses on. The ride was tougher than I had remember because now it was the other direction. We passed my client on the side of the road where he had a bike issue and had to pull out of the event. I felt so bad because he is a fast triathlete and lost a chance to podium because of it. I remember meeting a guy on the bike and all we could both think was when are we getting off this bike. The head winds were ridiculous. We certainly put some effort into that cycling. T2 went well. I had put on socks at this point as didn't want to run with out them. The path was nice and windy and through the neighborhood. We had to do two loops of the run and the second one came much easier for me than the first. I did more walking then I wanted to do but in the end I had good race and was happy to be finished. My old team mate Mike was also there watching other friends and he managed to snap a few photos.. Thanks Mike! I don't know if I will do this race again, I would consider it to be able to conquer some of the technical areas and the never ending headwind but if I did, it wouldn't be anytime soon. I was glad to not be blue and think I lucked out this time. This marked my second Olympic/International distance and for me another PR. I think I can get use to the PRs! They are my personal podium! It is hard to believe that this was the 5th time I had participated in this event. This was however the first event I was able to use my TT bike. 'Hope' is her name. She was adopted from a fellow friend/triathlete whom I met through Race Tucson and Tucson Endurance Performance Center. After getting Hope and a proper fitting by TEPC Hope and I became fast friends on the road. I am not sure I could have picked out a more comfortable ride. This event also marked the first official event I participated in wearing my new Tri Team's kit. Ride Tri Team out of California is where I landed thanks to my friend Tracy. There is something about being a part of a group of amazing triathletes, wearing an amazing kit from Wattie Ink, having amazing sponsors to support you, and having the right gear to make you feel like a superhero and want to go fast! After learning this sport and just trying my best each time, hoping to just finish and feel good, this was the first time I caught myself actually racing. I wasn't racing anyone in particular except myself. My goal each event is to do better than the last and to always walk away proud of my efforts and not complain about the little things should my race day now work out. There are no excuses. You either have a good day or you don't...most of the time they are great days! It was this event in 2015 where I saw a photo of me after the finish and the smile on my face let me know that this is my happy place, this is where I feel connected to something and others. I finally figured it out. This is a well organized event that is nestled in the heart of Oro Valley, AZ . The swim is at the local aquatic center and participants swim in a serpentine fashion. Ill admin I had not done much practice with my swimming since Austin but I was able to get through this swim with much more ease than before. So much so that I thought I still had another 100 yards to go but I was actually done. I had even passed three swimmers and was not passed this time. That was energetic. My transitions were much faster in this Sprint. I used Pjur Active on my feet before th swim and this allowed me to go sock free on the bike, cutting down some precious transition time. In the swim I wore my tri shorts and sports bra and in transition I put on my aero jersey. This proved to be a great tactic as the sports bra was minimal what was wet against my chest going into the first couple of fast mile. That first section can be so chilling when your top and hair are dripping wet. I hate being cold on the bike so this worked out beautifully. I remember for the first time on the bike I was passing several people and the pace seemed much easier than before. As I neared the finish I thought I would be clever and start to pull my feet out of the shoes in preparation for my dismount. I was so nervous that i did one side like a champ, the second side not so much. I had to unclip and run into transition with one shoe one and one shoe on. My T2 went really quick, I learned to not worry about brining water with me as it was a 5 k and there was water on the course . In the past I had always brought it with me and my hands are not as free. II found myself running the entire time, which I had never done before. I guess all that training for Austin and the following Half Marathon gave me the right training to get through the run portion of the race. Tracy was there to Sherpa me in the morning with coffee in hand and a sweatshirt to wear until I went in the water and there to wish me a congrats at the finish. I think I found the best race buddy! It had been a while since Austin 70.3 and it was time to get my self moving again. What a better way to jump star the year than a half-marathon right? This one was the first Women's Half-Marathon event in Tucson. Held in Marana, AZ in Continental Ranch area along The Loop path. Not a heavily attended event but there were many familiar faces that I saw. I went with my girlfriends who are badass runners. In my running journey I use to beat myself up over the fact that I was not as fast as most of my running friends and found myself making excuses for my runs on a regular basis I have learned over the years that this is ridiculous. The sayings "My race, my pace" and " A 12 min mile is just as far as a 6 min mile" were the two things I continued to say to myself. With some track workouts and more consistent running, I have been finally able to bring my pace down. The morning was bit chilly, I had on my long sleeve running pullover I received at Ragnar as a SWAT team member for the Del Sol race, just previously the day before. I was up there for the night managing one of the race exchanges. It was a about 10 hours on my feet. What wasI thinking? Driving up to PHX, standing on my feet for 10 hours and then driving home only to have a half-marathon the next day. Crazy is what I am! Somehow I find these types of challenges exciting. I think I can always changes into I know I can which changes to a Hooray, I did it! You will never know what your are capable of doing if you do not try. Race day..yes..back on track here... My nutrition: Hammer of course. I had my Fully Charge in the tank and ate my morning bagel. My race belt held HEED in two bottles and water in one. I have learned to always carry my nutrition with me and only take water on the course.
My music was in and I was just enjoying the day. I did not have my Garmin with me and choses to not run my running app in order out save my phone battery so I had music. I had no idea what mile I was on but I remember at one point thinking I was near the finish only to discover that the Half-Marathon runners had to go out past he finish and loop the same area that we started in. When you think you are getting ready to finish and you don't is sure makes those last miles long. The song I wake up to every morning is American Authors "Best Day of my Life" this is the song that came up on my playlist as I was nearing the finish line. This was only the second half0-marathon that I can say I ran the whole thing so going into the finish, I was full of elation. As I came in the finish, turned off my music I could hear the DJ for the event playing the same song! How crazy is that ...that day was pretty amazing. I PR'd my run even after being on my legs for so long the day before, I finished with good friends there to hug and celebrate with at the end. When I reconnected with Tracy during IMAZ, cheering on friends, she let me know about a team she joined out of San Diego in 2016. The team is RIDE Tri Team. The team backed by RIDE Cyclery and Wattie Ink was my introduction into a different level of where I wanted to take this sport. Little did I know how much of an impact it would have in my TRI life and TRI lifestyle. My application was accepted and I was elected. Team camp is here! How exciting! Two full days meeting my new teammates, sponsors and getting a chance to swim, bike and run in California! A dream come true. This marks my first road trip with Tracy. I was so grateful she and I travel well together and she even puts up with my singing. We arrived in Cali! Blessed and grateful we were able to stay with family friends of Tracy's who live close to Oceanside. The weather was gloomy and a bit cold and rainy. The first stop on our list before we got settled for the day was Harbor Fish House for fish tacos and clam chowder. Yum! We sat outside even though we were nearly blown away by the rain and wind, just being near the ocean was enough to not let the wind and rain bother us. Day 1. Friday Night Social; Wow! Do we have some amazing athletes on our team. I got a chance to Meet Shawn Watkins (Wattie) and Heather Jackson as well as Michellie Jones. Our sponsor Ten Barrell Brewing Co. supplied us with the drinks of the night as we gathered at Ride Cyclery to get things started for the weekend. Everyone was so incredibly friendly and welcoming and approachable. I was nervous. "I hope they accept me" , "will I fit in ?"is all I could think about. all weekend Day 2.:Food, run, meet n greet sponsors, swim and team dinner at CAF Headquarters Our team sponsors are amazing! Felt, System 4, Pioneer Powermeters, Pjur Active, 10Barrel Brewing Co. and BioAstin. We heard from many of them as well as from Michellie Jones, who is a 2017 Team Partner but most importantly a World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist. She and her husband Robyn offered their time to put a swim workout together for us. She also passed around her Olympic medals for us all to see and hold. Wow! Going to the Challenged Athletes Foundation Headquarters was such a treat! It was very impacting to look around at the facilities and to hear/read the stories of athletes that have been blessed by this organization. Day 3: A very wet and cold bike ride happened. Originally it was to be on Saturday but the weather caused us to move it to Sunday yet the weather was worse on Sunday. Go figure. I would easily say that was the wettest and coldest bike ride I have ever been on. Every part of me was cold and frozen. I wouldn't have traded it for the world .Talk about bonding moments. I met a few teammates that day that paced about the same as me through the rain. We took care of each other. I think I am going to like this team. The day before Halloween was the day of our race. As we all dropped of our gear at T2 and made the slow walk to the buses to get to the swim start and T1, The procession of shadows in the fog in the dark, with only an occasional light trailer to light the path, began, It looked like a scene out of a zombie movie. We talked to two young boys on the bus, one had never evened any swim practice before this event, and this was his first! Really? Who does that? As we arrived at T1 and checked on our bikes and donned our wetsuits, bats were flying over head. This is not the most appealing way to want to go swim in a fog covered lake. I discovered that overnight my tire went flat and I didn't want to assume it was not popped as a few had done that over night so there I was just before the start of my race, changing my tube. Better safe than sorry. My morning nutrition was set. I had taken my Hammer Nutrition. Fully Charged was consumed while I ate my bagel, took my Endurolytes, and Anti Fatigue and had my Gels ready for the day. My age group was set to start around 7am. The fog on the lake was not lifting. Then we waited...and waited...and waiting, until finally the Race Director decided that it was not safe for us to swim due to the amount of fog and lack of visibility on the lake. The swim was cancelled. All the swim training I had done for this day, not needed. As much as I had a little swim anxiety relief, I was bummed. I really wanted to see how I would do on that swim. I wanted my coach to be proud. I wanted to be proud. I knew it was going to be my best swim. I bet that boy on the bus was sure happy that the swim didn't happen. Oh well...time to take off the wetsuit. We all had to make our way back to T1, stand near our bikes. and wait to be let out on the road TT style, two at a time. As we waited we chatted with one another and got to know those in our age group a bit better. I sure wish I had a way to connect with them. I met some interesting ladies. It was nearly 10am before our age group was to go out. Nutrition was a concern at this point as many of us have now been waiting 3-4 hours since our initial nutrition intake. I didn't want to do anything different so I waited until just before the bike start to take a Gel and then have the rest of my nutrition for the race. Jack Sparrow was there to send us off on our bikes. Who ever he was, he was spectacular and stayed in character the entire time. He sure made a bit of a frustrating morning laughable. Thanks Jack! The ride was interesting. I found it easy, tough, frustrating, fast. This was the first event I had aero bars on my bike. I borrowed a pair from a coworker/friend and put them on my road bike. What I learned in this event was that I am made for the aero position. Riding aero not only made me faster, it was much more comfortable for me. There were so many cyclist on the road at the same time that it was a challenge to not draft, a rule that we must adhere or receive penalties. I found myself passing a lot of folks. I was playing cat and mouse with one lady, ironically, who was from Tucson (I believe) she had on a Tri Sports kit and was super friendly. I don't know who finished first. I never checked. There always seems to be that one or two people in your race that you keep tempo with or that you trade off who is leading. My friend Sharon, who did the event with me caught up with me on the bike around 30 miles in and then eventually kicked my butt to finish several minutes before more on the bike. I gave her some Fully Charged that morning. I think it worked for her! She was riding fast! I was sure to smile at the cameras, pound up the hills, pedal quickly through the straights and take it all in. The road conditions were less than ideal as the asphalt was cracked and lifted in a lot of places, there were many technical turns but it was scenic. I remember the farms. the large Texas stars on the side of homes and the dog that chased us in his yard along the gate. I need to go back and drive that area and take some pictures. I had HEED and Gel and Perpetuem with me on the bike and used up all my nutrition as I had planned. I grabbed a Gatorade to put in my back pocket in case I ran out and needed something but quickly discovered how sweet it was and decided that I was not going to use it during the rest of my ride. At T2 the transition went fast. I saw Tanner at this point and that gave me a bit of a spark. It was so good to see him there. I think I ran out of T2 with a smile plastered on my face that when I passed the spectator row with a big ole' smile, everyone was cheering,.. "Yeah, Victoria..go!" At first I couldn't figure out how they new my name and like a ding-a-ling, I remembered it was on my race bib! :) By now the heat of the day was on us. It was warm! It was a record high day for them, I think it was around 90 degrees. By all accounts we should have been done with the even 2-3 hours earlier. The run was 3 loops. We ran near the lake where were didn't swim and it was beautiful and calm. Darn it!! That would have been a nice swim morning. There was also like only one tree....holy cow it was getting hot. I had taken a small travel tube of sunscreen and put it in my race kit and made sure to lather my face and arms in it around every 4 miles. This was probably one of my most intelligent decisions and one I will always do every run. Everyone was walking! I couldn't believe it. I actually forced my self to run as much as possible but it was rather hot at times. I ran the uphills and as much through flats, the road was crowded. I talked to those around me as I was walking and even those who run 7 min miles were walking and frustrated. Somehow that made me feel better about not running. The aide stations had ice and sponges and I grabbed them each and every time, shoving ice down the front of my kit and the back of my kit and putting sponges on my head. The run takes you through the spectator row each time and each time they spectators were enthusiastic and friendly, always making you feel like a rock start when you passed. As I rounded the corner to go in the arena for my final 1/5 mile the only thing on my mind was getting a nice cold bottle of water. How nice it was to finish in the arena where the temperature was cooler. Sharon was there before me. She runs like the wind so I knew she was going to finish strong and fast. Tanner was there too! Oh my goodness to get a hug from your son at the finish line was the best way to finish! After that day I said I would never do that venue again but here I am one year later, finally posting about it and thinking to myself, I have some unfinished business there. I will go back and get a full 70.3 in there, one day. I must say that when I started this blog, I thought I would be writing on a weekly basis and updating my progress along the way. That hasn't happened. I am learning that, it's ok. Or at least that is what I keep telling myself. 6 weeks. (It was 8 when I started writing this post). That is all that is left in my quest to train for a 70.3 this year. My original thought was that I wanted to do two 70.3 events a year, with a few Olympics and Sprints sprinkled in. All with the idea of the travel it would provide. That plan has not worked out so well, so far. I have had a lot of travel but for work. My scheduled races have been moved or cancelled and so far I have managed to only do one event this year despite training for the past 10 or so months. The one thing I decided to do this year going into any event was to get a coach. A decision I am glad I made. For today's workout one of my assignments is to write him a paragraph or list of my "Why". Why I love this sport and want sponsors. So here we go, this one is for you Coach! I love this sport. I love how it makes me feel; strong, independent, focused, proud. I enjoy the people it surrounds me with, people with like minds, conversation about race courses, times, nutrition, gear, and all the processes along the way to get someone to their A race. I love learning and hearing about it all. There is something about the accomplishment of a sport like triathlon that lets you know that you can do anything that you put your mind to. You just have to want it. Yes, it isn't always sunshine and roses and I have a lot of days like this: After a good solid pout session I have to pull up my big girl panties and get back to business. After all, I want to be good role model for my kids. I want to set a good example of hard work and setting goals. I want them to be proud of me. They are the only people that I do this for, besides myself. When thinking about why I want sponsors this is what comes to mind: For me, having sponsors is a win-win because I love to talk about the products and the services I use. Without good products, services and coaching I wouldn't be at the point that I am today. I have noticed a significant change in not only my ability but my recovery and how I feel after a long hard workout or event. I like to give credit with the credit is due. If that means I have to wear their logo and talk about them on social media, I am all for it. I would gladly support anyone who supports me. I can't do this alone. Triathlon is teaching me more and more about myself every day. On top of it all I am healthier and happier about my self-image then I have been in a very long time. I laugh more, I smile more...I definitely sweat more. I call triathlon my fountain of youth. I owe so much to my coach, Matt Borschke. 6 more weeks. ....now I just need an event. The original plan in November 2015 was to get a coach, get faster and finish Oceanside IM70.3 in 2016. Two of those three things happened. I found a coach, he helped me get faster but I didn't get to even start Oceanside. A failed plan is better than no plan at all, I suppose. At least I know I tried and I was determined to be my best....then the world around me had other plans. This has been a year I would gladly not repeat. It all started with my dog of 14.5 years becoming ill and passing away in the first week of the year. He passed away during a week of work that was probably my most stressful to date of all the nearly 8 years there. I was working overtime to collect compensation data, collect reviews, create packets, update all new year benefit enrollments and update payroll for a staff of around 175. It was easily work that needed about 3 staff to complete I had to do it all in a week. The last day I had all my work projects completed and ready to give to the Directors to pass out to staff was a Friday. I remember going home feeling beat down and exhausted, all the while that week knowing my dog was not doing well and recovering from an exploratory surgery. He never got better and I believe he was waiting until I was home for the weekend in order to say good-bye to me. It was 3:30 am on that next morning that he took his last breath. I wrote about it on my last blog post so I won't belabor it here. Suffice it to say, it sucked. Now, throw in a last minute trip to Pittsburgh for work to look for a new office space for our office there and then go again in 2 more weeks for my scheduled quarterly office week of work. I was at least able to get a few indoor treadmill runs in since it was 7 degrees outside. Then the word got to me about my Opa turning 100 and the family was all heading to Perth, Australia to celebrate his birthday in April. Only 3 weeks after my scheduled Oceanside event. I decided to go as well. This meant limiting funds for Oceanside but you only turn 100 once, if you are lucky. I was going to try to make it all work. 'Time to focus back on my training. My coach was patient yet knew I needed to push it, my training plan was awesome, I was not. I kept skipping good workouts or going later than I should and not having as good of a workout if I had gone earlier. Mentally I couldn't pull it together. Even though my workouts were not all that stellar I was still seeing improvement. I ran a few 10ks and then a Rock n Roll half marathon in Phx. I was amazed at my results. Not only did I run the entire race with stops only for water, I had my best time ever and I felt completely amazing that day and the days to follow. In the past I would be hobbling around and hoping for handrails in any bathroom I was in but not this time. I know all the training I had done prepared me well. After the half marathon I was back to my training for my 70.3. I had to do a run up a local area called Sabino Canyon. I had done this before so I knew what to expect. What I didn't expect was what followed. I quit, I gave up. I gave in...I couldn't do it any more. I stopped coaching, I bowed out of Oceanside. I had to fix me. I was broken. I wanted coaching,I wanted Oceanside, I was ready for it....but mentally other things were in the way and I couldn't get past them to be the best me in sport and in life. It's interesting how your mental state affects your physical desires. It is true what they say, this sport is more mental that it is physical. If you mentally shut down, you physically shut down and that is what I did. I found myself early in the year (and for many years leading up to it) at a crossroads in my mind....things were not going well. My mental state was wrecked. It was not about my dog or my work anymore. There were deeper issues that had to be looked at in the eye. My marriage of 26 years ended, To no one person's fault but it did, It happened and that means a lot of other things came with that decision. A lot of emotional and mental stress. Packing, moving, recreating a new life, figuring out who am I? What is my purpose? My kids are grown and all have their lives. There isn't anyone to take care of for the fist time in my life. I don't even know how to cook for one person. It's a new experience... can't define it yet as good or bad, just different. During this time my son's friend (who we were guardian parents for during his senior year in HighSchool) was found murdered in Pocono New Jersey. He was shot in the head and then burnt. It was like loosing a son, he was our son...he lived with us, we took him to school, we got on his case about his grades,his room, we celebrated his birthday, took him on a family trip, spent the holidays with him, we helped him graduate and get a chance to go to college. We still to this day don't know what happened. We put together a memorial for his friends here and that was really good for us all. So my year so far went : Heavy work schedule, dog passing, work travel x 2 , divorce, moving, passing of our 'son', travel to Australia, getting a sinus infection, work retreat, more travel for work helping start our new office build and move. I am mentally exhausted but I know my best medicine is to focus on a training plan.
With Oceanside in my rear view window and good training under my legs I want to find another event. I have a sprint in October in San Diego that was originally suppose to be an Olympic Distance on Mother's Day in Tempe but they cancelled lake events due to some Dam repair that needed to be done. So I went from having a sprint, olympic and a half all planned to have been done by now and all I have to show for my training is a half marathon although I am faster and I am stronger. I decided to start back with my coach to help me work on my foundation to be stronger and faster until I identify an event to do soon. I am looking and it is giving me something to keep my mind busy. So far my workout are going well. I have missed far fewer than before and I have learned if I miss one, I make it up as soon as possible. I am excited to see more growth in my abilities. I would love to start seeing the same progress in my life. My job is great, my new place is a sanctuary and I am finding my rhythm. Nothing is perfect, nothing will be perfect. I will continue to work on being the best version of myself, in sport, in work and in life. Hopefully I will blog more about it and talk about my Hammer Nutrition products I love so much. Until then, These are all the thoughts I can put down for today or you may fall asleep. Suffice it to say that this year really sucked but I am determine to make it the best year from this point forward. |
Victoria "Torie" GrammarJust your average Mom and Friend who found a love for the swim, bike, and run. Archives
January 2023
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