Time flies when you are having fun! The last ten days have passed like a flash. I had said I would post every day about my training and that apparently didn't happen. I don't have much excuse for days 9-12 but days 13-17 I was on vacation! What a vacation it was, celebrating 25 years of marriage. We didn't go anywhere exotic but just getting away from the hustle and bustle was very relaxing. Over the last ten days I did get some training in but not according to plan. I don't want to talk much about my training in this post but more about my volunteer time at the Ironman Arizona on 11/16/2014 which was part of our "vacation". The Ironman is a distance that I find incredibly intriguing. Roughly ten years ago a couple of Real Estate clients were starting their journey in IM. During their selling process we would often discuss the IM. I loved listening to them talk about their experience. At that time I had no idea I would fall so interested in the long distance let alone do half of that distance. I loved their intellect and talking to them about endurance sport. It made me think I could embrace at minimum sprint triathlon. My problem...I never ran...ever. I overcame that obstacle and can say I have not only completed a few run events including 3 half marathons but I have also completed a 70.3 (half Ironman). Ten years later I found my self volunteering at the IM AZ, an event my husband conquered just 3 years earlier. He is a bad ass. I volunteered with the idea that I "may" just sign up. As a volunteer you get a priority registration the next day. I wasn't 100% sold but in the back of my mind, I knew I would do it if I could get a spot. Our shift was 7pm to 12midnight. I chose the run station #12. I wanted to be near the end of the race both time and distance. Reason: I wanted to encourage those giving it their all to get to that chance to hear Mike Reilly call their name, ".....You are an Ironman!". I want to hear that one day. We got to our post just in time to start. We didn't eat before hand and were pleasantly surprised to find that they had a grill there to feed us burgers and hotdogs...and Doritos, and Twizzlers, and Skittles and Oreos....oh my... The station we chose happen to be the one for the Sally Meyerhoff Foundation. I had not heard of her story until that day. Today I read her story. A talented, loving, vibrant athlete whose life was cut short doing what she loved. Here is a link to a story about her life and her tragic accident. http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2011/12/03/20111203sally-meyerhoff-tribute.html Each run station has a theme, ours was animal print. When we heard that was the theme, my husband and I had no idea what we would wear, "do we own any animal print?". On the day of the event I remembered we had some halloween costumes fitting the theme. I was happy to not have to purchase any animal print anything. Just not my style. Animal print happens to be part the Sally Meyerhoff Foundation logo. Animal print and pink. I can finally get my head around animal print. When I see it I will think of Sally, whom I only met through her mother's sweet description of her daughter. Her sister was proud of her, you could see that on her face. I was happy to have chosen that station. I hope to help them again in the future. Not only did the joy of helping a family support their daughters dream bring joy to me, watching the participants make their way to their final mile was so infectious that I just couldn't stop being excited for them. 5 hours.....5 hours of holding out cups of Perform yelling "perform, perform"...over the loud music being blasted through the speakers. Speakers blaring out music that was upbeat and cheery. At times we watched some come through the station with a little dance in their step. After 2.4 mile swim, 102 bike and at that point around 24 mile run..watching people dance through the station was so uplifting. In the first half of our shift they were happily taking the perform and grabbing small snacks like bananas and grapes. After they started coming around for the second lap and nearing the end the requests for water and perform were few and far between but the requests for broth and cola were being voiced more often. Bananas and grapes were not even of interest. It was cold and windy and I would assume broth was what was needed to warm their bones the final miles. At one point they were cooking burgers on the grill for the volunteers and one poor fella, running, looked at us like we were torturing him and asked "who is cooking the burgers?". I felt so guilty. It was like drinking water in front of someone who just crossed the Sahara and telling them you can't have any. Others asked for beer, one told us he had a margarita in his water bottle. I am still not sure about that, but it was questionable. As they were realizing they were going to be finishing some were elated and picking up their pace knowing they were nearly done. One man said "I am going to be an Ironman!" I was so excited for him. Some had smiles as they knew what was just ahead, some were just completely focused on every step they took, others completely laboring any move forward. They all have a story. What I learned is that an athlete does not have a specific look or speed or style. They all have their story. The heaviest of person may have already lost a ton of weight, others may have overcome a health condition. Some are running with prosthetics others blind and lead by a partner on a lead, some simply running for someone who cannot run or is simply running in the memory of someone. There is not a defined example of what an Ironman looks like. All I know is there is so much inspiration in those final hours. Sure the pros and the top finishers are lean and at the top of their game but the ones coming in at 7-midnight are the strong, the determined, the motivated the ones who can endure the journey long into the night. Their reasons to finish are lead by things greater than times or financial awards. For the pros and leaders they are finishing in just over 8 hours and age group leaders in 9-10ish. For the ones late in the night, they could see 14-16 hour times. That is a long hard day of continuous movement. The glory for some is in the final numbers, it is the Kona slots, it is in the PR that they obtained but for everyone in the end... the outcome is the same...they are all Ironman! One day...that will be me too.
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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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