World Record 80 Year Old Ironman Natalie Grabow on Consistency, Trust & Fun Ep 127

At age 80, Natalie Grabow became the oldest woman in history to finish the Ironman World Championship in Kona, earning a Guinness World Record — and redefining what’s possible with aging and performance.

In this episode of Find Your Edge, Natalie shares how she started triathlon at 59, learned to swim as an adult, and built a lifetime of resilience through consistency, self-trust, and joy in movement.

We talk about:

• Longevity in sport
• Training smarter as you age
• Injury prevention & recovery
• Nutrition without obsession
• Confidence through challenge
• Why it’s never too late to start

This episode is for athletes — and anyone who wants to stay strong, active, and confident for life.

Experience the breakthrough when everything finally clicks! Train with expert coaches, fuel with incredible chef-prepared meals, and connect with athletes who love triathlon as much as you do. Join us April 22–26 at beautiful Lake Jocassee for four unforgettable days of swim, bike, run, learning, and community. Spots are almost full: Reserve yours here.

Transcript

Breaking A World Record At 80

Coach Carlie 1:31

All right, welcome back to the Find Your Edge podcast. I have an incredibly special guest here. And I was telling her before we started recording that I'm like fangirling right now. So Natalie Gorbeau, who just like you broke, you broke a world record. Does that like does that even sink in yet to you?

SPEAKER_00 1:52

No. No, I was, you know, I was just trying to trying to do a race like I've done races before. It was um so I I didn't think of it like that. I just thought of I'd had a great season. I had uh three really good 70.3s leading up to that. Um I know I, you know, of course knew no one had finished the race, you know, over 78. So I knew that, but I was just, you know, that was my 11th time in Kona. So I was just, you know, doing uh trying to stay just relaxed and calm. And when I qualified in um the year before in Maryland, um I did that race not to qualify, but to do an Iron Man at 79, because um there's only been one person who's done a race over 78, who's finished an Iron Man over 78. So I I thought it'd be very cool. Now nobody really gets excited about somebody who's second, the second oldest person, but if to me it that was a challenge that I wanted to see if I could do an Iron Man at 79. So that in and of itself was my challenge for Iron Man Marilyn. And I had no intention of taking the slot. Uh and the next day, you know, I told one of my daughters, you know, I'm not gonna take the slot, honey, I'm gonna go to awards. And and then I talked to my coach, and then I talked to the two people that were supporting me, and they said, Oh, you know, you really should take the slot, you know. So then I had to talk to myself about, okay, I was very close to the finish time in 2022, and there's a good chance I might not finish, and would I be okay with myself, um, not, you know, too hard on myself if I didn't finish. So I just had the attitude that it would be a good challenge, and that I wouldn't be that disappoint- I'd be disappointed, but I wouldn't be that disappointed in myself, um, and that it was a challenge that was worth going for. So that's kind of how I entered the race in the first place. That I was pretty sure I could finish in the time, but I wouldn't be too harsh on myself if I if I didn't do it. So I was pretty relaxed going into it.

Coach Carlie 4:10

That's great. And I mean you finished with time to spare.

Pacing, Injury, And Smart Execution

SPEAKER_00 4:13

Yeah, I finished uh, you know, in a faster time than I did it in 2022 at 77. So I was pleased with that. But in actually in both the races, I went in with some injuries. With the other one, I had a foot injury, with this I had a hamstring issue. So, you know, it's it's so hard to get to a a big race, you know, because you're pushing the training a little bit, and uh at at an older age to go in without a an injury, too. So, but I was uh I was very happy. I think because of the injury, it bothered me on the bike. So I I generally push the bike as hard as I can because that's my favorite part. So I'll just I don't I don't really care about the run. I just push the bike, but I wasn't able to so much with with that race. So I think that actually helped my run a lot because I got off and I felt very good on the run. And I actually ran everything up. I I walked the eight stations, of course, and got my ice and nutrition, but I was able to run uh pretty much the whole thing in between the eight stations and and I hadn't done that for a little while, so that I was happy with that.

Coach Carlie 5:24

So it almost sounds like the injury adjusted your pacing for you to be better able to execute.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Right, right.

Coach Carlie 5:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Yeah. Somebody said, well, would you do that again? Would you hold back a little? And I said, No, no, no, even though I know that it's probably the wise thing to do, but um I do enjoy the bike and and I I like going as hard as I can on the bike.

Coach Carlie 5:51

I love that. I love that. So cool. So you mentioned support and you mentioned a coach. So in this whole process, where does that where does that play a role for you? Like where is support? Is it important? Is it like you can't do it without it, or is it like, yeah, it's nice to have? Where does that fit in?

SPEAKER_00 6:11

I'm um pretty motivated. So I could do it without anybody. And and I love all my support, but this is my life, this is my passion. People have come in and out uh as friends and and support uh other than my daughter who comes to my husband, isn't able to travel anymore. He's got some medical issues. So I take care, I'm his caregiver at home. So my daughter who lives, one of my daughters lives in California, and for quite a few years she's come to Kona to support me. So she's, you know, really very important uh at that race. And then I have some friends who are actually neighbors who are triathletes, and she raced in Kona. And um it's hard to go by yourself to these big races. So they traveled with me, and that was fun. We stayed separate places, but uh, you know, she was racing as well, and he helped because I used to use tri-bike transport for getting my bike places, and and I had never, you know, traveled with a bike before. So I got a bike case and he helped me put it in it and helped me get it out of there. So I mean, they're really good friends of mine, but um, yeah, I'm very self-motivated. This is most important thing to me, other than my family. So I would do it, you know, whether I'm charge through no matter what. Oh, yeah, no matter what. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. But it was great to have them. They they actually, my friend Katie did all the race, same races I did this year. So it was great fun to have. Next year, we're gonna uh veer off a little bit. We're gonna do, I think, one together, but uh she she has some other races that I'm gonna do.

Coach Carlie 7:53

That's cool. What about a coach? I know you've mentioned a coach for your support crew, so she's great. Um give her a shout-out. Like, tell us about her. Like, where does she where does she how does she play a role into all of that?

Support Systems And Traveling To Races

SPEAKER_00 8:05

Right. Her name is Michelle Lake, and uh and she's great. So I had one coach for about nine years when I first started out, and uh then I I knew I needed to go with someone who understood power on the bike, which she didn't. So I I went with someone else, and I really feel like my bike can't my bike power really increased working with him, and um and I loved him as a coach. I I would be with him today, but unfortunately he passed away from melanoma at 48. So that was very, very difficult for me uh because I was with him for nine years and um and I I just truly loved him. So when that happened, I I had to find a new coach. So I asked a few people, and one of my former competitors who lives in Maryland had had had a coach and she recommended her. So that's how I got with Shelly. And so it's only really been it'll be two years on the first that I've worked with her. So it was a new relationship, really. And you know, it's it's hard when you've worked with one coach to go to another one. You know, there are always gonna be differences in in their approach and stuff. So it was an adjustment, I think, for both of us. But we're great now, and uh, you know, so she she she was a great swimmer. She comes from more of a swimming background, which is my weak, weakest area. But uh, of course, I love the bike.

Coach Carlie 9:34

And I know you've said that a few times. I I am impressed. This is amazing.

SPEAKER_00 9:40

So anyway, but but we're we're good, and she's uh she's a great coach.

Coach Carlie 9:44

I love that. So cool. Um what do you think about because you've had multiple coaches now and for a long time, what do you think is the secret to being coachable and to being successful?

SPEAKER_00 9:58

Well, I I think you do have I think um you have to trust the coach, of course. Um I'm I'm very coachable, I'll do whatever you tell me, but it has to make sense. And and my coaches have all made sense. You know, that's fine. And I like I like not having to figure it out, not having to think about whether I'm doing too much of one or the other or too little or or whatever. So um uh I, you know, I I'm very coachable. I do exactly what they say. And uh, you know, I think in the beginning of each of them, you know, I was uh especially with Michelle, I was, you know, wanting a little bit more of what I had before and a little bit of, you know, so I but it, you know, I I've come to trust the process. And so I'm pretty good at uh, you know, you tell me what to do and I'll I'll do it.

Coach Carlie 10:50

You'll do it. Yeah, yeah, that's great. So through the evolution of sport it over the past have so I think it's been maybe 19 years? How long have you been doing? 21. 21. Okay. Has your training looked any different 21 years ago to now? Because you're still improving.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

Well, I'm not improving. I'm not improving.

Coach Carlie 11:14

So tell us about that.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

Well, I of course I'm not improving. Uh your your run slows, your your bike slows, your swimming slows. I think the swimming has slowed the least because I was never really fast, having learned uh at 59, you know, I was started swimming pretty slowly. So I think I got, you know, I improved for quite a few years, and then I've kind of um I'm pretty much, you know, staying the same pace with the swimming. Uh running always you get a little bit slower, but I'm running well. Um, I don't have any injuries. I find that form is so important to really uh watch my form in in all three sports so that I don't have an imbalance so I don't get injured. The most important thing to me is not getting injured so that I have to stop and not do something in a day. And uh so I'm just very attentive to that. Like, you know, and my balance. After my injury um in Kona in 2022, when I went there with the foot thing, I stopped running on the roads and I started running on the track exclusively, which sounds a little bit boring to go around and around in circles, but I don't mind boring, and uh that has kept me very injury free from doing that, saying on a soft soft surface. And and in the wintertime when when there's snow on the track except then I I go to the treadmill or or for a short run, I'll run on the roads, but uh, or a race, of course. But you know, I'm I'm staying pretty injury free from the running, which is great because I think that's the place that you're gonna get in most trouble as you get older, from what I see. You know, yeah.

Coach Carlie 12:54

So um I know you had mentioned this hamstring injury, you know, through Kona, and that you've had little niggles through, you know. What do you do for recovery? Is there, you know, are are you into the the sauna and cold plunges? Are you into massages? Are you just like, well, let's just take a feet out of the thing?

Coaching Changes And Trusting The Process

SPEAKER_00 13:16

So I do I do a lot of you know, I do some mobility works, a little bit of strengthening for the lower back, and just you know, nothing really, you know, nothing with weights, just some movements. And then I use a a roller and a you know, lacrosse ball thing, and you know, a um hyper ice, you know, massage thing on anything that might, you know, if my calves felt a little tight the day before, I'll, you know, whatever area that I think might be a little tight or whatever, do that. And then I do a quite an extensive stretching. Um, I'm pretty flexible and I think that's important. And and when I stretch, I can feel that okay, something isn't quite balanced. You know, if I like with the hamstring thing, I couldn't get a good stretch in that area, of course. And now I get a perfect stretch, you know, I I just ran out of time healing from that. You know, I just uh pushed a little too hard and then I ran out of time. But you know, so I can I can with the stretching, I can see, okay, this is a little tight. I'm must be doing something a little wrong. So, you know, the name of the game for me is because I love doing something every day is staying injury free. So I use that time. Um, I spend up to an hour really doing all that kind of thing. And then um, and then I do my workout or workouts, you know, and uh eat and do my workouts and eat and I know well you didn't mention sleep.

Coach Carlie 14:47

How is that for you? Sleep is great, yeah. I sleep I love that so good. Yeah, because you start you started this store.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

And when you said there was a time when I wasn't sleeping well, you know, going, you know, I feel bad for the women that I the good thing is that it's talked about more, and I think, you know, one of my friends is, you know, and my daughters are both in their 50s and they're going through menopause and and sleep and all that hot flashes and all that stuff hit you. And you know, so there was a time where it wasn't so great, but now I I guess that's one of the few benefits of being my age is that I sleep very well.

SPEAKER_03 15:27

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

So um, yeah, my sleep is good. And you know, I've I've always been an early riser, so I uh I go to bed early, I get my husband organized and into bed, and and I get into bed early too, and get up and do a lot of things uh around the house before I get him up and stuff.

Coach Carlie 15:45

So okay, so you have to define early. So what is early to bed and early to rise?

SPEAKER_00 15:50

I'm asleep usually by nine or nine thirty. Okay. At the latest, and I'm up anywhere between five and six.

Coach Carlie 15:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:58

Yeah. All right. So yeah, look at that.

Coach Carlie 16:01

A full eight hours at least. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

I mean, it's right now because of my husband's schedule and because of other things that like yesterday, um, I I knew I had a lot of things to do. So I just I don't do this often, but I got up at four just so I could get everything in. But it's been a busy, you know, of course it's a busy time of the year with Christmas and um getting everything and you know, entertaining and getting everything back to normal and all that stuff. So um, but uh yeah, I I have no problem getting up extra early. I'm I've got a lot of energy in the morning. So, you know, some people are morning people and and I'm one of those people.

Coach Carlie 16:41

You're one of them. I love it. So cool. So let's rewind a little bit. How did you what was your history in sport growing up? Um, and of course, you were born in 45. Right. So maybe not a lot of opportunities for women. So I'd love for you to touch on that. And then, you know, at 59, what what possessed you to get into Trathlon? Like that's that's a pretty intense moment.

Aging, Form, And Staying Injury Free

SPEAKER_00 17:06

So yeah, you know, when I grew up, of course, in my neighborhood, you know, you just ran around outside and you, you know, you you played in the woods and you rode your little bicycle and did stuff like that. And none of the kids I grew up with in that time had taken lessons in anything. Now we moved then when I was going into ninth grade into a little bit more affluent town where the kids had had some lessons like tennis lessons and swimming lessons and that kind of thing, but I had never had that opportunity. You know, my parents just that wasn't in their, you know, part of their values, perhaps? No, and and nobody none of the kids did. We it was just that, you know, nobody you went to school and you played outside. So, um, and through high school there were no really girl sports. You know, we cheer I was a cheerleader. So I cheered for the boys, the basketball team, and the football team, and you know, didn't think anything of it. That's what we wanted to do, be cheerleaders. So, and then even in college, I I poured all my competitive spirit into my studies. So I majored in math and I got a job at AT ⁇ T Bell Labs uh as a software engineer. So I have always been competitive and I was just very hardworking in that area for that time. And and then uh I got married and and had my girls, and um, you know, somebody said, Oh, we should, you know, play some tennis, and I had never learned to play tennis, but you know, we started out, you know, once a week, you know, when my girls got into uh nursery school or kindergarten and uh just played a little tennis and took a few lessons there. And uh then that was pretty much all I did during those years. I started to run a little bit. You know, I would start a little bit and then I would stop and then get injured and start again. And in my early 40s, uh one of my daughters was in gymnastics, so I had a lot of um, I had spent a lot of time getting her her meals and and driving her. It was four hours a day, five, six days a week. So it was a big commitment. And I also coached my other daughters, a little track team and things like that. So I was quite involved. But my gymnast daughter, she uh quit gymnastics, and so that freed me up to um to go back to work. So I went back to work and I found that uh it was really limited time to do anything, so I started running and uh because that was something I could do in a short time and and feel like I was, you know, kind of getting into shape. And I would do stare stairmaster and go to a step aerobics class. And so I got more and more active during my 40s and 50s, and I I did a lot of running races during that time, and I had a lot of injuries. And then in my late 50s, my friends were all getting into triathlon, and you know, I was kind of embarrassed. I said, Oh, I'm busy, you know, for the local sprint. And then uh then I finally admitted I'd never learned to swim. So they were all, I you know, I love to hang out with my friends, do what they're doing. So they were all doing a local sprint, and I felt like I wanted to do it too. So I convinced one of my daughters having just graduated from college and she was in DC. And I said, Amy, could you just come up and do the swim for me? And then I can do the bike. I had gotten a bike and and I was a longtime runner. So she did, and I just loved it. I loved the energy, all the people, the competitiveness. You know, I was just like, okay, this is my sport. I just have to learn to swim. So um, you know, somebody said, Oh, you can do it, you know, I'll show you how to breathe and blow bubbles, and uh, you know, there's some books out and and videos. So I started the process of learning how to swim when I was 59. And uh so through that fall and winter, I, you know, I got where I could at least, you know, get from one end of the pool to the other. And uh, and then I did a couple sprints. I mean, I wasn't good. I was like floating on my back half the time and doing doggy paddle or whatever I was doing, but I was very comfortable in the bike and the run. So I did two sprints and Olympic, and then I ended up doing a uh Timberman 70.3 at the end of my first year. And I won my age group in all my races and knew that was my sport, you know. So um Um and then the second year, um, back then you could qualify for Kona at uh a couple of the 70.3s, and one of them was Eagle Man. And uh my second year I wanted to qualify for the world championships, and the 70.3 was just announced, that was just new, and I thought, well, that'd be a good goal for me. So I went to Florida and I won, and I took the slot to the 70.3 World Championships, and then I went to Eagle Man, and I um I came in second to a woman who already had a slot to Kona, and she said, you know, it will roll to you if you want to go. And I said, Oh, you know, why not? You know, I might be the only chance I ever get. So I, you know, gave up my other slot, and uh so that Kona in 2006 was my first Iron Man, my first ocean swim, my first marathon, and I was very intimidated when I got there. But I came in third in my age group, so I was very pleased with that.

Coach Carlie 22:27

That's amazing. When you're talking about Kona versus all these other races that you have done, what do you think differentiates that race from any other?

SPEAKER_00 22:38

The heat and humidity. Yeah, the conditions and the wind. A couple years doing it, the wind on the bike was just like I could barely keep on my side of the road. It was, you know, I haven't seen it in the last couple of years that I've been there, but there were years where I really knew what they were talking about. I mean, you were just like leaning over, trying to stay upright. So and then just the heat and humidity and trying not to cramp and you really getting your you know hydration correct and salt and all that. Because there are hot races, certainly. You know, that that just that weather, you know, you arrive there and it just it just wears you out. Um I think so.

Coach Carlie 23:20

Yeah. Well earned for sure. So it sounds to me like your secrets, if you will, to longevity in sport is that it's part of you, like it's part of your identity, and you're just so committed to wellness and continuing to move that you just keep doing it. Right. I mean, can you speak to that at all?

SPEAKER_00 23:44

Yeah, I yeah, I think that's right. I I just um I'll always do it, you know. I mean, people actually said, Well, are you finished now? And you know, that was just a race, you know, in my thinking. It was a great race and unbelievable amount of attention, which I just never saw coming. But other people will do it too. You know, there'll be other women at eighty and over who will who will do it too. So I, you know, might have been the first one, but I think, you know, uh there are so many um unbelievable women who are winning their age group there in the younger and I see it, you know, you're staying in it longer too. I you know, when I first went there, it was I was sixty-one and you know, there there were very few, if anybody, in the seventy age group. And now you see I mean, you see a pretty much a lot in the seventy to seventy-four. Now I was surprised this year there were only two in the 75 to 79 and one didn't finish. Yeah, that's that's been kind of slim, I guess. So it is hard to stay in the sport and and and maybe hard to uh be motivated to go there in those conditions and stuff and and uh and do that.

Coach Carlie 25:00

But do you have do you have a favorite race moment from Kona and any Kona, really? I mean, since you've been so many times, are w was it crossing the finish line this most recent time? Was it some like some experience maybe with a volunteer or another athlete or with a press now that you're so popular?

Recovery, Sleep, And Daily Routine

SPEAKER_00 25:21

Yeah, I I have some, I think um my favorite Kona will always be my first one because I was just kind of scared and intimidated, you know, watching those fit people run up and down the Leahy Drive and bike and what are you all doing? You know, just really resting or something. Yes, yes. And uh and and to do so well, and I just remember it rained a little on the bike, and I uh had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my little bento box, and it got soaked. And I remember one of my friends said, Now be sure to eat on the bike. And I I just remember eating that soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You know, Marge says I have to eat on the bike, so I'll eat this thing. But they and then they after they made a video uh of just different moments with the music and just that music. Anytime I hear one of the songs in that little clip thing, I just have such fond memories of that whole thing. So yeah, I you know, I mean, this was great. And I, as I say, my daughter was there, and we had such a great time together, and and she's such a sweetheart and great support. And she's she rents a bike and she puts Christmas lights all around her and she's riding around. Mom, you're looking great, you know. Oh my gosh, that is amazing. Yeah, you can hear, you know, she's got a lot of videos where you hear her, Mom, you know. So going up a Lehi Drive, sometimes I not a Lehi, um Pilani, I sometimes walk, and she says in the past she said, Mom, you're a runner, you can do it. I said, Amy, I'm walking. So anyway, we have a good time and we have a lot of traditions and uh things she does and breakfast the next day, and you know, so we have a wonderful time together. So that's that's part, you know, very special to me to have that bond with her.

Coach Carlie 27:19

So it's not just the sport, it's the rituals that you guys have created around the sport.

SPEAKER_00 27:26

Yeah, yeah, for that race for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. And I, you know, I've done some races by myself, and that's been hard, but it's really, it's really helped my self-confidence that I can do some of these things if nobody else is doing them, but I can still go ahead and do it myself since my husband hasn't been able to travel with me for the last four years or so. Sometimes I want to do something, but nobody else is doing it. And and I've been able to, you know, I'm not real brave and go into a new place and and a new race, but I've been able to do it, and that's really provided me with a lot of self-confidence just in life. I think um, you know, doing this sport in general has has been very good in that way.

Coach Carlie 28:10

It almost seems like you're speaking to someone who maybe is too afraid to try this sport. And you're like, well, hey, just go. Just do it. You know?

SPEAKER_00 28:22

That's right. You know, yeah. I think one thing I've learned is, you know, what's the worst thing that can happen? And don't worry about what other people think. You know, it's like me going to Kona, like, what if I fail? You know, why would I let other people influence what I want to try to do? You know, it's and I think when you're younger, you s sometimes are afraid to do things, but are what's somebody else gonna say if I don't, you know, if I don't do well or whatever. And I think you have to remember, it's it's just about you. People forget your times or how well you did. I can't even remember my own times, you know. So nobody's gonna, you know, you remember, yeah, okay, I did finish it at 80, but you don't, in general, I can't remember what other people have done and what their times have been, and people ask me, and I'd have to look it up half the time to know. So it's it's really about you and what you know, your own sense of satisfaction challenging yourself to do these things.

Coach Carlie 29:19

So great. So I know you are. I was gonna ask you some like quick questions here, but you already answered one. Like, what's your favorite discipline? We know it's the bike.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Are you on the trainer a lot or are you out on the road, or is it a mixture of both?

SPEAKER_00 29:34

Like, what is it? When I started out, I was out on the road. You know, I I got my bike at a bike shop, and I had never ridden much. So I went to the group rides on Saturday, and I would get dropped every Saturday. And there was one hill I'd call it Drop Natalie Hill, but I wouldn't know which way to get back. But I really learned a lot of bike handling skills doing that. I learned how to ride in a paceline, and and really I I gained a lot of confidence doing that and riding in close quarters with other people. And that was a time when I just felt pretty safe, and I would ride by myself a lot during the first 10 years. And then then I just started reading too many stories, and uh it just got very congested around where I live, and uh I started getting nervous about it. So, and then I was starting to train with power, and I could see that I could work pretty hard, you know, just using a dumb trainer and my power meter and uh uh and do it. So I pretty pretty exclusively uh train in indoors. Um I did just um from my birthday, I bought myself a new road bike. Some of my friends ride outside in the good weather, so I'm gonna try to get outside, at least with them, you know, with our lights and and feeling pretty safe going early. And uh so because there's nothing like riding outside, but you just have to be careful too.

Coach Carlie 30:52

Yeah. So curious minds want to know what'd you get? What what what was your bike?

SPEAKER_00 30:57

Yeah, so um my one of my friends that I always talk about, my friends, he reps a lot of triathlon and running type of thing. And so he uh reps a brand you probably haven't heard of. It's called Parley. Yeah, of course. So I have a Parley time trial bike and a Parley road bike.

Coach Carlie 31:17

Okay, all right.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

And do you like it? Oh, I love it.

Coach Carlie 31:21

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

I mean, I I absolutely love it. I love my road bike. They have disc brakes and electronic shifting and all the the nice all the bells and whistles. All the bells and whistles. So I'm happy.

Coach Carlie 31:33

So I I Natalie, I see your earrings, but like are you a diamond girl or are you a bike girl? Or maybe both.

SPEAKER_01 31:41

I would say both. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:46

I love jewelry.

Coach Carlie 31:47

Okay, all right. I love it. That's so awesome. Any other like sports-specific things that just like are your jam, like a certain jersey that you have, or like a pair of socks, or sunglasses, or helmet, or nutrition products, or hydrate, like are there anything that you just couldn't live without?

SPEAKER_00 32:07

I no, I except for my power meter and my you know, computer and stuff. Uh, I couldn't live without that.

Late Start In Sport And Finding Triathlon

SPEAKER_03 32:14

Your data, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Yeah, yeah. I do love to look at that. Um I do. Yeah, that's awesome. And uh, you know, and my pace on the run and you know, that kind of thing. You know, as I say, the swim because I learned late and because I'm not great, I look at it, but I don't obsess over my swimming so much, you know. Thank goodness it's the shortest part, and I don't think I'll ever exceed the time limit or whatever. But I am gonna do a challenging first race. Um I'm gonna have to be pretty good on the bike. I'm gonna do um Happy Valley, which has a pretty chilly bike course. But so I like to challenge myself to to things and uh and and have a three 70.3s on my schedule for next year.

Coach Carlie 33:01

Okay, all right. So do you think Iron Man is gonna be next year, or is it just 70.3s right now? Or I mean 70. I say just very lightly.

SPEAKER_00 33:12

Yeah, I'm not there's still a record out there that I'll have to see how I how my body holds up. You never know uh at any age, and especially mine. But I I would like to. There's still Madonna Buter's record for being the oldest to finish an Iron Man at 82. So I mean, I I would like to see somebody do that. It could be me, could be somebody else. So, you know, I'll just see. I mean, I love the sport. I'll I'll just keep doing it as long as I can. You know, as I say, you you try to do everything you can to stay healthy, and I have good energy, and so so far, so good.

Coach Carlie 33:50

I love how you say so far, so good. That is that's phenomenal. Like, let's keep going, right?

SPEAKER_00 33:57

Yeah, you know, you never know. I competed with a lot of really strong women over the years, and I've seen them have to drop out due to something or other. And so you never really know, you know, what life's gonna um throw you. You know, women who've really done well, you know, develop a disease or or have an injury they can't overcome. And so you that's always a possibility for any of us, I think. So I'm grateful every day, you know, that I can get up and train and and how wonderful is this that, you know, I get together with 11 high school girlfriends twice a year. And, you know, they've had hip hips replaced, knees replaced, you know, are are kind of creaky and they're they're all great women, but you know, I'm very lucky to be able to, you know, do what I do compared to to them, you know.

Coach Carlie 34:51

So do they do they look at you like are are they supportive or are they confused? Or are they like how how do they respond to that?

SPEAKER_00 34:59

We started getting together about 27 years ago, and we hadn't seen each other for a while, and um, you know, we're all 80 now, and uh they hadn't seen me for a while, and and they you know, they started wondering what the heck's going on. I want to go out and run in the morning or do something, and um so they they weren't real understanding in the beginning. Um they tried, I think, but it's taken them a lot of years to um to understand where I'm coming from and that I'm just very different and that I really know and I I don't let anybody else influence what I'm gonna do. If I if we go to someplace and there's an opportunity to run or swim or whatever, I'm gonna do it. So th they've come to be very proud of me, I think, and very supportive. But it took a while, you know, because you know, because it did. Yeah.

Coach Carlie 35:58

Yeah. What what would be I mean, it sounds like just your continued commitment to not letting that bother you, right? And just continuing to train. I mean, are would there be any other suggestions you would have to to people? And I mean, whether they do triathlon or not, I feel like your commitment to health, yeah, exercise, regardless of whether it's trathon or not. Like because I think once why can't we all do this?

SPEAKER_00 36:25

Right. Once you feel strong, like you're doing some things and and you feel stronger, then I think that's just a really big incentive to keep going and to keep doing. Oh wow, I feel good. I can lift this and I can carry my groceries, and I'm not huffing and puffing, and I can do just the day-to-day activities. I can help somebody, maybe you have a spouse you have to help. And I think that's a great side benefit of doing that. And I think the confidence thing is big for me. Like if you have maybe a very challenging, it it could be anything. It could be walking or water aerobics or pickleball or whatever. But if you have, you know, a really great experience doing that, or you feel like you hit the ball well, or you, you know, you you did something, and I think it's a great feeling to have accomplished that. Now, I'm very competitive, so it's it's it's a it's a big boost to me because I, you know, I challenge myself to do these things and and that makes me happy. You know, anybody can find what really makes them happy. Maybe it's uh maybe they need other people to walk with or and chat and that type of thing. But I think once you get going and you incorporate that into movement into your life, you'll see how it benefits your body and your mind, you know, your confidence, your you know, just your your attitude and and the way you you uh view life, I think.

Coach Carlie 37:48

So it sounds like being dedicated and taking small steps.

SPEAKER_00 37:53

Yeah.

Coach Carlie 37:57

And then it just like the ball just keeps rolling.

Kona’s Conditions And What Makes It Unique

SPEAKER_00 37:59

It is. You have to start though, you know, you have to you have to just start. And um, and I understand that not everybody can do it. It's just like, you know, people have limitations. My husband has limitations. Not everybody is lucky enough to to be able to do it. But if you can, if you can do something, find something that makes you happy, you know, something that gives you joy. I swim and uh half the lane uh dirt during certain times is a water aerobics class for people with arthritis or whatever, but they're having a wonderful time chatting and moving. And uh so there's yoga, there's so many opportunities that if especially if you like other people, you know, to get out and then you'll make friends, and then you won't want to disappoint your friends because you'll want to go back and see them. And uh so for me, I'm just very independent. I can just do a solitary bike ride for hours and be fine, but not everybody can do that, I understand. So, you know, find out what's gonna motivate you to to look forward to each day to you know, get yourself and and uh just feel better about yourself, I think, once you do that.

Coach Carlie 39:04

I hear all these amazing things that you're sticking to and the consistency and showing up. Are there any vices, Natalie?

SPEAKER_00 39:12

I think you mentioned you were a nutritionist.

Coach Carlie 39:15

I I am, but that does it. So this this question comes from Coach Peter. He he he thrives on Red Bull and pizza.

SPEAKER_00 39:23

So Okay, well, I've never tried Red Bull, but I eat a very normal diet that people are very surprised about. So in the morning I have Cheerios with blueberries on, a little bit of sugar, orange juice, and coffee every morning. So that's what I eat. And I eat just whatever appeals to me during the day. I eat a lot of peanut butter, I eat a lot of bread, I eat anything that, you know, I I just look and see what sounds good. And I eat a lot of miniature marshmallows and dark chocolate. And um, I love sweets and all that. So yeah, I don't uh I don't drink Pellegrino on the bike and uh so Oh my god, that's so good! I don't drink a sports drink, uh except in a race when I pick one up from the aid station. So yeah, so I just I really like to eat, and I like to eat just, you know, I my husband and I we just have I grill every night, and we just have some kind of uh, you know, chicken, beef, pork, lamb, and uh a salad or a vegetable and some pasta or something. So it's just very very normal kind of thing, potato chips and you know, just the whole nine yards, it sounds like yeah, it's it's so funny because um my friends I keep mentioning, they're vegan. So I said, oh my god, you know, and because my daughter went away, we celebrated Christmas early, and then um I had my triathlete friends over, and they're all they're non-dairy, they're they're gluten-free, they're vegan, you know. So they had to bring some kind of a loaf made of black beans or something, you know, and I did some roasted vegetables and stuff, so you know, made chicken for my husband and me. But yeah, I and she keeps saying, We eat very clean, and uh so I that's great.

Coach Carlie 41:19

It sounds like you eat comfortably. You eat in your own you're you're confident in the way that you're feeding yourself.

SPEAKER_00 41:26

Yeah, I am, I am, yeah.

Coach Carlie 41:28

You don't necessarily have to label it.

SPEAKER_00 41:30

Your body knows what it needs. What it you know, it okay, I feel like I need some bread or some uh that kind of thing. Or okay, I need some protein now. I need uh, you know, some tuna fish or peanut butter or an egg. For so that's the way I operate. What whatever my body craves, I got okay, I'm really dying for a salad now, you know. So I I just go with what uh with what my body says that it needs at that time.

Coach Carlie 41:57

It sounds like your personal awareness is very keen. You have a lot of uh, you know, trusting yourself and listening and to choose a certain type of food or whether to train or not or or whatever.

Identity, Confidence, And Doing It Afraid

SPEAKER_00 42:14

I I I am, you know, I I I'll read articles and this and that, but most of the time I just stick with what you know works for me. I mean, life is short. You know, I'm not gonna this is my fun, this is my passion. It's not my job. I'm not making money here. You know, I just enjoy eating. My girlfriends and I were going to Aruba next month, and you know, we'll eat, you know, and then I'm going sailing with them the month after. And so, you know, um, I just have a pretty balanced life, but I, you know, I do take my training very seriously.

Coach Carlie 42:47

Very seriously. All right, so what about supplements? Any supplements in the mix?

SPEAKER_00 42:51

I know that you know I take multivitamin and glucosamin chondroitin.

unknown 42:59

Okay.

Coach Carlie 43:03

You've taken it for a long time. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 43:06

That's pretty much it. That's pretty good.

Coach Carlie 43:07

Pretty much it. Yeah. Natalie, the simplicity and the trust and awareness and uh that you have for yourself is just it's so refreshing.

SPEAKER_00 43:19

Oh, good. Well, I I guess I'm blessed with a good system too. Like I have a friend who he just I don't know, he was having he was throwing up and couldn't keep food. Like, I can't imagine that. Like I could just put anything in my body at the aid station. Oh, a cookie, that looks good, or you know, okay, there's some potato chips and and I I'll have one of those, you know. So I I seem to have a system that, you know, it knows what it needs at that point. Okay, that broth looks good right now, and um, and I take it in. So, okay, I'm feel a cramp coming on, I'll I'll take whatever drink they're serving for that. So I think they're making a change. Everybody's excited about for the what they're serving Iron Man. Um, so that's you know, that's fine with me. I I do use goose for my energy gels when you know when I race. So I do like those. I have my flavors.

Coach Carlie 44:18

Yeah.

unknown 44:19

Yeah.

Coach Carlie 44:19

I love that. Okay, cool. Okay, so are you the lick the thin goo or the thick goo? Like the small ones or the big ones that are like thinner?

SPEAKER_00 44:30

Umes?

Coach Carlie 44:32

Probably the original ones, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:34

Yeah, I only know the I guess the original one. Chocolate outrage and caramel salted caramel.

Coach Carlie 44:40

Caramel latte or something. Yeah, okay. All right.

SPEAKER_00 44:42

Yeah. Yeah. Those two flavors, yeah.

Coach Carlie 44:45

Okay. That's so cool. Love that. All right. Um, and and what's what's dinner, post-race dinner? Do is it just whatever it sounds like? It's whatever you have access to or want to make or whatever you feel like. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:01

Of course, we get back to the house, you know. I I'm a late finisher. Okay. So, like, I don't finish till about midnight. So, you know, I, you know, whatever Amy had gotten during the day for her lunch, she got me something too. I think it was a chicken wrap of some sort. So I had a few bites of that and took a shower and went to bed. But she always goes to Lava Java the next morning and gets me a bagel with cream cheese and locks, and and uh it's wonderful. I sit there in bed having that, and she'd laugh, and and then we'd look at the video of me falling over and over again, and then we'd laugh some more.

Coach Carlie 45:42

And uh I'm so glad you mentioned that because that was the first clip that I saw of you was tripping right before the finish line. Right. This most recent race. And then you got up, and I was like, God bless that woman, because if I had fallen at the finish line, I think I would still be there. And you just so beautifully like it was like it was like a phoenix rising. You were just like, Okay, I'm just gonna get up.

SPEAKER_00 46:04

To pretend it never happened.

SPEAKER_01 46:06

I mean, I if I got up.

SPEAKER_00 46:10

If I got a chance enough, no one would really notice it. Like, okay, that didn't happen. Don't look at that part. Yep.

Coach Carlie 46:17

Well, I did notice that other news outlets don't didn't post that, but some did. Yeah. So, but again, I just I thought it was so endearing that it was like, okay, here you go. Just get up, keep going.

SPEAKER_00 46:30

At first I was kind of embarrassed, but now it's just like it's fine, you know.

Coach Carlie 46:35

Uh so it was just ran across the finish line and then you just kept going.

Indoor vs Outdoor Riding And Gear

SPEAKER_00 46:42

I never know where the finish line is, you know. So I just keep going. And then um Cherie was there, um, who you know, who set the record at 78 um in 2022. Yeah, so she she um you know, she's very much involved with Iron Man for a long time. So she was at the finish line congratulating everybody. And so, yeah, she was she had texted me when I got there, uh, because you know, we're longtime competitors and and we have, you know, we correspond occasionally. So she said, Oh, uh, you know, it's so great that you're here, you know, and blah, blah, blah. Because I really uh wasn't sure whether anybody else was gonna be in my age group, but she could have very easily um, because I knew she, you know, had qualified at at uh Hawaii 70.3, she always does that. So she could have very easily, you know, been there racing as well. But um, you know, I was just doing my thing, so it didn't matter to me. But I, you know, with a tracker had the people up where you could see that uh no one else was gonna be there. But but so yeah, she was at the finish line, so she was so happy for me, really. She was very sweet and very, very sweet afterwards. So and then uh my husband, my uh coach's husband put the towel around me, so he was at the finish line too. So that was nice, yeah.

Coach Carlie 48:05

Yeah, that's so cool. So tell me about this Guinness world record. Like that's I mean, do they mail it to you? Do you like, is there like circumstance that goes along with it? Like, how does that all work?

SPEAKER_00 48:17

Well, they write you and say, you know, fill this out or whatever, and then you know, we'll send it in, and then you can then here's a form you can get a certificate, you know. So that's what you do.

Coach Carlie 48:32

And then and now you have this big, like, like where is it? Is it hanging? Is it just where is it?

SPEAKER_00 48:38

It's hanging. It's hanging.

Coach Carlie 48:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 48:41

I have a uh finished basement, which is where my bike is, okay, and where my bulletin boards with all my stuff are.

Coach Carlie 48:50

And uh so this is your like pain cave, right? But like your celebration cave, maybe?

SPEAKER_00 48:55

Yeah, right. Yeah, some some guy just out of the blue sent me this big red M dot and with a plaque on it saying what I had accomplished and stuff, just sent it to me, so that's hanging on the wall. And uh, somebody in town had a beautiful blanket made up with my name and and uh everything and Laker Pride, which I live in Mountain Lakes and we're the Lakers, and uh so really uh very sweet. I got a whole box of Viore clothing from the CEO of Okay, yeah, that's please.

Coach Carlie 49:33

That alone is motivating me to keep in this sport. Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 49:38

You too, might and uh a friend of my daughter's works for Nike, and she sent me from Nike shoes and some things. So yeah, I haven't gotten anything from Cheerios yet, but uh I do, I do I will give them a call, Natalie, for you.

Coach Carlie 49:55

You need to be on the cover of that book. Like a box of Cheerios for Yes. Oh my gosh. How cool would that be?

SPEAKER_00 50:06

So no, it's been it's been fun. It's uh I've met just really nice people, and so I'm just enjoying it. It's really so cool.

Coach Carlie 50:14

So we'd like to tie things up by uh summarizing or sort of highlighting two or three tips that you have for either somebody maybe who's not in the sport or somebody who wants to stick with the sport or somebody who is committed to their health interactivity. So, what would be those two or three things that you would offer our audience?

SPEAKER_00 50:40

Well, if your audience is triathletes, they're already kind of a competitive group. So they they know that and they know the satisfaction from doing well. And and so that's easy to motivate you to, you know, you uh to find challenges, you know, for a race. Okay, I want to improve my time or I want to feel better on this. I don't want to cramp on that. And I think just always challenging yourself, you know, to to do that. And it's just keep it fun and re you know, it's just I think that's you don't want to make it so that you're gonna quit. You know, you you you it needs to be fun and you need to to um you know feel good afterwards. And so I think I think if you're competitive, you you're just gonna enjoy it, you know. That's what I found. And and there's dis disappointing times, and everybody goes through them. So everybody has ups and downs. There's you know, races that you you know you didn't do as well as you thought, but you know, it for me it's a day-to-day training. You know, races uh can be good or bad or whatever, but I think it's just if you're consistent and just keep at it, I think that's it's a way of life, and I think that's what you have to think of it as.

Coach Carlie 51:55

Well, Natalie Grabo, world record holder. Thank you so much for being on the Find Your Edge podcast. I appreciate all of your insights. You are an inspiration to me, you are an inspiration to young women across the globe and older women across the globe to just keep going. So thank you for that.

SPEAKER_00 52:16

You're welcome. It was great.