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KQ why?
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i do have the KQ virus. actually i wished i dind't but what the heck.

My question for you who 'have' it:
why do you do it?

for me, not for health (it isn't healthy) not for fame (i suck), so to be honest, i just like to train hard and I look forward to those brutal days. that's all. I like to train hard & long. but i cannot do that without the KQ goal. So that sucks. damn me :P
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Re: KQ why? [peet4ride] [ In reply to ]
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Can't tell if you're trolling or what..but if not, here it was never really a *virus* for me. I did it at first because 1) a fried talked about it the year before & I had only done local sprints--only heard about "Ironman" a couple times. Figured if he said he was going to do it then I would to. 2) Sounded like a really cool trip.

Never was inspired by Julie Moss, or Mark Allen to do it, or Dave Scott, didn't care who was racing. Sounded like a get together of the best of the best--a beast of an accomplishment. Back then it was easier to KQ. It's much harder now. But as to the WHY, it's different for every person.

Right now, I really don't care about KQ. I enjoy long training days, sometimes long race days as well (though those are getting few & far between these days) and the price for such recovery wise, time investment and cash wise are all the least attractive qualities of an Ironman. But they server a purpose periodically. As for Kona again, maybe one day down the road I'll decide it make it happen. But for you, ask yourself what do you possibly have to have it for? Yourself, a badge of courage or to say to others you did it? Do you need to justify something about yourself to yourself, or to others? As many reasons out there to KQ as there are people in it.

I do not believe there is any one wrong answer, we all have our own pictures to paint in life, it is of no concern to others which colors or techniques we use to paint it. None of their business really. It makes for great forum reads or conversation, but it's really your journey. But you have the answer yourself, it's a lot like AA I'd imagine. You have to admit it to yourself first. THE WHY. A forum isn't going to answer it. You will. Be honest with yourself, no matter how much you may not like the answer.
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Re: KQ why? [peet4ride] [ In reply to ]
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I was sipping on that Kool aid but now that goal is not there right now. I jumped back into racing after some time off after college and went 9:53 for my first full. I figured this year I could make some serious gains on the bike and make smart decisions to get me a solid qualifying time... I almost signed up for another full and 3 occasions but I realized I didn't have the WHY. I'm focusing on shorter races and would love to get into draft legal.

USAT Level II- Ironman U Certified Coach
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Re: KQ why? [peet4ride] [ In reply to ]
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I think you will have to move beyond sucking to KQ. There are lots of cool long races you can do and have a good time without KQ.

peet4ride wrote:
i do have the KQ virus. actually i wished i dind't but what the heck.

My question for you who 'have' it:
why do you do it?

for me, not for health (it isn't healthy) not for fame (i suck), so to be honest, i just like to train hard and I look forward to those brutal days. that's all. I like to train hard & long. but i cannot do that without the KQ goal. So that sucks. damn me :P

They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

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Re: KQ why? [len] [ In reply to ]
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I caught the virus after I actually KQ'd on my first Ironman and third triathlon ever. (Not a slowtwitch post unless I backdoor brag or mention PV!)

Kona 2015 was everything I expected it to be and more. I just enjoyed the week and meeting so many awesome athletes. The course itself, nothing all that special if you ask me. But there is something special in that. Paradox.

KQ'd again for this year. But I have talked it over with my wife--I won't be going in 2018 no matter what. Costs too much and I can spend this money on other destination races. After I raced Kona last year, we went to South Africa for 2016. LOVED the race week, the race, and the travel afterwards. Finished sub 10 and 19th in my age group, so no chance at the big dance, and the funny thing is...that's how I rediscovered why I love training hard.

If you only do it for the KQ, I think you are missing part of what makes the journey to awesome performance so rewarding.
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Re: KQ why? [peet4ride] [ In reply to ]
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Don't know why: probably because it's there and it is an achievement when you reach it. I started triathlon in 2006 by signing up for ZĂĽrich 2007 and indeed I did choose a WTC-ironman to be able to KQ, o how naive I was. I finished.

The Kona virus stayed and it would appear to be a long stony road packed with frustrations.
Last year I broke my collarbone just before Lanzarote and in June I was too slow to KQ in Austria. I than decided to sign up a third time in 2016 and chose Weymouth over Mallorca (just because I thought the chance of KQ is bigger in Weymouth).
I KQ'd.
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Re: KQ why? [peet4ride] [ In reply to ]
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Can you answer this even if you do not think you have a chance to qualify?

No. I am slightly obsessed with Nice, i'm not sure why, it was my first tri after more than a decade getting fat, but i'be no interest in KQ

I think my problem with Kona is that even if i were able to qualify, relative to the strongest athletes it would be a blood bath, there are plenty of other places i'd rather spend the money on going to on vacation and i have other thoughts on its value as a WC

If i want hot windswept lava i can just go to lanzarote........closer, cheaper and basically same same but different
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Re: KQ why? [peet4ride] [ In reply to ]
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Everyone has their own 'why'..... but I suspect a lot of people have a similar one to me.

Quite simply I am a big fan of the sport and I have been for a long time and going to Kona is a chance to see up close the best race on the planet (IMO). It's our sports Superbowl/Tour de France/Olympics and the one time of the year all the best IM athletes go head to head. The History and the great races of the past make it special and add to that excitement.

I've KQ'ed 3 times but for financial and personal reasons have only been once in 2012. I can honestly say it absolutely blew me away and surpassed my own enormous expectations. For me it wasn't about performing when I got there it was just about the experience. Riding up to Hawi I was more concerned with seeing who's who in the pack coming down the other way, same on the marathon as I ran out to the Energy Lab I lost interest in my own execution I was too enthralled at Pete Jacobs on the other side of the road running for the win less than 5 metres away from me. What other sport gives it's fans and hobby participants the chance to have experiences like that?? It's an experience I want to repeat that's for sure.
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Re: KQ why? [ In reply to ]
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Why KQ, to help understand why, I think a little background is needed. Ran one year in college and in all years in HS. Was slightly better than average. Stopped running after one season in college. Golfed and remained moderately active from age 22-30. Got married, two kids and went to grad school full time and worked full time. Got woefully out of shape and was overall pretty unhealthy. Started doing tri’s as a way to get back in shape. Did a sprint tri, got hooked. Progressed to a half. 5 hours seemed like a solid goal. 3 halfs later checked that box. Some local triathletes who I admired suggested an IM. I never held myself in the same conversation with people who I put on a pedestal that did IM’s. Signed up for IMFlorida 2001, with the plan be a one and done. Raced well and finished 10:16 feeling thrilled and content. To this day it is my best race finisher photo. Was walking around after the race with my amazingly supportive wife and two children aged 5 & 7. I was on the top of the world for 3 hours post-race. A local triathlete comes up to me and says wow I am sorry about your race? My dumbfounded response what? Her reply - you missed Kona by 3 minutes. Right then and there the KQ bug bites and does not let go.

Roll forward 7 years and the bar to qualify gets raised with the popularity and competitiveness of the sport growing. I have done an IM each year. Three times missing KQ by 1 spot and once by 17 seconds. Each of the three times my family went with me to roll down. My kids knew the roll down process and could pick Marc Roy at Sports Stats out of crowd and ID him as the guy who would announce if we made it. All the while for 7 years my kids observed. My daughter wrote an article in the HS paper on how her dad has “failed” 7 times to qualify for Kona. (not kidding the word failed stung) 2008 it finally happens, I dug deeper in training and racing then I ever thought I could and go 9:17 and finally qualify. 7 years after the bug bit.

Roll forward to today I have been fortunate to qualify for Kona 3 times. First Kona was terrible, second was redemption and finally on the third it was the victory lap.

In summar, KQ was to validate to myself that I could do something that I deemed extraordinary. In my mind I was average. Kona was a way to prove to myself I could not be average. It has been a validation to myself but more than anything it has made me content. I always knew that my children were watching. It is without a doubt a selfish pursuit. But in my head I reconcile the selfishness by convincing myself I trained early mornings to mitigate the impact on the family. Hopefully it set an example to my children to pursue being extra-ordinary. In the end for me it was for self-validation.

Agree on what others said, but it seems the reason varies and that is my example.

Best,
GS
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Re: KQ why? [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Andrewmc wrote:
Can you answer this even if you do not think you have a chance to qualify?

No. I am slightly obsessed with Nice, i'm not sure why, it was my first tri after more than a decade getting fat, but i'be no interest in KQ

I think my problem with Kona is that even if i were able to qualify, relative to the strongest athletes it would be a blood bath, there are plenty of other places i'd rather spend the money on going to on vacation and i have other thoughts on its value as a WC

If i want hot windswept lava i can just go to lanzarote........closer, cheaper and basically same same but different

I think us that do not have a chance to qualify can answer too. ;)

I certainly think different people have different goals for the sport and obviously different reasons for wanting to KQ. I think it would be years of dedicated training away from even considering KQ. Even then I'm not sure that it's likely and for me it's not really important to find out. I enjoy the sport and train hard but I don't think I have the long term focused dedication to KQ. But that's just my personality about most things. I rarely have an obsessive focus on things.
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Re: KQ why? [peet4ride] [ In reply to ]
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i do have the KQ virus. actually i wished i dind't but what the heck.


Never heard it described this way, but it's an interesting way to put it.

Many accomplishments in life - personal, business and sport, can fall into the audacious category when looking at them from the front-end. To achieve them does often take a monk-like devotion, and obsession.

I would say right now in the men's middle-age group ranks, it is VERY competitive a deep and it stays that way to even beyond the 50+ AGs.

The thing is, when you talk to or meet many of the very best in anything you notice that they are more often devoted to the process and the journey - the goals happen, more as a bonus. They are not expected - when the expectations start to run high early on, that's when their starts to be a mis-alignment of things.

This is why, it's so important to really enjoy the training. It takes A LOT of this, and the goals only come after a long time of that, with numerous set-backs along the way.


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: KQ why? [peet4ride] [ In reply to ]
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I think I'm pretty competitive and like to be good at what I do. Past hobbies have included fly fishing and photography, and now triathlon (going into my 8th season), and I've always been quite competitive and strive to be succeed at a high level. I guess the same is true for triathlon, and getting to Kona is considered successful. Many people that know little about triathlon do know about Kona, so it has a mystique to it.

I've given a KQ two attempts, and am so far 0-2, having come up 7 seconds short on one attempt. It's still something I hope to do one day, but with two young kids now it's hard. The most difficult part is the long rides and being away from family (this is with starting rides in the wee hours of the morning).

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Re: KQ why? [natethomas] [ In reply to ]
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Great replies thank you. I am definitely not trolling. just struggeling from time 2 time why people like us do what we do. thats all ;)
and hear other people speak with the same passion actually helps. and not only me :)
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Re: KQ why? [natethomas] [ In reply to ]
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natethomas wrote:
It's still something I hope to do one day, but with two young kids now it's hard. The most difficult part is the long rides and being away from family (this is with starting rides in the wee hours of the morning).

Slightly offtopic here, but I answer because I was in the same situation. I did my long bikeride in the weekend and started very early (which is a nuisance) in order to not be the whole day away from the family.
Nowdays I do my long bikeride on Tuesdays, I take an hour off earlier from work so I can leave e.g. at 16:00 with my bike straight from work and after 4 hours I'm home at 20:00. I do my long run at Mondays (also straight from work). That leaves me for the rest of the weak pretty unstrained, and this is a lot better as it used to be.
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