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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [Tri-Banter] [ In reply to ]
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By the way, I agree about your point about pros that have families not wanting to spend a ton of time away. Aussie and Kiwi pros though, do this all the time "the other way around" because that's really their main opportunity to make money on the other side of their summer.
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Good grief that sounds like a crappy life experience just to go to a race. I can't think of a less appealing time than to spend 6-8 weeks amongst strangers in a strange land, working at a local convenience store just to eat, and scratching by just for the opportunity to train.

Can it be done? Sure. Does it appeal to some? Sure. But I can totally get it why someone, including me, just wouldn't be interested in that lifestyle (at any point in my life, including when I was much younger). I won't bag on the guy or gal of whom this appeals while at the same time I'm not bagging on the guy or gal of whom just isn't in to this sort of thing. It completely makes sense to me why a pro wouldn't go to Australia for a race.






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http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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devashish_paul wrote:
........culture across sports. Maybe the Canadian athletes feel some greater commonwealth connection to going overseas, but we're still pretty "localized" in mindset.



Canadians:

MCMAHON BRENT

REID TAYLOR

SANDERS LIONEL
WURTELE TREVOR

Smart move for the Americans to stay home. Not many podium slots left with this lot going.




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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [hey_burgs] [ In reply to ]
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In reply to hey_burgs:
Same exact reason I am making the trip with my family. I'll be very AG MOP at this race, but I'll do the best I can on that day. But like you say, it is the experience I am looking forward to. The country I never visited before, the friends from around the world I will make, and the opportunity for my kids to experience another country and culture. For the last 35 years, triathlon has allowed me to "see the world" as an age grouper, and it has afforded me a greater understanding of different world perspectives, and race in very cool places. Now I want my kids to have the same experiences and learn from travel like I did. Can't wait to arrive in Australia!
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [hey_burgs] [ In reply to ]
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hey_burgs wrote:
There's two US male pros racing and I think it's lousy that there isn't more. I know it's a home race for us Aussies, but in years past Vegas and Mont Tremblant for instance, there would be at least a dozen Aussies racing abroad.

Who the hell wants to race in a place where everything can kill you?

Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [Impulse-Warp] [ In reply to ]
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Impulse-Warp wrote:
devashish_paul wrote:
........culture across sports. Maybe the Canadian athletes feel some greater commonwealth connection to going overseas, but we're still pretty "localized" in mindset.




Canadians:

MCMAHON BRENT

REID TAYLOR

SANDERS LIONEL
WURTELE TREVOR

Smart move for the Americans to stay home. Not many podium slots left with this lot going.




It is a great opportunity to get KPR points as well. With the Pro system moving to 4 races instead of 5 for KPR it seems like a great place to pick up points. I mean even a 13th place finish gets you about the same points as winning a major 70.3 (P750)


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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) the change in the KPR qualification was announced after athletes had to accept their spot to 70.3 worlds. So while yes it's an opportunity to get significant points, the change in the system likely didn't weigh into athletes decisions. It might have swayed 1 or 2 more to accept their slots though if they'd known.
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [WaySub4] [ In reply to ]
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WaySub4 wrote:
Pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) the change in the KPR qualification was announced after athletes had to accept their spot to 70.3 worlds. So while yes it's an opportunity to get significant points, the change in the system likely didn't weigh into athletes decisions. It might have swayed 1 or 2 more to accept their slots though if they'd known.

They don't have to accept or deny right away, they can wait a bit. I mean there is value in time, I would have waited if I was a borderline decision.


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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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When was the change to the KPR system announced?
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [WaySub4] [ In reply to ]
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WaySub4 wrote:
When was the change to the KPR system announced?

Some time within the last 30 days. Regardless, every pro should know the rules come out are this time of the year. I have been asking about which races will be pro races next year to decide my own schedule at a high-level.


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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Right, but you don't get unlimited time to accept your spot. In the case of the 1st cutoff, you have to accept by a specific date (prior to the new rules coming out) and in the case of the roll downs you get 48hrs to accept (for most if not all this was also before the rule change came out). The new rules weren't out in time to factor them into the decision making process.
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [WaySub4] [ In reply to ]
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WaySub4 wrote:
Right, but you don't get unlimited time to accept your spot. In the case of the 1st cutoff, you have to accept by a specific date (prior to the new rules coming out) and in the case of the roll downs you get 48hrs to accept (for most if not all this was also before the rule change came out). The new rules weren't out in time to factor them into the decision making process.

There wasn't a 48hrs to accept as far as I know. I did roll down my spot right away this year as I did last year, but in 2013 I sat on my Kona 2013 slot until pretty much the last day I could which was like 1 month later.


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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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My wife was given 48hrs to accept/decline her roll down spot.

Her decision came down to weighing the life experience of competing in a world championship and having to leave her 2 year old child and other commitments for 10 days to two weeks away (finances really weren't part of the final decision but were discussed). She's also a crap swimmer so the surf swim was part of the decision - may have also factored for some other North Americans who just can't swim like those Aussies! In the end she and her coach decided it was best to take a mid season break and build for a fall season and tackle the life experience of her first ironman. Just some insight into one North American pro's decision. Everyone is entitled to make their own.
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Have they given you good responses for this? I want to start planning next year as well. Who did you contact....Heather?

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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [Travis R] [ In reply to ]
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Looking at this list, I can't help but think about this quote from Major League:


Board Member #1: I've never heard of half of these guys and the ones I do know are way past their prime.Charlie: Most of these guys never had a prime.Rachel Phelps: The facts are, we lost our two best players to free agency. We haven't won a pennant in over thirty-five years, we haven't placed higher than 4th in the last fifteen. Obviously, it's time for some changes.Board Member #2: This guy here is dead.Rachel Phelps: [obviously...] Cross him off, then.
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [GLindy] [ In reply to ]
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GLindy wrote:
Looking at this list, I can't help but think about this quote from Major League:


Board Member #1: I've never heard of half of these guys and the ones I do know are way past their prime.Charlie: Most of these guys never had a prime.Rachel Phelps: The facts are, we lost our two best players to free agency. We haven't won a pennant in over thirty-five years, we haven't placed higher than 4th in the last fifteen. Obviously, it's time for some changes.Board Member #2: This guy here is dead.Rachel Phelps: [obviously...] Cross him off, then.

What a great scene.
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [hey_burgs] [ In reply to ]
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Loads of Aussies and Kiwis come to the US to train which made it much easier to go to 70.3 Worlds in years past.

Of course everyone wants to have good experiences in work/life, but at what point do the decisions become a poor career/financial move (risk vs reward). I work with several pro athletes and most of those athletes have the means to travel to Australia then straight to Kona to prep for Worlds, but I know several athletes (considered top tier) that the loss of a few K and the impact of all the travel would crush them. Yes they may have had a few laughs and met some new people at 70.3 Worlds but it could take a while to re-coop from the trip financially and physically. So for them, they have to weigh out the value of that one race, especially if they're also racing Kona several weeks later, which is another long travel and expensive trip.

Maybe those choosing not to race in OZ have the same "wants" from triathlon that you do, and maybe they feel by traveling to Australia they aren't doing everything they could with their god given talent to be the best they could be. Maybe they actually want to win races and make more then they spend on their career. As a competitor, or at least a professional competitor, you should try to optimize every opportunity to make money (if you are racing for a living). If an athlete has the means to spend several grand to travel to the other side of the world to place outside the top 10 at an event (world champs or not) then power to them, make it about the experience. But I reckon you'll find most do not have those means or want to risk the impact of the travel if they are racing Kona too.
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [Brooks Doughtie] [ In reply to ]
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Brooks Doughtie wrote:
reading that new race format, give me Duffy for the Win!

What's the format?

Take a bunch of Molly, get naked and work for a 3some?

Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [Sbradley11] [ In reply to ]
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Sbradley11 wrote:
Have they given you good responses for this? I want to start planning next year as well. Who did you contact....Heather?

I have not heard back anything about races. I asked specifically about Ironman Wisconsin as that would be my home race but would also fall on the same day as 70.3 Worlds.


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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [WaySub4] [ In reply to ]
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WaySub4 wrote:
My wife was given 48hrs to accept/decline her roll down spot.

Her decision came down to weighing the life experience of competing in a world championship and having to leave her 2 year old child and other commitments for 10 days to two weeks away (finances really weren't part of the final decision but were discussed). She's also a crap swimmer so the surf swim was part of the decision - may have also factored for some other North Americans who just can't swim like those Aussies! In the end she and her coach decided it was best to take a mid season break and build for a fall season and tackle the life experience of her first ironman. Just some insight into one North American pro's decision. Everyone is entitled to make their own.

Sounds like the tightened up the policy on accepting.


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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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When i was 18 I spent 3 weeks bike touring in Europe on my bike off $335 (yes it was the 80's so call it $1000 now). I just lived on baguettes, jam, espressos, lived in a tent that I packed up every day, and ate cold food out of cans and the odd fruit.


I did that for 3 years, quitting my job at age 49. I didn't spend much in that time and am back at work now. Everyone should do that for a while and prove you don't need a lot to have great experiences.
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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This is a pretty good take on this topic.

I guess you were right, Dev, in the sense that for an enterprising North American athlete it doesn't cost much/anything to go to this race. But the opportunity cost is substantial enough to keep some away as well, apparently
Last edited by: PubliusValerius: Aug 11, 16 4:23
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [PubliusValerius] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
While my handful of “risky” outings aren’t about cherry-picking weaker races, a depleted pro field at a World Championship presents a better opportunity for a breakthrough result.

If someone beats a depleted field of second and third tier racers, can it be considered a breakthrough result?
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [logella] [ In reply to ]
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logella wrote:
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While my handful of “risky” outings aren’t about cherry-picking weaker races, a depleted pro field at a World Championship presents a better opportunity for a breakthrough result.


If someone beats a depleted field of second and third tier racers, can it be considered a breakthrough result?

For marketing purposes yes, you can claim say top 10 at WC's or top 20 at WC's on your resume. No one knows who showed up and you can only race the people who did. At a personal objective level you may know that at a deeper field, you may be 10 slots down, but that does not matter for the pro's resume.
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Re: 70.3 Worlds Start List - No Pro Americans Want To Go??? [Sanuk] [ In reply to ]
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Sanuk wrote:
When i was 18 I spent 3 weeks bike touring in Europe on my bike off $335 (yes it was the 80's so call it $1000 now). I just lived on baguettes, jam, espressos, lived in a tent that I packed up every day, and ate cold food out of cans and the odd fruit.


I did that for 3 years, quitting my job at age 49. I didn't spend much in that time and am back at work now. Everyone should do that for a while and prove you don't need a lot to have great experiences.

I am planning to getting back to that at least for a few weeks at a time in a few years and getting back to my roots on traveling by bike under my own power living simply and interacting people outside my "regular community". Triathlon was just an outcome of being a track athlete who happened to bike tour a lot. I plan to end it as a bike touring guy who hopefully does some tris and probably swims a lot too.

My perspective here for young pros being on the "other side of my professional career in another industry" is that they should find a way to embrace the unique experiences that they have access to as pro athletes. Age groupers will bend over sideways to help pros, because we want to see them succeed because they can live the dreams that we can't because we're too darn slow. Life is not only about money since we don't die with the money it's about the experiences and how we can positively benefit from and influence others. I think a guy like Josh Amberger has exactly the perfect mindset. He can get a job in an office later and make a lot more money. He seems like a smart enough young guy with initiative that it won't be hard for him to make good money "later". He (like many young pros) is only going to have this opportunity for a very finite period in his life.
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