Not to speak for them but maybe Lifetime realized that all the real triathletes would be at Kona and you guys wouldn't mind, seeing as it's America and a free country and all.

Where did they ever say they were trying to make people forget about Kona? How does them having their race on Saturday impact at all the race on Sunday? Except for the very few athletes who would want to have done both for whatever reason, like Craig Alexander, does it really matter?

And how many triathletes don't care about Kona?

I guess I watched about 25-30 minutes of it since it's such a big event, but IM isn't in the cards for me now. So Lifetime is actually MORE interesting to me at this time.

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"Lemond is cycling's version of Rev Jessie Jackson." -johnnyperu 5/18/07
"Just because I suck doesn't mean my bike has to" -rickn 9/2/08

apples and organges. However, as far as i'm concerned anything that puts some market pressure on the WTC is good for the sport at large.

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Team Medique Powered by Silber Investments

Wasn't Kona moved up a week this year because of loss of permits for some cruise lines? That could have matched them up without intention.

that was last year, it was moved back.

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This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time. - Fight Club
Industry Brat.

I am not so sure this wasn't intentional. I remember the first year LTF was held at Lake Nokomis and watching the owner (LTF) talk about the race. He went well out of his way to say that the IM distance was not something he was interested in, didn't think it was particularly healthy, etc. It was also quite evident that he felt that IM over shadows the rest of triathlon. IIRC (as best I can recall), one of his goals was to give other athletes (short course) the chance to compete on a larger stage than IM athletes. I could be wrong about this. It has been about 5 years now......

IM distance was not something he was interested in, didn't think it was particularly healthy, etc. It was also quite evident that he felt that IM over shadows the rest of triathlon. IIRC (as best I can recall), one of his goals was to give other athletes (short course) the chance to compete on a larger stage than IM athletes

I think a lot of people would have a hard time arguing with this. Even those who enjoy long distance racing.

G

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It's a little like wrestling a gorilla.........you don't stop when you're tired.........you stop when the gorilla is tired.

I couldn't agree more with the fact that while there are many of us trigeeks that care about kona (and unfortunetly are not fast enough to qualify), seeing things like bestofus, 101 (rip), alcatraz series, and lifetime series develop and grow is a BENEFIT to our sport.

I am surprised (maybe I shouldn't be) at the short-sighted and elitist-leaning views that keeps cropping up on ST regarding new races/events/ways fo doing things. While I really don't think that lifetime's official view is condemming ironman, who cares if it is? It's not like the wtc is supporting itu racing, or itu is sponsoring the rebirthof non-drafting in the US again.

let's just all get along folks.

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//semi retired - old school = http://www.iwilltri.com //

So what are you all talking about anyways? I missed something...a link...anything...

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Factor 9 Triathlon Coach
blog'n at www.scottkmcmillan@wordpress.com
website: http://www.f9tc.com

For what its worth, I had a great time down in Dallas. The race was by far and away the best run race I have ever done. The course was a challenging championship course. Unfortunately I had a pretty bad cold which seemed to peak in terms of severity on Sunday, and I was totally flat during the race. Despite a poor race performance, I would like to go back, and I am fired up to do more than one of the other qualifying races. All of the other athletes who qualified to race in Dallas had good things to say about the qualifier they did. Heck, they were even giving out drafting penalties. Of the 17 guys in our wave, 3 got penalties. Way to go USAT officials...never thought I would say that.

As for the performance Greg Bennett had this season, it was truly remarkable. Its hard to imagine he or anyone else can duplicate that performance next year. Once the various Olympic teams are selected next season, I imagine we are going to see the athletes who don't make the teams participating in the rest of the series races. Then in 2009, I bet we see quite a few folks who focused on the Olympics come out and race these non-drafting classics.

http://www.usopentriathlon.com/site7.aspx

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//semi retired - old school = http://www.iwilltri.com //

From what I hear, you also gotta like the way they treat the EA athletes!

Nope...that does sound like something Braham might say! And I remember he did make some comments about Kona when lifetime first jacked up their prize purse for the Minneapolis race..

Thanks...I did not realize Lifetime presented the USOPEN

BTW - I think it is fantastic for the sport. The more big races on a weekend, the better.

---Scott

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Factor 9 Triathlon Coach
blog'n at www.scottkmcmillan@wordpress.com
website: http://www.f9tc.com

ummmmm...yep. Part of the reason there was such a high turn-out for the top amateur atheletes was that they pretty much made us an offer we couldn't resist.

Airfare...check
2 nights at Hilton Anatole (very high end)...check
Race Entry...check
VIP (haha--I'm not a VIP) dinner with pros!...check
access to VIP tent post race...check

Heck, they even made special provisions to take us to the race site the day before the race if we needed to get in a workout. Major props to Julie Christianson of Lifetime Fitness who was in charge of the logistics for the Elite AG National Champ. Additionally, I think most of the top amateurs made many new friends this past weekend. Other than my poor performance I don't really have anything remotely negative to say about the race. This race will certainly become a "must do"!

Yup. And they hotel rooms weren't even double occupancy! I know that the championship race for last year's series (at Minneapolis Lifetime this year) was pretty screwed up in terms of communication. They certainly seemed to have really turned it around for Dallas...

between the VIP treatment and Bennett's collections($$$), I now know why the damn thing cost $200!

Glad I could support the Elites and Pro's in having a good (pay)day!!! ;-)

Seriously, I hope this event continues on next year. (still no word on any of the injured bikers).

between the VIP treatment and Bennett's collections($$$), I now know why the damn thing cost $200!


$200 is about $50 bucks over the normal costs and going rate for a big lrace like this, so they would need about 10,000 athletes to even come close to covering the pros prize money... SOunds like they put on a pretty good event for first year there, it appears from the threads here they controlled drafting pretty well, and you got to watch the best short coursers in the world go head to head in a non draft format. I say that alone is worth the $50 premium.. I know I want to go next year.. This could tunr into the biggest and best US short course race we have, it they have the staying power....

The money was not that bad. I paid only $125 because I registered back in July I believe. And I got a free hat for registering early. It only went up to $175 for the late registration. For how well the race was ran and the talent they brought, I'd have no problem paying for that type of race several times a year mixed in with the smaller and cheaper local races I regularly enjoy.

If the race wasn't scheduled for 10/14 then when do you suggest? Keep in mind that it wasn't even publicly announced until mid-April. Also factor in:

1. Stonebridge Ranch Tri was already scheduled to be held in a Dallas suburb on 09/30.

2. Texas/OU weekend was held in Dallas on 10/06 and their fans most likely occupied all of the rooms in the Hilton Anatole and other downtown hotels on Friday and Saturday.

3. Longhorn Tri Festival was already scheduled to be held in Austin on 10/06.

4. The later a race is scheduled in October greatly increases the chance that you're racing on a day where the high temperature is 65 degrees with a 20mph north wind.

Might not have been a big conspiracy with the race schedule. May have just been a date that worked for all parties involved. For myself, I had fun at the race this year and plan on racing again next year. BTW, the race is scheduled to be held in Dallas through 2011.

I only paid $115 to race. Registered early and got a $10 discount or something like that for being a Lifetime Fitness member.

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"It takes courage to do it, to be a runner. We all found that out a long time ago. Because it's about more than fatigue. It's about pain, and dealing with it for a long time. And its about resolve." - Quentin Cassidy

As it was, it was a Cowboys home game and the traffic to the airport after the race was by all accounts f'd.

I heard some people had problems getting to DFW since the most direct route goes right by Texas Stadium. A number of other routes to the airport. I live in the Dallas area, but wouldn't have thought about a big back-up near the stadium until I was in the middle of it.