Ok, so like many of you I’ll be racing in a couple of weeks. I’ll be representing the 35-39 AG. I have a feeling that this might be the only shot I’ll have to qualify for the next couple of years. Next year and maybe a couple of years after that I’ll be cutting todn on the training volume significantly.
I am pretty sure that you guys are familiar with some of the names on on the participant list. Who are the folks to watch out for in my age group? It would be fun to know who is there to race ve who is there to finish. How fast I will go, I have no idea as long as it is faster than the 10th or 11th place guy.
Dude, you should qualify easy. Just swim along the line (your weekness), pace the first loop easy on the bike and just rock like you have been doing.
I had just an OK race there last year with a meager 3:44 marathon and I wasn’t that far off from qualifying - and you are a lot faster than me right now!
Thanks. I am not taking anything for granted this year. Fully prepared to be in pain grom the start gun until I cross the finish line. Would have qualified last year even with a 1.20 swim at Wisconsin, but I just lost concentration after that swim and cruised the bike too much.
If you really want to get deep and geeky, and typeA you can use the paricipant list to run your competition through athlinks.com
I recently learned of this resource and took a look at past race data for fellow AGers I’ll be facing in an upcoming race. Ouch. Not confidence-enhancing. Appears I’m on my way to a thumpin’.
You’re going to be fine. Put up your best effort and let the chips fall where they may. Control the things you can and don’t worry about the things you can’t. You can’t control who shows up and who embarks on a suicide mission.
Still is fun to know. I am healed up pretty well. Had a solid 58 min ride at Bigfoot the other day, so me and bike are fine. Just have to get my head into the race. Have a tendency to wonder around during races and slow down. Maybe a sticker on the stem will work. Now I need to think of something to say.hmm…
I have a fever, and the only prescription is MORE COWBELL!!!
No need to thank me.
PS - Just race yer own f’n race. It’s up to the other AG’ers to worry about YOU.
Swim bike and run like you are capable of, and yer golden.
Just execute. And bring your checkbook.
Rockhopper, no matter how fast you are…rule #1 about qualifying for Kona: DON’T TALK ABOUT QUALIFYING FOR KONA
Seriously, don’t even worry about the competition…just do the best race that your body will let you do…the competition will take care of itself…you cannot control the competition. Ironman is a race of attrition, and it does not matter what level you are talking about, the guy who reacts to the move of the competitor instead of working their own race will usually pay in the last 10 miles…once you are in the last 10 miles, if you have the legs, then fine, pour it on, but frankly you still won’t be “racing anyone else”…just pacing out your final 10 miles. The only time that it becomes a “race” is with 2 miles to go…then you might be able to dig deep after the uphills onto Mirror Lake and latch on to a competitor and suck up the pain…
Seriously though, good luck…do your own race and Kona will take care of itself. This is all you need to know
I was 5th in that AG last year with a 9:57 and turned down the slot since it wasn’t in my plans last year. You will likely have to break 10:10-10:15 to be confident of getting a spot. I know people that have gotten in with around 10:20 in previous years based on the roll down. Like Dev says, just go race and focus on producing your best result on the day and hopefully this will work out for you. I am an advocate for not counting on anything come race day, other than my own preparation. The conditions and who else shows up are beyond your control. One other comment, when I raced Florida in 2003 with a Kona slot as a goal, I waited until the day after to go and withdraw my money for the entry since I thought it would be bad luck to have “Kona Entry Money” in my hotel room when the entry hadn’t been earned yet
Thanks guys. I know all that. Last year at IMmoo everyone, family and friends, were sold on me going to Kona. It did not happen, it would of if I kept my head in it. After seeing that 1.20 swim, I lost it and wanted to walk off. If I have a repeat performance in the water this year I have been seriuously planning on hammering the bike from the start and putting it out there, seeing what happens during the run. Once I am on my own two feet I consider the race to be over. It is only 26 miles and each one will take only 7.30. We always read about the pros pushing from the start og the race. While I cannot push the swim, would no get there any faster, I can push the bike and the run.
Having said all that, my good side normally takes over and I hold back until the last ten miles of the run. Maybe I wont be such a chicken shit this year, maybe I will.
Good luck to everyone, have a great taper, get healthy and be fast in three weeks.
Paul
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I know I get discouraged when I start ‘calf-watching.’ If you’re strong enough to qualify, then you’ll qualify. If you need to worry about your competitors, then you’re close and once you start calf watching and allowing those negative thoughts to creep in, you’re in trouble. If you worry about yourself then the chips will fall where they may.
I just qualified at Coeur d’Alene, and I didn’t even think about Kona until the half way point of the run. I didn’t want to jinx it because i’ve never qualified. Even with 10k to go, I kept saying ‘just get top 5 in your age group, and you can actually qualify!’ And at that point, I had a 10 minute lead in my age group.
That’s because even *thinking *the ‘K’ word is daaangerous. Either way, good luck and have an awesome race!
Rockhopper - I have a similiar problem. I know that my fitness level right now puts me right on the bubble of a 10 hour race if things go well. I have literally had to physically work to keep the Kona thoughts outside of my brain.
I have discussed it with mywife and she is already looking @ condos in Kona. She has also mentioned it to some of her family, who will be at LP. So, now I have to get it out of her head TOO!!
Anyway, my coach is giving all the same advice. Race your race. Get to mile 15 of the run and then lets see how much you can suffer.
Good luck (although not too much ;))from a fellow 35-39er.
It is not me that put pressure on the race as much as everyone else. I have the same problem. She is planning on a Hawaii vacation. Someone offered to buy us plane tix if I qualify and Get A Grip is counting on me. I know what I need to do but everyone around me does not realize that there are 500 people in our AG and we have to be about top 12. I just want to finish as strong as I can and the rest will take care of itself one way or another.
