USAT Nationals Now Aug 13th

Triathlon Forum
21

I understand your point, Mike - but the real issue is what you and the other new board members will do in the future. I, along with many others (including slowman) are urging a return to the Ironman Hawaii and even Xterra Tahoe model. In other words, a permanent site that is known a year in advance - in fact, known years in advance - and is so beguilng, so compelling, that it becomes one of the “dream races” for all U.S. triathletes. Hilton Head was such a race, and though it had a problematic bike course, we could learn a lot from that experience.

One thing clearly apparent with this (and previous) boards is its inability to (a) clearly define where it wants to go, (2) identify people outside the board with the abilities to facilitate the trip, and then (3) DELEGATE. You will be on the board on July 1 - why not go to the board now and say you will take over the responsibiility for creating a national championship task force. Then ask some people to help you who have the experience and vision to get the job done. I’ll bet if you asked Jim Donaldson (jpjd@sev.org), who will also be on the board on July 1, that he’d pitch right in - and putting on great races is what he does. And I’ll be if the two of you asked Dan and me, we’d help too . . . and together we could create a great proposal for the board’s consideration. And create it so that it could be announced at or before the 2005 Nationals in August.

Lew

23

c’mon Lew…you know better than to offer up more than just a tad bit of common sense in one helping when it comes to USAT. don’t overload the system.

i commented to Mike in a previous thread that all most of us would like to say in response to board decisions and activities is “wow that’s great”. he didn’t bite…

the vast majority of USAT members are not compulsive whiners or complainers. we’ve just been receiving openings on a regular basis.

24

Which race director called up USAT after the date was announced and complained that it inteferred with their event? Search Trifind for races on or around July 9 and see which race directors name pops up. There’s your answer. Usually an explanation would accompany an abrupt switch in race dates if a) if conflicted with another event planned in the area that the town was sponsoring or b) hmmmm - well then just a)

25

I note that there is a Regional International championship race on 7/9, albeit another area of the country. If I were that race director, I would have complained, too.

26

Mike - I agree with Lew - you will be on board and will have the chance to make changes that hopefully will improve our national championship.

I would also be willing to serve on a task force for future national championship. I helped put a few of them together and would love to help out. Z

27

I have found this entire process very frustrating. Last year at Madeira during the Team USA meeting Tim Yount said the Nationals would either be in Rochester, NY or Tuscaloosa, AL. With late June or early July being the time frame, allowing enough time before 2005 Worlds. Shreveport Nationals come and go, and no date or location for 2005 Nationals.

I like planning my race schedule out ahead of time, and determining my A races. Nationals was on the top of my A race list with the intent of trying to qualify for Team USA again. I had just missed last year. Okay I’m trying to work out my schedule. Saint Anthony’s was a sure bet. (Early season so no conflict.) Next on the schedule was to be Alcatraz which I had qualified for by winning my AG at Westchester. My non tri-ing hubby and I were planning a vacation out there since he’s never been to San Francisco. Then I find out that it’s almost certain the Nationals will be in Rochester on June 25th. I felt Alcatraz was too close to Nationals, and that I would not be recovered in time. The 8 mile run at Alcatraz was going to be very difficult for me. So by December 31st I had to decide whether I would take my spot at Alcatraz or not. I opted not to, and then find out Rochester was a non-event. So there went my coveted Alcatraz slot. I guess I made some person in the February lottery happy because there was another slot available.

So next I’m told July 8th in Kansas City. All right it’s going to be hot as hell, but it’s early, and won’t conflict with my late July and August races, and I can go visit my sister in Manhattan, KS. Here is her response when I told when and where the race was going to be: “*Oh my God…a triathlon in Kansas City in July??? What?..are they whacky!? Get your heat training going because it WILL be hot.” *

Now they change the date again, and make it the week before Timberman which is my Sprint distance A race. I usually spend time up in New Hampshire before hand. So now I’m going to fly back from KC, unpack my stuff, wash it, load it in the car and make the 6 hour drive to New Hampshire. In the meantime if I do make team USA, I have to immediately start to work out travel arrangements. My husband then has to see if he can get that time off to go with me. A month and 1/2 is not a whole lot of planning time, especially in planning a vacation for someone with a full time job.

We all complained about Shreveport, but at least we knew well ahead of time that the race was going to be there on such, and such a date in 2003, and 2004. When there were so many complaints about the management of the race, and the course, things were changed in 2004 to address those issues. I did both races, and I felt the second year was much better. It seemed like Tim Yount and his people really took our feedback into consideration and made a better event in 2004. Was a perfect race? No. But the swim and run course conditions were addressed and improved.

I’m sorry Tim Yount resigned. He seemed to be one person who really cared about the age group triathlete, and tried very hard to address our concerns. I think if he were still there, and had stayed on as Interim ED we would have had a 2005 National Championship in place by the time we got to Shreveport, or at least before the end of the year.

One poster talked about weather causing last minute course changes, and such. That I can handle. But we’re not talking about an act of God, or the quirks of mother nature messing with a local race. We’re talking about the National Championship for age groupers in our sport. We deserve better then this. Last year I renewed at the Gold Level thinking that with Tim Yount possibly becoming Executive Director that USAT was going forward in a positive direction for the age grouper. When my membership comes up for renewal in July, I will go back to the Bronze level. They’re not getting anything more from me then the minimum.

28

It’s clear that you haven’t got a clue as to what I’m talking about, so let me net it out for you:

  • USAT is being very poorly run right now
  • Exhibit A is their handling of where to host this year’s Worlds Qualifier

My additional editorializing was to point out that:

  • USAT does indeed field our team for what they want to believe is the world championship of this sport
  • They blew it then when they decided that compromising on drafting was their big ticket to the Olympics and future success
  • I, and others like me, split to focus on Ironman racing because of their poor judgment and worse execution

The resulting boom in popularity of WTC races, and the laughingstock that has become ITU/USAT “intermediate distance” racing – represented by this latest joke – is undeniable support of my position.

29

Well I am happy they are morons and changed the date again as I can now go. Of course I wont send in the app for a while to be sure this is going to really be the date of the race!!!

I hope this is a multi-year deal so they can get people to mark this on their calendars early and have something to target. For the most part I don’t think people care where the race is as long as the race is well done and there are enough accomodations etc at the venue. I think the heat is just another challenge and in the end we all will deal with the same thing and years from now that is what people will talk about down the road. Of course I will have to complain as it wont be a wetsuit swim due to the timing and heat in the MidWest :slight_smile:

31

A couple things. First of all I couldnt agree more with Larry as this will be the first time I am thinking about Nationals since I started tri’s a mere 16 years ago as I typically am a long course guy. It just doesnt have the draw but if they could get the race to be held as a “location race” then I think the draw would begin. The qualifying standards could thyen be raised to a “chamionship” level once they have enough base of people that will go who meet the standards.

As for the draw for me this year it is simple. I have a wife induced hiatus from Long course/IM this year and thought I would check a Nationals event out one time since I accidentally qualified last year - Looks like a picked a winner of a year to do so :slight_smile:

32

At least you can still do battle with me at Fairlee:)
.

33

Fugeddaboudit :slight_smile: It’s all good, and flexibility is a triathlete’s middle name. Hey…what was that geezer song from the 50s? “I’m goin’ to, Kansas City…Kansas City here I come”. :slight_smile:

Wilbur Somebody

34

You know, maybe if we had meeting minutes posted, we could understand the process that lead to a venue change, and then a date change. Perhaps it would be a embarassment to the board, or maybe we would see, because of whatever circumstances, the board’s done a great job of recovery and getting us a Nationals. Who knows, because, unfortunately, there’s no minutes available.

35

Larry,

It’s true the Nationals aren’t all their cracked up to be, and maybe if I really want a challenge I should come do a race in California. Locally and regionally I’ve done very well in my age group. Last season in the 6 races I did in the Northeast, I paced Top 3 in age group in all of them. I’m not convinced I would have done that if my 6 races were in Florida, or California where people can train more due to kinder weather. It will be interesting to see what I do at Saint Anthony’s this year.

So why Nationals? I would like to qualify for Worlds again. Last year at Nationals I didn’t make Top 6, and after the age up, I got knocked out of the Top 10. So if I want another shot at Worlds I have to do Nationals, and hopefully my feet will cooperate with me, and I can repeat my Top 10 finish. I would like to improve on 9th place, which I feel I can do if my running comes around.

I suppose your next question is why do you want to go to Worlds? There are several reasons. One, I had a wonderful time last year at Worlds, and met a lot of wonderful people. I’d like to be able to repeat that experience, and see all my friends again. Two, last year my race there sucked! My training going into the race was a mess, and I made many mistakes. I learned from those mistakes, and I think it helped me with the rest of my 2004 season. I guess what I want is a chance to redeem myself, and prove to myself that I can do better then that horrible 3:07 time in Madeira.

You’ve ragged on me a lot on the TNO board about my Oly times, Nationals, and how I win my age group in the northeast with times that might not even be top 3 in California. Hey, I play the cards I’m dealt. My Olympic PR is 2:35. I would love to break 2:30. I don’t know if it will happen or not. Biomechanical issues in the feet and knees have hampered me on the run. I don’t know if I’ll ever see a sub 8:30 pace for 10K again. I’m going to try, but if I start having the foot problems again like I did late last season, it’s not going to happen.

I’m probably never going to do anything longer then an Olympic distance race. Though the aquabike concept is intriguing to me, and I may try one of those races at the 1/2 iron distance. Many people dream of qualifying for Kona. I’m not one of them. Team USA, and going to worlds is my “Kona”.

36

According to Inside Triathlon web site, the NYC Triathlon race director called up to complain that the July 9 Nationals date conflicted with the NYC Tri weekend, so USAT caved in as fast as they could. NYC Tri is considered to be “prestigious” and didn’t want any competing events to take away from their glory and possibly jeopardize their Olympics 2012 bid.

So it all boils down to USAT paying excessive attention to anything Olympics related at the expense of age groupers. Is there any other way to interpret this? If Kansas City wasn’t going to be hot and humid enough on July 9, it certainly will be hotter and more humid on August 13.

Age groupers do not come from all over the country to participate in the NYC Tri. It’s nearly 90% NYC metro area with the rest from New England and Mid Atlantic. So why would July 9 Nationals jeopardize a large metro race in NYC?

BrokenSpoke

38

Actually August in the mid-west is typically less humid than July. Might be hotter in August, but probably not more humid. Tornado season which corresponds more or less to the humid season peaks well before august because the gulf moisture and sw-monsoon moisture (rain in Phx) is less likely to reach the midwest (Oklahoma on up) later in the summer.

On that note. It will be dang hot and humid in Hawaii for Worlds so, wouldn’t this be a reasonable way to create similar conditions in order to send the athletes to Worlds who can best compete in those conditions.

P.S. Isn’t is hot and humid pretty much everywhere in the eastern United States in July/August. Certainly places like Long Island, DC area, and Florida can be downright miserable that time of year due to the humidity. I think they call it “summer” in the northern hemisphere. Happens every year, I’m told.

We can’t hold all triathlons in San Diego…

39

That is absolutely ludicrous. So if a few of top the NY and Northeast regional triathletes don’t show up at NYC Tri this year, NY won’t get the Olympics? Yeah, there’s a lot of logic there. The city with who bribes the IOC the best gets the Olympics, isn’t that how it always is?

40

Broken Spoke,

Exactly what I was referring to. I hope all the race directors that have Aug 13 dates planned start calling USAT and complain about the date switch… If USAT was seriously concerned about affecting those age group races, then they should change their date back.

So did you vote yes or no on the referendum recall? This should solidify your no vote.

41

No I don’t equate it to Kona, because Hawaii Ironman has much tougher qualifications the Nationals. If I were a long course racer I’d probably have more trouble qualifying for Kona even as a 51 year old, then I would placing Top 10 in AG at Nationals to get the Team USA spot.

Since I don’t ever see myself doing an Ironman race, much less qualify for Kona, I’ve set other goals that are challenging for me, but doable. Does that make me less of a triathlete because my goal is to make Team USA again, and improve my performance at Worlds? In order to enhance my chances of qualifying again, I need to do well at the qualifying race. The qualifying race happens to be Nationals in a marginal location at a marginal time of year. Shit happens, but I have to play by their rules.

42

Wilbur Harrison. BB King’s version sold more, but Wilbur was first.

43

Yeah, Wilbur Harrison. My mom used to play that song incessantly. Anyhoo…the race is now in Kansas City and it’s in August. Sounds like a plan, which is better than no plan at all, to me. Hell, I may even come out of my hermit’s cave and do it this year :slight_smile:

T.