And I’m not thinking about the ones that fill quickly - M-Dots, Eagleman, Timberman, Alcatraz, etc. What I’m referring to are the races that MIGHT fill up a week or two before race day, but that allow about half a year to make a decision…and that we decide to sign up for along about now. Tomorrow is a big day in the northeast - Endorfun (NH), Piranha (mid-Atlantic), and Somersault (eastern Ontario) all open their registrations, as does Musselman; Steelhead was supposed to be tomorrow, but its registration opened last week.
So, why do you sign up so early? And for which races are you registering?
(Tomorrow I will register for Musselman, just to cement in my schedule and mind that it is an “A” race. I will shortly sign up for a few Somersault races to take advantage of their “early bird” special rate. No Eagleman next year, due to Mooseman the week before and Muskoka the week after.)
This will be my 2nd season in the sport, and I’m planning a season for the first time. OTHER than worrying about sellouts, for me, I want events to fit into my training schedule. I want to do a race about every 3 weeks. Right now, I have a tentative schedule of 12 races in '06 which would match what I did this year, but more of them will be longer races (Oly and HIM) than last year where I did mostly sprints with just 3 Olys and one HIM.
Pretty much what you list, get my schedule set, save a few bucks. My friends laughed at me last year till one of the mregestered late for a staggered start sprint and ended up w/ a bib number near 300 while I was like 50’s. He ended up jumping in line so it worked out (I usually try to draft his feet when he doesn’t wander off course) but I was laughing then. A better question might be why not register early. Excepting possibility of injujry or emergency, I can’t see a reason.
For the 2005 season I signed up for 1 race in 2004. The only reason I did was because they had an early bird special for people who had placed in Top 100 previously. There was no reduced entry fee but by registering before 12/31 it guarenteed a spot in wave 1 or 2. It’s a popular local race that sells out about 6 weeks ahead of time, but wave assignments are done according to receipt of entry. I like being in an early wave so that I have an uncrowded bike course.
Timberman I entered the sprint in May, and the aquabike 1/2 in June. Those races don’t fill up in the first few hours, but I will watch the entry list after registration opens and see what’s happening. I’m not really ready to make decisions on my 2006 schedule at this moment.
I have a slot in Alcatraz, but whether I take it or not depends a lot on what other races may be around that time. I would like to try to qualify for AG worlds in Switzerland, but as usual USAT doesn’t seem to have a clue as when they’ll have the qualifier. Hopefully it won’t get rained out again. But right now I’m enjoying a little down time, and trying to figure out what I want to do in the offseason. Once I work that out, then I’ll think about next year.
The only reason is due to sellouts or to save money ! Aside from that, if I had the option, I’d race every weekend, but thanks to work, family obligations and the fact that I actually have to do some long training for my once a year Ironman, I can’t race every weekend, so I try and aim for every second or third weekend all summer. Ideally I’d make my decision on Friday based on how I was feeling and my time available if the race is on Sunday.
Team Talltwitch, eh? I’m 6’3", and I’ve been wondering why we’ve allowed those at the other extreme to get the jump on us with Team Shorttwitch. Sign me up for the Talltwitchers, okay?!
Honestly? It depends whether or not I have $ in my “triathlon” bank account. That takes planning, though sometimes I find I’m short when I’ve decided to do a particular race that I hadn’t previously considered. (To wit…IMFL will open registration, and close it just as quickly…I just decided to do an IM next year, but I’ve previously spent my triathlon $ on stocking up for winter training…I’m a little short for the IMFL entry fee right now, and won’t be putting more $ in that account until a date that is probably well after that reg closes…so my alternate path to an IM is to try to get a spot for IMLP at one of the 70.3 races (Florida or Eagleman), assuming the new 70.3 series hasn’t done away with roll-down spots for the IMNA races…
But the IM thing is a new monkey wrench in my budget for next year, so I’m trying to work that into what I’ve already established…