I’ve been looking over the age group counts for this year’s IronMan CDA, and as per usual, there will be precious few Kona slots to go around. Based off the most recent participant list, there are 2,831 registered, and just 50 golden tickets to go around.

Seven age groups will only have a single Kona slot available, so unfortunately while the competition may get slower with age, your odds do not necessarily get a lot better. Mens 40-44 are again the largest group with 6 slots for 457 racing… mid-life crisis can hit you real hard!

My age group, the next up — 45-49, will get just 4 slots. By the luck of the numbers, that is actually the worst numerical odds of any age group! Not a lot to work with there!

Now, on to the stats.
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It looks like we may not see another swim start at IronMan Coeur D’Alene that looks like this:

No more mass starts at CDA

IronMan is experimenting with some new swim start options at three races this year, including IronMan Coeur D’Alene. That race, in part known for the mass beach start, will now have a self-selected staggered start. Here’s how they describe it:

Athletes will enter the water in a continuous stream through a controlled access point, similar to how running road races are started. An athlete’s times will start when they cross timing mats under the swim arch.

There are a variety of other changes, including the addition of floating resting stations in the swim course. Also, they mention that they are going to start having in-water warmups at all IM events whenever possible.

The changes sound like they will make the swim start more safe.
The only real negatives I see are

1) You really won’t know whether you are ahead or behind anyone on course.
2) The clock at the finish line won’t be accurate. So, the announcer won’t be able to cheer people in saying “C’mon James, 10 more seconds to break 12 hours!”.
3) You lose the excitement of that cannon going off and everyone surging for the water, that is fun.

Read more about the new “Swim Smart” program here.

Last weekend I participated in the first 70.3 race in St. George, Utah. It was a fantastic weekend. There was an entire tribe of Salt Lake City triathletes down for the race. On Thursday, the Salt Lake Tri Club organized a Q&A with pro triathletes Ali Black, Andy Potts, and Lesley Patterson, which was a real treat since they are some of my favorite pros.

Got to meet Ali Black, Lesley Patterson, and Andy Potts. Photo from Santiago Photography.

The short version of the race is that it felt like as close to perfect a race as I can muster. Everything went smoothly, and even better, I was able to maintain focus and really race the whole time. I’ll give you a brief play-by-play after the jump.

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It’s been a great couple of days here in St. George — especially if you are a tri fan. ALL THE PROS ARE HERE!!!

If you’re interested, the race is going to be truly epic, incredibly competitive, and beautiful. And, Craig Alexander will be on the play by play (I really wish I could watch the online coverage!). Tune in here tomorrow, the race starts at 7:00.

And, if you’re interested, here is the link to my splits. Hoping to avoid the crash and burn!

Good luck to all my friends racing. And thanks to all the others supporting and volunteering down here. And, thanks to my family, Michelle and my Mom, for cheering me on, get that cowbell cranked up!

Jen Johnson of Balanced Art Multisport wrote this great email outlining all the prep and a lot of good details for racing at IronMan St. George 70.3. Actually, this stuff applies to anyone who needs to deal with race day prep for an IronMan brand event.

It is well worth a read:

THURSDAY OR FRIDAY (highly suggest you check in a Thursday if possible) must check in by 6 pm on Friday. You can check in as early as 11 am on Thursday and 10 am on Friday. You must check in Thursday or Friday down at the Town Square. It is on Main Street just off of St. George Blvd.

You must present ID and USAT membership # (if you do not have an annual membership ($40) you must purchase a day membership ($12). These are required at every race.

You will sign a waiver and double check medical info and emergency contact info.
At check in you will receive a wrist band (do not take this off until after the race–you have to show your wrist band to get in and out of transitions before the race and to take your bike out when the race is over). You will also get your timing chip, swim cap, t-shirt, bag, race #s, and 3 plastic bags for gear.

Start organizing your gear. Lay out your 3 bags and put the GEAR BAG stickers on each. (these are stickers with your race # that they give you at check in). Put the sticker on your helmet, bike stem and frame. Attach the bib # to your race belt.

After the break, race prep, schedule, and even some race day psychology!
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Wind advisory for the area:

“A Wind Advisory means that sustained wind speeds of at least
31 mph or gusts of 45 mph are expected. Motorists in the advisory
area should be prepared for sudden gusty Crosswinds which can
make driving difficult.”

So, i’m assuming that if they say driving a car might be difficult, then riding a disc will be a piece of cake?

I had a request for the estimated Kona slot breakdown for IM Texas coming up in three weeks. Texas racers will soon be starting their tapers soon. Good luck if you are seeking one of these precious few Kona slots!

So, here are the total by age group:

To calculate the Kona spots you take the total available (50) assign one to each age group represented, then divide the others proportionally.

The “time last year” shows the time raced last year for the number on the bubble this year. And, the “odds” column shows the percentage of participants in that age group who will qualify.

These will change a bit depending on the proportions of actual finishers.

Great post from Jordan Rapp (aka Rappstar) on St. George. I actually didn’t know the story of St. George and the Dragon. The metaphor fits perfectly for this race. Apparently the dragon lived in a lake… that might explain last year’s swim start for the full!

Are you getting excited yet!

As most people’s taper begins for St. George Saturday after next, there have been some interesting blog posts about the race. The pro field is going to be the best of the year outside of Kona, so you don’t want to miss it. Seriously, if I wasn’t racing I would really love to watch this race.

Over on IronMan.com Greg Welch has put up his top-ten picks for men and women’s overall. It’s an interesting read and will give you a feel for just how DEEP this field is. My one beef — Ben Hoffman, former St. George champion is not in your top ten? He probably knows more than I do (actually, he definitely knows more than I do) but I say Ben has to be in there.

Read the post here.

What do you say on a day like today…

I started out watching incredible athletes from all over the world competing in a pure sport. I admired their physical abilities, their amazing form and speed, and their mental strength to push through the pain I know they are feeling. It was beautiful. And then, someone, some misguided cretin, for a reason I don’t understand, brought violence into this sacred place.

But, I don’t want to talk about the people who did this, they don’t deserve the thought or attention.

Some people think of endurance sports as a selfish activity — you take time away from others and spend it running, biking and swimming. But, they haven’t experienced how this time removes barriers between people.

When you race with people, you train with people, sweat, struggle, reach your limits with them…you forget about all the things that might separate you. Religion. Politics. These are labels that don’t apply when you are two people just striving for the same goal. You are human beings, flesh and blood, sharing the same experience.

People that I’ve come to know through endurance sports, I feel about them the same way I feel about family. If I later find out that we really are different… then it’s like the aunt who sends you crazy political email. Yes you disagree. But, you also know the real person.

The one who almost gave up, but didn’t.
The one who used running to come to terms with the loss of their mother.
The one who has fought injury for years without giving up.
The one who learned for the first time in their lives that they can be strong.

You can’t put people in a box with a label on it after that.

Which is why what happened today is both a horrible tragedy, and will ultimately be fruitless for those who committed this atrocity. This won’t divide people. Not these people. There were 27,000 runners out there, all with their own story, and all with a shared passion and experience.

You can’t break these bonds with a bomb.

Today, I’m with them in spirit.
Next year, in person. Boston 2014.