So this week, I got a letter in the mail. People don’t write letters anymore and I think it’s a shame. I love getting a letter in the mail and not one congratulating me, telling me I’ve been pre-qualified for a new credit card.
The letter came from my good friend and Austin homestay, Scott. When I stay in Austin, Scott and I have some great conversations – great meaning entertaining, and entertaining because I am likely over-tired and low in blood sugar when said conversations take place.
At one point, we’d chatted long about the beloved (to me, anyway) Stanford mascot; The Tree. I have a little tree clipped to my backpack.
I get questioned on it all the time. “What the heck is that?”
I love it, as it’s a reminder of where I came from, of my incredible teammates who made me better every day and who support me still. They don’t know it, but when I am struggling thru a workout, I think back to a horrible “Richard Special”….the ones that were so long and complicated; the ones where we failed during warm-up and that took him 20 minutes just to write on the dry erase board. Where when he set his chair at the end of your lane, it made you throw up a little bit in your mouth, knowing he was going to be in your kitchen for the next 2.5 hours. I remember those workouts and how we got each other thru and I hear my teammates encouraging me on still.
Finally, my tree reminds me that while I have my days that are mind-numbing, filled with little more than “right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, eat, right foot, left foot…..” that at the end of the day, I am actually pretty smart!
But wait. What? I actually had to read down the list fairly far to get to the Stanford Tree. #6?? Unacceptable.
I immediately emailed Scott to counterpoint. He responded, telling me my email was print worthy, which means, to me, it’s blog worthy. So here’s my response to Scott, but moreover, to Ralph Russo of the AP. I fear he’s a little misguided.
“6th?? Unacceptable.
I have called the Stanford AD and training begins today. We’re moving up!
I am confident we can take down #1, Ralphie the Buffalo….he doesn’t look so smart. Ding.
We might have our work cut out for ourselves with #2, the Georgia Bulldog. I am a sucker for the 4-legged furry ones, but since Georgetown is a bulldog too, I think they lose points for lack of originality. Ding.
#3, Chief Osceola looks like an Indian to me, and I thought that use of a Native American was culturally insensitive (my father was distraught when Dartmouth went from being the Indians to “the Dartmouth Green”….as if a color can be a mascot), so he’s disqualified on grounds of social insensitivity. Ding.
In at #4, Mike the Tiger, LSU. Yawn. Boring. Ding.
#5 is complicated. The Auburn War Eagle is hard to slight, it being our Nation’s proverbial mascot as well…but again, I’d have to ding the War Eagle on lack of creativity. Copying our nation’s mascot is not only uncreative, but you lose extra points for trying to get the sucker sympathy vote by tugging at the strings of our national pride. Double Ding.
Which leaves us at #6. The Palo Alto; a truly unique mascot and you have to give it extra props for being entirely recreated every year. Part of the mascot’s audition is to create the costume he or she will wear……so it’s new and different every year.
I suspect Ralph Russo might be fired for not naming the precious Longhorn in his list; given the printing of said article in the Statesman.
I’d like to conclude by saying that Stanford not only has the coolest mascot, we have the coolest fight song too. Care to challenge me on that? I dare you!”
It all started 2 weeks ago – packing up for California and Vineman 70.3. While I was so excited to have Davey G coming along with me this trip, it seemed like I was breaking down everywhere else…..Garmin 310 died; back to the shop. Tweaking the Kestrel 4000 to get her working the way she should be; camped out at Fast Splits for the week. SRM needing service; back to the shop. Bike box with wonky wheel, no doubt an excuse for TSA to drag and torture my bike more than usual; 2 trips to the hardware store to find the proper wheel and beg Davey G to fix ‘er up right.
All last minute hassles….part of life and nothing ever goes as smoothly as you think.
I dropped Riley off at “camp” on Wednesday morning, breaking my heart, more than hers, I am sure.
By Thursday, we’d made it to the airport with most of my equipment issues resolved.
No one had told us that it was “first time traveler” day at Logan Airport. You know the ones…..they neglect to take their shoes off before going thru the metal detector. We can all thank Richard Reid for that one…..but seriously? How can you not know that by now?
Then, once they get their shoes off, they go thru the metal detector, not realizing they had all their change and their pocket Swiss army knife in their pockets. Great. Now security descends upon them like flies on poop. Once they remedy the concealed weapon issue, we are slowed once again, in honor of “first time traveler” day because jack-ass forgot to take his laptop out of his backpack.
And that was just one dude….seemed like everyone had their heads up their bums. Thankfully, because I live in fear of missing a fight, we had ample time and could laugh at “first time flier” day and had plenty of time to make out flight.
God bless Jet Blue. 5.5 hours of TV. Love it. DaveyG was engrossed in the British Open golf, while I opted for some great trash TV on MTV; “Teen Mom” marathon and a few episodes of “The Real World”, both of which made me thankful for my stable upbringing!
We arrived in San Fran, had a quick swim at the Olympic Club and drove north to Guerneville. By the time we settled in and caught up with our housemates, Monica and Tim, it was well past bedtime; having been up for 22 hours.
Race weekend went by quickly, catching up with our good friends, and preparing for the race ahead. Before I knew it, we were off and racing. I had a solid swim, trying not to do too much work, but also knowing that the swim is my strength, and every second counts so I didn’t just want to sit in. I exited the water first, but with 2 girls close by. Out on the bike, I had settled in to a good pace, and then suddenly heard a crash. I immediately looked down, fearing I’d launched my race nutrition on a bump in the road. Nope! Thank goodness!! I figured, then, that maybe it’d been the water bottle behind me, but when I reached around, it was still there, too. Huh. Maybe my spare? Reached my other hand around and the spare was there as well.
Perplexed, I rode on and re-focused, glancing down to take a peek at my wattage to make sure I was executing the plan coach Jesse had laid out (for once in my life). Yep….suddenly, I thought, “Hey bump in the road? Come on back and take my race nutrition, or my water bottle ….or my spare, but for the love of GOD, give me back my SRM head unit!”. Suddenly, it’d become a costly bump in the road.
I spent about 10 seconds wondering if I should go back……I was only 40 minutes into the race….I was reluctant to bike blind, not to mention, the replacement cost meant I’d have to race my butt off to earn it back! Ultimately, I pedaled on, figuring DaveyG and I could go back for it later.
I managed to sync my Garmin 310 to read my wattage on my watch. I had no idea how accurate it’d be…but it gave me a line in the sand at least. I knew I wanted to execute my race plan as instructed, so I used the wattage as a relative number, rather than an absolute, and moved on with my business.
T2 was whirlwind. And then we were running. Rinny was gone before I could blink, in a plume of smoke that would make even the Road Runner blush (meep, meeep). I was running with Tyler for a while and we chatted. She’s such a character, and she made me laugh which isn’t always easy to do when I am running, as mostly, I just want to cry. Pretty soon, though, in glancing at my pace, it seemed that I was running way faster than coach Jesse had instructed. Fearful of blowing, as I am known to do, from time to time, I laid up a bit and tried to settle in; checking my pace, running hard, but controlled. At the turnaround, I could see I was putting time into some of the girls ahead who had run the first half perhaps too aggressively.
I kept telling myself “you are a runner” and “you can catch them”. Suddenly at mile 8 or so, the girl who was running just ahead of me multiplied and was two! Out of nowhere, another girl appeared on the course. Who the heck is that? She was dressed in black, and I didn’t recognize her from anywhere else in the run. For the next 3 miles, I put the hammer down, giving it all I had to catch, now 2 girls I thought were in reach.
The girl in black kept looking over her shoulder; I took it as a sign that she was fading and was worried about what was coming. I think I took it that way as it’s something I do……nearly every time I run!
I’d closed the gap to about 10 seconds with 1 mile to go, and suddenly, the girl in black peels of the course and makes a b-line back toward transition thru the residential neighborhood. She ran along the sidewalk for a bit, talking to the girl just ahead. I busted a gut to close that 10 second gap, fueled by even the hint of impropriety, but alas, the tank was empty.
6th place overall. :20 out of 4th. I came out at the wrong end of a very tight race.
Still, I executed my race very well negative splitting both bike and run. Lots of work left to do, but moving in the right direction.
As for the pacer, I am told it was nothing of the sort. Though lines were blurred, it was just a misunderstanding; unfortunate, but reality.
After some light training that afternoon (thanks, Coach Jesse), we said goodbye to our friends Tim and Monica who had to travel home that night and DaveyG and I enjoyed a quiet night with some good wine; hey…when in Rome…….
Vineman is always such a special race for me; it was my first triathlon back in 1997 when I raced the full Ironman. I love traveling back to the Bay Area, home of my beloved Stanford and while we didn’t have time to catch up with Stanford buddies this trip, we’ll be back again soon.
Special thanks to the Vineman crew, particularly Amy Latourette; she takes such good care of us! To all my awesome sponsors – Steve Harad in particular for designing the Kestrel 4000. First time racing it; LOVE IT! Shimano, Di2?? ..... will change your life! and Saucony? One word…..KINVARA! …… Fuel Belt, Trakkers and all my great sponsors…..just a mid-season shout out! .....couldn’t do it without you all!
And an extra special added thanks to my friends at SRM for helping a girl out. DaveyG and I went back and combed every inch of that stretch of road; we recovered some 6 empty gel packets, 2 empty cigarette boxes and a host of other road debris, but (sigh), no SRM head unit. PC7 arrives Wednesday! Thank you SRM!
And of course, my DaveyG! ….don’t have the words. ‘Nuff said. Awesome to have him travel with me this time around! Wish we could do it this way more often!!
Up next in my sponsor appreciation series is Steve Harad of Kestrel Bicycles. Anyone who knows Steve knows he is passionate about the sport of triathlon, and loves to make fast bikes!
I have been with Kestrel for 2 years now, and I simply love the bike. I'll admit, with the release of the new Kestrel 4000, I was a little reluctant. I'd gotten to know my Airfoil pretty darn well and loved the fact that it didn't have a seat tube. The fact that they'd added one to the 4000 bummed me out; to me the missing piece is what made a Kestrel a Kestrel. Now having had some time to get to know the new 4000? All I can say is that in this case? More is better. The 4000 feels much more responsive to me, and most importantly, it fits better! (Plus it's super cool looking, but if I say that first, I seem shallow.....but it is super cool looking!!)
So please allow me to introduce to you, Steve Harad and Kestrel Bicycles:
1) Tell us a little bit about Kestrel bikes. When and by whom was Kestrel founded? What was the first frame? And what does ‘Kestrel’ mean?
Kestrel was founded in 1987 by a couple of guys who were really smart! The company first produced the Kestrel 4000 and we continue the heritage today. The Kestrel is a wicked fast bird that is well respected in the bird world that the other birds are admire and strive to be one day.
2) Kestrel is now owned by Advanced Sports. When and how did that come to be and how does Kestrel fit into the Advanced Sports family?
Kestrel was purchased by Advanced Sports International in 2007. Kestrel has been on an up and down over the years and we purchased it to rebuild it back to the premier brand it once was. Kestrel supports the ASI other brands as a high end boutique brand that works only with carbon fiber. It also is the first brand we work with that is sold both in stores and online.
3) With the new Kestrel 4000, you now have a UCI legal time trial bike. Was that the motivation behind the design of the bike? Is the hope that, with the Kestrel 4000 in your arsenal of bikes that Kestrel will have a bigger presence in pro cycling? And one day sponsor a tour team??
You nailed it. We want to expand into pro cycling and with our line of bikes we had, we couldn’t do that. I’m also a wind tunnel nut and wanted to design a bike that was faster than our Kestrel Airfoil. What the 4000 represents is the latest technology Kestrel has to offer for the Triathlete as well as conforms to the UCI regulations. We are fortunate that our sister company Fuji let us test the Kestrel 4000 out with the Footon Servetto team.
4) As Kestrel Brand Manager, you are the face of Kestrel bikes. How did you end up at Kestrel? What did you do prior to working for Kestrel?
Scary that I’m the face of Kestrel. I have more of a radio face But seriously, I’ve been in the cycling industry since I was 14 when I started racing bikes. I’ve used to own Steve’s Multisport, one of the first Triathlon stores in the USA, and was the founder of Elite Bicycles. I sold both businesses and set out to get a “real” job. After 3 weeks, I realized that wasn’t what I wanted to do. I joined ASI 5 years ago and when we purchased Kestrel, I took over managing the brand. It’s the coolest job making wicked fast bikes. I travel all over the world, visit wind tunnels, meet really cool athletes like yourself, and really enjoy what I do.
5) What are your hobbies outside of your obvious passion for cycling?
Outside of work? You mean after the 70 hours I typically put in at work? I spend most of my free time with my son Jesse. He’s my rock star! Other than that, I really enjoy long walks on the beach, sunsets, cute girls Oh, and I’m single so feel free to find me a date.
6) What is your favorite Kestrel bike and why?
Has to be the 4000 although the new RT1000 that I will show in a few weeks is right up there. These are the first 2 bikes I had total control over and designed with my team. The 4000 has a year and a half of my time invested in it, lots of trips to the A2 Wind Tunnel so IF I had to pick one, that would be the bike.
7) What differentiates Kestrel from all the other tri bikes on the market these days?
There are a lot of tri bikes out there and I think everyone is doing a good job. Kestrel is pushing the technology barrier and really spending time balancing product with aerodynamics and Fit. Fit is so important and I think some companies overlook that aspect of building a bike. Plus there’s me. I still am the guy talking with customers, answering emails, traveling to races to meet Kestrel customers. I think having someone you can call about anything Kestrel is very important!
The release of the Kestrel 4000 has been a much anticipated and exciting step for the brand. What’s next for Kestrel??
Well, the RT1000 is coming out soon. We are pushing hard into the road market with some very cool designed bikes for 2011. I’m already working on 2012 and Kestrel will be expanding into some new categories. We are also working with some new carbon technology that will be completely unique to Kestrel that we will have ready in 2012. Other than product, we are expanding my travel so I can visit more Kestrel dealers, athletes and expos. I am really looking to visit as many places as I can to keep in touch with the end user of Kestrel.
9) Who is your favorite pro triathlete? …..meaning your favorite female pro triathlete? ….I mean, your favorite female pro triathlete from New England……who rides a Kestrel…..and is currently under the age of 40? DO I NEED TO MAP IT OUT FOR YOU ANY CLEARER??
Hmm, Smyers? You had me at “you really need to sponsor me” when we met in HI 2 years ago. I figured if you had the guts to be direct with asking, you definitely were worth sponsoring. Plus, your husband is cool so IF I ever get sick of you, I can always hang with Dave and your dog
As a pro triathlete, I get asked questions for interviews. OK, not all that often, because I am not that good......but sometimes.
Often times, the interviewer will email me a list of questions. It's easy that way. Saves time, adds convenience, and since most interviews are for print or web media, it makes posting the interview rather simple.
So I decided to run a series on my blog called "Sponsor Appreciation Series" where I would turn the tables on some of my sponsors and ask THEM a list of questions.
My first edition of "Sponsor Appreciation Series" profiles Trakkers GPS. Trakkers is a new sponsor for me this year, and so far? I've really enjoyed my partnership with them. Yes, their product is cool, and getting cooler by the day, but moreover, the man behind the company, Charlie Patten is one of the nicest people you will meet in the sport of triathlon. People say nice guys finish last? Not this guy!
Charlie and his teams at Trakkers and Rev3 are not-so-quietly changing the way we race, where we race, and how people will watch us race.
Read on!! I present Charlie Patten and Trakkers GPS:
1) Tell us a little bit about Trakkers. When and by whom was it founded? What is a Trakker, exactly?
Trakkers is a little GPS device that’s tracks anything that moves in real-time. It uses GPS data for location information and a Cellular network to transmit that data to our servers. Users can then track that item or person, in real-time via our website. In a nut shell, of course!
The company had actually been around for some time before the idea came up, but it has been about 3 years now that we have been focused on this particular technology.
2) We’ve seen the Trakkers device demo at a couple of the Rev 3 races. How did those “test runs” go? When will we see Trakkers devices at all races??
The test runs have been going extremely well. Of course, they are “test” runs, so we expected to have some glitches along the way. As a matter of fact, in some cases we actually want things to break. It gives us valuable insight into how these devices will actually be used by athletes. All of the lab testing in the world cannot replicate a real life scenario.
Our plan is to be renting these devices at races this year. You will start seeing us at expos around the country in the near future!
3) Without divulging any strategic secrets, outside of a race environment, how can a Trakkers device be used??? When do you think we might see them available for individual users?
Actually, that’s a great question and one that we get a lot. The devices are currently being used in military environments as well as tracking athletes. I can’t give out too much information regarding the applications in which they are being used. It’s a matter of National security and I wouldn’t want to leak too much information. That combined with the fact that I would have to kill you and all of your readers if I said anything!
4) Right now, the Trakkers device is about the size of a small garage door opener. How small do you think you can get the device to be?
The primary constraints right now for the Trakkers device is the battery technology. They have to last for a 24 hours period on one charge. If the battery technology was a bit better, then the devices would be MUCH smaller. As technology in that industry gets better, our device will get smaller.
5) In addition to your busy role at Trakkers, you also own the Rev 3 race series. Which role came first?
Trakkers came first, followed by Rev3, followed by…………. Oh, nevermind.
6) How did your obvious passion for the sport of triathlon start? Do you race yourself??
I wouldn’t consider what I do racing! More along the lines of participating. That said, I actually do not participate very often. Since getting involved in the sport as a business owner, I have been participating less. Crazy how that works!
I think I am more passionate about just being healthy then I am about the sport (that said, I need to lose some weight). Is that bad to say?
7) Moving away from Trakkers for a second, put on your Rev 3 hat and tell us a little about what is going on with the Rev3 series? What new races are on the horizon for Rev 3? Do you think the new WTC proposed rules will impact your pro fields at Rev 3 races because you aren’t able to offer the pros “points” toward their Kona and Clearwater qualification?
Rev3 is going great! We are currently traveling all over the country looking for some new venues! Got any ideas? For the 2011 season, we have added our first international race in Costa Rica. We are hoping to add one or maybe two additional races to the lineup in 2011. Stay tuned for more information on those locations! Let’s just say that moving west is on the top of our list!
I would have to guess that the new WTC rules will without a doubt impact the pro fields at our races. If pro athletes like yourself want to race in Kona, then your seasons will have to revolve around that goal. The Rev3 races will become an afterthought based on where athletes stand in the new ranking system. That said, I do not believe this new system is all that horrible. I think it’s a step in the right direction for Pro athletes and it will force Race Directors to be creative if they want to attract a pro field. Competition and options for Pro and age group athletes is a good thing. It forces Rev3 to be more creative and innovative in our approach. That will only benefit the consumers.
'8) What is the hardest part about putting on a race?
You know, that’s a funny question! I haven’t ever considered putting on a race hard (granted, we are still amateurs at this whole race production thing). It is time consuming and a lot of work, but it’s not like we are splitting atoms. We at Rev3 are fortunate to have a wonderful group of people that are part of this adventure and as a result, things that might be hard are more fun than anything else. Sure, some things are a little more challenging than others but I wouldn’t define it as being hard.
9) Tell us something about Charlie Patten that the triathlon world doesn’t yet know!
I’m sure there is a lot about me that the triathlon world doesn’t know! I’m sure most of it, they probably don’t care to know as well! That said, first and foremost, I am a devoted husband and father. I put Christ and my family before anything else in my life. As a matter of fact, I had to leave the race at Quassy this year on Sunday while the race was still in full swing. We had a family emergency with our oldest dog I jumped in the car and drove back home to be with him and my wife.
Thanks, Charlie!
To learn more about Trakkers, check out their website at www.trakkersgps.com. Also be sure to check out the Rev3 race series at www.rev3tri.com.
Well, the 8% and 5% rules were short lived. WTC has recently come out with some amendments to those rules; though no really amendments as they look nothing like the originals. As always, the new rules are not without controversy.
Fortunately, WTC solicited feedback. Whether they listen, truly, or not, is to be determined. I certainly hope they do.
Here is what I had to say to WTC. Feel free to comment. The only way these rules will be good and lasting is if they are well thought thru, and thoroughly debated.
Hello,
I am emailing to offer my feedback on the new, proposed WTC policies with respect to qualification for Kona and Clearwater, and on other corresponding policies.
Let me start by saying that I applaud WTC for giving the professionals the opportunity to comment on the rules that will shape the future of our sport. I realize that WTC is under no obligation to open these proposals up for comment, but as a professional who has significantly altered her professional life in dedication to this sport, I appreciate the opportunity to provide input and I truly hope WTC listens to some of the concerns as well as some of the applause.
I like the ranking system. I like it better than the existing 5% and 8% rules. I think it allows for athletes to earn their place in the World Championships by demonstrating great performance; not just on one day, but all year long.
That said, I do have some concerns with the proposed plan.
• Weighting of points – I don’t think the points reward outstanding performance aptly. I think an Ironman win in ANY scenario is worth more points than the current proposal awards. I think a top-10 finish in Kona is worthy of a heavier weighting as well. I think it’s stunning that a 10th place finish in the world is worth only 200 points more than a 10th place finish in a “Championship” Ironman. Take, for example, this weekend’s IM-Frankfurt “European Championship”. 14 women entered. I think it’s a gross injustice that the 10th place finisher there is awarded only 200 points fewer than the 10th place finisher in our World Championship will be awarded. While still a Championship race, it is simply not of the same caliber (quality or quantity) field as the World Championship. The athletes in the top 10 in Kona have bested the rest of the world on what each athlete targets as his or her best day of that year. I think those performances need greater recognition.
• Ironman points vs 70.3 points – I realize that many of us who are more “Ironman specialists” still race 70.3 races frequently, however, I think that the current points comparison between 70.3 points and full Ironman points rewards the 70.3 athlete more than the Ironman athlete. You simply earn too many points for 70.3 performances that contribute to qualification for a full Ironman World Championship. This is qualification for an Ironman, and as such, I think the Ironman points contributions should be much greater than the 70.3 points contributions; not necessarily in terms of the number of 70.3 races that can contribute to the points total, but to the points that are awarded at 70.3 races. I think that the math should be calculated such that a top-10 finish in Kona coupled with a top 2 or 3 finish in an in-season Ironman ought to be enough to get an athlete to Kona. I think that athlete is more deserving than an athlete who perhaps, even wins 3 70.3 races. It appears from the new policies that Ironman points don’t even contribute to an athlete qualifying for Clearwater, so why should the 70.3 points have such a heavy weighting in an athlete qualifying for Kona? I also think that any Ironman win ought to be sufficient qualification for Kona, regardless of the “Championship”, “$75,000” or “$25,000” designation.
• Tiered Ironmans – I don’t understand this one at all. A $25,000 Ironman? Really? I think that prize purse is far too low for the effort that goes into an Ironman. ANY Ironman. I think that by categorizing these events as such, you will lose quality fields at $25,000 Ironman races. I think it’s also tragic that athletes who have built a loyalty to a “potential” $25,000 Ironman (Bella Bayliss to IM-South Africa, Belinda Granger to IM-Malaysia, myself to IM-Brazil); those loyalties speak to the strength of the race, it’s fans, it’s organizers and the entire community where Ironman’s are held. By banishing Ironman races to the $25,000 category, those loyalties will be lost. It simply isn’t worth the expense of travel, and the few dollars in prize money, and points. For relationships like that to be lost, I think would be tragic and, in the long run, would hurt the “smaller” Ironman races.
• Clarity of process – I think for this points system to work, it is essential that the rankings are made public, are updated accurately (the points example in the email that was distributed had mathematical errors in it – clearly in a “real world” scenario, such mathematical errors would be unacceptable) each weekend following every competition and furthermore, that WTC go back to publicizing pro start lists in advance. This gives every athlete a fair and equal shake at knowing where they stand, who their immediate points competition is and where they are racing. It could lead to some amazing late season head to head points competitions amongst athletes who are “on the bubble”. If I may, transparency has not been one of WTC’s strengths, to date. So I implore you to make this process as open and transparent as possible. It will ensure a “fair fight” for points.
• Timing – September 1 is simply too late a deadline to allow the professionals adequate time to prepare physically or logistically. Lodging in Kona is difficult to come by. If, as a pro, you don’t know if you are competing or not until 9/1, the logistics of planning a trip are virtually impossible. Trip insurance on a plane ticket and rental car is one thing, but with lodging, many rentals are arranged with individual owners. There is no way to recoup that expense, should an athlete be left out, nor is there any way to find reasonable lodging one month before the competition date. I think the points cutoff ought to be made earlier. Either that, or guarantee that the top 25 by July 1 are guaranteed their slot, and the remaining qualifiers will battle it out until September 1. Either that, or shift the entire calendar to a July 1 to July 1 points basis. These potential solutions clearly have shortcomings as well, but I just don’t think it is reasonable for an athlete to not know if they are competing in a World Championship until a month before hand. The preparation that goes into such an effort from a training and psychological perspective, not to mention a logistical perspective cannot be discounted.
• Wild Card – This policy irks me. What all these policies are doing is holding professionals to a higher standard. I think, for the most part, the professional applaud that. Yet simultaneously, WTC has the right to hand pick an athlete who is not to be held to that same standard? Rubbish! Giving an athlete an exemption due to injury, illness or other life tragedy, or even to pregnancy; there is precedent for that. Yet the policy specifically says that the Wild Card is NOT for that purpose. It seems arbitrary, and inequitable. If a higher standard is what WTC asks of its pros, then it should be asked of ALL of its pros. Save your Wild Card for the age group ranks. Invite whomever you like to race in the age group. Let the pros who have equally earned their right to compete, compete.
• 3 year exemption – This policy impacts so few people, it seems silly to mention it, but I feel compelled to anyway. Ironman World Champions are special. And I think they ought to be treated as such. Mandating former World Champions to the Age Group ranks eliminates the opportunity for athletes like Michellie Jones, Karen Smyers and Natasha Badmann from toeing the line in Kona. They cannot compete as age groupers as they are registered pros. Yet their invitation to race as pros is no longer valid. These athletes may have lost their “marketability” to WTC as champions who are past their prime, but to the current athletes who have been inspired by these champions, I believe that having these athletes continue to race in the pro ranks, if they so choose, adds value to the race. Retired former Champions? Sure – they can race with the age groupers if they like. But for current card carrying professionals, they have earned that right to compete amongst the pros regardless of whether they won last year, 5 years ago or 10 years ago. Former champions deserve a spot amongst the pros, if they choose, and should NOT be included in the 50/30 count.
• Logistics – what happens in the event of a rankings tie?
• Logistics - When will races be categorized into the breakdown of Championship vs $75,000 vs $25,000. And how do new races get categorized. Does every IM start as a $25,000 and hopefully grow up to be a $75,000? I think, honestly, there should be WC races, Championship races and the rest are equal. That seems more fair to me, but if not, when will those distinctions be made and how does a race change category?
• Logistics – 50/30 division – how were these ratios determined? How will they change with time?
• Drug testing – The top 20 in world rankings ought to automatically be included in the WTC out of competition testing pool.
• Growth in popularity of the sport – these rules limit an athletes ability to race in races outside of WTC races. I think that’s tragic and will ultimately stifle the growth in the sport. These new race series aren’t competitors to WTC races….WTC is clearly the big fish, but it’s a big ocean and there is plenty of room for other series offering not competing races, but alternative races. These policies don’t allow for professionals to race in other series and that is unfortunate, and ultimately will not enhance the growth in our sport.
In short, I like the points system, but I think it needs to be re-calculated to put the emphasis in the proper places. I also think that in order for these new rules to work; truly work, this process needs to be thoughtful and deliberate, not rushed. It seems that the reason WTC is reworking the 5% and 8% rule is that 1) in retrospect, they may not have produced the results WTC had hoped and 2) they were tremendously unpopular. In an effort to develop a set of rules that work, have athlete and sponsor support, and will correctly produce the result that WTC desires, I beg you to take the time to shape these rules properly. I realize WTC is under no obligation to hear any of this input. I know for certain that the pros appreciate this opportunity to make comment. Current athlete and input on whatever committee decides these issues would be a HUGE step toward a process where everyone wins.
Thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts.
Dede Griesbauer
I'll be honest, I've had a real crapper of a day. ....just one of those days you wish you'd never gotten out of bed. Everything was going wrong, I was getting pulled in a million different directions, equipment malfunctions, and a mountain of training to contend with as well (which I am still not done with, so I have to be brief here. FOCUS, DEDE!).....
Anyway, back to my crapper of a day. I was in a pissy mood and getting pissier by the minute.
And then.....like that....on a dime.....a 180.
I got an email from an old friend. Not a friend who is old, but a friend I've known a long time.
She wrote to a bunch of us old friends; friends who don't get to see each other as much as we'd like to. In her email, she told us about a tradition they have at Harvard that she'd learned about recently when she hired a recent Harvard graduate.
They have a tradition at Harvard where graduating seniors write an essay of retrospection. "Senior captains and representatives of varsity teams write a Senior Perspective essay and then they compile all of them into a book and hand them out at a Senior Letterwinner's Dinner," she said. "(this) essay and it brought back so much incredibly strong memories of all of you guys and how special it was to be a on team with each of you - so thanks for the smiles, laughs, trials and tribulations that we all shared together - As we get older, I still look back on our college days as some of the finest of my life!"
Here is the essay:
"“What are you doing over Christmas break?” That’s a questions I’ve been asked numerous times, like many other people while growing up. My answer was always the same. “Training. Swimming,” I would say anxiously, and a little jealous of my classmates who would enjoy a week of sleeping in and movie-watching. Quickly that emotion would leave me as I would tell myself that all my hard work would pay off. And pay off it did indeed.
My answer to this question would change once I made it to Harvard. I would say, “I’m spending it with my team.” While my break would still be spent swimming and training, I would be given the added bonus of saying I was going to Puerto Rico, Key West, St. Croix, or Barbados. The difference between my breaks at Harvard and my breaks at home was more than just the destination, however. My change in answer says it all. I was part of a team, part of something bigger than me. I was no longer training in the hopes that my hard work would benefit myself, I was training so that an incredible group of young women would have faith in their ability to lean on me.
Growing up, swimming was never a team sport to me. I competed for myself, against a clock without any regard for team scores. When I was being recruited, the Harvard coach called me and I told her exactly this. Thankfully, she saw an ability to change me, or perhaps she knew the magic her team, in particular, carried. Before I arrived at Harvard as a freshman I felt my experience over the next four years would be one completely different from my previous ones as a swimmer.
Unlike many other nervous freshmen arriving at Harvard eager to make friends, I had thirty of them before I even arrived. I had a group of girls who would prove to be there when I needed and who would support me in countless endeavors. They would be the first to congratulate me, wish me luck, and comfort me. We would say every year that the current team was a special one, one capable of doing great things, and I believed this from the moment I stepped onto the team.
The environment at Harvard can be a competitive and stressful one. Throughout my four years I felt that walking over the bridge was like crossing into another world. It was a place to leave all that behind and spend some time in the water where I belonged. Even when the idea of a tough practice seemed daunting, knowing I would be working for and alongside my team made it seem welcoming. Whenever I was having a rough day, I knew there had to be someone else within this large group of girls who needed me to help get them through whatever obstacle we were being thrown. Knowing that I could be someone else’s encouragement was enough to make me realize that their problems were mine and mine were theirs. We were united in a way that meant our lives would become entangled and overlap beyond the pool.
Having the opportunity to lead this magnificent group as co-captain this past year was the biggest honor that I could have been presented with at Harvard. This team of young women who I had relied on was choosing me to lean on in the biggest of ways. I just hoped that I could give back in this time even half of what I felt the team had given to me over the first three years. I anticipated welcoming the freshmen, supporting the sophomores, and encouraging the juniors to see how they were the inspiration for much of the team. I can only hope that I left the team with fond memories and maybe a few lessons.
My years over the bridge at Blodgett Pool will be some of my most unforgettable. These moments helped me realize that my time at Harvard was not about what I accomplished as much as who I encountered. I do not know if I will ever have the honor of standing alongside thirty strong women behind a single cause again in my life. I do know that even if a similar situation arises, I will forever remember my team at Harvard as teaching me the emotional significance of working for more than myself. They taught me that I can be a part of something bigger, something extraordinary."
So thanks, Harvard grad, for writing what so many of us who swam together on extraordinary teams at extraordinary universities have thought, but who may not have put it down on paper. My Stanford girls are a group of uncommon girls with whom I share a bond that is hard to describe; except to other swimmers who have swum with other extraordinary girls....and even then, it's not the same. Some immeasurable bonds grew out of that 50 meter x 25 yard x 4.5-8.5 foot deep tank of water. I value more, those friendships and bonds than any I've developed since (well, except for maybe with Davey G). Who knew that out of all that suffering could come such remarkable good?
So thank you, Janel, for turning my day around and sharing that memory with us and for reminding me that even all these years later, when I am having a crapper of a day, I still have extraordinary teammates who have my back!
The release of the Kestrel 4000 has been a much anticipated and exciting step for the brand. What’s next for Kestrel??
Hail Stanford!
