So, I'm being selfish again, and I'm putting it out there to be held accountable again. Sometime during my trip to Brazil, I decided I wanted to switch things up a little bit, and make a run for qualifying for age group worlds to represent Team USA in Spain next year. Long Course Multisport Nationals is the place you have to qualify for this event, and it's Miami in early November. I do not have a shot in hell to qualify for the team in the half-iron distance triathlon. My running capabilities make that the case, but I am (of course) exaggerating a bit. My best half iron time is 5:19, but that was done on a course that was a little short, so it's probably reasonable to say my best time is more in the 5:30 to 5:40 range. With the top 18 places in each age group going, the 18th place in the age groups that matter for me (I'm going up an age group next year) were 5:47 (40-44) and 5:33 (45-49) last year. I'm aware that last year's race was a hot and windy day, so the times may not be consistent with the courses I've done my best times on....though Vineman 70.3--that's a maybe.
In any case, it would require a good, if not great, performance from me to make the team in that event, and all of the stars would have to line up correctly, and it's something I'll consider in the future. This year though, I've said I always wanted to try an aquabike event, because it's no secret that running is my third best sport in a triathlon, to put it mildly. Sometimes, I wonder what goes through people's heads when they pass me during a run at the end of a triathlon--I'm certain that anyone vying for a spot on the podium is basically like "Good, one more down." Though, others may have an internal dialogue going that amounts to "Dude, you can't run for shit." Don't get me wrong--I enjoy running, and it's continuing to improve for me. It just remains the sport that has the most room for improvement.
The Aquabike is a fairly new introduction to the world of multi-sport competition. One reference I found said that it became official in 2010. The race consists of a swim and a bike, with no run following, and it's really kind of ideally suited for someone like me, or for someone who was once a triathlete that can't run anymore due to injury, or anyone really, who wants to give it a shot. It is not, however, heavily competed. At long course nationals in November, the Aquabike is a 1.2 mile swim/56 mile bike. There are 18 slots for age group world qualification in each age group at nationals, and there were 10 people and 13 people that finished the race in the 40-44 and 45-49 age groups last year.
This comes as a bit of a double edged sword for me. I'd like to qualify for worlds, and then go on to compete at them and race (as an age grouper) for Team USA, but I also like to have a challenge. For anyone who doesn't know, this level of competition, at least to qualify, is a hell of a lot lower bar than anything regarding anyone qualifying for a USA national team at the elite level. But it's a good goal for me, and something I think would be fun to pursue.
So, the primary goal is always to go out and have a good time doing it. Secondary to that is qualifying for worlds, and then the third level goal is seeing how high I can place at nationals. Beyond that, I have another goal in mind that the measurement of my success is going to be something like--did I race a time in the Aquabike that would have put me in the top 18 at the end of the bike in the half iron distance triathlon? That event is a lot more heavily competed, and while people do go a bit slower on the bike than they would if they didn't have a run to do, the difference is not as large as you might think it is. Don't get me wrong--if I don't race faster than that theoretical 18th place time, and I still qualify in the Aquabike, I'm going to take that and be happy as a clam. I'm just going to think better of the effort if I do go faster than number 18 off the bike in the triathlon.
So, that's it! It's what I'm doing in November in Miami, and then hopefully again in May in Spain. And if you want to get into Aquabike--come on out! I'd love to see this discipline of multi-sport grow.And I'm not done running--I'm doing the Long Beach half marathon the month before this race in Miami--and I love running...it puts my head in a zone that no other sport does.
