Sunday, April 26, 2009
Poop. No swim. St Anthonys first annual duathlon.
The big cheezes at St Anthonys Triathlon decided to cancel the swim this morning. The water was pretty choppy and they were having trouble launching the kayak safety patrol. In the old days they would have put a couple people on surfboards and had at it. But that was when there were only 1,500 competitors and there was no purple menace. After having a fatality during the swim a couple years ago, they are rightly erring on the side of caution. With 4,000 competitors, probably 20% of whom are barely able to complete a 1,500 in the pool, it was a good decision.
That being said, what a bummer. I was looking forward to the swim since I have been training pretty well. The bike and run are not bad but the swim would have launched me into a top ten finish and a cool St Anthonys award. So it goes.
The swim, oops, I mean bike went well. It was windy as heck and I am not quite to the point of churning over a big gear, but I put in a respectable 1.02 at 24.1 mph. My times here have been between 59-1.01 in past years.
On the run - I somehow launched off to a 6:10 first mile and a 6:20 second mile, which is faster than I've run off the bike all season. I slowed down a bit from there but it gives me hope and courage and smiley happy faces for the upcoming sprints throughout North Carolina. Total finish was 41:39 on the run.
I finished 16th in the M35-39 category in 1:46 something.
After puttering out the last couple of miles I decided that racing the White Lake half is more than I want to suffer through just now. If they will switch me to the sprint I'll compete in that, otherwise I'm just going to shout at peeps.
Here is a picture of what the chop looked like to someone who has never seen the ocean or bay.
Here is what it looked like to me.
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24 comments:
Marty, couldn't agree more. We had similar discussions about the purple people amd their part in overall safety and dumbing down of the race. Guess from a business/insurance perspective, Phil made the decision he had to. It is what it is, though. As a former Tar Heel now living in Tampa, I enjoy reading about what you guys are up to in NC.
You refer to Team in Training as "the purple menace." Is our sport so sacred that you don't like people trying it for the first time while raising thousands of dollars for cancer research? St Anthony's is open to whomever wants to register. Get over yourself.
Marty, I am with you. I get the insurance aspect and as a race organizer you have to deal with public relations but don't sign up for an open water swim if you aren't a competant swimmer in open water. To the anonymous poster, it's like surfing. I am all for people trying the sport and I am by no means the best surfer out there. However, if I am out of my league with big waves, I don't go mix it up with the good surfers but they still get to go surf, it's not canceled. Triathlon is a sport, it shouldn't be cancelled b/c some people are in over their heads. Raise money for cancer by all means but do a pool swim if you are not competant.
Scott Lowery
Hi Anonymous,
Thanks for reading. I don't think Team in Training should be doing a tough olympic distance race as their first race, since you ask. I am waaaay over myself. How about you?
I'm the first anonymous poster. I've worked with TNT for three years and I take offense to Baldwin saying the race is "dumbed down" for Team in Training. Team in Training gets their own waves and it's the last one. They stay out of everybody's way. You know there are going to be thousands of TNT participants there, so if you are going to complain about, maybe you should just stay away.
Marty, what'so hard about the Saint Anthony's course. I think it's fast and easy? PR time for me. I saw your time this year, good job, and I'm sincere about that.
The race directors have to make sure the race is safe for every competitor..fast, slow, and everything in between. The fact that there were thousands of TNT participants out there, most of whom are novice triathletes or first timers, absolutely had something to do with the swim being cancelled. The sport is obviously growing, in large part due to TNT participation, and that requires races to have a different set of safety standards. As you mentioned, they even get their own wave and "stay out of people's way" because they are known for having a tough time on the swim and on the rest of the course. I don't have any hard feelings about TNT, I think it is great what they do and support them. It has just changed the dynamics of this race. St. Anthony's seems to have a rough swim every year. Maybe this is not the race to have so many purple people get out there for the first time. There are many sprints and easier olympic distances that they could go for.
I love novices and first timers. They are my bread and butter. I would never recommend a new triathlete compete in St Anthonys because they lack the skillset necessary to deal with wind chop, a technical bike course, and a hot run. Team in Training is big business and they are irresponsible to encourage unskilled athletes to compete in ANY tough event as a first timer. It is great to get newbies into the sport but the color of money is a powerful draw to everyone. Philip and his crew made the right decision to protect those who would be unable to protect themselves. Marty
i love the pictures. that's how i felt in 2006 when i looked at the water. i didn't think the surf was bad on that day. i didn't see it this past Sunday, but if I did pay for the race, and train for the race, and drive to St. Pete, and pay for a hotel room I would have felt jipped if the decision NOT TO SWIM came from someone else but me. if an athlete does not do a leg of the race, it should be up to them. wasnt there a "first timers" wave this year? they perhaps should have stayed back. And for TIT, the "purple" racers, It's great that they're getting out there, but this race, as Martygal mentioned is not one for a beginner.
Thanks for responding. You all make some great points. I agree that TNT changes the race dynamics, and was most likely a large factor in cancelling the swim.
I would have been very bummed if I was competing and the swim was cancelled, as it's my best leg.
I'll look for you guys at the races. I'll be the one in the purple TNT suit.
What's the difference between a TNTer and another first timer that is not wearing purple? I'll tell you. The first timer probably hasn't had the expert training and coaching for 6 months prior that the TNTer had. The novice was probably not in Spin classes in December like the TNTer was. The novice probably also didn't have a coach that has done St Anthony's 10 times and placed each time. That is the difference. I was there, I was wearing purple, and I was ready to swim competently and efficiently. My coaches would not have let me in the water if they didn't think so.
Thanks everyone for reading and commenting. :) See you at the races.
Just as an add on to the last anonymous poster,some mentioned thousands of TNTers participating...as a correction, TNT had only 350 participants in the race this year. We don't have as much of the impact that you are exaggerating about. And being a first time TNTer at St. A's as well, I was also ready for the event. Get your facts straight and stop looking for a scapegoat.
My anonymous friends:
You are hiding behind your very worthy cause as a shield for valid criticism.
The race director can and will adjust the risk they will take based upon your 10% participation in the event, as well as the increased total numbers they have taken on in the past several years. It is great to see the event succeed and bring so much commerce to the area and provide a destination event to 1000's of folks from across the globe.
But my facts are, in fact, straight.
In 2006 they had to pull 80 participants from the swim, many of whom were TNTers.
Many of the TNT coaches are not very experienced in the sports they are coaching. Ask them about their years of coaching, years in the sport, etc. Of course there are some good ones, but when your business, errr, cause, gets this big, they are not all going to be diamonds.
Grow some thicker skin or I will continue to make obnoxious comments about things that bother me, like poor bike handling skills, dumb people, jerks, assholes, bitches, and anonymous postings from uninformed jackasses.
Have a great day!
Marty, you're an arrogant moron, and I feel bad for anyone who has you as a triathlon "coach". Even if no TNT's had been in the race, they STILL would likely have cancelled the swim. Did you see what Andy Potts and the other pros were saying? THEY had a difficult time with the swim. I think Potts even said something like he almost wanted to turn back. And by the way, TNT is only involved with a handful of tris each year. There are hundreds of other races to choose from. If you hate the purple menace so much, then don't do St. A's.
I hate to burst your bubble, but Potts and every other pro with an ounce of sense will put a nice spin on their reporting of the conditions so that it shines a favorable light on the decision to nix the swim for everyone else. Look through the pro times from years past and you'll see they are very similar to this years times, despite the conditions.
Stick around for 20+ years and one day you'll see the wizard behind the curtain. Also, be sure to say that to my face next time we meet.
Also: blah blah blah. Thanks for reading!
Marty,
Grow some thicker skin or I will continue to make obnoxious comments about things that bother me, like poor bike handling skills, dumb people, jerks, assholes, bitches, and anonymous postings from uninformed jackasses.
I heard that somewhere...
It must be awesome being you. You are a triathlon god with so much wisdom. Also, be sure to call TNTers "a purple menace" to their face the next time you meet.
Anonymous, why don't you grow some thicker skin and post your real name? :)
It is awesome being Marty! I hope it's awesome being you! He is not a triathlon god nor has he ever claimed to be. Good luck with your season, be sure to smile and have fun.
i have been reading everyones posts. and i do understand where everyone is coming from, and why people are upset with why they cancelled the swim. but the way i see it, is that there are amatuers in the race (TNT or not) and there are veterens in the race (TNT or not). therefore, the way i see it, they probably would of cancelled the swim either way. also, honestly im sorry but the way i see it, a race is a race is a race. as a competative athlete, i know that for me it does not matter if i was running a 800, a marathon, a tri, or a race in my backyard, it is a race and there will always be more. saying that, i think that everyone should just take my comments for what they are worth and realize that St. A's will be back to a tri next year, and there are always going to be more. so don't try to blame people for something that they have no control over...
Jay--
As a first-time triathlete (at least I was hoping to be) at St. A's and also a TNTer, I have to say that I was beyond disappointed that the swim was canceled. Not at the race directors, but just at the fact that it was canceled. I was admittedly tense about the swim after seeing the conditions on Saturday. It certainly wasn't a pool. Nevertheless, I was eager to get out there and give it my all. And not completing the swim never even crossed my mind. I trained hard for four months for this race. In the shortened version, I finished in a satisfying 2:02. But what I can't understand is how you call an organization that has raised almost $1 billion for a society that is fighting diseases that kill 50,000 Americans a year, "the purple menace." I will concede that my TNT experience wasn't the greatest and I will not sign up again next year. But with that said, you and whoever else uses the term purple menace are a pathetic disgrace.
Austin, you guys are all schoolyard bullies. Seriously. Sanctimonious holier than thou bullshit. You worked for/worked with an organization that has huge muscle flex & exposure at these events and are castigating my blog, character, history in the sport, and coaching abilities because of this statement:
"But that was when there were only 1,500 competitors and there was no purple menace. After having a fatality during the swim a couple years ago, they are rightly erring on the side of caution. With 4,000 competitors, probably 20% of whom are barely able to complete a 1,500 in the pool, it was a good decision."
Beyond focusing on one phrase that gets your hackles in a bundle, you are putting big business on a pedestal. I have written and said a bunch of times that the TNT cause is a good one.
You clearly do not take the time to read any of the rest of my blog (re: the posts made prior to your reply today) or know anything about my history of fund raising, team building, leadership, coaching, etcetera.
After 4 months in the sport you are calling me a pathetic disgrace.
Bully for you.
Why would I read any of the rest of your blog?
side-tracked here...when I searched for a good olympic tri for beginners, this one came up. Is that not really the case? It said its a lot of fun, friendly to newbies, and flat....Which one do people recommend at olympic distance for people starting out?
Hi, good first triathlon ever - no. Good first olympic distance race - yes. You should get some open water swimming experience before showing up on race day though.
Wow. Not enough time in the day to read all these comments.
"Grow some thicker skin or I will continue to make obnoxious comments about things that bother me, like poor bike handling skills, dumb people, jerks, assholes, bitches, and anonymous postings from uninformed jackasses."
While you're at it, how about another post on wearing ipods while running or riding in busy areas. That one is always popular.
P.S. Anonymous posters. Seriously, grow some thicker skin. Heard of the phrase "tongue in cheek?"
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