Federal Escape '07 - Worlds Qualifier

Federal Escape Olympic

Regional Qualifier - 2008 Worlds

July 28, 2007

1st in AG/18th OA

Swim: 29:50

T1: 55.3

Bike: 1:12:42

T2: 38.3

Run: 44:18

Total: 1:28:24

From USAT's website:

Team USA was created by USA Triathlon to be a team of age group/amateurs who will best represent the United States and compete in the International Triathlon Union’s (ITU) world championships, which attracts the best athletes representing over 50 countries each year.

Remember Dave & Francie who I met at USAT Nationals in June '07? By placing in the top 16 of our respective divisions, Dave & I both qualified for the 2007 ITU Worlds race to be held in Hamburg, Germany which were to be held in September 2007. What with plenty other life and financial issues on my plate, I never considered flying off to Germany on short notice to compete in a race that I wouldn't be very competitive in. But Dave was enthusiastic and encouraging and at least planted the seed of an idea: If not 2007 Worlds, what about 2008? That race will be held in Vancouver B.C. and a regional qualifier race was to be held in just a few weeks in the Seattle area. I should try it, he suggested.

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I hadn't planned on doing this race - the Federal Escape - this year, but the idea of maybe qualifying for Worlds stuck with me. I would have to place first in my AG to qualify. That might be possible if a Nancy A. didn't show up for the race - she's a local who consistently beats me by several minutes (one exception was Cascades Edge this year, a day she had issues with muscle cramps and other things; other than a bad luck day like that for her, she should be beating me in every race - she is a fast runner!). Even though it was a relatively "small" race, it was a regional qualifier and could potentially attract more competitive people hoping to capture a Worlds spot. Because of the "aging up" rule, any woman who would turn 50 in 2008 would be competing in my AG and could claim the Worlds slot if they had the fastest time, so my competition in this race potentially included 48 year-olds. With Vancouver just up the road, I had to give it a shot.

The race itself was unremarkable. It was held at 5 Mile Lake in Federal Way. The lake is an odd iodine-red color, the bike course was 4 loops of rolling hills and turns around the lake (what some would call a "technical course") and the run was 2 loops with a few easy to moderate hills. Nothing really stands out about it other than I felt like I worked hard in the run and was able to hold onto a fairly steady pace for the about-10K distance (I'm not sure it was exactly a 10K, my time seems a bit too good, but it was about 1:45 faster than last year on this course, so that's progress). Luckily for me, Nancy A. did not race and I did manage to place 1st in AG, including those who would age-up by 2008. So I am Vancouver-bound now, having put my deposit down already. I'm proud to have qualified, but can't say that I'm excited about it quite yet. There are the team tee-shirts, matching racing outfits, the marching in the parade, the spectators who cheer "USA, USA" and all that... I'm sure it will be quite an experience.

I kind of thought 2008 might be the season I just have fun with this triathlon thing, maybe reacquaint myself with a more recreational summer, some camping, hiking, road trips....like I used to do. Any maybe I still will; this race is in early June, so if I train well in the spring for it, maybe I'll coast through the summer without big goals looming. Or maybe I'll try my first Half Iron Distance race. We'll just see. : )

I used to make regular trips to the Desert Southwest for backpacking trips in pretty places like this: