I'll look at it this way: whichever the final number is I will use it to "credit" my virtual Triathlon account and that will (virtually) contribute towards all expenses I've had since I started thinking Kona.
Wish I had piles of stupid $ just sitting around to do something like that, but I've still got too many mouths, colleges and mid-life crises to feed. My primary Kona plan, descending from ideal to desperate, is: (1) qualify, (2) lotto, (3) legacy, (4) bandit.
You have to have significant discretionary cash flow to want to pay $50K for a Kona slot. If I can't KQ when I age up to 60-64 then I'll just wait my turn for a legacy slot. No hurry.
I thought Kona was some kind of world championship. Appears not if you can buy your way in. I think it takes away from those that have worked hard for years to get there.
It makes me think of my own recent dilemma.
I recently qualified for the ITU worlds. Problem is there were faster people in the national qualifying race that are not going because they weren't prepared to fund their trip to Chicago. As happy as I am with my improvement and new found speed, I'm under no illusions about the number of faster athletes in my AG who could have taken my place if they had wanted to. So it's leaves a slightly hollow feeling and I've been in two minds about going. Still, the opportunity to wear my country colours is one that I am going to take seriously and train damn hard to represent!
@ Juan - I'm afraid to do the math, scared I might come out on the wrong end of the equation. Meaning, how much did I spend 1999-2005, until my first KQ. But as others have noted, thats not the point at all.
@ Chris - I'm sure Vincenzo Nibali, when he won last year's Tour de France, did not lie awake at night feeling less than a champion because Chris Froome and Alberta Contador failed to finish. You did the work, you made the grade, now enjoy the atmosphere of a world class event.
Don't get me started on the Olympics as a championship. Case in point: Eric Moussambani - Sydney Olympics. Case in point - if you want the best marathoners, then you would have to give Kenya about 200 entries to the Olympic marathon and maybe split a 100 between the rest of the world.
I've entered this debate many times on ST, and my steadfast position is that there is no such thing as an official world championship. In my mind, it is the quality and depth of the competition that lends credibility to the declared championship, not the official stamp by some so-called official federation or governing body.
That said, I don't harbor any false pretenses about where I stand in the world championships I've done and will be doing. There will be plenty of folks there to kick my butt from here to China.
Counter to my previous post I suppose another way to look at it is that AG triathlon is a sport for everyone. A lot of people work damn hard and make a lot of sacrifice and achieve amazing things, but the fact remains it's not the elite or professional level, and there is nothing wrong with adding one Kona slot to raise some cash for charity.
You have to have significant discretionary cash flow to want to pay $50K for a Kona slot. If I can't KQ when I age up to 60-64 then I'll just wait my turn for a legacy slot. No hurry.
Think about the MOP person that really wants to do Kona and has maybe done two Ironman races. 10 more to be Legacy qualified, but we all know it's probably 14 or 15 (and not 12) that finally gets you in the door.
So 12 IM races x $750 each = $9000
Airfare to 12 races = $6000
Lodging at 12 races, let's say five nights @ $150/night = $9000 (my experience has been much more than $150/night)
Meals for 12 races/travel ($30 per day x 5 days x 12) = $1800
Then there's possible rental car fees and other things I'm not thinking about = $5000
So that's over $30,000 already and we haven't begun to discuss soft costs:
- What's the training time for 12 races worth to you?
- What's the vacation days required from your job to go to IM races worth?
- What's the family sacrifice for 12 races worth?
Factoring in all that and $50,00 doesn't seem that outrageous to me.
Bob, if folks don't have the money to spend 30k over 12 or more years they don't have 50K to drop on an entry fee and still pay the remainder of the trip. The reality of IM is that most folks do not fly to the race. They only do those within driving range and often the same one year after year, if they ever do more than one. Doing destination IM trips is a serious lifestyle choice but I have this SAU thing wired!
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That doesn't even remotely come in to my thinking. I want to get there, but it has to be from achievement for me.
Wish I had piles of stupid $ just sitting around to do something like that, but I've still got too many mouths, colleges and mid-life crises to feed. My primary Kona plan, descending from ideal to desperate, is: (1) qualify, (2) lotto, (3) legacy, (4) bandit.
It makes me think of my own recent dilemma.
I recently qualified for the ITU worlds. Problem is there were faster people in the national qualifying race that are not going because they weren't prepared to fund their trip to Chicago. As happy as I am with my improvement and new found speed, I'm under no illusions about the number of faster athletes in my AG who could have taken my place if they had wanted to. So it's leaves a slightly hollow feeling and I've been in two minds about going. Still, the opportunity to wear my country colours is one that I am going to take seriously and train damn hard to represent!
@ Juan - I'm afraid to do the math, scared I might come out on the wrong end of the equation. Meaning, how much did I spend 1999-2005, until my first KQ. But as others have noted, thats not the point at all.
@ Chris - I'm sure Vincenzo Nibali, when he won last year's Tour de France, did not lie awake at night feeling less than a champion because Chris Froome and Alberta Contador failed to finish. You did the work, you made the grade, now enjoy the atmosphere of a world class event.
I've entered this debate many times on ST, and my steadfast position is that there is no such thing as an official world championship. In my mind, it is the quality and depth of the competition that lends credibility to the declared championship, not the official stamp by some so-called official federation or governing body.
That said, I don't harbor any false pretenses about where I stand in the world championships I've done and will be doing. There will be plenty of folks there to kick my butt from here to China.
Think about the MOP person that really wants to do Kona and has maybe done two Ironman races. 10 more to be Legacy qualified, but we all know it's probably 14 or 15 (and not 12) that finally gets you in the door.
So 12 IM races x $750 each = $9000
Airfare to 12 races = $6000
Lodging at 12 races, let's say five nights @ $150/night = $9000 (my experience has been much more than $150/night)
Meals for 12 races/travel ($30 per day x 5 days x 12) = $1800
Then there's possible rental car fees and other things I'm not thinking about = $5000
So that's over $30,000 already and we haven't begun to discuss soft costs:
- What's the training time for 12 races worth to you?
- What's the vacation days required from your job to go to IM races worth?
- What's the family sacrifice for 12 races worth?
Factoring in all that and $50,00 doesn't seem that outrageous to me.
I think you guys are all missing the most obvious question: Chris, What kind of premium beer is $8 for a sixer?