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Kona Lottery
Alright, I just applied for the Kona lottery for 2010.
My ex-gf never liked the idea of 'cheating' (what she called it) to get your way in, but I can admit to myself that I'm never going to be one of the qualifying guys. Just not meant for speed over distance.
My immediate goal is to qualify for 70.3 Clearwater...SOMEHOW!!! Ideas?!?
I'll take a lottery entry into Kona any time!!! I might actually be able to get into Boston with a sponsor exemption as well, since I doubt I'll ever qualify for that either (unless I'm the only guy in the 60+ AG, and still able to complete a marathon someday).
Anyone else holding their breaths too?
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Scott,
Its not cheating but part of the system. I am trying not to do to many stpuid things in a row. Getting to IMC 2010 will be enough for my body this year. Then again who can say what I will do between now and February. I'll definitely sign up for the following year.
I'm not much help on the 70.3 qualification as I just rolled off the couch this summer. Just keep hammering away in the OS. On question though, don't you need to go faster in a 70.3?
Gordon
As a lottery winner I have given this much thought. I did at times have lottery guilt up until I completed the event. The lottery system is one of the grand traditions of the sport. It is why triathlon has a different feel than other sports like cycling. You still need to complete the 140 miles yourself. In many the course is designed to punish the slower riders as the wind pick up and gets stronger through out the day. If you can get in you have the best experience of your life. It is like nothing else I have ever done.
Cheating would be drafting the entire way on the bike.
I've done the lottery thing maybe 3x in the past, usually in years when I don't have an Ironman on my plate already. Nothing wrong with it, the odds aren't that bad 1:35 who enter get a slot (7000 enter 200 get slots).
On a simple level if you want a clear water slot get faster, enter several 70.3 events and attend the roll downs. Some spots go pretty deep.
Boston is a must do, I got lucky qualified my first marathon so I ran it as my 2nd marathon ever in 2003, while I thought it was pretty cool at the time I would appreciate it a little more now knowing what I know.
Good on ya for signing up for the lottery. As has been said, you still have to go the distance and reach the finish line that day, which means you still have to do the training. No way to cheat on either of those points.
+1 on the roll downs for the 70.3 events. Depending on your age group they do go down pretty far. Now that there are so many more 70.3 qualifying races there will probably be a lot of folks doing races several 70.3 races in a given year that will win a slot and will have already qualified thus (theoretically) allowing more slots to roll down. Not sure if it was normal, but in the one official 70.3 that I did (Buffalo Springs) in my AG (W35-39) there were at least two slots that rolled all the way down to the AG finishers well into the twenties. Not sure that I really know what I'm talking about, but it's a thought..
Good luck in the lottery!
I'm a 2007 lottery alum and I'm so glad I did it. I know I'll never get there otherwise. Don't sell yourself short on a BQ though. I never thought I 'd do that either and qualifies last year.