Pulling a Season out of the Ashes

All systems are GO for it

Since my last post, more disasters are brewing, but I refuse to go down for the count. Procrastination and general malaise contributed to my next failure - to register for the USAT Age Group National Championship in Burlington, Vermont. And, wouldn't you know it? The race sold out this year (earlier than ever before). I had the option to do one of three things: drop back 15 yards and punt, find another means to qualify, or sign up on a waiting list (and pray - ok, that's a fourth thing).

This decision was much more difficult than you might think...

1. The 2013 ITU Age Group World Championship will be held in one of my favorite cities on earth and a place where I have many friends - LONDON! And the way to qualify for it is.... 
2. The USAT Age Group Nationals in Burlington, scheduled to take place the weeked before IM Louisville.

I was really screwed. If I wanted to go to London (which I do, perhaps even more than Kona), I would have to race in Burlington (and do well). Did it even matter that it was only eight days before Louisville?

And so what did I do when Burlington sold out? Isn't it obvious?

I maximized my chances of getting in.

I added myself to the waiting list (duh!), AND, after pondering the situation for more than a week and hearing nothing from USAT re: the waiting list, I made a desperation registration - a special qualifier next weekend in Michigan - the South Beach Triathlon. It's an Olympic-distance race in South Haven, Michigan, that qualifies the top five in each age group to race in Burlington. It was the only qualifier even remotely within driving distance from my house (just over five hours).

Then, wouldn't you guess? Only a few hours after I registered for South Beach, I received an email from USAT that I was no longer on the waiting list, and I had, indeed, been officially registered for Burlington as well.

It figures.

Then the reality of it hit me: I'm now looking down the barrel at my three most important races of the season - three races of vastly different distances and training requirements - all within four weeks of one another.

OK, I'm game. I'll give it a go. I'll be forced to do speed work and it will make me really strong. And if nothing else, it will be a learning experience. Besides, can it get much worse after two DNF's already this year?

Wish me luck. Or just pray (with me). If you remember, that was an option in the list too.