Go Hug!

Tom Henderson <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Was just browsing the USAT "road to athens" publication
and saw Laurie at # 3 on the top S women hopefuls list.
Best of luck, Hug!

Thanks Tom...however, that publication was in alphabetical
order...I was ranked 3rd to last for those who made it to
the Olympic Trials! The race (in Honolulu on 4/18) was tough
- choppy water (got trapped in the swim start and it took me
600m to catch the chase group in the swim), slow T1 so
missed riding with the leaders of the 2nd pack. There was a
really tough climb on each of the 5 bike laps and brutal
winds. Lotsa pain! I wanted to drop out soooo bad (esp after
Joanna Zeiger and Maxine Searr did after the 2nd bike lap).
However, I have yet to quit a race and didn't want Olympic
Trials to be the 1st time! Legs were beat for the run, so
not so pleased with my time, but happy to have just
qualified to go to trials and not to have finished last
<g>! There were 19 female starters and I ended up 13th (10th
American).

Think I may go back to concentrating primarily on non-
drafting races, they are less intense! Maybe I'll see ya at
Santa Rosa Island Sprint again this year - LOVE that race!

BTW, I am surprised you even acknowledged that "road to
athens" article, since I know how you feel about draft legal
tris <g>! Personally, having raced in both formats (11 years
non-drafting amateur, and 4+ seasons pro doing mainly draft
legal, but also some traditional and a couple XTerras thrown
in) I can say they are both TRIathlons, as are off-road
events. They are all just different styles, like road racing
vs time trialing vs mountain biking are all different styles
of cycling events.

-hug

Laurie, I know a few people who, 30 years after the events,
are still thinking and talking about the time they made or
almost made it to the Olympic TRIALS. We are still in awe of
them and any pr pieces that are printed always include their
accomplishment. It has never occured to me to ask what was
their precise position in the trials or the races that
almost qualified them for the trials. It looks like it's
going to take some years for your self-assessment to catch
up with your achievement. I wish I could look back and say
something like that about myself. You are truly awesome.

Ruth Kazez

hug said:

Tom Henderson <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:<Xns94D23E6E06533TomH4thBellSouthnet@216-
.77.188.18>...

Quoted message said:

Was just browsing the USAT "road to athens" publication
and saw Laurie at # 3 on the top S women hopefuls list.
Best of luck, Hug!

Thanks Tom...however, that publication was in alphabetical
order...I was ranked 3rd to last for those who made it to
the Olympic Trials! The race (in Honolulu on 4/18) was
tough - choppy water (got trapped in the swim start and it
took me 600m to catch the chase group in the swim), slow
T1 so missed riding with the leaders of the 2nd pack.
There was a really tough climb on each of the 5 bike laps
and brutal winds. Lotsa pain! I wanted to drop out soooo
bad (esp after Joanna Zeiger and Maxine Searr did after
the 2nd bike lap). However, I have yet to quit a race and
didn't want Olympic Trials to be the 1st time! Legs were
beat for the run, so not so pleased with my time, but
happy to have just qualified to go to trials and not to
have finished last
<g>! There were 19 female starters and I ended up 13th
(10th American).

rtk said:

Laurie, I know a few people who, 30 years after the
events, are still thinking and talking about the time they
made or almost made it to the Olympic TRIALS. We are still
in awe of them and any pr pieces that are printed always
include their accomplishment. It has never occured to me
to ask what was their precise position in the trials or
the races that almost qualified them for the trials. It
looks like it's going to take some years for your self-
assessment to catch up with your achievement. I wish I
could look back and say something like that about myself.
You are truly awesome.

Ruth Kazez

Ruth, To even be able to race in Honolulu you had to be
ranked in the top 125 in the world.

JJ

In article <[email hidden]>,

JJ Waguespack said:

Ruth, To even be able to race in Honolulu you had to be
ranked in the top 125 in the world.

If I made up my own sport and didn't tell anyone else about
it, I'm still not sure I could make the top 125 in the
world! :-)

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night, and party every day. Th-
en it was every other day. . . ."
- Homer J. Simpson

[email hidden] (hug) wrote in news:d8bcdff1.0404260927.25c9f2a2
@posting.google.com:

Quoted message said:

BTW, I am surprised you even acknowledged that "road to
athens" article, since I know how you feel about draft
legal tris <g>!

As much as I [censored] and moan about that format, I also
recognize it's the only format available to those who have a
shot at the olympics. Everyone who has reached that caliber
in the sport has my respect. Heck, everyone who steps up to
the edge of the water for any race has my respect.

The IOC and USAT, on the other hand, need to be taken out
back and "re- educated" for screwing up the format and
compromising the fairness of the sport solely for the sake
of the viewers.

As far as the magnitude of your accomplishment, I think Ruth
said it better than I can muster. You done good! Hope to see
you at SRI Tri! Had a broken wrist last year, so I worked
the transition exit. This year I'll be doing it for fun as
my last race before IMFL. Save me a beer, I'll be finishing
about a half hour after you!

Tom

JJ Waguespack said:

rtk said:

Laurie, I know a few people who, 30 years after the
events, are still thinking and talking about the time
they made or almost made it to the Olympic TRIALS. We are
still in awe of them and any pr pieces that are printed
always include their accomplishment. It has never occured
to me to ask what was their precise position in the
trials or the races that almost qualified them for the
trials. It looks like it's going to take some years for
your self-assessment to catch up with your achievement. I
wish I could look back and say something like that about
myself. You are truly awesome.

Ruth Kazez

Ruth, To even be able to race in Honolulu you had to be
ranked in the top 125 in the world.

JJ

I think Ruth, a former World Age Group winner herself,
probably has some understanding of the competition at
that level.

Mike Tennent "IronPenguin"

Tom Henderson said:

[email hidden] (hug) wrote in
news:d8bcdff1.0404260927.25c9f2a2 @posting.google.com:

Quoted message said:

BTW, I am surprised you even acknowledged that "road to
athens" article, since I know how you feel about draft
legal tris <g>!

As much as I [censored] and moan about that format, I also
recognize it's the only format available to those who have
a shot at the olympics. Everyone who has reached that
caliber in the sport has my respect. Heck, everyone who
steps up to the edge of the water for any race has my
respect.

The IOC and USAT, on the other hand, need to be taken out
back and "re- educated" for screwing up the format and
compromising the fairness of the sport solely for the sake
of the viewers.

As far as the magnitude of your accomplishment, I think
Ruth said it better than I can muster. You done good! Hope
to see you at SRI Tri! Had a broken wrist last year, so I
worked the transition exit. This year I'll be doing it for
fun as my last race before IMFL. Save me a beer, I'll be
finishing about a half hour after you!

Tom

Look for the guy in the timing tent, I'll be there.

JJ

Thanks for the kind words and I think you CAN say the same
about yourself and your accomplishments in triathlon. How
many people, especially females, over the age of 65 can
claim to have finished a triathlon, much less an Ironman -
you inspire me! I just lucked out to be born at a time when
women are not only accepted but even encouraged to
participate in endurance sports. (Cracks me up that people
used to think women weren't strong enough for things like
the marathon or other endurance events and now women are
closing in fast on the men's times and even occassionally
win events outright, like long distance open water
championships...and it ticks me off that in the Olympics
women still only swim an 800m Free as the longest event
instead of a 1500m free - sheesh.)

BTW, I was thrilled to be on the start line (16 US women
qualified and only 14 started as 2 were injured), even
though I had nearly no chance of qualifying. I had a big ass
grin in the tent before the race and even was smiling
throughout the bike (despite the pain) b/c it was just so
cool to be there. I missed making Olympic Trials in the 400
IM back in 1987/88 by a few seconds and was so grateful to
have another chance to qualify.

-hug

rtk <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<88adnTxMtM8lyxDdRVn-
[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Laurie, I know a few people who, 30 years after the
events, are still thinking and talking about the time they
made or almost made it to the Olympic TRIALS. We are still
in awe of them and any pr pieces that are printed always
include their accomplishment. It has never occured to me
to ask what was their precise position in the trials or
the races that almost qualified them for the trials. It
looks like it's going to take some years for your self-
assessment to catch up with your achievement. I wish I
could look back and say something like that about myself.
You are truly awesome.

Ruth Kazez

hug said:

Tom Henderson <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:<Xns94D23E6E06533TomH4thBellSouthnet@216-
.77.188.18>...

Quoted message said:

Was just browsing the USAT "road to athens" publication
and saw Laurie at # 3 on the top S women hopefuls list.
Best of luck, Hug!

Thanks Tom...however, that publication was in
alphabetical order...I was ranked 3rd to last for those
who made it to the Olympic Trials! The race (in Honolulu
on 4/18) was tough - choppy water (got trapped in the
swim start and it took me 600m to catch the chase group
in the swim), slow T1 so missed riding with the leaders
of the 2nd pack. There was a really tough climb on each
of the 5 bike laps and brutal winds. Lotsa pain! I
wanted to drop out soooo bad (esp after Joanna Zeiger
and Maxine Searr did after the 2nd bike lap). However, I
have yet to quit a race and didn't want Olympic Trials
to be the 1st time! Legs were beat for the run, so not
so pleased with my time, but happy to have just
qualified to go to trials and not to have finished last
<g>! There were 19 female starters and I ended up 13th
(10th American).