Back up plan.

Well my goal for the 2009 season is to make Kona but I'm always one for a back up plan. Afterall I still need something to shoot for, if the planets don't align right, I have a bad day, a group of Molson swigging super studs come down from the mothership...I mean land of the great white north..eh..and end up trading in Maple Leaf Jerseys for Flowery Shirts.( much love to my Canadian Readers...hell you guys are one step up in the college tri thing from the us states.) I want to do two irons in 2009 but if I'm not doing Kona I need to decide what is the best course of action.

Option1: No more races after Park City. Rest up the bank book, save up some coin maybe throw down for NZ ( depending on my job situation if I'm a teacher forget it.), or AZ, or FLA for 2010. This is the smart option.

Option 2: Enter 2!!!! shorter and cheaper races...like Litchfield Hills or Niantic, maybe finish up with Hammerfest. This is a foolish option but not as dumb as some alternatives.

Option 3: Plymouth Rock Full Distance ( read Indie Ironman in Eastern, MA) it's in September and I have the base from my halves. It's realatively cheap,there are no slots at stake,I don't need a flight to get there...hell I could sleep in my car in the parking lot if I had to. Once again foolish but not as dumb as someother sick thoughts in my mind.

Option 4: Maybe Throw Down for the Hartford Marathon..and focus on Boston if I can't make one goal race maybe I can shoot for the other. Reasonable...a marathon only cost about as much as an Oly and I could quit riding for a while just to focus on running, and hence save on the expenses related to bike training.

Option 5:Call up Ken Glah and buy a travel package for IM Arizona $800+ Hotel for 4 days+ Flight realistically I'd be spending about as much as I would to go to Kona. Training wise: smart...Financially: Suicide.

Option 6: Go to Louisville the week end of the Ironman, cheer on Judi and Tony sign up for 2010. eh...not as cheap as some of my other options but definitely better than Option 5.

Option 7: Western Oz: Somebody get me a straight jacket, hide my credit cards, and have me adjudicated.

Option 8: Just do the Griskus Sprint and Patriot in 2010. Keep the streak at Patriot alive but sort of tone down from tri for a bit focus on other more important things like work... for example...
This one is ringing as probably the smartest of all options...granted I do like to race more than just one month a year.

These are the things running through my head along with the "Holy Shit What if I actually make Kona how the Hell am I going to pay for it"...I mean the entry fee it will hurt but if I need to I can scrounge $500 bucks...plus what if I'm teaching in October I can't take the week off to race and Ironman...there is just a lot to think about on both sides. I told one friend if I earned the slot I'm seriously tempted to turn it down. Despite the fact it is my dream....there's just a lot of other stuff that should take priority. It might be "Moonlight Graham" moment where I get so close to fulfilling my dream that it would kill some people to get that close and give up. It might hurt to kill a dream but not getting a more fufilling job and stability would be a tragedy. I guess I won't know what decision I'll make until I get there.

R.D.