12 Responses to 30 Minutes?! »»

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1. it makes you wonder if Ironman ‘has jumped the shark’. you may be too young for that reference. critics knew Happy Days was ovah when ‘The Fonz’ had to jump a tank of sharks. yah, i’m that old.

   here’s a scenario. ultras become ‘the thing’ because too many ordinary mortals can attain the Ironman title, plus, the biggest challenge to becoming an Ironman is now getting in.

   what would you do if you were Ironman, in order to protect the brand?

   - create more events? 70.3, 140.6… 210.9?
   - lower the cut-off times from 17 to 14?
   - ban wetsuits and aerobars?
   - ban SLPs?
   - do nothing, it’s not a problem
   - …

   Comment by Bolder | 2006/07/24 at 16:31:16

2. Hah! I remember that episode (although can’t honestly remember that phrase specifically).

   If I were Ironman, I’d jack up the price of their events from $450 to like $700. Clearly, there is WAAAYYYYYYY more demand than there is supply.

   Comment by Chris | 2006/07/24 at 16:34:39

3. Crazy! Amazing that there are so many of us nut jobs out there who beg to do this to ourselves, eh? :)

   Comment by Sara | 2006/07/24 at 17:43:26

4. I used to like to go to Nascar races with my husband. Nascar just isn’t what it used to be. They took out Rockingham, a speedway close to us. Darlington is only one race per year now, it’s one of the best tracks too. Nascar sold out, no longer a southern thang. They abandoned their loyalist fans.

   I just saw an Escape From Alcatraz triathlon on CBS yesterday afternoon. It’s just becoming more commercialized, like Nascar. I just see it as more competition and pee in the lake. Lots of people will sign up but how many will cross the line to becoming an ironman?

   I’ll be registering on the hour with a credit card in hand 2008.

   Comment by Mojo | 2006/07/24 at 18:58:28

5. Endurance sports have been going down hill the moment Oprah ran a marathon. I heard she bought her way into Kona this year.

   I’m glad I’m doing Ironman before it becomes another right of passage into middle age.

   Comment by tarheeltri | 2006/07/24 at 19:59:24

6. First come first serve…I registered in the office at 9:15 am. Woo. I thank God for givng me a smooth drive to the office.

   Comment by Cliff | 2006/07/25 at 08:27:25

7. 30 minutes is crazy. IMFL was 4 hours last fall and I remember thinking that was borderline ridiculous. In this country, endurance sports is definitely going through a boom & I don’t know if it’s all for the best. I’m all for people committing to a difficult goal and working hard for 12 months to prepare. It’s just amazing to me what it has done to the economics (both financial and social) of the sport. (You are absolutely correct IMNA “should” raise the price to $700; however if they do that then the people participating are selected based upon financial status and not athletic ability.)

   Anyways, after today, I am thinking quite a bite about doing a non-mdot race next year since I’d prefer not to go abroad again.

   Comment by mike | 2006/07/25 at 12:10:25

8. Even 90 minutes, let alone 30, is insane. On the other hand, aren’t there still spots available for AZ in 2007?

   Comment by Jenö | 2006/07/25 at 12:42:47

9. that is CRAZY. Bolder has an interesting question and I liked Comm’s feedback of raising prices making it more for the financially able than the physically. Still, when you think of it though, it seems like lots of other people are “contaminating the water” so to speak to a triathlete community. But in reality, I talk to tons of people everyday who still can’t fathom a sprint tri, let alone an IM. so yes, it seems crazy to us and all that these races are filling so fast, but i tend to think a lot of these IM races fill up with return racers rather than new ones. but it would interesting to get specific stats on that.

   Comment by mipper | 2006/07/25 at 14:21:27

10. It’s the race before the race! Silly. They need more IMs!

    Comment by Rachel | 2006/07/26 at 21:30:19

11. I know! I heard 90 minutes on Ironman Live - still, that’s freakin’ ridiculous! I can’t believe it went so fast, and that’s a quad killing course…

    Comment by Wil | 2006/07/28 at 16:59:17

12. Oh duh, I just read your edit! Lol…

    Comment by Wil | 2006/07/28 at 16:59:44

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