I want a team GB spot...but I'm just not good enough (for now)

I think I might have alluded to this in a previous post, about how, when I first started to get into triathlon, I thought, I've always had a decent endurance background (7 marathons completed and always riding a bike on or off road) so I might be ok at this....and how many 45 plus year old's can there be out there racing really fast times.

Well, as you know by now, I was forced to re-set those expectations pretty quickly after the first few races I did.  There are some seriously good racers out there in all age groups, male and female.

And so it was that a good friend of mine told me one day that his wife had qualified to represent team GB.  I was genuinely amazed.  And it got me thinking, how does one go about qualifying.  Imagine the pride, pulling on a GB kit to race for your country, it became a sort of dream, an ambition I kept to myself.

So off I went on a research mission to see what it might take to get one of those kits.  I found out that qualification was open to anyone who was a member of their home nation (British Triathlon Federation for me).  There are races during the year that act as qualifiers and for a small fee (£10 I think) you can nominate the race where you will try to qualify and then it comes down to 'just' finishing within a certain percentage of the time of the winner of your age group.  

There are a few more rules but that's the basic jist of it.  So really, it isn't totally out of the question to be able to qualify for your home nation, as you don't have to meet specific qualifying times but rather finish within a certain % of time from your age group winner in a nominated qualifying race.

The Bedford Autodrome duathlon was once such qualifying race (see my race report on that one for more about the race) and I must admit, in the build up to that race, I did consider paying the ten pounds and registering myself to try and qualify for a GB slot.  As the race drew closer and the weather forecast got worse and worse by the day, I actually started thinking....with the perfect storm (how appropriate for the actual race day weather !) just say not that many people turn up in total, let alone my age group.....and with the weather meant to be bad, say that slows people down......and with no swim, you know, I could actually get near qualifying.  I don't know if you ever let your mind run away with you like this....I do it a lot (I think it might be the paint fumes from weeks of painting walls at home).

Anyway, I didn't pay my tenner and so I raced just to try a duathlon and enjoy myself in the freezing cold and pouring rain.  None of my pre-race predictions came true.  In fact, loads turned up to race and the weather only seemed to slow me down !

Now though, looking back on it and reflecting on my 'performance', I was inclined to look at the race results again.  I was dead last in my age group (if you exclude the guy that was a DNF) but how far away was I on the day.  Well, the results don't lie.

The winner of my age group (M45-49) clocked the following times:

Run 1 (10k)  = 36:56
Bike (40k)    =  57.05 (57 minutes for 40k !!)
Run 2 (5k)   = 19:39

And by contrast, here are my time:

Run 1         =  46:33
Bike           =  1:15:51
Run 2        =   26:16

You might look at my time and think "did he do the whole race twice...".  I don't consider myself to be a slow athlete, but by comparison, you can see how far off I am (or was on this day) to qualifying for a GB slot.  Ok, I think I did one too many laps on the bike and I think from memory it was about 6 minutes per lap for me.  So my bike might have been closer to 1:09 but even then that puts me 12 minutes off the winner's pace still !!

I sit and dwell on these sort of things, probably for longer than I need to.  I've never run a 10k under 40 mins, or a 5k under 20 mins on a standalone race basis - let alone as part of a duathlon in biblical rain and cold ! 

It shows how good the winners are and it is only right that they take the qualifying slots. We all had to race in the same grotty conditions.  After all, if you are going to race for your country, they should only take the best.  

But, as I tell my kids so frequently, there are always positives to take from every game of football, or basketball, or other sport that take part in, regardless of results.

There were a few for me.
1. I had a great day racing with a great mate.
2. I'd never done a duathlon before, I have now.
3. I found out that regardless of how dire the weather is, you can still get out and race
4. I averaged over 20 mph on my bike for a race for the first time ever.  I've always wanted to do that.
5. I finished (10 people didn't)
6. I wasn't disqualified (one person was)
7. I saved a tenner

So there you have it, there ARE always positives.  Ok, so I'm still miles away from that dream of a GB vest but never say never, it might happen one day.  And if it doesn't, well then I've had fun trying.  

And to my mates who have qualified and pulled on that GB vest (there are a few), all I can say is, wow, you are superb racers.   Much respect.