When we enter Triathlon races we compete with people our own age in age groups. The age groups are divided between men and women and go from 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, etc. Until this year the age group you were placed in was based on your age on the day of the race. I’m 59 and will be 60 in December. So for the past four years I’ve been in the Men’s 55-59 age group. The USA Triathlon group decided to conform with many other sports and place people in age groups based on their age as of December 31st of each year. Any races that are USAT sanctioned use the new age group criteria.
When I first started in Triathlon, there was a guy in my age group named Jim Dyke who always won. Now I’m sure he hasn’t won every race he’s ever entered, but he’s come in first in his age group in all the races we’ve both been in. Jim’s birthday is in the summer sometime and he’s slightly more than a year older than me. Every five years he would advance to the next age group in July or August (I think) and I wouldn’t advance until December of the following year. That would give me 15 or 16 months without Jim in my age group.
Before you think that would give me a better chance of winning my age group you don’t know me very well. I’m not overly competitive and I’m just an average athlete. Not slow…not fast..just half-fast as the old joke goes (if you don’t understand just say it fast and you’ll get it). So, for me, it means that instead of being in the middle of the pack, I’m one place better than the middle of the pack without Jim in the same age group. For me that’s a victory.
So last year Jim competed in the 55-59 age group for most of the Michigan triathlon season. This year he’s in the 60-64 age group. Since I’ll be 60 on December 1st (no large presents please … money would be fine) I’ll race this season also in the 60-64 age group. So instead of not having Jim in my age group for 15 months, it was only 3 months and, due to old age maladies, I didn’t race at all last year so I’m just out of luck.
The competitive members of our Triathlon Club would look at Jim as the enemy, set their sights on “the big gun”, and do their best to knock him off. The problem is (in addition to me not being competitive) that I’ve met Jim and consider him to be a “race friend”. One of those people you enjoy talking with and being around but you only see each other at races. He’s easy to talk to, he doesn’t brag, he’s humble and is just a genuine “nice guy”. So how can Jim be the enemy? OK. I get the argument that in four years there will be another year when Jim will move to the 65-69 age group and I’ll be in the 60-64 age group, but based on my race accidents on the bike I may not live that long. It just isn’t fair!
On a repetitive note…yesterday Larry, Paul and I did our bike ride together. Larry and Paul started at Larry’s house, met me on Lindsey Road, and we rode Larry’s best guess of the hilliest roads in Barry County that would match the terrain of Ironman Wisconsin. It was a 150 to 210 minute heart rate 2 to 3 ride for me and I was in heart rate 3 most of the time. It was great training, but I cut my portion of the ride down to 2 1/2 hours due to my annual “doing something dumb induced back spasm” on Thursday.
Larry and Paul told me to ride ahead and set my pace (they’re both better riders than I am) and they’d tag along. After 20 minutes of riding Paul rode up next to me and said “I’ve tried to ride behind you, but those bike shorts are really worn out and I just can’t look any more”. As I said last week, what are friends for? Then he proceeded to tell us about last week’s race when he got behind a young, well-built girl who was also wearing worn out bike shorts. He didn’t mind riding behind her for most of the race even though he could have ridden faster. OK. OK. The new shorts are on their way from Performance Bike.
Jean, Larry and I will be going to Verona, Wisconsin Tuesday, riding the 40 mile loop of the Ironman Wisconsin bike course twice Wednesday, and coming back on Thursday. Jean will have to stay with us on the first loop since she doesn’t know the course. If I had to guess, I would predict that once Jean knows where all the turns are she’ll make some feeble excuse about having to get back to the room to straighten out her suitcase and take off leaving Larry and I in the dust. Larry will follow close behind her and I’ll not see either of them for the last 39 miles. That’s OK. Remember, I’m just half-fast.
Just (Destined To Be The Sweep Bike) Jack