If you want a shot at KQ, how and when would you do it?

fruit thief · Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 2764

Hi all.

Kona is on my bucket list and has been forever. But I know it's a huge goal in terms of commitment.

For those who fancy a crack at it just once in life, how and when would you go about it?

?coached. Multi year plan? Where's the sweet spot? is it when you are young and free (although that ship has sailed for me.) Is it when you have your mid life crisis? Or a retirement present?

ttowel · Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 4127 Location: Swim School

How old are you?

fruit thief · Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 2764

45

Old enough to know better, young enough to not qualify for a bus pass

I guess it needs a few things to come together... time, funds, work, other responsibilities, health...???
I'm thinking that maybe 50-55 when the kids are grown might be the sweet spot for me. Interested what had worked for other people

Chrace · Joined: 28 Apr 2010 Posts: 2910 Location: Eating a Yorkie

Much to my wife's disapproval I might keep an eye on this thread. Smile

As for what I have seen it's incredibly competitive all the way up. The ones who rocked it when young have years of conditioning and experience, and it's an uphill struggle to get to their level at an older age.

My target would likely be 60+ but pretty sure I'll be broken by then.
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explorerJC · Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 16060 Location: Farthingstone

Doca · Joined: 27 Feb 2014 Posts: 256

ttowel · Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 4127 Location: Swim School

You will need to be under 9.40 on a decent course. Thats the level required.

Your options are to go low key and get a slot though qualification on the chance that its a weaker field, ie Far east, Argentina

Or

Go popular like Frankfurt and hope there is roll down.

I've worked with a 55 ag athlete trying to get to Kona and fell well short at Austria, UK and Barcelona but got the slot at Frankfurt with a 9th place and roll down.

ttowel · Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 4127 Location: Swim School

That said, I personally thought Kona was sh1t.

Massively overpriced, full of full time amateur pros, full of dopers, a drafters paradise and over hyped.

The £4000-£6000 needed would be better spent of more memorable experiences.

Jorgan · Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 9:47 am Post subject:

I used to dream of such things; but these days I simply don't think the juice is worth the squeeze.
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mattsurf · Joined: 28 Sep 2016 Posts: 852 Location: Zug, Switzerland

I have never made any secret of my desire to Qualify for Kona, and it is still very much on the Bucket list. Yes I know that it is over rated, I know that it is full of Full time AG athletes, I also suspect that there are a few AG dopers.

Last year I was simply naive, I thought that I could KQ in my first year. In 45-49 Age Group, the KQ cutoff was 10h dead, in 2017 9h59m, I managed 10h50m so some way off

In 2019 I am focusing on my 70.3 time and I have no plans for a full IM, but suspect that I will enter one towards the end of the season, more as a measure to see how I am progressing

I recon my best chance will be to qualify in 3 years when I have just moved to 50-54, that gives me time to carry on building my base, and to sort out my swim - however, I will probably have a shot every year on the pretext that I am just checking my progress

TRO Saracen · Joined: 18 Aug 2010 Posts: 1275

Hmm, I could write an essay on this....

Missed KQ by 3,6 and 11 mins and competing in Kona Oct 20 through the backdoor 'legacy' programme.

Key stuff for me:
Family buy in is crucial, and it was really only kids being self sufficient/moved out that opened the window to put the training weeks required down.
It will dominate your life. Outside the basics of work, family and the minimum 'other' jobs you will train and (try) to rest. Other hobbies have to go; in a way it's quite a sad life.
Getting yourself 'in shape' is only part of the story unless you are uber talented. You'll need all your stars to align, including luck on who shows up on the day and roll down, nailing your perfect race etc. There's likely to be 15 guys in similar shape and the one who's stars align gets the slot.
Failure burns, a near miss haunts you for months. It's not nice and it makes the race very binary - success or failure - rather than enjoying the experience, a PB etc.
It was 6 years really for me - 3 to get somewhere in striking distance, then 3 'real' attempts (all failed).

I strongly suspect that the 'KOna' experience won't be worth everything I've put into it, and it'll always be tainted by 'you failed and snuck in through the back door - you didn't Q by right'. but what the hell.....I'm going.

Good luck....
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2019. IM Wales no 5.

explorerJC · Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 16060 Location: Farthingstone

TRO Saracen · Joined: 18 Aug 2010 Posts: 1275

stenard · Joined: 04 Sep 2013 Posts: 2063

Doca · Joined: 27 Feb 2014 Posts: 256