Newsletter ep. 100: how to watch the Tokyo test event

August 14, 2019

Newsletter ep. 100: how to watch the Tokyo test event

Get yourself to a Swimrun

Photo: Mark Simmons

This weekend Leslie and I raced the Swimrun Casco Bay event. Last year, Sara and I did it because wanted to see what this thing was all about. We raced, but we weren’t exactly in shape and burying ourselves. (She also has some thoughts on it in her box column.) This year, Les and I *raced.* We tried to bury ourselves. It turns out it’s a lot harder to go even a little bit faster. Because at some point you’re riding the line of falling or getting lost. And it turns out there’s a lot to Swimrun that is unique to Swimrun. (Shock.) We went a lot harder. We made mistakes, but we went for it. There were dark spots over the six hours and my neck is totally torn up, and we still ended up second.

I think Sara and I will talk more on the podcast on Friday about the tips and techniques to going faster. Some of which I’ve now learned through not doing them. But first I want to make a few points here about the sport.

1. Swimrun is getting seriously competitive. Arguably, it already was in Europe, but it’s still a relatively new sport, especially in the U.S. There were always going to be some freaks of nature, but now there’s starting to be a depth of freaks. You remember when ultras went through this phase and then got insanely fast and deep and intense and awesome to watch? That’s what’s happening.

2. Too many good triathletes aren’t respecting that depth. They aren’t respecting the race. It’s a different thing, and you can easily get your ass kicked by someone you might beat nine times out of ten in a half-marathon or a half-Ironman. It’s a different thing. Respect the Swimrun.

3. It also is getting big—with all the trappings that come with that. I love the Casco Bay race and I love the race directors, and I think they do an amazing job creating a totally insane event that is also super welcoming and nuts. And if I wasn’t just getting back from France/Switzerland, I would do their Orcas Island race in September. Yet, I’ve noticed now that Otillo is coming to the U.S. in the spring, suddenly people who weren’t paying attention to Swimrun before are interested. People I didn’t know knew how to swim want to do the Otillo Catalina race. Suddenly it feels like there’s more focus and prestige. It doesn’t feel quite as much like a thing someone is putting on in their backyard with locals handing out homemade food anymore. It couldn’t always keep being that. I’m just super curious how this will all shake out. What parts we will keep in American Swimrunning and what will become more polished and smooth. Let’s not make it too American.

How to watch the Tokyo Test Event

This week is the Tokyo Test Event. (I don’t think that’s the race’s actual official name? But it’s what we’re all calling it.) It’s the first big Olympic qualifier for triathlon. Every country gets to choose how it wants to select its team within the parameters of the ITU, and many countries are using this test race on the Tokyo course a year out from the Olympics as the first qualification opportunity. This includes the U.S.

That’s why Katie Zaferes went to Flagstaff to put in a big training block. To focus on this race. That’s why Flora Duffy is making her return after injury at this race. It’s going to be big.

And that’s why if you haven’t watched any ITU races, you should start. Here’s how to watch:

– Women go Thursday at 7:30 a.m. (which I believe is Wednesday 6:30 p.m. ET)
– Men are on Friday at 7:30 a.m. (Thurs. 6:30 p.m. ET)
– It seems like it’s only available on TriathlonLIVE.tv, but there are a few codes to try the streaming service for a month for just $2 (use either this link or this link — if those don’t work, just go to the @worldtriathlon Insta)
– Place your bets.

No Crossfit Games on TV

On that note: The Crossfit Games happened last week (or was it the week before?) and unlike other years, where I’ve been a huge fan, I watched almost none of it this year. This is for basically one reason. It wasn’t on TV.

Apparently, Crossfit made an executive decision to move away from a model where they sold the exclusive media rights to one provider (ESPN). Instead, they made open source streaming available to all outlets and allowed people to take their own photos and video. This, in theory, reached more of the global audience and let more fans have access. As open source things do. But for the casual fan, like me, it also made it infinitely harder to figure out how to watch or what was going on. These are barriers. Like, no, I’m not going to login on my laptop to barbell.net or whatever. Which is why I keep being mixed about the future of watching sports.

In memoriam

It feels like we need an entire in memoriam section lately. Two passings this last week that seemed to hit triathlon particularly hard: Bethany Rutledge, a member of the Atlanta tri community, died suddenly in her sleep. Haley, on the Ironwomen podcast, talked some about knowing Bethany and what she meant. And then this weekend Kevin Young was killed while riding near his mom’s house in Wisconsin. FYI, he had raced on every continent Ironman offers races (among other things he did). Let’s be good to our community guys.

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I must have sort of missed this memo—or I knew it and then forgot: Ironman is moving the 70.3 World Championships to November next year. It’ll go back to September in 2021. (Ironman)

In what can only be described as a media blitz, Helle Frederiksen announced her retirement. (Slowtwitch/Triathlon World/Instagram)

Forbes released its list of highest paid athletes. Serena is the only woman near the top, and all the women (except Alex Morgan) are tennis players. I’m sure there are a lot of reasons for this, but you know what the biggest reason is? The women’s side of the sport is considered as big, as legit, as worthy of coverage and sponsors and media. And you know why that is? Because when pro tennis establishing a tour and becoming a thing, the women fought hard to have equal opportunities to prove they were just as big of stars. These things set the groundwork and make a difference down the road. Just FYI. </soapboax> (Forbes)

If you watched Dalilah Muhammed’s world record 400m hurdles (which you should), then this article about it/her is worth a read. (Youtube/Sports Illustrated)

This 14-year-old is having fun and she’s really fucking fast. And maybe that doesn’t have to mean anything more than it is. (Runner’s World)

Amelia Boone also wrote some more about what it means to have an eating disorder and a body with expectations. (Amelia Boone)

Turns out exercising while pregnant is good for the baby too. Who knew. (New York Times)

Kilian Jornet and Jim Walmsley are two of the most interesting things in running right now and they faced off at some super famous big ultra trail race in Europe. And now that Jornet is “focusing on training,” he broke the course record. (Runner’s World)

I don’t know if running can solve all your problems, but maybe it can help some of them. Maybe. This story about a former felon learning to run in prison and now going after the Boston Marathon and maybe a sub-3:00 is something. I believe people can rehabilitate and change, and I hope this guy is/does. And I hope running helps him do that. If for no other reason than his coach is someone I ran with a ton when I first moved to Marin, someone who tries to do what he can to help people help themselves. (New York Times)

I don’t think I would have even known what the Transcontinental Race was except a friend’s boyfriend was doing it and I followed along on Insta. And a woman won it outright for the first time ever. (Bicycling)

Every time I think triathlon is niche and weird and insular and can’t scale, I’m going to remember that MLB requires *in its rules* that all game baseballs be treated with one guy’s mud he digs up from a secret location and ships in plastic containers. Just think about that. (Sports Illustrated)

The new IPCC climate report is the most dire yet and maybe the most difficult for us regulars to understand why. This is a good breakdown. (The Atlantic)

Speaking of. The powers that care about this kind of thing are already concerned the Olympics next year will be “too political.” But, I dunno, guys, life is too political. And sports have always been. Who gets to play, how, why, where, when. These things have never been separate; it’s only some people who got to pretend they were. (Washington Post)

And with that I leave you with: Simone Biles is the greatest of all time. (NBC News)

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Comments & thoughts

– I got dozens of emails and notes and comments last week telling me you all were also tired and angry and done. And hoping I feel OK soon. Me too, you all. Me too.

– Olivia also wanted to know what will happen to all the M-dot tattoos if the IPO goes really badly and Ironman goes bankrupt down the line. I don’t think it’ll happen, but maybe everyone can have them turned into something else. Any ideas?

– And at least four of you have also called a Lyft to rescue you from a ride gone bad. But is calling a significant other better or worse?

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‘If We Were Riding’ is a weekly triathlon-ish newsletter written by Kelly O’Mara and produced by Live Feisty Media. Subscribe to get it in your inbox every Wednesday morning. You can also read past issues. This episode is from Aug. 14, 2019.