You just never know!
Reaching back in the archives, in 2004, four weeks before Kona I had a bike crash, broke left Femur, three screws and lots of mental anguish later, Doctor said: Your running days are over. I said: You can’t be serious. Then I remembered, I had signed up for Lake Placid 2005 (yeah, yeah, it was a long time ago) but it seems like yesterday. Rays of hope, I started slowly getting back in shape and did my first race early March.
Lake Placid, race day July 24, 2005 didn’t know what to expect but was hopeful. Interesting race, loved the venue and course, finished at 13:25 and placed 2nd in AG. I was happy camper and pleased with my 4:39 run split but…only one Kona slot. Getting to the finish entailed a couple incidents I could have done without, first my saddle bottle cage and tool bag holder broke and fell on my rear wheel as I got ready for the 2nd loop, I asked a spectator to hand to an volunteer….gone for good.
There was something about the second loop. Heading for the finish (I thought) and all smiles I heard wife Holly yell: “Wentzel, you got another loop”! Ouch. Come to think of it, it was hot and humid during the run, Ambulances were kept busy. I must have been happy and /or delirious.
Next day was another hot one. Holly said: “Let’s go to the Kona roll-down, I brought the money, you just never know”. I said, the guy who got first always takes the slot, why bother. We went anyway and it turned out that 1st place got DQ for cheating. According to an official, the guy had been on their radar in Kona, IM Canada and Lake Placid where they finally set a trap.
So, finish 2nd and get 1st, trophy and Kona slot.
You just never know!
Karl Wentzel - All3sports Elite Team
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