I just WON the LOTTERY!!

Yep, I sure did! I won the lottery!  Well, not the lottery you think I won.

Renee and I decided that we were up for a bigger challenge this triathlon season. I finished last season with an Olympic distance Tri out at the Lake, so I figured I would step up a little ahead of schedule and go for a 70.3 distance race at the end of the 2012 Tri season. I looked for a good race that I thought would be a challenge, but not the death of me at the same time. In looking for the perfect 70.3 race for me, I took into consideration a few things:

1. I wanted the race to be at sea level, or as close to it as possible. All my best races had been at sea level when it came to the run, which has been my most difficult event of the three in a triathlon. I had done a PR in Pasadena on the 5K run at the Pasadena Triathlon and a PR 13.1 at the Seattle Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon.

2. I wanted the race to be relatively close to home or in a place where friends or relatives could watch. Transporting a bike, other than driving it, can be pricey. If I could drive to it, that would be preferable.

3. I wanted the course to be scenic. I like physical activity in a place that is pretty and well maintained, with lots of trees. That's just a personal preference.

4. I wanted enough time to be adequately prepared physically and if I had to travel, enough money to get us there and enough vacation time.

Taking the above factors into consideration, I settled on the IronMan 70.3 race in Branson, Missouri. That race seemed to have a really beautiful surrounding area, along with a challenging, but not too hilly bike course, along with having friends of ours that could travel a short time to watch us race and hang out afterward. That race also offered both a Sprint and Olympic distance race as well, in case Renee decided on a shorter distance event instead of the 70.3. I could also save money and vacation time enough to get there and have some fun as well.

So I signed up for the race and started looking to a training plan, as well as tuneup races to get me ready. I looked over probably 15 races and tentatively settled on the best 6. All were Olympic events, except Club events, which were all Sprints. So I was getting geared up to get into training and we heard about this lottery that the Tri Club had for the IronMan 70.3 Worlds, which takes place in September here in Las Vegas. We had volunteered at the bike aide station during last season's race and we loved it. It was an amazing sight being at the transition area in the early morning hours and watching the the athletes prepare. I had imagined myself there, getting my transition area ready for the race and I recall feeling exhilarated at the prospect of one day being able to race in a huge event such as that.

The lottery drawing took place at our first Club meeting of the year on January 27th. There were 25 slots being given away at the meeting and we found that only 41 people had put in for the lottery. We liked our chances, at the very least for one of us to get a lottery spot, if not both of us.

We sat through dinner and talked with other club members at our table about this and that, races we had done and planned to do this year and what have you.

Then it was drawing time.

The race coordinator was present and oversaw the lottery drawing. all of our applications were in a pile and the Club president was given the duty to choose the very first pick.  We all sat in anticipation as he called out the first number.

"1", he said.  The race coordinator picked up an application that corresponded with number 1, and I thought I recognized the check that was attached to the application. "Renee Carroll" he said, looking around the room.

You could have knocked her over with a feather. The words "be careful what you wish for" entered my mind as a shocked Renee stood up amidst applause from the club members and walked up and selected the second pick in the lottery.  Renee was kind of in shock and happy, but mostly seemed to be a little stunned. The numbers were called one after another until 20 were gone through. These 20 had to be present to win and there were 5 left that did not have to be present. I was losing hope that I would get my chance to get into the race. Renee and I had made a deal that if one got in and the other didn't, the one who didn't would pick up the slack to give the one that did get in the chance they needed to train. I was prepared, albeit a little sad, that it looked like I wouldn't be getting a slot.

The race coordinator drew an application from what was left of the stack for the 23rd spot in the lottery. He looked around the room and he obviously did not recognize the name on the application. He smiled and said "I guess this is a married couple..." and my heart began to race. "Eddie Carroll" he said. My heart began to race and I realized that I was going to get my chance! I tried not to be emotional and not to celebrate too much out of respect for those who didn't yet get selected, but I may have done a Tiger Woods fist pump or two when I stood up. I got to choose the next slot, and then the last slot, number 25, was chosen by the race coordinator. Our friend Margaret was chosen as the last entry from our club to do the race.

The three of us were excited at the possibilities! The chance to do what I had visualized while at the start of last year's 70.3 World Championships - race the same course as some of the biggest names in Triathlon. Rubbing elbows with the likes of Craig Alexander, Chris Lieto and Leanda Cave to name a few. How cool!!

Now reality set in a couple hours later. "Holy crap, we have a ton of work to do!" We started going down a list of equipment we would need and we need a training plan and this and that. Winning the lottery spots narrowed down our choices of races we would do this season as well. We had to plan them based on timing within our training plan on build weeks, and we also needed to find another 70.3 race to complete before August 19th in order to qualify for the 70.3 Worlds. We settled on IronMan 70.3 Lake Stevens on July 15th. Plenty of time to train (28 weeks), a great place to run (Seattle area), it was scenic and my daughters and Renee's brother lived in that area as well. all the factors were in place. it was meant to be!

Let the training begin!!