It was supposed to be one of the largest USA age-group teams for the World Long Course Triathlon Championships in Säter, Sweden. However, by departure date more than half had opted not to be a part. We still ended up with one of the largest contingents, over 50 age-group competitors, but we could have had more. Perhaps it was the 4km swim, 120km bike and 30km run that caused some to reconsider once they converted the metric distances into US measure. This was no half-ironman distance. The swim was a full ironman, 2.4 miles; the bike was 75 miles; and the run was 18.6 miles. Each country that holds the World Championships sets their own distance, and this is sometimes based on a triathlon held at that site in previous years.

Säter, two hours from Stockholm in a picturesque country setting with rich green fields carpeted with yellow clover-like blossoms amid crystal clear lakes that mirrored back the blue skies, is the home of a number of triathlon events. It's said that the center of Säter is one of the best preserved 17th Century environments in the country. The town is full of charm; and it's people welcome triathlon and triathletes with open arms. It was the perfect venue. Bordering Lake Ljustern, the town had set up a Triathlon Village with dormitories for athletes that had a 25-meter indoor pool for our use. A short distance away, opposite the swim course were public camping sites with small cabins.

Our team was headquartered in Borlänge, a larger and more cosmopolitan town, 26km away. Many considerations went into the decision to stay in a full-service hotel vs dormitories at the Triathlon Village in Säter. Since a number of athletes had companions along, Borlänge provided more opportunity for shopping, entertainment and restaurants as well as more upscale accommodations. I felt the decision analogous to the action of one of our Olympic medallist iceskaters in the last Winter Olympics who opted to stay outside the Olympic Village for mental relaxation and in retrospect, the right decision for the team as a whole. Bus transportation and carpooling provided the means to travel back and forth.

This was my first experience as part of the USA Triathlon team. I had qualified for the long course in Japan last year, but opted not to go because of the expense and the fact that I hadn't much interest at that time in traveling overseas. I was content to do my twice-yearly drive across the US from Colorado to Florida. However, my contact with international athletes and sport scientists over the internet stimulated a curiosity, and when the opportunity to be on the USA team for Säter arose, I quickly said yes. I was concerned though; over the years, I was impressed by how many other women were so much faster than I. Could I really represent the team how I wanted to? What was this all about?

Tim Yount, our team manager, provided the answer. "We're here to have fun," he said. The number one thing is to enjoy yourself. I thought about that. Here I am, a person who was last in the 2.4 mile swim meet two years a row at St. Pete's Beach; a person who worries about making the cutoff times at long-distance triathlons. Why did I do those events? Because I enjoyed doing them, mingling with other athletes, sharing common interests. Participating was fun.

The day after we arrived, Tim drove some of us on the run course so we could get a firsthand look. It was a two-lap course, two major hills, one doesn't come until about 7 miles into the race which you get twice and the other one is less than 2 miles from the finish. After doing Clermont and Buffalo Springs Lake in June, I couldn't complain about the run. That last climb would be a long one, though.

In keeping with the idea of having fun, to not just travel all this distance, race and go home, a tour and team luncheon were scheduled for the following day. I looked at the schedule. We weren't scheduled to return until evening. "A whole day?" I thought. "When will I have a chance to train?" Tim and Dick Koons, travel director, recognized our concerns about going on the tour and provided an opportunity for us to swim at the race swim site early that morning so we could still go on the tour. Eighteen of us showed up for the 6:15 am swim, and we were on the bus by 8:30, happy to have tested the 66 degree water. Yes, we could have stayed back and trained some more. But this is 4 days before an endurance event. Time to taper. More important, an opportunity for us to be together as a team, making new friendships, sharing experiences. The more cohesive a team, the higher the motivation and group support.

Each of us returned from that tour tired after the full day; but when we looked back, we could each find something special in that day that made us glad we had gone. Whether it was the picturesque town of Moya with its churches and steeples, the Anders Zorn Art Museum where some of us could have spent at least an hour (I dragged my feet and missed the bus), Nusnäs where the Swedish hand-carved horses are made, the amphitheater of natural rock where an orchestra was rehearsing for a concert that evening, our luncheon at the restaurant atop the amphitheater enjoying Swedish cuisine including moose, or the camaraderie that developed, there was something that made it worthwhile.

Thursday was a team meeting, pasta party, and parade of the nations. The parade exceeded my expectations. Short and sweet. The whole town came out for the parade and opening ceremony with folk dancers and folk musicians. I surprised a few older Swedes by "breaking ranks" and shaking their hand, saying hello as I went by. "Why not?" I thought. "Isn't this what it's all about." We're representing the USA; a chance to be a friendly ambassador. Come race day, we'll turn on our competitive spirit.

Bikes were put in the transition area on Friday. On Saturday, buses starting at 5:30 am took us to the race site. The first wave was scheduled to start at 8:00 am; the women's wave was the last, starting at 8:30 am. I would much have preferred the women to have started first. With the long swim, at least it wouldn't have left some of us swimming totally by ourselves. As it was, I had the honor of having an escort alongside for the entire course! The swim itself was beautiful--calm, clear and refreshing, plenty of buoys and easy sighting. The water had warmed up to about 70 degrees and although most athletes wore full-sleeve wetsuits, a sleeveless one would have sufficed. I didn't have much time to spare before the swim cut-off, but my time in the water served me well in pre-cooling for what was one of Sweden's warmest days, approximately 82-84 degrees (28-29C).

The two-lap bike course could be described as nothing less than outstanding--rolling hills where the best strategy for me was to get out of my saddle near the tops, staying in a bigger gear than if I were spinning. The countryside roads were in relatively excellent shape; most had smooth blacktop. Compared to many race courses, the portion of patches we did encounter were insignificant. Aid stations on the bike were excellent. The only thing I was dismayed at was the lack of control over pack riding. Drafting was rampant. The one or two riders I saw stopped by the roadside was, at best, a token attempt at enforcing the rules. We need ITU to enlist the help of Charlie Crawford in enforcing ITU World Championship Age-Group no drafting rules. He is the one person that is capable of putting together knowledgeable officials who will enforce the rules. Being at the back of the pack on the lap course, I had the benefit of full observation since literally most everyone in the race lapped me. Making an offender stop and dismount (ITU rules) does not solve the problem of pack riding. The other 10 riders will simply ignore the officials. To our credit, no USA members were in the packs. It did affect results, however, since those drafting clearly had faster bike splits.

After 5 hours on the bike, I was ready for my final transition. By now we were in the heat of the day. After facing 100 degree temperatures in Lubbock, Texas and earlier, the humidity in Clermont, Florida, 84 degrees didn't seem that bad. Besides, the older we are, I think the more conscious we, as athletes, are of proper hydration and nutrition. I mentally broke up the two-lap 30km course as a 2x800 track workout. When I was done with one lap (15km) I had only one more to go. Round the stadium track and you're home free, on your final lap. Get out to the turnaround and it's like the last 400. You've got it made.

Some of us almost had it made. We were finishing our first lap and entering the stadium track to start the second 15km portion when the medical doctors called an end to the race. It startled all of us. The Swedish medical doctors weren't accustomed to athletes racing in 28-30C temperatures. Only when they promised our places would be preserved and medals awarded, did we reluctantly walk to the transition to gather our gear. It affected the older individuals who were among the last ones on the course and particularly the women because of the 30-minute later wave start that they had. However, it was predominantly younger athletes who needed to be treated for dehydration and apparently worried the medical officials to such a degree that they didn't want to be held liable for anyone left out on the race course without sufficient medical supplies. Their rationale was if a healthy 30-yr old needs treatment, the 50+ are even more fragile, giving no consideration to an individual's training or nutrition background. To no surprise and to our credit again, the majority of those competitors needing treatment were not US athletes.

Officials took the first lap run splits of those competitors they stopped and projected total times, estimating what the second lap would have been. Our places and medals were preserved. Peggy McDowell-Cramer (Santa Monica, CA), my US teammate and age group competitor brought home the silver for the US in our age group. My finishing meant a bronze medal for the US. My doubts about being good enough were erased. It was more important that I was there as a member of the USA team and finishing was all that mattered.

Alexis Waddel, Jane Esahak-Gage, Valerie Gattis, Liz Dobbins, Gary Leske, Mac Martin, and Dick Robinson all brought back hard-earned medals for the US. Peggy and myself brought the total count to 9. With over 18 age-groups and medals going three deep, we could have had more age-group representation. We had no female competitors in the 60-64 age group, for example, even though I know most females in that age group are faster than me and there were only two international competitors in the race for that age group. We only had 3 out of a potential 12 slots filled for the 30-34 male group and smaller numbers in the 20-24 and 25-29 age groups.

What can we do to attract more interest in representing the USA in the World Long Course Triathlon Championships? To me, this is almost like the Davis Cup of tennis. One of the things we can do is publicize the long course more and further in advance. We have this potential for the next two long course championships. We can also network through email with past long course team members and get other triathletes interested to join in the communication with their questions and concerns. If you're reading this now and are interested in considering long course, email wallace@rof.net. I'll pass your name on to others. Another thing we can do is explore alternative housing for athletes on a limited budget so that team members had a choice; for instance, hotel, youth hostel, dormitory, etc. and still be part of the team package. It means more travel arrangements by the USAT travel center, but alternatives such as these are necessary if we are to increase participation particularly in younger age groups where athletes may not have the discretionary funds that older individuals may have. And finally, we need to encourage the USAT Directors to work with the ITU in improving a draft-free environment at the age-group competition championships.

Next year, Nice, France will be the site of the World Long Course Championships on June 18, 2000. Denmark will host the Championships as a full ironman distance in 2001. Start your planning now. What could be better than representing the USA in 2001, our true millenium year, for a full ironman? Think of being on the USAT team as an Olympic qualifer in age group competition. The World Championships are our Olympics.