Kind of potentially bad news. :(

I have some bad news that I've put off talking about for a couple of weeks, but both because I should probably tell you and because I can't think of anything else to write about at the present moment, I think I'm finally going to break the news.

It has to do with my triathlon stuff. You see, the international governing board of triathlon, (ITU) has radically changed the classification and selection criteria for para-triathletes in order to make everything more competitive. And I'm all for that because last year at World's there were people who didn't belong. Its just unfortunate that it all had to happen the year following the disaster last season was for me because my results are just on the cusp of being good enough to get selected, so if I had had a healthy season I would be a lock to get in.

As a result of this things are kind of up in the air right now. For everyone. People don't even know what category they are going to be in. Anyway. In order to get into World's this year, you need to have a certain amount of international points, which you get by competing in international races. The international races, though, have a 60 athlete limit. That's an average of 6 athletes per class, per gender. I know, crazy, right? In order to get into the international races, your national governing body participates in this "draft" with the other national governing bodies, each taking turns selecting their top athletes for the start list. They have to do this because no one has points right. Its just a mess right now and as I was only the second fastest U.S. athlete last year, I probably won't make the start list for the international races and so will have no way to qualify for World's. Its not an impossibility, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Anyway. All this is kind of a bummer. I'm training harder and smarter than I ever, though, and the plan is to do some local races and then blow the field away at Nationals (which are in Sept., after World's for some reason) and be like, Hah! Joke's on you! You should have picked me, but you didn't. Too late now. Heheehehe.

The thing is that although its a bummer, just as very few things in this world are perfect, so too, very few things are bad to the core. I was going to miss weddings due to my races and its also my last summer before college, so it'll be really nice having it more relaxed. And I'll be able to spend way more time with my friends, who are the best, so how can I complain?

Well, that's it. I have to go read my philosophy now.

TTFN.

-Thomas