Congrats to the 150 lucky triathletes who got what they wished for --- an opportunity to become a true "Ironman" and finish the Kona race in less than 17 hours.

A few Athletic-Minded Traveler subscribers made the cut and our guess is that they'll be using our travel portal a lot more. Be sure to tell your spouses and kids that you're gonna hardly see them this summer!

Some hard core triathletes "poo poo" the lottery as an undeserved welfare-like program-the argument goes something like, "they didn't earn their spot so why are they allowed to compete at a World Championship when everyone else had to qualify?" But, we beg to differ. Many triathlon-lovers out there hold down 60-80/hour week year-round jobs that make it next to impossible to find enough time to train and qualify for Kona-especially if you want to see your kids. And, I believe, with enough free time to train, almost anyone can qualify for Kona. That's one of the reasons why teachers with Summers off are commonly on the start-line in Hawaii.

Why not let a few others share the Kona experience with their family and friends each year?