This morning was slated to hold the real trials for the Cap10K corporate team for the folks here at National Instruments. Thanks to everyone who voted in my poll, (I can barely count all 5 of you on one hand) I gave it a go back in February with a respectable crash and burn. Anyway, with the main trials scheduled for today, how’d it all go?

Well,

it didn’t go. I received an email from the coordinator of this gladiator-style battle to the death tryout on Monday, which went a little something like this [loosely paraphrased to make me look better]:

Hey Mike,

You’re totally awesome and pretty much a shoe-in for this tryout. So, what do you say you sit this one out and we spare the egos of everyone else on the team. You see, there are 11 people trying out for 10 spots. If you don’t participate in the tryout, everyone wins. I’ll guarantee you an entry to the race itself, just not part of the team. And as a bonus, you can be an alternate for the team in the event one of the team members has to pull out.

So, what’ll it be?

It wasn’t exactly like that, but you get the idea. Being the agreeable, passive type, I said no problem and went about my day. It’s actually a bit of a relief not to need to tryout, sparing myself an eleventh place (out of eleven) finish. Instead, I’m a hero! No one needed to run around a tiny loop as fast as the could just to prove that I am the slowest.

So, National Instruments Corporate Challenge team, you’re welcome. Now don’t go soft on me; I expect nothing less than a Mortal Kombat-style Finish Him type of victory in the Cap10K.

PS- shortly before receiving the email on Monday, the coordinator sent out a separate email requesting proof of fast race times for seeded bibs. A seeded bib is one of those impressive race numbers between #1 and #100. In order to get one, you need to meet certain qualifying standards. Within minutes, 7 of the 11 people on the email list had replied, making my subsequent decision to bow out of the tryout much easier.

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