Absolutely. I speak from experience as my wife was top 3 Athena at both Cali 70.3 and IMCDA this year but she wouldn't go up to get hardware. She made me quietly go up afterwards and get it.

Will there be a sub 140 lb almost bald "not german" category. I probably need to lose 2 lbs to qualify. We can make Herbert an honorary member as long as he promises to teach us more German. It is cool listening to German guys swear. If there is one linguistic skill I need to acquire it is so that I can swear in German profusely when someone cuts me off when I am driving my underpowered rental car far to quickly on the autobahn.

The ability to swear in German at trigeeks drafting off you at IMC might also be a good skill.

Dev

I agree, do away with all age group, all catagories, why recognise the over 40 over 50 guys. Just recognise the top 3. It would be cheaper for the RD. Wow that eliminates about 99% of the field from being recognised for completing the race. I do race as a Clydesdale at 205lbs and 6 foot tall. I'm not fat and regularly finish in the top 10 at our local races. I raced in the Clydesdale division last year in our local race series and won, and I would have finished 2nd in my AG. I had a fellow AG thank me for racing Clydesdale so he could podium. So do away with everything if all we are doing it for is the 1% that can win - and watch participation fall off. Or continue to award the individuals for their accomplishments and watch our sport grow. The best race I do is the My First Tri over at Eglin AFB, they have a First timers class and a class for Alums, and it is built to award as many people as possible something for their achievment, everyone gets a finishers medal. IMHO it has done more to get people in our area into the sport than any other race. I don't complain if their is no Clydesdale division, I just race AG, so stop complaining that there is.

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Grandpa Dave
Sponsors/ Main Sponsor WIFE!!!
RUDY PROJECT
http://www.e-rudy.com

I don't think "under/over 40 applies".....you just need under 45, 45-59 and 60+...you could even make the first cutoff 50 and the second 60 based on the studliness coming out of 45-49!!!

Na, just give everyone who gets across the finish line a 1st place medal. Then, I think all possible groupings are covered.

Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

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Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

My interpretation of why the clydesdale classification was instituted was to make the sport (or at the time, event) more of an every man's sport. I see the latest change as a reaction to popularity.

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"your horse is too high" - tigerchik

Be careful...I said that two days ago and got labled a newbie with a dumb ass post.

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Eat right. Get lots of sleep. Drink plenty of fluids. Go like Hell.

I think you are really cutting to the chase here. It would be cheaper for the RD if there where no age group catoragories, but that would be risky because there is no doubt some percentage of folks would shy away from that race in favour of another that did have age group categories.

Now, the reason there are clydesdales catagories is some RD's felt there was enough interests such that if they created the categories, it would generate more revenue (even after handing out awards).

People can joke about a separate start for left handed people, but if there where enough interest and you could show an RD that he would make more money, they would probably create one. I have a hard time understanding why people get their panties in a twist over this. Maybe we need a "Panties in a twist" wave?

Good catch on Andy, I swore he was bigger but I was wrong.
Here's a dood that's 6'8, 200lbs with an FTP of 430. He's fast enough to qualify for Hawaii and run a pretty good IM marathon.
http://www2.trainingbible.com/...-uk-power-graph.html

What's the point of this example? That there are people who are talented enough to overcome a factor that would typically prohibit success at something?
- Muggsy Bogues made it in the NBA at 5'3". Spud Webb won the slam dunk contest at 5'6" (I think, might have been 5'4"). Does that mean that all the <6 foot recreational basketball leagues should be abolished?
- John Daly can post pretty solid rounds of golf despite being fat and drunk. Does that mean that recreational golfers should abolish handicaps?
Your example has no bearing on whether recreational triathletes should or should not use handicaps of various divisions, including both Clydes/Athena and age groups. If I can find an example of a 50-something year old guy that's fast enough to qualify in the 25-29 or 30-34 age groups for Kona and run a pretty good IM marathon, will you start stumping for abolition of age groups? If not, why not?

I am grateful for your positive intent on helping me in my training.

I will pass your advice that I should reduce caloric content and increase cardio to my coaches whose day job is to make me a better runner, swimmer and biker. I'll ask if we should increase the current weekly training plan of running 3x,biking 3x and swimming 4x in the off-season.

As for posting my picture on this forum, I already got my vanity play-of-the-day for casually dropping in a conversation that I do triathlon training. It is a habit I am trying to break.

Believe it or not, there are men over 200 pds and women over 160 pds that can be fit.

I just think the little skinny guys are afraid of us big guys beating them without an excuse. Cutting to the chase, I race because I enjoy the people I race with, it means more to me to beat my training partner (not a Clydsdale) than to podium. I get more enjoyment on the next ride ribbing the guy riding next to me, and when he beats me I get the same. We feed off each other and my wife tells me not to bring home any more T-Shirts, Water Bottles, Trophies, bags, etc...

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Grandpa Dave
Sponsors/ Main Sponsor WIFE!!!
RUDY PROJECT
http://www.e-rudy.com

I too race Clydesdale. I'm a 6'2" 205 pound triathlete. I laugh when I read these little skinny people say that the only disadvantage is on the run...only on the run??? Is the run a small unimportant portion of the race? I did a tri this summer in WI, Tri-ing for Children, a fund raiser. I'm almost always a shoe in for placing in Clydesdale, but I got my ass handed to me in this division. Frist place clydesdale in the Oly was 2:08, and second came in at 2:09, third was 2:2?...I took fourth. I only bring this part up because of your mention of the Oly times you've found for clydesdales. I did IMMOO this year and set my goal for next year based on placing in the Clydesdale catagory next year. To be honest, had I known that there wasn't going to be a Clydesdale catagory I may not have signed up to do it again!(I think my entry fee would have covered the six plaques for the two divisions) As for losing weight and getting in shape, my body fat is in the single digits. I train with a partner that weighs 145 pounds, and I can edge him out on the bike, but he kills me on the run! He's beat me in every race we've done together because of the run. why should I have to compete with him for a plaque? Why do so many of the little tri people care? I don't wear my medals to work, I don't boast my finishing plaques, I just like to be competitive with my group. This sport is still growing, so why hinder it? And my buddy got second in his AG at the fund raiser(35-39) but couldn't have placed in Clydesdale with his time. So by having the extra division he was able to take home a memory to hang on his wall. God he should have been so ashamed that he should have just thrown it away according to some of the ST'r here.

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It's not how many years you have left in life, it's how much life you have left in your years!

I think the Clydesdale division was originally established for heavy weights but not necessarily for 6'2" 205 but more like
5'8" 205 which is a much different animal than your self. I think they should use something like the BMI scale for determining
the Clydesdale division.
my 0.02

 
Nice post.

I am in this game because I enjoy the training and reaching goals. I just need help in establishing realistic goals as coaches generally have less experience with smaller population Clydes. Happiness if a function of realizable expectations. All my medals end up in the toy bins of my young children.

The Cyldes that you race against are smokin'. They would have podium-ed in any of the larger events including USAT nationals. I imagine they must be busting sub 7 minute miles on run, 25mph on bike and sub 30 minute swims. This is the source of inspiration. Glad there are RDs out there that include Clyde/Athena category.