- I don't think the 'narrow' canal aids drafting to any degree. If anything the wave starts (even men and women pros are seperated) would slow rather than speed up the swim.
- Short Transition runs. I totaled 4mins for both on Sunday without really pushing.
- Bike course. I measured 177Km. ( so add 4'30" to Chrissie's time). Superbly smooth roads as you say, the short climbs with gradual descents really keep the average speed up. With the crowds you don't even feel the short climbs. It's amazing. Also, whatever wind there was on Sunday seemed only to be head on for about 2Km. I did measure 1500m climb for the bike (Nice by comparision is 2200m), but total elevation isn't everything.
- Very long aid stations so you don't have to slow down too much to get what you need. No Special needs bags!
- The run course is not totally flat, also it is on the canal pathway which is probably not the fastest running surface. However most of it is shaded from the sun by the trees which is very important. I measured 41.6Km for the run, so add another 3mins to Chrissie's time.
- For 2010 the weather could not have been more perfect for fast racing conditions. Temp was quite low and no humidity.

For the record I was training about 15,000Km/year in 2007/2008 and my best ever IM bike split was 5:32 IMKY. This year I'm at about 30% of those training levels, no long rides and at least 10Kg heavier, and on Sunday I went 5h22 fairly comfortably. It is fast course.

So I think that an honest time for what Chrissie did was 8h27, which in no way diminishes the enormity of that landmark performance. It was a perfect storm with Chrissie (without an early season IM in her legs) and the race conditions all coming together at the right moment. I'm not sure I will ever see that time beaten by Chrissie or any other female.

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Hawaii Qualification Analysis

Gandalf, not a bad analysis at all.

For a full IM Roth 2010 race analysis of Chrissie Wellington by formal coach Brett Sutton and his views on these unheard of drug discussions, this makes an interesting read.

http://www.teamtbb.com/...ask=view&id=1057[/url]

You need to talk with Nick (the quick...) about that measure of the run. Not sure if you measured it this year, but it got shorter this year and was reported to be under 41km.

Measured it with Garmin 310x. I had the alert spltting out my Km splits. For the first couple of Ks they were within a few metres of the markers on the course. Then suddenly a 250m differential appeared which stayed there throughout the rest of the run until the end when 400m disappeared from somewhere. Of course in the last 2Km I wasn't really paying attention to the markers. So its really the manner in which the course markers and the Garmin got out of whack. If there was a consistent 15metres drift over each Km, then maybe you could say that the GPS was not calibrated properly, but when the distance just disappears in 'chunks' then I am more inclinded to believe the Garmin and say that the course distance is fudged. Not only that, but if you look at eveyone's pace during the last few Kms (where there are a few timing mats) it really gives the game away. Anyway my Garmin said 41.58Km.

I really don't get why they 'short' the courses like that. There's enough turn arounds on the run for them to nail the distance. With half the field wearing GPS units it's not like no one knows anymore. If I were Chrissie, I'd rather be sitting on an honest 8h25 world best rather than a 8h18* world best (*course distance not certified).

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Hawaii Qualification Analysis

The last time I raced there, I clearly had one of the last km (I want to say 40-41 when you get out of the forest) that went by incredibly fast, specially for a shuffle ;-)

There is an easy answer for that. People go to Roth for fast times and the bragging rights that come with it. The problem is, we (athletes) discuss finish times instead of positions. I think it is impressive that chrissie went less then half an hour slower then Henning (also not a slow athlete). And finished 7th or so over all. That impressed me.

The last time I raced there, I clearly had one of the last km (I want to say 40-41 when you get out of the forest) that went by incredibly fast, specially for a shuffle

This nonesense with the innaccurate courses is as old as the sport itself. However, these days, when this happens, it only makes the sport look silly and unprofessional.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Given all the means to get accurate courses, it's definitely true. A lot of the smaller races in France are actually announced as, for instance, 1,450m, 41.3km, 10.7km or whatever it is, rather than OD: 1.5km, 40km, 10km.

Great read. Thanks.

I agree it's silly but considering how much publicity the organizers get for new records and fast times it's probably not a bad strategy all in all. The masses don't pay too much attention to exactly how accurate a course is anyway so the fact that a few guys on forums etc do probably doesn't matter much. Similar reason why we at some races still see a lot of media around athletes and lead vehicles too close making the times faster.

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BA coaching http://www.bjornandersson.se

Stupidest question on the forum this year, given that Chrissie probably has sponsorship incentives for winning Kona, to say nothing of the fat prize purse for winning there...

Is there any chance at all she backs up her criticism of WTC's prize and Kona policies by skipping the World Championship for, perhaps, Challenge Barcelona the week before?

::ducking and covering, putting on flame suit::

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"The hero is someone in continual opposition to the status quo. The hero is always becoming himself." Jos� Ortega y Gasset.

"The enthusiasm (absorbing or controlling possession of the mind by any interest or pursuit) is needed before breaking the milestone and not after." Sergio Escutia, on Lukas Verzbicas' subdued reaction to breaking 4 minutes in the mile.

Very well put from Brett Sutton:

http://www.teamtbb.com/...ask=view&id=1057

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Espen Wagener
Kongsberg, Norway

http://www.espenwagener.blogspot.com

Brett just wishes he met her when she was younger. A LOT younger.

He did miss a very easy name to underline one of the key points he is making. Natascha Badmann. She had a bike leg close to what Chrissie can do, and for 6 times in Kona with a swim that was 10 minutes off the pace, that was good enough.

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Hawaii Qualification Analysis

I think Lori Bowden had all of Chrissies skills, just a different time in a very new sport.

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It's a Good life if you don't Weaken!
My Mom 1922-2004

No way.

Lori was a great triathlete, but not even close to Chrissie. I have ridden in same pack as Lori in Austria, and she barely hang on to that group with a bike split of 4.55. She would have been 30min slower going solo.

Her run was great, but did she ever swim sub 1h?

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Espen Wagener
Kongsberg, Norway

http://www.espenwagener.blogspot.com

I don't know haw they measure the run course. best tangent..middle of the course path...outside of the course path. It makes a huge difference. I did gulf coast half this year and it was 13.5miles on several garmins. It races long but I'm sure the way they measure it is 13.1 and this could be the difference in Roth

I just think that the sport has evolved so much and the bar is constantly being raised. Fast forward Lori ahead 10 years and I think she could give Chrissie a go. Maybe and maybe not..... just speculating and having fun.
Oh, and Lori could sure rock the yellow one piece.

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It's a Good life if you don't Weaken!
My Mom 1922-2004

SUCK IT!!!!

worthless piece of shit!!!!

Is that a Gibsonism?

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coming soon...

no it's a Griffinism!!!!

know your celebs...

Ypu measure a run course by the shortest possible route. Therefor a garmin should always show a longer run than actual.

Styrrell

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Styrrell

Am I missing something?

Thank you for saying this. How can a race be taken seriously and any times on it? Where is the attention to detail and desire to be exact come in with these RDs?
Get it right guys - you are getting paid to put on this race! Be a professional in your work.

Honest to god, what the hell are these organizers smoking? In this day and age there are numerous tools for measuring a course within a few metres of accuracy. This would piss me off if I was racing and I was trying to make sense as to whether I did a PB or not. What a joke!

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Adrian in Vancouver