Probably yes, I wonder how well he's coming back from his op he's not putting much info out.

His mentality is the reason why he's the best. To many of us the answer is that it may have been a mistake... but he will risk it more than anyone else and thats why he's double olympic champion.

I think his time in triathlon may becoming to end soon. His move to long course is a way to find a new challenge but I would be surprised if he's still competing by 2020

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Inside The Big Ring: Podcast & Coaching

I think a lot will depend on how he trains for long course. If he doesn’t modify his training right he may injure himself out of racing. However, if he gets beat a few times at 70.3 I see him sticking with it since he pretty much is only okay with winning or the hospital. There’s no inbetween.

Also it depends what he wants to be the best overall triathlete that has raced or the best short course. He can’t really go out as best of all time without winning at the 70.3 and 140.6 level. But there wouldn’t be much of an argument for best oly distance racer, besides Gomez. Which is an interesting debate in itself.

Agree 100%.

In the recent documentary before Rio, the question comes up about his training and "would it better for him to not train so hard and win more world championships"... and says that Gomez's skill is to be consistent with winning more world titles than brownlee. But Browlee's response was pretty interesting, that if he didn't train the way he does he would't be an olympic champion. Train to be consistent vs train to be Olympic champion? Plus we have NO idea if there is any difference between Brownlee and Gomez in training, i just thought the comment was interesting.

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Inside The Big Ring: Podcast & Coaching

I’m guessing the training is different. For one, Gomez I read in one article takes a full month off after the season and does absolutely no training just to recover. The odds of Alistair doing that seem to be 0 percent unless it’s due to surgery.

He also does longer races a bit more constistently and although at their level the training isn’t that much different my guess is he does a few more longer rides and runs than Alistair to stay competitive at that level.

There is an interesting interview with dan larang on real coaching podcast. He is Frodo’s coach for LD.

Basically he was saying that injury risk would be a lot lower at IM. Also said that one of the most important things to do when you transition is to find or create a new “team” of training partners.

I would think that the toughest challenge for AB or JG would be going from one day where you have federation support and a lot of great training partners, to the next where you are basically slogging it out slow(er) 30 hours a week on your own.

Maurice

I'm an Oregon boy at heart and I can see a lot of parallels between Alistair and Pre as far as racing style and training style. Alistair trains to be a champion champion and nothing else. With that being said I don't feel like a transition to 70.3 would suit him well. An increase in mileage + relentless training style could be recipe for disaster.

His 28:32 in the 10k was amazing...I'm betting he would have ran it faster in a Speedo and shades (+/- visor).

The increase in mileage/hours from ITU to 70.3 is negligible for these guys. It’s just a slight change in pace and a few more long rides/runs.

Agreed. I would argue that for someone who has a history of injuries that the increase in racing mileage would be a concern.

I don't know, LS smashes it all the time and he hasn't been gimped up. Now, maybe what they can take is different, but maybe AB goes balls out and is able to sustain it. That'd be scary news for every other pro.

Just so many variables in a person's makeup/life to say "he trains too hard to last long", when while history shows he has issues, we don't know the nuances to why that is.

I'd say itu style training, with its higher intensity, would make someone more injury prone.

If you read the Brownlee brother's book, their intense run sessions are often much harder and shorter than their rivals from what they state. The session they mention is 6 x 800m with the pace being something like 10 secs per 400m faster than their 10k pace. I can't quite remember the recovery but it might have been something like 200m easy? That's a pretty intense session.

Alistair was still riding around 17-18 hours per week in itu.

Maybe Ali comes back from this latest operation less injury prone, scary thought!

Is everyone aware he's been put in the 2018 England Commenwealth games squad? Meaning theres a chance long course (certainly full distance) goes on hold.

I really hope AB just forgets about going long and sticks to ITU. The fast, cut and thrust of the short stuff just seems to suit him, and a shot at a 3rd Gold in Tokyo would be great to watch. The only ITU race I watched last year was Leeds, just to watch him tear it up. Maybe he can win Kona, maybe he can't, but I don't think it would be anywhere near as interesting as watching him go for Gold in Tokyo.

the disrespect that ITU athletes get and reverence that long-course athletes get here blows my mind.

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Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”

I don’t think that’s really a valid comparison yet. Alistair has been racing at the world level over 10 years, and at the national level before that. Sanders has done 3 years or so of major training. If Lionel is still kicking around fine in another 10 years sure, but looking at his death gait at Hawaii it’s hard to believe he won’t have issues at some point because of it.

Don’t get me wrong, Alistair’s body could 100 percent just be a delicate flower, but he has way more miles in his legs than Sanders and that by itself can cause some of the problems. He also has a running issue it’s just different than Sanders, he runs forefoot, and that has possibly contributed to his issues over the long term.

It already should be scary for the pros you have Gomez coming into 70.3 who can win worlds doing ITU training, stack a healthy Alistair and Jonny in a few years and it could be a hell of a shootout. Especially if they all do Hawaii.

I wouldn't even talk about the injury status, I almost think that's a given because what your talking about is an complete overhaul of his mind/thinking around training. You don't go from being "injury prone" to not injury prone without an complete overhaul of your training process. So I would more simply just go with it for Ali. His process got him to 2 olympic medals. Now I'm sure because of this type of injury it may force him to change, but I wouldn't count on it.

ETA: This is more to say, that I dont think you can change Ali, and that's what makes him so special to winning back to back gold medals. So I think you take the really really great with the chance that it causes X niggle injury and Y injury but for the most part when he's had to be on, he's been on.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

A lot of professionals say they decrease their volume when transitioning from ITU to long course.

Hard to see Alistair doing Hawaii. His gameplan was always 2 years of LC after Rio then make a call on Tokyo, saying that he would need a 2 year run into Tokyo.

That was immediately after Tokyo and at the time he was probably undecided; I suspect the addition of the relay to Tokyo - another medal shot plus racing to get his brother a Gold as well will be a massive pull for him and he won't be able to resist.

That leaves next year, I can see some mix and match, 70.3's and some target ITU races but without the long course focus he was originally intending. It will be a 'recovery' year from a serious injury and he'll want to learn enough to know he can still cut it at ITU before committing to the two year cycle.

It’s remarkable. Better than 10 years ago, but still you’d think they were doing all their training stopping at coffee shops in the middle of it based on some comments.

Funny you should say that cos I think that’s exactly what Brownlees do on long rides when you read their book follow them on Twitter etc

And the reason he is only two times world champion. You have to choose your poision.

According to Javier he has learned to never give 100% during training but just go 99% (or whatever). It is that final 1% that will keep braking you down, yet the yield of the training session is almost the same.

It does seem like that, but when I read their book what I took out of it was that yes, about 80-85% is coffee rides or stopping for cake, but that last 15-20% is at efforts that require the rest to be coffee/recovery rides. Same with running. Seems like they do a ton of easy/trail jogs, and then the last 10% are track sessions at incredibly high efforts.

what documentary?

https://www.youtube.com/...3kllG7OV4&t=127s

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Inside The Big Ring: Podcast & Coaching

I actually think Jonny could end up with the better long course record out of the three possibly in the future if he decides to go up after Tokyo.

He's a lot younger than Gomez, less injury prone and more patient than Ali.

I don't think we'll seem him do long course.

I've heard too many third party sources quoting him as saying he found it boring this year. He likes racing, hard.

Recent interview with AB: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/...hese-years-1-8888948

Not far from full fitness after this summer's op.
Plans to go back to 70.3 after the Commonwealth Games targeting 70.3 worlds.
After that will decide Tokyo or IM.

Not quite what he said when asked at an event last night.

https://twitter.com/...s/938862634824359941


Both were asked about Kona Both said "Yes" but did specify "don't know when"


Both were asked about alternative Olympic sports (ala Jorgensen and her Marathon 2020 bid)

Ali said also Marathon. Since he couldn't get to the standard required for 10K. He said he wouldn't want to "just qualify" he'd want to go there with the ability to win it
Jon chose Shooting since it was easier

Did we just find the 3rd brownlee in that audience there?

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Thanks for that link.

Leaves me with the same opinion, it's hardly all in for Kona in the near future.

Alistair won his local fell race today so must be back in reasonable running shape.

https://twitter.com/...s/947442147183267841

I've made my mind up on this now, I'd much rather Ali stuck around ITU till after Tokyo, even if you don't like the Brownlee's you have to admit deep down when the pair of them line up the excitement factor for any given race goes up ten fold.

He's got plenty of time after Tokyo to win Kona, Gomez has anounced he's moving up it seems and thats good enough to inject enough excitement into long course.

If this latest op has sorted out Ali's injury problems (very big if) I'd love to have a full season of ITU with him doing the buisness against the likes of Mola/Murray/Blum etc.

*down*

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Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”

Great documentary, thanks for the link!!! AB was clearly very driven from early on.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Judging Ali's picture just posted on his Instagram could be both Gomez and Brownlee at Kona this year...

I don't generally look at "Instagram" but JOOC what was the picture of???

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

I've tried getting it in here but my I.T skills won't let me, Ali in a very low aero position (sure it will be picked apart in here) with volcanic looking mountain's in the background (He's in Tenerife)

Ah, I see, interesting...it would be very cool to see AB, Gomez, Frodo, Sebi, Lange, and Lionel all toe the line in Kona this year. Assuming AB and Gomez go 1-2, this might finally settle the "ITU guys can't bike" debate. :)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Ali comes in as arguably the second strongest cyclist in the hypothetical 2018 field (nod to current course record holder Wurf). What Brownlee did at St. George 2017, as a hunted man, where he biked the same split as Sanders/Kienle who were WORKING TOGETHER trying to catch him, shows how strong he will be in Kona.

Don’t forget, Starky will be there in 2018, and he can swim. I’d think Brownlee and Starky hammering off the front early and working together will put the field on their heels. I don’t think Gomez (or many others) can hang with Ali/Starky, and you’ll see them put some time into the train.

I could see a scenario where Starky/Ali/ Wurf (having bridged from the chase swim pack and worked his way thru the field) enter T2 together, a few minutes up on Kienle/Sanders and several minutes up on the train. Brownlee could easily be up 10 min on Gomez and Lange by T2.

Ali starts the run in the drivers seat and can “cruise” to 2:4x high for the win. He forces Gomez/Lange to run mid 2:30s if they want the catch and Sanders will have to run 2:4x low.

Whether or not the do/ don’t/ blow up will make for great watching. But having written all this, Brownlee probably gets injured and DNS and the race itself will probably be a dud...

Given his nature, and since it is The Big Show, I would think Ali would try to run as fast as possible to break the course record by as much as possible, maybe 7:45??? Hypothetically, :47 + 4:12 + 2:43 + :03 = 7:45. In any case, the large number of very fast guys will indeed make for an exciting race!!!

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Only thing i'd disagree with there is Gomez being dropped on the swim, on the bike maybe im sure he's strong enough to come out with the front pack.

I wonder how much the relay will tempt him - winning with your brother would be a big pull if they can stay injury free.

 

Is there anything to suggest AB will race Kona this year, other than a photo of him riding in vaguely Kona like conditions.

Fairly sure his 2018 gameplan will have 'A' races, Commonwealths, Leeds ITU, 70.3 Worlds followed by the Kona/Tokyo decision (which he is 95% certain to go the Tokyo route - very good prospect of a relay Gold with his brother, plus shot at a third individual title would trump Kona in his world IMO)

I wish he'd put everyone out there misery and let us know what his plans are, I haven't been able to find any interviews post operation.

Agree, Gomez will be one of the first out of the water.

But do feel like he’ll get left pretty quickly on the bike. Not necessarily by the group, where I think he stays in contact, but by a determined Brownlee/ Starky duo off the front.