agggh I live next to this course wish it was in summer, not feb. Today I ran outside it was 39* with the water about 57*

Was she a swimmer as a kid? With her leg speed and prolly a quick study on the bike, if she was a decent age grouper she should have no trouble doing well fairly quickly.

Although I dont expect a world beater, itll be interesting to see her progress and it could draw some new fans into the sport because she's got a big following.


Quigley has mentioned that she still has eyes on running, the steeplechase and Paris 2024 for that. So I'm not sure if she is as all-in on triathlon as some are thinking here.

However, she may want to consider it. She's one of those high level runners who has been plagued by injury after injury. Had GREAT success early on - Multiple NCAA Championships, then post College made her first Olympic Team in 2016 and made the S/C Final in Rio and finished 8th. No small feat in a deep and challenging event! I think it was the following year that, at the World Championships she took one step over the line by accident on the short section of track where in the S/C they veer off the main track, in her semi-final race, and was DQ'd after a strong run to qualify for her 2nd World Final in a row. However since then, it's been as noted injury after injury.

She's become in some regards the "Lionel Sanders" of the track and field and running scene - blowing up her Social Media and living out there with big contracts with some notable brands including Lululemon.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

left BTC around the same time Houlihan tested positive and Schumacher and some other athletes in the group doubled down on defending a doper.

an 8:28 3K runner who can swim and bike would be handy to have on a mixed team relay.

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And the question remains. where were you.

The Lionel Sanders of track and field?! No such thing exists. Quigley is selling something on every other post and made the switch to influencer several years ago.
She was injury prone in university as well. Won over weak steeple fields and then chose to go to a rigid high volume pro team. Granted, there were less options back then but it was not the right choice. She’ll keep saying she’s training for 2024 and dabbling in triathlon as a way to stay relevant and please her major sponsor. She may earn her card against age groupers and collegiates but will she travel to the far flung continental cup locales? Can she mix it up with that level to earn points to make it? Nope.

Colleen has run a 4:22 (mile), 8:28 (3k), and a 15:10 (5k). I wouldn't just condense her PBs like this. She likely has the fastest running PBs of anyone to ever try triathlon. Injuries have been an issue throughout her running career. Maybe 30-40mpw & a ton of swimming/biking is the answer. Idk if short course is gonna happen with the swim ability & learning curve on the bike. She's gonna run faster than everyone. Maybe long course stuff like 70.3 & PTO ends up being a good distance for her where swimming matters less. Yes, she's an influencer but she has a ton of talent/potential. Not gonna knock someone for trying to make a living in a sport where winning races isn't enough. Rooting for her and intrigued to see how this goes.

She likely has the fastest running PBs of anyone to ever try triathlon. //

For the mile and 3k perhaps, but need to pencil in some of Gwens times from the 5k(15;08) upwards to see faster PB's for a "real" triathlete. Hope she has some fun, but with her swimming and thus biking, she will have a very hard time at any ITU style racing. Perhaps she could be a Chealse Sodaro type long distance athlete, but many of the same barriers are in her way there too. Just in long distance one has a chance to showcase a superior run without being in lead T2 group, not so in ITU..

See Beth Potter....
Two Sports, a Fast Time and Some Questions - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

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#swimmingmatters
Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind.
The Doctor (#12)

Or Alan Webb.

I said in the GJ thread this move feels very Webb ish. He was just in at a very accelerated make it or else funding opportunity.

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

She's going to be WAY better at triathlon than Alan.

Agreed. I would argue Webb was much more of a pure miler. For ITU racing, speed matters. Quigley would have the most potential (on the run) of anyone to ever make the move to short course racing. Quigley focused on the 3k steeple which is a strength/speed event. Years with BTC has her in a good position to eventually step up to long course racing. BTC's base building is geared towards the longer stuff. Potter made the transition after being more of a 10k runner. I agree that it will take years for Quigley to work on her swim/bike. But I'm not sure this is all about sponsors or whatever. You get knocked for trying to make a living. Fine. Quigley is a top-level elite athlete. She has the drive to train/compete at a high level. Running was getting her injured/frustrated/burned out. Maybe 30-40 miles/week with a ton of swimming/biking is the trick. She races for the first time next week so I guess we'll see how it goes.

The only reason Webb wasn’t more successful is because of his time table. LC tri was never going to be an option for him. He was fast tracked into Wtcs racing which no way she will, especially if she’s still going to do TF through ‘24.

If she doesn’t pro card Q next weekend, that will be a bad sign although in Clermont the 5k run is notoriously “long” to help usat id’d runners so she’ll get it there worse case.

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

I think it's cool to see single-sport athletes jump into tri. She's obviously a fantastic runner. That being said, looking at her strava, I don't see anything in her rides or swims that indicate she will finish top 3. I would be shocked if she got her pro license at this race (especially since it's draft legal). But who knows, maybe it'll be a really weak field and the front pack won't be too far ahead of her once they hit T2.

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Matt

There's always a few pro's who show up and race TM, a few years back PS's tri squad boys showed up, made for a fun story to tell for some of those edr athletes.

Take out the elites (who will get scrubbed from pro card candidates) and she'll very likely be able to hold her own. Look at last years results, only 1 girl broke 19 for the run (18:54), so unless USAT is sneaking in another single sport turned tri athlete into this race, she'll have a great shot at it. I've coached enough single sport athletes turned triathletes to elite card pros that an athlete of this caliber has a shot.

Looking at her strava, she's def a "poor" swimmer, it's looking like her best swim set atleast on strava for over 200 was holding 1:21 pace. Which will be slow OWS stroke, but I think her "athletic ability" (toughness) will also kick in and she'll be ok. She's currently *not* registered in Clermont so this is kinda it for her, for a while very likely (Clermont still has "wait list" spots...IE you'll almost assuredely "roll on")

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

He was just in at a very accelerated make it or else funding opportunity.


Money is doubtfully a concern for Quigley (Don't know what the situation was for Webb - did he still have a Nike contract when he made a go of it?). From appearances, she probably has contracts with sponsors that may in total I'm guessing be in the 6 figure area.

In some respects that's why you need to respect athletes like this having a go at it - they are not motivated by the money to give it a go!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I don’t know Webb’s specific personal sponsors were when he came to tri. I “guest” coached workouts for his coach (OB) a few times so I was able to get some “inside” scoops.

Webb only came into itu because he was essentially a “for hire” elite athlete. He got paid by usat to see if his run could win a medal. He raced wts within 1 year of the sport. Funny thing was his swim in the pool was as good as top 20 swimmers in the sport (Eli hemming). He couldn’t put it together at the big boy events.

If he would have stayed longer he’d easily have finished 20th-30th every wts race imo. But he was being paid as a ringer and ringers don’t keep getting funding w no podium results. Thus as quick as Webb was in the sport he was gone (2 year window).

But everyone knew the score- his funding was 100% on podium or bust type of potential

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

Am able to watch the race live view IG live feed, Quigley had a pretty "poor" swim, ok bike, but as expected is running through the field to gain her pro card atm. Already in the lead by a lot with 1mi to go.

(girls at this level don't bike strong nor run strong)

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

Won the race (elite card qualified now), and the more I think she could turn into one hell of a MTR style type of weapon in a few years.

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

Could you tell how far back she was after the swim and then the bike? Is this a sprint or Olympic distance race?

Sprint DL, she looked atleast over a min back of the swim. Bike I didnt get to see her on the T2. She was in lead of race by half way.

She may have very likely beaten the top male for the 5k run split, I dont know if he broke 17:30 (young pro from US who races on podium project).

The splits probaly wont come out til tomorrow. 1st step accomplished. Now she can race any event she wants to (basically).

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

sad how USA athletes look toward MTR odd ball competition cause they cant compete with the original deal...


sprint

Chess not checkers.

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

S 11:33 which was was 1:15 behind the leader (Faith Dasso who's an 1st year pro). Ran 19:02 to win by 48s
B 34:04 so she never caught the front pack (front pack rode ~34:30).

As I said this was going to be an soft field (no other woman broke 20 for 5km).

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