What is the official news on the alledged Ford Ironman Floride swim incident discussed on this board?
I haven’t seen it- I was up north at a race: Can anyone tell me how Lance Armstrong did in the New York Marathon?
Thanks guys- I did try to read through the posts but figured one person may be able to answer my questions more quickly.
Lance went 2:59:36
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I guess the Marathon bit back… Lance Armstrong Struggles in NYC Marathon
MONDAY NOVEMBER 06, 2006 07:55AM EST
By Tim Nudd
Armstrong after the marathon Photo by: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP / Getty / Newscom 
Lance Armstrong, who knows a thing or two about tough competition, got more of a challenge than he expected Sunday when he ran the ING New York City Marathon.
“For the level of condition that I have now, that was without a doubt the hardest physical thing I have ever done,” the seven-time Tour de France winner said after the race, according to the Associated Press. “I never felt a point where I hit the wall. It was really a gradual progression of fatigue and soreness.”
Armstrong, 35, placed 856th in a field of more than 35,000 runners. His goal was to run the five-borough course in less than three hours – a feat he accomplished, though barely, crossing the finish line in 2:59:36. Visitors to the marathon’s official Web site could watch his progress live on a special “Lance cam.”
The week before the race, Armstrong told the AP, “I’ve been training some, but I wouldn’t call it serious. It’s just something to fill a void in my life after I quit competing as a professional cyclist.”
That approach may have come back to haunt him.
“I think I bit off more than I could chew. I thought the marathon would be easier,” he said on Sunday. “(My shins) started to hurt in the second half, especially the right one. I could barely walk up here, because the calves are completely knotted up.”
Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil won the men’s race in a time of 2:09:58. Defending champion Jelena Prokopcuka finished first among the women, with a time of 2:25:05.
Yeah, he looked seriously thrashed at the end of it. They were sticking cameras in his face and he could barely say a word to them.
I guess the Marathon bit back… Lance Armstrong Struggles in NYC Marathon
Cripes, yeah I hope to “struggle” some day going sub 3 as well.
You know it says something when a man who has won, what many say is the toughest test of endurance ever - the Tour de France - 7 times is humbled by the marathon.
I kinda had a hunch that Armstrong had not done the training that he had hoped that he would be able to do or should have done. He even hinted at that several times in interviews that I had read. Kudos to him though for setting the 3:00 mark as his own personal goal and then going out and doing it.
Fleck
Could or would? Both would be consistent with Lance.
I agree, Kudos.
And it’s funny to think of his interviews in the past when he compared the Tour de France to ‘running a marathon everyday.’ He may be rethinking that analogy.
I was never too interested in his running the marathon. I’m more interested in what that will spark–i.e will that make him more likely, or less likely to do Ironman. But in the pre-race interview on ESPN he said he’s been swimming and riding a lot since his ‘retirement.’
I’ll second that.
As for coulda/woulda, who knows. He didn’t look too good though. (Hey, I’m not faulting the guy. It’ll be a cold day in hell when I run a sub 3 marathon.)
I wonder if he was just plain under-trained with his schedule and all.
He bit off more than he can chew because he didn’t train properly. I am thoroughly impressed with his tolerance for pain, it had to hurt a lot those last 8-10 miles and he held it together.
Why does everyone think he should have gone faster? To finish where he did puts him right in the FOP. I am baffled as to why people think he should be putting times in that would match folks who have been running for years.
Mark
" Why does everyone think he should have gone faster?"
I don’t think people think he SHOULD have gone faster, just that they/I think he COULD, likely easily, go faster.
From what I’ve read his training was less than optimal and there is little doubt that he has the capacity and mental toughness for it.
The interview I read stated that his longest run was something like 10 miles so far and they would “Work up” 16 or so. From his attitude it sounded like he was just having a good time with the whole thing. IOW on “Having a good time” type of training and a fairly minimal amount of miles, he went sub 3. IMHO that points to the likelyhood he COULD go faster.
As other have stated, I merely hope to even get close to that on “perfect” training.
~Matt
I’ll bet it hurt for about 20 miles (especially with shin splints) but if he said ‘i’d like to go about 2:45’ and they set the pace for him, I bet he would’ve done it. Anyone that can hold 30mph on a TT bike for over an hour has a pain tolerance off the charts.
Mark, stop making sense 
jaretj
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Reminds me of my first marathon. Did one 13-mile pre-race run and thought I would just gut it out and rely on my running ability. Turned out to be way harder than I thought.
I’ll bet it hurt for about 20 miles (especially with shin splints) but if he said ‘i’d like to go about 2:45’ and they set the pace for him, I bet he would’ve done it. Anyone that can hold 30mph on a TT bike for over an hour has a pain tolerance off the charts.
he may have the pain/mental tolerance but does he have the actual physical ability to do it? maybe. At this point nope.
“I wonder if he was just plain under-trained with his schedule and all.”
Tim,
The best post race summery from what I have seen was in the NY Times. The link is here:
I like the last line the best!
Fleck
lol…that is great.
Up north at a race? It was THE Iceman!
I personally liked you telling us sport 30-34 riders about Norman’s ride in HI. Pretty sweet.