I don’t think Chrissie Wellington could have gotten much leaner!
Which brings to mind this image.
Hugh
That brings me to the book Sports Gene. Epstein describes how it was for a long time thought that there is an ideal body that suits best for EVERY sport. I think that was an image like your standard gym guy/ fitness model with right enough but not too much muscle and low but not too low body fat.
Funny when you think about it now and how it has evolved to “highly specialized” bodies. Compare a kenyan marathoner to a football player.
Yes, you will bring your body closer to the needs for your sport with training and nuzrition, but the frame is a genetic given. You operate within a range. To fight against that could be downright destructive to your health and performance.
Again, think about Solinsky trying to match the bodyweight of Wilson Kipsang (roughly same hight). He would be in trouble right away.
That settles it; I am NOT at racing weight! 
That settles it; I am NOT at racing weight!
A few years ago I was at Dan’s Pre-Kona party. If I remember correctly, I was sitting down at a lower level chatting with Dev Paul. At one point I turned my head 90 degrees to the side and there only inches away were Chrissie’s quads and lower legs… right in my face. Absolutely mind shattering to behold at such close range and made me chuckle about either Fleck or Jordan once making a comment regarding their wife giving them a “hall pass” to look a Chrissie’s legs as they thought them quite wonderful too.
Hugh
No one can tell you your ideal race weight by height and weight without seeing you in person because every person has a different body composition and its an art not a science to figure out where your sweet spot is. And to do that you need to test different strategies during a race season.
Skinnier/less weight isn’t always faster, you are looking for the best power/weight ratio for the 3 sports…
Had to repost this:
“the trick is to keep losing weight until your friends and family ask you if you’ve been sick. then you know you’re within 10 pounds. if they start whispering to each other, wondering if you’ve got cancer or aids, you’re within 5. when they actually do an intervention, you’re at race weight.” - Slowman (Dan Empfield)
well as a cancer survivor, i dont appreciate the comparison in a positive light and its a bit off.
I could be wrong, but I *think *Dan’s intent was to show how ignorant our family and friends can be about any kind of weight loss = you can only lose weight if you are deathly ill
I mentioned elsewhere that D’Wife’s nickname for me is “Skinny Little Shit” … and I’m not even CLOSE to any kind of racing weight
Good point. Sometimes things get taken out of context. And people shoot their mouths off and make a jackass of themselves. When my wife put on a few pounds, a relative of mine asked her when she was due. I jumped down her threat about the stupid question. Because my wife had surgery not long before this.
I just get sensitive to the whole cancer thing. For good reason but I can see the comparison!