Sam Warriner did her first 70.3 race and she gave us some of her thoughts.
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Interview/Sam_Warriner_s_long_day_688.html
Nice interview Herbert!
I hate to say it, but Yvonne does not pass my smell test.
Great interview, Herbert.
Further evidence that ITU athletes can step right up and go toe-to-toe with the best long course athletes in the world at this distance. There is a mistaken impression amongst many that this can’t happen, or that ITU athletes can’t do this - clearly these people are wrong and don’t fully understand that at the end of the day, it’s all swim/bike/run and that there is not that big a difference.
We are bound to see more of this, this year as is typical in a post Olympic games year with more ITU stand-outs stepping up and having a go at the 70.3 distance.
“There is a mistaken impression amongst many”
Who thinks this? Seriously, there are “many” people who think this? I don’t think so but I could be wrong. I still don’t like what Frodeno said about ITU athletes who go long but you can’t argue with results.
Also, can someone please explain to me why the pro women aren’t going off at 6:30am!!! Here, let’s make it simple–women at 6:30am, men at 6:55am, Age-Group waves at 7. The women should be screaming about this, except for the ones who like drafting off the age-group men, that is.
Seriously, there are “many” people who think this?
Come, on Mike. You hang out here a lot. Surely you see all the people that worship at the Ironman Altar. They go on and on about the distance, and the mystic and the legacy. That it’s only Ironman distance specialists that can win these longer races. It’s true, you need some experience at the longer racing and it’s also true that some short coursers have problems stepping up. But, the evidence is to the contrary - more than a few do step up and step into 70.3 and even IM racing with impressive results from the get-go.
I do hang out here a lot, too much ;^)
I would love to see, just once, Javier Gomez race Clearwater. You could go 3:35 and not even win! If people here aren’t smart enough to see how these ITU guys do when they “step-up” to longer racing…
I’d also love to see some of the “older” guys like Whitfield, Reed, Kemper, Don, Docherty, and Bennett go long. That would be sick. And since Q might read this–no I don’t really think you’re old.
I’d also love to see some of the “older” guys like Whitfield, Reed, Kemper, Don, Docherty, and Bennett go long. That would be sick. And since Q might read this–no I don’t really think you’re old.
As I said, given that it’s a post-Olympic year, I think that we are going to see more of this, this year.
Consider Bozzone’s performance at Clearwater - An outstanding race for him, but my guess is that there are a number of guys on the ITU circuit that are going - " Hey, I can beat that guy"**. **It’s going to be a great year of racing at that distance.
We still don’t have this race set up and I am wondering why that is. What is it? A really big dollar race at the 70.3 distance or similar. Big enough $$$ that it would attract all the best from ITU, 70.3 and IM.
So Fleck are you saying that once you go to IM racing, that’s it, you can’t go back down the ladder?
Michellie Jones and Macca, I thought, won ITU championships and then did pretty OK in IM racing. However, neither has gone back to ITU racing.
That said, if Torrenzo Bozzone took his speed to 140.6 IM racing and gave it solid focus…Wow, that would be interesting.
Bob
So Fleck are you saying that once you go to IM racing, that’s it, you can’t go back down the ladder?
Yes. You see it it running. Once a runner goes to the marathon distance it’s rare for them to drop back down and do as well at 5K or 10K. Look at Haile G - no question he’s the #1 marathon runner in the world right now. Could he drop back down and race well at 5K and 10K, yes he could, but he would have a tough time beating the likes of Keninesa Bekele. Bekele focusing completely on those distances.
Edit - Bob, that’s why on the other thread, I am counselling the 24 year old dude, to have some second thoughts about rocking the IM world. If performance is key, and for that guy it seems to be, cause he’s going for a Kona slot, then staying “short” for as long as possible is always the best approach. You’ll never get that speed back if you go long early!
I agree, plus why would you? Once you pray at the Ironman Altar there’s no going back. Especially with all the mystique and the legacy ;^)
MG-Bozzonne is racing in Kona this year. And if I was a betting man, I’d bet that Whitfield will be racing there next year.
Herbert, your opening sentence is incorrect. Sam Warriner is no stranger to the HIM distance…she’s won NZ’s biggest half (and national long course champs) twice already, the latest occasion being last month. She answered your question with a very specific “first Ironman 70.3 race”…
I agree that those ITU athletes are able to step up to longer distances easily. They are training some pretty decent aerobic volume and are fast enough in the water to be in the main pack or slightly ahead after the swim and they have a good run speed. Though I think that the ITU athletes are also helped by the fact that the main pack on the bike is getting very big in the important championships. Hanging on in the pack (even in a legal way at 7-10 meter) is getting a huge advantage in races like clearwater or Hawaii. It is ITU style racing with easy bike courses with big packs and little advantage for the athletes that do a solo break away on the bike. Stepping up to IM would be way more difficult for ITU athletes if there was not a big pack on the bike. Right now I think that ITU style racing is the future in Hawaii and Clearwater because the bike course is not hard enough. Unless a spectaculair side wind in Hawaii occurs I don’t think that Hawaii will be won again on the bike. Too many good runners in the pack.
Normann won without a big wind with one of the top runners in the sport having a good day =)
Its a rare athlete that can bike EXTREMELY well and run decent.
But, it happens! I bet if Hawaii has an unsuaully cool day Torbjorn could take it too.
You see it it running. Once a runner goes to the marathon distance it’s rare for them to drop back down and do as well at 5K or 10K.
You’re right, and one exception would be Kara Goucher. Still smokin’ at 3k, 5k, 10k, (easily winning indoors this year), and just beginning her marathon career. I think her next marathon is Boston. Coached by Alberto Salazar, I wonder if she’ll focus on marathons, or continue with track racing.
I think that the pack is getting bigger every year and the disadvantage of riding alone is also getting bigger. It is already very hard to break away before half way point of the bike because the pack is riding fast the first half. So coming back after a bad swim is difficult just as breaking away. Then there will be a small gap with some athletes riding a well paced fast second half of the bike. But there is a cost for riding alone and if there are decent bikers/ good runners in the pack saving energy I think it will be very hard to get the needed 10-15 minutes on the bike without blowing up.
Just wanted to say thank you Herbert for the pro interviews, they are my favorite aspect of this site.
As far as the long course vs. short course athlete debate, I am more impressed by a Raelert 1:10? off the bike half vs. a 2:47 IM run. I know that both are strong performances but carrying a 1:10 over 13.1 run after a 56 bike is crazy fast.
You’re right, and one exception would be Kara Goucher. Still smokin’ at 3k, 5k, 10k, (easily winning indoors this year), and just beginning her marathon career. I think her next marathon is Boston. Coached by Alberto Salazar, I wonder if she’ll focus on marathons, or continue with track racing.
There are always exceptions. However, the key point and take-away is that Goucher and other top marathon runners don’t give up completely on shorter distance racing. They may never reach all-time PB’s at those shorter distances, but they know that to stay competitive at the marathon they need to race shorter regularly.
Contrast that with the mentality and approach of many who race IM’s - that’s all they do!!
You are correct. My bad.
H
“There is a mistaken impression amongst many”
Who thinks this? Seriously, there are “many” people who think this? I don’t think so but I could be wrong.
The same ones who think Kenyans cannot be good distance runners.
One could argue that the 70.3 championships have been dominated by short course racers. If anything, isn’t the debate whether IM racers can compete at 70.3?
As far as the long course vs. short course athlete debate, I am more impressed by a Raelert 1:10? off the bike half vs. a 2:47 IM run. I know that both are strong performances but carrying a 1:10 over 13.1 run after a 56 bike is crazy fast.
Indeed. Watch our for Raelert.
Not bad for a 1 - 2 effort and first few forays into longer racing.