just noticed that Lessing is on the start list for IMFL. interesting stuff. amazing what the pro field looks like compared to a few years back.
i was just talking to a british buddy of mine and he said that lessing is not doing IM Florida…
he was just added to the list the day after hawaii. bib # 31.
I tried to confirm this with one of my british buddies, but unfortunately he has no clue who Simon Lessing is…
Yes it appears that IMFL will now be know as the Ironman for Loser Pros.
So you want a late entry to IMFL?
Yeah.
Guessing you DNF’ed at Hawaii?
Yeah
Guessing you’re a quiter, are you sure you can finish IMFL?
Yeah
Okay Loser pro. Your in.
And you are qualified to call another person a loser because???
Yes it appears that IMFL will now be know as the Ironman for Loser Pros.
i think that’s a bit harsh. while i don’t particularly like the idea of the pros dropping out of hawaii as soon as they realize they have no chance of winning, i do understand that the reality of it is that, for them, it’s sometimes the smart thing to do. think about it. you still have all this fitness and a chance to take home some $$ in an ironman 3 weeks later. why kill yourself just to finish? like i said, i don’t like seeing it either, but i understand why it makes sense for some.
Another aspect of doing Florida after a Hawaii DNF is that it is the first opportunity to qualify for the following year. For a pro like Lessing finishing in the top 10 at Hawaii would automatically qualify for next year, however since he DNF’d there is the onus to get into next years kona race. By racing Panama City he can capitalize on this years base and be able to race next season without having to worry about qualifying. It is quite apparent that even for top pros racing multiple ironmans in a year takes it’s toll. With qualifying out of the way Kona could be the attacked in a fresher state in 2005.
Just a theory.
You liked that too eh?
I know nothing about mr blew, but I think it is important to realize there is an entire segmant of triathlon competitors for whom finishing is winning. When they see a pro drop out, then in their mind he missed the entire point of doing a triathlon–finishing the race. I don’t agree with this, but I think there are a lot of people out there who do.
Until you can concieve of starting a triathlon with the purpose of racing it, then the only goal is finishing.
Chad
Simon is not racing Florida, regardless of what the start list says. It appears Bjorn will, hopefully his foot problem won’t reappear.
Gerard is correct. Simon did enter in the days right after Kona but has since decided against racing. The upper leg, lower back issue he had in Hawaii is not 100%, so he’ll take some time off and get back after it in '05.
Shawn - ASICS America
one thing to keep in mind is that these guys do need to eat and if they’re married, ensure that their families can eat as well. Yes, it is great to see someone pushing through pain and finishing and it provides great inspiration. But I think that it could take a bigger person to drop out and race again to provide for the family.
Just a thought.
Dan
www.aiatriathlon.com
Francois I was commenting to the fact that he was a loser and pulled the pin at Kona for some pathetic reason and then the following day enters another ironman. Was his arse really as sore as he made out? Well I’ll never know but as someone else said, the reason for doing triathlon is to finish. He has missed this point.
And Pro’s might be in it to make money but you still should finish the biggest race of the year. If he crashed and pulled out, well that would be another issue but he just thought his arse was too sore to continue.
With the news that he might not now do IMFL, that’s good. He shouldn’t.
BTW, I have met him a few times several years ago and thought he was a nice guy. But my comments were in relation to him being a Soft Co#k in pulling the pin at Kona not him in general.
Also if he had already pre entered IMFL before Kona that would have been cool but he hadn’t.
“there is an entire segmant of triathlon competitors for whom finishing is winning.”
They’re called Age Groupers.
We can understand this mentality to finish at any cost if you’re an AG’er. If I had made all those sacrifices to qualify for the big show in Kona, paid my own way over, then there would be no way in hell that I wouldn’t finish unless dying since it’s most likely a once in a life event for most AG’ers.
However, for the pro it makes more sense to lose the battle and regroup for another day since this is how they make their livings. Great generals lost battles but won wars with this same common sense philosophy.
BTW, blew is either a troll or an idiot. Perhaps both.
Cerveloguy,
Thanks for your kind words.
But what happens next year when lessing pulls out again?
Can I call him a loser then?
blew,
Call him what ever you want, but until you can match his accomplishments do you really think anybody cares what you think?
Not trying to be nasty towards you, but don’t you think you’re being just a little critical about one of the world’s best triathletes. I expected Simon to win, but he didn’t. Sh*t happens to the best people some time. That doesn’t mean I respect the man any less. IMO, he did the right thing to withdraw and come back next year.
SL is a professional triathlete. He gets paid to win and perform. I’m not sure in Simon’s case, but I’d sure hope a majority of his pay comes from performance…
I’m in sales. If I’m NOT going sell an account, I walk away and go find another buyer. I’m not a loser, I’m smart for realizing I shouldn’t be putting any more effort/resources into a losing cause. I don’t pound down a path which doesn’t have a return. I’m not there to be emotional and make my co-workers feel good who support my efforts. My job is to produce revenue and increase customer satifaction, period.
So it is with triathlon. Since I’m an Ager, I finish crappy performances to burn a few calories and humble myself. But, if I were in Simon’s shoes, I would have folded up shop and started thinking about the next conquest and the exact moment I felt I couldn’t perform to my ability…