about the level at IM racing…
the guy in 11th place at IM France, although a VERY good triathlete, went 9h40’, some 15’ behind TDB (albeit having a really tough day) outrunning some guys in the top 10…is an AGer…and is 56 years old!!!
"is an AGer…and is 56 years old!!! "
Holy Cow. You sure this isn’t a misprint??? That Viagra must really work.
I know him…so yes, I am sure. The guy already ran a 3h02’ something in Embrun at 50+
How about Fink at IMFL last year running 9:08 as a 46 yr old.
This is great news…I have 10-20 more years to try and get fast…and here I thought I was approaching “Over the hill”
~Matt
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I doubt its a misprint, Yves Tabarnant is no stranger to amazing performances. He did a 9:53 in Kona last year and won the age group by an 55 minutes.
Support Crew
Your never too old to rock and roll, if your too young to die.
as I said, I KNOW that’s his age…I know him. really fast dude.
he was a racing masters already in 1990!
Ironman Florida is Ironman Florida. Been out riding this week with one Jeff Cuddeback…age 47… Look for his results in Idaho this next weekend. Enough said.
these guys are kids compared to Yves Tabarant! 
Cuddeback will be in Hawaii this year…be careful Frenchy!
Why? I don’t think I got a slot…I don’t think in Brazil it rolled down as deep as the DNFs
I just think it will be a nice match between Cuddeback and Tabarant…as for you…you cant keep a brother like yourself down for too long!
You’re welcome from your #1 athletic supporter!
Dude, you’re going to rock and roll in Canada, no question. I’m sorry to keep making math analogies, but hey, it’s something you and I have in common: It’s just like when you are working on a big theorem. You spend months and months bashing your head against the wall, getting nowhere, feeling helpless. Then one day, you get it, and it’s done in 5 minutes. There is no way you would have been successful without the months of head bashing.
It’s the same with IM. You’ve just been through a rough patch with AZ and Brazil. But in Canada (and then Kona), it’s all going to come together. Then all you have to do is LaTeX it and send it to a journal! 
So are you going to hit Canada in late August, Kona in mid October, and then Florida in early November? Damn man, that’s hard core!
But back to your original question. Why are the IM fields diluted? Are the top athletes going to other sports/distances? But I’ve got to say, 56 years old in 11th place, that’s cool!
-Colin
Francois,
It’s hard to tell what the level of racing is as it was compared to 10 - 15 years ago:
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The proliferation of IM races has diluted the talent pool at each of the IM races.
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There is anecdotal evidence out there that despite all the technological advances and training knowledge, even the upper tier age-groupers are not going that much faster.
It does amaze me that at the IM race I am most familer with, IMC that a time of close to 9:00 and not even under that, can get you into the top 10 overall and in the money. Now personally, I don’t think that is that “fast”. But that is just me. When I was going that fast 15 years ago, I was still 30 minutes behind the race winners, and it felt like I was in a different postal code!
Fleck
Francois,
Not sure what your goals are, but 9:00 or close to that is very “doable” for a strong age-grouper, or second tier pro on the IMC course on a good day. The rough splits are 1:00/5:00/3:00. For many here that will seem extreme and “fast”, but if you know what you are doing, can pace yourself properly, It’s there. Over the years, I learned that the course is about restraint and I can see this in Gordo’s success there as well. Two reasons:
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The first 50 - 60K on the bike are more or less down-hill and often with a slight tail wind. Many go nuts on this section to the base of the Richter Pass. Resist this. Hold back. They will ALL, save the smart ones, come back to you after that on the rollers beyond Richter and the slow climb up to Yellow Lake.
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It’s the same on the run. HUGE crowds, on the first 5K of the run and relativly flat terrain, let many get carried away with the pace. Resist this. Hold back. They will ALL come back to you if you can maintain close to 7:00 min/miles the whole way. Like clock-work people will start falling apart at 10 - 15 miles.
Fleck
Yeeeessss! Old guys rule!
I agree with the “old guys rule” theory of how the endurance sports world works in regards to age-groupers. I did the Muncie Endurathon (1/2 IM) a couple years ago and the overall winner was 40-something. I’m 35 and that has been a great inspiration for me. I’ve only been doing triathlons for 5 years and I am very motivated by the idea that maybe my best days are still ahead of me.
Talked to Jeff yesterday - He told me that he is not interested in going to Kona this year. Just wanted to to do CDA in order to stay in shape. But, you never know! Never say Never. Z
I think you may have hit the nail with “and I know he is a very old school guy”. I think we have been telling our athletes that “after “x” age you loose “y” amount” for so long that we ahve begun to believe that’s the way it MUST be.
A few articles I’ve read in the last six months, can’t name them right now, have stated that the loss per age has been a bit “overestimated”. IOW you can be faster longer than we think.
Couple the above with the “Old school” training that doesn’t “overanalyse” things or pay that much attention to studies and you can see why alot of these 40-55 AG’s are faster than their younger counterparts.
~Matt