I think she'll get her elite card by either finishing top-3 or getting two elite score ratings. Her swim seems solid. Her run is elite. Hopefully she's been hammering the bike. She got pretty close to an elite score in her sprint tri back in September on what I would guess was very little training.
How can you assume that she will hammer the bike?
This will be her weakest discipline.
Did you read my post? I said hopefully she's been hammering the bike -- not that she'll hammer the bike. See the difference? Obviously the bike is where she has the most room to improve. That's why I said I hope she has been spending her training time there.
Also for the poster above, I wouldn't be shocked for her to be able to stick to the swim pack in an ED sprint. She was 13th out of 200+ in the swim in her September sprint. Now she has more training under her belt. This is a development race for people hoping to earn their elite cards. She should be pretty evenly matched here. Look at the Clermont results for this race from last year. Day 1- 63 finishers. Her September score rating would put her around the top-15 already. So now she's had some real training. The winner scored a 101-flat. She should be able to make up that gap or come really close.
From three years of real training she ran 1:59 and 4:06 at age 18.
She could decide to focus on the 800 and compete at world level again 18 months from now, with a minimum training time requirement as opposed to how she used to train.
She can be a perennial 1:58 runner.
If she wanted it she could have her comeback and all the media attention in the world it would bring with it, but perhaps she has closed this chapter. Sad if so.
From three years of real training she ran 1:59 and 4:06 at age 18.
She could decide to focus on the 800 and compete at world level again 18 months from now, with a minimum training time requirement as opposed to how she used to train.
She can be a perennial 1:58 runner.
If she wanted it she could have her comeback and all the media attention in the world it would bring with it, but perhaps she has closed this chapter. Sad if so.
Like someone here said. She struggles with her weight. Watts per Kilogram is super important in running, so high level running was not in the cards for her past puberty.
That’s where Alberto went wrong. He could have mentioned that to her. Give her 3 months to get to optimum weight. Then if she could not, have a mature discussion with her in terms of her limitations. Then he could have provided her with alternatives.
If that discussion was too difficult to have, he could have simply given her time targets to reach. If she did not reach them, then drop her and let her figure it out on her own.
It looks like she finally figured it out.
In triathlon, weight is not as important. Carrying a bit more fat will help her swim. She is not carrying more weight than the majority of triathletes, so she will not be at a disadvantage there.
From three years of real training she ran 1:59 and 4:06 at age 18.
She could decide to focus on the 800 and compete at world level again 18 months from now, with a minimum training time requirement as opposed to how she used to train.
She can be a perennial 1:58 runner.
If she wanted it she could have her comeback and all the media attention in the world it would bring with it, but perhaps she has closed this chapter. Sad if so.
Like someone here said. She struggles with her weight. Watts per Kilogram is super important in running, so high level running was not in the cards for her past puberty.
I don't disagree, but this is why I specifically mentioned the 800. There are plenty of examples of American women (including some recent who will remain nameless) who have had success despite possessing very 'atypical' body types.
Did you read my post? I said hopefully she's been hammering the bike -- not that she'll hammer the bike. See the difference? Obviously the bike is where she has the most room to improve.
.....
This is a development race for people hoping to earn their elite cards.
This would seem to be a reasonable "A" goal for this race. A podium finish or AG win/top 3 would be a respectable "B" goal.
I've been quoted in the media. Sometimes, they get quotes wrong or they slightly change them to fit the "angle" of the story.
Another problem here is that most people are lazy readers. They either misread something or they insert their own bias into what they thought a comment meant. It happens a lot on LetsRun. We can see it here in this post. We can see it in the OP's original post and thread title.
Truthfully, most people (myself included) are guilty of biased/lazy reading. We just need to become consciously aware of it and try to adjust our thinking accordingly.
Did you read my post? I said hopefully she's been hammering the bike -- not that she'll hammer the bike. See the difference? Obviously the bike is where she has the most room to improve. That's why I said I hope she has been spending her training time there.
Also for the poster above, I wouldn't be shocked for her to be able to stick to the swim pack in an ED sprint. She was 13th out of 200+ in the swim in her September sprint. Now she has more training under her belt. This is a development race for people hoping to earn their elite cards. She should be pretty evenly matched here. Look at the Clermont results for this race from last year. Day 1- 63 finishers. Her September score rating would put her around the top-15 already. So now she's had some real training. The winner scored a 101-flat. She should be able to make up that gap or come really close.
There is no way that she can learn to race bike in a couple of weeks. Sure she might can bike without falling down, but there is a huge difference between a recreational bicyclist and a race bicyclist.
There is no way that she can learn to race bike in a couple of weeks. Sure she might can bike without falling down, but there is a huge difference between a recreational bicyclist and a race bicyclist.
A triathlon course is going to be nothing like a criterium. Assuming she’s done some pack riding I’d give her a good chance at successfully staying with whichever group she starts with. It isn’t that hard to ride a generally straight line and not crash into those near you.
Big Mary Cain fan. Loved her interview - she has a ton of respect for triathletes and by no means thinks she can waltz in and compete alongside them right away. I also would love to see her explore this sport - but I also would love a track comeback. Stepping away from the track doesn't mean you will never go back (and I hope she ignores everyone who floods her comments/these threads saying "Mary is DONE!!"). Rooting for her and whatever route she chooses to take.
I'm a Mary Cain fan. What's the best way to follow the tri- scene. Are there any sites that do live scoring, post race interviews, and race highlights?
Did you read my post? I said hopefully she's been hammering the bike -- not that she'll hammer the bike. See the difference? Obviously the bike is where she has the most room to improve. That's why I said I hope she has been spending her training time there.
Also for the poster above, I wouldn't be shocked for her to be able to stick to the swim pack in an ED sprint. She was 13th out of 200+ in the swim in her September sprint. Now she has more training under her belt. This is a development race for people hoping to earn their elite cards. She should be pretty evenly matched here. Look at the Clermont results for this race from last year. Day 1- 63 finishers. Her September score rating would put her around the top-15 already. So now she's had some real training. The winner scored a 101-flat. She should be able to make up that gap or come really close.
There is no way that she can learn to race bike in a couple of weeks. Sure she might can bike without falling down, but there is a huge difference between a recreational bicyclist and a race bicyclist.
dude , you just peddle. they can teach a bear to ride a bike .
I want to make it clear that I support Mary and I truly hope she finds success in triathlon and happiness in life. I also was a high level triathlete (ex D1 swimmer) and have raced Clermont several times. There are a lot of posters here who know nothing about triathlon, or only view it as the Ironman style they see on TV. ITU racing is very different and has evolved significantly in recent years. Clermont is a sprint race which means its much shorter than a typical ITU style "olympic distance" of 1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 10k run. And VERY much shorter than the Ironman Distance of 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. Racing in ITU style races means you are at your threshold for almost 2 hours straight. Gone are the days of Simon Whitfield where you can sit in the swim, draft on the bike, and make this a running race to win. The Brownlee brothers destroyed that myth when the started dropping insane swimming times and then attacked on the bike, and still were able to run sub 30 in the 10k. Women soon followed and Gwen Jorgensen could no longer try to run up from the second bike pack to win the race with a stellar 10k.
So what does this mean for Mary? This is a very early season race and the talent level is always mixed. The distances are so short that its not hard to come out of the water within striking distance of the lead pack, and there is a decent run up from the beach to the transition area. But the water is literally the color of coffee and its easy to get disoriented and off course. So its not as simple as swimming in a pool. Its also a lot more physical. But I think she will do fine. The bike is a loop course and isn't super technical, but its also not easy either. There are a decent amount of turns and its hard to get into a great rhythm. There are a lot of surges on this course so she might struggle a bit there. If she looses contact in a turn, it will be hard to bridge back up. So the bike will be the interesting part to watch. The run on the other hand is a bit hilly and not super fast. Typically in the sub 17 minute range for the 5k which means she could certainly make up some ground there.
In general, it should be an interesting race, and I think she will do well. But I would also caution people from making assumptions either way. I was at the race down in Dallas where Alan Webb was racing a tri and hit a curb at high speed, flipped over the bike, and broke his collar bone, and that was the end of his tri career. Its not as simple as being a great runner, or being a great endurance athlete. Top tier triathletes are legit. And if Mary Cain wants to be there, she is going to have to work hard and prove herself.
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