no.... nobody likes it because most triathletes are nothing but cyclists with big bulky legs and can't run or swim worth shit, so it wouldn't be in their interest to scrap the only leg of the race that they are good at and do the parts that they suck at. Triathletes are in love with the cycling section and always complain about the running and swimming... so why don't they just become cyclists! My guess is because they aren't good enough at that either.
I think the confusion on here is due to the definition of what an elite triathlete is. An elite Ironman distance and an elite Olympic distance are not the same thing.
Also an "elite" local racer is not the same as an ITU level athlete. Whether or not you can draft makes a huge difference on the importance of events. In non draft legal races the bike is the most important part. Coming from a city who hosts an Ironman I have seen this first hand. Yes there are examples of guys who have won the race during the race portion, but if you don't have a good bike split you are toast.
Draft legal races also place a greater emphasis on the swim portion, because if you don't have guys to draft off of you are in big trouble.
What exactly are we talkign abotu here, Ironman or Olympic? Draft legal or not draft legal?
This is like comparing the training and practice of a basketball point guard to a basketball center. They both do the same sport and use the same basic skills, but they are still totally different.
I was asking about Olympic distance, draft legal ITU cup racing. The U.S. got kicked around at the WC, and I have a theory that is because they don't do enough run mileage or run "load". Their best hope right now is shoemaker, who used to be runner for Dartmouth. I think this throws a wrench into triathlon coaches who, when recruiting athletes, only go the swimming pool to find their prospective triathletes.
ITU triathlon is all about the run. You dont have to be an exceptional cyclist to hang in on most of the courses as they are fairly flat.
Before the olympic games Hamish Carter said he had to be able to come off the bike and run 3 min k's for the first 3k to have a chance or winning.
I dont know that you need a massive volume of running to run a 31min 10k, especially with the cumulative fatigue from training across 3 disciplines
i think 90+ mpw is quite extreme for run mileage for itu triathletes. having run this type of mileage in college, i can't imagine trying do that type of mileage along with the time of cycling and swimming. in season, i spend roughly 10-12 hours in the pool and about the same on the bike
Of course, runners do better then the swimmers - swimmers are fat and smoke and aren't use to carring there body weight. Swimming is more about form than anything else.
Shoemaker wasn't even the best guy on his team at Dartmouth. Shows how crappy triathloning is.
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