"Triathletes Aren't Real Runners Though, Eh?"

The most important thing is to be good swimmers. A good swimmer could become a good runner, but the opposite is quite difficult.

SMJO wrote:

I'm guessing he recognized when he was finishing high school that he wasn't fast enough. There's probably a bunch of guys out there with the potential to be as good at the tri as him but their pride won't let them admit that they are better off just being really good at three things rather than excellent at one.

Maybe this would be in the ideal world, but honestly, very few people would do triathlons even if they *were* better at them because the time and money can be prohibitive. I've thought about training for a tri, but I really don't have the time in my schedule for it.

absolutely incorrect.

although running is a far more natural thing vs. swimming it's easier to get a great runner to be a good swimmer than a great swimmer to be a good runner.

a runner puts far more stress onto his/her body (high volume mileage base + competition phase training with high intensity) that a swimmer never sees due to the fact they are in water and have no impact.

get a through-andthrough swimmer and get him to start running mileage... shin splints, stress fractures, it problems list goes on.

get a through-and-through runner in the pool and the complaints will be fatigue rather than injury.

also, that BC course was 400-500m short...

I respect what you're saying, but I categorically disagree. Name five world class triathletes that have been strong runners, then strengthened their swim.I used to be an ITU pro, very low level, but the reason I couldn't hack it was because I couldn't swim, not with lack of trying of course. It's much more difficult to be a good swimmer than runner, based on equal efforts.

illwill wrote:

absolutely incorrect.

although running is a far more natural thing vs. swimming it's easier to get a great runner to be a good swimmer than a great swimmer to be a good runner.

a runner puts far more stress onto his/her body (high volume mileage base + competition phase training with high intensity) that a swimmer never sees due to the fact they are in water and have no impact.

get a through-andthrough swimmer and get him to start running mileage... shin splints, stress fractures, it problems list goes on.

get a through-and-through runner in the pool and the complaints will be fatigue rather than injury.

also, that BC course was 400-500m short...

walter wrote:

I respect what you're saying, but I categorically disagree. Name five world class triathletes that have been strong runners, then strengthened their swim.

Simon is one. I don't follow the sport to be able to name 4 other names but from the Tri/Ultra guys I know, being a strong runner is the most important part of these sports.

26mi235 wrote:

Can you clue us in on what this is? Is this the amount of time it took various people to complete their homework, with their homeroom affiliation? What is PIHRT, etc? Is this a race? 9.2K, part of a tri? Note that the race distances on many tris are not accurately measured.

What is PIHRT, etc? Prairie Inn Harriers Racing Team? I think.

...call me ITUignorant, but wouldn't the reason for this thread (simon not skuj) would seem to be a reasonable candidate for question. Simon is a great runner, i'm guessing he had to strengthen his swimming (and biking) to become a gold medalist in 2000... this point can't be argued correctly though because don't triathletes tend to focus on their weaknesses in order to become better (or olympic gold medalists...)

Anyways...What I meant was:

Put me in the pool on a specific a two year program with my schools varsity swim team and take my equivalent in the pool out and get him running for two years in our track/xc progam. (for ease of arguement let's say 5k runner vs. 1500m swimmer)

I will improve more, be more competitive (comparatively), than my ex-swimmer turned runner counter part.

The dynamics of swimming play into the favour of sharper improvements than distance running.

Swimming is less intense on your body and due to its nature aides in far faster recovery than running. Meaning that off the bat I (runner turned swimmer) can do more...faster...sooner.

In that two years I, as a swimmer, will be able to handle far more volume and intensity than a swimmer turned runner will.

.....carol mongomery was a wld class (althouhg one step below the finalists) triathlete and runner...there are exceptions to every rule, but simon is an excellent runner who is a good swimmer and biker....right now he has been racing some shorter distances and is race ready (obviously)....oz threw everything he had at him and i ran like a putz the last 500-600m (as well as haning on when steve threw in some great surges, that simon appeared to handle airly easily)....the reality is that i persoanlly felt simon was the guy to beat coming in....both myself and steve have no speed right now (mostly due to training) and simon has a superb kick (regardless of being a triathlete)....with the way race unfolded no one should have been surprised he won...

....and skuj who really give a &(%^&(%^.... rather than talk.....get the &(%&^%&^ out there and run!!!!!!! ;-)

denton,

good to see an old merv dude still out there training hard and duking it up with the young guys.

best regards,

bobm

Guys,

Why are you ripping on Whitfield who actually WON THE RACE! and not Osaduik who lost AGAIN to a descent runner. This is Ozz's job and he hasnt performed well at all for a year.

HHH wrote:

walter wrote:

I respect what you're saying, but I categorically disagree. Name five world class triathletes that have been strong runners, then strengthened their swim.

Simon is one. I don't follow the sport to be able to name 4 other names but from the Tri/Ultra guys I know, being a strong runner is the most important part of these sports.

Hunter Kemper is another. Ran 28:xx? at Wake Forest, has become very succesful at tris....

It depends on whether the race is draft legal or not on the bike (elite races like the olympics are). If there is drafting on the bike, the swim is the most important cuz if you dont get in the lead group, you'll lose tons of time due to not drafting. No matter how good of a runner you are, yer probably not going to make up the time.

illwill wrote:

absolutely incorrect.

although running is a far more natural thing vs. swimming it's easier to get a great runner to be a good swimmer than a great swimmer to be a good runner.

a runner puts far more stress onto his/her body (high volume mileage base + competition phase training with high intensity) that a swimmer never sees due to the fact they are in water and have no impact.

get a through-andthrough swimmer and get him to start running mileage... shin splints, stress fractures, it problems list goes on.

get a through-and-through runner in the pool and the complaints will be fatigue rather than injury.

also, that BC course was 400-500m short...

It's clear that you don't swim. Swimming is skill that takes years and years to perfect. The best swimmers have been working on their stroke since they were 8 years old.

Swimming is not a sport you can just "pick up" later in life and expect to very good at. Decent yes, but any DI collegiate swimmer could kick your a$$ without trying.

I became decent but my feel for the water will never be as good as someone who has been doing it for 20 years.

I think Whitfield is a good runner, not a great runner. But lets get serious, who is he racing against out there, and with the course 500m or more short, not that impressive anyway. There is no way he would get that win if certain guys were running out there yesterday.

I think Whitfield is a good runner, not a great runner. But lets get serious, who is he racing against out there, and with the course 500m or more short, not that impressive anyway. There is no way he would get that win if certain guys were running out there yesterday.

Can you explain why every time someone puts a post of saying x athlete is fast, someone needs to put a post saying someone, somewhere is faster. No sh#t Whitfield isn't the best runner in the world - no one ever said he was. It's the equivalent of a oly champ decathlete doing an open 1500m and besting a 2nd tier 'class' field.

jonesy wrote:

I outkicked a good NE triathlete in a hilly 5k this summer (had won the previous year; i got second) and earlier took the two running segments of a biathlon by a lot over the biathletes. so there.

I hate to break it to you, but there arent any good trathletes in NE. So I wouldnt be bragging about that. You have to go to a state that actually has good triathletes, such as MN or WI. then, im sure, there will be plenty of guys who can outrun you.

There are plenty of triathlon guys who can outrun Simon. I agree that these guys are the MMA artists of the aerobic world. The amount of training these guys put in is insane. Go swim a mile in under 20 minutes, bike 25 miles at 27 mph and run 5 flat per mile for 10k -- all in a row -- before you say these guys suck.

......he said....on page 2 of the thread!!! :)

Achilles problem eh? I'll be back.

I started this because of the historical disrespect at letsrun towards triathletes that I've seen over the years - even Simon! "He can't run this or that" etc. Look it up!