The Big Dance

gilleek2

pgibbo wrote: »

Have many on here read this?

KQ has never been a goal of mine as I don't think I have the talent to achieve it. Then again I've heard Peter say it's not about talent but hard work, time and dedication. Apologies if I'm wrong there Peter but that's in my head from an old post that I cannot find. I definitely don't have the time.

I did find this an interesting read and based on Alans report I don't think it applies to all AG'ers. He was certainly right about a lot of the pros and how their races went.

Wow. Guys got issues i think.

zico10

gilleek2 wrote: »

Wow. Guys got issues i think.

Is that me or the slowtwitcher?

RJM85

pgibbo wrote: »

Have many on here read this?

Seems like a bit of an idiot based on that post. IM racing is really hard. Thats the point.

I like the thread where the guy has posted basically the same thing but with the exact opposote opinion.

pgibbo

He's well known for being controversial to say the least. He does make some valid points though - like how WTC really have marketed the whole KQ thing so well.

The counter thread is very good too.

zico10

pgibbo wrote: »

Have many on here read this?

KQ has never been a goal of mine as I don't think I have the talent to achieve it. Then again I've heard Peter say it's not about talent but hard work, time and dedication. Apologies if I'm wrong there Peter but that's in my head from an old post that I cannot find. I definitely don't have the time.

I did find this an interesting read and based on Alans report I don't think it applies to all AG'ers. He was certainly right about a lot of the pros and how their races went.

I'd seen the post and while a lot of what he says resonates with me, it can't be considered without taking into account the poster's own race in Kona, which they admit at the end of the post didn't go very well.

They're being very unfair on a lot of the pros and age groupers that were racing. Kona is indeed a horrible place to race. Of course it's going to be hot and it's probably the cruelest Ironman marathon anywhere in the world. The rate of attrition is higher than at any other Ironman. Those are all part of the challenge for me though. The poster seems to think everybody is going to hate the experience of racing in Kona just because they did. I don't think the race is going to suit everybody and maybe from that point of view, having the WC in the same place every year might not make sense.

I'm not very well informed on the pro side of triathlon, but what they said about Frodeno, isn't at all fair. He was clearly injured and the injury was far more likely to manifest itself on the run than anywhere else. He would have crumbled in any race, it had nothing to do with the conditions in Kona. Winning twice in a row there surely attests to that. Nor do I know how he concludes the majority of other pros had terrible races. Some might not have done as well as expected, but the time gaps are no different than what you would see at any other Ironman.

As regards the AGers, I don't see how he could speak with any authority on that race. He said he was only following guys who took over 4 hours for the marathon. There were plenty of age groupers who ran much faster than that. The poster simply needs to unfollow a few of people on social media if their posts prior to the race and subsequent performances bother him that much. If you trawled through the results from Kona and compared people's times to previous races they did, I'm sure all you see is that some people had good races, some people had bad races and some people had okay races. This happens everywhere.

On WTC being the most malignant force in triathlon; It's a for profit corporation operating in the free market. They can hardly be criticised for trying to maximise their profits from a race they have marketed magnificently. There's certainly an awful lot of hype and BS surrounding Kona, but a lot of people buy into it. I've paid their near extortionate race entry fees five times and my pursuit of a Kona slot became borderline obsessive, so I can't be excluded from this cohort. But above any other race, Kona is the one place you are going to be able to test yourself against the best amateurs in the world. That was, and is, its appeal for me. WTC are just the custodians of the race. It's the island and the competition that make the race what it is.

gilleek2

zico10 wrote: »

Is that me or the slowtwitcher?

Slowtwitcher. I'd have thought that was obvious. Did u read his article?

zico10

gilleek2 wrote: »

Slowtwitcher. I'd have thought that was obvious. Did u read his article?

I was joking, or at least trying to. I'd have thought that was obvious.

gilleek2

zico10 wrote: »

I was joking, or at least trying to. I'd have thought that was obvious.

Oh right. My bad.

peter kern

so everybody is joking ;-) yet nobody is sure who is joking
as everybody kind of knows its fab and crazy at the same time

pgibbo

Tougher than Norseman apparently

peter kern

pgibbo wrote: »

Have many on here read this?

KQ has never been a goal of mine as I don't think I have the talent to achieve it. Then again I've heard Peter say it's not about talent but hard work, time and dedication. Apologies if I'm wrong there Peter but that's in my head from an old post that I cannot find. I definitely don't have the time.

I did find this an interesting read and based on Alans report I don't think it applies to all AG'ers. He was certainly right about a lot of the pros and how their races went.

I think for kona you need to have 2 out of those traits at a high level
1 at a solid level and one can be low level

and in that importance
time/longterm commitment , drive , good support ( family, traning partenrs, people with tri knowldge) , talent
( maybe the less talent you have the smarter you have to be with your selection race)


its obiously hard to have the time and the long term commitment
but not many people 13 years ago would have thought that alan goes to kona and owen martin for many years looked like never to make it either. both kept going when most would have stopped.

it took alan 14en or so years in tri to get there so guess you can say this is more the drive and time comitment boxes that are ticked here at high level.


i saw the other day a documentary about a german student that qualified for kona she was in the sport for 3 years and in my mind had a poor swim and run and got there ( well she ticked anohter important box in the 18 24 ... the money,there is no way she would have qualifed in other groups ) but still, i was shocked that an athlete of that level could qualify.


being smart is another thing had alan done malaysia ironman i guess he would have qualified in his first malorca attempt, but for being compettive it was much better it took a few years longer. so smart is relative lol


anyway it is the most competive age group triathlon there is , and in a way it deserves the merrit it has.

for the life of me i cant understand why challenge did not do the same with roth whan they started the challenge series ( its a race embraced by the communtity in the heart of triathlon epic centre europe , and with its much easier accesability ( lower cost involdev for 75% of atheltes than kona, would have at least been able to become what the giro de italia is in cycling.

while i think everything around the kona race is pathetic ( such as parade of nations underpants run etc ) its still the race and making top 100 ( or top 45 female) in kona is an great achievment.
itu has shown over many years they really dont care aobut age group races . Ironman does a good bit better as they understand who pays the bill.


I do agree the Ironman craze is not good for the sport but i do not see this as ironman fault , its the fault of us athletes and itu.
and without ironman the sport would be nowhere near were it is.

i would like to see kona be the world champ every 2nd year and the other year move it around as they do with the worlds . at the same time i also agree the rason kona has become what it is was by not moviing it around . its an unfortunate location but ... it is the wimbledon of the sport .
the main problem is that the race is not really welcome in kona and it has become too big for the island.
besides chattanoga has shown that a 2 day event is much better ( at least in my mind and I cant see this happen in kona.

zico10

Peter, while I agree with the general premise of your argument, most of what you say about me is just plain wrong.

peter kern

zico10 wrote: »

Peter, while I agree with the general premise of your argument, most of what you say about me is just plain wrong.

Are you suggesting 2008 2.28 for athy 5.13 for Kenmare after 4 or so years in triathlon is massive talent?
We're do you think iam wrong ?

zico10

peter kern wrote: »

Are you suggesting 2008 2.28 for athy 5.13 for Kenmare after 4 or so years in triathlon is massive talent?
We're do you think iam wrong ?

2:28 in Athy happened in my first Olympic distance race in 2007, which was my first year in triathlon. I never, ever claimed to have massive talent and still don't, but please be sure of your facts before you post, because it does what little talent I do have a massive disservice.

peter kern

zico10 wrote: »

2:28 in Athy happened in my first Olympic distance race in 2007, which was my first year in triathlon. I never, ever claimed to have massive talent and still don't, but please be sure of your facts before you post, because it does what little talent I do have a massive disservice.

My bad I thought I saw you in kilkee 2003.
Still its not like you were 95 kg when you started tri and unless you never did any sport before it still does not suggest talent.
I do think you have run talent but I don't think you have swim and bike talent.
Still my bad for confusing your entry into tri.!

Ps what I think you have is elite level focus and pain tolerance and single mindedness

interested

peter kern wrote: »

I think you have is elite level focus and pain tolerance and single mindedness

I agree, and my limited experiences life times ago regarding talent is it actually won't get you as far if you're found wanting in the areas above - especially in endurance events.

Neady83

Pmaldini wrote: »

Tim Don out of race, hit by a car, fractured C2 Vertebrae. its a real pity this has happened so close to the race, Don was having a stellar season and i was looking forward to seeing how he would go this year, hopefully he has a quick recovery

Sorry for dragging this thread up again but I just read this interview with Tim Don three months after a car took him out in Kona.

He's an incredibly determined fella. Delighted to see him back on his feet and so positive after a very difficult three months.