Special Athena/Clydesdale racing Issues

Hydration/fueling
Hill climbing
Prone to lower leg running injuries

All of these things should improve tremendously as the weight continues to come off.

Biggest issue to start was to be brave enough to do one not being thin and pretty out of shape....you guys are all brave.....

The one thing I dislike about Athena is you can have a 6 foot women with 12% body fat competing against me and she is 22 and I'm 45. We debate this a lot....are athena/clydes fair categories? Then some areas of the country do 40+ and 39 & under which I like obviously.

Current racing issue:
Tight clothing  that fits & is attractive on a body with bulges here and there
Passing folks on the bike, onlyto be passed by tons of folks on the run & rarely passing one person on the run..for me I think weight really slows me down running
Body Glide is my friend on every ride & race!
Knowing I'd be faster if I was thinner
Knowing if I lose 12 pounds I won't be an Athena anymore and will never place in a tri again
Accepting that my body type wasn't really meant for speed...cycling withstanding

massive leg cramps during the 10K on an Olympic distance race.

staying hydrated

finding the right supplement combination

loosing the WEIGHT - would love to get somewhere near 200 

Ok, I'm probably going to be really unpopular for saying this, and I'm sorry in advance. Isn't the 6 ft tall woman w/ 12% body fat (who will never be able to get below 150 lbs no matter what she does, yet still has other speed issues to hurdle such as gravity shifts) and the 6'5" man who will never weigh less then 200lbs until he's dead the main reasons these catergories were invented?  What I guess I'm saying is, please don't be mad at these people...they're why we have the catergories to begin with.

I am Athena. I will always BE athena. I'm currently overweight (6'1" 240ish pounds), but even at my goal weight, I won't even be close to 150 lbs (my weight range is 190-147...I'm shooting for the high end). But the reason I race Athena when I can (because not every race has it) is because I will always be in that catergory.

This is not to be taken as inflammatory (and I hope its not). It's just what I think about.

My race issues? I'm slower then a slug (but improving...this is my first season...I'm really going to work on building this winter).

Oh, and then need to make "Athena" size women's wetsuits that are for someone taller then 6 ft. Have you ever noticed that the "athena" sizes stop at 5'11" or something like that?

I agree. At 6'3"  240 and 27.5% bf I was overweight.  At 6'3" 207 and 21% bf (my current weight) I am still slightly overweight but markedly improved. I run faster and find climbing on the bike "easier"... 

At 200 and 19% bf (my goal) I will still have "special racing issues" (the title of this thread by the way) that a 170 pound guy does not have. I will still be dragging 30 more pounds around than him, I will still require more nutrition on long course events, etc.

I will be considered  in a healthy weight range yet will still qualify for clydesdale. The category is not about your fitness level, it is about your size. I am a big guy. At 170 I would be skin and bones. At 200, I think I will look pretty darn good and will probably still race clydesdale occasionally. 

FWIW I did not choose the clydesdale option for IMCDA 2008. 

 This is something I've been thinking about a lot this season. I was a clydes all last season, and dropped weight to where I'm 195-200 lbs. I've raced my AG in the last 3 races and I hate going up against the 150lb guys who just blow past me. There's no way I can compete with them, especially on the run. I haven't done too bad but there's definitely an advantage to being lighter.

The other side is that I don't want to go the clydes group again and be "that guy" who is just barely 200lbs and gets the evil look from the bigger clydes.I know I have the right to compete if I meet the criteria, but I also want to be a good sport about it.

Look at it this way: the 6' woman with 12% body fat still has to haul 150+ lbs up the same hills you do. And she might be 6'/150lbs with very little body fat, but also very little muscle--her strength-to-weight ratio might be lower than yours. And maybe she's less buoyant on the swim! Aaaaand her heart has to pump her blood through more miles of blood vessels. See, it's not all bad.

Honestly, I don't have strong feelings one way or another on the athena/clydes categories. I'm 5'11"/165lbs and I race AG for no particular reason. But I'm one of those women who will never (healthily) weigh less than 150 lbs. My frame's just not designed for me to weigh that little.

As for racing issues, my biggest one right now is finding a wetsuit that fits. I have quite broad shoulders for a girl, and whenever I wear my wetsuit it feels like my arm's range of motion is severely restricted, such that each stroke is a struggle. I'd go with men's wetsuits, but I've also got hips, so... that doesn't work.

And yes, the sausage casing aspect of tri clothes is... unfortunate. Not such a big fan, personally. 

Aikidoman - 2007-07-18 4:17 PM

sf_biggestloser - 2007-07-18 2:04 PM My bike quasi-coach Matt aka 'Satan' says I must say daily (and believe the following): I love hills. The wind is like a never-ending hill, therefore I love the wind. Since I love the wind and hills so much, I must to both often. Suprisingly, I've started to believe it.

Sounds like a sick, twisted, cult! LOVE hills? NEVER! But what if I HATE them SOOO much that I want to kick their a$$ and bike/run them into submission?!?! Same goes for the wind..... I'm just play'n. I hate how slow I go up the hills, but I LOVE the challenge. I can always look over my shoulder and say "I did that". I was never part of the downhill set in MTN biking. I loved to climb. At least that way, I knew I was doing something good for me - that and I always crashed going downhill!

"Hills: It's what's for dinner"

 I actually tend to be more afraid of the downhill cuz I'm not comfortable yet with the speed my mass + gravity provides me.  The highest I've allowed myself is 27mph, I believe. 

I would concur on this. For a long time, I have made my mind that I hate running, and hate hills. Some good close friends, (the key is to surround ourself with supporting positive minded friends, for forget the other pessimistic slow minded people), that will always encourage us. My best friend from high school told me that I should make this year and next year my primary goal of LOVING HILLS, and LOVING to RUN. And guess what, I'm finally getting there. The hills are still challenging, but I actually love to run now. Even if my mind drifts into a no-no land, I have to concentrate and think light, think faster, and think its easy and fun. It is so amazing what our mind can do. This year, I have dropped my run time by almost 3 1/2 minutes per mile on my runs, and just pushing faster. (The key on running, is get yourself fitted by a knowledgeable person at a good running shoe store, it does make a big difference, trust me, it has for me. Used to have all kind of problems, and know no longer do, or very little. The right shoe makes wonders on legs. Also make sure you stretch you legs, and more than other, the achille and chin's. Those are the most problematic zones I've had in the past.). Biking, is just a thing about learning to find the zone, the cadence that works for you with the gear. Again, as with everything else, it's mastering the skills. Find a runner that can help you. Find a cyclist that is willing to spend some time with you to help you, and same for swimming.

We are Clyd's/Athena's. Let's not be ashamed of who we are, and just get out and ask question. What is someone going to tell you, "I don't have time" "Can't help you" Whoa!! I'm sure not going to let that let me down. Move on and find someone else, find a club, they are out there, and you may just find yourself a new friend. Good luck all!!