What is a Athena/Clydesdale?

The most common answer is as such:

Men (clydes) over 200 lbs.  (sometimes it is broken down into other classes, super clydes, etc, as the weight goes up)

Women (Athena) typically it's if you are over 150 lbs.  Some go as low as 140.

Despite the fact that this is a weight classification, it was not created for the overweight athlete.  It was create for those of us who cannot compete against the 'typical' triathlete, who tends to be more on the, well, petite side.  That being said, you will find all types in these divisions, from the overweight to extremely muscular to extremely tall (personally, I'm a 6'1" tall woman...the only way I'm getting below 150 lbs is to chop off a limb...no thanks.)

My 2 cents ...

Just completed a Sprint Tru (my first tri ever, actually), and I entered as Master Clydesdale, which was a class for someone over 40 years old and over 200 lbs. in weight.  My first thoughts on Clydes and Athenas were for those just starting out and being overweight ... but later realized it could be for those extra tall people or extra muscular .... I'm now thinking that no matter how much weight (fat) I lose I will never be under 200 lbs. (I am somewhat muscular and been lifting weights most my life ... but also had a lot of fat to lose).

I peaked around 313 lbs,. and currently around 248-252 lbs .... and started to see the top part of my abs / 6-pack ... if I suck in some ... so I think if I lose another 25-35 lbs. I may see my 6-pack without sucking in ... (or maybe I'll have to lose 40 or 45 lbs...) ... either way, I'll still weigh more than 200 lbs. ....

Long story short, this sprint tri this past weekend had about 500 entries.  Take out 47 for relay teams the the female entries, that left 247 for individual men.  In 31st place was a Master Clydesdale, as was the 47th and 61st place finisher ....  the Top 3 MC's ... and there were some regular Clydes in the top 30 or 40 of the 247 men .... and I know they were not over-weight ...

... so ... just lile the lady above was saying about her height putting her into the Athena group .... it doesn;t neccessarily mean you are overweight .... although many times it does ....

For me, I finished 238th out of 247 men .... and I am still overweight and stuff ... but I think even when I get to be in the best of shape  .... I'll still be over 200 lbs.

I sooooooooo understand that.

I am currently overweight, but my goal weight is 190...FAR from the 150 cut off.  If I ever got to 150, I know numerous people who have threatened to have me hospitalized.  Some people aren't even happy that I want to get below 200 lbs...

I weigh 197 right now . . . but I look the same as I do when I'm 190 (I have a ton of places to put fat--it evens out pretty good). hahaha. Anyway . . . I'm glad you understand. Yeah, I have had a hard time dealing with my size my entire life. Even when I wasn't really overweight at all. I've seen pictures of myself in high school and i'm not sure why I thought I was fat . . . except that I was WAY bigger than the other girls . . . even if I was proportional. Yeah . . .

. . . when will I feel okay with being a big girl? Big girls DO cry.

Nice!  (but I think I might have said that before!)

I have a 13 year old daughter who is 5'9" and 170.  She is 5" taller than anyone else on the volleyball team that I coach.  She is quiet, and says that she likes being tall, but I wonder

I have ALWAYS been tall, and I've always LIKED being tall..but it's not to say that it didn't come with it's bad points.  Granted, no one messed with me because I was generally older looking or something, but I didn't have a lot of friends because I was on the shyer side.  I think, for me, the one thing that made the difference was having tall people in my family, and having people (my grandpa in particular) who didn't allow me to hide it through bad posture.  Just keep reminding her that tall is beautiful, and anyone who teases her (if she has anyone who does) are envious (yes, I know how well that works for teenagers, but it's the truth!!

Oh, and tell her it's alright to wear heels (when you deem it appropriate as her parent...I'm not saying now, at 13).  There is nothing sexier then a confident woman, and you can't tell me that a tall woman in heels isn't confident...

It's hard in our society to feel ok when you are bigger than the skinny folks...but triathlon has really helped me with that.  I know I am stronger and faster than most people I see in my day-to-day life, and racing against other Athenas has consistently proved to me that I am indeed strong and fast.  Who gives a damn what the scale says, or the pants size....stand up tall and set a good example for those young girls who are just coming up against prejudice.  I had a similar realization looking back into my youth, realizing I was not fat at all but thought I was just because I was tall and muscular.  Years lost, ugh.  From here on out, I am who I am....always happy to see another muscle emerge from good training, but not sweating the stupid numbers anymore.

And I always wear HIGH HEELS when I go out.  Besides making you have good posture, it highlights those awesome triathon legs!

Just for the record, i was trying to think of something cute to say but i came up empty. I am a clyde and probably always will be, i think we as a group have a bond to each other as larger than average athletes than do the non Clyde/Athena athletes, and on a personal note, i dig big girls and those that compete with the sit and spin types, more power to them!!

Hear hear!  My wife is an athena, although the training for triathlons has her headed out of that category in quick fashion.   I couldn't be more proud of her progress, and her recruitment of so many others for whom it has been many years since they have really trained for anything.

I have a ton of respect for the heavy, out of shape athlete that comes in last and just spent over 2 hours laboring through a sprint...maybe even more than for the elites that have always thin and fast.

When my trainer tells me that the next course is flat, I tell him to strap 50 pounds on his back and THEN tell me how flat it feels!

Yeah . . . I have respect for "those people," too . . . but, still, my heart breaks a little knowing that I am in that category and always will be . . . I'm not even fat and out of shape now . . . yet I am labeled there. Whatever. I'll get over it.

As far as your daughter not liking being tall . . . I don't know. When I was really young, I liked it, but when I was older, man, I HATED every minute of it and the majority of girls I know who are tall do hate it. I wrote my thesis on this. Literally. Hahaha. However, two factors do make it easier. One, if the girl is skinny, she might not hate it, and, two, if she's sporty, it's generally not that bad. I was neither skinny nor sporty. I was propotional and in choir.

But I second the motion for good posture and high heels. I wear heels all the time and completely love it!

Well then, you should post a pic of you and your heels in the Heel thread, or you could always post it here. ;0)

I'm proud to race Athena.  I'm 6', just lost weight from about 180 to 175, and will never be below 150 without being checked into a hospital.

On the other hand, I hate wearing heels.  It isn't the height, per se.  I just hate being up on my tippy-toes.