Why would someone this fast race Clydes?

Maybe his/her friends were racing in that category? Or maybe he/she wanted to win the category instead of placing further down in AG?

Its a weight class - not a speed class. Some are fast and some are slow but they all weigh the same(ish)

how would he have done in his AG?  Probably races clydes for the bling.   I've got a friend that runs sub 7 miles and rides 23+ mph in races and races as a Clyde (to my chagrin)

And there are some REALLY fast clydes out there.  6'3" and 201# can be pretty ripped.

As a Clyde myself, I find it inspirational to see someone else who is also above 200lbs post some really impressive times. If he competed as an AGer the time would just be lost with the rest of the AGers times. As a clyde that time stands out.... you noticed, didn't you?

Just as a guess I would just think he is proud of his accomplishments as a clyde and enjoys competing in that classification.

Or maybe he just enjoys taking first each week (sarcasm).

I was also looking at some local results down here in Houston and one guy I will be competing against on Aug 9th posted a 1:40 split in the swim, 23.7 average on the bike, and 7:30 minute mile. There are fast clydes everywhere. That's who the division was made for....... fast big people.

Possibilities

It's a badge of honor to be a fast Clyde?

200lbs and fast is more impressive than being 130lbs and fast to some folks? 

Maybe if he put all that work into getting that motor that well tuned, it would suck to have a '68 Camaro with a big block beat by a damn Honda with a turbo.

 

Because he fits the criteria to race clyde.  He finished 63rd in the swim and 116th in the run.  I would bet that wouldn't be good enough for 1st in his age group.  It was good enough to be on top of the podium in his division.  Clyde isn't just for 'slow' people that are over 200lbs, it is for everyone over 200lbs. What were the times in his age group?

He would have been like 4th or 5th in his AG.

I guess my point is that I know many people race clydes because they wouldn't be able to get hardware otherwise...this dude is fast enough to get hardware in his AG...so it makes you go "hmmmm".

If I weighed enough for the Athena class, and I was fast enough for a podium spot as an Athena but probably not as an age grouper, I would totally race Athena instead of AG.  (Since I'm not fast enough to place in any category, it's kind of an academic question though )

I think it's a good thing.  Athenas and Clydes shouldn't be thought of as the "fatty group" or something like that -- if you're a big, muscular person, you're at an automatic disadvantage from the rest of your age group just by weighing more.  Doesn't matter if the weight comes from fat or muscle.  Most of us are competitive by nature, so it's just natural that someone who weighed enough for that division would race in it, knowing that they would have a much better chance at a podium spot.  Plus it's good for the Clydesdale/Athena division to have it actually be competitive, and for the best Clydes and Athenas to actually be fast.  Otherwise it would probably be more stigmatized, nobody would want to race in it, and the division really wouldn't have a purpose.

This is exactly my point.  This guy came in 23RD OVERALL!  OUT OF 744 COMPETITORS!  Which is WAY more than fast enough to be seriously competitive in your age group.  So that really takes away the motivation to race Clyde.

I can only give my opinion on my race i just did, the NYC Olympic

clyde 39-    winner 2:13  second 2:16

clyde 40+  winner 2:14  second 2:19

ag 35-39  winner 2:06  second 2:06

ag 40-44  winner 2:09 second 2:10


a 2:13 Oly is still freaking fast, but the 39- guy would have been 10th or 11th in ag, vs 1st in Clyde

for the record, i went 2:40 in my first Oly, and was bottom of top third in Clyde 40+, 21 of 68


That is why the division was created, for fast larger than average athletes. a 6'3" 201lb dood is still big.

Welcome to the bi-weekly debate on the Athena/Clydesdale thread.

competing as a Clydesdale or Athena when not necessary (Pages: 1, 2)

One thing I don't get about athena/clydesdales


Edited by ratherbesnowboarding 2009-07-31 3:20 PM

You continue to suggest that there's the "fast" group and the "clydesdales." It's totally OK to be both. After all, what's the big motivation to race AG? In the grand scheme of things winning AG and winning Clydesdale are equally meaningless--it's not like the AGers get a fancier cheap medal/trophy than the Clydes, and when you're ranked 19,342nd in the nation, those USAT points don't really matter.

Dude went out and won a division he was entitled to race in. I hope he had fun.

I'm a clyde, 242 lbs.  I can finish in the top ten in a sprint with about 150 people.  I have never done a race with a clyde division, but would love to race head to head with other fast big guys.  This topic comes up a lot in the clyde/athena forum.  This is the best explanation I have read.

I believe it was originally posted by ratherbesnowboarding.....

"This question seems to come up about once a month.

First, you need to understand what the category of Athena/Clydesdale was intended for and not what it has become (or the perception (yours, as the OP) of what the category is)

This is a Clydesdale: 

Big, strong and muscular, but kind of slow..

and racing against this:


The Clydesdale will have a hard time beating a smaller, faster, leaner horse (most of the time), which is why the category was created.  To give big people (like football players and body builders) a chance to compete against people of similar stature and not just against the smaller, leaner marathon runners that are in the same age group and 50 pounds lighter.

This is not a Clydesdale:

but according to your question, (How do you feel about people entering a division they may not need to be in), is what you think should only be racing the category.   Because I bet the Clydsale horse above would beat this horse in a race.

Second, and most importantly, Its a race - not a self esteem event where you get a reward for just showing up.  You never should be upset if someone who qualifies for your category, is faster than you, wins.  It would be like a 44 y/o complaining that the person who won the AG is really 39 but b/c their birthday is 12/30, that puts them in the 40-44 AG."

In the end we are all competing against ourselves


Edit - ratherbesnowboarding beat me to it.

Edited by ray6foot7 2009-07-31 3:22 PM

x2...I am 6'4" 225 and will always race clyde if I can.  It's tough to run with those 150lbs age groupers

X2.

When you sign up there are rules. By signing up you agree to play by those rules, whether you like it or not. Personally I wouldn't race Clydes even if I were one (same reason I never raced "novice" in my first year) but there is a division for it and the guy raced legitimately in that division. Fast, slow, hairy, hung like a clydesdale (sorry, too easy), its all OK as long as he met the entry requirements.

Yeah, I kind of misread your post -- I thought he was 23rd in his AG, not 4th or whatever.  Still, I don't blame the guy for racing Clyde (after all, he fits the criteria, right?).  After all, 4th/5th in your AG is a pretty awesome achievement in a field that big, but it isn't a podium spot.  And if you know you can take home some hardware every week racing Clyde, and you know you might be able to place top 3 in your AG sometimes, given that choice, a lot of folks would have enough hardware to open up a Home Depot.

I don't really see how that takes away the motivation to race Clyde though.  I think that if you weigh enough to race Clyde, it probably makes sense to race Clyde no matter how fast/slow you are.  A BOP Clyde is still gonna be BOP in his AG, and a FOP Clyde is more likely to come in MOP in their AG.  The other Clydes who lose to the really fast guy can just use it for motivation to get better/faster themselves.  Saying that the fast Clyde should race AG is like saying that a fast age grouper who consistently takes a podium spot should be forced to race as an elite.

Didn't you see the Ballad of Ricky Bobby????   Second is the first loser!

There are an infinite number of other "automatic disadvantages" in this world.
It has always perplexed me as to why this one has it's own special category and awards.



Edited by lisac957 2009-07-31 3:26 PM

and away we go.....

There's no guarantee he is going to beat these guys. If there are folks there that don't like that he's qualified for the division yet faster, then maybe they should train a little more, a little harder and give him a run for his money.

care to elaborate??