Triathlon - age group or clyde

so i dont think its going to matter much being my first triathlon but which group should i sign up for the 20-24 age group (ill be 21 when i compeate) or the clydes (im 260 now and dont expect to break the 200s well ever. since im 6'2)

i mean does it matter that much? ah well im just kinda excited im getting ready to register for next years chicago triathlon

To give you an idea I looked at my last tri and saw:

I was 8th/27 in clyde
Would have been 7th/8 in the 20-24 age group
And was 23rd/30 in the 40-44 age group

I like the 8th out of 27 in the big boy group best. Now if I was you, I would be a lot younger, but it really is up to you.

If its any inspiration, I am 6'2" as well, started doing tris a few years ago. When I started training I was 254, now I hover between 220-230 depending on lunch and fiber content.

Good luck man, start and build slowly, at our weight its the only way to avoid injuries, especially on the run.

clyde.

I think the clyde/athena groups are silly. Hell, im not even a fan of age groups really.

Race your age. Who cares if the results look less impressive.

I think the clyde/athena groups are silly. Hell, im not even a fan of age groups really.

Race your age. Who cares if the results look less impressive.

And then there are these folks.........:rolleyes:

Have they posted the waves/start times yet? Pick the one that has the start time that you prefer. Clyde waves tend to start later (I've seen it be as much as an hour and a half) so choose your preference. Maybe you'd rather start at 8:14 than 7:07 or vice versa.

I think the clyde/athena groups are silly. Hell, im not even a fan of age groups really.

Race your age. Who cares if the results look less impressive.
its more fun to race with people that you are more competetive with IMO.

plus i get trampled by less people in the water when im not starting in the first wave. :D

so i dont think its going to matter much being my first triathlon but which group should i sign up for the 20-24 age group (ill be 21 when i compeate) or the clydes (im 260 now and dont expect to break the 200s well ever. since im 6'2)

Dont meant to troll, but why dont you think you can break 260 simply because you are 6' 2''?

Dont meant to troll, but why dont you think you can break 260 simply because you are 6' 2''?

I think it read break 200, certainly doable at 6'2", but it would take a lifestyle I don't want and one he probably doesn't either, give the guy some slack, he's at 260 and is working on it, stop being such a troll:)

I think it read break 200, certainly doable at 6'2", but it would take a lifestyle I don't want and one he probably doesn't either, give the guy some slack, he's at 260 and is working on it, stop being such a troll:)

Sorry, not trying to be mean at all. Just wondering what his reasoning was.

i go about 215 and i race clyde. i plan to do so until i podium, then i'll race my age group (30-35). :p

yeah i meant i wont be braking 200. yes i know its a lifestyle and this whole triathlon idea came about 25 pounds ago? so im working on it but im also just a big guy so i dont see ever braking 200 but the 210-220s is certainly a goal im working towards

it may have to be a long term goal, but I am 6'3" and a very stocky build, but can get under 200lbs pretty easily. 193 seems to be about as low as I can go though. I wouldn't rule it out though, just stick with the Tris and a healthy lifestyle and even without knowing you, I would bet you could break 200 if you wanted to.
Per the clyde division, I know this probably isnt a popular opinion, but I think it is kind of cheating yourself a bit. Go for the AG, there is more competition there. You may find that even if you are a MOP AGer that you will find it more competitive as you get better.

I think the clyde/athena groups are silly. Hell, im not even a fan of age groups really.

Race your age. Who cares if the results look less impressive.

That is my thought also.

When I first started doing races I was 225 and I never entered clyde category. I never thought the weight was my main hindrance. Being heavy wasn't the reason I couldn't swim and my cardio sucked

Exactly. There's a clyde in our club who kicks my arse up and down the street on the bike and run. He goes at about 220 i think, races age group.

I'm not knocking people that want to do it, but at the end of the day, the divisions are there to protect peoples vanity. The real results are the overall ones - because if you want to know how you compare to your peers, it's in those numbers. Your peers are your fellow triathletes, not a subdivision of dudes in an arbitrary age/weight bracket.

No disrespect intended, that's just my view of things.

well I disagree on the AG part. A 65 year old shouldn't be expected to compete with a 25 year old. It has nothing to do with vanity.

I'm not knocking people that want to do it,

but at the end of the day, the divisions are there to protect peoples vanity.

Kind of sounds like your knocking people that want to do it.


This has been hashed, rehashed, and then kicked into the dirt on Slowtwitch and every other tri forum.


Why do I do it? It motivates me to do better, lose wieght, train harder, my bad.

The real results are the overall ones

I'm goign to go ahead and disagree with you on this one. For the majority of people doing tris, the only real result is their time. They can't control who starts, they can only control their own effort.

I replied to cibai last night but apparently the board ate my post. It basically said i agree with him, and proposed a senior age division to cater to older racers which is entirely voluntary. Real differences beyond the participants control (like sex and old age) should be recognized i agree.

We can't talk about something on here because it's been talked about on slowtwitch? I avoid that place like the plague - full of blow hards.


I'm goign to go ahead and disagree with you on this one. For the majority of people doing tris, the only real result is their time. They can't control who starts, they can only control their own effort.

I completely agree - which is why i question the need for the divisions. That's not a knock on anyone that values those numbers, just me being frank about what i think they represent - narrowing the field to make you appear to be better than what you are. But as you said, it's your own personal time that counts, that's where the achievement is.

I finished middle of the pack in my A race this season. Not an impressive result on paper, but i raced my guts out for nearly 6 hours and had literally nothing left at the end. I find value in that regardless of where it placed me compared to everyone else, and I'm proud of my performance that day because i know i gave the best i could give. How i do feel disappointment for something that would have been physically impossible for me at the time?