Ireland's most successful LD athlete

pgibbo

I was reading Martin Muldoons report from Kona and something really jumped out at me.....

Alan Ryan has 13 consecutive sub 10 Ironman results. That IMO is seriously impressive. I also believe he has 2 AG podiums in Kona. Is he the most successful Ironman Ireland has produced?

What's Alan's background? Anyone that trains in a sauna obviously takes his training very seriously! :cool:

BTH

Learned his trade at Ireland's best tri club.

peter kern

he was never a belpark member me thinks ;-) ( ps neither was i iam just objective)

pgibbo

BTH wrote: »

Learned his trade at Ireland's best tri club.

Which is?????

peter kern

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=503673509657230&set=a.102292283128690.5272.100000437557438&type=1&theater

thats Alans background I hope he dosnt kill me ;-) quite a turnaround if you see the current ones on his facebook page.

Briando

I want to know what his secret is to avoid injuries. How he can be so consistent and not end up with lots of niggles from an Ironman workload.

Bambaata

Id be thinking that would be pretty simple - years of building up to it. I know my body can take a hell of a lot more than it could 2 years back and id hope in two more years it'll have progressed further

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Bambaata wrote: »

Id be thinking that would be pretty simple - years of building up to it. I know my body can take a hell of a lot more than it could 2 years back and id hope in two more years it'll have progressed further

+1 you build on the previous years. I should be good when i hit 40:)

BennyMul

Ayla Careful Stovepipe wrote: »

+1 you build on the previous years. I should be good when i hit 40:)

ohh thats great for us middle aged folk,

Oryx

Ayla Careful Stovepipe wrote: »

+1 you build on the previous years. I should be good when i hit 40:)

At this stage, Im banking on 50.

I dont know Alan well, but my main impression of him is someone so laid back he might fall over. So maybe thats the key.

Brick Session

peter kern wrote: »

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=503673509657230&set=a.102292283128690.5272.100000437557438&type=1&theater

thats Alans background I hope he dosnt kill me ;-) quite a turnaround if you see the current ones on his facebook page.

I resemble that man under the towel

onimpulse

pgibbo wrote: »

Which is?????

Alan was a member of 3D before moving to Wexford.

BTH

onimpulse wrote: »

Alan was a member of 3D before moving to Wexford.

I have a feelin Mr Gibbo knew which club I was referring to M. I believe it was some existing members (including the "chunky" one!!) who persuaded Alan into his IM debut in Austria (I think) way back when. So it's only right that we take all the credit.

notenoughtime

When I saw the title of the thread, this person and his acheivements jumped to mind. The ultimate long distance athlete (longer than Ironman events!!) :Din the form of days of adventure racing and ultrarunning events.

Quite an impressive list of successes here http://eoinkeith.wordpress.com/the-trophy-cabinet/

peter kern

I would suggest ,longer is not really better (longer is only longer and requires a different prep). Once you go over the ironman and marathon running distance the level of competiton goes down significantly ( not saying there is not some great athletes that do longer stuff but the competiton level is just not the same)

At the same time if the tour de farce was clean it would get my vote for the ultimate endurance test.

Anyway looking at ironman results I would think the best Ironman in Ireland are 2 ladies.

pgibbo

peter kern wrote: »

I would suggest ,longer is not really better (longer is only longer and requires a different prep). Once you go over the ironman and marathon running distance the level of competiton goes down significantly ( not saying there is not some great athletes that do longer stuff but the competiton level is just not the same)

At the same time if the tour de farce was clean it would get my vote for the ultimate endurance test.

Anyway looking at ironman results I would think the best Ironman in Ireland are 2 ladies.

Good points Peter. I assume you are referring to Emer and Joyce? Seeing them go head to head next year will be interesting.

Do you not think the consistency that Alan has shown is very impressive? That coupled with his podiums at Kona would make his results more impressive than the ladies I mentioned IMO. You could of course be referring to 2 different ladies.

Then of course there's the whole AG v PRO aspect. And I know they're not fulltime PRO athletes but they still race PRO and have had some very impressive results.

Enduro

Since I've been brought into this thread by proxy...

peter kern wrote: »

I would suggest ,longer is not really better (longer is only longer and requires a different prep). Once you go over the ironman and marathon running distance the level of competiton goes down significantly ( not saying there is not some great athletes that do longer stuff but the competiton level is just not the same)

You're suggesting longer is not really better. No arguments with that statement in itself, but if the question is who is the best long distance athlete then of course longer has to come into it. Other wise the "longer" part of long distance is redundant.

It always amuses me that there is a tendency for those involved in IM distance triathlons seem to think it is some kind of pinnacle of endurance achievement. Do you have any evidence to support your contention that once you go beyond IM and Marathon that the level of competiton drops significantly, or more specifically how this differs in any way from any given distance to any given longer distance. It's be extremely easy to argue that the level of competition drops significantly from 100 meters to Marathon, or from olympic to IM triathlon, for example. The competition level is just not the same.

peter kern

pgibbo wrote: »

Good points Peter. I assume you are referring to Emer and Joyce? Seeing them go head to head next year will be interesting.

Do you not think the consistency that Alan has shown is very impressive? That coupled with his podiums at Kona would make his results more impressive than the ladies I mentioned IMO. You could of course be referring to 2 different ladies.

Then of course there's the whole AG v PRO aspect. And I know they're not fulltime PRO athletes but they still race PRO and have had some very impressive results.

of course Alan v impresive. ( i think you have seen that i have referenced him a few times as mentaly the strongest irish ironman athlete)
At the same time in a pro race you have less group riding so you cant really compare the pro and age race,
you really have to race pro to understand that, its a BIG difference having longer draft distance and 30-80 pepople and a motor bike consantnly beside you and the age goup field where you have the ohter half of motorbikes for 1500 people ( 1000 people that exit the water in 10 min ) ..... am not saying drafting dosnt happen in pro races but its still a different world and no tour de france packs i see all the time at age group races.

the best would be to say that all athletes that have been mentioned in this thread are pretty good......

peter kern

i totally agree that oly tri is more competive at elite level than Ironman. sports that are olympic and consequently get funding form government will always be deeper than no oly sports.

so in a way you answered your own question ( an did said ironman and marathon are the longest competetive distances I did not they the most competetive distances so we are agreed ;-)

Enduro wrote: »

Since I've been brought into this thread by proxy...



You're suggesting longer is not really better. No arguments with that statement in itself, but if the question is who is the best long distance athlete then of course longer has to come into it. Other wise the "longer" part of long distance is redundant.

It always amuses me that there is a tendency for those involved in IM distance triathlons seem to think it is some kind of pinnacle of endurance achievement. Do you have any evidence to support your contention that once you go beyond IM and Marathon that the level of competiton drops significantly, or more specifically how this differs in any way from any given distance to any given longer distance. It's be extremely easy to argue that the level of competition drops significantly from 100 meters to Marathon, or from olympic to IM triathlon, for example. The competition level is just not the same.

Enduro

peter kern wrote: »

i totally agree that oly tri is more competive at elite level than Ironman. sports that are olympic and consequently get funding form government will always be deeper than no oly sports.

so in a way you answered your own question ( an did said ironman and marathon are the longest competetive distances I did not they the most competetive distances so we are agreed ;-)

Not quite agreed, I think!

If you're saying that IM and Marathon are the longest competitive distances then I totally disagree. That is either an arbritary choice, or a biased choice. If we can agree that shorter events by their nature tend to be more competive than similar longer events, no matter where in the continuum of distances they are, then picking out one point along that continuum as being "the longest competetive distance" makes no sense. If people race over a given distance then it is competitive. The longest competive distances are simply the longest distances over which people compete.

Frankly, I wouldn't consider either an IM or a Marathon to be long distance events in the first place!

peter kern

we agree where money is there is competition i think.
and above marathon and Ironman their is no money really so the chance for world class athletes is way lower .
so where i try to make sense is that marathon and ironman is the longest distance a pro can earn an reasonable income, you go longer than that your income chances diminish sharply
i can think of 3 pros that live of double ironmans, no pro that can life of a deca ironman , no talented ironman is really tempted to go double ironman .unless for the sheer love of going long , or they cant make it as an ironman and feel in a smaller pond they can have a bigger impact.
i think we could do the same with marathon above marathon running the chance of income diminishes very sharply.

let me reapeat their is some fantastic athletes over the distances we talk but its way eaasier comming 5th in a double or triple ironman than 5th in an ironman becasue of the above reason.

Enduro

peter kern wrote: »

we agree where money is there is competition i think.

To a point. I wouldn't accept at all that where there is no money there is no competition (which is, I think, what you are implying). Simply looking at the history of athletics should show that.

peter kern wrote: »

and above marathon and Ironman their is no money really so the chance for world class athletes is way lower .

I disagree with that. Maybe in Triathlon everyone is driven by money and no more. But I know for a fact that that is not the case in other sports such as athletics. I know for sure that in my own case I couldn't give a toss what money is available for what sports. I do the events that interest me, not the events with the best financial rewards. Everyone that I know would have the same attitude (even my triathlete friends!!).

If money was everyone's driver then talented athletes wouldn't waste their time with either marathon running or IM, and would be busy working on their free kicks, putting, or first serve.

peter kern wrote: »

so where i try to make sense is that marathon and ironman is the longest distance a pro can earn an reasonable income, you go longer than that your income chances diminish sharply

In general I'd agree with that in itself. There are exceptions (I'd add Killian Journet as an example of someone making a good living out of running way beyond marathon distance). I still think it has no effect on the level of competition in general (An exception being the number of East Africans attempting to make their fortune marathon running), and particular in the context of the OP, i.e. " Ireland's most successful LD athlete". Is there really anyone in Ireland who chooses to do either IM or Marathon for the financial rewards? I just don't see it as being in any way a factor.

peter kern wrote: »

i can think of 3 pros that live of double ironmans, no pro that can life of a deca ironman , no talented ironman is really tempted to go double ironman .unless for the sheer love of going long , or they cant make it as an ironman and feel in a smaller pond they can have a bigger impact.
i think we could do the same with marathon above marathon running the chance of income diminishes very sharply.

let me reapeat their is some fantastic athletes over the distances we talk but its way eaasier comming 5th in a double or triple ironman than 5th in an ironman becasue of the above reason.

As above, I agree with you that IM and Marathon are, in general, the upper end of the distance scale where you're most likely to be able to make money on the sport. Where I disagree is that this in any way lessens the level of competition elsewhere in general, particularly in an Irish context (Does any Irish person make a living from racing either IM or marathon?)

peter kern

i did not say no money no competiton i say more money more competiton.

as for money in sport just look at rugby how much it has lifeted the game since it went professional. so if you say that amateurs in rugby can compete with the pros i take all back what i have said
( the marathon mission is a step in the right direction for marathon).

true no irish makeing a living from ironman as their is nobody that that has the level (yet) . at the same time the few that i think have the talent to get up their have found it virtually imposible to get the finacial supprt needed. ( Aileen Morrison would not be where she is without the support of TI )



money is not important but when we talk about a best in a pro sport which I am ( and ironman is one at top level ) than i think about whats best and not whats 1 hour behind the real world class.
our problem is we still talk about sub 10 (great for a 45 -45 guy but to be talking the best irish Long distance triathlete ...(sorry not working for me if we talk best vet in ireland Alan defo works for me ) we should be talking 10 sub 8.30 Ironman in a row in 3-4 years.

anyway I i apprecaite your opinion and you win and I withdraw. thanks .

Enduro wrote: »

To a point. I wouldn't accept at all that where there is no money there is no competition (which is, I think, what you are implying). Simply looking at the history of athletics should show that.



I disagree with that. Maybe in Triathlon everyone is driven by money and no more. But I know for a fact that that is not the case in other sports such as athletics. I know for sure that in my own case I couldn't give a toss what money is available for what sports. I do the events that interest me, not the events with the best financial rewards. Everyone that I know would have the same attitude (even my triathlete friends!!).

If money was everyone's driver then talented athletes wouldn't waste their time with either marathon running or IM, and would be busy working on their free kicks, putting, or first serve.



In general I'd agree with that in itself. There are exceptions (I'd add Killian Journet as an example of someone making a good living out of running way beyond marathon distance). I still think it has no effect on the level of competition in general (An exception being the number of East Africans attempting to make their fortune marathon running), and particular in the context of the OP, i.e. " Ireland's most successful LD athlete". Is there really anyone in Ireland who chooses to do either IM or Marathon for the financial rewards? I just don't see it as being in any way a factor.



As above, I agree with you that IM and Marathon are, in general, the upper end of the distance scale where you're most likely to be able to make money on the sport. Where I disagree is that this in any way lessens the level of competition elsewhere in general, particularly in an Irish context (Does any Irish person make a living from racing either IM or marathon?)

Enduro

peter kern wrote: »

i did not say no money no competiton i say more money more competiton.

Fair enough with some sports on a global scale, but I still don't think this applies at all in an Irish context. After all the two most popular sports in Ireland are entirely amatuer. Even in Athletics and Triathlon I still don't think that applies in Ireland.

peter kern wrote: »

as for money in sport just look at rugby how much it has lifeted the game since it went professional. so if you say that amateurs in rugby can compete with the pros i take all back what i have said
( the marathon mission is a step in the right direction for marathon).

to counter with a more relevant example, I don't think that when professionalism was allowed in athletics it had any impact at all on standards. In fact if you look specifically at marathon the standard is now lower than it was in the 80s, for example. Money seems to have had no impact on competitiveness whatsoever, Marathon mission or otherwise.

peter kern wrote: »

true no irish makeing a living from ironman as their is nobody that that has the level (yet) . at the same time the few that i think have the talent to get up their have found it virtually imposible to get the finacial supprt needed. ( Aileen Morrison would not be where she is without the support of TI )

Well surely that then means that the finacial aspect is irrelevant when discussing " Ireland's most successful LD athlete".

peter kern wrote: »

money is not important but when we talk about a best in a pro sport which I am ( and ironman is one at top level ) than i think about whats best and not whats 1 hour behind the real world class.
our problem is we still talk about sub 10 (great for a 45 -45 guy but to be talking the best irish Long distance triathlete ...(sorry not working for me if we talk best vet in ireland Alan defo works for me ) we should be talking 10 sub 8.30 Ironman in a row in 3-4 years.

No argument there at all, but that's written from an insular viewpoint that Ireland's best long distance athlete will by definition be Ireland's best long distance triathlete. Whereas there are plenty of long distance athletes from other sports who would seem to be operating at a much higher level than Alan, judging from your points above.

peter kern wrote: »

anyway I i apprecaite your opinion and you win and I withdraw. thanks .

OK Peter. It was good engaging in the debate!

zico10

Enduro wrote: »

In fact if you look specifically at marathon the standard is now lower than it was in the 80s, for example. Money seems to have had no impact on competitiveness whatsoever,

Ah yes, but that's because sport science makes us slower.

peter kern

zico10 wrote: »

Ah yes, but that's because sport science makes us slower.

lol

but one could actually argue that today the income potenial of an Irish marathon runner is way lower than it was in the 80is, with the east african dominating nowadays.

shotgunmcos

Interesting debate. Although how would you frame "successful"? AFAIK Alan's goal is to win his AG at Kona. So, while 3rd AG this year was a superb result, he would still have a way to go...

How about Eimear Mullan? The only Irish person to win an IM?! Worth consideration for Ireland most 'successful' LD athlete...

peter kern

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Interesting debate. Although how would you frame "successful"? AFAIK Alan's goal is to win his AG at Kona. So, while 3rd AG this year was a superb result, he would still have a way to go...

How about Eimear Mullan? The only Irish person to win an IM?! Worth consideration for Ireland most 'successful' LD athlete...

winning uk 70.3 with a strong field was way harder than ironman uk with a soft field.

anyway both athletes are not maxed out yet and eimear is a raw diamond that has a few years to be cut, before it will shine.In my mind she is better than bella bayliss who has been top 10 in hawaii and and 8.4x on a fair meassued im course and if she gets there. that s a successful athlete.