I'm opposite. Tri is life. I have no desire to enter OWS swims, or a bike timetrial, and I've literally never ran a race. I almost ran in a 1/2 marathon past month, which would have been a first, but decided to skip it. First 70.3 of the season is next month. Yay! :D

My background was cycling. First mountain then road. Have not touched that, and even stopped following TdF and Giro (GASP!) since I started triathlons.

OK.

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Find out what it is in life that you don't do well, then don't
do that thing.

After 5 years in tri, if you're a good runner and at least a decent cyclist, you're really short-changing yourself in the swim.

If you've been putting in the yards for that long and you're still a lousy swimmer, there is a 99.9% likelihood that you have some major technique problems. Get help from a smart and effective swim technique instructor, someone with a proven record with adult onset swimmers (good ones are hard to find, but its worth it). If you do that, you will blossom in the swim once those technique hurdles are removed. You'll go faster, you'll gain mastery, and you'll very likely enjoy swimming even more.

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Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
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Yeah - I have been doing it since 2006 and sometimes I get sick of the racing. Once it starts to feel like a job I switch it up. I love to train in all three sports but look for running races and bike TTs to keep things interesting. Key is to break it up to keep things fresh. Right now I am just running but will start training for IMAZ in June. The other nice part of taking time to be sport specific is you can really get into a groove with your local running or cycling clubs.

Life is short - enjoy the journey!

I'm kinda the opposite. Triathlon season is so short around here that I actually look forward to racing season. I like the events, the fun, the camaraderie, and the environment that racing gives me. I don't get that same feeling before a swim meet or running race (I've never done a bike race). I can't wait for racing to start back up again.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

Been racing for many years. What I see so little of with posts like this is the other angle this sport can offer, being the social, family aspect. My wife has only missed 2 races
during all the years I have raced. We started as a family with teams. My extended family was able to race the gold coast Aquathlon on TeamUSA which we all remember was such a special
trip. So many couples have very few activities they do together. My wife and I spend way to many weekends together either helping at races, or I race and she helps. We have so
many great friends we see at these events. And it has been so much fun pushing a stroller racing with my grandkids.

I see this as a lifestyle, not about "racing". No one cares if one is first or last. But if it keeps one healthy, then all the rest of ones life is much better.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

The social is a good aspect the racing is the best

I can relate - I've had a similar dilemma. I still do triathlons but only short distances. A lot of running (mostly under 10K), some OWS (want to try masters meets now) and have done cycling races in the past. If I had more time, I'd love to do CX or TTs. I really like the simplicity of stand alone events, and helps to add variety. But then again I've also continued to do triathlons (emphasizing the short distance point - I like the feeling of speed and for me at least it has helped to keep things manageable and enjoyable).

After 4 Ironman races from 99-02 I lost interest in what came to be what I experienced as the "necessity" to train, the "pomp and circumstance" (Race registration regulations, packing/unpacking rituals, travel costs, arrogant and overbearing officials... yaddah ad nauseum).

I never lost interest in racing, and have continued to race/train SBR for the past 13 years since last IM. I have simply done it in a significantly lower key fashion.
Ken Krell and Anne Marie have made this style of quality racing very cool for many years.

http://www.3disciplinesracing.com

I race sprints all summer, and possibly an Olympic or 1/2 in the fall... If I feel like it! I have continuously raced locally, no more hotels. Sometimes camp for fun. (Fortunately there are races virtually every weekend from 1 May - 16 Sept. here in Michigan. Most within 2 hrs. of home.)
If weather will be good - I go. If nasty weather at site, I stay home and S B or R.
Most days, a good training day is as good as a race. Keep it low key. bring the fun back for yourself.

^ x2

I'm starting to feel the same way. I have been racing in some form or another for the last 40 years. I'm probably the least competitive person around but starting in HS track the weekly race just became part of life. In my 40's, I was doing 10-12 races a year sometimes doubling up on Saturday/ Sunday. A few years, I literally cried when the season ended. Last year an injury limited the season to 6 races which seemed about right. I just don't seem to recover as quickly as I used to.

It's a dirty secret of triathlon that there are a lot of 0-2 races per year triathletes out there.
The owner of this site would fall in that category even.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Used to do 6-8 short course sprint/oly races a year. Haven't done a race 2011. Still ride and swim. Running......nah.

You mean when a bunch of weirdos in running shoes and whatever IM gear they have get together and get wasted off of 3 beers. Then proceed to only talk about triathlon the entire evening? Ya I'm pretty sick of that...

I kinda get it. I love training for these things and seeing improvement... however sometimes I just don't feel like actually racing. I love to race, but I get all worked up and nervous over sometimes. The other thing that always gets me is the required ass-o'clock wakeup on any race morning. Sometimes I just don't like dealing with the stress of race day.

But then I get my wetsuit on, and my bike is racked... and I am ready to rock...

But most of the time I get that "I don't wanna" in the days and hours leading up to the gun going off.

I'm the exact opposite. I occasionally get tired of swimming, biking, and running but I love the adrenaline, excitement, and competition of triathlons.

X2 - except I often get tired of swimming - so glad tomorrow is a duathlon.

races always seem to get in the way of hardcore training so I say keep doing all three and forget the races.

just giver' whenever you want and take a break when you burn out a bit.

On the plus side you save a ton of money. I am the opposite. The only races I want to do require travel, preferably on a plane to somewhere I have never been. The world is like a book, and staying in your local area is like being stuck on the same page.

Maybe try an aquabike just to mix it up? That is tugging at me to come back this fall, but I have run my last mile that is fosho! I'd totally be down for some MTB style aquabike races if I lived in a locale suited for it. Maybe go single sport focus for a season? I hear ya though I'm a swim dork only now been that way for several years now and love it more than I ever thought I could or would. I smell an AB in my future though.....

I enjoy the "process" of training and preparing for a Tri. The Tri is the goal but I find joy in the process.

You mean when a bunch of weirdos in running shoes and whatever IM gear they have get together and get wasted off of 3 beers. Then proceed to only talk about triathlon the entire evening? Ya I'm pretty sick of that...

It's the constant talk about triathlons that really made me avoid the social part of racing for years. I just went to the race and left, then hung out with my golfing buddies.

switch to Ultra's. I got tired of the big races with everyone walking around preening with their 10,000 dollar bikes ;o) Seriously, I still swim bike and do the local tri, but they have also have gotten just to damn expensive with travel ect... Ultra's are for me more challenging. Better vibe. Cheaper and training although harder is in gorgeous places. Of course if I lived in a different part of the country it would be different,......Come to Montana and do a couple of these

http://runtherut.com/ watch the video
http://winddrinkers.org/ridge-run/