Do what you like. You can always come back to tri. Though I don't plan on it. To wit:

Last Tri - 2009
Last Bike race - 2010
Last Marathon - 2014
Last Duathlon - 5/17/15; it will be my last race.

Racing just doesn't motivate me to train like it used to. After 15+ years I'm going to run for fun and ride for pleasure. Swimming? If it doesn't involve cannon balls of my boat, it ain't gonna happen.

thank you for posting what you did. i hope you don't mind, but i used this post, and a quote from your post, in an article just up on the front page. it's my answer to your thoughtful post.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I don't know who you are, but you are my twin. This is exactly my story. I challenge you to a swimming race. It'd be epic.

I know exactly the feeling and have thought about it. I do barely any cycling, am a typical adult onset swimmer and running is what I enjoy the most. A few things have prevented me from going that route though:
- Although I don't do a whole lot of cycling, I enjoy it enough that I want to keep doing it (don't want to give up those sufferfest videos!)
- I started to get better at swimming (relatively speaking, of course) at some point, and started to really enjoy it. Now I swim almost everyday, and really don't want to give it up.
- All in all, I enjoy the variety of S/B/R.
- Truthfully, I could give up swimming or at least biking, add more intensity to the running and be faster. But I don't really care - at 45 I'm "fast" enough.

So essentially, the way I've come to see things is that I'm runner who cross-trains and am ok with and actually enjoy the compromise it entails.

In case the perspective helps, here's how I view racing: I do a lot of racing (running) but will rarely do anything longer than a 5K. I really enjoy that, short and frequent. Also, when I do triathlons I'll rarely do anything over a sprint (waiting/hoping for super-sprints to become more common). No bike racing (did some in the past, and if there were a local, low key TT race like the ones in the UK would totally jump in). On swimming, I've done some OWS, but would really like to try some masters meets in the future.

Anyway, good luck with the decision.

I've thought about it. I'm a good runner and a mediocre swimmer and biker. Problem is, quitting the other two won't make me into a great runner, just a slightly better good runner.

Meanwhile, you can be a good triathlete if you're a mediocre swimmer and biker. Because most great runners can't swim.

So now, I'm a good runner and a good triathlete. If I quit my bad sports, the only thing that changes is I will not be a good triathlete anymore.

Then again, I like swimming and biking. If I didn't like them, I wouldn't see a reason to be a triathlete and dislike 2/3 of my training.

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<The Dew Abides>

Great piece Dan.
Makes me reflect on my prior post. I may not race again but I continue to look for new challenges, ways to explore and means to stay active.
Thanks

I came from a running background to triathlon, and I absolutely miss it - the simplicity is wonderful, and I was capable of going out and competing well in all the local races. I switched for a few reasons 1) A nagging injury that, at the age of 16, had me doubting whether it would ever heal (I'm 17 now) 2) I wanted to learn to swim before that ship officially sailed too far into the "adult onset" waters and 3) I love to train and push myself and the extremely limited running wasn't cutting it.

I do have unfinished business with running, in a big way. I'll focus on running again at some point and try to meet those goals.

If you focus on running, no one is going to scorn you or shame you. With the exception of the pros among us, the vast majority of us are training and competing to live healthfully, find our limits, and see what we're capable of. If running does that for you, have at it!

There's no reason you can't focus on running for a month, a decade, or forever, and there's no reason you can't eventually come back to tri if you miss it. Do what makes you happy.

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"Don't you have to go be stupid somewhere else?"..."Not until 4!"

@Slowman

Thanks for the quote and also for the response. This is what brings me back in whenever I think about going single-sport:

I swim, bike on and off road, run, ski, because I use these tools and skills to take me farther up and farther in. I swim several times a week, not because I'm good at it, but because I'm bad at it. I climb hills on my bike not because I'm good at it, but because I am determined to be good at it.

The cycling breakthroughs are rare (probably because I'm on a trainer), but the small breakthrough I had with learning backstroke brought me back in. Reading through the replies definitely has me looking more at super sprints, sprints and olympics as targets. Thanks for keeping me on track everybody.

You think 48 is old, just you wait.

.

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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

To be a Triathlete you have to be an optimist.
You have five things to get right while having an oxygen starved brain.
This is a challenge beyond mere running.

You lose the opportunity to be dunked,
Of falling over while getting the wetsuit off.
Stuffing wet feet into dry shoes
A front wheel flat on a downhill
Slip sliding away, in the rain
Drinking without crashing
Eating painfully dry food
Dismounts

Only then do you get to run.
(of course, I hate running)

After my second was born I just didn't have the time to manage being a mom, my career and triathlon and all the training. Prior to that I was a pretty competitive AG'er (Kona in 2010 - qualified, not lottery). I became a pure runner as it was always my favorite of the three but I never really saw it thru to see what my potential was (background is a college volleyball player). I love being a pure runner and right now I'm chasing an Olympic trials qualifying time in the marathon (missed it by 3 minutes in Chicago). I really like chasing big goals. I don't miss swimming or biking at all - especially swimming. But the downside is I am more injury prone and find my rear end on my bike cross training more often than I'd like.

I'm with you. Once I've completed everything I want to do in multisport, hopefully by this year. I'm quitting and selling all my gear and taking up running only.

8hrs of running will make me competitive.

I feel like if I'm not doing 16+ hrs a week in multisport I'm leaving a lot left on the table. At some point of time, I want a life.

You won't be able to eat near as much if you just run:)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Actually, I can eat a WHOLE lot more just running. I don't eat on the run. I just drink some water. Triathletes eat so freaking much while they are training.

Well, not this triathlete, i only rarely eat during training, when going longer than 4 hrs in total SBR workout time, but never eat while just swimming or running, even in 3-hr swims or runs. And yes, i have done some 3-hr swim workouts, just b/c in contrast to you i actually love swimming and have done quite a few 10,000 m swim workouts. But to each his/her own. I like ending a long day's training on a 3000 to 4000 cal deficit:)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

So your 10K PR is faster but I'm not embarrassingly slower. I ran just over 40 at 41. However, my sprint 100 (if you're talking yards) is probably around 1:35. Can you imagine the splashing and the water we could clear from the pool if we raced?

Have regularly considered it during the past 10 years. I've done multiple tris every year for 30 years. Why don't I just run? I'm worried I will want to run too many miles and I'll get injured so I'll end up swimming and cycling again anyway, so I might as well continue to try to stoke the balanced love for SB&R.

If you can satisfy your need for exercise solely with running, go for it.

I think it's something most people go through. There is bound to be an aspect of the three sports you aren't as keen on and unfortunately to get faster overall it pays to work on your weaknesses. The more I train the more I seem to focus in on the things I dislike doing as they are the pieces of the puzzle I need to put together to get better.

For most things in general I have an end goal that once I've done I'll finish that activity and triathlon is no exception. This sort of answers the doubts for me, as long as I'm progressing toward my goal in a reasonable time-frame that doesn't impact future goals in different areas I press on. By the time I've hit my goal in any given activity I've normally sucked all the fun out of it and am a bit burnt out with it so don't stick around for the sake of enjoyment. If you are currently in it for fun only then you're best off doing what you enjoy most (running.) If you enjoy the process of building yourself into a good athlete at something then stick with tri - with the application of time you'll get better at the other two.

Iain

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Training Full Time in 2015: http://www.triopensource.com
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I sort of did that last year. A lot of swim 'volume' (you know I used the Vasa a lot, wasn't in the pool that much), and made the jump to the next level of swimming, which seemed to stick after going back to balanced training.

I did suffer a bit on the running though - I don't think it's a great idea to ease off a lot on running, as your tendons start to get really injury prone if you were a pretty good runner before that. I don't go under 2 days/wk of running anymore, even if I'm not run focused.

I'm doing this now. I'm in the process of selling all my tri gear and I'll be concentrating on masters track and field (400m and triple jump). Haven't competed/completed a tri since 2012 and just lost interest in going to the pool and riding the road and/or trainer. I get in some MTBing but it is now mostly enduro/DH riding...shuttles and ski lifts are the way to go!

Doing long course tris became a bit of a chore. If we went away for a long weekend there was always this voice in my head that said I was missing training. If I could somehow sneak in some training while on vacation I felt like I was missing the point in visiting places like Paris, NYC, San Fran, etc.

Getting rid of all my tri gear has been liberating too.

In your case it has probably been difficult to watch some of your run fitness leave you. I think you'd be happier concentrating on running. Have had some decent runner friends migrate back to running-only after a foray into tris and they have all been happier running-only.

Good luck.

Similar. I ran for decades at 70-90 mpw with decent race times. By late 40s I was still competitive but frequently injured. I finally threw in the towel because I HAD to run less. If I hadn't been hurt I would not have gone back to triathlon (did exactly 3 during my running career before switching completely). Eight years into the sport now, I've learned to enjoy swimming although it is still my weakest leg; I love biking which is probably now my strong suit; and I still love the simplicity of running. However, age and changes in body composition (more of a tri physique now instead of a runner's build) have really slowed me down. Going back to running would probably require a couple of years to return to the same level of age group competitiveness and the same desire to build a decent base...probably leading to another injury. Triathlon puts a significant volume regulator on my running that I believe is extending my athletic career.

There's also no reason that you have to fully quit.

I'm training for a marathon right now. I ride about once a week. I haven't been swimming except when coaching. I'm happy! I've been looking at fall ultras. We'll see what I feel like doing.
I'm in a situation where I can keep the gear... meaning I live alone, so I can keep bikes in the living room - and I'm not desperate for cash so selling any of it seems silly.
So, we'll see what I want to do post-marathon.

Triathlon is AWESOME, but I feel like I have to train SO MUCH to meet my potential and be happy with my performance. Single sport is just simpler, too.

But, at any moment, I can step right back into tri. Sure, I've lost some cycling fitness, but I'm not sitting on my ass so I'm confident the mediocre bike skills I did have will come back shortly :)

I ramped up over a few years (2001-2006) and went whole hog at IM for 4 years (2006-2009). Then, all of a sudden pretty much, I lost interest in training and racing. I decided to go back to my roots (1980's) and do some more long MTB riding. After seeing all the cool trails around, I started running them more than I was riding them. I have now transitioned to a trail running fanatic. I've stepped up to the Ultra distance scene and have settled nicely on the 50 mile distance for now. I have a second attempt at 100K coming up at the end of the summer but no plans to tackle 100 miles anytime just yet. I have a 2.5 year old daughter and I want to spend more time with her and my wife. The single sport focus allows me to do that. I trade days off with my wife so she can train for triathlons (oly & 70.3) while I train for my trail running. Our daughter loves to go on rides with us in the trailer and hikes in the back-pack (talk about a resistance wokrout!). I got in the pool for the first time in over a year last week and had a nice mellow swim but in no way was I hungry for 4 X 400 on 10" rest. That's just not me anymore. I prefer the new me actually.

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Dave Stark
dreamcatcher@astound.net
USAC & USAT level 2 certified coach