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how often do you do full distance triathlons?
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1 a year? more than 1 a year? every other year.

I'm curious. I'd did my first full distance last year after slowly building up to that distance over 4 years progressing through sprint, olympic, and then building some confidence doing 4 HIMs before deciding to tackle the full distance. I'm calling this my year off even though I'm still doing a few sprint triathlons and cycling events but and mostly just staying in shape rather that training for a specific goal.

If you do more than 1 a year or maybe even one a year how do mentally manage that without getting burned out?

Part of me wants to do another IM but it was a lot of work and a lot of training time each week and compared to many here my weekly training volume was pretty low.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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Signed up this year but since 2008, 3. So one every 3 years or so. I can't imagine doing one (or more) every year.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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2001,03,04,05,06,07,08,2010,2011 (Kona), 2012

I thought I’d stop at 10 but my Cycling is the best it’s ever been. So toying with a comeback.

Rhymenocerus wrote:
I think everyone should consult ST before they do anything.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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mickison wrote:
1 a year? more than 1 a year? every other year.

I'm curious. I'd did my first full distance last year after slowly building up to that distance over 4 years progressing through sprint, olympic, and then building some confidence doing 4 HIMs before deciding to tackle the full distance. I'm calling this my year off even though I'm still doing a few sprint triathlons and cycling events but and mostly just staying in shape rather that training for a specific goal.

If you do more than 1 a year or maybe even one a year how do mentally manage that without getting burned out?

Part of me wants to do another IM but it was a lot of work and a lot of training time each week and compared to many here my weekly training volume was pretty low.

2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017 and signed up for 2018.

For me, four in a row was a stupid decision. I took time off to travel, have knee surgery and focus on shorter distance tris. I'm back now, but won't do one in 2019.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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4 to 6 per year. Fun stuff!

Team Kiwami
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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I've only done three, but two of them were back to back (July and October). I figured I might as well since I had the distance-specific training in already. The 3 month break was perfect for recovery + a short build + a taper and actually I PRed the second one which I wasn't expecting. If I spent that much time training again, I would by all means do a couple in the same year. Lately I've just been doing sprints so I can have my weekends again.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [Kentucky Mac] [ In reply to ]
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That makes sense. Not sure I want to do 2 in a year still. But I’m happy to do sprint distance this year and other events. I’m still swim/bike/run 5-6 days a week but time wise not nearly for as long other than an occasional long ride.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [PJC] [ In reply to ]
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PJC wrote:
2001,03,04,05,06,07,08,2010,2011 (Kona), 2012

I thought I’d stop at 10 but my Cycling is the best it’s ever been. So toying with a comeback.

understandable. I enjoy the bike the most and want to work on that a little more this year. I might just plan on a HIM next year and go from there. Or I may end up just signing up for another Ironman
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [owtbac86] [ In reply to ]
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owtbac86 wrote:
4 to 6 per year. Fun stuff!

Pro?
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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I did my first last year too, after about 6 years of HIMs (one per year). But I've signed up for the same IM this year too, so will repeate and am also toying with Roth for next year, so might be three years in a row. I'm tired though.

My race site: https://racesandplaces.wixsite.com/racesandplaces
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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mickison wrote:
owtbac86 wrote:
4 to 6 per year. Fun stuff!


Pro?

Just for fun...in a convoluted sort of way :)

Wife and I travel via RV with the dogs, so it's usually a nice road trip, plus we have some friends in New Zealand, so it's an excuse to visit them when we go over to race IMNZ.

Team Kiwami
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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I swore off full distance races after my first Ironman in 2010.

Did my second in 2012 as well as my third and fourth.

Since then, I race anywhere between 4 and 6 ironmans per year now.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Training/Racing Log - http://www.earthdaykid.com/blog --- Old Training/Racing Log - http://colinlaughery.blogspot.com
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [owtbac86] [ In reply to ]
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owtbac86 wrote:
mickison wrote:
owtbac86 wrote:
4 to 6 per year. Fun stuff!


Pro?

Just for fun...in a convoluted sort of way :)

Wife and I travel via RV with the dogs, so it's usually a nice road trip, plus we have some friends in New Zealand, so it's an excuse to visit them when we go over to race IMNZ.

Nice. My wife likes the idea of an RV with our dogs. I like it other than the driving part
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [colinlaughery] [ In reply to ]
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colinlaughery wrote:
I swore off full distance races after my first Ironman in 2010.

Did my second in 2012 as well as my third and fourth.

Since then, I race anywhere between 4 and 6 ironmans per year now.

I half-heartedly said I would do only one ironman. I also previously claimed I would never buy a TT bike. So I say these things but don’t necessarily mean them
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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I did three Ironman races last year - one to KQ (South Africa), Kona and a race to KQ (Argentina) for 2018 - and it mentally broke me.

While I was excited last year to do the three races in 2017 and they were in fun destinations, it took a lot out of me and the 2018 season has got off to a slow start, getting very sick in January and now being injured.

The sickness and injury are not directly related to the stress of racing but I do think it was too much to handle with balancing work and the rest of life.

I’m signed up for two Iron distance races this year - Challenge Roth and Ironman Hawaii - but I’ll likely take a year or two off the full distance after this year.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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Never.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [5stones] [ In reply to ]
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Ive done 4 in 3 years. Honestly the hard work pays off. I like seeing the progression... I went from barely under 13 hours to an 11 hour ironman. This year i have goals to go around 10:30 or under. On the plus side my wife and 6 year old daughter enjoy attending the races. I believe it has been a lifestyle change for me. I went from 255 lbs to now 178 lbs. I feel I am now leaving more of a legacy now then I was before much triathon/long distance journey began!
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [Bigkat34] [ In reply to ]
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I did one in 2017.

My wife made it clear to me that i'm not going to do another one this year!!! (her exclamation marks)

I'm up for another one for sure. I loved the sense of having that level of fitness and i enjoyed the training and focus.

In the meantime 70.3's and sportives are allowable.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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2012, 2015 and 2018. I would do more if I was single.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [RCCo] [ In reply to ]
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RCCo wrote:
I did one in 2017.

My wife made it clear to me that i'm not going to do another one this year!!! (her exclamation marks)

I'm up for another one for sure. I loved the sense of having that level of fitness and i enjoyed the training and focus.

In the meantime 70.3's and sportives are allowable.

I don’t feel like my wife would be happy with me doing one every year. She was fine last year allowing me to achieve that goal but I’m sure she wouldn’t like me doing that every year unless I was attempting to KQ or something like that.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 (x2), 2007.....2014, 2015, 2016 (x2), 2017.....signed up for 1 in 2018, Kona 2019.

Started triathlons (at age 28) in 1992, and didn't do my first full until age 36. In 2019, I'll be 55.

Hope to continue doing at least one a year for as long as I can.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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2 things I've noticed over 2+ decades of coaching athletes.

Many IM focused atheltes don't race enough and when they try to race more they chose to race half's and fulls. Usually this is great for a year, maybe 18mo and then they tend to break.
They'd be much, much better off adding in 4-6 sprints or olympic distance races in vs adding in another half to race more.

Many IM athletes lose a lot of top end speed. Might behoove them to take a year away, race sprints/olys but have a bigger focus being on getting their 10k run times and 40k TT times as low as possible.

The best way to go fast is to go fast

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [desert dude] [ In reply to ]
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desert dude wrote:
2 things I've noticed over 2+ decades of coaching athletes.

Many IM focused atheltes don't race enough and when they try to race more they chose to race half's and fulls. Usually this is great for a year, maybe 18mo and then they tend to break.
They'd be much, much better off adding in 4-6 sprints or olympic distance races in vs adding in another half to race more.

Many IM athletes lose a lot of top end speed. Might behoove them to take a year away, race sprints/olys but have a bigger focus being on getting their 10k run times and 40k TT times as low as possible.

The best way to go fast is to go fast


^^^^ THIS IS SOLID ADVICE!!!! I am in total agreement, as the variety keeps some speed and top end which many pound out of themselves with constant IM/70.3 training.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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2008 - Florida
2010 - Coeur d'Alene and Arizona
2011 - Regensburg
2012 - Cozumel
2013 - Sweden and Cozumel
2014 - Florida
2015 - Louisville
2016 - Switzerland
2017 - South Africa and Texas
On deck:
2018 - Norway
2019 - Lanzerote and Kona

Future interest - Santa Rosa, Wales, Austria, Estonia and New Zealand.
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Re: how often do you do full distance triathlons? [desert dude] [ In reply to ]
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desert dude wrote:
2 things I've noticed over 2+ decades of coaching athletes.

Many IM focused atheltes don't race enough and when they try to race more they chose to race half's and fulls. Usually this is great for a year, maybe 18mo and then they tend to break.
They'd be much, much better off adding in 4-6 sprints or olympic distance races in vs adding in another half to race more.

Many IM athletes lose a lot of top end speed. Might behoove them to take a year away, race sprints/olys but have a bigger focus being on getting their 10k run times and 40k TT times as low as possible.

The best way to go fast is to go fast

I think I fit into this description
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