Please help out a relative Triathlon novice and first time 1/2 Ironman competitor. I’m trying to put together my calendar for the year and have a question.
I’m doing the Calgary 1/2 Ironman on August 2nd.
I am wondering if it is a problem (bad idea) to do either a Sprint or Olympic distance tri on July 19th. It’s a local event that I would like to do with friends, but don’t want to jeopardize my 1/2 Ironman.
I should think that 2 weeks is more than enough time for recovery, but have also read that it takes 30 days to recover from a marathon, so I’m curious about how close together people race triathlons.
Any thoughts on this specific question or race spacing in general would be hugely appreciated?
Ehhhh! So long as you focus on technique & form (particularly w/you run), I think you should be good to go. I’ve been running 2 marathons in two-week periods for a few years now during the marathon season. I have met several people who do the same.
This year, I’m considered doing a 1/2 IM & then a full IM (my first) within the same two-week period. Of course, I’m a middle-pack guy & fine with that. If you are too, then I think it can be done. (I’ll stick around & follow this thread to hear other responses!)
Everyone bounces bounces back differently & the effort in witch you race will also be a factor. In the past I’ve put in a hard effort two weeks out form a HIM “A race” without any negative consequences.
If your fit & don’t have a history of needing a ton or recovery time go for it.
Please help out a relative Triathlon novice and first time 1/2 Ironman competitor. I’m trying to put together my calendar for the year and have a question.
I’m doing the Calgary 1/2 Ironman on August 2nd.
I am wondering if it is a problem (bad idea) to do either a Sprint or Olympic distance tri on July 19th. It’s a local event that I would like to do with friends, but don’t want to jeopardize my 1/2 Ironman.
I should think that 2 weeks is more than enough time for recovery, but have also read that it takes 30 days to recover from a marathon, so I’m curious about how close together people race triathlons.
Any thoughts on this specific question or race spacing in general would be hugely appreciated?
Thanks much.
-Hutch
I did a Tri America race (distance is between oly and 1/2 IM) 2 weeks before my first HIM and it worked out great.
It would help to know a bit more info (how long you’ve been training, peak hours of training before the race, etc), but here’s a crack at in anyway. Most folks do a 2 week taper for a 1/2, so your race would essentially cap the last full training week. I’d day that doing an oly (2-3 hour effort depending on how fast you are) is a bad idea if you’d like to put in your best time for the 1/2. Doing a sprint, as your last longer bit of speedwork, can be effective but you need to tread carefully, and know how long it takes you to recover. I’ve asked 2 different coaches that I’ve used about doing a sprint 10 days before an IM (“A” race) and each time got an unequivocal “no-bad idea”. Hope this helps.
If you are preparing for a 1/2 ironman a sprint tri isn’t even a hard training day. There is no reason not to do it except that you might be slightly better prepared for the 1/2 ironman by doing a long bike or long run that day instead.
I think you will be fine. The only issue is the different distances you are training for (1/2 Ironman is much different than sprint), but then again, its all just swimming, biking and running.
I’m planning a 1/2 this spring with a spring 2 weeks later, followed by a 1/2 the week after that. I’m training for the 2 1/2’s and assume the spring will be a fun training day.
… “I’ve asked 2 different coaches that I’ve used about doing a sprint 10 days before an IM (“A” race) and each time got an unequivocal “no-bad idea”…”
By “A race”, do mean an “all-out effort race”? Accordingly, what would be the implications for a 1/2 IM & full IM within a two-week period if neither will be “A races”, that is, “just finish races”?
The guidance that my coaches have given me (consistantly over 5 years) is that everyrace is an all out effort. The only difference between A, B, & C races are whether you taper for them or train right through them. They would call “just finish races” training days, not races, and therefore would allow them within a shorter period before an A-race. Having said that, I generally don’t do those as I prefer to just go and train hard and get in the last high volume training 2 weeks before a 1/2 or 3 weeks before an IM, as I think this has more benefit come A-race day, than completing a “just finish race”. Good luck.
If you are preparing for a 1/2 ironman a sprint tri isn’t even a hard training day. There is no reason not to do it except that you might be slightly better prepared for the 1/2 ironman by doing a long bike or long run that day instead.
But, you could still do that AFTER the sprint =)
x2 on this - do the sprint and then ride some more. Recovery isn’t / shouldn’t be you biggest concern.
Thanks. That’s very helpful (& my lexicon is now more advanced!). Without the science, I think I was on the same page… treating a 1/2 as a sort of training event (wetsuit “encouraged”, flat bike course, & trail running).
There seems to be 2 ways of thinking for AG’ers on the forum here. I’m going to generalize (yes, I know never a good idea, but I’ll do it anyway) and throw the 2 schools of thought into these categories:
Folks who advocate racing often (weekly or every other week) through a 1/2 or full IM buildup plan. From my observation, these folks have generally been self-coached, adn often don’t perform at the very best level they are capable of. There are still some tremendous athletes that do this, and they have OK performances, but never hit their peak. I have many friends who do this, and they’re strong athletes. They’re the strongest guys on training rides, and then race at a sub-par level.
Folks who race less often, and in my experience, race better as a result. I’ve discussed this personally with 4 coaches. They made their comments in a public forum, so I think it’s OK to refer to them here. They are my current coach Rick Kattouf (www.rickkattouf.com), my prior coach Steve Pyle (www.tri-ecoach.com), Eric Hodska (www.hodska.com), and Heather Gollnick, coach and multiple IM winner (www.ironedgecoaching.com). Although “do the race, its should be nothing if you’re training for a 1/2” seems to be popularly espoused here on slowtwitch, my experience is that any of the 4 aforementioned individuals would dis-agree with it.
You’ll only get anecdotal advice here. The only one who knows if this is a good idea is…you! If you recover well, no problem. In my second season in the sport, I did my very first IM (and first marathon as a part of that IM) and then did the Clearwater 70.3 the following weekend. I was walking with a limp for the two days following the IM, but by day 3, I was doing easy jogs, rides, swims, and in the 70.3 that following weekend, I had a PR for the distance.
Would they disagree with it in the context of an average age grouper? Someone who isn’t on the bleeding edge of their fitness anyway?
I just can’t imagine how it can be a big deal. don’t forget that we do this for FUN. having to worry about entering a freaking 1 hour sprint to get another 20 seconds out of a 1/2 ironman we aren’t going to win anyway is just silly.
Although “do the race, its should be nothing if you’re training for a 1/2” seems to be popularly espoused here on slowtwitch, my experience is that any of the 4 aforementioned individuals would dis-agree with it.
" … 1.) Folks who advocate racing often…" For sure, a lot of us are in this group. I like to think of us as the, “notwithstanding being so busy, we can still squeez out enough training to complete a triathlon while others around us/same age can’t walk up a flight of stairs” group. Yup. But I still sponge off the more advance athletes & manage to come in “slightly above” the middle of the pack.
A shorter race 14-15 days before a half is not overdoing it. It’s not a bad idea at all, assuming you have been training well. But it can affect training a couple days before and after, so keep that in mind. Now racing a bunch of times in 2 months will probably dull your edge a bit if you get too ambitious this summer. But it can also be really fun. One summer I think I did 7 short races (all sprints and olys) in 10 weeks. A couple in the middle were great, but the rest were not as great. I was over doing it, but it was fun.