Anyone ever done a survey on the % of first timers/only timers in an IM race ?
What % do one with the intention of doing 1 and no more ?
I know about half a dozen people who did an IM and aren’t interested in doing another. They’re still doing sprint/Oly length though. The biggest complaint about IM training was that was more structured and they had to give up group rides, etc.
I suspect I’ll only ever do one IM.
I did IMFL this year. It was my first triathlon.
One other Olympic was entered earlier in the season but knew two weeks prior that for my it was a two event day. I had a stress fracture in my foot and was ordered by coach not to run.
I plan to continue with Olympics and sprints due to the amount of time required to prepare for IM.
I’ll tell you for sure in about 10 months. IM Wisconsin will be my first time going long. I have done a few HIM’s and really enjoyed them, mostly because I could live a life outside of training and still do relatively well. I’m not sure I’ll be saying that at the end of next summer with the ironman. Hopefully but we’ll see how it goes.
I’ve done only one, IMFL, and now I’m torn between doing more IMs or going to Nationals, make Team USA and going on to Switzerland for Worlds. I’m pretty confident I can make the team and Worlds would be great, but I really had a lot of fun in IM and know I can drop my time with a better run. If I get into the right race, I believe I could make Kona happen. Hmmm, tough choices, here. I could be like Joe and do both! But that only worked because they were both in Hawaii.
Nine years ago when I did my first one I could not imagine quitting after one. I was addicted to the process of training long and was already planning my next one the day after I finished.
On a different note I have friend who has been racing triathlons since 1984. When I first started training in the mid 90’s I remember him telling me that he had no intentions of ever doing an Ironman. In 1999 he moved to PCB and watched IMF for a few years and then decided that he would race it in 2004. Went into that race with the intentions of it being his only Ironman race of his life. He qualified so he raced in Kona this fall. After Kona he tried to get a last minute spot into IMF to qualify for Kona for '06. the race director would not make an exception so he will be racing IMF in 06 again with intentions of Kona '07. Pretty interesting for a guy who said he would never do an Ironman.
I’ve done one (kona) and won’t go back unless I can put in some serious groundwork for it and have a good race. I know several others who have done one and don’t know when they’ll try to go back. In my little tri world this seems especially true of the top-level/elite/pro Olympic distance/xterra athletes I know who gave IM distance a tri and didn’t have the best races.
Getting ready to do my first in '06. Not sure if I’ll do more. We’ll see how it goes. The extra training is the biggest strain. Takes up too much free time. HIM is doable training that still allows you to have a life, but IM is going to be tough to train for…and I’m training to finish, not to “race”.