It seems as if there is significant expertise here and I just found this site a month ago, lurked and decided to pick the brains of the brains.
As an aside, I was decades ago, a decent but not world beater swimmer. After that became a weight lifter, rugger (winger) and some martial arts. In order to go on vacation in New Zealand, I decided to try IMNZ. However, I was left with no swimming, no running and never been on a bike.
Naturally I went out and swam masters but didn’t race. Joined a bike team and raced a little (man being dumped early in 58 mile race was humbling) and ran with the track group. However, this sort of training may not be logical.
Is it common for triathletes to race all three disciplines while doing tris?
I notice some of our better triathletes in Vegas race bikes and run road races. Comments appreciated.
I don’t know how common it is, but I am a big believer in racing lots. Do as many races as you have time, energy, and money for. The goal isn’t to PB each one, but rather to just get better at racing. In most areas it isn’t possible to race a tri every weekend, so it makes sense to supplement ones racing schedule with single sport stuff.
A stupid question: race what you’re good at or race what you need to improve?
For example, I’m in the 45 -49 range and would like to reach Valhalla in Kona some day. I still manage some busy busnesses, as well as rear children.
It seems tough to stay fit in all three. and I struggle on the run, even though I don’t in simple 10Ks. Some have suggested 21ks at hard pace after a hard bike day would be good training.
I agree with doing lots of races… The racing is fun for me, not the training… I raced 14 Duathlons this season from May - September as well as 10 running races and the MTB provincial championships… By the end of the season, I was much faster than at the beginning. I still get killed at the running races though, and my fitness against the other MTB racers was not as great as I was expecting…
I came to tri after several years of bike racing, I stopped that because I hate drafting and pack riding (although both seem on the rise in tri). Haven’t done a bike race since I started tri-ing, and have no desire to. I ran my only stand alone marathon about 10 months before my first IM. Last winter I did a half marathon as a training run. But usually I just train hard and race tris.
I did one cycing TT and have a USCF license just in case I want to do more.
I definitely did a lot more running races this year, typically doing well in my AG and sometimes even overall (2nd in a 4 miler in September and won a 5k this past weekend). But I’m also in fall marathon training mode, so I’ve been completely run focused since June for a BQ attempt.
Yup - lots of running races 5K, 10K, 15K and marathon. Boston in the Spring followed by a spring series USCF road racing. Tris start in late spring throughout the summer.
Never done a swim “race”/masters meet - that would be ugly (for me that is)
I enjoy the general friendly attitude of the tris, as opposed the semi-exclusive nature of the bike racing, but bike fitness for me really started to take off when I started riding with the more highly categorized cyclists. Perhaps this is not the tri way.
As time is a valuable commodity, I was wondering how the more successful triathletes do it.
I do running races and open water swims. I compete in those. I do century rides and other organized bike rides…but I don’t do the bike races. I guess I only like to race if I have a chance of having a good showing…and I suck on the bike so I dont’ race.
race what you’re good at or race what you need to improve?
Both. Racing what you are good at is fun. Racing what you are not good at is good for you. I’m a crappy runner, so I try to make sure that I do a few running races throughout the year.
Running races are crucial for the motivation. There is no way I could run my 5k PR on my own, outside a race. Ive even gone as far as only racing large 5k’s in the area. I would rather run a PR and get 20th than a slower time and win. Ive won a couple smaller local 5k’s, none of which were PR’s.
Bike racing is just a good reality check for me, especially MTB. You think your bike fitness is good based on a good ranking in a tri. Sign up for a bike race, and you will instantly re-evaluate what you thought was “good”
I agree with a previous poster, swimming is reserved for triathlon only.
The ones who take triathlon more professionaly, don’t do it so often but once in a while take a sport specific race to do a fitness test and really go all out. But to stay free of injuries and fresh to triathlons you can’t really race as often as you’d like.
