Here’s the situation- the big race I had pegged for this year, Steelhead HIM (my second tri, first HIM), and my next opportunity to fight (Muay Thai), fall within 1 week of each other. There is really no way to do both. They require COMPLETELY different types of training and I don’t think I want to do either event half-assed. I keep going back and forth.
FIGHT-I am turning 32 next week, and getting a little old for the ring. This may be one of my last chances to fight Say what you will about age not being that important, but in a sport where reflexes are everything -age does matter. Unfortunately, I am not that interested in fighting, right now. I just started doing endurance and find it much better suited to my natural abilities- not that these is a lot, but it is definitely the slowtwitch type! I just don’t want to give up this chance to fight and regret it later.
RACE- I am motivated to train/race. It is all new to me and I am enjoying learning, except the bike. I enjoyed the marathon I did last month and really enjoyed my first tri last fall. Also, training for a HIM will take away less family time, which is very important to me. However, this seems like a sport that I can enjoy for many more years.
I’ve got to make up my mind and committ to something! Any words of wisdom?
You guys are very funny! Will throwing an elbow or knee get me disqualified? Is the key to do it at the beginning of the race when there is chaos, anyway?
My trainer says no long, slow work when I am training to fight. Training long and slow makes you long and slow. We do a “long” run on Fridays, 6-8 miles, to pre-fatigue my legs prior to pad work. Other than that is is a lot of fasttwitch stuff. The one thing that I think helps both is the stair running at the local stadium. I’ve notice my running is stronger and faster after I am done, but the endurance is not where it needs to be.
BTW- I like your thinking, that is kinda what I’m leaning toward. I can always do tris, but I don’t know if I can always fight. Any thoughts on how you do both would be appreciated. As I mentioned, I am new to endurance stuff.
I’ve tried to combine sparring training and IM training and it doesn’t work. There will always be another triathon, but like you said, you are getting towards the end of opportunities to fight.
is far better than my classmates.
Many of them are in High School too, and I am 38 and I can do sets of 3’s for round after round after round.
You’re training for a half, right?
I run at least 10 miles every Sunday, and have for 3 years.
I do Muay Thai 4-8 hours a week.
I lift three days a week.
I run 4 days per week.
I ride my trainer at least 2 x week @ about 90 minutes.
I have been doing yoga about 3 hours a week too now.
It all fits in nicely for me.
Oh yeah, I eat A LOT!
Do the tri and then just do a private wrasslin’ match with me. You’d probably win for sure
Seriously, it seems like your fightin’ days are over and you’re not that much interested in it any more. It’s a young kids sport so it’s time to move on. You can’t wear two hats so concentrate on one sport. If you lose why would you regret giving up this chance to fight? Even if you win where do you go from there?
On the other hand if this tournament is your swan song there will always be other triathlons.
It’s your personal call and only you can decide what is really important to you. Just follow your heart.
Just use Tibbs as your muay thai opponent, im sure that you can kick his ass and it will probably be over in a matter of minutes, then your rested for your HIM next week, heheheheeehheehehehehe.
Fight, no doubt. Those Muay Thai kickboxers are badass. A college buddy of mine – a little guy, maybe 145 – got good at it, and regularly waxed guys 40-50 pounds heavier. Only more badass fighters I’ve seen are the Krav Maga guys … those guys are serious hardcore.
Nothing more motivating to a man than getting his ass kicked in a fight, preferably in front of a large crowd, too. His whole life changes. No matter how cool he thinks he is, no matter how much money he makes, no matter how smart he is, no matter what his lactate acid level, no matter what his IM swim time is, or 5k time, no matter what his body looks like, if he gets his ass kicked, he’s just clump of dirt. He has been shamed and owned!
Once upon a time a was a fair steeple chaser. However, I quit when I was 22 at the time I graduated from college. It was also at this time that I began to pursue multi sport. Multi sport events have been very rewarding for me as I’ve had the opportunity to meet many great people and race in many different places. I will always wonder, however, if I could have run faster than 8:50 and by how much. As I’m 41 now and don’t have the legspeed that I had when I was young, I’ll never know.
