After every IM everyone gets into a big discussion about drafting. In a sprint race 95% of the people are what ST calls “racing”. So if a drafter hooks on you can actually afford the energy to blow him off your wheel. Or, you ride fast enough that no one can draft off you. You pass people like they are standing still, so they entertain absolutely no thought of hooking on.
Smaller fields!! My sprint races are 300-400 people. Its a great place to be on a Sunday morning. Most of my races this year have been TT starts. No drafting in the swim, the bike and nearly none on the run. Everyone starts 20 seconds apart. Now its a real triathlon, every man for himself.
After the race, everyone finishes close enough, theres a nice get together. I get to meet everyone in my age group. And by the way, I find out most of these guys in my age group are former pros. Gee, welcome to tris in Arizona.
“Race the Race”. Finishing is not the goal. Balls to the wall, for 1 hour is. Go until you blow up, or make it to the line!! A friend of mine taught me to finish an IM…“start slow and then back off”. Its a long “training” day. Not a sprint…now thats a race. I’m not talking about the fast IM guys…they get to race. But for the vast majority…IM is not a “race” per se.
I have nothing against IM. I’ve done 2, though not the IM logo race, Great Floridian. I personally have over 16 years decided I like the short races better. More fun, less to compain about, less cost, less time commitment, more fun, balls to wall for 1 hour, nice to talk with people, I get to “race the race”, I race nearly head to head with my age group, I get to see the competition as a rabbit in front of me or a fox chasing me. I like that feeling…back off for a split second and you loose!!!
I don’t know why some people seem to think there can only be one race length in triathlon. Running has everything from 100m to marathon, so why shouldn’t triathlon have different lengths.
I also like doing sprints for the reasons you mentioned btw.
Unfortunately, unlike you, I have not been blessed with speed. But I certainly agree that, especially among this group, there isn’t enough respect for short distance racers. I envy them, but at my age, the all out, puking on the bike has lost it’s appeal. I have been one to advocate, especially amongst the young, race short while you have some speed. I twill go sooner than one wants, and then you sure will want it back.
Not sure what you mean, but there still are pretty damn fast guys in older age groups. Some have speed, some don’t. With age it usually gets lost, but some seem to have the ability to limit the losses more than others.
I love sprint tris. 60 minutes or so of effort then you go home, take a shower, and spend the rest of the weekend doing whatever you want. It’s of minimal inconvience for the triathlete with a family (like me) and IMO just as worthwhile as an ironman only I can race it weekly.
There is a lot of IM snobbery when it comes to the general public, and that is unfortunate. We don’t look down on great milers for not doing a marathon-nor should going all out in a sprint tri be considered a lesser event.
Race the Race - I think a lot of people race an IM. Granted, it’s a different race than a one hour sprint, but a race nonetheless. Now, some people, just as in a sprint triathlon, are just there to finish. We can all get along.
I’m considered one of the older guys. At 52 and been racing for 16 years, I’m faster in the water, faster on the bike and only slightly slower on the run then I was at 36. The hips and knees don’t take kindly to the pounding. I only run 2 days a week and still run nearly as fast as I did back at 36.
1 of the guys in our age group runs past me like a blur, he’ll normally place top 3 OA on the run split. I try and gain as much time on the bike as I can, sometimes it works sometimes it don’t : ) Damn little guys…his leg turnover on the run is really fast, I can hear him coming a mile back. Its a blast, running as fast as I can out of T2…knowing he’s coming…seeing if I can hold him off…its an all out race…
Remember…speed is relative. I still love sprint racing. I still place OK, overall. I love beating young guys!
With you Paul, at 51 I has still gotten faster, but more injuries. My first choice is Oly, since it is the most balanced of tri events.
Sprints are my second favorite. I find I can never take the gas off on either race length.
Agreed. Having done both IM- and Sprint-distance races, I find the short & hard much more enjoyable than the long & slow. The training is more managable, varied and flexible, and the payout to investment ratio is much higher in a series of sprints than in IM training/racing.
I still enjoy a good yearly mind-bending endurance challenge, but I prefer mine in ultramarathon form on a quiet mountain trail, not one which requires hundreds of training hours with my ass hanging out in traffic, hoping that Ashley has figured out how to text-message, change CD’s and apply lip-liner without making roadkill out of me.
Plus, it’s fun to race at Vomit Threshold intensity.
I agree. Although I haven’t done an IM, I am training for my 1st 1/2 IM. I think sprints are much more fun to train for and race for and after I have **completed **my first 1/2 IM, I plan on going back to racing Olys and sprints.
Na, you will have to do an IM type race before you understand and who knows, you might get hooked on the longer stuff.
They each have there pros and cons.
You might be right. I was peer pressured into a half…I just might be peer pressured into a full…but I think not. I am really better at shorter distances. The longer the race the less competitive I become. I can actually run a pretty fast 100 meter dash. Maybe I AM just a sprinter.
totally with you, sprints are much more fun. Wish I discovered them before I did my first IM! Would live to try racing something similar to F1. Imagine a race in a track with the pool in the middle, swim, bike, run and repeat a couple of times, that would be a real sprint!
What is nice about having done maybe 10 HIM’s and 1 IM, I know from my results I am not very good long.
Now that I have gone back totally to shorter stuff, it is MUCH more fun!!!
Totally agreed. After doing a half-ironman I realized I love doing sprints because it takes less training and less stress on the body.
I do this to be healthy not otherwise.
ah, the “less stress on the body” thing. I have to agree with that. I can have fun training fast and short or I can go out to do epic runs and rides and see if the 52 year old body can handle it after 100 bike miles or 20 run miles. Then come race day see if its the day that the body revolts and you can’t hold down food that you did during training, whether or not the knees make it, the joints might not, the stomach feels like sh*t all afternoon, not keeping food down for days, then the week or two of recovery…please don’t do that again!!
I love the sprints…nothing to “digest?” during the race, little to no fluids, how fast can I go???..then I eat a huge meal later without a problem, and start training the next day for the next race!!! : )
Totally agree with everything you said (except I’ve never done an IM). I like the feel that I’m racing rather than enduring. Did a short duathlon yesterday (run 2, bike 11, run 2) and I felt like I was racing the whole time. No dis intended for the IMers. It’s just not how I want to race or train.