Why race these distances? Maybe it would be a good idea to find out your bike position isn’t right at mile 20 of an Olympic distance tri than mile 20 of 140? Also, you are only as strong as your weakest muscle. One of the best ways to find the limiting factor before that big, long race: RACE the short course Sprints and Olympic distance triathlons/duathlons early and often.
So you can have a life and participate in the world! Ultras are insanely hard on relationships. I was a freaking hermit more or less back in those days. I wouldn’t do an IM now if the entry was free.
Want to hear something weird? Some of us actually **focus **on sprints and olympic distance races, and don’t just use them as a warmup for the longer stuff. Crazy, huh!
Want to hear something weird? Some of us actually **focus **on sprints and olympic distance races, and don’t just use them as a warmup for the longer stuff. Crazy, huh!
I think some of you are missing the point…there isn’t a ? mark on his title, he’s making a statement as to why you SHOULD do them:)
Why race these distances? Maybe it would be a good idea to find out your bike position isn’t right at mile 20 of an Olympic distance tri than mile 20 of 140? Also, you are only as strong as your weakest muscle. One of the best ways to find the limiting factor before that big, long race: RACE the short course Sprints and Olympic distance triathlons/duathlons early and often.
Agreed.
Somewhere in the last 10 years we tipped over and racing these 1/2 and full IM races became the “normal” thing to do. So now we have the oddity of people coming into the sport and with in a year or two signing up for a race that us going to take them over 12 hours to finish. It’s bordering on the absurd - no, it is absurd! Indeed, it’s highly abnormal!!
I know that I will get hacked an flamed for this, but you are right. I don’t care what your goals or aspirations are, the best approach, is to stick with sprints and Olympic distance racing for a number of years. There is nothing wrong with this and, if you ever do decide to go onto racing 1/2 and full IM races, you will be much better prepared.
For the group that has jumped right into IM racing and have serious performance goals, but for some reason performance has plateaued. Do yourself a favour, get out of the IM rut and go back to racing sprints and Olympic distance only, and trying to max out absolute best performances at the 1500m swim, the 40Ktt and the 10K run. Do this right, and when you come back to IM after a coupe of years, you will crush your previous IM best times.
I know that I will get hacked an flamed for this, but you are right. I don’t care what your goals or aspirations are, the best approach, is to stick with sprints and Olympic distance racing for a number of years. There is nothing wrong with this and, if you ever do decide to go onto racing 1/2 and full IM races, you will be much better prepared.
For the group that has jumped right into IM racing and have serious performance goals, but for some reason performance has plateaued. Do yourself a favour, get out of the IM rut and go back to racing sprints and Olympic distance only, and trying to max out absolute best performances at the 1500m swim, the 40Ktt and the 10K run. Do this right, and when you come back to IM after a coupe of years, you will crush your previous IM best times.
What if my goal and aspiration is to have fun doing something that intrigues me?
I’m one of those ‘crazy’ people who did IM only 15 months after getting into endurance sport – or any athletic endeavor at all, for that matter. I was 40 when I started this. I do it for fun. Do I want to be fast? You bet I do. Do I train to get faster? Of course. But the order of events for me is: (1) Choose an event that looks fun and challenging and enticing. For me that was IM. (No, I’m NOT claiming that the others aren’t fun and challenging and enticing. In fact, I race at all distances now, and enjoy them all.) (2) Do what I can to make the most of the event. Would I perform better if I reversed my priorities and put speed in front of doing the events that I feel like doing? Probably. Do I care? No.
Would I perform better if I reversed my priorities and put speed in front of doing the events that I feel like doing? Probably. Do I care? No.
Michael,
Then more power to you, my friend.
Do what you want to do. Just know that what you are doing is counter to what any of the very best coaches in the sport would say to you.
If you are having a great time, then keep on keeping on. However, if you ever wanted to really take it a bit more seriously on the performance side, then you, might want to re-think things a bit. It’s hard to fool/trick the basic laws and fundamentals of human physiology!
I don’t think any has intimated you can’t do it, but if you are looking to get fast and it appears you are…you are doing it in direct opposition to what every and any respected coach would tell you how to do it. Nothing wrong with that at all, life is about choices and you are free to try and prove the coaches wrong!
At some point being ‘intrigued’ will wear off and getting passed will get REALLY old.
If the shorter races are only ‘prep’ for longer distances, why aren’t all triathletes striving to do an Ultraman.
For me, sprints are the hardest distance. They are just b@%%$ to the wall. An IM is all about pacing and nutrition.
In the old days, most of the pros did all of the distances. Watch the video of Lances Pro Sprint Championship. Who was chasing him?
Fleck were you there? Probably. Monty?
I’m pretty sure the Terminator was there.
So you can have a life and participate in the world! Ultras are insanely hard on relationships. I was a freaking hermit more or less back in those days. I wouldn’t do an IM now if the entry was free.
x2, except I’ve never even done an IM. I’ll pass on the 20 hour weeks, sprints and Olympics are more fun, you can actually race, then meet your other normal friends for lunch after!
I agree. It is better to learn the fundamentals of the sport, even before making any kind of financial commitment. The shorter distances allow an athlete to master pacing, strategy, race psychology, nutrition, among others - all of which should be second nature in an iron-distance event. As the OP implied, it is a better scenario to discover a fit problem with 6 miles out, rather than 92.
