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Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community?
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| General Discussion | Triathlon Talk » Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? | Rss Feed  |
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 2014-09-05 12:37 AM |
 66 |  Subject: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community?Hi guys, Go easy on me sweet trolls, I'm new. Hahaha. So, this is my first year doing Triathlon. I've completed 4 races so far, all sprint. I just wanted to ask all of you fine competitors, is a Sprint distance lame? Do you think it's just for newbies? Is my personal race success the equivalent of a kid just learning how to tie his shoes? Hahaha. Or is it something to be truly proud of? I think, I just want a gauge because I've been doing well in sprint and enjoy it! Who doesn't like winning!? But I wonder if it's going well for me because most other competitors are brand new... I might make a sooner jump to Olympic to test myself some more I guess. But my biggest goal is to compete at USAT nationals next year and I know they do Sprint, but I dunno which to focus on. Sprint or Olympic. Edited by rizztalah 2014-09-05 12:57 AM |
| 2014-09-05 12:56 AM in reply to: 0 |
471 | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Originally posted by rizztalah I just wanted to ask all of you fine competitors, is a Sprint distance lame? Not at all. Most guys I know that focus on 70.3s or IMs do sprints. In some ways they are harder than a 70.3, because it's an hour of literally going flat out. My goal this summer (Australian summer) is to podium in a sprint, in order to do that I will have to be going hard, much harder than I would in a 70.3, I will probably be more nervous at the start of the sprints than the 70.3s just because of the pain factor. So no, sprint distances aren't lame. What is lame is when you're good enough to do the pursuit sprints, but still do the enticers! Edited by zedzded 2014-09-05 12:59 AM |
| 2014-09-05 12:56 AM in reply to: rizztalah |
Coach 9167   Stairway to Seven | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? 1) No one that matters to you laughs at sprint distance triathlons 2) Do what you want to do, not what someone else wants you to do |
| 2014-09-05 1:03 AM in reply to: zedzded |
| 66 | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Thanks for your reply! See! I've heard that and read it somewhere, before... That sprints people are forced to go all out... But I thought that was the case with ironmans and stuff too, only you have to have way more endurance :/ but I haven't done those yet so I honestly don't know. :/ |
| 2014-09-05 1:06 AM in reply to: AdventureBear |
| 66 | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? You're right. Thanks for the reply. It bothered me inside, though it shouldn't. But when I won my first sprint, I proudly shared my experience with my coworkers the next day. My boss, a retired veteran, asked me what the distance was and of course I told him and he laughed!!! It just made me mad, like all my hardwork was suddenly not validated. You're right though. But it still took the wind out of my sails. :/ |
| 2014-09-05 2:11 AM in reply to: rizztalah |
Expert 1068 , District of Columbia | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Originally posted by rizztalah You're right. Thanks for the reply. It bothered me inside, though it shouldn't. But when I won my first sprint, I proudly shared my experience with my coworkers the next day. My boss, a retired veteran, asked me what the distance was and of course I told him and he laughed!!! It just made me mad, like all my hardwork was suddenly not validated. You're right though. But it still took the wind out of my sails. :/
F- that guy. Triathlon is hard. Sprints require you to literally focus on shaving a few seconds off a time. And unlike an Ironman, your training isn't like having a 2nd job. Congrats on your win! |
| 2014-09-05 2:43 AM in reply to: rizztalah |
| 471 | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Originally posted by rizztalah You're right. Thanks for the reply. It bothered me inside, though it shouldn't. But when I won my first sprint, I proudly shared my experience with my coworkers the next day. My boss, a retired veteran, asked me what the distance was and of course I told him and he laughed!!! It just made me mad, like all my hardwork was suddenly not validated. You're right though. But it still took the wind out of my sails. :/ Winning a 70.3 is obviously going to be harder than winning a sprint. I potentially can place in a sprint, no ways am I even getting in the top ten for a 70.3, at least not in the big races. But that said, winning a sprint is still pretty impressive. |
| 2014-09-05 3:24 AM in reply to: #5047102 |
| 27 | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Massive respect and congratulations to you! May I just say your boss is just jealous of your achievement! Do you think Mo Farah laughed at Usain Bolt when Bolt said I'm the fastest man in the world? Nope. Sounds like your triathlon life is ahead of you you're bosses is in the past like his comment he's history. Believe in you and not others. Jamie |
| 2014-09-05 4:53 AM in reply to: zedzded |
Champion 7036 Sarasota, FL | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Originally posted by zedzded Winning a 70.3 is obviously going to be harder than winning a sprint. I potentially can place in a sprint, no ways am I even getting in the top ten for a 70.3, at least not in the big races. But that said, winning a sprint is still pretty impressive.
That's exactly the type of biased attitude that the OP is discussing. Sprints and 70.3 are different races and require different types of skills and training. One is not necessarily "easier" or "harder" than the other. Mark |
| 2014-09-05 5:14 AM in reply to: zedzded |
Champion 9407 Montague Gold Mines, Nova Scotia | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Originally posted by zedzded Winning a 70.3 is obviously going to be harder than winning a sprint. I potentially can place in a sprint, no ways am I even getting in the top ten for a 70.3, at least not in the big races. But that said, winning a sprint is still pretty impressive. With any race, winning is going to depend on who shows up; obviously at a race with more participants, there is a higher likelihood of having someone who will beat you. However, someone who wins a local sprint with say 100 entrants is probably very likely, with appropriate training, to win a local HIM with 100 entrants. However, winning the sprint race at ITU Worlds in Edmonton last week is going to be just as hard (and possibly harder although I have no idea how you'd quantify that) as winning 70.3 Worlds this weekend. Shane |
| 2014-09-05 5:45 AM in reply to: 0 |
New user 560 Key West | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? I don't think the Sprint distance is scoffed at and there are many who specialize in it. But, it is funny that you bring this up because I have been participating in triathlons since the mid-1980's and have done Sprints, Oly's and HIM's (no IM yet). The last year though I have only done Sprints for a few reasons. One because I have been concentrating on my running again, so more running races, another is because I am not a great cyclist and don't love it, so this allows me to ride less, and the last is that Sprint's (to me) are fun. I say fun not only because I enjoy them, but quite honestly, I do think they are easier than the longer distances. Just my opinion and coming from someone who usually podiums at all distances on a regional level but mostly because I am--well-old. So, I too have been having conversations with myself thinking I am taking the easy road by only doing Sprints. But, you know what, who cares. It is what I want to do right now, so it is right for me. Anyway, don't worry about what other people think, just do what makes you happy and satisfied. Edited by topolina 2014-09-05 5:47 AM |
| 2014-09-05 6:32 AM in reply to: topolina |
| 1053 | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? I don't think anyone IN the triathlon community would scoff at a sprint. Someone who doesn't do triathlon but has some idea about the longer races may not be impressed by comparison. The other thing is that more people CAN do a sprint, so someone outside of triathlon could see the distances and say "Oh, I can do that." I think what many people outside of the sport is that if you actually race ALL OUT, it is an extremely difficult distance to race because of the length, which is actually pretty far when going HARD. I've done, Oly's, HIM's, IM's, and running races of all distances, and in most cases, the shorter races scare me, not just because they hurt more, but because there is much less of a margin of error. If you make a tactical mistake in a longer race, you can potentially make it up. In a shorter race, sure you can still finish, but competitively, even with a minor error, your day could be over. |
| 2014-09-05 7:08 AM in reply to: ImSore |
Extreme Veteran 959 Greenwood, South Carolina | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? I done Sprints, Oly, HIM and IM All have a place in my heart and respect for the athletes that compete in each race. There is something I like about each race distance. Fine the race or races that you enjoy and not what you think gains respect from others. Your enjoyment is the key. |
| 2014-09-05 7:22 AM in reply to: GODAWGS |
| 370 , North Carolina | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? In the Triathlon community such as this forum no triathlon is scoffed at. We have all been there and know what it takes to complete or compete at each distance. You are not alone with your boss/friend/coworker/family scoffing at the sprint distance. I think that most folks that have not completed or even thought about a triathlon think that the Ironman is the only tri distance. It does seem to devalue the shorter distances. It's hard to imagine that that an event that takes over an hour is considered a sprint. |
| 2014-09-05 7:25 AM in reply to: rizztalah |
Extreme Veteran 1986 Cypress, TX | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? I pretty much have spent my entire M40-44 triathlon career focused entirely on Ironman distance. After training for eight IM's in five years I'm ready to go back to shorter stuff during my years in M45-49 starting next year. I do want to qualify for the 70.3 WC next year so I'm not 100% going to short course but I'm done with the IM thing for awhile. Short course stuff is just a different beast. Everything is so fast. I'm looking forward to putting some speed in my legs. There are guys I can beat by two hours in an IM race but they get me at short course. It's just different. I certainly wouldn't scoff at the sprint distance. |
| 2014-09-05 7:46 AM in reply to: 0 |
| 72 | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Originally posted by rizztalah You're right. Thanks for the reply. It bothered me inside, though it shouldn't. But when I won my first sprint, I proudly shared my experience with my coworkers the next day. My boss, a retired veteran, asked me what the distance was and of course I told him and he laughed!!! It just made me mad, like all my hardwork was suddenly not validated. You're right though. But it still took the wind out of my sails. :/ Dudette, your boss is a DORK. I had FUN in my first triathlon which was one of those "wimpy" Sprints. It was the Gloucester Fisherman in 2011........on a brutally stormy day that probably woulda' caused your boss to run away in terror. Oh, and the winners of that event on that day: those lightweights Karen Smyers and Ethan Brown. Edited by Mahk 2014-09-05 7:49 AM |
| 2014-09-05 8:00 AM in reply to: rizztalah |
Champion 10668 Tacoma, Washington | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? I haven't done anything longer than a sprint in many years. Scoffed at? Not here, and not in any real athletic community. As for your boss, out of respect for his/her veteran status, I will decline further comment. |
| 2014-09-05 8:21 AM in reply to: RedCorvette |
| 471 | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Originally posted by RedCorvette Originally posted by zedzded Winning a 70.3 is obviously going to be harder than winning a sprint. I potentially can place in a sprint, no ways am I even getting in the top ten for a 70.3, at least not in the big races. But that said, winning a sprint is still pretty impressive.
That's exactly the type of biased attitude that the OP is discussing. Sprints and 70.3 are different races and require different types of skills and training. One is not necessarily "easier" or "harder" than the other. Mark Yeah I kind of was talking from my own experiences, local sprints don't have the numbers nor the quality of competitors that the 70.3s seem to have. So for me to win a sprint is much easier than winning a 70.3. |
| 2014-09-05 8:42 AM in reply to: briderdt |
| 1055 | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? In my opinion, the general population places more emphasis on going for distance and completion than on going fast and competing. That is why you run into opinions from others, even in the triathlon community, that sprints are of 'lesser' prestige. Further, sprints attract the newer folks, and the participants vary greatly in their fitness levels and body types. People routinely complete sprints with very little to no training and very little fitness. The population as a whole sees these images and then thinks, if they can, I can, so it's no big deal. In your case, a retired veteran may scoff at a sprint triathlon b/c that fellow is used to putting his body through some hard training that to him, was a lot harder than that 300lbs guy he saw crossing a finish line at a local 5k or sprint tri. As our moms and dads told us when we were young, don't worry about what others think. |
| 2014-09-05 9:00 AM in reply to: rizztalah |
| Master 10208 Northern IL | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Originally posted by rizztalah You're right. Thanks for the reply. It bothered me inside, though it shouldn't. But when I won my first sprint, I proudly shared my experience with my coworkers the next day. My boss, a retired veteran, asked me what the distance was and of course I told him and he laughed!!! It just made me mad, like all my hardwork was suddenly not validated. You're right though. But it still took the wind out of my sails. :/ Your boss doesn't sound like he's in the triathlon community. Among the people I know and meet, many who say "just a sprint" have only signed up for a fun day or are using it like a workout session. They generally know and respect how hard short course is when one really goes after it. |
| 2014-09-05 9:01 AM in reply to: ziggie204 |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? If you want to find really competitive sprints you have to travel....they're out there. It's more than a valid distance to race, even included in the WTS. What I think is lost on most people is that many of the really fast people in 70.3 were first really fast people at the sprint/oly distance. Watch what happens when Gomez and co. move out and decide to go long. I love sprint racing.....and I like the training for a a sprint race even more. My limited experience with long course bored the crap out of me. |
| 2014-09-05 9:10 AM in reply to: rizztalah |
Extreme Veteran 856 Detroit, Michigan | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Originally posted by rizztalah You're right. Thanks for the reply. It bothered me inside, though it shouldn't. But when I won my first sprint, I proudly shared my experience with my coworkers the next day. My boss, a retired veteran, asked me what the distance was and of course I told him and he laughed!!! It just made me mad, like all my hardwork was suddenly not validated. You're right though. But it still took the wind out of my sails. :/ I do get flak sometimes but it's always from people who don't do triathlon. "Oh, you don't do full triathlons?" Um, anything that includes swim, bike and run is a "full" triathlon, thanks. Honestly, I would wave my award in my boss' face and ask him when HIS last tri was, but I'm immature like that.  You certainly don't see me telling Usain Bolt that he is lame just because I've done a few marathons. If you like doing shorter distances, than do shorter distances! This is a fun hobby for you, right? Do what you love, F everyone else. |
| 2014-09-05 9:40 AM in reply to: Miles around Midtown |
Member 2689 Denver, CO | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? When I tell people the actual distances that I did/do in a sprint, they get a little more impressed. I do find myself downplaying the distances to myself, then realize how much I'm really doing. So many people couldn't even do one leg of a sprint, much less put it all together. I agree with the others - do what you want to do and ignore the people who scoff at your accomplishments. |
| 2014-09-05 9:52 AM in reply to: laffinrock |
Extreme Veteran 660 | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? I really love sprint because its all go go go and every little detail counts a big deal in your time. Missed 3rd place over all by 15 seconds at a race this year and kick myself for that. If I was 15 seconds slower I would have ended up 10th so every little bit helps.Half and fulls are about endurance and drive to keep going. In my training group I am the best in sprints but get beat out in halfs and fulls. |
| 2014-09-05 10:01 AM in reply to: rizztalah |
Pro 6582 Melbourne FL Gold member | Subject: RE: Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? Not in these parts (Central FL). The longest running tri in FL is a local sprint race and has become a powerhouse event that bring in the best AG's and several elites/pro's from through out FL. I've won my AG in another local smaller Sprint race before that also had a companion Olympic race. This year at the powerhouse sprint race I had similar paces and was 9th in AG and 68th overall. No matter what distance one races, if you do them right you are hurting and digging deep at the finish line, it's only the intensity vs. time that varies! |
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