Are Sprint Races Scoffed at in the Triathlon Community? (Page 2)

Yeh, I wouldn't be bothered by what others have said.  I'm more impressed with good results, regardless of the distance.  Btw, I love sprints...they are not easy if you are "racing" them.

Nope...because it's the only way to get to sprint worlds.

Last weekend the Hy Vee Triathlon had to change from an Olympic to a Sprint due to flooding issues in Des Moines on the bike course.  Several people were irritated and I think many didn't show up.  I heard things like:  "All this training and preparation for Just A Sprint" or "Why travel,, pay, etc, etc, etc, for Just A Sprint". 

I think Sprints are hard.  I did the Hy Vee Sprint and was red lined HR through the Swim and the Bike and held back some on the run due to to an injury I had been dealing with.  I think Sprints can be as hard as any event, but the recovery is soooooooo much different.  Are sprints less impressive than the longer distances???? Maybe to some but I don't think the general triathlon community scoffs at sprint races. 

IMO, we are Triathletes.  We are not Sprint Triathletes.  We are not Olympic Triathletes.  We are Triathletes.  

Oh, and I Frickn' HATE the phrase:  "It's Just A Sprint".

On the other hand, I wonder how this thread would go on Slow Twitch?

I'll take the person who can run a 750 swim/ 20K bike/ 5K run sprint in under an hour over the guy who can do a 16 hour IM any day. 

I scoff at IM.

That's not true for the really fast sprint racers....and like I said, sprint racing is still part ot WTS racing....those are the fastest folks on the planet.

yeah sprints are stupid, just like the 400m, 800m, mile, 5k, 10k. What a waste of time. They are just warmups for the marathon and no real athlete would compete in those events.

Not by anyone who knows what they're talking about.

Sure, completing a sprint takes less commitment than completing a long course race, but if you want to race your fastest, both are going to hurt, but in different ways.  To be your fastest at either takes a similar amount of commitment and hard work.

Personally, anytime I race a sprint or 5K race, I question my sanity, because it hurts so badly to go that hard, but racing a HIM feels like a walk in the park comparatively.  I always feel that sprints and 5K's are like being dropped into a pot of boiling water, but long course racing is like sitting in a pot of tepid water that's then slowly heated to boiling.

In the end, don't worry about what others think.  Do what you enjoy.

I scoff at you.

Anxious to see what Gomez can do this weekend.

I've never heard of someone scoffing at any distance triathlon, but I think if someone does it's probably because of the trend of "longer is better." I've read quite a few articles about how the younger generations are a lot less concerned with times, be it in running, channel swimming, etc. and are more concerned with just having done it. You may say "I did the sprint this weekend in 57:12!" and people may not appreciate the fact that you ran 4:12 miles, but if you said "I did an Ironman" people light up because it's that crazy thing they saw on TV with all the spectacle about it. If anyone tries to make it sound like a sprint is easy, that means they're not racing hard enough. That's the beauty of racing, whether it's swimming, biking, running, or all 3, it's as hard as YOU make it. It can be a leisurely stroll, or the toughest day of your life. I actually love sprints because they're all so unique, each one has it's own specific distance and flavor. Some of my most exciting racing moments that I look back on with fond memories were the sprints, not the big ones Don't let one wanker take the wind out of your sails

Sprint racing makes me puke. It' SO hard.  How can they call it a sprint when it lasts for an hour?!?!? 

I've done three IM races and at no point was I gasping for breath like I was for an entire bloody sprint race.

Forgive your colleague, ignorance is bliss.