Enjoy 1st sprint or push to prove a point

Well that depends on how you finish... you don't hit your goal say you were just having fun.  

I'm joking, but I get what you're saying, I've got a bit of a competitive streak myself.  Going into my first event this Sunday, I'm going at it to do my best and as a learning exercise.  Part of my reason for even doing triathlons is to give me a bar to reach for.  If 1hr. 10min works is your goal, go for it!

1:10 is very realistic for a .25 swim/ 10 mile bike / 5K run.  That seems like a short bike, though, so the strong runners are going to do the best in that race.  How is your run?

No matter what time you finish in, be happy because its a PR!

that being said if you are truly in good shape you should be able to pull off a sub 10 minute swim, sub 30 minuts bike and sub 30 minute run. Add in transitions and that you should be close but ok. That 10 mile bike is on the short side of normal so that helps. If it was a 15 mile back that might have made it a lot more challenging.

I am a competitive person.   I have had goals for each of the events I have competed in prior to the event.  I have also had expectations.  I see the expectations and goals as VERY different things and will explain in a second.

My question to you would be how will you feel if you get two flats, cramp on the run big time and finish in 1hr 30 minutes?

My point is that there is a difference between expectations and goals and you should be realistic about both of them.

If you can swim the 1/4 mile in X amount of time (practiced, repeatedly in a place you know the set distance etc)
If you can bike the 10 miles in Y amount of time and you can run the 3.4 miles in Z amount of time then you can set a realistic goal of X+Y+Z+transition time as a goal.  This could be a "goal" of finishing your Tri in 1Hr 10 minutes. 

However,  You should have an expectation of something completely different.  Maybe learning what a sprint Tri is all about.  Maybe learning what you need to work on for next time.  Maybe learning what an OWS is like compared to your training in the pool.  Maybe being open to the experience and what it holds for you with the people you will be surounded by at the event.

My point is that if you set only a goal and don't reach it you set yourself up for disappointment and may loss sight of all that there is to offer you in the event.

My first Tri, I wanted to learn what I could do, and what I could work on to be better, and what I needed to work on to be more competitive.  I had a goal of finishing in X amount of time.  I beat my X goal and learned TONS!!

My second Tri, I set a goal of X amount of time and got Two flats and cramped on the run.  I learned SOOOOO much during this Tri because I had LOTS of problems I had never seen in training and appreciate this experience so much more than some other events because of the opportunities and not meating my goal, but learning about my expectations.

My long winded story is only to help you understand that setting a goal is a great thing.  Make sure it is realistic (especially since you have NO experience with the reality of the event).  And also make sure that you don't set yourself up for failure by making sure your expectations are really what you are focusing on.

just my .02
Michael

Sure just swim sub 2:00/100yd, bike 20mph, run sub 8:06 min/mile, and spend less than 4:12 in transition.

I say do the best you can, and then go buy the guy a beer.

Set your goal to relax, do your  best, have fun  and see where it gets you.  That 1 hr. 10 min goal could be your reward!

I am not sure what you are trying to prove.  Even if you beat your co-workers sprint time, he is still an Iron man.  But maybe I just don't understand the uber-competitive male ego? 

That said, I think its a do-able goal for an athletic person.  Just put some thought into your tranisions.  The minutes can tick by quickly in transitions without you even realizing it.  I hope you can enjoy it regardless of what side of 1:10 you come in at!

I've got my first race coming up this weekend, but I do realize an Iron Man distance race and a sprint race are VERY different. You might be a better sprinter, he might be a better endurance athlete, who knows. I guess the real question is was his best time on this exact race? If not, then I wouldn't count on any bragging rights, every race is different.

This calculator is great for figuring out how fast you need to be -

http://www.bx3.com/phil/tri/tritime2.asp

You can't compare times from one race to another, as someone already said.

For me, I enjoy to the extent that I push.  I don't see that's it's an either/or thing.  But don't push to 'prove' that you are faster than your friend -- there's only one legitimate way to make that point (head to head race).  Push because that's what racing is all about.

just finish it, if it is your 1st tri ever there is no point of going hard

even if you think you a pretty fit, a triathlon is quite hard to put all together the 1st time you try it

dont be a hero, just race for fun

im not trying to be mean or anything, its just silly to try and go hard and potentially injure yourself...

i have to ask, what is the point in entering a race if you are not going to race? why not just go run, bike, or swim on your own?

i understand not having time goals in your first race, stuff like that, but why would you not go hard?

Go out and run the best race you can put together. Your times are gonna be what they're gonna be. I think you MIGHT find that come race day, putting it all together is a little more challenging than you realize. Even if you're comparing the same race to your co-workers "best sprint" time, it can be hard to compare one year to the next - too many variables are different from one year to another (heat, wind, maybe the measurements are off from one year to next on the course, etc.) And if you're NOT comparing the same race, there's no way to compare total race time from one event to another. If you REALLY wanted to, you could compare your individual swim, bike, and run paces to your co-workers "best sprint" performance and see how you stack up....

Agree 100%, but it is also clear that lots of people appear not to feel this way.

I'll go a step further and admit that I enjoy the race more if others around me are also pushing.  I compare two experiences.  (1) I passed someone near the end (1/2K to go) of one of my races this year, and he said "what's the hurry?"  I thought it was a joke, but then realized after talking to him at the end that he was mildly chastising me for going so hard in a 'friendly' race where "you weren't going to win anyway".  (2) I passed someone at about the same point (in a different race) and that guy tried to hang on, and tried to outsprint me tot he finish.  Afterwards he sought me out to say 'nice race'.

In both cases I finished ahead of the person in question, but (2) was by far the more enjoyable for me.  And if the roles were reversed (I was causally passed by someone I couldn't catch, or I was fighting it out at the end but lost) I'd say exactly the same thing.

Of course, I'm not saying that anybody else has a responsibility to go hard in order to make me happy, but on the otherhand, if I started to believe that MOST of the people around me were not there to race, I'd probably just not go to races anymore.  I can pass casual runners on the street for free.

Why not "push" because as a competitive athlete you always want to try your best on game day using whatever is in your tank.  Can you do a 1:10?  I have no idea, but why not try.  If you meet that goal, great.  If you don't.... congratulations, you're a triathlete.

I have two pep talks for you: Imagine yourself yourself in the locker room just before your race...

Should I just "try to have fun?"  What kind of Bull S*!T question is that?  That sounds like self doubt.  I have never met a Marine, active or otherwise who suffered from lack of confidence!  Did you ever square off helmet to helmet with a guy and say, "Maybe I ll hit him just hard enough to knock him off balance"? HELL NO!  You ever step to the plate with a guy on second with 2 outs and say, "Maybe I ll just bunt"?  HELL NO!  You have trained your body, conditioned your mind, and sacrificed yourself for this race.  When that siren sounds, you bust your A$$ Marine!  No let down, no doubt, and when you finish, you can stand proud and promise your buddy you gave it everythign you had.  Semper Fi Marine! 

OK Here is Speech 2: 

The whole point of a triathlon is that you race yourself and the clock.  You can't get caught up with people ahead of you or behind you, because they may have started at a different time, or be in a different athletic class than you.  All you can do is trust your training.  RUn your race at your own pace.  Take this chance to learn about how the transition will work when you are soaking wet and how much you can push the pace on the bike and still be able to run.  Meet at least 3 mew people, and notice the trees at least 3 times on the run.  Be proud that you have acomplished something.  Apart from the feeling of acomplishment, and the instant thought that you can do better next time, the best part of the day is the post race food and an ice cold beer.
Remember, run your own race, at your own pace, and whatever you do, "Just don't stop".

I know which one I would respond to-  I just finished my first last week.  Im still tired I tried so hard.  Im proud of my effort though.  I was only able to realize what a nice day it was and how nice everyone was after the race.  I was so high strung before the race, and so elated afterwards.  I would say make sure you give it your best shot, but do take notice of your surroundings, and realize how fun competition is. 

PS- THANK YOU FOR SERVING

 



Edited by chandy14ski 2009-07-16 7:50 AM

Unless his 1:10 was on the same exact course, then you cannot compare the two.  And why does it matter whether or not you can beat him?

I'm competitive as hell, but unless I'm in the exact same race as someone else, I'd never compare times and placings.

You've got nothing to prove expcept to satisfy your ego.  You have never done an event like that before, so you have no real experience to fall back on, or realistic expectations of what your body will do.

Assuming 2:00/100 then you would be out of the water in around 9:00.  2:00 for transition (it is your first in a race, be realistic in how long it will take).  20 mph on the bike will be 30:00 for the 10 mile ride.  Another 1:00 for T2 (they should always be faster).  24:00 for the 3.2 miles (a bit under 8:00 mile pace - which is reasonable after a decent ride).

That is a pretty "average" race.  Which puts you at 1:06.  So sure, beating 1:10 is more than reasonable.  But again, you cannot compare your sub 1:10 to anothers unless it is on the same course in the same conditions.  My 1:10 at a sprint last month was good enough for 2nd place overall - totally different course and race distance (400 m swim, 14 mile bike, 5k run).  Would it be at all reasonable to compare that time to your race?  Nope.

Go out, race smart, kick some butt and most importantly ...... HAVE FUN.  This is your first race.  Enjoy it.

what point are you trying to prove?

that you can beat someones time in a race that was not the same distance, not in the same conditions and without said person even knowing that some day his time would be used as a comparision to base your results on and prove a point?

sorry, but unless you both line up on the same day, with the understanding well in advanace (months) you would both be racing each other, you have done nothing.

level the playing field completely, than prove your point.

also, a gifted athletic background has little to do with success in this sport until you are close to or within Elite level status.  this is an endurance sport.  slow people can do very well.  un-athletic people can do very well.  

the problem with proving the point you want to prove is that its highly unlikely your co-worker has the similiar goal of beating you in a sprint.  and unless he has as a goal to beat you at a sprint, you will never be able to prove your point.

My recommendation is that you try and win your AG as it seems you are pretty competitive.  If you do that, try and place overall.  

at least you will be competiing against people who actually realize it at the time you are racing.  you will find the competition to be much more difficult and honest.  

Hey, go for it. Balls to the wall baby!

If 1:10 happens, great. If not, then you learn what you can and can't do.

Good luck!

I have no opinion of your goal time. Everybody's different when it comes to race day performance. "Fast" is relative and so I prefer to race against myself rather than be all that concerned about how I finish related to others.

I'm big on the mental aspect of training/racing. For me, "improving" is a huge motivator. This will sound strange but instead of killing my first race to prove some point about my ability/potential, I'd rather go easy on my first race and really enjoy the experience. That way on my second race it's highly likely that I'll improve even if that improvement is mostly just due to a harder effort. For me, constant improvement motivates me to stick with my training. Also, IMO, the ability to push really hard in a race is something that you learn and/or condition your mind to be able to handle.

Both of my attempts at this sport, my plan was to be "fast" (for me) in my 3rd racing season. Anything before that I really just consider my training/learning base. I'm in year two of my second shot at Triathlon. So I consider myself about halfway through the learning curve.