Annoying comment #1082 (Page 2)

he probably had a typo on the swim distance...that is a long swim for a sprint.

or, maybe he did. some people are super fit...i'm not one of them.

as for the OP, I smell a challenge!! make it an Oly, though. a reasonably fit person that doesn't train cannot finish that distance without suffering. I trained for it and suffered mightily.

Did I? Oops...

I must have been having a bad hair day, in the middle of a taper, 2 hours before lunch. Yeah, that's it.

John

If you really want to make her squirm, offer to pay the entry fee as well..... It made a co-worker of mine shut-up when I handed him an entry form and offered to pay his fee (knowing full well he'd find an excuse.)

I'll provide a data point for you folks on Saturday. I'll be participating in my first tri: 500 yds (pool), 14.3 bike, 3 run. I'm 43 years old.

I've been considering doing this for a few months, and finally signed up. I figured it wouldn't be too difficult, as I'm reasonably fit. However, after doing a couple bricks in preparation the last couple weeks, I'm not so sure.

I bike to work 3 or 4 times a week (8 miles each way on a road bike, not at a leisurely pace). I run once or twice a week, usually around 5 miles.

What I don't usually do is swim. I've made a couple trips to the pool just to verify I can swim the distance. I'm an ok swimmer, but I've never done it competitively. I'm estimating my swim time will be 12 minutes.

I'd really like to finish the run without walking, but I think that will depend on how well I'm able to pace myself on the bike. I suffer from the common problem of going faster than I should.

If I can do it in less than 90 minutes, I'll be quite happy; more than 100, I think I'll be bummed.

Edited by feh 2009-08-26 12:02 PM

I did my first sprint, one year ago, on two days notice with a 15 mile/week run base, no swimming for years and a 22 year old MTN bike. I finished, of course, but I was pretty miserable throughout. It was tough. I told some buddys about it afterwards and got the "big deal, anyone could do that" response. Meh.

When I signed up for my first sprint with two friends this summer we all knew we would be able to finish due to our base fitness.  We joked the that real question was what we'd be able to do the next day.  I ended up training hard and was frustrated that my husband made me take a couple days off to rest, one friend trained pretty consistently and was able to function fine the following day but the third member of our group blew off training and boy was she regretting it for the rest of the week.

wow its impressive to finish 1:10 in your first sprint with so little training.  you would be at top of the AG with that time.  that is probably swimming 1.30 / 100 yrds, ave 24 mph on the bike, and running a strong 7 min mile.

anyone can do a sprint, i did my first one just being a gym rat.  but to actually compete in any triathlon you need to train.

most ag winners for tri's i have done ride at ave of 24 mph and run at 6:30 / mile or less. 

I am not even talking about being competitive. I am not a natural athlete. Was I fit before I decided to do the tri (sprint--.4 mile swim, 16-mile bike, 5K run)? Yes. I run regularly, ride horses, dance, lift weights, pilates, etc.  But I have still had to train in order to feel comfortable that I can go the distance even for my sprint. This is probably because of the swim, but I have not neglected to train on the bike/run portions because even for "fit" me, those--when done one after the other--are going to take some work.

Her comment completely marginalized my efforts, and I took (still take) offense. BTW, she says she would like to do one "someday" but I have a sneaking suspicion that someday will never come.

I was only "reasonably fit" for my first tri (sprint).  I had even been a pack a day smoker for nearly 3 years at the time, smoked on the way there, lit up 10 minutes after finishing.  But I was only about 3 years out from having been running 18minute 5ks, so I probably I had some lingering fitness from that and from playing rugby (where you drink 10x more calories in beer after each game than you burned).  But that swim... oh god! all I remember is thinking "I just want my bike!" during the entire thing... the swim was miserable!  I finished with a decent time, MOP area.  So I'd easily say anyone "relatively fit" could finish one, but they won't be getting any awards and will be miserable during 1 if not 2 of the 3 events.

I agree with everyone else about inviting her.  Tell her she's right (sincerely.. don't use the sarc font/face with her).  Tell her you think she'd really enjoy the it, the atmosphere, the people, etc.  If not, at least get her to come watch it as a spectator.  Seeing some of the clydesdales/athena's finishing and how supportive everyone is of each other might give her the bug to try the next one with you.  I personally always love watching the cludesdales/athena's finishing, I find them really inspirational... and be sure she sticks around for the final "winner" too.

Pearls among swine...

Supersprint I think anyone could get thru that knew how to dog paddle. Sprint, better know how to swim 'ok'. Olympic, better be able to swim 'well'. Beyond that your sis-in-law or whatever she is wouldn't make it to the beach. Is she the type that uses a golf cart to get her mail?

Here are the results from my first olympic tri then since apparently no one can do it...Nothing spectacular but I didnt do any bike training at that point and I was riding a 500 dollar Aluminium bike.....

24:02

01:36

25 / 25

01:42

1:12:18

20.63

57 / 57

01:21

45:50

07:22

80 / 80

00:00

2:25:13

You know-Some people on here have a real chip on their shoulders...oh my god...someones actually good without training...It doesnt diminish your achievements you know....

Now that I do train though-My last race in an Olympic event I averaged 25-26 mph-Thats a great improvement for me!

Edited by DEMIGODKNIGHT 2009-08-26 1:01 PM

They were questioning the sprint, not the Olympic.

I was questioning the sprint result. From your Olympic pacings, 1:36/100 would give you 14 minutes for a 1000 swim. 21 mph would be 42:51 for 15 miles. Your 5k would be 22:53. That plus your 3 minutes in transition is 1:32ish. 22 minutes in a sprint is an eternity to get to 1:10.

I have absolutely no problems with your 2:25 Oly time on limited/no training. I just don't see it for the sprint time. (And you hold a he11 of a run pace! :D)

John

13:17  1:16  1:06   25   36:21  20.5  1:12    5 18:50  6:04 1:10:43.....TA DA

Look-I am not trying to show off-There are 1000s better than me...Training is a must and people should be proud of there achievments...but for someone like me coming from a swimming background....a sprint is not a challenge...Adios

TA DA...hrm...lets see.

A 20.5mph pace for a 15 mile ride is 43:54, not 36:21. Your bike course was way short if it was advertised at 15 miles.

Your pace times seem off as well, compared to what you swam/ran in the Oly, unless you really die off towards the end of each split. You shouldn't be dropping over a minute per mile on your run from a 5k to a 10k, especially with only a 9 mile increase in the bike distance. Same with the swim, a 20 second per 100 pace dropoff from 1k to 1.5k is pretty drastic, unless the swim on the sprint was short.

I'm not trying to slam you, really, but the times you gave for examples just didn't jibe with each other.

John

Edited by tkd.teacher 2009-08-26 2:16 PM

She's right, but focusing on who can do X is silly. I could run 100 meters just like Bolt, but that doesn't make me a sprinter. I could ride on a horse around a track a hundred times, but that doesn't make me a jockey. The joy is in the training, the lifestyle. I am a triathlete not just because I am physically able to finish a sprint triathlon, but because I compete in them, I prepare, I train, I eat for, I love the sport.


Edited by neuronet 2009-08-26 2:29 PM

What race and year is that from?

I'll have some please.

The parimutuel windows will open soon, get your bets in early!! :D :D

John

Its more like watching a train wreck ...

...in slow mo'.

I think really message to your cousin should be "of course anyone can. not everybody does."

That's the real difference. Anyone could go out an half- a sprint, be miserable the whole time, have the bragging rights to boot and never do another tri again. But, for a lot of us, being a triathlete is more than just finishing the race. It's about training. It's about discipline. It's about goals: personal, physical and spirtual.

I may never be FOP. I may never place in my age group. But, I train and I'm dedicated to this process.

It's not about finishing a race. It's about finishing many races. And that is something that most 'reasonably fit' don't get and won't ever get about tris.

Anyone can, not everybody does.

I do.

It is exactly that attitude that probably led to the many people getting pulled back to shore by the lifeguards at the sprint tri I was in last month.