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Which is easier: Racing a half IM or finishing a full IM
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Racing a 1/2 IM22 Votes - [62.86%]
Finishing an IM13 Votes - [37.14%]

2008-06-19 2:35 PM
in reply to: #1477200

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Elite
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Subject: RE: Which is easier: Racing a half IM or finishing a full IM

Yeah that's it. Hence, I defer to you for everything there is to know about endurance sports. 

amiine - 2008-06-19 3:26 PM

then you don't understand endurance training very much.



2008-06-19 3:01 PM
in reply to: #1477200

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Subject: RE: Which is easier: Racing a half IM or finishing a full IM
amiine - 2008-06-19 3:26 PM

Even with my basic understanding about sports physiology I understand that racing a HIM at the best of an athlete’s capabilities for an HIM is more difficult than just completing an IM.

Let me ask you this; how come athletes with a decent fitness level can run a lot farther of what they are adapted to by going slower for instance but the same athlete has a very difficult time completing 1 hr running at threshold pace so much many need many attempts to do so?

Let me ask you this.  If an athlete races a HIM "to the best of their ability" and still takes over 6:30 to finish (let's call it :40/3:30/2:20), how will it be "easier" to finish an IM?  Is something like 1:30/7:30/6:00 "easy"?

Edit:  I should note that I think this whole question is sort of silly.  Most people attempt to finish either distance "to the best of their abilities".  My IM was FAR harder than any HIM I have raced.



Edited by JohnnyKay 2008-06-19 3:05 PM
2008-06-19 3:02 PM
in reply to: #1473409

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Subject: RE: Which is easier: Racing a half IM or finishing a full IM

And just how many angels can one fit on the head of a pin anyway?

2008-06-19 6:27 PM
in reply to: #1477275

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Coach
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Subject: RE: Which is easier: Racing a half IM or finishing a full IM
JohnnyKay - 2008-06-19 3:01 PM

Let me ask you this.  If an athlete races a HIM "to the best of their ability" and still takes over 6:30 to finish (let's call it :40/3:30/2:20), how will it be "easier" to finish an IM?  Is something like 1:30/7:30/6:00 "easy"?

Edit:  I should note that I think this whole question is sort of silly.  Most people attempt to finish either distance "to the best of their abilities".  My IM was FAR harder than any HIM I have raced.

Either you are fit enough to race or just to complete a race. We can get all technical about what’s racing and whatnot but I think you can agree that racing means you are fit enough to race close to ‘x’ intensity ideal for an event. Following the work of Coggan for instance (Daniels does the same for running) he equates proposes the physical demands of your body to perform at threshold will last going all out to around 60 min or either or around 40K for most riders. If we agree that racing an event will allow you to go at ‘x’ intensity for the distance (i.e. HIM @ 80% of your threshold and a IM @ 75% of threshold) then the fact that a racer will spend more time on the course determines how hard they can go otherwise physiologically speaking to attempt going at certain intensity of your threshold for so that would be impossible regardless how it ‘feels’

You are familiar with pacing an IM with TSS and how the longer you will ride (due to your fitness) the slower you need to ride to stay within certain TSS budget. And the shorter you will ride allows you to ride at a higher intensity for the same TSS. If we could quantify all 3 legs (which actually know you can using race day) we would then follow the same idea don’t you agree?

 

If today you had to choose between racing an HIM @ 80% of your threshold for all 3 legs or just pace yourself @ 50% of threshold to finish an IM under 16 hrs what would you think was easier to achieve. Finally in your case about the IM; you were racing your IM you certainly weren’t just finishing it otherwise you would have felt it was easier IMO.

2008-06-19 6:39 PM
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2008-06-19 8:52 PM
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2008-06-19 10:00 PM
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Elite
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Subject: RE: Which is easier: Racing a half IM or finishing a full IM
2008-06-19 10:23 PM
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2008-06-19 11:00 PM
in reply to: #1473409

Champion
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Subject: RE: Which is easier: Racing a half IM or finishing a full IM

Chris wins.

Seems easy to me...how the hell do you answer that?  For me, racing a half is harder. But...every person differs, some might do well at distance, some might push AT for 6 hours and be just fine. It just depends. Both are tough.

But do doubleplay's / tripastor's original question, for me, racing a half is tougher. The key is that it's 'for me'.

2008-06-20 1:27 AM
in reply to: #1473409

Expert
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Subject: RE: Which is easier: Racing a half IM or finishing a full IM

I never did IM and just did one HIM.

In general, racing is always very though, while finishing is always just a matter of time.

Let's make some examples.

Think about a short, hard race, like...5km. If I ask you, would you prepare for 6 months a 5k race under 17minutes or a marathon just for finishing, what would you answer?

Training for 5k race under 17 can be hard. But everyone can close a marathon, again, just a a matter of time.

What about if I ask you a 10k race under 36mins?

So another step before your question.

Let's take finishing HIM versus racing a standalone half mary. For me, racing a standalone half mary with the goal of beating my PB is very though and I need to run at almost the LT threshold to do that! Closing HIM is easy, you can relax during the cycling and then running as an easy jogging.

Translating to HIH race vs. IM finish, I would say the same even if I am preparing for my first IM. In general, if I prepare for an event, it is never just for finish. Maybe at the end I will walk but that is another story, story of failure.

Maybe I go for something like 12hrs but if I need just to finish it, I can get 16hrs which means I can take the cycling part much more relaxed and the marathon will be run + walk. If you go for such an event and you are not sure to finish for physical condition reason, better not to go. Thinking of not closing it because of EXTERNAL condition, it is normal and you can not do anything with that. It is IM overall, and in 15hrs everything can happen!

 

2008-06-20 9:06 AM
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Subject: RE: Which is easier: Racing a half IM or finishing a full IM
amiine - 2008-06-19 7:27 PM

If today you had to choose between racing an HIM @ 80% of your threshold for all 3 legs or just pace yourself @ 50% of threshold to finish an IM under 16 hrs what would you think was easier to achieve. Finally in your case about the IM; you were racing your IM you certainly weren’t just finishing it otherwise you would have felt it was easier IMO.

Like I said earlier, for me racing a HIM would definitely be harder vs. just making sure I get through the cut-offs at IM.

I think the only debate is how one defines 'racing'.  Some people have to 'race' (by my definition)just to make the cut-offs.



2008-06-20 10:05 AM
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2008-06-20 10:12 AM
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Subject: RE: Which is easier: Racing a half IM or finishing a full IM
PennState - 2008-06-20 11:05 AM

This is why the question remains quite silly...

Agreed. 

2008-06-20 2:15 PM
in reply to: #1478625

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Subject: RE: Which is easier: Racing a half IM or finishing a full IM
PennState - 2008-06-20 11:05 AM

This is why the question remains quite silly...

WRONG!! THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THREAD ON BT AT THIS MOMENT!

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