Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?

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2009-07-08 9:33 PM

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Subject: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?
What are your thoughts?  I'm finding that training for sprint distance is not that rigorous.  The swim portion (1/4 to 1/2 mile) is comfortable, the 10 to 12 mile bike portion is easy, and the run at this point is just right. 

Is it much more difficult to jump to a mile swim, a 26 mile bike and then a 6 mile run in just one month time? 

Thank you!

2009-07-08 9:59 PM
in reply to: #2271829

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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?

Tough to say definitively since you don't log your workouts here, but based on the adjectives used to describe a sprint (comfortable, easy, and just right), I'd say that you could train to complete an olympic in a month. 

2009-07-09 7:15 AM
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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?
I am thinking the same thing, given the way you describe the sprint distances.  I'm sort of planning two sprints with maybe a third sprint or an Oly to finish the year off with myself.  My swimming is my weak area jumping from a sprint to any Oly.  Maybe try and extend your training distances a bit and see how you do?  
2009-07-09 7:43 AM
in reply to: #2271829

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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?

I'll be a bit of a contrarian here and just say that its a big jump going from sprint to oly.  Not knowing your training, your volume, etc., I'm guessing you're only workign out about 5 hours per week.  Sprints aren't bad at that training level.  But Oly will hurt.  Its doable.  But it will hurt.   For the folks at 15 hours per week, the oly is pretty easy. 

One last point:  What's the rush?  Tri's and fitness are lifetime endeavors.  Fitness is a lifestyle, not a quick rush to cram things in.



Edited by Ridgelake 2009-07-09 7:46 AM
2009-07-09 8:11 AM
in reply to: #2272251

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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?

I did my first oly this year after having only done sprints before, and having a sprint 2 weeks before the oly.  However, I geared my training for the olympic all spring (longer runs/swims/bike rides)- so doing the sprint was basically like doing an extra brick in preparation for the oly.

I would say that if you are confident in your swimming you will be fine.  To get that confidence: do at least two sessions where you time your swim (1500m=1640yds or about 66 lengths of a 25 yd pool) without stopping.   You will not only be reassured that you are ready for that distance but you will also have a reference time to judge your performance in the race (to the extent that you can compare pool swims vs. open water - but at least it will be something...)

2009-07-09 6:58 PM
in reply to: #2271829

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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?
Some very good advice from both perspectives.  I like the advice that triathlons are a way of life not an end in themselves so don't rush it.  And, I'm new to the sport.  On the other hand, I may increase my workouts to those aligned with an Olympic tri schedule and get  a sense of how I do. 

So, thanks to all for your viewpoints.  Much appreciated.

2009-07-09 8:22 PM
in reply to: #2271829

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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?
For my first oly it was a bigger jump that I was expecting after only doing some sprints. Admittedly I wasn't training enough and I've since stepped it up for my next oly in about 2 months.

My advice is to get in some longer workouts on the weekends and see how you feel. If you're still feeling fresh after a long ride and can get in a short run just to see how the legs feel you should have a better answer to your question.
2009-07-09 9:34 PM
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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?

Ridgelake - 2009-07-09 6:43 AM

I'll be a bit of a contrarian here and just say that its a big jump going from sprint to oly.  Not knowing your training, your volume, etc., I'm guessing you're only workign out about 5 hours per week.  Sprints aren't bad at that training level.  But Oly will hurt.  Its doable.  But it will hurt.   For the folks at 15 hours per week, the oly is pretty easy. 

One last point:  What's the rush?  Tri's and fitness are lifetime endeavors.  Fitness is a lifestyle, not a quick rush to cram things in.

15 hours/week for a first oly?  That's more like 70.3 or IM training.  Without knowing current fitness level, current training, etc. there's no way to answer.  More then likely, based off of what was posted by the OP, he will at least finish without being DFL.

2009-07-10 6:15 AM
in reply to: #2271829

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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?
Definitely doable if you've trained up to the distances. Can you do 1.5 x each of the distances? If so you should be fine, if not fast, on race day.
2009-07-10 10:21 PM
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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?
I've ridden in hilly areas (not something like the Sierra Nevada's in CA), but more like the Lehigh Valley in PA, completing about 20 miles in an hour, and felt pretty good afterward.  This ride was preceded by about a 1/3 mile open water swim which I completed in the range of 12 to 15 miles at an easy pace. 

I have not run following the bike portion, but I imagine attempting a run which is preceded by swimming and biking of these lengths likely is the greatest challenge. 

I must confess that this sport is definitely addicting!  Thanks for all perspectives, supportive and contrarian alike. 
2009-07-11 1:32 AM
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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?
I did my first Olympic 3 weeks after my first Sprint. I wasn't even training for the Olympic distance at the time. Was it smart? Probably not. But I had a blast and I don't regret it.

I found myself in a similar position to you... I had trained well enough for the Sprint that it was actually easier than I expected. In fact, I was already doing the Olympic distances in training for the bike and the swim so I only had the running to bump up from 5.5 miles to 6.2.

But it really depends on what your training consists of and how fit you are. Oh, and what your goals are. My goals for my Oly were to finish mostly, but if I could finish within the window that my training times indicated I could do, that would be good too. If you have more ambitious goals, you might want to train longer.

Edited by MacMadame 2009-07-11 1:33 AM

2009-07-11 1:09 PM
in reply to: #2271829

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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?
Thanks for the encouragement.  My goals would be to finish, and to avoid injury.  And, I'm scheduled for a spring aug 9th, but then the only next race nearby is an olympic one month later. 

By the way, I'm envious of those who live in CA. Having lived in NORCAL for several years, I realize that the weather is much more conducive to tri activities for much of the year than it is in South Jersey!
2009-07-11 4:07 PM
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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?
I did my first sprint in late June of last year, then did my first OLY in early August...so a month and a half between the two races.  Probably not the smartest or best way to approach it, but considering it was a rather spontaneous decision to do the OLY...it turned out just fine.  I actually finished comfortably under my goal time for the OLY.  Since I didn't have a strong OLY running base (had only been running no more than 4-5 miles at a time), I'd say the run was the toughest part of the race.  But once I got to the 4 mile mark, I knew I could finish it.  But I should note, that I had been covering double the distances in my swim & bike training leading up to my OLY...so I'm sure that helped set me up for comfortable swim & bike portions of the race. 
2009-07-12 12:59 AM
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Subject: RE: Sprint to Olympic one month later--Foolish or doable?
Species 8472 - 2009-07-11 11:09 AM Having lived in NORCAL for several years, I realize that the weather is much more conducive to tri activities for much of the year than it is in South Jersey!
And having lived in NJ for a time, I totally agree with you.

Sounds like you're going to have fun... good luck with your races!

Edited by MacMadame 2009-07-12 1:00 AM

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