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2011-01-13 7:56 AM

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Camden Wyoming, Delaware
Subject: Back to Back to Back races
Recommended or not?

I have a Olympic Tri scheduled for 5/22 which is an A race for me.  There is also a Sprint Tri on 5/7 that's a B on my schedule and a Sprint Du on 5/15 that's I'm on the bubble about.  The 2 Tri's are definately going to happen as the Sprint happens just as I start my taper for the Oly, but I'd really like to do the Du too to beat my times from the previous 2 years.  Is it worth it or should I skip it and focus on tapering for my Oly?

thanks


2011-01-13 8:40 AM
in reply to: #3296548

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Colorado Springs, Colorado
Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
It all depends on your training. Since the sprint and the du are relatively short races, if you've trained decently you should have no problems. People do races on consecutive days, Triple T for example. You have a full week between each race.
2011-01-13 6:48 PM
in reply to: #3296548

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Camden Wyoming, Delaware
Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
Thanks, and I'll consider it.

This is actually the first season I've actually used a training plan and I wasn't sure how "strict" I should be in my taper weeks.  I guess I'll just play it by feel.
2011-01-13 7:08 PM
in reply to: #3296648

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Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
Donskiman - 2011-01-13 3:40 AM It all depends on your training. Since the sprint and the du are relatively short races, if you've trained decently you should have no problems. People do races on consecutive days, Triple T for example. You have a full week between each race.


x2

Last year I did a sprint, Oly, and 40k TT in consecutive weekends.  I felt great and beat my expectations for all three races.  Could I have done better in any one event by spacing them out...sure...maybe by seconds...or maybe a minute...but that wasn't worth it to me.  I had more fun doing all 3 races.

Edited by tri808 2011-01-13 7:08 PM
2011-01-13 7:51 PM
in reply to: #3296548

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Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
I did a Oly, Sprint, Oly last summer and didn't have any issues.  I just slowed the training down a bit after the 1st Oly. 
2011-01-13 10:23 PM
in reply to: #3298468

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Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
Think of it this way...if you look at any college cross country, track, swimming, etc. schedule, they are competing every weekend. As long as you have a good base, you will be able to recover by the following week for sprints and oly's.


2011-01-14 2:08 PM
in reply to: #3296548

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Camden Wyoming, Delaware
Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
Sounds good.

thanks
2011-01-14 4:24 PM
in reply to: #3298698

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Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
six_cubes - 2011-01-13 8:23 PM Think of it this way...if you look at any college cross country, track, swimming, etc. schedule, they are competing every weekend. As long as you have a good base, you will be able to recover by the following week for sprints and oly's.


College XC teams race 5K's or maybe 5mi.

My cut is that it takes a week to recover from a sprint, and 2 weeks to recover from an Oly.
2011-01-14 5:57 PM
in reply to: #3300426

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Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
morey000 - 2011-01-14 11:24 AM
six_cubes - 2011-01-13 8:23 PM Think of it this way...if you look at any college cross country, track, swimming, etc. schedule, they are competing every weekend. As long as you have a good base, you will be able to recover by the following week for sprints and oly's.


College XC teams race 5K's or maybe 5mi.

My cut is that it takes a week to recover from a sprint, and 2 weeks to recover from an Oly.


Recovery time is will depend on your fitness level.  Some people take 2 weeks to recover from a 5k.
2011-01-15 2:18 PM
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Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
As long as you aren't trying to turn yourself inside out in each race it is plenty doable. For the two sprints pick a single segment/leg to focus you effort on and go for it on those legs and then just let what ever happens-happen for the rest of the race and then put it all together for the Olympic which is your 'A' race. I have done Back to back to back (sprint-Olympic-HIM) and if you race smart and have a good base you will be just fine.

Disclaimer: I also tend to do a bike-run-swim workout set most Saturdays year round, so that helps.
2011-01-15 2:22 PM
in reply to: #3296548

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Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
Last June I did 3 olys in 3 weeks.  Times were about equal on all three.  My A race was the 3rd of the series and I only missed my goal time by 4 minutes.  Would I have hit that goal time without the other 2 races?  Not sure.  I felt fine in between, but I was dealing with my husband who was going through a major injury after the first race.  He smashed his hand during the bike ride and had to have surgery.  I wonder how much effect that had on my races.  Lots of factors can influence performance. 


2011-01-17 2:03 PM
in reply to: #3296548

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Atlanta, GA
Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
Depends on your training. Two years ago I started my season with a MTB century followed two weeks with a solo 12 hour then 2 weeks later a 4 person team/ 24 hour race. I did as well as I expected to at each race and better than expected for the last. The only problem I found was that I had lost my explosiveness having completed 48 hours of racing in 6 weeks so I really needed to switch my workouts to work on getting that power back. 

Good luck with it!  
2011-01-17 4:20 PM
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Holtsville, Long Island
Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
Definitely doable.  I did American Zofingan Long Course (5 mile run, 84 bike, 15 mile run) followed by the Harryman HIM 6 days later and did fine.  Turned out to be a great base for IMLP in July.  Just go into the races with reasonable expectations.  Understand that you are not going to compete at your highest levels.
2011-01-17 8:50 PM
in reply to: #3296548

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St. Paul, MN
Subject: RE: Back to Back to Back races
I'm with most commenters here - if your endurance is high enough, it's no problem at all.

I thought you were going to be talking about back-to-back days! (Not weekends.) Last year, I did a 10 mile race and then an sprint tri the next day! Fun times!
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