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2012-08-22 9:46 AM

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Subject: Casual Triathlete

Any other "casual triathletes" out there? By "casual", I mean, you don't necessarily train in all 3 disciplines for the races, you just kind of casually stroll in and race with the mindset that your general fitness will get you through.

I just did a tri this weekend, and although I didn’t have a podium finish, I completed it and was generally happy with my performance.  Afterwards, I was talking to a friend of mine who had also just completed the race and in conversation we both realized that after 4 years of competing in tri’s, neither of us really “train” anymore. We both run, we both ride, and on occasion will jump in the pool, but it is more for general fitness than tri specific training these days.  And tri’s have become to us what 5K’s used to be; just something to do on a weekend morning.

So we joked around that we were going to start a tri team called Tri Casually. Laughing



2012-08-22 10:05 AM
in reply to: #4374810

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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete

Me too. I can get away with a sprint but anything longer I'd train with more focused goals, especially the swim. I was happy this past weekend to place 5/19 in my AG with very little "focused" training. I'm encouraged knowing that having a decent base to start with, I should be capable of going faster and longer if I were to commit to some type of training regiment.

2012-08-22 10:10 AM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete

I've been forced to it this year because of some nagging injuries.  I've done 3 sprints and an Oly and will do one more Oly but I'm just showing up and getting them done for fun, and because I can.

The good news is that I'm starting to feel 100% again, so I'm looking at it as something that will be good for me in the long run, especially as I start an IM build next year.

2012-08-22 10:23 AM
in reply to: #4374810

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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete
I've been thinking about this lately. I enjoy training. I bike and run most every day. Swim once a week at lunch. (I work weird jobs/hours)

I followed a marathon plan this past winter/spring and I hated every minute of it. I enjoyed the running. But hated the plan. Hated "having" to do something specific.

I'm totally the opposite of type a personality. If I made a list I'd probly end up folding it into a paper airplane before I'd look at it to check it off.

I've been considering long course. But I don't know how successful I could be by "winging it"

Right now I'm going with consistency, consistency, consistency. We will see how this works out in two weekends at a local race.

So to piggyback this. Has anyone been successful (whatever that is) in long course without following a "plan"
2012-08-22 10:45 AM
in reply to: #4374810

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Apex, NC
Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete

I definitely think I fall into this category.  I have trained hard in the past (at least on the bike and run), and put in some good distance late last year/early this year for a 100-mile race (2 mi. swim, 88 bike, 10 run).  But since then, have just been "playing".  As I have a 70.3 coming up in a month, it's time to dust off the goggles again a bit, but I'm relying on experience and general fitness to allow me to complete the distance.

Granted, I did have a strong early season with 3 duathlons, a sprint tri, and then the 100, but since then, have just been coasting (and putting on a pound or 5).

2012-08-22 10:45 AM
in reply to: #4374886

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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete
I'm in that boat myself. Did p90x2, insanity, asylum recently and do a 1x weekly run, biweekly swim, and get on the spin bike 1-2x per week. Rode my tri bike this past Saturday in a race for the first time since IMKY last year. Avg 19.6 and that put me 46/65 in my AG, but I was super happy with the bike split. 37/65 overall which is right about where I was when I trained more tri specific.

I enjoy tri training, but KY is not made for bikers. No shoulders, no bike lane. Just pray the hillbilly in the full size doesn't run you over and that you can outrun the dogs always giving chase.


2012-08-22 10:47 AM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete
Sounds like you actually DO train and enjoy it like many of us and it's not "work", so you enjoy it. Yes, you could probably do a little better with more training and more focused training etc, but if you are happy with your life balance/family/work etc, then good for you and that's a great attitude. Some people I have noticed at races forget, at the end of the day, we're supposed to have fun.
2012-08-22 10:51 AM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete

Sounds like my wife! haha A couple of weeks after having our second child, she signed up for her first sprint. She has always been a runner--she only did two sessions of bike training and two quick swim session, then jumped head-on into her first tri. It was something that she wanted to get off her so-called bucket list. Fast-forward two years later...she now owns her own wetsuit, ect. and wants to shoot for her first AG top 5!  haha  Addictive sport I say!

 

2012-08-22 12:11 PM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete
Yeah, this pretty much applies to me.  I did a sprint about a month ago and was not very sure about it as I had some training interruptions leading up to the race.  I did the race anyways and was a couple of minutes off the time I had set for myself when I first signed up for the race.  This told me that I am in good enough shape to just do a sprint whenever, obviously, greater training equals a better time but I don't need to train to complete the race.  This is why my next race is an Oly, I do not harbor any thought that I can complete twice the distance without some discipline in my training.
2012-08-22 1:04 PM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete
I had this discussion with my wife after this weekend's race.  She asked how the race went and I explained that I thought I did fairly well considering how little training I've done and the fact that I have shin splints.  I would argue that I probably did less training than anyone at the race, and I don't have the base to run a 5k or ride fast, so I was pleased with the results. (My training logs -- or lack thereof are on here if you'd like to see how little I do).  She doesn't understand why I would pay $70 to do a race if I'm barely even training for it.  I can't explain why I love the sport so much, but I absolutely LOVE triathlon and can't imagine life without it anymore.  I have my first OLY in 2.5 weeks, so that should be an interesting test of what my body can achieve without training.  I do want to work on my base this fall/winter/spring because I'd like to do a HIM next year and a Full IM in the spring of 2014 -- before I turn the big 40 (April 2014).  I think I could complete an IM now -- it would be VERY slow, but I could finish.  I want to be able to actually race though.  "Racing" to me doesn't necessarily mean podium finish -- it's really just a case of swimming non-stop, biking hard, and running without walking to me.  I will get there, but I'm not there yet.
2012-08-22 2:18 PM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete
This describes me pretty well.  I have learned over the past year that in order to have an enjoyable oly (not finish last, not feel like I'm dying, be smiling most of the time) I only really need to run train, with a few bikes and swims here and there.  And even my run training isn't that great, two runs a week or so. 


2012-08-22 2:55 PM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete
I pick one or two races a year that I follow a training plan for, and then for the rest of them, I just count on my normal fitness level to get me through them. When the season’s over, I will have done 5 tri’s, but I only really trained for the half-ironman in June.

Most of the year, I’ll do a couple of runs (one fast, one long) a long bike, a swim, and maybe a spin class or two a week, and that’s enough for me to maintain my MOP level at most of the races I enter.
2012-08-22 3:09 PM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete

Your post put into words something that's been nagging at me for the past few months. I did my first 5k 4 years ago and my first tri (super sprint) a year ago. I trained specifically for my first couple of races (running) and for my first 2 tris. However, I realized that I'm not one for following a specific training plan.

I love to bike, swim, run. I love to train. Hardly a day goes by that I'm not doing some sort of workout. But I don't like to HAVE to run, HAVE to bike ... on a given day. So now, I set a max of one or two "A" races/tris with a more structured training plan with a number and type of workouts that I try to complete and balance each week.

The other races, I go out to do my best figuring that my training levels are sufficient to get me through a sprint or a short trail race. I've also figured out that I'm not one to race if weather conditions are bad (heavy rain, wind, heatwave ...). And I'm happier now that I've admitted/accepted this.

2012-08-22 3:16 PM
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Melon Presser
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete

Weeeeell ...

Weeeeeelllll ...

not by choice, exactly, but that's how it usually turns out. It's less a case of "general fitness will get me through" than "strange propensity for not dying." I plan to do a race, life gets in the way, I figure I may as well do it anyway, I don't die, and that gets me cheered up to actually try for another race which I do train for, except that doesn't happen ...

Less casually, I've "trained" for several races on the JFT plan (Just Effen Train) ... go out and do whatever I feel like doing. If the distances/volume very roughly over time correlate with what could be appropriate training for such a race, I'm fine with it.

There's actually a few people here that do that, for all kinds of distances, both triathlon and single-sport.

2012-08-22 3:18 PM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete

To provide some contrast I wanted to share the perspectives of some "formal" triathletes:

2012-08-22 5:39 PM
in reply to: #4375499

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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete
TriAya - 2012-08-22 2:16 PM

Weeeeell ...

Weeeeeelllll ...

not by choice, exactly, but that's how it usually turns out. It's less a case of "general fitness will get me through" than "strange propensity for not dying." I plan to do a race, life gets in the way, I figure I may as well do it anyway, I don't die, and that gets me cheered up to actually try for another race which I do train for, except that doesn't happen ...

This is EXACTLY what happens to me.  At least the races are fun :-)



2012-08-23 7:23 AM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete
Other than me too, I'm trying to think how to answer this. I'm really good at seeing things 95% through to completion. We refurnished our kitchen recently. Everything done except a closet door. And that was a year and a half ago. Anyhow, Tri- I love the training part, the feeling of challenging myself, sometimes accomplishing (and sometimes not) new distances new times new routes. The organized competition aspect I guess to me is either irrelevant or lost somewhere in the 5%...
2012-08-23 10:08 AM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete
btlovin - 2012-08-22 9:46 AM

Any other "casual triathletes" out there? By "casual", I mean, you don't necessarily train in all 3 disciplines for the races, you just kind of casually stroll in and race with the mindset that your general fitness will get you through.

I just did a tri this weekend, and although I didn’t have a podium finish, I completed it and was generally happy with my performance.  Afterwards, I was talking to a friend of mine who had also just completed the race and in conversation we both realized that after 4 years of competing in tri’s, neither of us really “train” anymore. We both run, we both ride, and on occasion will jump in the pool, but it is more for general fitness than tri specific training these days.  And tri’s have become to us what 5K’s used to be; just something to do on a weekend morning.

So we joked around that we were going to start a tri team called Tri Casually. Laughing

That's perfectly fine.  I applaud you for this.  I don't see any reason that triathlon needs to be an all-consuming passion if you don't want it to be.

I DID treat triathlon this way when I was bodybuilding.  I did 1 per year for 3-4 years for fun.  I did the cycling and running (a little) to round out my strength training with some cardio.  I would finish pretty much directly middle of the pack.  It was fun and it was a great way to enjoy triathlons.  I must say that I was swimming at a 3:00/100m pace though. 

Then I decided to do more and get better.  But I do that because it's fun to me.  I don't for 1 second expect other people to have the same approach to things that I do.

 

2012-08-23 2:15 PM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete

Being a "casual triathlete" is probably a great way to describe me in my first season of triathlon this year.  I've had a blast and I've certainly done some training (dropped my swim from 3:00/100 to 1:55/100, sped up on the bike and stayed about the same on my run).  But I also have a life and a career outside of triathlong and realize that I'll never be a FOP triathlete.  It's just not in my gene's.  I do them because I've come to enjoy them and it's a chance to grow and improve as a person as opposed to comparing my results to the pack. 

This weekend I'll attempt my first HIM which I'm admittedly undertrained for...mostly on the run.  Running is a demon for me due to previous injuries that can make it uncomrfortable.  It's gotten better with some shoe experimentation and hopefully next season I'll make some considerable gains in the run.  My goal this weekend is to finish the event.  That will make me happy.  Actually what will make me happier is getting to run through the finish line chute with my ten year old daughter by my side!  Regardless of my overall time, it'll be worth it for that moment alone. 

After finishing this weekend...there will be plenty of room for improvement next year.  And I'll establish some goals from there, including possibly a full IM with the goal being completion not time.  But honestly, I don't think I'll ever treat it like the "job" that it could be.  That just wouldn't be so much fun for me.

Shane

2012-08-23 6:58 PM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete

As for truly casual, I have several colleagues that are. Two that are still here doing occasional tris, two who've moved on. By "casual" I mean they don't do any of the three sports consistently year-round, but typically in a week they'll work out 3-5 times, following no particular program. They pick it up a bit when an event is a month out or so. All have completed sprints and Olys. Three are fairly BOP or BMOP,  one isn't bad. She finished in the top 20 in a major race last year. She's got incredible natural talent, esp. on the bike and a strong distance runner as well--I believe if she trained half as hard as I did, she'd be beating me. She's now in my AG, so I'm glad she doesn't. If you have a decent level of general fitness, and it's more about participating and finishing (and it helps to be pretty young and healthy) then this approach is probably fine for shorter distances. For long course.....I wouldn't do it. Your "general fitness" level would have to be quite a bit higher than the general population to get through an event that takes 6-17 hours. It would be hard to "fake it" for a 3+ hour ride, and esp. a marathon or half-marathon.

As for myself, not casual, but not as obsessive and structured as many on this site. I make/find plans but don't really follow them to the letter. I don't obsess about numbers. I do something else than the plan if that's how the day develops or I feel like doing something else. I do train hard when I'm focused on an event. I enjoy training and (sad to say) often have nothing better to do with my time outside of work. Definitely not an OCD type, though, and find those who are quite funny!

2012-08-23 7:32 PM
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Subject: RE: Casual Triathlete

I go back and forth.  I have actually followed training plans well before (before my first, and then again the next year for a couple of sprints) and performed better.  I do loosely follow a training plan when I do a half marathon each spring.  But for tris I'm also casual- I think it comes down to, I know I can finish a sprint or Olympic, and I swim bike or run almost every day.  I know that following a program that would make me faster would require a real committment, and I still wouldn't be super-fast.  It might be worth it for me someday but it isn't now.

I have kind of wanted to follow a 10k program for one in September, just to keep up with my friends.  But I'm also pretty non-type-A, so that hasn't happened yet.



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