General Discussion Triathlon Talk » To Sprint or Super Sprint?? Help! Rss Feed  
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2018-09-06 4:00 PM


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Subject: To Sprint or Super Sprint?? Help!
Hi Tri-friends! Ok so I've been going back and forth on whether to do a super sprint or regular sprint for my first triathlon experience. A little background on me, I began endurance training this year in April. I decided it was time to incorporate endurance training to my strength training regimen. Prior to April, I couldn't run a half mile without having to stop and catch my breath. So I pushed myself and started out by signing up for my first 5K and loved it (even though I walked a portion of it). Since then I've done a handful of 5K races -never running the entire thing but getting close. Recently I thought it would be fun to try a triathlon as I love swimming and biking as well. However I have not been really active in either swimming or biking since I was a kid! I've been training pretty diligently for the last several weeks but I still feel like my nerves are getting the best of me! Plus I've been mainly training on indoor bike at my gym bc I just got a road bike and I need to get going with outdoor training. The event I will participate in is in less than a month! My overall goal is to finish and enjoy the race. So my anxious gut is telling me to do the super sprint bc I feel confident I can complete it without a problem; but am I selling myself short? Is it ok to struggle to finish parts of the sprint experience? What do you recommend and what are your experiences? Any advice and info is super helpful. Thank you so much!


2018-09-06 4:23 PM
in reply to: MCGonnaTri

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Lethbridge, Alberta
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Subject: RE: To Sprint or Super Sprint?? Help!
Usain Bolt and other sprinters do not measure the difficulty of a race by the distance. You are not selling yourself short by doing a super sprint instead of a longer race. My first triathlon, a long time ago, was a super sprint and I worked hard at it. I did longer events after that but you should focus on a distance that you enjoy. It sounds like you've been doing some good work, so either distance should be ok. Get outside on that road bike though!
2018-09-06 4:42 PM
in reply to: MCGonnaTri

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Subject: RE: To Sprint or Super Sprint?? Help!

I would do the super sprint.  I love them.  It would be a nice introduction to the sport for you.  I do several sprint/super sprint races each year because they are a lot of fun, they're pretty easy to recover from and they don't eat up much time on the weekend.

 

2018-09-06 5:14 PM
in reply to: #5249015


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Subject: RE: To Sprint or Super Sprint?? Help!
Thank you so much for the great feedback! Yeah I was leaning towards super sprint so I can get my feet wet - pun intended! I did a practice run through of ocean swim, outdoor bike, and run and was able to complete it. And while it was challenging, I had fun! Next year after more training and some coaching I'll set my sights on sprint. Thanks again!
2018-09-06 10:21 PM
in reply to: 0

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Franklin, TN
Subject: RE: To Sprint or Super Sprint?? Help!

That’s fantastic! You’ll have a blast and learn a lot (like how important it is to organize your transition space so you’re not fumbling around for items) ... don’t ask me how I know this!



Edited by JoelO 2018-09-06 10:24 PM
2018-09-07 11:26 AM
in reply to: MCGonnaTri

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Subject: RE: To Sprint or Super Sprint?? Help!

Which race are you more MOTIVATED to train for?

Which race do you think will satiate your "sense of accomplishment" more?  

That's the race you should focus on.  

You can register for and complete the super-sprint thinking of it as the "safe" option, but if you finish it wondering why you didn't do the sprint instead, what have you really gained?  



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