Subject: RE: Sprint to full or half Ironman You are in the same place I was last year. After talking to a lot of triathletes, I decided to do at least one Half Ironman just to gain experience with long course. To me, there is a pretty major difference between Sprint/Olympic races and long course races. The longer periods of solitude, need for disciplined race nutrition/hydration, and actual "seat time" on longer distance efforts all factor in. I was marginally limited on the time budget for training, so choosing a HIM over a full IM turned out to be a great decision. I chose a flat HIM (Racing for Recovery), and gaining long course experience was a major benefit, along with learning a few lessons. My race report chronicles the experience. The swim went really well because I was focused on staying smooth and relaxed. My bike split was a lot faster than I had planned, and that hurt me during the run. I've heard this is a fairly common mistake. I chose a training plan and stuck with it - the commitment was a little tougher than I thought (at times), but overall it was doable. The longer training sessions and challenge of sticking with training builds mental toughness that is really key on longer efforts. If you think your time budget may be limited, you'll have to choose a plan carefully. I'm with some of the others on the issue of a full IM - it may be more than your schedule allows. Good luck with your decision! The other observation I have is that my HIM training plan allowed for races, but you have to make sure the races don't supplant the longer training sessions. |