Sprint or Super Sprint for first time?

Hi and welcome to the website.

The idea of a Super-Sprint (a.k.a. give-it-a-Tri, Try-a-tri, etc.)  is to get people involved who either: 1.) Are scared of swimming or 2.) have not done my in endurance sports.

If you are comfortable with a 750m swim and have walked a 1/2Marathon then I see no reason why you would not go to the sprint ditance -  just go in with the right goals and expectaitons i.e. a good goal is simply finishing your first Triathlon, regardles of distance. Winning a medal is not a reasonable expecation to start off with...

Good luck and have fun with it...

Aren't we all previous beginners?

I started in triathlons last year, after being out of the exercise world for too long.  I was 297, and it took me 48 minutes to walk/plod through my first ever 5K on a treadmil.

That was in February of 2009.  In June 2009 I did my first Sprint (300y, 9m, 5K) and had a blast.  I wasn't fast, but I was faster than I thought I'd be. 

I haven't lost as much weight as I'd like, but I'm down nearly 60 pounds since then, and have just started training for my first Half-Iron race (in November). 

I say go for the full sprint, and don't take it too seriously.  It's supposed to be fun, remember.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like any more of my generally not helpful advice or insights.

you still have 4 months till your race, which is plenty of time to train for the sprint race rather than the super sprint if that is what you want to do.

I did a long sprint as my first triathlon - 750 m swim/32 km bike/7 km run and don't regret chosing a longer race.  I started training about two months before the race but was already swimming and running a bit (and doing some spinning classes).  9 years later, I still kind of suck on the bike and my run varies wildly season to season (I've been at the 8 minute per mile pace and I've been at the 12 minute per mile pace). 

As Mgalanter said, the most important thing about whether the sprint will be feasible will be if you are currently able to swim.  if you are able to swim building to 750 metres shouldn't be that hard, but if you don't know how to swim properly, it could be a lot more challenging.

I just did my first Super Sprint Tri a week ago today which was a women's only event. I weighed 209 at 5'8" on race day. I only trained for seven weeks prior to the event and when I started I weighed 228. I'm an okay swimmer, I love to ride (though I don't have a good bike yet) and my run is very slow (13:30 pace right now) and the distance was 250 yard swim, 7 mile bike and 2 mile run. I don't regret doing this for my first Tri at all. I got my feet wet in a non-competitive environment against other women some my size and bigger. The only thing though, is I don't feel like a true triathlete yet because I haven't done at least a Sprint (I know that's just in my head and simply my competitiveness in myself shining through). You have a TON of time to train while dropping some pounds for a Sprint, I say go for it! I only had six weeks to get ready but with another six I know I would have been able to finish a Sprint with no problem. You'll do great! And good luck!

Also, welcome to the site...I've only been here for a few weeks and everyone is so supportive and awesome! I love it!

If you're just looking to finish and not place (which is the reasonable expectation for your first tri) then a sprint is a great distance.  I don't think you'll tire yourself out too much as long as you properly train for it, which isn't exceedingly difficult as long as you are consistent with following a training plan.

Sprints are interesting beasts, as you have a huge group of people who are new to the sport and just there to finish. Then you have the people who race to place and are unbelievably fit. You have a wide range of atheletes participating, yet the atmosphere is fun and supportive with (in my experience) nobody looking down at anyone else for how they performed. In fact, the people who come in BOP usually get the biggest applause when they cross the finish line.

Truly racing a sprint to win is actually quite a painful experience. But it's a great distance for those new to the sport or just want to cross a triathlon off their bucket list and don't care about placing.

When I did my first sprint, I figured it would completely waste me given my fitness at the time. I had planned to finish the race, then come home and take a nap.  I finished, but I was so jazzed and excited from the experience that I couldn't possibly take a nap. Heck, I could barely sleep that night, and woke up the next morning feeling a little down that I couldn't do another race that day.

I did my first triathlon last year and it was a Women's Only Sprint.  I was a couch potato my whole life and finally took charge and lost 80 lbs and got fit.  I trained for about 12 weeks before the event, although I had been training and running 5K's for several months before that.  The super sprint almost doesn't seem worth getting in the water to me!  And if you're a strong swimmer and runner, you're all set.  The bike leg is the place where you can get a little rest if you don't push it too hard.

Good luck!

Cindie

Okay, I am new to this part of the forum, but after reading have found some great stuff. Here is my .02. I did my first tri in the same way. It was a reverse sprint tri at an Air Force Base so there was 0 elevation gain and a 200 meter pool swim. I had a blast, and finished. I have another race tomorrow, that I am not in as good as shape for, but am still doing it. I say go for it, and have fun. Good Luck. 

I definitely agree with going for the sprint. When I ran my first, I was just going on my past as a swimmer and the casual running I had done. I used a mountain bike. I came in dead last...but when I got home, I signed up for my next one and designed a training plan. It was such a good feeling.

The biggest thing is not to hype yourself up about it too much. Not many of us, and not many people in a sprint tri, are there trying to win. When it comes down to it, you're not going to be in the water very long, an hour long bike ride is not scary, and if you walk the 5K and take 45 minutes, that would be a great performance. The nice thing about a sprint is that the actual time difference between the middle of the pack and last place is not that big. I'm an absolute rookie, but on my last sprint, I was back of the pack but still only 30 minutes behind first place. And that guy was insane.

Good luck! This sport is all about pushing yourself and going harder and longer than you thought you could!

Well I did my first recreational sprint today. I need to work on my bricks big time, and I would recommend that to others too. I was gassed by the end of the bike an put in a 19 minute mile (slow) run but mostly walk. 

I volunteered at the Women's tri in SD last year. I think it would be realistic to sign up for the sprint vs. super sprint. It sounds like you're comfortable in the water so the swim shouldn't be an issue. Since you have walked a half marathon you know what your body does over a long period of activity. You'll probably finish the sprint in less time than it took to do the half marathon.

I don't think the sprint is too ambitious for your first race. You've picked a great first race, I'm thinking about volunteering again at this one, maybe I'll see you out there.

Welcome to BT and good luck with your training.

Ummm.... good information, but the OP was asking about sprint triathlons.

My first was a super sprint with a pool swim and i think it definetely helped to jump me into the sprints. I had a great time doing it and i do it every year. I have done about 4 sprints so far and after this season will have done about 7 total and i never thought i would ever do a triathlon. I still need to lose about 50 - 60- lbs but it is a work in progress, like i tell my kids " do you know how much money i invested in this gut "  lol 
Good luck...

I just did my first super sprint or mini sprint or whatever you want to call it on the weekend. I loved being around others that didn't have  a clue what they were doing either... Albiet there def were a few that did seeing they killed the time and were riding $5000 bikes that I only dream of..lol

I am very happy I did it. I was 263lbs about 7 weeks ago started training and I was 243lbs on race day and I fell apart on my run and had to walk most of it. It was also 90 degrees out and very very humid where I live around the great lakes. Humidex was over 105 degrees. Made for a horrible run with a high heart rate. Non the less I finished it.

But I learned a lot from it.  And a lot about transitions etc. Many things that were not directly in the swim bike run were great lessons.

IE I got out of the pool ran out the door looked for my towel and my land mark where my bike was. I ran right past it, Thank goodness my loving wife was at my bike rack shouting at me... race day excitment I heard her shout at me once I turned around and got to my bike.... hahaha Aparently she shouted at me 4 times... MEN NEVER LISTEN... :D

seriously I think everyone said it best here, depends on if you can pull off the swim. I know I can't pull off 750m swims yet. I did the 200 meter in 5:11 and I was a bit gassed at the end because I poured in on for the last 50 m

The bike was my strength and I struggled with 40km head winds on the up hill section and had to do 4 laps.

It was all a great learning. Only you can judge if you can do the sprint come time. But either way you can't go wrong your going to learn from both.

My first race was a Sprint (800M Swim, 16 Mile Bike, 5K Run) and it went great.  I think this is the perfect distance for a new person to get their feet wet.  The swim was probably the biggest challenge as it was harder to predict my performance in a race.  I could swim that distance in a pool during a workout with no problem but I was still a nervous wreck about doing it.  I also walked a few times during the run but so did others and I finished at or around my goal time and had a great time doing it. 

Good Luck, On On.

ATTACK OF THE SPAMMERS... nothing is immune anymore. some people it seems will try to squeeze a nickle out of turnip no matter how useless the process.

Hi I am doing my first sprint on Aug 29th. I think a sprint is a good target to have as I only started training 5 weeks ago on a 11 week program and before that I couldnt run for more then 2 minutes. My dad keeps pushing me and saying i have plenty of time to et my endurance up and I will be fine on the sprint course so I understand your anticipation about choosing the right one for you, but I say you got to set goals and push as much as you can. In the 5 weeks i have managed to run for 40 minutes on a run walk 3/1 swim 1600m without stoping and bike 24 miles in less then 2 hours which is all pretty amazing for me so if i can do it so can you.Hope you enjoy your first tri.