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Untrained sprint?
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2013-10-03 12:14 PM

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Subject: Untrained sprint?
I've always been the one to say you could finish your beer, stub out your cigarette, step up to the swim start, and finish a sprint triathlon. I still believe that, but now I have the opportunity to put it to the test and I'm askeered. I'm a daily runner (20-25 mpw) but I haven't been in the water in over a year and I haven't been on my bike in even longer. I'm pretty sure I can finish, but I am worried about injuring myself.

What does BT think? Comments appreciated. Thanks in advance.


2013-10-03 12:28 PM
in reply to: Guest

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Subject: RE: Untrained sprint?
Originally posted by mrheathen

I've always been the one to say you could finish your beer, stub out your cigarette, step up to the swim start, and finish a sprint triathlon. I still believe that, but now I have the opportunity to put it to the test and I'm askeered. I'm a daily runner (20-25 mpw) but I haven't been in the water in over a year and I haven't been on my bike in even longer. I'm pretty sure I can finish, but I am worried about injuring myself.

What does BT think? Comments appreciated. Thanks in advance.


I did my first sprint with no real training.. got my bike about 3 weeks before the race.. maybe put on 100 miles on it .. swam a few times in the pool prior. Of course I was a swimmer in high school, was swimming 2+ miles in the pool a few years prior to the Tri and have always been comfortable in water. Biked a bunch when I was a kid, and running.. well almost everybody can walk.

I think the hardest thing for most people would be the swim followed by the ability to actually do something endurance related for 1.5-2.5 hours. Running 20mpw you have no problem with the time part. It'd be the swim and your comfort level in water, assuming you rode a bike when you were young.

Now could the average person get off the couch and do a sprint? I highly doubt it. for every 1 person you find that could do that, I could probably find 100 that couldn't.
2013-10-03 12:48 PM
in reply to: r3dey3

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Master
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Subject: RE: Untrained sprint?
You'll be fine. Just don't go crazy and expect to PR
2013-10-03 3:29 PM
in reply to: Guest

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Subject: RE: Untrained sprint?
As long as you're confident of being safe in the water, go for it.
2013-10-03 5:57 PM
in reply to: zed707

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Subject: RE: Untrained sprint?
I think at your weekly running volume you should be fine without injuring yourself.  Aside from an accident in the water or on the bike it's hard to hurt yourself in those segments.
2013-10-03 6:28 PM
in reply to: zed707

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Subject: RE: Untrained sprint?
Originally posted by zed707

As long as you're confident of being safe in the water, go for it.


+1 Just go easy and you'll finish


2013-10-03 6:49 PM
in reply to: Guest

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Subject: RE: Untrained sprint?
It all depends on your swim skills and confidence. If you can easily swim the distance and are comfortable with open water, then there should be no problem. (Just be sure to at least get in the water with your wetsuit at least once before the race!) If not, then forget about it. Most adults can ride a bike, if not fast, and it shouldn't be hard for a well-conditioned runner to complete a 20 km ride. (I did my first Oly on almost no bike training, and I was fine, albeit 123/136 on the bike leg!) But you really should get in the water and evaluate your ability to complete the swim--if you can't do a slightly longer distance in the pool (like 1000m), or the race distance in open water, don't do it, or maybe see if there's a du you could "du" instead.
2013-10-03 7:24 PM
in reply to: #4870123

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Subject: RE: Untrained sprint?
I think there is a big difference between an "untrained" Sprint when you've done them in the past and are still in good shape, versus getting off the couch and doing one.
2013-10-04 5:57 AM
in reply to: Guest

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Subject: RE: Untrained sprint?
You'll have the fitness for it from the running, but that could actually be a negative... Be very tentative to the signals from your body. Your cardiovascular fitness won't be the limiter, but your muscle endurance more than likely will. Set the pace accordingly and try not to get caught up in the adrenaline and competitiveness of racing...
2013-10-04 6:24 AM
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Subject: RE: Untrained sprint?

It's not like you're a triathlon rookie, so you should know what to expect. 

In your old race reports you mention several times that you should have trained more, so this race should just be more of the same, only slower.  Nothing wrong with that as long as you're just trying to have fun.

Mark

2013-10-04 3:04 PM
in reply to: Guest

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Subject: RE: Untrained sprint?
Originally posted by mrheathen

I've always been the one to say you could finish your beer, stub out your cigarette, step up to the swim start, and finish a sprint triathlon. I still believe that, but now I have the opportunity to put it to the test and I'm askeered. I'm a daily runner (20-25 mpw) but I haven't been in the water in over a year and I haven't been on my bike in even longer. I'm pretty sure I can finish, but I am worried about injuring myself.

What does BT think? Comments appreciated. Thanks in advance.


You can certainly finish, if that's your goal. It's like marathons...lots of people do them with minimal training. I regularly see people having a great time in Sprint triathlons that are there just for the fun of it. They finish the event just fine. But, you can tell they are new at it because they are back-stroking 50 yards into the swim, they are riding a fat tire mountain bikes on the pavement and can't run a lick. But so what? They are having a great time.

That said, there is a huge difference between "finishing" a sprint distance event and "racing" a sprint distance event. In my slightly older age group (55-59) it's pretty common to see the top tier old guys finish the 800 swim in 12-13 minutes, the 12 mile bike in 33-34 minutes (22 mph or so) and the 5K in 22-23 minutes (7:15-7:30 pace). So, if you can do that, come on out and you'll be quite welcome to finish my beer and stomp out my cigarette to boot.


2013-10-04 5:18 PM
in reply to: Guest

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Subject: RE: Untrained sprint?
As a daily runner you should do fine. As someone note above, to me untrained means coming off the couch. I did my first local sprint a few years ago after averaging about 35 mpw running with no swimming or riding and came in 2nd in my AG. Out of 16 people in my AG (50-54) I was the seventh fastest swimmer, fourth fastest on the bike and beat everyone in my AG on the run by over 1 minute.
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