Do you plan races/seasons years out? How far out?

Well..........I plan to do an IM next year (fall). I feel stupid even telling my wife about it - until the current year's race has been run.

In the winter when I am bored and have cabin fever, registering for races and other events seems like a great idea. Several months later, I start to wonder what the heck I have signed up for. I do look at races up to a year out, especially if I can find one that corresponds with my vacation. I like to do races away from home.

Furthest out was two years - spring of 2004 I pretty much planned to do an IM when I was 40, and did my first in April 2006.  That was my 4th season of triathlon. 

For something "big" like a first IM, it's commonly at least a two season journey.  Perhaps people with natural ability or prior athletic background can start in February and do an IM in November, but most of us take a year to get the base in place which is the ability to bike a century, ability to swim 2.4 miles, ability to run 26.2.  Or at least do two of the three.  That's the first season, and then the next season is the IM training culminating in a successful race day.

For me it was a three season journey.  The 2004 season was my first marathon year where I spent most of it getting better as a runner, then 2005 doing more marathons, more bike riding, and learning how to swim much longer distances (yay Total Immersion!)  Winter of 2005 was spent putting that together, and I had a successful first IM in April 2006.

I have a hazy idea right now to Boston qualify next year for the 2018 race.  I'm running 4:04 marathons right now, and my fastest was my last BQ attempt back in 2008 with a 3:31 result when 3:20 was the goal (I injured my foot during the race).  Now I'm 8 years older and the goal is now 3:30, so I should be able to make it, but I'd love to make 3:20 my original goal.  So that would be another 3 season effort - train this year to get close, train in 2017 to BQ, race in 2018.

Edited by brucemorgan 2016-05-24 3:46 PM

ITU worlds is usually a year in advance because of the qualification process.

I'm planning an Iron distance race in September of 2017. So a year and a half out.

On a similar topic,anyone know how far out Ironman registration opens. (Specifically IMChat 2017)

Superwife and I registered for a 140.6 a full year out because of pricing.. You can enter a HITS race for $200 for the 140.6 if you do that as oppoed to the $800 or so an MDOT race costs. Also, it means you can score deals on lodging, etc if you plan in advance. Being chea... err..... FRUGAL like I/we are, it makes sense to plan and reg early.

Plus, a full year to train for that distance is not a bad idea if yoi want to do it right.

Edited by davejustdave 2016-05-24 11:00 PM

It's all year to year due to my job. I don't know year to year if I'm going to stay, or if I change jobs, what country I'll be working in (or if I'll have a job....). Depending on the country and employer, it might make training and racing very difficult, particularly for long-course events, so all the parameters could change. Basically I just pick out events I'm interested in and can find the time and $ to get to. Events are often announced with relatively short notice in SE Asia (if not IM-branded events), and/or the same event will be switched to different months in different years, ( for example, the Singapore Aquathlon has been held in spring, then fall, and now summer). So it's hard to make long-range plans, except maybe for IM events.

Normally I try to plan things out at the beginning of the year, sometimes a little longer for HIM, which is the longest distance I've doneI think the longest in advance I have planned has been about one year--last year when I did IM Vietnam 70.3, I got sick a few days before and completely imploded on the run (105 degree heat did not help). I noticed my AG was relatively weak, and thought I had a good chance of qualifying for Worlds IF I could exhibit my normal abilities at running in the heat (I live here, after all, and 90% of my training is in Saigon, where it's even hotter than the race venue). So that particular race was a year-long endeavor. Almost literally a do-over (nearly same course), but a lot faster this year! I like to do what I set out to do and am pretty persistent--in some years that has meant some pretty odd combos--my first HIM got snowed out and wasn't the full distance, so I did another four weeks later; I did another HIM six weeks after the Vietnam race last year.

Beyond that, not much advance planning. I have some races I'd like to do someday (Alpe de Huez, and a full IM), but would not actually commit to them unless I feel like my job and life situation make them realistic. The former, maybe next year if all goes well. The latter, really not sure. I've thought that maybe I'll try a full IM when I turn 50 (in three years, as far as USAT is concerned), but it all depends on where I'm living and what I'm doing, as well as fitness and health.

I would like to be in the sport as long as I physically can, so am in no hurry to try everything right away. I don't want to get physical or mentally burned out, and always want to have something new out there to try, whether it's a distance, event format, or just a destination race.

I'm fairly certain you can't register for an event (WTC) until the current year's event has been completed. Even then, it's usually a couple months until general registration opens.