Friday, October 1, 2010

How Much Is Too Much?

I love triathlon races.  I love the atmosphere and the anticipation and the feeling of crossing the finish line.  I completed 4 sprint distance races this summer and I wish I could have done more.  I'm starting to look at the calendar for next year and was wondering how many races I could reasonably do without burning myself out and what the distances should be considering that my "A" race next year is the Steelhead Half-Ironman race.

So I turn to you, Internet peeps, for some advice and guidance given the following:
  • The Half-Ironman race is August 14, 2011.
  • I've never completed a race longer than a sprint distance.
  • There is a 10-mile road race that I'm running in April.
  • I will be in Italy at the end of May for a weeklong cycling trip (HOLLA!).
Should I shoot for doing an Olympic distance race before the Half-Iron?  If so, how soon before is too soon?  All advice and guidance is appreciated!

1 comment:

  1. I would say that doing a couple of sprints and one oly before the half would be fine. Do the Oly about five or six weeks out if you can--the sprints before that. You can also race a sprint or two in mid-late September.
    You don't NEED to race at all. It will help you in that all racing experience helps... but the 1/2 is a different beast than the Oly. You pace yourself much differently. The Oly is more related to the sprint... in my opinion. The reason to race before the 1/2 would be that you love to race, and you want to get in more than just the 1/2 next summer. Little races can also be viewed as a specific type of LT workout... so in that way they help too, if you don't overdo it and do a gazillion of them.

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