Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone - Sprint Distance Races Are Needed

"I want the world to make me wonder
  I want to walk on water
  Take a trip to the moon
  Give me all this and give me it soon"
"Want" The Cure

At the moment, I am not sure where but I know I need to race next weekend. As I write this and while you read this (maybe a bit presumptuous that you are reading this), I am going over triathlon calendars to find a race, regardless of distance. As of now, I am not finding many opportunities but at this point, beggars can't be choosers!

Of the few races I have found, I can say that the race will most likely be a Sprint Distance race. I think it is funny that a race that covers 1/4 mile swim, 12-15 mile bike and a 3-4 mile would be called a Sprint?!?! But even funnier is the number of triathletes I follow on Twitter that will avoid such races. I often see them state that it requires too much speed and it is a different kind of hurt (a worse hurt). It often makes me scratch my head and wonder...WTF?

As a collegiate coach of distance runners (800 - 10K),  that argument makes no sense to me. To be good at the longer distances you still have to be good at shorter faster races. It doesn't have to be your specialty but you still have to do them. My 10K runners will often race the 1500 or Mile to work on their speed. I hate to be the bearer of bad news to those who avoid the Sprints... if you want to get better at the longer races, you need to go shorter and faster at times! Yes, this even applies to triathlons. I know in my mind I WANT to be good at all distances I race and I will not settle for anything less! It may take me out of my comfort zone at times but I know I am all that much better for experiencing that so called hurt. If you are concerned that you won't place as well as you do at the longer races just do what most triathletes do.....tell everyone it was a "C" race and you were training through the race.

New Training Totals
Week
Bike - 4 rides/ 160 miles/ 7.75 hours/ 20.7 mph
Run - 4 runs/ 29 miles/ 3.55 hours/ 7:20 per mile
Swim - 3 swims/ 3 miles/ 1.51 hours
Total - 11 workouts/ 192 miles/ 12.81 hours

2013
Bike - 130 rides/ 4090 miles/ 188.59 hours/ 21.7 mph
Run - 84 runs/ 514.5 miles/ 62.93 hours/ 7:20 per mile
Swim - 80 swims/ 78.25 miles/ 38.31 hours
Total - 294 workouts/ 4682.75 miles/ 289.83

Goals For Week
Bike - 4 rides/ 155-175 miles
Run - 3 runs/ 25-28 miles (long run of 11)
Swim -4 swims/ 3-4 miles

In addition to coaching at the university, I am venturing out to establish some private coaching for post-collegiate runners. I have published a coaching website and will continue to hopefully improve the site. I am looking to work with all runners from the 800 Meter to the Marathon. Hopefully I will be able to start my triathlon coaching certification soon as I want to venture into triathlon coaching as well. You can find my website here Tri It Coaching.

Now time for another beer while I check race schedules and figure this crap out!

People will often ask what am I on to complete my training?

What am I am on? 

I am on my bike 7-8 hours a week, in the pool 1.5-2 hours a week and on the roads running 2-3 hours a week......and of course caffeine,moose tracks and beer for recovery! (Oh yeah, can't forget the eye drops 2x's a day)

That's what I am on!

Kona 2014 (Always adjusting goals - Ha Ha!)