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when do you push yourself to to the next level

Done a good few sprint, always had it in my head I would move to OD's. Got the first OD in two weeks.

Then what.... when do you start to push to go to the next level.... discuss

Comments

  • gunforhiregunforhire Posts: 457
    I did my first OD last week. Next one is the sub 2:30 wave at London. So no pressure then!
    Loved the OD!
    I'm seriously toying with the idea of stepping up to HIM already, as the Little Woody is at the end of August.
    Many would say it's too soon, especially since I can only give about 6 hours to training each week.
    However... I'm a sucker for punishment!
    It's an excuse to look at TT frames if nothing else.
  • Jelly legsJelly legs Posts: 278
    depends on what you want.

    If you want to finish, go for it.

    If however you want to do it in a reasonable time, keep training until your happy with all the elements.
    And you can get close to your target time then go for it.

    It might take you longer the second way, but i think you can then build on that for the future.
  • BmanBman Posts: 442
    I think that a really personal decision. I've seen some people do one sprint, one OD and their first HIM in the first year. Knowing how my injury-prone body doesnt like rapid increases in intensity last year was all about sprints with London OD, this year was a few more OD's, so who knows for next year, middle distance perhaps.

    I think if your aim is to get faster at a specific distance, you will naturally reach a higher level with each successive race, until things like proper coaching, TT bike and the aero extras will help you more than training alone will have.

    So I think it all depends on your goals and what you consider the next level.

    Sorry to go off on a tangent here but:

    Gunforhire, how did you get into the sub 2:30 category with one OD result? I though they need 2 results? You just reminded me to apply (probs too late) but im hoping my 2:20 and 2x injured 2:33 results would scrape me in. Would love to do the westminster course.
  • I am a big advocate of goals and objectives. I think about what i want and how ill get there. You can bring yourself up to the next level so long as you plan for it, make yourself knowledgeable about things which may play a part in the achievement of said goal.

    You can do anything with good planning and prep. Well maybe, ill tell you after tough guy 2010
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    I seem to work differntly. I was asked if I could do a triathlon, in the way that doubts you can.

    I set about proving others wrong and myself because I too had the doubts. the same level of doubt has been thrown at me for OD so guess what I'll prove them wrong.

    I do like the idea of setting goals but does goals need to be expansive ie if you don't achieve exactly what you set out can then expand on the next set to make up for it?
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    OK... as I've been accused of being a bit quiet lately, I'm wading in.

    Too many tri discussions get completely one-dimensional, like the only thing that matters is going further. The so called 'natural progression' from SS, Sprint, OD, Middle to Long ('Iron man' distance).

    How far you can go is not a validation of your ability. If you've done your first few sprints it is just as valid to go out there again and try to lose 10 minutes off your PB as it is to go for OD.

    If you have a valid 'Why?' to go with the 'What?' then fine, but nobody should feel that they have to strive for longer and longer distances just to be a valid triathlete.

    Why is 'the next level' equivalent to 'further'. It could be 'faster', 'concentrating on my swim', whatever. Hell, if you're on a limited training-time budget I'd argue that aiming at the top 10% in a sprint was a far more rewarding target to aim for than a half-arsed OD or 70.3 (as in my recent example...)
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Bopo,

    Interesting point there.... what is actually the next level. I would like to assume that the natural progression for me is to get to a decent OD level. However, there has to be a degree of elation when you've completed your first OD. You don't need to consistently do OD's but just complete them.

    Others may feel the need to consolidate their time on a sprint, while others may want to push the barrier to OD.

    Lets keep this one going...
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    I posted something along these lines last week. As Bopo says the received wisdom is that progression is progression in distance.

    However, a sprint is still a valid race, still a "proper" triathlon. Which would be the "better" achievement, finishing an IM in, say 15 hours or a sprint in an hour?
  • SwizzlenapSwizzlenap Posts: 160
    I think a lot of it will come down to a subjective understanding of what "next level" means. For each person it's going to be different. For some it's distance, others time, others position.

    For me the attraction is distance. I'm not actually too bothered about time, relatively speaking. Even when I'm training I'm much more likely to want to try and go further rather than the same distance faster. When I think about what I'd like to achieve in triathlon a big part of it is distance. I already have my ideal progression through distances in my head even though I haven't even done one yet!! If I think about the dream, the thing that gives me goosebumps then that's IM. Haven't got a clue if I'll ever be able to do it but thinking about it gives me a bit of a rush.

    Then there's the question of why distance? What is it I'm measuring myself against? Frankly, I don't care about pleasing someone who thinks you're not a triathlete if you dont go long. I've never been competitive towards other people, I've always found it slightly funny when guys get all macho and competitive towards each other. When I train I'm competing against the distance. I love pushing when I feel shattered just to go that bit further, even if it's at a slow pace.

    I guess like most things in life there is no one way, no absolute truth. All of our drives and acheivements are personal and varied.
  • Swizzlenap wrote:


    For me the attraction is distance. I'm not actually too bothered about time, relatively speaking.
    I am pretty much the same. I never went for a sprint because I knew when i was looking at the races that i could finish a sprint, but i couldnt finish an OD. So i entered the OD and looked at training methods and sure enough, i layed down the groundwork in cycling, swimming and running and now i can do it. Not in the best times, but hey i am not a triathlete per se, i just love a challenge.


    In reply to shadow, If you ever dont achive your goals then you have not failed. The only failure is not trying, failing a goal is like a lesson, you take the usual information then you go back and beat it next time.

    People who laugh at what they percieve to be failure are seldom achievers themself, I love those people because they give me the motivation to win
  • jacjac Posts: 452
    Bopo's remarks are spot on for me.
    I'm not interested in going 'long' at all. A mate who has done two IMs keeps asking when I'm going to do a 'proper' one - an OD.
    I've told him I've got no interest in that distance, because at the moment I'm not even near my potential at sprint distance. I'm seeing progression but I feel as though I've still a long way to go. And judging by the times some guys post it's going to take me a while. But I'm determined to get there, rather than have a half-arsed attempt at OD. If I did do OD or longer I'd want to nail it rather than complete.
    Plus there are other considerations - like time to train, strengths/weaknesses etc to consider.
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    I'm not interested in going long.

    I'm more interested in "quality" than "quantity". And I think that the number of hours of training required to achieve quality in a longer distance is beyond what I am prepared to devote.

    I also have specific targets for running and cycling time trials also.

    My objective is to be as competitive as I can over sprint and OD at age group level.

    But.. I've noticed that the longer the distance, the more competitive I get... for a run, my sweet spot is(was, pre-injury) currently about 10 miles... so I may end up going longer.
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    I am interested in going long, but only to see if i can manage to do it, I would love to be thinging of a 9hr ironman, but i really doubt that I could manage that. So for me the challenge is to finish it. I plan on doing an ironman within the next 2 years, if not next year (GAT dependent) so this year is 4 sprints and one OD at the end of the year. if i finish the OD and survive it - maybe even do well at it (ha) then i am more likely to do Im next year, but either way the challenge remains the same, do the best i can, leave it out there and not finish and think, i could have gone faster.

    As for the next level, well that depends on what the next level is for you
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