The Word "Sprint" Scares Me

[teigyr]

Starfish, I'm thinking it won't mess with it at all. You'll have the riding down, just spend some time per week swimming and running. And honestly running isn't a necessity if you decide to walk. I wanted to run just to be a bit better in it but I think I'll be walking a lot of the tri.

Yeah, my goofy questions. You know though? We're not born knowing how to wear a swim cap And the wetsuit? ooooomph! Oh my gosh. It's a complicated sport

I think a Seattle TE team would be great! Think of it as recreation, not a race. I hate starting guns too....too many years of running. The sound makes me feel sick. I choose not to compete and won't put myself in the mindset of letting it stress me.

[KSH]

Whoa there...I don't know that I will. I find this intriguing but frightening, due to my performance anxiety issues.

I bet everyone of us here can say we felt this way before we did a tri... and probably 10 races after our first one!

Seriously. I use to be scared to death about racing. My first one and up until this year (my 3rd year of racing), and after 4 or 5 races. I'm still nervous on race day. Shoot, I'm racing this morning and I was originally scared I had seated myself too far to the start of the swim for the pool swim...

OOPSSS! Boyfriend just showed up, gotta go race now! Doing a sprint this today. He was doing it. It was race or go watch him and train later on my own. I decided to just race.

[Starfish]

KSH, let us know how it goes! And, everyone, thanks for the words. It is just plain old fear, I guess. You know, the usual. Gotta get over it.

Thanks!

[KnottedYet]

How about it? You, me, and Teigyr, and any other Seattle TE'ers, doing the Danskin or the Subaru next year?

[Starfish]

How about it? You, me, and Teigyr, and any other Seattle TE'ers, doing the Danskin or the Subaru next year?

I love the idea. Gotta get some advice, though, maybe from the TE'ers who do both distance climbing on the bike and triathlons...

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hope to train for and do the Shasta SUPER Century next summer...135 miles and 16,000 feet of climbing. That would be my biggest goal event (with RATPOD in June, I hope...157 miles and 7500 feet). Shasta is August 5th or so. Don't know that I would want/be able to train as hard on the bike as I would have to for that ride, do it, come home, and 2 weeks or so later do my first Tri.

I'm thinking about finding a sprint tri for next spring after the end of my winter cross training, to try before abandoning other pursuits to focus on the bike for my June & August goal rides...or, maybe there would be one next October or so. (Edited to add...of course, all this is God willing! We plan...he laughs...you know the saying!)

[Starfish]

How about it? You, me, and Teigyr, and any other Seattle TE'ers, doing the Danskin or the Subaru next year?

Took Tri Girl's advice and checked out the websites she gave...I think there could be other Tri's that might appeal to me more...for instance, a beginner's triathlon in Chelan.

And, for me, I like to go to places for my events that have a great chance of hot sunshine. I like to be WARM!!

[teigyr]

Starfish, there's one in San Francisco in Sept! I'm thinking NEXT Sept. Maybe?

Warm = good. I hear good things about the Danskin though, along with the Subaru/Reebok one I'm doing in two weeks.

[Starfish]

Warm = good. I hear good things about the Danskin though, along with the Subaru/Reebok one I'm doing in two weeks.

Yes, you will be my guinnea pig...<evil laugh>

[KnottedYet]

Yeah, you be our guinea pig, and we'll be your cheering section!

[HeatherErin]

How about it? You, me, and Teigyr, and any other Seattle TE'ers, doing the Danskin or the Subaru next year?

It's highly likely I'll do it again next year. I may join you in cheering teigyr on in a couple weeks.

And starfish, there was no "sprinting" going on for me!

[HappyAnika]

The "sprint" of a Sprint Triathlon is a huge misnomer. I've now done two and I certainly can't sprint 3.1 miles.

Your average sprint triathlon is filled with first time triathletes. There will be speed demons, but most of us are just trying to finish however possible. There's lots on breast, side, and back stroking in the swim. If there are hills you might see people walking their bikes. On the run there will almost certainly be walking going on.

Don't let "sprint" scare you and don't let it keep you from trying!

I agree completely with this. No matter how slow you think you are, there will always be someone slower.

With all of the biking under your belt, you will most certainly not be last in a sprint tri. My placings from my first sprint in July were something like: last in AG in swim, middle in bike, and next to last in run. From a cycling perspective, I'm not that great of a cyclist, but from a sprint tri perspective, I was way ahead of the other beginner triathletes. (And of course my discalimer, this race was done while pregnant, so I was taking it really easy. I probably would have been in the top quarter of the bike if I wasn't pg.) The point is that being good at cycling is the best way to improve your time, and you've already got a huge advantage in this area. It's unfathomable to me that someone who completed that mountain ride you just did would be afraid of a silly little sprint tri! You should have more confidence in your abilities, you've demonstrated you're capable of quite amazing accomplishments.

[Starfish]

It's unfathomable to me that someone who completed that mountain ride you just did would be afraid of a silly little sprint tri! You should have more confidence in your abilities, you've demonstrated you're capable of quite amazing accomplishments.

God bless you. I tend to be highly intimidated by everything I undertake when it comes to sports. Every new little thing scares me, then I obsess about it and prepare like a mad woman, and then I end up doing it and it wasn't as terrible as I imagined!

Thank you for the encouragement!!!!