Sprint Triathlon to Olympic: Is it a BIG jump?

alaliberte

I know I'm ready for the next challenge in triathlon when I can work a full day and do the tri sprint distances just in my daily training.

Who has made the jump from Sprint to Olympic recently and what did it feel like? Is it a pretty big jump? An hour more per race??

Thanks for any tips you can offer, especially in training times and nutrition.

AZTrailRunner

It's not as big as jumping from Olympic up to Half IM, if you ask me. I only did a couple Sprints before jumping to Olympic Distance. You'll definitely need to ramp up your training if you want to "race" it, and not merely survive it.

You'll definitely want to focus a little more on your race nutrition as you enter the Olympic distance.

As the distances get longer, pacing becomes more important as well. Sprints are "all-out", where Olympic distance is about "controlled all-out" so you don't run out of gas before you're done.

juliep1974

I'm thinking of making the jump too. I did a sprint in September and felt like I could have done more after it was over. I know I won't be able to run a full 6.2 miles but I figure the swim and bike are doable and I could probably run 5 miles and walk the rest.

jacksonpt

Depends on what you're strong at.

Focus on bricks and make sure you can survive the swim and you'll be fine.

I did my first Olympic last summer. Swim went better than expected, bike was easy (bike is my strong leg) and I struggled with the run (didn't train like I should have). Springs usually take me 1:30-1:45 depending on the course, the Olympic took me just under 3 hours with more walking on the run than I'd care to admit.

I'm doing a HIM and an Xterra next summer.


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3dogsrunning

Bump - I am considering the same so interested in the replies.

jacksonpt

FYI... there is a group for triathletes... might get some more feedback there.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/105-triathletes-duathletes

toonzy

I've just done my first sprint and wondering about the same thing, thanks for all the info (:

IronmanPanda

It really depends on your training and consistency. I started training in February-March of this year and have completed 3 sprints, a couple 5k's and a 1/2 Marathon. I'm scheduled for my first HIM on December 4th of this year. So from sprint to HIM in less than 10 months.

It can be done, but really depends on you.

mewhisler

It is totally doable...with a bit more dedicated training. I actually enjoy the Olympic distance a lot - it makes you train and gets your butt in shape, but it doesn't control your life. It is a good balance. You definitely need to focus a bit more on nutrition - mainly on the bike to make sure you are ok for the run, but not a ton. I can definitely help as it gets closer to the race.

I would do a couple longer bike rides (longer than the ~24 miles), so that you are tired and know what it feels like to run that way. You definitely need to incorporate more brick workouts as 10K run is no joke.

How exciting! You can definitely do it!

dalgirly

I'm going to do an Olympic next summer.

This past year I did a sprint and a "long" sprint (which was about 3/4s of an Olympic). I didn't find any difference between the two I did, even though one was longer.

So I hope that the Olympic is good to go!

(my only issue is, my bike is just a mountain bike -- but I can't spend the money on a new bike yet).

dugooder

Like everyone else, I'm going to say "it depends"

If you're thinking about an Olympic because you want more challenge, then you're probably ready for it, and the jump won't be too huge. If sprint tris are still a struggle (e.g. if you're running out of steam and walking parts of the 5km run), then it may be difficult.

It also depends what your goals are. Do you want to do it so that you can say you've done it and not care about time? Or do you want to place in your age group?

I did 2 years of sprints before going for an Olympic, I was all about increasing the distance, I didn't care about pace, I just chugged along and had a great time, met some really cool athletes along the way, I've done 2 Olympics and 1 Half Iron. I've also run two marathons, and now I've decided to work on speed at shorter distances. Every goal is a challenge, just in a different way

Good luck with your training!

nerdieprofessor

I've done everything from super-short-sprints to half Iron, so I have a bit of experience as an old fat triathlete. )

It's not that big of a jump. Remember, the longer the triathlon, the more you need to think about endurance (and nutrition and hydration) and the less you should care about speed. Getting the nutrition and hydration right take practice.

Don't try anything new (nutrition/hydration/clothing/shoes) on race day that you haven't used in training.

jacksonpt

Remember, the longer the triathlon, the more you need to think about endurance (and nutrition and hydration) and the less you should care about speed. Getting the nutrition and hydration right take practice.

I'll add pacing yourself to this as well... the longer the race, the more important pacing becomes. It also takes practice.

jipper44

Hi all! I did my first sprint in 2011 and hope to do a few more and possibly an Olympic in 2012. I'm focusing on running right now, training for a 10k, and throwing some cycling classes in the mix to keep up with cycling during winter in Chicago. Feel free to add me as a friend, I'd love more tri-friends!