Thoughts on Distance

As some of you may already know, 2015 Ironman Maryland was my last race of that distance (Ultra, Ironman, Iron-Distance, Full, or whatever you call it).  I chose to "retire" from that distance for a number of factors.  Chiefly among those are time commitment and focus.  I want to be good at something and frankly, the middle distances are where I excel.  I am an Ironman completer but I could be a short course "compete-r".  I've put together some thoughts on all of the distances here.  I hope you enjoy.  

First let me say that one of the biggest things that annoys me about the tri community in general is the need to trivialize certain distances.  There are constant references to "stepping up" from sprint to Olympic or from half-Iron (70.3) to Ironman.  The question "but when are you going to do an Ironman?" is even heard in the pro ranks.  We plaster the distances with the equivalent of ranks or degrees (such as Masonic degrees or military ranks) where the longer the distance, the more senior or higher up you are.  That's bullshit. Plain and simple.  Each distance is its own unique challenge.  They are completely different.  I thought a bit on each of the common distances in triathlon and tried to capture some of the uniqueness.  There are many other factors in choosing races besides distance (venue, elevation, swim water, weather, etc) but distance plays a huge role in strategy. 

Sprint:  The Sprint distance typically consists of various combinations of short swims, bikes, and runs.  There really isn't an official distance with wide variation among races.  Typically, the swim is around a half mile or 750m, the bike around 12 miles, and the run a 5k. I've seen races labeled a sprint with swims as short as 300m, bikes as short as 10 miles or as long as nearly 20 miles.  

The beauty of the sprint distance is the intensity.  This is a true sprint where a racer can go all out for speed.  Times can be as low as 50 minutes for this distance.    Because of the short time, there isn't a need or time for complicated equipment setups or overly complicated nutrition plans.  Many triathletes who excel in this distance take on very little nutrition during the race and do not carry much in order to lighten the load on the bike.   Even wetsuits are a point of controversy as many believe the added benefits for such a short swim are overshadowed by the complexity of taking them off.  

While I do enjoy these races, I lack the pure fast-twitch muscles needed to pump out speed.  For those racing at this distance, keep in mind that this is a fast race.  You will see many triathletes push high speeds and intensity for the whole race.  It is very difficult to maintain this intensity without proper intensity training.  

Olympic:  Technically, many of these races are not "Olympic" distance as many of these races are classified as "international". The Olympic distance would have to conform to the Olympic standards.  The Olympic standards are 1500m swim, 40k bike and 10k run.  Most "Oly" races typically have swims of 0.9 miles or 1500m, bikes of 20-30 miles and runs around a 10k.  Some runs are as long as 10 miles. Most races use the terms Olympic and International interchangeably.    

This distance poses more challenges than sprint distances in terms of race strategy.  Here triathletes must think more about pacing and conserving energy to be able to run an effective 10k.  Typically, times for these events will last 90 minutes or more, depending on speed.  It is also here where competitive athletes come out because championships, qualifiers, and prize purses appear more frequently at this distance. 

This is a very popular distance for novices to professionals.  Like running races, this is where we get into the "middle distances".  The oly can be ideal for those with a combination of slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscles.  It takes a bit more endurance than a sprint but still requires a large amount of speed and high intensity.  

Half-Iron (Long Course or 70.3):  Officially, this is Long Course as anything with the "Iron" word attached to it could be straying into trademark rights for WTC.  Colloquially, most triathletes will refer to this distance as a Half-Iron or Half-Ironman regardless of branding.  

This distance incorporates some of the most popular distances in the three disciplines.  A mile swim (1.2 in this case) is a popular endurance swim distance.  The half-century (56 miles in this case) is heavily popular in cycling and the half-marathon is without a doubt the most popular endurance running distance. Putting them together presents a challenging race but with distances that do not seem out of reach for the average working endurance athlete.  Triathletes can complete long course in anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, which is a good chunk of a day but still doable in a normal one day event.  

This distance is where the planning really takes hold.  More fueling plans and race strategy become essential.  You may be able to go out and put the hammer down on an oly but here pacing and making sure you do not hit the wall are key.  There is a wall in this distance.  It may not be as looming as in other distances but a 4-8 hour day is as long as many people run a marathon.  You need to prepare for the day.   However, you also are able to produce a little speed out of this distance.  

Full-Iron (140.6 or Ironman or Ultra):  Again, here this is officially an ultra distance triathlon.  The term Ironman is reserved for races branded as such by WTC.  However, most triathletes refer to the distance as Ironman, pointing back to the first race in 1973 in Hawaii before naming rights were bought and sold.  Today the common Ironman distance is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run.  The overall cut off time is typically 17 hours from the start.  

For the average triathlete, this distance is more about strategy, nutrition, setup, and survival than about speed.  Yes, there are a handful who try to place in the AG or qualify for World Championships but the majority of finishers are just that, finishers.  That certainly was my goal on my first ultra.  For many, it is more about the experience than the outcome as you try to take in the commeraderie, spectators, venue, and your sacrifices during training.  

The Ironman takes a tremendous amount of training time to prepare your body for that much endurance activity.  It also has a large amount of risk for injury due to the amount of training required.  Most finishers will spend 15-20 hours a week including three sessions in each discipline.  The commitment is why many finishers do only a handful of these races if even more than one.  It certainly does not have to be a superior competition to other distances but does take physical time for training. It is encouraged to find a coach to help along with this journey. 

I will say that a majority of the Ironman distance is mental.  Whether it is strategy, the daunting distance or fatigue, the mental aspect plays a much greater role in this distance.  There are physical barriers and also mental barriers.  Performing an activity for 10, 12, 14, or up to 17 hours straight is taxing on the mind.  Much of this is also on the bike, which can take up to 7-8 hours of this time period.  With no drafting, this can be a lonely time for the athlete.  

One other aspect of the Ironman is specificity.  Many notice their speed significantly decrease as they focus on distance.  And this is true.  Marathoners are certainly not going to win the 400m, they are training for a completely different event.  

Doing an Ironman does not make one a better triathlete than doing an Olympic; it makes them a different athlete. One of the greatest triathletes of recent, in my opinion, is Gwen Jorgensen.  She does not race Ironman but is undefeated in ITU competition since May of 2014.  That makes her awesome not less than other triathletes. Everyone who competes at any distance is a triathlete, the only label that really matters in the sport.  We are all triathletes.