getting two full distance races in next year

jimmy augustine

I've put this to coach R in the macro forum but I thought I would ask the hive as well.

When you have done two full distance races in the same season, how close together did you schedule them and how do you feel like it worked out?

I have done the texas/florida double now twice and while I like it for some reasons that combo sure does make for a long season and many bike controlled weekends.

So as I start to think about 2017, I am either going to only race one full (fam wants los cabos in late oct) or try and put two races closer together like Wisconsin/los cabos or Tennessee/ los cabos. My question to those of you with experience is how close is too close? I would like to get as much racing out of my long training days as I can. I am not a podium threat or kq potential. Just trying to improve year over year as I work towards a legacy slot.

 

thx!

rlh2000

Seems like you know this already, but I did the CdA (with the June date) - Wisconsin double last year and it was a LONG season. I'd definitely do no more than 6 weeks apart if I did a double season again, but probably won't!

scott dinhofer

actually given that he just did a webinar on this.. I'd opt for longer 8-11 weeks apart.. ability to really recover - train - taper, i am looking at LP & KY, 11 weeks apart for that reason.. caution on doing something too late in the fall, from having done AZ 3x it gets tougher & tougher to train as daylight grows shorter & morning temps are colder for early bikes on the weekend.

jimmy augustine

late season is great for me in south texas. The temps start to get reasonable by october. I'm on my 3rd go at florida and I had a cozumel in there in 14. Late season works for me also with the kids and school. It is actually easier for me to train once they get back into routines at the end of august.
I will try and find the webinar. Maybe 5 weeks is just too optimistic a turnaround.

Al Truscott

From 2000-2015, I trained for 32 IM races, so I had a lot of years with 2 and 3 in a year. I have reflected on how that worked out, from a race performance perspective, and concluded that I did well when I had two distinct seasons, eg, doing IM CDA end of June and IM AZ mid nov. I was able to have a quality performance in each of them. End of June/Mid Sept was about the closest that worked well when I did CDA and Wisconsin. But when I tried to get them closer 94-8 weeks), I just burned myself out or up.

I'm the sort of person who is always doing something active:  skiing, bike commuting triathlon, etc. It's just my lifestyle, so I never thought about it in terms of training being a suck on my time or life. I had always made it work, ever since high school (or maybe even earlier).

In 2015, I made a commitment to only do one IM a year at most, and I aim to keep that promise to myself and others. Reason being I was starting to break down physically, and that won't do. I think my warranty has another 20 years or so to go, and I want to keep in good shape that whole time.

BUT...were I to advise someone who wants to do two IMs in a year...consider Boulder in mid June, then your pick of the fall races. But don't try to do a late July or August race and another in Sept (sorry, Scott). LP/Cozumel might work, but getting a 5-7 month spread - eg, two seasons - is the way to go IMO. Just my 2¢.

Paul Hough

I've only doubled twice. In 2010 I did CDA in Jun and Arizona in Nov. Two separate builds with plenty of rest from the first and I performed well in both. In 2013 I did Sweden in late August and Cozumel in late November. Even with three months apart, I came down with pneumonia two days before Coz and finished with a still-standing personal worst (and lived to tell the tale).

For 2017, I'm doing South Africa on 2 April and North Carolina on 21 Oct. This will be two separate seasons.

jimmy augustine

yea I am getting the message. running 2x races inside of the same build isn't any easier than running two separate seasons.
I think that what I need to do is stick with my routine and only race one full late next year and do a couple of 70.3's earlier in the season.

Francis Picard

On my side it will be the first time.

Did IMMT in August and will do IMAZ at the end of November. My only worry is days getting shorter and colder but hope I can at least do until week 18 outside (last camp week).

I was also worry about motivation to get back on the training plans.. but actually I am motivated as I was for IMMT and specially I have a few things that went wrong at IMMT and wish to take revenge.