Worst Triathlete Ever.

I'm going to start this post by saying that I suck as a triathlete.  But I'm ok with that...and I'm not talking about my times--I'm perfectly satisfied with how fast or how slow I've gone in past triathlons, depending on your point of view.  A number of years ago, I set a lifetime goal for myself of achieving a sub 13-hour Ironman, and a number of years after that, I achieved that goal.  That's probably the only concrete goal I ever had in this sport, and I achieved that goal.

So, the reason why I'm saying I suck as a triathlete is that I have just made the decision to stop, and that's something that triathletes rarely do.  I am still currently registered for Full Vineman at the end of July, and I'm pulling the plug on the whole thing.  So, I suck as a triathlete because I'm doing the one thing that the hoards and masses of triathletes who are out there would never imagine--I'm proclaiming that there is more to this sport than just the long-ass version of beating the crap out of yourself for an entire day because those distances were set as the "ultimate test of endurance."  I am....well, I'm done.

Last week, I had three injuries flare up on me--my plantar fasciitis was especially active, I tweaked my knee on my long run, and my back spasmed on me on Thursday--due, most likely, to the stress of 90 minutes of Thursday night traffic on the 405.  Running has evolved into an endurance event of pain tolerance--and I don't enjoy a single minute of it.

Brian hit the nail on the head when we were discussing this over the weekend--I started seeing all sorts of problems crop up when I made the decision to start training for an Ironman-distance event again...and it comes down to one thing--I'm trying to shove a square peg into a round hole.  As a swimmer, I was best at the sprint freestyles and the butterflies--all races that lasted less than 2 minutes (well, except the 200-meter fly...I wasn't that fast).  And as a triathlete, I've been down this path of doing races that last 5, 6, 12, and even 16 hours on a bad day.   Frankly, it's a friggin' miracle that I lasted through 3 Ironman triathlons, and an even bigger one that I did well on my third one.  This penchant toward speed is consistent across all three sports for me--My 5k times are faster than they should be relative to my 10k's and half-marathons--and I friggin' hate running full marathons.  While biking, I can generate all kinds of wattage for short bursts that would seem to indicate that I should be able to hold an effort for a 40k higher than I actually can.

So, I do not fit the mold.  I am no longer interested in trying to fit the mold. Trying to fit the mold causes me to do workouts that break me down to the point that I wind up with tight, weak muscles, and then I wind up injuring myself.  I'm done being on the gravy-train that longer is better, and that a "real triathlon" is a hundred and forty point six miles of unadulterated hell.

So, why is that triathletes all go in this direction of longer is better?  And more is better?  I saw a posting today that 100-milers are the new marathon--what the hell is up with that?  Marathons already break down your leg muscle beyond the point that is healthy for you--so please, people, just stop already.  Running 100 miles is not healthy. Period.

I'm Drew Giacobe, and I say Olympic Distance triathlons are awesome--but they're only awesome if I can back into swimming shape again.

Goodbye, obnoxiously long bike rides on the river path.  I am done with you.  And goodbye my dear love/hate relationship with the long run.  I'm moving on. 

Apparently, it is time to change the name of my blog.