Help Me Choose My Event

>> Tuesday, March 25, 2008

This Sunday, before my long run for the week, I’d like to do a quick event. I have 2 in mind, but I don’t know which one I should do. Please help me out.

1. Joe Plant Memorial 5K, St. Paul

Pros:
- I’ve been getting fast since I’ve added intervals into my training, and I think I could really smoke my old 5K PR. I’m curious how fast I could run a 5K...
- It’s close to home and would just take an hour or 2 out of my day.
- With marathon training ramping up, I’m only going to start getting slower, so now might be my last time to shine.

Cons:
- Running is my strongest event of swim/bike/run, so do I REALLY need to be running 5Ks when I could be working on my weaker events?


2. Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon, Maple Grove

Pros:
- It would be a great brick workout.
- North Dakota Blogger Buddy TeacherWoman will be there, and we could finally meet in person. (Her blog was one of the first I started reading 2 years ago...)

Cons:
- It’s farther from home.
- And it will take more time out of my day.

Some of these pros and cons are bigger than others. Now, it’s in your hands, fellow bloggers. I need an outside perspective. What do you think I should do? Thanks all!

36 comments:

Lance Notstrong 9:26 AM, March 25, 2008  

Do the indoor triathlon. You've pretty much kicked the crap out of the 5k's this winter!!!

Kurt 9:34 AM, March 25, 2008  

I always say go for the 5K, the speed will start slipping away in about 10 years!

Mendy 10:01 AM, March 25, 2008  

It's always refreshing to break a 5K PR. but going to meet a blogger is always exciting too.

Tough choice!

trimybest 10:12 AM, March 25, 2008  

i used to live in maple grove. do the triathlon if you can still get in.

Pharmie 10:16 AM, March 25, 2008  

Do the 5K. You haven't done one since December, and you just did an indoor tri. Plus, there will be plenty of time for tris this summer. Oh, and I don't think you'll be slowing down anytime soon.

Steve Stenzel 10:43 AM, March 25, 2008  

Pharmie, is that a knock on my "bedroom skills?..."

Robyn 10:57 AM, March 25, 2008  

I vote 5K. Nothing like a new PR to keep you motivated!

Anonymous,  11:02 AM, March 25, 2008  

Uh, well since I'm technically affiliated with LTF I can't be trusted to give an impartial answer. I was thinking about running that 5K myself, though.

Formulaic 11:13 AM, March 25, 2008  

I just took a look at the time of the Indoor.

It's only a 10 min pool 30 ride and 20 min run.

For you this wouldn't even begin to touch the surface of a 'brick'.

This maybe the start of your Tri season, but I think your base is better suited than that.

Go for the 5k. More fun, treat it like an anaerobic workout and then get back to focusing on building for your marathon.

Most importantly, do what makes you smile.

(And this directly ties to your bedroom ‘skillz’!)

GoBigGreen 11:17 AM, March 25, 2008  

Bike to the race, run the 5k, bike home. Was that an option? Indoor tri's are fun but is there really a training benefit to it at this stage of the game? Likely you can always use a good effort in any of the three so even if you dont break your PR you still get a good effort, and as you said, you dont blow your day. (and you dont need to get your body all chlorinated either)
Or you can go to Tucson with me and my team and ride for 7 days.
I win:)

The Lazy Triathlete 11:37 AM, March 25, 2008  

I have to say go with the 5K. I That should keep your "bedroom skill" up for Pharmie!!

KK 12:49 PM, March 25, 2008  

Hi Steve,
Thanks for stopping by my blog the other day.

I am partial to triathlons, but I must say the 5k does have one less "con" on the list...

nwgdc 1:32 PM, March 25, 2008  

I'm voting for the Indoor Triathlon. 20-some minutes of running vs 3 sports, a blogger friend, and saying you did a triathlon in MARCH in Minnesota?!

21stCenturyMom 2:02 PM, March 25, 2008  

I was going to vote for the triathlon but the other commenters talked me out of it. You will get more out of your day doing the 5K.

That having been said - meeting a fellow blogger is fun.

Wedgie 2:10 PM, March 25, 2008  

We have to be selfish here... Which will make for the more interesting blog entry? I'd have to say the indoor tri has far more potential. The 5k entry will be "I ran really fast!" The indoor tri could have broken machinery, pool peeing, naked old people in the locker rooms, car trouble during the commute... so much adventure!

MissAllycat 2:15 PM, March 25, 2008  

I'm going to have to cast my vote for the 5k as well. PR that bitch!!

Kellye Mills 2:22 PM, March 25, 2008  

I vote 5k too. A PR will always be there, and I agree with your wife that you'll be doing tri's all summer long!

J~Mom 3:26 PM, March 25, 2008  

I vote for a meeting with the lovely Teacher Woman. :>D

Pharmie 5:17 PM, March 25, 2008  

I may have to ammend my vote. Meeting teacherwoman could be really fun, as long as the tri won't take away from your 10 miler on Sun.

monica 5:56 PM, March 25, 2008  

what are the registration fees? i say go with the one that gives you more miles per dollar.

Anne 8:13 PM, March 25, 2008  

I vote with the Maple Grove group. You could be inspired by Teacherwoman, much more so than all those people you don't know at the 5K.

SM 10:37 PM, March 25, 2008  

I vote for the Indoor Tri. The more time you spend on all three events the better.

anna jo 10:52 PM, March 25, 2008  

well, it looks like there are more pro's for the 5K and fewer con's. is that telling you something? I don't know.

but what I do know is that when I am making important life decisions such as this, I like to put all my options in a bowl. then pull one out. and it's not even necessarily that you do the thing that you pull out. if you listen to your gut reaction to the one you've drawn, you'll know if you really want to actually do it or not. I call it the bowl of fate. I've made many good decisions with it in my life.

Chad 11:04 PM, March 25, 2008  

Go for the 5k. The PR and maybe an overall win would give you that last little boost heading into tri season.

Rainmaker 11:26 PM, March 25, 2008  

5K...have fun in life - and don't worry/fret too much about training.

RunBubbaRun 5:30 AM, March 26, 2008  

I always say do what challenges you the most..

Dana 7:27 AM, March 26, 2008  

At first I was going to say do the tri but after reading everyone's comments I'm thinking you should go for the 5k. Even though you would miss the chance to meet a fellow blogger. But either way you know you can smoke both events,so I say do the one that will be the most fun.

Jade Lady 12:49 PM, March 26, 2008  

5K - unless it's subzero! But, again..it's Steve...do the 5k anyways!

Anonymous,  12:57 PM, March 26, 2008  

Going for that 5K PR sounds too tempting!!

Kickstand Pam 6:06 PM, March 26, 2008  

Thanks for stopping by the blog last week!

I'm siding with mister p - strictly selfish reasons, he makes a great point about which event will provide a better read on Monday. :)

Jamie 8:10 PM, March 26, 2008  

I say go for the indoor tri.

Jumper 2.0 11:53 PM, March 26, 2008  

Hmmm, I wonder if I should do the indoor tri?

Unknown 10:54 AM, March 27, 2008  

Indoor tri...better post-event write up aside, it's always cool to meet and greet a blogger.

Soapin' Cindy 5:44 PM, March 28, 2008  

I couldn't pass up the chance to meet a fellow blogger...

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