Loose Chain

I used to do a lot of triathlons. But not in a decade. Last year I was training hard since several much, much younger guys I work with were into them and the times they were putting in were well within my striking range. Thing is, thanks to two vicious dogs and a badly damaged femur, I probably cannot run anymore, at least not yet. I can swim like a fish and I ride like the wind, can I walk the run? I cannot decide. I am a competitor and letting someone who I could normally demolish beat me does not sit well but maybe at 58 I can claim age and gracefully walk the run, is that OK or chicken?

CraigB

You're the only one who can answer that question. No one else will care. They'll just see that you're out there competing in whatever way you can.

hikeandbike

For me it's about the accomplishment, not the competition. While I can enjoy beating a younger player on the racquetball court, I know I can't keep pace with the young bucks on the road. Being a 50+ has a number of advantages. Having a healthy, more mature perspective on living is an important one. Are you training and participating to beat someone or to keep yourself in a healthy, good place? Is it more worthwhile for you to do the tri given the restrictions or to pass because the run would cause problems?

NOS88

+1

Tundra_Man 

Even if you walk the run, you're still faster than the people sitting at home on the couch.

Loose Chain

I guess my question is if it is OK to walk the run. I don't ever recall seeing anyone walk the run section before. I do not want to be perceived as being non sporting. It does matter what other people think but more importantly, I am trying to decide what I think about it.

My doctor told me not to run. He says I may can run again in some time but he wants a third operation to complete a bone graft. On several occasions I have ran, ran to the mail box to catch the mailman chased my neighbors puppy before he got in the road and got hurt, but no sustained running. My left leg is normal looking now, almost back to the same size as the uninjured right leg but it will on occasion, fall out from under me. You know, the bone cut through a lot of muscle and then the surgeon cut through the rest of it so there is a lot of internal scare tissue I imagine and therefore I assume the leg will never be full strength again.

So, therefore my question, is it OK for a person who has a handicap to walk or to forfeit the run part?

CraigB

As to the first part, no one, or at least not me, can help you with that answer. As to the second, the only other people whose opinion might matter is the event organizer, or whoever sets the rules for the event. I'm not well-versed in the tri world (I've only done one as the cycling part of a relay team), but I can't imagine they'd have a problem unless it involved your falling outside any time requirements.

Tundra_Man 

From an event rules perspective, I've never heard of a race that said "no walking." Some races have cut off times. If you can finish before the cut off time, it doesn't matter if you run, walk or crawl.

Frankly, the only people I've ever heard dissing triathletes who walk the run leg are the non-triathlete road cyclists over in the 41. But they dis the triathletes who do run as well.

If you're physically unable to run, then there's no shame in that. Go out and crush the swim and bike splits. Then celebrate with everyone else after you walk across the finish line.

RedC

You can walk the run, you can coast the bike, but you got to swim the swim!

olddurace82

Depends on how you feel about it. It would not bother me to see someone walking the run. Why not team up with someone. You can swim and bike, let them run.

stapfam

I can swim 50 yards- enough to get me out of trouble--Well not really- It is 50 yards then the distance to the bottom so it is further than that. And it is a good thing that the run would be last as I would need crutches after 100 yards. Wonder if I could get someone to do the swim for me?- and the run-- And I know I can find someone faster than me on the bike.

Good luck.

Loose Chain

Well, if you read what I said, , , the swim is not an issue, I can swim forever and nearly have, the bicycle is no problem either, it is the run.

However, thanks for the responses, appreciated.

LC

DnvrFox

do an Aquabike. Here's one, and they have them all over the country.

https://www.vineman.com/aquabike.htm

B. Carfree

I doubt if anyone will care if you walk the run. I was a course Marshall for a local triathlon last weekend. The second to last person on the cycling leg was also the most inspiring. He asked if he was getting too old to do this, but he was only 72. He was worried that he wouldn't get to the running portion in time to run with his grand-daughter. I liked his priorities.

Can you use a crutch or cane?

Monoborracho

FWIW, I did some of the short tri's back in the 80's. I beat my knees to pulp in my 30's and 40's. Six knee surgeries later, running is finished. Last year, at age 59, I picked up Aquabike, which is a new thing since 2005 with the USATriathlon. This year I did my first 70.3 Aquabike at Lubbock in just over 4 hours, and I was happy with that as windy as it was. Even the pros were only averaging 21 mph on one of the bike legs.

I had a knee replaced on July 19th (I may do a post with pics later) so running is pretty much gone. But when I finished the Aquabike I still had 4-1/2 hours left of triathlon time. I realized that I could walk 13.1 in four hours with a little better endurance training once I had the new knee.

I'm now six week out with my new knee and training again. I get to go on the road again on Sept. 19th. I've been swimming a mile at least once a week for the last three weeks. My goal for 2012 is a full 70.3 walking it.

When you get older you gotta' learn to go with whatcha' got.

So yeah, you can do it. If not...check out Aquabike. https://www.usatriathlon.org/disciplines/aquabike