Join a Tri Club?
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Member
143 days
trigirltina2 posted 10 weeks ago.
No. I trained on my own.
Join a tri club? Yes. past member of Triathlon Club of San Diego. Current member no, because I changed jobs and make the trek once a week to SD for the TNT team and short on time with family. Would I join again? Yes as soon as my budget allows, because the club improves the tri community presence in the city. Join more then one? Perhaps, because where I live people are not commuting to SD, LA or Inland Empire due to gas prices and time. Also, again the clubs improve the communities involvement in our sport.
118
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192 days
cutiger95 posted 10 weeks ago.
Just completed my first Sprint and did all of the training on my own. However with the means I definitely would have loved having a coach. However I did have two friends who were also doing the Triathlon, so I guess that counts as a club of three of sorts. While none of us had done a tri before, we each read the forum and had questions answered.
Last but not least the distance that you are training for could also factor into the equation.
Just my thoughts, I am now gearing up for winter training and getting ready for next year. Which looks like a sprint in early April. Bike Ride "Assault on Mt. Mitchell" in May then an Oly in June. Followed by the Mtn. Bike "Assault on Mt. Mitchell" then potentially the SC HIM in late Sept. early Oct.
674
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309 days
jsk85 posted 10 weeks ago.
I have successfully completed 4 (almost 5) seasons of triathlon at varying distances (sprint to 1/2 Iron) and have never been involved in a tri-club. The benefits are certainly there, I just haven't been stable enough in my schedule or financial situation to justify joining a group. Will definately look at it in the future
518
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1313 days
Tamara posted 10 weeks ago.
Depending on the club in your area, it may or may not involve "coaching". I'm a member of the DC Tri Club, and while we regularly have clinics or other options to pay a fee to spend time with a coach in a structured setting, that's not the real benefit to me.
Instead, it's all the planned group workouts during the week, or the camaraderie of knowing others in your area who are training. There are at least 4 different scheduled club rides that take place during the week, and 2 runs, as well as all the ad hoc "hey, I'm looking to do X miles at Y pace on Sunday morning, does anyone want to join me". It's a great way to have company while I'm executing my own workouts. Another benefit is that folks in your region have done most of the local races, so it's usually a great way to get advice about a particular course or what else is going on in the local multisport scene. All that for $30/yr is well worth it for me.
"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit." ~George Sheehan
83
Member
133 days
laprokop posted 10 weeks ago.
Here are my reasons for joining my tri club...
1. Its cheap my tri club costs $25 for the entire year.
2. Discounts at sponsor stores... for instance anything I need I can go to a sponsor store and get 20% off the list price. So when I buy my new bike this year it more than pays for itself. Besides think of all the other stuff you have to get throughout the year for repairs and such.
3. You get access to many triathletes at your skill level... meaning when I go on century rides preparing for my two ironmans next year you have a couple people to do them with making them much more enjoyable.
4. Its great support/motivation... everyone is always asking me if I want to train with them, whether it be a 10-12 mile run or a 50-100 mile bike.
In the end, I was hesitant in joining but I thought well, its $25 bucks really not that big of a deal and if I ever need anything these guys/gals are there for me. I would highly reccommend joining one as long as it isnt insanely expensive.
14
Member
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jrs961 posted 10 weeks ago.
+ 1 to laprokop...
Joing my local tri club was a good decision... For $35 I get:
1) Discounts at bike shop - 20% on gear, 10% on bikes - which paid for membership when I bought my bike.
2) Discounts on some race fees
3) Ability to purchase out-dated team gear cheaply - tri top for $20, bike jersey for $15
4) Great group of people to train with/learn from... And there is always a group cheering at local races
5) My club has a mentoring program - I didn't sign up, but great if that is something you would be interested in.
6) Good, informative meetings - my favorites included one with a great nutrition presentation, and another that covered basic bike tips and repair information... Also, lots of gift certificates and free gu and other supplements given out at meetings.
7) Team rents pool space 1x a week... Nice, free place to swim!
When you add everything up, the $35 I spent in joining the team has saved me over $400 this year... The savings won't be as great next year when I am not buying a bike, but I know that the membership will still pay for itself several times over.
1190
Member
337 days
TriSooner posted 10 weeks ago.
TriNewbie76 wrote:
Do most people join a tri-club for their first race? Has anyone simply trained on their own? Is this even possible? Just a newbie needing some advice...thanks:-)
I venture a guess and say that most (>50%) do not join a tri club at any point, much less for their first race. It could help, though, crash-course you on the various intracacies of the sport. If you have one local, go for it.
Has anyone trained on their own? Absolutely. Triathletes are viewed by roadies as the red-headed step-child of cycling and many of us are ostracized from training with roadie groups. So, from reading just about every post on TF, it looks like a lot of people train on their own.
And finally, here's a hot sports opinion: In the long run I think you will get faster if you train with specialized training groups instead of a tri team. (I am not bagging on tri teams!) Running with runners, cycling with a cycling club, and swimming with a masters team will get you farther than training only with triathletes who dilute their training. It will be tempting to stay with "your kind," but I think that the average dedicated runner-, cyclist-, or swimmer-only team is faster.
Test this theory out: go to your LBS's team and ride with a collection of Cat V, IV, and III; find your local running group and you may find pace groups in the 6's; go to a few 'try it out' workouts with a swim masters. Then s/b/r with a tri team and see if there is a difference. This is based solely on my experience with a couple of tri teams and several cycling clubs and running groups. (I'm not even trying it with a masters swim team. I know I'd drown in their wake.)
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Member
219 days
doubleR posted 8 weeks ago.
I trained for my first tri with TNT. They welcome beginners with open arms. When I started I came from a marathon background but I think I would've felt a little intimidated just joining any triathlon club. I've noticed that a lot of local tri clubs (here in Dallas) are starting to gear themselves to help newbies because it is such a growing segment since the sport is really exploding. Also some local clubs have developed training programs for specific local races which have attracted many beginners.
Joining a club makes the hard work of training more enjoyable and the learning curve is definitely accelerated.
"Do or do not...there is no try." -Yoda
4914
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1716 days
beads1985 posted 8 weeks ago.
I have tried joining tri clubs and I do see the benefits of what they are offering but my schedule makes it almost impossible to train sometimes let alone train with a group on a certain schedule that works for most of the other members.
So, I train alone for the most parts and do some long run training with my buddy Dave.
Good luck!!
Nothing to it, but to do it
144
Member
203 days
azmojo804 posted 8 weeks ago.
scheduling is my problem with joining. There are all the benefits, so i'm thinking about messing with my work schedule more to be able to do at least a couple Tri-Club trainings a week...we'll see. It definitely seems worth while.
But, all training so far has been alone.
6
Member
84 days
nscrbug posted 8 weeks ago.
Most of the tri clubs, cycling groups, masters swim clubs, etc...in my area, all schedule their training sessions in the evenings...and I work evenings. So...I'm pretty much on my own. I do my swim & run training alone, but the bike I do with my hubby on the weekends, since he's big into cycling.
Do most people join a tri-club for their first race? Has anyone simply trained on their own? Is this even possible? Just a newbie needing some advice...thanks:-)