Tri club or not to tri club? (Page 2)

Is it common to have "requirements" that have to be met?

The one that I'm considering joining has a couple. There are 2 that bother me a little bit.

1) Must race 2 USAT, USCF, or NORBA races

2) Must help organize a club event. (Not exact wording)

It's not like I won't do either of these necessarily but personal issues throughout the year could cause some conflict.

I belong to my local tri club, but have to say that my experience has been similar to Karen's.  A majority of the club are FOP age groupers and elites, with even a couple of pros thrown in.

I have done some group rides, but getting dropped in the first couple of miles isn't a lot of fun.  Same deal with running - I can't keep up with the "slow" pace of most of the other club members, so why bother?. 

One of the things I took away from a Joe Friel seminar last year was to do your own workout, not somebody else's.  Besides, it's just in my makeup to workout alone - I prefer the solitude to be alone with my thoughts.   Quite frankly, even if there were others of my lack of ability in the club, I would still likely prefer to workout alone.

At the same time, I do enjoy the social aspects of the club, such as the pre-race pasta parties and monthly Friday night cookouts at the beach during the summer.  And it is neat having the other members of the club cheering and encouraging you at the races.  I also enjoy volunteering at races (including swim meets and road races in addition to tri's). 

Mark

For those of you upset about the lack of slow runnners/bikers, think about this.  If you showed up and were the only slow person there that time, but kept coming back..... the slow runners/bikers that feel the same way about being dropped might train as well.

Set up a special training ride that YOU lead, post it on your Tri teams web site.  Every Tuesday in May Sally Jones will be leading a training ride for 10-15 MPH riders.... (or whatever your speed is) please plan on joining her at 6:30 for a 15 mile ride..

I know it is hard to do, but then you can expand the number of slower riders in the club.  If the general perception is EVERYONE is fast, none of the slow people are going to stick around (just like you did).

I know in my tri club, I am one of the slowest riders/runners.  I joined last year, partly to find out more about Tris.  The Tri club offers a weekly brick training ride/run, annual picnic with an OWS clinic, we have 50-60 members of which I have met about 20.  There are vidoes you can borrow, and club duathlons in the spring/summer months.  I can't take advantage of some of the benfits myself because of my work schdule.  The brick training takes place at 5:30 PM, and I am generally still at work.  But I am planning on joining again this year even though I can't do all of the meeting stuff.

My husband and I are members of our local YMCA tri club.  There are a few in our area, but we chose the Y because we were already members there and it seemed the most laid back and beginner-friendly.  Turns out that it is VERY beginner friendly and even hosts a newbie clinic that starts every January and continues through to a specified goal race early in the season.  It was a great way to get started in triathlon, meet lots of like-minded people, and bring a social element into our training, which can be very solitary otherwise.  Our club members are very diverse in age, experience, and skill level, which makes it very welcoming whether you're a perpetual podium finisher or the last one across the line.  Everyone is supported.

For both of us, we pay a little over $400 per year for club dues on top of our Y memberships and private coaching, but it's well worth it.  We get lots of coached swims, run clinics, group rides, organized events, and discounts at local retailers.  Plus, we benefit from having plenty of experienced triathletes around us all the time to answer all kinds of silly questions.  I can honestly say that, without our club, there's no way I would have stuck with the training.  For me, it's hard to train unless I'm having fun, and it's hard to have fun if I'm constantly training alone.  As you can tell, I'm very pro-club, but it's important to find one that is a good fit for your personality, training goals, and schedule.

"could cause some conflict"? 

That's the most non-committal thing I've read in weeks.  C'mon...personal issues can keep anyone from racing and volunteering, but seriously...if you want to reap any benefits from joining a club how can you NOT be willing to commit to 2 races and 1 club event.  That's a bare minimum for involvement for any club!  Without commitment to any of it, why even bother?  If that's stopping you then you probably shouldn't be in a club this year. 

Sorry if that sounded more harsh than I intended it...low blood sugar moment maybe? 

Yes that is the club I was thinking about joining.

What about injury? What about Non-USAT events that you participate in? I don't think they mention volunteering as an option but I could be wrong.

Regarding the organizing of an event: I wouldn't feel confortable at this point in my "career" and I do have a pretty busy schedule with full time work, part time school, and training. Not to mention trying to squeeze in a social life.  I don't know how much time organizing an event would require considering I've never been in a club...hence these questions.