Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Choices choices...group training or stick with solo??

Hey all, I have a dilenma. Being that I am a newbie into the sports, I figure it would be a great idea to go train with a group and gain experience. The problem is the lack of time.

I have contacted a tri club called Blast. They are located about 40 min away from where I live. Their training schedule varies. If I train with them, it will add about an hour and a half to drive on top of what I am doing everyday. This is my third week in my Base 1 period. This means that I am training the most amount of time for this period before I drop back down next week. With this amount of training, I am already sensing the stress of training and living life.

If I train with the group, this will probably mean that I will less time to train. Does gaining the knowledge in a group atmosphere outweight the time spent on training??

I am considering training solo right now until spring/summer hits when I can go on group rides with them. By spring, I will be into my Build period. From Joe Friel's Triathlete Bible, the Build period is focus on building aneraobic skills. I might continue with the Base period since I am specifically training for Ironman next year and invest all my effort in building my aerobic base.

19 comments:

Joyce said...

sounds like you have it all figured out! you dont want to give yourself too much stress and make yourself sick... maybe keep them in mind for a time when you will have more time to commit to the group? or give it a try for awhile just to see :) good luck either way!

Spandex King said...

You know me, it's all about me. You don't need anybody to train for triathlons. Go Solo.

Fe-lady said...

Solo for swim and run...builds the mental toughness needed for IM stuff. Remember Dave Scott? Or do I date myself? Always trained alone. Won several times. I would CHOOSE to bike alone, but if you are in a larger city (like I am) group rides provide visibility and hence greater safety! I guess it all boils down to personality....

Thomas said...

Would working out on your own on most days, but training with the group on occasions, say once per week, be an option? You've said yourself that you're still a beginner, and advice from more experience trainign partners can be invaluable.

Steven said...

Stay solo, Cliff. You need the extra time right now over the the group stuff. Once you start in on the l-o-n-g weekend rides then look to the group, but for normal weekly workouts in the pool and on the run stay solo and stay close to home to gain some extra rest time.

William said...

I run and swim alone but I try to get out for one group ride a week.

Group rides provide a social aspect to exercising that can help keep you honest on those 80-180 km rides.

The benefits are too many to name but it's somewhat like what you learn when racing.

If you have a group to run with I also recommend that.

It's all supposed to be fun anyway, and I always try to remember to not take myself too seriously (which have trouble with).

Group riding is humbling and provides motivation.

Trisaratops said...

Wow, that's a lotta driving for a group...I would say do solo until you have more time. Group rides would be fun--maybe hook up with them for that. No use taking away more time just to drive, ya know?

Oldman said...

tri is a solo sport...you figured it out just meet the group in the summer for your long rides.

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

I prefer to train solo because I don't like being beholden to someone else's schedule. But that's just me.

I can think of only three reasons to train with a group:

1. You need motivation.
2. You need to train with faster folks to reach your next level.
3. You're just super-sociable and hate to be alone.

If none of those three conditions apply, maybe just do the group thing once in awhile for variety.

Battman said...

Nothing can replace the knowledge of training with someone more experienced than yourself who is willing to part with their wisdom; even for a fee. From what you've posted, your car would get the best workout.

Robin said...

I *love* my tri team and *love* the group runs and rides and open water swims in the Spring and summer. I like how being on a team lets me experience both an individual/solo mentality AS WELL AS a team environment. (I can't seem to get in the pool myself... funny huh? Since we don't talk etc., while we swim, seems it would be easiest to do this on our own. I think it's partly, well, mostly, the accountability thing.)

Anyway, if you're in your groove now, though, I would say don't shake it up just yet. Maybe when it gets warmer, it will be easier to work in the drive for some group training rides, etc. If your training groove in on, keep it. Or, maybe try a group ride or two on a weekend...for your long rides.

Eventually try it out, though, and see if you like it. I really enjoy my team and team mates. It's cool to talk with and train with others who have similar tri goals.

OH, AND THANKS for all of your info on the HR. VERY USEFUL. :)

it's only fuel said...

I think you've already figured it out, but my thoughts are that you'll be fine solo...that's what this sport is all about, right? I find that my tri club is good for the competition factor, but you need that later, not right now when you're building your base.

qcmier said...

I am surprised so many people prefer the solo route.

Here's a thought: why have a blog? Perhaps to share your experiences and to get input from others.

I will make drives in excess of 30-40 minutes one way to train with people. There is a ride in my area that a few folks will drive up to 50-60 minutes to get to. We really believe it is worth that extra time.

At some point I would encourage you to try the group. You will have to determine if that group and their workouts are worth your extra time.

psbowe said...

how about training solo on weekdays and training with the group like say Friday + weekend... just a thought

E-Speed said...

I think you could build in one group workout a week and stick to solo the rest of the time and get both benefits? Sometimes the long drives are a good time to relax, drink your coffee, and reflect on the day.

Julie B said...

Hi Cliff; it's tough with all of that driving time. I am 54 miles from the cities and make sure that each workout I drive the two hours round trip for is at least 2 hours long. I need to get in a 2 hour workout to make it worth while! This means I usually only do long runs or runs with my best best buddies to make up for that driving time.

Rae said...

It sounds like you know what you want to do....that would be a lot of commute time that could be spent training or doing other things. But the group excitement/experience could be beneficial, too! You'll make the right choice!

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