Goldilocks and the Training Clubs/ Groups

I've tested out a range of different coaches, cycling and triathlon tri groups and clubs in Toronto over the past 7 years; one might consider me "Goldilocks" when it comes to my experiences.

I'd like to provide my 'consumer report' on some clubs in/ around the city for anyone looking to team up and train or maintain their fitness as it's a known fact that it's more fun and motivating to train with others vs. logging hours and kilometers solo.

CYCLING CLUBS >

Morning Glory Cycling Club 2014 Group Shot!

Albeit there are some great cycling clubs in Toronto, ranging from more casual recreational style to more intense race-focused clubs;  know what you’re looking for when you set out!

Despite the mantra, "it's just like riding a bike", I'd like to caution anyone new(er) to cycling that there's a bit of a learning curve and skills to hone on your own before rolling out with a group (i.e. clipping in/out, signalling and communicating, riding behind/ drafting another rider, fuelling solutions/ requirements, equipment needed , rules/ regulations and laws, etc.).

Here is my take on some of the clubs I've tried or know in the downtown core:

Morning Glory Cycling Club (MGCC)

With rides in Leaside, High Park and Oakville, Morning Glory covers a lot of territory. There are rides every day if the weather cooperates (hills, recovery, etc.). These rides are well organized and attended. This is a club for folks who are capable of hoping on a bike and riding +50km, and so not for outright novices (although they do have development rides and women-only rides to promote development); those looking to increase the distance and speed at which they ride will find a happy home here.

Midweek Cycling Club (MW)

If you want to learn how to race, this is the club for you. Although there are weekend club rides to participate in, it's the Monday learn-to-race series and the Tuesday night crits (both in the West end of the city) that are the main draw here. If you think you've built up your fitness enough to test it in a competitive environment, a crit is a great way to start. Big points given here for the work the club does to de-mystify bike racing, which can be daunting for those just getting into it.

Etobicoke Cycling Club (ECC)

Rides rarely last more than a couple of hours and they always try to fit in a stop at a local coffee shop before the group splits. Although there are some members who like to ride hard and fast, and others who take it a bit more leisurely, they have a strictly enforced no-drop policy on their Social Rides™ & Coffee Rides™. No one gets left behind.

Dark Horse Flyers

Since 2007, the Dark Horse Flyers have been at the front of competitive and development cycling in Ontario. Through the participation of its members, they continue to push limits on the bike: in road races, triathlon, and charity rides. The club is intended for road, cyclo-cross, and mountain bikers, as well as triathletes— although they are mainly road and CX driven. It is open to people who are beginners (who are active and have a decent fitness level) as well as racers.

LapDogs Cycling Club 

Regardless of your ability or ambition you’ll find a social, fun-loving pack that suits your style with the LapDogs Cycling Club. Their rides are designed to be social in nature [no matter the level] and we practice a "nobody gets left behind" policy. Rides range from social Sunday MTB Rides with post-ride snacks to quick Road Rides out of Duke’s Cycle, the local shop, to participation in many of Southern Ontario's most popular Cycling Events and Races.

Velocity Cycling Club

Provide an environment where cyclists of varying degrees of proficiency could feel comfortable to ride at their own pace without the pressures commonly associated with cycling clubs. They want to enable riders to grow and have an opportunity to advance their knowledge and skill associated with cycling in a variety of elements through short rides, long distance, tackling the steep grades or even in racing techniques. Meeting in the west-end of Toronto.

Chain Reaction Cycling Club

Their membership consists of men and women and range in age from youth to senior and various abilities from casual to advanced. Starting April 1^st they have scheduled rides every day except Friday.

Beaches Cycling Club

Started as an informal group in 2007 but has grown into a 100+ member club with rides scheduled Tuesday through Saturday (plus hill intervals on Thursday). Most rides are enthusiast friendly and relatively laid back, but if you're a racer looking to stretch his or her legs, the Tuesday advanced ride is fast-paced and populated with competitive cyclists who know how to stomp it.

LaBicicletta Cycling Club

Since 1997 they’ve sponsored bike racing teams every season (Jet Fuel, Ital Pasta, Woodbridge, Real Deal, La Bicicletta). They have a custom ASSOS club kit, a Sprinter van to transport club members and their bikes to epic rides outside the city, and the Bici staff to lead structured, but spirited rides throughout the week, every week, all season long.

Racer Sportif/ Mattamy Homes

Affiliated with the Oakville bike shop, the club offers weekday and Sunday Club Rides for the aspiring road cyclist. They ride all 4 seasons on Wednesday evenings and Sunday morning. Special Sportif Ladies rides are run two nights a week in season.

Blacksmith Cycle

Probably the best club for sheer bike nerds, Blacksmith's weekly ride is typically composed of bike industry types (Cervelo employees are a common sight) and local racers looking to put in some group miles. The level of rider is quite high, but the pace of the rides are reasonable, so you don't necessarily have to worry about constantly being dropped. Rides take place on Saturdays and cover about 85km.

Toronto Bicycling Network (TBN)

Regular rides of widely varying distances (and speeds), this is the type of club that offers something for almost all riders – trail rides, short, long, difficult, easy, etc. Rides take place throughout the week and, the meeting point is dictated by the ride (i.e. "Sunday Easy Roller" or "Sunday Country Cruises") and can leave both from the East or West end of the city. 

D'Ornellas

The 25+ year old club is perfect for east-enders, with a starting point of Lawrence and Victoria Park. Rides typically head north out of the city to Markham and Stouffville and come in a variety of lengths depending on the skill level of the riders participating. 

TRIATHLON (SWIM/ CYCLE/ RUN) > 

Start line @ Worlds in Edmonton 2014

Finding a club or coach for triathlon is like dating - before you commit you need to know what YOU'RE looking for and ask them the right questions. Know what your goals are and what type of environment you’re looking for before you start experimenting.

If you opt for a coach, most coaches will have a survey - I suggest you develop one too and to probe some criteria (i.e. coaching cert/ NCCP designation, # of athletes they coach throughout the year, amount of communication, feedback method, cost, philosophy, structure, etc.).

Toronto Triathlon Club 

Offering a group dynamic to train open water swimming in the summers and group cycling year round. They will provide you with a group to lean on with some coaches for the entire group; but not custom. 

UofT Triathlon Club

They offer a group setting and a group program to help you get going. Meeting for swims and indoor training rides and track or outdoor runs at the University of Toronto Athletic Facility. Caution that the hours to use the facilities are wonky because the school has to cater to the varsity teams and students before they carve out track, pool or spin studio time for the Tri Club. The membership fee starts to add up: Athletic Club (AC) membership + Tri Club membership + Masters Track Club (if you want more options for using the indoor 200m track in the winter) + Masters Swim Club (if you want more options for the 50m pool).

Toronto Athletic Club

Where I train...my swim coach James Corcoran is based out of here as a strength trainer. The swim program is perfect for me (despite the 25 yrd. pool)...lots of strong swimmers (2 olympic swimmers I get to chase in my lane) and once per week. The winter indoor training is great and the people are what make it!  

NRG Performance Training (NRGPT)

NRG Performance Training (NRGPT) is a professional coaching service working with athletes from across Canada and around the world. At NRGPT we specialize in endurance sports training. Our coaches are dedicated, experienced and passionate about what they do and we work closely with our athletes using individualized training programs. Their athletes range from first time Tri a Tri athletes to Hawaii Ironman qualifiers, Elite athletes, runners and cyclists. They don't have facilities so it’s the programming that you’re paying for. I've done a few clinics (swim) with them and they know their stuff!

Team Atomica 

THis is a rockstar team and lineup of coaches! Tara Norton came from Absolute Endurance and I run with her track team now and Ayesha Rollinson runs the Cherry Beach open water swimming in season that I participate in too. These women are wonderful and they can coach you or you can opt into their programs (swim, run, bike groups) as it fits your calendar. 

Lake Ontario Swim Team (L.O.S.T)

An informal group of swimmers who swim in Lake Ontario in Oakville, Rob Kent started the group in 2006 while training for his English Channel attempt. In an effort to try and bring back open water swimming to one of the most famous bodies of water in open water history, Rob started LOST Swimming – they meet every Saturday morning at 8:00 am in Oakville at the Lake and swim a marked course with buoys and lifeguards!

RUNNING > 

 

There are loads of running clubs in Toronto if that is your focus! I would recommend looking to a coach with experience coaching triathletes if you are racing in that sport to customize your program to fit with the swimming and cycling volume you have or train with a club that incorporates running (i.e. UofT Tri Club or Toronto Triathlon Club).

Some options listed on Blog TO include:

http://www.blogto.com/sports_play/2012/05/running_clubs_in_toronto/

Hammer Ambassador 2014/ 2015

Living the life of a competitive Age Group athlete, balancing a career, a busy training schedule and somewhat of a social life is not easy (or desired by many people for that matter). Despite the challenges, I am beyond passionate about training and racing –the healthy, competitive lifestyle alone has drawn me to sport and kept me infatuated. The physical and mental challenges that the sports of cycling, running and swimming have posed have taught me so much about these disciplines and myself – I am proud of my accomplishments, my effort and the person I’ve become in the past few years. I could not have realized any of this success without my coaches, mentors, supporters/ sponsors, family and friends that believed in me and imparted so many lessons on me.

I was selected as one of Hammer Nutrition Canada’s Athlete Ambassadors in 2014 and again for 2015; to say that being a part of the team has impacted me would simply be an understatement...the whole experience has been a whirlwind! The community that I've felt around me, supporting and encouraging me is not only unexpected, but also overwhelming. It is an honor to be an advocate for the brand and product; I loved sharing the benefits of training with a high quality training fuel and before, during or after a workout and/or throughout the day. The community engagement I feel is immense and I am proud to be representing a brand I believe in – I attribute much of my success last year (hitting the podium in all the triathlon and cycling races I competed in) to my better understanding and appreciation for nutrition as it plays an integral role in training more effectively and becoming healthier. I'm itching for the race season to kick off; watch out! 

Escape from Alcatraz pre-race ride.

(ABOVE) Pre-race ride in San Francisco before the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon!

Edmonton Worlds 14' - leading the pack! 

(ABOVE) Road course during the World ITU Age Group Grand Final Championships in Edmonton - finishing (after a flat tubular on the bike course)! 

Comin' in HOT (and dancing) at Welland 1/2 IM

(ABOVE) Finishing my first 1/2 Ironman in Welland - placing 3rd in my AG!

Team Canada @ Worlds in Edmonton 14' (me in the 2nd row from the back, left of the pole with red headband)

(ABOVE) Team Canada photo shoot at the World Championships for Olympic distance Triathlon (me in the 2nd last row from the back, right side). 

5 Tips: Training for a Training Camp

Your Best Season Starts in the OFF-Season...

The“Off” season - it’s that time of year where eager cyclists take off to a warm destination to vacation and train for a week. Training camps have long been a pillar of the early season preparation for the spring/ summer of racing; typically a place with long, smooth open roads to build a solid base and increase volume through mileage over six or seven days.

Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran cyclist, here are the top 5 things to do and prepare before taking off for a destination training camp to get the most out of your investment in time, money and watts (energy).

#1 Set Expectations: Set Camp Goals

• Set Goals: go into the camp with a fresh perspective and set some realistic goals on what you want to get out of the camp/week. For example, don’t set a general goal of “I want to get faster”, instead target something specific and work on one each day or for the entire week such as:
• “I want to work on my endurance by riding further”
• “I want to push myself to get mentally stronger when riding hills”
• “I want to work on my pack riding skills”
• “I want to work on keeping a high cadence”

Of course the bottom line is to have fun and enjoy yourself but with a focus on training and wracking up some massive mile count (and Strava records), it’s easy to forget to enjoy the simple pleasures of cycling itself…stop and smell the espresso!

• Training for a camp: It may sound backwards that you would train for a training camp; however, you definitely don’t want to arrive at camp with limited fitness. It will be expected that you will ease yourself into the week by taking it steady on the first couple of days/ rides to minimize the stress on your body and be able to last the whole week ahead.  

#2 Planning: Before You Go

• Insurance: Be sure to look into your employers’ insurance or personal insurance before leaving. In the instance that you are injured while riding, you want to be sure you have coverage to be treated in another country/ location should anything happen.

• Tune Up: Some athletes choose to rent a bike from a local bike shop for the week and take their dimensions with them to be fit/ adjusted on that bike. If you’re not planning on renting a bike and bring your own, your bike should be in 'working order' before packing it in the bike bag/ box. A small tune up, new cables, tires, cassette, etc. as needed would be fitting and ensure your bike is in prime working condition.

•  Contact Lenses, Prescriptions & Vitamins: If you are taking any medications, vitamins and/or wear contact lenses, have your supply with you and bring a prescription re-fill with you in any case your luggage is lost or delayed in flight.

•  Safety: It would be smart to have a RoadID purchased with your personal information included in the instance that you have an accident.

•  Shuttle vs. Car Rental: The choice to rent a car or use an airport shuttle sometimes comes up. Every camp is different and may offer an airport shuttle to the accommodations, if not and you don’t anticipate driving much during the week, a taxi might be easier than working through the logistics of renting a car with a bike in tote.

• Local Clubs: If you choose to train in a more casual setting with friends from your club you may want to explore whether there is a local club that rides out of the destination/ area you are visiting. In the case that there is, connect with them before you go and see about training with them for a weekend or weekday morning ride – a great way to meet other people and checkout some new routes.  

• Dietary restrictions/ allergies & other information (i.e. work, family, etc.): It’s important to inform the camp leaders/ organizers in advance if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies so that they can plan to offer different options to you. It would also be wise to let them know of anything happening in your life if you are dealing with any other responsibilities/ stress that might impact your training or focus throughout the week.

#3 What to Pack: Don’t Forget 

• Clothing: Be prepared, conditions early in the season can be temperamental, even in sunny places like Arizona. Climbs may get chilly, winds may be a factor and the sun/ heat can sizzle your paler winter skin (sunscreen is a must). Be sure to bring enough clothing to cover the bases – layers, lightweight jacket, waterproof items, gloves and toe covers as the whether can turn when you least expect it. 

•  In your Jersey: If you are going to an organized camp with ride support, you shouldn’t have to worry about a map for the unfamiliar ride routes. However, always ride with a phone and in case of getting lost or an accident, carry:
• the phone number of the ride leader(s)
• the number of the local emergency services
• the address of the location you are staying at
• the insurance company number

It’s always a good idea to bring repair items such as a couple of tubes, puncture repair kit, tire levers, a pump or CO2 cartridges (although, buy these at the local bike shop when you arrive as they are NOT permitted on many airlines).

• Fuel: Food, Gels, Mix: Some camps will provide the fuelling products (i.e. fruit, gels, mixes, bars, etc.) to the athletes as part of the inclusions in the camp costs; however, if you prefer a certain type of fuel, request it in advance. Be sure to ask what is provided and, if necessary, be prepared with your own supply for the week and plan extra in case you underestimate how much you will need for the longer rides you will likely be logging.

• Hydrate: Bottles, Sprays & Eye Drops: Don’t forget to bring your own bottles (leave them on your bike when you pack it) and drink loads of fluid while traveling – it can sometimes take a few days for your body to adjust to the altitude and humidity of some locations. Eye drops and nasal sprays may also help with the dry air and wind that you will face.

#4 Riding: Things to Think About

• Water & Prep (heat hydration, climate): The main topic athletes discuss when they arrive at a camp is adaptability and the juxtaposed climate they are experiencing (heck, that’s part of the reason why you’re there, to ride and escape the winter and your respective pain caves!). The conditions are typically extremely hot and there is sometimes limited shade to offer relief - Mother Nature plays a huge role in your performance and ability to train harder and maximize your time and quality of training. You must alter your hydration/ nutrition plan to ensure sufficient consumption:

• HEAT: Pace: Adjust your speed based on how you feel. Hydration: increase your planned fluid intake (i.e. 1.5 bottles per hour vs. 1) and include a water bottle filled with electrolyte mix. 

• WIND: Pace: a howling headwind can feel similar to a 60 - 70 km climb on a ride; but acknowledge that this is a treat to you - treat the wind as a climb and focus on building strength and mental toughness as you push one pedal at a time. Hydration: Like a climb going into the wind is much harder. Avoid basing your hydration strategy on distance (go with time) to get a sense of what you need for the work you’ve been doing.

• Pack Riding: In a camp with cyclists from different places, there is typically a range of experience and skill present. Although you may be comfortable pack riding in a club/ team you ride with at home, give yourself more space between wheels the first few days of riding to get comfortable and build trust and avoid unnecessary accidents. Also read and understand the Cyclists Responsibility Code and the respective Highway and Traffic Act of the location you're visiting to ensure you understand the laws of that location. 

• ASK the Experts: You are paying for the camp leader’s expertise; don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask for feedback. Outline at the start of the week what you want to work on and your intentions. If you have questions, want to learn how to change a flat tire, work on breathing while riding, gear selection, etc., just ASK. 

• Concerns: The camp leads want to ensure you have a great experience; if you are not enjoying the week or something is “off” about the camp (i.e. your bed is too hard, the food is not ideal, the rides are too easy/ hard, you don’t understand something the coach is explaining, etc.) be sure to let the camp organizer know during the camp vs. heading home and sending an email after the camp has wrapped and the opportunity to fix it has passed. 

#5 Other Activities: During & Post Camp

• Rest, Explore & X-train: It’s not vital that you ride from 8 – 5 each day and typically after a long ride you will return to your accommodation and relax/ rest. Try to soak up the environment you are in and explore! Try to mix up your training with an ocean or lake or pool swim (destination dependent) or maybe a trail run or a hike to gain a different perspective. You can also check out local markets, art, music and culture of the locals.

• Memories: Don’t forget to take pictures, journal and reflect on your progress as an athlete and your experience and send post cards home! You will spend a lot of time with the other campers on the bike and likely forge new friendships and connections; do remember to swap contact info. to coordinate a race or ride later in the season together!

• Periodization: When you return home from camp it’s often tempting to keep the pressure on and the pedal down (or rotating in this case); however, you risk overdoing it and overtraining. Give your body a break and a recovery week after camp; you will have a heightened chance of getting sick otherwise.