5 Ways to Use Group Training to Your Advantage
1) Always train with people who are better than you. This may feel uncomfortable on some level for you, but you will see results. One of the reasons why many people fail to take things to a higher level in their lives is the fact that there are people around them whose standards are not high in a certain area because they want to see better results.
If you want to run 8 minute miles in a race, you don’t want to train with people who run 11 minute miles without a bike. They won’t be able to catapult you to the next level and may even think you’re the fastest thing within 2 feet. Not ideal for improvement anyway.
2) Learn with the experts. Train with clean swimmers, cyclists and runners. You might be thinking, “that’s a triathlete!” The answer to that is, NO. Triathletes tend to be average at all 3, and many will teach you bad habits just by training around them long enough. Good swimmers, cyclists and runners, on the other hand, will teach you how to properly use technique and maintain your pace. This will mainly come in the form of observation from you and osmosis. There, good habits will seep into you and make you better.
3) Be who you are meant to be. When training and competing, think of yourself as a swimmer, cyclist and runner. Often triathletes rationalize that they are weak in one or more of the events because they are triathletes. This is a limiting belief that prevents many from taking it to the next level. Start training with others who are aware that you want to be and you will start to see the difference. As the saying goes “Be, Do, Have”.
4) Be smart. Obviously you have to be smart about training with others too. We all know that many group workouts can turn into an absolute hammer fest. Hammer time any day of the week can bring you down faster than a gray dog. Be smart about incorporating these types of training. Use your heart rate monitor and power meter to gauge your intensity so you can gauge how hard you’re training. Overall, these sessions can be the most helpful in taking you to the next level.
5) Earn your respect. Attend these group sessions consistently and follow the rules. many of the purists out there love to hate triathletes. Earn respect by shutting up and just doing it. Your actions will speak louder than your words every time.
A word to the wise while they were on the subject. Roadies love to hate triathletes, and perhaps rightly so, as they often appear on tribikes and may not know the rules of group riding. Trikes are harder to control, less responsive and have massive trikes that can cause damage in a group crash. Thus, appearing in a group riding one of these bikes is often perceived as disrespectful to the passengers. Make sure you at least know the group ride ordinance and rules before you show up on one of these rides.
#Ways #Group #Training #Advantage
