To team or not to team...

On Tuesday, through sheer coincidence, I realized that my Thursday spinning instructor, who teaches the lunchtime class to video stages of the Tour de France, lives down the street from me. As we chatted about training, he invited me to participate in a 60 mile group bike ride he was leading this Saturday. I'm not going to participate, right now, all I have is an eleven year old hybrid bike with a wobbly back wheel. Though it got me to thinking about the benefits of team training.

I do a team work out on Wednesdays that I enjoy, but it’s a little different. It’s geared toward getting in shape and losing weight, not triathlons. The local triathlon store, 3X Fast has a race team and I’ve inquired a couple of times when I was in the store, but I got the distinct impression that they weren’t that into in me. First, I’m a beginner and second, judging by the pictures online, I’m not sure how good I would look in their skin tight tank top or the one piece tri suit.

Regardless, I sent them an email through their website and I received a polite email in response. They have a general meeting in November and I am encouraged to attend to check it out for myself. I wasn’t exactly overwhelmed. They do offer some clinics on improving riding skills and transitions, which I may check out. Don’t get me wrong, I like the store, but as a beginner, I’m still not one of the cool kids. Que sera.

Having played team sports most of my life, I enjoy the camaraderie and support you get from teammates. I just wish there were a beginner level team or group that I could join. We’ll see. There is another team in Greely that I might look into, but it’s a bit of a hike.