Well a about a year and a half ago, a buddy of mine started something in Albuquerque called TriTeam SW. It quickly grew to racers from the entire state of NM and west Texas and El Paso regions. There are signifgant numbers right now (around 70 or so) but there is definately a "team" cohesion even though we are all really spread out. Within the team there are quite a few "cliqs" that all train together. They break up into these cliqs just because of the proximity to eachother. The team has a good mix of racers from Pro down to newbies. In fact one Pro is fairly common poster to this site (he can voice in if he feels) and he also offers coaching advice to our various teamates. That probably helps keep the interest high also. Some are fast and some are slow, but we all train with a purpose. Occasionally throught the year there are a few organized training events that will ususally surround a race most members do.

I think what really helps build the "enclave" is that we have the luxury of a real well ran race series with around 20-25 different regional races to compete in (SW Challenge series). Most are sprint, a few oly and one 1/2 IM Kona qualifier. It seems that almost everybody's goal is to do well in the points series and peak for all hte "big" races in the series and use the other races as filler,etc. At races we can all relate to each other and help encourage each other as we see them.

The team site is www.triteamsw.com

We also have a great editor for the local news and that helps alot as well. That site is www.transitiontimes.com/newmexico

Yuck

I guess I'm really thinking of something less inclusive than the typical tri-club. don't get me wrong, I'm all for everyone being involved in this sport that wants to be. I typically don't talk about race times and age-group placings with other triathletes, but I think some of this all-inclusiveness is has a negative side to. basically that finishing is good enough, that speed doesn't matter. so, I don't just want someone to go ride with, I want a small group of people that I'm trying to run into the ground (and that are trying to run me into the ground). I ride with a couple of roadies and we often get this thing going on, but the triathletes I know (including myself a lot of the time) are too stuck to a rigid training schedule for their one big race. my take on Dan's enclave idea and Skid's epic camp, is more of the hyper competitive thing.

maybe I'm misreading what dan is getting at, or maybe dan is really only trying to address the elite situation.

These Enclaves seem two develop either by force( A National body setting up a training centre) or by luck/circumstance/timimg( finding out that a few good athletes live in your area and hooking up with them). I have no experience with the former, but I have had experience with the latter. Whereever I have lived I have tried to plug into the local scene to try and find a good group(s) to train with and I have been quite luck and succeeful at doing this. I owe these groups a lot because in each instance they were a big reason for my improvment.

From my experience some notes:

1.If improvemnet is a goal from a personal perspective you have seek out people that are better than you. Who will force you to push it beyond what you would nromally do.

2. You need to individually and collectivly as a group set aside "the programs". There are too many programs out there. There are too may people doing, "There own thing". As Gordo Bryn says - JFT( Just *&%ing Train). Everyone seems to be worried about, heart rate, pace, intensity, macro cycles, micro cycles, body fat, LT, Vo2 etc . . JFT

3. Tap the reasources of the group for the hard workouts and take your easy days on your own.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I think that talkin' a lot of smack is very helpful in building a real training group. Stay with me here...

Just start ribbing your buddies with random comments like, "Hey Fishie, I got myself through that whole group ride trying to decide whether I was going to pass you near the end of the bike or at the start of the run in our next race", or "Just think, next year when you age up, you're a real podium threat [if you get that sex change operation too]".

These sorts of comments will really rankle your training partners, who will likely return fire. The benefit of this is that everyone will at least start to focus on the same races you are so that they can put you in your place. This gets everyone on similar cycles, with similiar goal races, and voila, you've got yourself a seed group for an enclave.

I'm there on 1 & 3, this has worked well for me on my cycling. 2's the hard part. Triathletes are much more "on the program" than either the runners or the cyclists. I know I have been in the past myself. I've done that and gotten results, so why change? well, because I think it's only going to get me so far. plus those group hammer rides are so much fun!

maybe I'll try mr. mike's smack talk idea. though the people I've picked won't take me serious because they probably know they can beat me!

We all talk a lot of crap to each other, even the slow guy in our group. But Mr. Mike is right, it totally motivates you and everyone else, besides it is fun. Maybe I can beat a slow triathlete in a sprint race but he can tear up the group ride or the sign sprint...bragging rights, that's what it is all about.

eventually everyone will have similar goals because you lay a bet or something down for a certain race.

Brad, where in WA are you? A small group is being formed on the eastside (Bellevue, Redmond etc). I think the enclaves that Dan was referring to were generally formed around a coach (or University) and several elite athletes. These attracted others. In Pullman (of all godforsaken places) in the early 80's there was a runners enclave built up from the track team. I think they went on to set numerous world records and change the methods of training for years to come.

I'm helping to build a Triathlon Team on the Eastside of Seattle - named Team T3 - that I know Brad is aware of (considering we work together) and do some training together.

Within that group I'd love to get some guys together to form a little "enclave" of individuals who want to do more than just finish. We can go on hammer-fest rides, grueling tempo/interval/hill workouts and even simulated mass start swims in order to really push each other to the breaking point.

Hopefully Brad is up for getting something like that going :)

get me a bike help me find a job out there i'd be more than happy to join your enclave.

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