Go solo and have fun. Ditch the watch, heart rate monitor, power meter, and phone. You don't need to train and race to be a triathlete.

Hello. I have resumed training this month. I am not in the mood of suffering while I train or race. I left my old squad and doing just on my own...I did not like the atmosphere: too much ego, too much talking about equipment... and no laughs...what would you suggest to train or with whom would you train (running squad, cycling squad, no squad..)?? It seems that all is about being fast. I am over 40 and I dont find the appeal of training wihout enjoying anymore... same happens to anybody here?


I hear these sorts of stories regularly and it's unfortunate.

I've been really lucky my whole Endurance Sports journey from the time I started running in my mid-teens, to 15+ years in Triathlon, to now 60+, riding for the most part with really good and strong Masters cyclists. I always happened into a training group that was very good - with some of the best athletes in the area and the country, and it was always a very good situation - hard training, but no one taking themselves too seriously. Lot's of laughs. Lot's of internal group encouragement. A group, swim, ride or run was something I really looked forward to and was motivated by! Just went for one of the first outdoor group 100k rides of the year - and it was awesome!

I always thought - ALL groups are like this, but as previously mentioned, I know that's not the case!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Find a group of beginners to help out and motivate. Or disabled athletes as a guide

Find a group of beginners to help out and motivate. Or disabled athletes as a guide


Perfect! Thank you for that addition!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I did this and it was a massive breath of fresh air! My best race was completely tech free.

Not long ago, I found a page in one of my (many) notebooks that said:

"The Runner enjoys running when They need not flee the Lion" --- p. 44

I have no fucking clue a) what that means, b) "page 44 of what?"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Lots of great replies here. Train solo, that's fine. "Suffering" IS fun, self induced anyway. It's why i like the early season bike training in the northeast US, always made me feel tougher, thinking of the hard core pro bike racer types in the Spring Classics.
If you're not feeling it Juanillo, that's a whole other thing. sounds like you do like the training though. screw the 'squad' thing then and drill it solo like a champ, just because you want to. And share it here. ST can serve as your squad.

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http://www.PatGriskusTri.com USAT Certified Race Director
2024 Races: USAT State of CT Age Group Championship/State of CT HS Champs/ CT Club Championship - Sat June 15th (Oly/Du/Sprint) Hopkins Vineyard Tri at Lake Waramaug Saturday July 13th http://www.HopkinsVineyardTri.com

You should get paid for posting here, seriously.

One other question that comes to mind: is the lion a rapist? (Yes, I should pay to post here).

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"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden

Thank you all for the replies! I have noted down your suggestions!

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Spaniard. Sorry for my english for the sensitive ones :P

Learn to appreciate and enjoy the rhythm of each different discipline, not the absolute speed. And bear in mind that comparison is the thief of joy.

Thanks! I appreciate that!!!



Considering the troubles female runners have while training outside (starting with catcalls, comments upon #whorepants, and escalating from there) that is a valid point

It would be more difficult for a female runner to feel completely at ease in almost any situation, especially if she is alone, vs. the male runner, who can pretty much go about his business in a carefree manner anywhere/anytime

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

One of the biggest complements I have received at the finish line was "It is nice to see someone going as fast as you and still having fun". I was over 40 at the time (now in the 45-49 AG). I was having fun. In my 20's I wanted to see how good I could be. I learned to push myself to the limits. Some days I would race well. Other days I would end up puking my guts out before crossing the finish line and feeling sick after the race. I was young and found it satisfying to know that I had laid it all out on the line. When I started to get close to 30 years old I was not seeing PR's anymore so I trained harder and harder. I was slowing my decline, but was not able to improve. I though my best days were behind me so I could it retire or I could change my focus from pushing my limits to enjoying what I was doing. I decided to try some new race distances (new PR opportunities) and focus on having fun over focusing on pushing myself to my limit. When I did my first half marathon I did not have a goal time, but I did have a goal to getting something to drink at every aid station, to find some kids to high-five along the route, and I did click my hills for the group of high school cheerleader that had the sign that said click your heels. That race was fun. I was not focused on time, I was not focused on pushing myself until I hurt, etc. Over the years I noticed that I often had my best races when I was NOT trying to PR and when I was just focused on having fun. I think that pushing myself to the limits was a bad pacing strategy and so I have learned to slow things down to where I can enjoy the race. As I have done that I have had more good races than bad races. I leave the ego at home, I don't have to worry about the the equipment because I am not racing the guy on the $10,000 bike. I am racing myself and everyone else there is just there to enjoy the same experience as I am. It doesn't matter if they are 10 seconds in front of me or 10 seconds behind me. I just do what I need to do and don't worry about the placing. As I have learned to slow down, my times have been getting faster. I train by myself most of the time. If I ever feel burnt out I slow down and focus on enjoying what I am doing.

I honestly believe that finding new and different ways to keep it fun in triathlon is a huge (and undermentioned) part of the battle to get better.

After all, we could all theoretically just ride our bike on a trainer in a 3 foot closet, run in a dark basement on a dingy treadmill, and swim in a sad kinda dirty pool for 20 hours a week. We all know that's never going to work.

As I've gotten faster, I've had to obviously train more and harder, and improve the quality of my rest. This has required a good deal of creativity, but it's been great. I've recently moved my bike training to mostly mountain climbs after 2 years of rolling TT stuff, do just enough triathlon masters and open water swims that are both inconvenient to get to but still keep it fun, and ruun on a mix of mountains, roads, etc. I try and go to different places to train if possible as well, but it's hard with a kid and tight schedule.

Still, I think it's critically important to look forward to workouts as much as possible. Some of them are just gonna suck, especially in beatdown weeks, but they should be more good than bad, and the bad ones should really lead to a lot more good ones.

This title is so funny!

But its true, triathlon moved away from the mountainbike leaned against the tree in transition and people experimenting with grandmas Christmas cake versus dates or ginger bread for fuel to people in skinsuits knowing everything about calorie intake vs oxidation and lactation, riding spaceships and complaining about cdp and ftp....improvement? I guess we will never know ;)

When I stopped group training I think I stopped getting faster, but I definitely enjoy solo training more.

I set my own schedule, run/bike from home, audible on the day's workout, etc.

I also am not a training plan person. Perhaps you can maintain speed training solo as long as you follow a plan.

Working out is healthy don't make it unhealthy by adding any negativity.

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Swim - Bike - Run the rest is just clothing changes.

Update (sort of): I reviewed other notes in the book to get any idea of when I might've read that, then consulted my GoodReads profile, as well as my borrowing history from our library and Hoopla digital resource

Interestingly, I was not reading anything even adjacent to running at that time

Another - remote - possibility is that I dreamed that I read that quote and jotted it down - this happens more than it should, honestly

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I fully understand that your post is dripping with sarcasm, BUT there is much that you wrote that speaks to me (sadly). I don't hate myself, but I do like to suffer... and suffer... and suffer. For me, it is finding the edge. The breaking point. The line where should I cross it... all hell with my body breaks loose (cramping, pain, dizziness, puking, etc.)... and then riding that B*TCH for as long as I can. Is this healthy? Probably not. Mentally insane? Very definitely maybe. Does this equal enjoyment? Not in the moment. BUT... that is how I'm wired.

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In search of the righteous life... we all fall down

Don't know if it could be your thing, but I find super fun DIY triathlons, either solo or with a few friends. No travel to race site, no entry fee, no worry about wheather: just take the bike to the lake and craft your own event. Actually, that's how it started

I do something like that all the time, especially during the holiday season

I even make my own bibs LOL

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClWFqddrEag/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmR8e_7Pn2j/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm4PzfRLQNK/

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

those are pieces of art!

Is the book "This is how to loose the time time war" on one of those lists?

Actually, YES!!! And it's in the right place!!! 😎

I would've never suspected!!! Thank you!!!

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Thank you!!!

It occurred to me some time ago, that making up the bibs and so on, is sort of a continuation of the work I did when I was making up flyers for the bands I was in and venues I would play back in my Punk Rock days

The elements are much the same: catchy imagery, dates, other details ($ admission then, distance now)

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

FWIW: I told her the story of this thread and my daughter knew right away

"How did you know that's where it came from?"
"Because I saw you write down"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

My job involved me being accountable for every second.
No way was training ever going to follow a strict training plan.
I’d wake up, not even think until the first coffee was done, then, I’d look at temperature, and wind. Got into that habit after 3 years on the Central Coast. Feel like swimming ? Swim? Mate wants a hike and kayak? Done. Bike up to Big Sur, timing the Norwester? No worries.
Had a few last night? No need for intervals.
If you know me, this has given me some startling results.
The big take away was you don’t have to run much.
Next lesson, was a fluid lifestyle translated to the same results as strict adherence to doctrinaire coaching.
Amazing how much surf kayaking SOT, translates to swimming.
You don’t even have to get in the drops for long rides. Fartlek all damn day.
You don’t have to do flip turns or intervals, swimming, unless you drink Blast Radius coffee, thank you, sponsor plug. Just swim like a metronome.
I don’t swim with competitors, in open water. I go with a group of ladies, who’ll go slow, stop and chat, get going, call everyone over with a turtle or shark spotting, and hang out for a long time. Get used to the cold ocean.
Play Aussie Rules football, clubs world wide, not rugby!. That’s how I got fit, and mass swim starts seemed soft kicks and brush bys.
I used to be all about winning, now it’s all about my friends in the back racks, as we age, over the decades, and compare hip and knee replacements, and, beer garden.