hi all,
I just moved to Madison WI and I am looking for tri clubs or related groups which are focused on Ironman training. I am fairly new to the sport and I think that having the support of a club or just knowing a few local experienced ironmen will be very beneficial.
Let me know if you have any incite.
Thanks,
choff
There are a couple of tri clubs in Madison:
Headhunters and Amy’s Play Group are the two bigger teams in Madison that I know of. Fleet Feet might also have a team? I understand that HH is a little more “exclusive” (or snobby/elite/typical triathlete?) and APG is more broadly accepting and lower key. I personally do not train with people in either club, so its just what I’ve heard. I would contact the clubs - both have websites - and see which fits you best.
There are regular runs at the local running stores (movin’ shoes, endurance house and fleet feet (I think))
If you are looking for open water swimming, SwimFast (swimfastmadison.com) is excellent. During the late spring/summer, the open water class meets 5 times a week (with occasional weekend swims) with usually one person in a canoe and a wide range abilities. I understand that swimfast may also be organizing a triathalon club/team for next year.
There are lots of choices in the Madison area depending on what you are looking for…
www.madisonmultisport.com This is the best tri club that I have found in the city. HHH is HUGE, APG is small…seems more like a group of friends. Check around. It is the Boulder of the midwest. Welcome to Madtown!
BB
hey there - just saw this note and welcome to Madison! I’ll weigh in on training centers and groups. SBR in Verona is an awesome training facility. The owner Jessica Laufenberg is a knowlegable and approachable. She and the people who work with her pride themselves on the focus and attention they give all athletes. There is no cookie cutter coaching going on there.
The atmosphere of the SBR facility is roomy, friendly and inviting. You can come in to ride a computrainer, take an Indoor Cycling class, work on your core , receive individual coaching, set up on-line coaching, have a V02 max test - bottom line - you’ll get faster and you’ll have fun doing it.
as for Tri clubs in Madsion
Headhunters - they have a yearly registration fee, hold meetings etc… they are a nice group of people
Fleet Feet - an awesome store and these guys put on great training programs for runs, marathons and they are every where at races
APG - a tri team who prides themselves on partying as hard as they race (they actually do both very well!) www.amysplaygroup.com
hope this helps
At least one person in APG is a little obsessed with showing off her fake boobs…looks like a fun club though.
Welcome to Madtown!
One “club” you might consider is the “Becoming an Ironman” team sponsored by Endurance House. It’s composed of about 35 local athletes from Kona qualifiers to newbies. About 90% of those on the team are training for Ironman Wisconsin 2008. The others are just interested in Ironman training in general and like the comraderie and support of having an Ironman-focused team.
Jamie Osborn, the owner of Endurance House, runs the show. It does cost $250 to be on the team, but the resources the Endurance House staff and the members of the team bring to the table make it well worth it. That cost also includes access to an on-line training plan specifically designed for Ironman Wisconsin, swim coaching and clinics, a 15% year-long store discount, monthly supported team training rides and runs, monthly educational seminars concerning the sport of triathlon, team race gear (tri shorts and top) and two race entries for local triathlons next summer. So it ends up paying for itself pretty quickly, even if you aren’t actually competing in the 2008 version of Ironman Wisconsin.
Check out the Endurance House website if you’re interested in finding out more.
Good luck with your training!
I highly recommend Edurance House. Fantastic outfit and one of our sponsors.
Check out TriWisconsin Triathlon Team (www.triwisconsin.org). We are out of the Milwaukee area, but, have a number of members near Madison.
Any idea what races Endurance House is offering free entries to?
The exact events are TBD as Jamie is still working out the details with individual race directors. I think the thought right now is that team members will receive a free entry to the Madison Marathon (or 13.1) in May as well as one local olympic distance race during the early part of the season (“early” for Wisconsin, anyway – meaning June). The third race (second triathlon) will likely be a mid-season half ironman, but given the $100+ entry costs of most half-ironman races around here, this would probably be offered as a significantly-discounted entry as opposed to an entirely free one.