I’m going to be in Toronto for Thanksgiving - (but probably without the turkey since Canadian Thanksgiving was 6 weeks ago)
Can any of you TO-gang recommend a swim practice or a group ride on the weekend? I’ll be there all weekend long. I’ll be staying in the Yonge - Egg area.
thkx.
Can’t help much since I train all by my lonesome, but here are some links you should check out:
D’Ornellas Bike shop has a group ride (they’re also having an open house this weekend): http://www.dornellas.com/DOrnellasTheClub.asp
Endurosport also has group rides through their Athletes First club: http://www.athletesfirst.ca/mclub.html
Many of the regular group rides have ended for the season and now they only go out if the weather is ok. For swimming I would go to www.swimmersguide.com for masters groups in the area. There’s probably one at the YMCA downtown. I know there’s one at the YMCA at Sheppard and Bayview, but that’s probably too far away for you.
I know there’s at least one poster here who swims with a group, so maybe they’ll see this post and reply (mfreeman72?? maybe try sending him a message). Enjoy the city while you’re here. It’s been really nice out lately, but I hear it’s going to get colder for the weekend.
D.
Sorry to kill you with details…this might be a longish post.
The master’s group I’ve just started swimming with (or at least, trying to) swims Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 8pm to 9m. Most people are triathletes, and it’s held at the Leaside pool, about 10 minutes drive from Yonge and Eglinton.
As a bonus, I live at Yonge and Eglinton, so if you need a ride there, I can oblige. If you tell the woman at the front desk that you’re just trying the club out, you’ll probably be able to swim free.
If you can’t make that practice, but want to swim that weekend, the North Toronto Community Centre is a 5 minute walk west on Eglinton from Yonge. It’s got a great 25m pool (it’s where I do most of my swimming outside the group), and each swim will cost you roughly $2.50. Their hours F-Sa-Su for length swimming are as follows:
F: 7-8:30, 11:30-13:30, 20:00-21:30
Sa: 13:00-14:30
Su: 11:30-13:30
As for group rides, you can ride with the world-famous “Donut ride”, assuming you bring your bike. It’s an informal group that leaves every Sat and Sunday at 9:00AM, from the Great Canadian Bagel (formerly a donut place) at Laird and Eglinton, roughly 10 minutes by bike east of Yonge. It’s about a 90KM loop, going up to King City (where they break for coffee and donuts). The first part is easy: the middle part is a bit of a hammerfest. They’re real roadies, and don’t suffer aerobars gladly (I’ve been waiting to ride with this group until I had something to ride other than my tri bike). At this time of year, I’m not sure how many people will show, but they ride year round on the weekend and any statutory holidays. In the summer the group can be 30-40 riders. The quality of the riders ranges, but I’ve heard that Mike Barry of the USPS team has shown up on a few of the rides in the past (he’s from Toronto, and his father runs a very highly-regarded bike manufacture and repair outfit here, Toronto Bicycle Works).
Whew! Sorry to inundate you with info. PM me with any questions, and if you want to swim Thursday night. As well, I’m sure we can find you some turkey…and you will be able to watch the football up here ;).
How do you like the swim group? Is that the pool on Laird? I was thinking of going to that last winter, but never made it. Is there a coach?
Thanks, D.
Yeah, it’s the pool on Laird behind the rink (I used to play hockey there as a wee lad). It’s a 25 yard pool, and not all that big, but the group is great, and everyone is super nice.
The coach is Fiona Gray from Endurosport/Athlete’s First, who is incredibly kind, if only because she didn’t openly mock me when seeing my stroke for the first time.
liar…liaaarrrrrr…you were never a wee lad…you were born large…very large…and you went out and got a sweet bike and I’ll still haven’t seen it.