Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I become a TTG member, if I can not attend a monthly meeting?

A: You can contact TJ, our Membership Coordinator, and through her you can become a member via mail or in person. When you join the club, youıll get a bunch of "free stuff" ­ T-shirt, coupons, membership card, Carb-BOOM gel, etc. We hope that youıll be able to attend a meeting so that we can meet you and welcome you the club, but if you canıt attend, just contact Julie to work out the details.

2. Where is our training schedule and how does it work?

A: Because we have so many club members of all different abilities who are training for all different events, we don't have one single training schedule. We DO schedule monthly, weekly, annual events that are typically posted on our TTG Yahoo Group calendar, which is located on the web here: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/TucsonTriGirls/cal February through October, we host a weekly coached swim practice on Sunday afternoons from 4:00 ­ 5:00. During the spring and fall we host a weekly track workout on Wednesday evenings. We also schedule sport specific clinics with coaches and other local resources about once a month. Additionally any TTG member can post a planned workout to the Yahoo Groups email list. These email announcements/invitations usually generate a response from other TTG club members. This process works best if the training session is planned in advance and published early, so that members can coordinate their schedules. If you choose to invite others to your workout session, please include the necessary details: - where and when will the workout start - which sport or sports - time duration or distance of the workout - what do people need to bring: equipment, money, etc. - info about how/when to RSVP for the workout

3. How do TTG members get together and train?

A: Most TTG members have met training partners by attending our regular club events: Sunday swim practices, Wednesday track practices, monthly clinics, monthly meetings, bike rides, and social events. The TTG club will not assign you training partners, but we will provide you every opportunity to meet other athletes of your same ability. We can almost guarantee that if you attend a bunch of TTG events, youıll end up with some great training partners. The key to finding training partners is: show up at club events, be clear about where and when you want to train, be friendly, and feel free to exchange contact info with others. We have more than a hundred Tri Girls training for all different types and distance events, so chances are good that someone else would like to train with you. Feel free to take the initiative to plan regular training sessions that are convenient for you, and youıll be able to find training partners!

4. If I am strong in only one sport but have an interest in the others, what should I do next?

A: Find other club members, coaches, instructors, friends, resources who can help you learn what you need to know about your newest sport. The Tri Girls usually schedule at least one clinic per month, and these cover all sorts of different topics for each of the three sports. Additionally, you can ask Tri Girls to help answer your beginner questions and refer you to other local resources. Donıt be shy, just plan to show up at our events and ask lots of questions! We have all been a beginner at one point in time and weıre all eager to share what we have learned.

5. I enjoy running, but want to learn more about cycling and swimming. What should I do?

A: Come to our swim practice, find others whoıd like to ride with you, find a regular group to ride with, sign up for a swim class, or pick another option! If you want to learn more, you can (1) read and learn online, or (2) practice on your own, or (3) practice and learn with others. Chances are good that someone else in the club has questions similar to yours.

6. During the Tucson Sprint Triathlons what should I eat/ drink/ supplement my nutrition with? What about nutrition during longer distance races?

A: Nutrition and fueling is a very personal subject, and the "right" answer varies for each individual. The short answer is that you should eat and drink during a race however you have learned to eat and drink during your training. Many people will tell you that you should never try anything new for the first time on race day. Nutrition needs will also vary according to race distance, difficulty, temperature, humidity, altitude, time of day, and time of year. We recommend that you learn what your specific nutrition needs are, and experiment with these during your training. That being said, we frequently invite nutrition experts to speak at our monthly meetings or present clinics for our club members, so there are a lot of great local nutrition resources available to the club.

7. How should a transition area be set up?

A: This is another question that every individual will answer differently. You should set up your transition area during a race however you practiced setting it up during your training. The more you race, the more comfortable you will become setting up your transition area, so the key to this is practice and experience. Our club schedules 3 transition clinics each year, before each of the local Tri Tucson Triathlons, specifically for people to practice setting up their transition area. Youıd be amazed at how much time you can reduce from your race if you practice your transitions! We usually have beginners and advanced athletes who learn some new trick at the transition clinics, so plan to attend these if you can. Another thing you can do is look at how other people set up their transition areas at the races ­ chances are good that you can learn something new just by observing someone else. So feel free to experiment and practice, and donıt forget your pre-race checklist so that you donıt leave any important equipment at home on race day!

8. What if Iım not sure yet if I want to join the Tucson Tri Girls?

A: Thatıs great -- we recommend that you join our free YahooGroups email list so you can gain a better understanding about our members and our training activities. You are always invited to attend a meeting or two before you decide if you want to join, or you can attend a workout or two. We are a very friendly group of women and weıd love to meet you to share more information about our club. Feel free to ask questions!

9. What if Iıve not yet done a triathlon. Can I still join your club?

A: Absolutely! We have many beginner triathletes in the club, and weıre sure that if you join the club and meet other members, our energy and enthusiasm will be contagious! We believe that meeting other triathletes is a great way to stay motivated and train regularly for your first race. We have many great resources within our club, and we look forward to helping you achieve your triathlon goals!

10. What if I only want to do short Sprint triathlons. Is that OK?

A: Absolutely! Some of our members are training for Ironman races, some are training for Half Ironmans, and others are training for Olympic distance races. Other members are very happy doing sprint distance triathlons. Some members are taking a break from triathlons to train for marathons or bike races. Other members do Xterra mountain bike triathlons and other members are still trying to decide which races they want to do! We have a great deal of diversity within our club, and we have absolutely no racing requirements. However much you want to train or race is just fine with us!