Group training can be fun and push you in ways you may not be able to do on your own. But is it beneficial for your training and achieving your goals? There are pros and cons to both group and solo training. In this article, we’ll cover those points to help you determine when group training works – and when it doesn’t.
For beginners, group training can be valuable for learning from more experienced athletes about gear, swim technique, bike handling and etiquette, and training methods. Group training can also be a great motivator. You are more likely to show up when you know others are waiting for you to show up, so this can be great for accountability.
For more experienced athletes, group training environments may distract you from the training that best suits you or that you need during different times of the year. And a group makes it easier to push yourself into injury or overtraining with too much volume or intensity. But there are still benefits to group workouts for all levels of athletes. Let’s take a look at each discipline.
Masters Swims
Masters swims can be great for making swimming more fun, meeting others, holding you accountable in the pool, and having stroke critique/analysis if there’s a coach on deck. When looking for a masters group, find out if they offer endurance workouts and if there are other triathletes in the group. A master’s group that is solely focused on preparing for swim meets may not fit your needs.
The downside of swimming with a masters group is that you will not get a specific, customized workout for you that a coach would give you to work on your weaknesses or for preparing for your race distance. However, if it means you show up to the pool more, it’s worth the trade off.
Group Rides
Group rides can be a good way to learn new and safe bike routes in your area, meet other riders (and future training buddies), improve bike handling skills, while you get a great workout. Additionally, riding with a group can make you more visible (and safer) to drivers on the road.
Ride a road bike if you have one, but if not, a tri bike can work. You should check with a group before you show up with your TT bike, as some groups will not permit aero bars or tri bikes at all. If you do ride your tri bike in a group, stay off the aero bars since you’ll be riding closely to other riders or drafting. Pay close attention to verbal warnings and hand signals for road obstacles and upcoming turns and stops, and pass the message on to those behind you. For information on common group ride signals, see this article.
Group rides are not ideal for when you have a specific or key workout you need to nail precisely, or on a day you have an easy ride and need to keep effort and power controlled. So, talk to your coach about when they make sense to add in and when it’s best to go solo.
Group Runs
Group long runs or track workouts can be great for making the miles fly by and making the workout less mentally taxing. On the track, it can be much easier to push intervals when chasing a training buddy than pushing yourself on your own.
However, just like for the other disciplines, when you have a specific or key workout to hit and your training buddies aren’t doing that same workout, it’s best to go alone. This is important for those easier, steady-state runs when the prescription is to keep the effort easy. Remember: easy training serves a very important purpose in your program!
Endurance sport training can be lonely, and at times boring with 6 hour rides, or 2-3 hour runs, etc.. Adding some group workouts in your schedule when they make sense can make training a lot more fun, and can be even be beneficial, especially if you find it hard to push on your own. Both solo and group training have their place, so use those training buddies when it makes sense, and be sure to go it alone when it doesn’t. When in doubt: ask your coach!