Tri Clubs in Atlanta

Eric & Meredith,
The NAMSC website is currently in the middle of a redesign for the 2011 tri season.  However I've moved the majority of the content into the public view today at http://atltri.com if you would like to take a look and find out more about our club and some of our activities.

Justin 

WTF.  PM me with the SPECIFICS of why you posted this comment.  To make a statement like that better be based on something concrete.  As they say in Texas, mess with the bull, you get the horns.

I have had an association with at least three of the clubs mentioned throughout this chain of posts. Each club had some great things to offer, but each club was a bit different, so my only advice is to take advantage of attending some trial "events" with each club and decide which one fits your needs and wants the best.

Good luck with your resolution. I hope you enjoy your training and the local tri community.

When I first started out in endurance sports I joined Get Fit Atlanta. At the time I was only running so I was involved with the marathon program mostly but then started to swim and bike with members of the tri program. They have a great running program. It is a pretty big group so you will always have someone to train with. I can't really speak for their tri club but I don't think it's as big as their marathon program.

I then joined NAMC. This club has a good group of people, but it's not structured (or at least wasn't) like you (the OP) was looking for. The group workouts were not scheduled or official workouts of the club. Basically you are on your own as far as schedules/coaching is concerned. They do have a forum but it's been a while since I've been on it so I can't really speak as to how active it is. They do have a knowledgeable  and experienced group.

Next up, I joined the Atlanta Tri Club and I am currently a member and coach. So, obviously I love this club but I still think I am objective. It has everything you (The OP) are looking for except for location. We have a professional triathlete as one of our swim coaches and another top ranked Masters swimmer coaching. You would benefit tremendously from our swim program. Our forums are active and we too have a knowledgeable and experienced group to train with and learn from. I could go on for a while about all the good things our club offers but that would be annoying. I will just say that everything you were looking for we have. It's too bad the logistics don't work out for you.

I have heard good things about Peachtree Tri club and I see them at a lot of races, but I haven't been involved with them personally so I don't have anything to add other than that.

a.

One thing I would add is that the price difference between the clubs is pretty big.  The ones with a lot of coaching tend to cost more and the ones that are informal tend to be value oriented (cheap).

They all seem good, so pick the one that fits you the best.

Really bitting my tongue on this thread...I will not post what I want to post.  Keeping it positive, if you want to get the feel for any club, go to their membership events, monthly meetings or other opportunities to actually meet some members/coaches/etc.  Each club has something different to offer.  Maybe more important, each seems to be focused on different part of the city. The key to the worth of a club is the ability to do group WOs and gains some friends.   Informed decisions always work out better.

^^^ This.

My two cents:

After moving to Atlanta from Boston, I was too intimidated by Atlanta city driving to cycle on the roads, so I stuck with running.  Luckily after three years of being in Atlanta I was introduced to ATC and it has been an incredibly rewarding experience.  It is a big club with tons of resources, some resources I use, others I do not, but it is good to have options.  It has also been beneficial for me to have teammates with a broad range of backgrounds, strengths, and experiences.  I always find myself learning from them and pushing further than I expected (in a good way) and accomplishing goals that once seemed untouchable.

I find it unfortunate that Pinkturtle has a negative view of ATC with such limited contact; I hope he is in the minority as ATC has positively impacted countless lives; I am sure the other Atlanta clubs have too. 

I believe most people on the team consider ATC a second family and in my one year on the club, I can say that some of my favorite people are those I train with.  We show up to races in force as competitors and rabid spectators (heck, we had 6 competitors at IMFL and over 20 club members cheering on our teammates, the other participants, and we closed the place down at midnight).  

Best of luck in your search and no matter what club you go with, have fun and please come by our tent at a race and have a cold one with us.

Cheers!