This Saturday's group ride will meet at 9:30AM at Barrington High School's parking lot (end zone parking lot) and will depart at 10:30AM.

This Sunday's group ride will meet at the same place at 6:30AM and depart at 7:30AM.

Remember that there will be a transition clinic preceding both group rides.  If you are a beginner, make sure to bring ALL your gear with you so you can simulate a transition.  We are working on having a makeshift bike rack constructed so you can hang your bike and place your gear below.  If you are a list-maker, now is the time to make one.  Consult last week's newsletter or the website's front page for the complete list of equipment to consider.

We will watch the weather closely and re-evaluate as needed - stay tuned!

The transition clinic for beginners will be on Saturday, June 5th at 9:30AM, prior to the Saturday AM group ride in Barrington High School's parking lot.

The transition clinic for the experienced will be on Sunday, June 6th at 6:30AM, prior to the Sunday AM group ride in Barrington High Schools parking lot. For experienced triathletes, you will learn advanced transition techniques that can shave off minutes off your times. Feel free to bring whatever gear you feel necessary.

For beginner triathletes, you will need to bring ALL your gear with you to actually practice setting up your transition area, and practice moving from sport to sport.  If you purchased Ytri race apparel, wear it this day (both your tri top and bottoms, since you won't be wearing your cycling jersey and extra-cushy cycling shorts for your race).

SWIM

Wetsuit

Goggles (clear pair and glare-resistant pair, if you own both)

Suit Juice

Body Glide

Earplugs/Noseplugs (if you use them)

Swim cap (*races will provide a cap for you when you pick up a race packet, so bring one of your own for mock purposes -- there is a trick to wearing a cap that secures the goggles, so you'll want the hands-on feel for how that fits BEFORE your first race!)

BIKE

You'll already be there for the group ride, so hopefully, you'll have your bike, bike gloves, cycling shoes (cleat covers, too, if you have them), helmet, repair kit, and hydration/nutrition set-up.

If you group ride with different gear than you plan to race with (aero bottles, bento box, aero helmet, etc.) bring all of that with you to simulate race day.

Repair Kit — extra inner tube, tire irons/multi-tool, CO2 cartridge(s) and inflator and/or mini-pump that fits your tires' valve type (Schrader or Presta)

RUN

Running Shoes

Speed Laces (if you use them)

Socks (some of us bike barefooted, some bike in socks)

Sun Visor

Race Belt

Sunscreen/Lip Balm

Hydration Belt (if you use one)

Sunglasses AND the case you will store them in (unless you plan to swim in them!)

Any nutrition you plan on running with (Sports Beans, Gels, Shot Blocks, etc.) -- not to eat, necessarily, but you want to practice having all your gear hanging off of you for feel, weight, location, etc. - so if you like a gel, then stick a gel in your tri top pouch or stick one in a hydration belt

Extras to consider:

A BIG GARISH TOWEL.  Bikes, shoes, helmets, and Adidas bags all look alike in a race's transition area.  A towel you recognize as your own is a great idea for laying out your transition gear.  Some of us bring two such towels—one for swim-to-bike and another for bike-to-run—space is often tight, so you won't have the luxury of being able to spread everything out like you can on the living room floor the night before, so practice the tight space conditions and you won't be surprised on race day!

Heart rate monitor watch and chest strap, if you plan on it for a race.

I think we’d all agree that multisport training comes with certain risks.   Several of us have just purchased Road I.D. Online and are pleased with the interactive option that allows for updates to be made frequently (changing contact numbers, adding your blood type, etc.)  Whatever brand you choose,  we hope you will decide to be safe this season, and be sure to wear some form of identification during all your training!

Meet at Barrington High School parking lot at 7AM with a "wheels-up" time of 7:30AM.

Our intermediate/advanced group rides are targeted for faster riders in the 16 mph + range.  Distances for the ride will be determined by who shows up and what everyone is looking to do.  For this first ride, we are looking at doing a 50+ mile route. 

We are hoping to have our routes up on the website before we go out.  For this group, it will be important to know where we are going because we will likely be splitting into a few different pace groups as we go.  If we don’t have the routes up by Saturday afternoon, we’ll make sure we have them printed for everyone by Sunday morning.

We will be meeting at Barrington High School's parking lot at 10:00 with a "wheels-up" time of 10:30 sharp!  

If you are someone who is uncomfortable riding out on the road, ride a hybrid or mountain bike, or ride below 15 mph, this is the group for you! 

Please be there right at 10:00 if you are brand new to road riding.  We’ll be going over basic “rules of the road” and riding etiquette.  For this first time out, we have planned out a 10-mile loop, however, many of our riders who will be doing Saturday rides just completed the 30-mile route during the Arlington 500, and may wish to go longer.  Keep in mind, these groups are for YOU — come and train whatever distance you (and your group) wishes! 

We are hoping to have our routes up on the website before we go out, but rest assured there will be group leaders for these first times out, so no need to worry about memorizing the route. 

Please make sure that you bring with you: 

• Your Road I.D., or a regular I.D. of some kind and a list of emergency contacts.  Obviously, we’re planning to have a safe ride and a great day out there, but you always want to come prepared! 

• Your cell phone (with “In-Case-of-Emergency” or ICE number programmed in) 

• Your Helmet!!!  Even though there are some who prefer to allow evolution to take its course, riding without your helmet is never advised!  Taking a spill can happen to the best of cyclists, and the easiest way to protect yourself is to have a helmet.  In a recent study published in Bicycling Magazine, 9 out of 10 people who are killed in bike accidents were not wearing a helmet.  Don’t be a statistic.  ALWAYS RIDE WITH A HELMET.  Plus, we look cool when we wear them. 

• Water AND your nutrition products!  Remember that how much fluid or nutrition you take in depends upon the amount of time you plan to spend on your bike.  However, it’s a good idea to always carry along a bit extra than what you think you need.

• Extra inner tube, bike frame mini-pump or CO₂ cartridges & adaptor. It’s important to have the tools necessary to fix a flat.  However, we’ll be there to help you out should this actually happen.  No worries!

We want to wish Good Luck for all our Ytri athletes competing at the Galena Triathlon on Saturday, May 22nd!

It's always nice to get a note of encouragement from fellow Ytri-ers -- feel free to use the forums, private messages, and Ytri events to give a shout-out to your teammates!