For those of you who are interested improving your run, speed-work is starting Wednesday March 14th!

All paces! If you are new and interested let me know. I will be there to introduce you to the team.
We are very excited to return to the Harper College track for workouts for 2018. Below is some information to remember when coming to track workouts.

Arriving:

• Track workouts start at 6:15pm. All runners should plan on arriving beforehand and warm-up for 10-15 minutes before the workout starts.
• Please park in the lots to the east or north of the track. There is NO PARKING at the track without a permit. Campus security will crack down on this, so please don't try.
• Be sure to bring you own FILLED water bottle. We will have hydration at the track, but we try to use as few throwaway cups as possible.
• New members are always welcome! If you bring a friend to the track and they are not a current Fast Track member for 2018, please let them know it is $1 per week for the workout until they sign up for the team. (Worth it!)

Workout:

• At 6:15 PM, we will have announcements followed by strides. Strides are meant to lengthen you legs and prepare you for your workout. They are not sprints.
• For the workouts, we will break into five groups. Each group has multiple leaders to help lead the workout, but please try to study the week's workout beforehand. They are posted on the homepage of the team website.
• Please stay in lanes 1 and 2 when running. Lanes 3+ are for passing only.
• Please keep your whits about you. Look both ways before crossing the track, especially if you are finishing up your interval. Runners may be coming behind you. Finish on the inside of the track when being passed and listen to group leaders' instructions.
• Workouts are posted to the team website. You do not have to do the entire workout if you aren't able to. Do your best!
• Be supportive of all runners!!

Post Workout:

• Be sure to cool down for 10-15 minutes after your workout has finished. Stay on the outer lanes when cooling down to allow for room for people that may still be finishing.
• Please avoid cooling down around Harper's campus for the time being.

​Additional:

• Babysitting service is available. It is $5 per child. Please put money in the jar when you arrive. If you need to utilize the babysitting service, be sure to sign up on the website and indicate how many kids you'll be bringing so we can make sure we have enough babysitters that night.

The YTRI annual members Meet and Greet will be held at the Tap House Grill in Palatine on March 4th, 2018 from 6pm - 9pm.  Appetizers included and there is a cash bar.

If you have not yet renewed your membership, visit our registration page for details.

Hope to see you there

YTri Performance Cycling classes have been a key component of the club since its inception. The classes include a two-week preparatory phase and then a 12-week progression of high intensity interval training. After the two-week prep period, each rider will perform a time-trial to determine power and / or heart rate zones for the subsequent workouts.

Classes will be offered Tuesdays from 7:30 - 9 p.m. and Mondays from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Sessions begin Tuesday, January 23 and Monday, January 29. Online registration will begin Saturday, January 20 at 6:00 a.m. This early time is chosen to allow all members fair access to signup.
​The event page will not allow registration until Saturday morning. Also, your 2018 YTri club membership must be current by Monday, January 22 or you will lose your spot.
Performance Cycling is a challenging, 90-minute cycling class that uses interval training and heart rate zones to increase cycling performance. Each participant will complete a 20 minute time trial, which will determine training zones.
Those of you signing up for performance cycling please read the following carefully! Due to expected high demand the following policies have been adopted. Please understand them prior to signing up.

1. You must be a current 2018 YTri Member.  Visit our sign-up page for information.

2. You can sign up for the Monday session or the Tuesday session but not both.  

3. You can choose to ride a spin bike OR your own bike (bring your own trainer). Please note, your selection is your choice for the entire session. You will not be able to switch mid-session.


Non-YMCA members may participate in this class. Go through the normal signup process. If you get a spot in the class, you will be committing to a $210 program fee for the session (which works out to $15/class.) Payment is expected in-full at the YMCA front desk by the first day of class.
4. Be considerate - Be aware that by signing up and taking one of the reserved spots for the class, we are expecting you to make a long-term commitment to be at class for the entire session (14 weeks). This is a high-demand class, with only so many spots available. If you know that you cannot commit to the session, please make sure you step aside for those that can. Obviously, we understand that sometimes life gets in the way, but do your best to make it to each class, as it is progressive and builds from week to week.

5. If you did not get a reserved spot in the class because all spaces were taken, but would like to be on "stand-by," please register, so we have you on the wait list.

These are some of the important information discussed at the Kick-Off Meeting:

1. There will be 2 Performance Cycling Groups this year:

a. Tuesday nights starting on January 23rd, 7:30pm to 9pm (Instructor: Christine Gates)
b. Monday nights starting on January 29th, 6:30pm to 8pm (Instructor: Christie Lane)

2. General registration for Performance Cycling will start on Saturday, January 20th at 6am through the Buehler YMCA front desk or the YMCA website https://register.ymcachicago.org/  using the following codes:

Monday Spin Bike: BUHFYTRIPCB
Monday Trainer: BUHFYTRITR
Tuesday Spin Bike: BUHFYTRIPC
Tuesday Trainer: BUHFYTRITR1 (note: last character is the number one)

You can also use the keyword "Performance Cycle", but make sure that you are signing up for the right class (Spin Bike vs. Trainer). You will only be able to search for these programs starting January 20th at 6am.

3. Group swim workouts will be coming back this year: Friday nights (7pm and 8pm) starting February 9th, and Sunday afternoons (3pm) starting February 11th. Further details will be announced soon.

4. Swim stroke clinics will be held on certain Sunday afternoons. The first one will be on March 4th. Watch out for more details!

5. Membership fees this year are $50 for YMCA members and $70 for non-YMCA members. Registration can be done through the Buehler YMCA front desk or this link (search keyword: ytri): https://register.ymcachicago.org/search-results?combine=ytri

6. It is highly recommended that you sign up as a YTri member first before actually signing up for Performance Cycling.

The 2018 Kickoff Meeting will take place:

​ Thursday Jan 18 at 7pm in the Buehler YMCA State Room

 If you can't make it, do not worry! We will send out another email containing all relevant information (including membership registration details) in due course. Thank you !

Performance Cycling pre-registration:
There will be Performance Cycling pre-registration for 24 spots during the meeting.

It's Twin Lakes Triathlon time! As we have in the past, we will be providing volunteers for the event and hosting a post-race breakfast for our Ytri family.

We need to secure volunteers for the event. These volunteers will be positioned near the transition area, so you will still be able to cheer on teammates AND get breakfast. Please help us help the racers by volunteering. You can register to volunteer and sign up for the post-race breakfast online. We also need a Ytrier to volunteer to help coordinate OUR club volunteers. You will NOT be the race volunteer coordinator, but will be the liaison between the race director and our volunteers.

The post-race breakfast will take place right in the park. In order to ensure we have enough food, please RSVP by June 9. This event is free for our club members and their families, but an accurate headcount is critical to the success of this event.

Registration for the 2017 edition of the Twin Lakes Triathlon closes on May 26! Don't forget, Ytri members are eligible for a race discount of $6. We sent the discount code to members on March 11, so check your inboxes. We hope to see you there!

New to triathlon? Not quite comfortable with swimming in open water? Join Coach Sam Stella from Summit Steps for a FREE Open Water Swim Clinic. We'll help you get comfortable in the water, learn how to sight, practice your sighting, practice open water swim starts and more.

When: Saturday, June 3 at 8 a.m.
​Where: Jones Island Park and Beach, Grayslake (Harvey Ave. & North Alleghany Rd.)

Please arrive 15 minutes early so you are ready to get started at 8 a.m.