Hello and thanks for showing an interest in our club. The junior section of Alnwick Triathlon Club began in May 2013 with just two members and has since grown into a thriving, dedicated and friendly group of athletes and parents.

Joining us:

You can join us if:

• you are in School Year 6 or above (‘Tristar 1, 2 & 3 and Youth’ categories) and are able to swim a minimum of 200m front crawl in 6 minutes (continuous swimming).
• you have been invited to attend a club session, have been assessed by our coaches and they agree that you meet the necessary swim level
• you have existing skills in each of the triathlon disciplines – we’re not here to teach you to swim, bike or run, but coaching you to improve your existing swimming, cycling and running techniques and putting them all together to make you a triathlete
• YOU want to train hard, listen to and learn from your coaches, persevere and achieve.

We generally have a new squad intake in January, for the beginning of every racing season, when new members get to Try a Tri and see if they like it. However, please do contact us at juniors [at] alnwicktriathlon [dot] co [dot] uk if you wish to join mid-season.

What we do:

• have fun
• learn
• achieve

We do it through:

• improving fitness, endurance and co-ordination
• building confidence
• motivating athletes individually and as a team
• encouraging self-belief, determination and dedication
• friendship and teamwork.

Training

Junior Training sessions are currently:

• Bike sessions during the Summer on Monday 6.45pm – 7.45pm at Alnwick Garden car park.
• All year round coached swim sessions at Willowburn Leisure Centre. The sessions are Tuesday 7.15pm to 8.15pm and Sundays 3.45pm to 4.45pm.
• Adhoc open water coached swim session at Ladyburn Lake, Druridge Bay Country Park during the summer on Thursdays at 7pm to 8pm.
• Adhoc run and mountabin bike  sessions are held occasionally when our coaches’ time permits. These are advertised on the members facebook page.

At our training sessions we teach good swimming, cycling and running techniques and focus on the unique skills required in Transition (the changeover from swim to bike and bike to run). We work on fundamentals such as balance, agility, core stability, speed of movement, flexibility and strength.

We focus on bike handling, cornering, cycling in groups and cycling endurance. We practice ‘Brick’ sessions – the change in muscle usage from bike to run – a tricky moment for even the Brownlee Brothers!

Membership Fees

The cost of membership is £10 per year which is payable online. Any coaching fees are payable when booking into the session.

Equipment

We make no bones about it… triathlon at a competitive level isn’t cheap. However, at beginner level, the essential equipment for giving triathlon a go is simply:

• Swim – swim kit and goggles
• Bike – roadworthy bike and cycle helmet
• Run – trainers and suitable clothing

A mountain bike is fine (though swapping the knobbly tyres for smooth ones is a cheap and simple upgrade that will make a huge difference).  Though many of our Juniors have now moved onto road bikes most started on mountain bikes. Please make sure your bike is in a roadworthy condition with handlebars, brakes, pedals, chain and wheels and all the other bits working perfectly – and of course, a helmet.

Keeping you safe

Our Juniors are coached on closed roads for cycling and running– a safe, secure environment. Cycling on open roads is not allowed in Junior Triathlons until triathletes are in the Youth category. Swim coaching is at Willowburn Leisure Centre with coaches and full lifeguard cover. Almost all Junior Triathlons are pool-based. Any open water races have full safety cover.

We show you how to look after your equipment – a pedal falling off can be dangerous (and very ineffective), slipping gears – whilst getting you a cheer for actually getting round the course – won’t win you the race, handlebars that swivel all the way around are a most dangerous attribute to a new bike and a newly-purchased- just-out-of-the-packet-never-been-worn- tri-belt-on-race-day can be the difference between running like a triathlete or waddling like a penguin with it around your ankles!

Our coaches are highly trained and qualified; in addition the Club has a Welfare Officer and is, of course, affiliated to the British Triathlon Association. All races we enter are run under the rules of the British Triathlon Federation.

If you have any questions or wish to join our club please get in touch at juniors [at] alnwicktriathlon [dot] co [dot] uk