Training

We offer a number of coached sessions as well as informal, uncoached rides each week. To take part in a coached session you need to book a place using our calendar.

Our coaches have undertaken British Triathlon coaching qualifications and volunteer their time to plan and deliver sessions for club members.

Our sessions vary according to the season according to our periodised training plan as well as to adapt to different weather conditions and daylight, so that we can provide safer and more appropriate sessions to our athletes. The timetable usually switches between summer and winter training around the beginning of April and end of October.

All sessions are one hour in duration unless otherwise specified.

We aim to accommodate all levels of triathlete, although please read the notes regarding swim sessions before booking and if you’re new to one or more of the triathlon disciplines, take a look at our FAQs.

Please note you must sign up and book sessions in advance for insurance and safety reasons. Our coaches reserve the right to turn you away if you have not booked in for the session and attendees must always follow our club rules. If you are unable to attend a session that your have paid for the club cannot guarantee refunds.

Read our Juniors and Paratriathlon pages for additional information.

Swimming

You can swim with the club up to 2–3 times per week and we run 4–5 sessions per week in total. There is pool-based training on Wednesdays and and open-water sessions on Sundays during the summer.

All our swim sessions incorporate some technique work and we will often use training aids such as fins, paddles and pull-buoys to enable you to execute the drills effectively. Pull-buoys are sometimes available to borrow from the pool but fins and paddles are not provided. If you need information on where to source these, please see our FAQs.

Fitness sessions

London Fields Lido

Our swim fitness sessions at London Fields Lido include warm up with some drills but the focus is on building cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength to improve your swim times. The aspect of cardiovascular fitness will change over the year and you will use either a tempo trainer, stopwatch or the lane clock to hit goal paces.

We require you to be able to swim at least 750m continuous front-crawl and that you have some knowledge of common swim drills to attend this session.

Swim Technique course

Mile End Leisure Centre/King’s Hall Leisure Centre (please refer to the calendar for details)

We run a six week progressive swim technique course which is aimed at improving your front crawl technique. Over the course of the six sessions you will learn the principles of endurance/open water swimming technique as well as drills to improve the key components of an effective front-crawl stroke.

These sessions are limited to 12 swimmers per course and we request that you attend all six sessions. There are two reasons for this: firstly because each week we expect that you have practised the drills covered in previous weeks and you will be at a disadvantage if you have missed a week; secondly to respect the fact that the course is very popular and there is usually a waiting list.

Please note that we cannot teach you to swim in these sessions, the course is designed to improve your existing front crawl stroke.

We require that you are able to swim at least 100m continuous front-crawl before booking on to the course.

Open water swimming

Stoke Newington West Reservoir

Stoke Newington West Reservoir has been operating as an open-water swimming facility since late 2013 and London Fields Triathlon Club were the first club to operate a regular session there. The reservoir is usually open from May to September but is dependent on water temperature. We run sessions on Sunday mornings during the summer months, except where the Reservoir is hosting Capital Tri swim or aquathlon events.

The reservoir has a team of kayakers to monitor swimmer safety (and ensure you’re following the right course!) and the West Reservoir Centre has good changing facilities, hot showers and a cafe.

One lap of the reservoir is 750m but there is also a shorter 400m lap option. Experienced open-water swimmers can warm up and swim laps at their own pace or if you would like to learn or brush up your open-water skills such as sighting, drafting or turning around buoys then our coaches will lead you through the techniques in the area closer to the jetties.

We require that you are able to comfortably swim 400m continuous front-crawl before booking an open water swim session. Wetsuits and yellow swim caps are mandatory.

Cycling

The club helps to coordinate long rides each weekend.

Regent’s Park

This is an informal, uncoached ride for people who want to get some miles in their legs before work! Recommended as an alternative to, rather than in addition to, the indoor cycling session.

Weekend rides

These are uncoached, social rides organised by members.

Before you join a group ride please make sure you are self-sufficient, please ensure that;

• your bike is roadworthy and in good condition
• you have sufficient water/fluids and snacks for the distance planned
• you have appropriate clothing and are prepared for the weather to change
• you have a phone and/or a map
• you have your own pump or gas canisters, spare inner tube(s) (and/or puncture repair kit) and you know how to use them to fix a puncture
• you know basic cycling hand signals and can execute them safely

We often ride out in an easterly direction towards Essex, but there’s always appetite to vary routes and ride different terrain so rides often take in Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire.

Running

The club has two coached run sessions a week.

Weekend training

London Fields

Held directly after our weekend swim training, this is great to practise running directly after a different triathlon discipline and a convenient way to put two quality training sessions back-to-back. The sessions vary through the season and in winter we will tend to include more continuous run sessions heading out of London Fields to either Victoria Park or Millenium Park in Mile End in addition to interval-based sessions in London Fields itself. Check with the coaches when you’re exiting the water whether the run is staying in London Fields/West Reservoir or not as you may need to lock your swim kit in a locker.

Weekday interval sessions

Mile End Stadium Athletics Track/Finsbury Park Athletics Track

These sessions are a great way to work on pacing and speed endurance. When they take place at Mile End Stadium, please note that you need to pay the entrance fee to the track in addition to booking your space via the calendar. When they take place at Finsbury Park your entrance is included when booking on via our website. Winter sessions are less structured and geared towards improving technique and building endurance. As we build towards race season we incorporate more speed work using the 400m track — this is a great way to build top-end speed and closely monitor your pacing.