Woodstock Race Report June 6

This is the first time I've ever done a race in June. I was leery doing one so early in the season but it went well.

This race is in a great location. It's in the country so it's a pretty drive getting there. It's a bit out of the way. The water was 20 C which is pretty incredible for this early. It is a nice big site but the parking is crowded and it is a pain getting in and out. As always, I wished there were more Johnnys. There were lots of volunteers. The only log jam was the line up for picking up the race kit which was really long. I'm not sure what was the holdup. We got wrist bands for bike identification and they were checked well which I really appreciated. It didn't hold things us getting in and out of transition. The swim was out on the reservoir which only had a little chop despite pretty brisk winds. The bottom was sandy, the water was brown. It was wide so there was no more than the usual jostling. The bike was fine, rolling hills with no big grades. We used up the whole road. I was surprised that there was not more traffic. There was only one car that I encountered that was rolling along, trapped with the bikers and I got by it with little risk. The run was mostly gravel, through trees and over the dam which was very pretty. The post race was a little slow. It took a long time to get through the awards. My feelings are that the men and women for each group should be called up at the same time to speed things up. The food was good: pizza, oranges, bananas. The line for food was long.

Overall: I'd recommend this race if you're considering an early race. It has warm water, good bike and run, and is well organized.