Webster Lake Triathlon : Official Thread

Last year Webster Lake was my first tri, and I didn't have a wetsuit, or any swimming ability haha. I wasn't cold and I am huge wimp when it comes to water temps.

I am hoping I can get myself off the couch and do it this year!

Awesome!  I'm trying to convince Jonah to do it and he said he'd consider it if he doesn't have to get a wetsuit.  Swimming is by far his weakest -- he'd do the whole 1/2 mi breaststroke (serously!) -- but now that I have proof it's doable, I'll get back to working on him.

You should do Webster.... you'll be totally settled into the new place by then!  By the way, how are the new diggs?

well I wish I saw this thread before! I talked to a vendor at Quad Multi-Sport and they told me most people had  wet suits at the Webster tri so I bought one I'm scared of it LOL it's not easy to get on and off...I'm thinking there should be a quadrathlon...swim...take off wetsuit...bike...run!

I just registered for this one yesterday. This will be my very first outdoor triathlon, so am very nervous. I read the bike course description and it mentioned "VERY HILLY". I hate hills. I am most definitely not good at riding hills. For those of you who have done this race in the past, any comments on the bike course? When they say "VERY HILLY", what incline grade are we talking about? Am I going to start going backwards?

I did the route a couple weekends ago.  There is one really STEEP hill broken up in two parts (there's a little tease of a plateau in the middle), but luckily it isn't terribly long of a climb.  I don't know what grade the incline is on that one, but as far as my grade on it-- it should be a D-... I am not a very experienced (aka not that great) biker and am even worse on hills!  At least that's the only killer in the route, which comes in the first half of the ride, and the rest is fairly rolling for the most part and very very flat at the end which is nice to give your legs plenty of time to recover before running.  So, I'd say it's not really "very hilly", but there is "one really @#$$% big hill" that might suck, but a beginner can get through with a little cursing.

r4beer: I absolutely love this course description! It's soothing, terrifying and hysterical all at once.  I did two tri's last month and I've really cut back on my training.  I need to get back in the game....Webster is only a month away!

Thanks for the feedback Mina. This is definitely really scary. I might be the one you see walking my bike up that hill. Sounds like I might want to take a drive up there one of the weekends and see just how bad this hill really is. Do you have any address information you might be able to share? I will coming up from CT, so not sure how to get to where the bike course is.


Edited by linawalton 2009-05-28 9:46 AM

You will be fine! I did my first tri a few weeks ago and had to walk much of the run due to the onset of shin splints. I also saw some people walking the hill on the bike course. It isn't a problem at all.

The route starts in the park which has an address of 55 Thompson Rd in Webster, MA.  Here's the map that the RDs posted on their site.  It seems that you're not supposed to park in the park unless you're a resident, so some people who have been training there park in the bowling alley lot right down the street from the park entrance.  As for the hill, I don't exactly know where it is on the route, but I'd have to guess that it's on High St.

I think it's a great idea to check out the course to get a sense of the whole thing before race day.  It's nice to have some visual cues that'll tell you when you're at the halfway point or close to finishing, and yes, where the hill is.  Mostly it'll take away some of the anxiety about what's coming up next.  Placing the hill on the course is good so you know when you probably should drink before hand -- my mistake was not getting any water before that cause I didn't know it was ahead of me -- and maybe to pick a marker when you know you can stop pushing.  There's a house with a mailbox that I'm going to use as a "YOU MADE IT!" spot so I know I can relax and get more fluids if necessary. 

The nice rolling roads that you can get some great speed on are a lot of fun and definitely make up for that one difficult patch!

I'll be back to ride it a second time in a couple weeks with my bf who just signed up.  Let me know when you're heading over, maybe we can ride together?  If I can't make it, I'm sure others will be riding the course in the next few weeks, so definitely post if you want some company!

^^^ Yes, I totally agree with FTBS.  As for the bike: it's a beautiful ride, and toward the end there were turkeys and ostriches on some farm thing... very funny thing to see around the corner while biking!!  It's gonna be so much fun and no worries if you have to or just want to walk the hill-- all you have to do is smile and finish!

I will be out riding with a group that is doing Danskin. Pm me if you want to join. Its a little slow because they are beginners. No one gets dropped.

When is the ride planned for? I have races/rides planned in CT the next couple of weekends so was planning on going up there after that.

Guys - Thanks so much for the inspirational wisdom. I will be a happy camper as long as I finish and don't get cut off.

With the temperatures being as cold as they have been lately, anyone got a pulse on the water temp for next week? I know earlier posts said wetsuit not required. I don't own a wetsuit and this one being my first tri, I am thinking whether I need to invest in one. I would rather not have to wear a wetsuit since I haven't trained in one at all. But then don't want to freeze to death either. I don't like cold, not one bit.

Edited by linawalton 2009-06-10 10:47 AM

swimming with a wetsuit I find to be much easier due to buyancy.  You may want to consider renting...I am a baby when it comes to temps, so sub 70 and I am in a wetsuit.  Perhaps a sleeveless would be a good compromise?

I am planning on visiting the area this Saturday to check out the bike course. Do you know of any shops in the Webster area that rent tri suits?

I have never heard of a shop renting tri suits...not sure I'd want to wear one that's been rented out to a bunch of people   Are you talking about wetsuits?  If that's the case, Fast Splits in Newton rents them - it's not all that close to Webster though (probably 30-45 min).  Not sure of anywhere closer.  If you're def looking for a trisuit - one piece tri short/tri top combo that you wear on race day - Fast Splits also sells those.  I believe they have some on sale too right now, though inventory on the sale items may be low.  Good luck!

My mistake on that one. I meant wet suit. I already have a tri suit. Will have to check out Fast Splits in Newton on Saturday then. Hopefully they have one in my size. For me, because I am so tiny, well short, it always comes to the size. sighhhhh

Hey kj - its my first tri too. Am not at all trained for it because wasn't planning on doing it at first, but then decided to just do it at the last minute sort of just to gauge where I am in my training to ready for the September All Women's triathlon in Farmington. I see you live in W. Hartford, I live in Windsor Locks. Are you planning on going up there the night before or the morning of. We ended up getting a hotel in a nearby town just so we don't have to drive at 4 AM the morning of the tri.

Hi Lina,

We're also staying at a hotel to avoid that early a.m. drive!  I have the Farmington Women's Tri on my list, too.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good weather! 

Nice. Looking forward to seeing you at Webster. We are staying at the Hampton Inn in Auburn. I think its like a 10 min. drive from the race location. I am actually also planning on driving up there tomorrow to check out the lake and the bike route. I heard there is a really steep hill on the bike route, and I want to see how bad it really is before the race day. I am horrible at riding, or swimming and running for that matter. I will be lucky if I don't get cut off for taking too long at any of the 3 events.
Well! good luck to you in case I don't get to see you there.

Just did some fun calculations out of curiosity (and sheer fear). The STEEP hill that everyone keeps talking about between mile 2 and mile 5 is about 20% grade. Yup, I will be going backwards on this most definitely. No way I am going to be able to ride by bike up that hill even in granny gear. I'll be the one walking my bike up that hill . Any short cuts for first timers?

I rode this course twice last weekend. It is a big hill but it's in 4 sections with breathers inbetween. The rest of the course is a long and fast downhill, followed by a few mellow rolling hills and then pretty much flat all the way. It's only as bad as your mind allows it to be, and everyone else has to ride the same hill. Besides, even if you end up walking, at least you're on the hill instead of withering away on your couch! You'll be fine.