Subject: RE: May be moving...what's Mass like for training? Welcome (maybe?) to the neighborhood! I've seen a handful of tri groups represented at local races, but I'm not sure what towns they're based out of. I've lived in suburbs both north and south of the city, and both had masters groups run out of the local YMCA, so I assume that's common. A lot of people do open water swims at Walden Pond in Concord (western suburb), and there's always the ocean. Get a wetsuit if you don't have one already. Biking can be a bit dicey depending on where you live: metro Boston is pretty developed, roads can be congested, and we don't have the best drivers in the world. There are some great routes, especially through area state parks, but you may have to brave some urban traffic to get to them. And make sure you have a trainer, the winters are not NC mild. Most races are either in central & western MA, or on the South Shore & Cape. If you're willing to drive 1-1.5 hours, you've got a race almost every weekend from June to September (and plenty closer than that). Mostly sprints, 3 olympics that I know of, and 1 HIM. Nearest IM is Lake Placid. And you've got the Boston Marathon and Pan Mass Challenge if you want big single discipline events. As for buying an affordable house in a good school district - those two things don't really go together around here. There are plenty of good towns and great schools, especially in the western suburbs, but real estate in Boston is expensive. Happy to talk to specific towns if you had any in mind. |