Race Report: Worcester Tri-Fest 2016

It was an early morning start for Worcester Tri-Fest at Indian lake. I left from Boston about 5:15 AM – I love getting to transition as early as possible to warm up and settle in. This was my first ever completely solo event – no friends, no husband, no family at the start. I took extra time to plan and condense all of my supplies. My heart sank when I pulled my bike off my car in the rain in the parking lot and saw that my front tire was completely flat (I had JUST filled it an hour ago in Boston). In an effort to prove my self-sufficiency, I got to work, changed my own tire in the rain, and felt wildly proud of my success (Thanks Zabeth for the timely lesson!). At least I knew the repair tent wasn’t far if anything went wrong!

The weather was very drizzly and damp all morning, but the air was warm enough to be comfortable (~65 degrees).  They offer quite a variety of racing option- Tri, Du, stand-up paddle/canoe, aquabike, and a few other combos too. The sprint tri was only about 80 participants, so I felt some pressure to keep up and not be the last one in! Strangely I prefer the anonymity in the sea of people at larger races…

The swim was 1/4 mile triangle and was a time-trial start which was a new experience for me. I actually really liked this option vs. treading water. I wish they had a few more support kayaks along the swim route for ease of  mind.  I was hoping for a better swim time but nerves got the best of me again. I’ll be focusing on this skill a bit more this summer! The transition area was just one long row of bikes and quite a long run from the water exit – I had to focus hard to find my bike along the row after the exhausting, slow swim.

The bike portion was quite hilly but well-marked and monitored. We were warned repeatedly to go slowly down some of the large hills and avoid the slippery white lines. I was pleased with my bike time given the rainy day and extra cautious approach. I’m glad I covered all of my things in transition with a garbage bag due to the rain! When I came in off the bike, my feet/socks were so wet I had to wring them out and then decided to put on dry ones for more comfort during the 5k. Good decision despite the slight loss in time!!!!

The run was uphill the first 1/3 and then gently rolling for the rest of it. Only one water station was available – I wish there were a few more because I love “options” for hydration. It was my personal best sprint run time, so I’m happy all of my winter running paid off, and I was thankful for dry socks.

The finish line was a welcome sight, as always. They offered bananas and granola bars, but I kept looking around for a burger….or the fried chicken that was stuck in my mind for the last few hours. Next year I hope they have a food truck!