Tri the lake? Whately Police Tri?

Tri the lake is full, it went fast this year.   If you're expecting hardcore competition, nice swag, and major race set up/management, you'd be disappointed.  Also not a good race if you have zero tolerance for some newbie ignorance, not keeping to the right on the bike/riding two wide/not aware of surroundings/etc;, but if keep alert the small field makes that all very manageable in my opinion. 

Race coordination improved last year over the previous and I'm sure it will do so again.  It is a well run event; the volunteers are all great and the price is right.   The multi-lap set up may not make for the best racing conditions, however it does make it a very spectator friendly course.  The park and playground set up for kids and smaller crowd is nice.   I look forward to this race every year as it is the shortest trip for me and my family enjoys going. 

The Whately tri is fun.  The swim is in 'manmade' pond, which you can see from I91 before exit 24 (the Yankee Candle exit)  The bike course is good w/ some nice rolling hills, a few steeps and a fun downhill following a stream.  The run is an out and back (kind boring)  My only complaint with the course is getting out of the rec area onto route 116.  They cone off lanes, but bikes and runners share the same lane (one lane out, one lane in) and can bottleneck.  I did voice a change suggestion using 3 lanes - 2 for bikes (1 out & 1 in) and a shared lane for runners since its easier to avoid a runner when your a runner than a biker trying to avoid a runner.

Other than that, its well run.  They took a lot of advice from the Greenfield tri, which IMO is one of the best and most organized races in the area for both beginners and experts