Visiting Burlington for a family function Saturday, sticking around Sunday and possibly Monday. I was wondering if there is a solid group ride or a master’s swim practice that allows drop ins? For cycling I was hoping to find something 1-2 hours with pretty decent intensity, likely 20+ mph. For swimming it would be great to get a good 1-1.5 hour workout in, would be awesome if I was with a group who swims 1:15-20 per hundred (SCY). Thanks in advance!
I spent a fair amount of time in Vermont over the past couple decades, but never really found good group workouts. I would hit this place for my swimming, and they might be able to point you to any local going ons. there used to be a Vermont Tri coach here too, Spinney I think his name was, and he would most definitely know of any group stuff, probably the one planning it… Good luck, beautiful place:
Almost forgot the best part of Vermont, my all time favorite beer, Heady Topper!!! Haven’t been in awhile, but used to only sell it in about 10 spots in the entire state, and you had to do a line up. before opening at each establishment to get some before they sold out in the 2 or 3 hours it would be around… If you like IPA’s, this was once a top beer in the world as I recall. Certainly my top beer…
Heady Topper is most definitely still around and it’s most definitely still awesome! I was up in VT a few weeks ago for a gravel event an picked up a a 4 pack, no line involved, but I was right in Stowe (where it’s brewed) so I can’t comment on getting it in Burlington
You could check with the bike shops or the local clubs maybe? I think this is a tough time of year for group rides because it gets dark early but maybe there are some daytime rides.
I spent a fair amount of time in Vermont over the past couple decades, but never really found good group workouts. I would hit this place for my swimming, and they might be able to point you to any local going ons. there used to be a Vermont Tri coach here too, Spinney I think his name was, and he would most definitely know of any group stuff, probably the one planning it… Good luck, beautiful place:
Almost forgot the best part of Vermont, my all time favorite beer, Heady Topper!!! Haven’t been in awhile, but used to only sell it in about 10 spots in the entire state, and you had to do a line up. before opening at each establishment to get some before they sold out in the 2 or 3 hours it would be around… If you like IPA’s, this was once a top beer in the world as I recall. Certainly my top beer…
Vermont Sun is a good facility and they run a good local triathlon in the summer but they are a good hour south of Burlington. It’s a pretty drive though.
Vermont does beer better than it does triathlon/triathlon training opportunities 
I’ve lived in the state off and on since 1988 so I know all things Vermont 
Visiting Burlington for a family function Saturday, sticking around Sunday and possibly Monday. I was wondering if there is a solid group ride or a master’s swim practice that allows drop ins? For cycling I was hoping to find something 1-2 hours with pretty decent intensity, likely 20+ mph. For swimming it would be great to get a good 1-1.5 hour workout in, would be awesome if I was with a group who swims 1:15-20 per hundred (SCY). Thanks in advance!
As someone who has lived in Vermont since 1988 and the Burlington area for almost 20 years my advice is to just enjoy the few days you have in the area. Go hiking up Mt Mansfield or Camel’s hump (if you don’t mind lots of other hikers around). Enjoy the beer and downtown vibe and views of Lake Champlain. Skip the training for a couple days. It’s almost not worth the effort.
I moved to the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont before the pandemic and don’t miss the Burlington area. After training for 4 Ironmans and doing 5-6 hr bike rides every Saturday in Chittenden county, I stopped riding on the paved roads as it just got to be too dangerous. You will need to drive 20-30 minutes maybe more outside of Burlington now with all the new Vermont residents to find less congestion and less vehicle traffic. (over 4K people moved into Burlington area during pandemic) Even where I live which is very rural, the paved roads are not that safe. People in Vermont give you a little bit of room for the most part and it only takes a second. And there are a lot of rural folks in trucks who really hate cyclists (am I allowed to say “redneck”?). Rural Vermonters can be especially vile towards us.
And for swimming, when I lived there I used to swim at an awesome masters practice in Williston. Since then the pool closed and it was filled in with cement. They group moved to a (yucky in my opinion) pool in S. Burlington and the group dynamics changed a lot and I have heard poor reviews. Too bad, makes me sad.
Sorry for the negativity but the tri scene has gotten smaller and most folks train solo and do their own thing.
If you have a gravel bike, there is great riding east of Stowe. That’s where I’ll be today. Endless dirt roads with little traffic.
ETA: there are not that many people in the state of Vermont who swim that fast. Good for you though
John Spinney is alive and well in Stowe VT. is a coach for one of the big coaching outfits and the best on VT Intel. If you are only going to be there a few days, I’d skip the training and follow the advice of others and get up to stowe or camel’s hump for some hikes. SO much better for the soul.
John Spinney is alive and well in Stowe VT. is a coach for one of the big coaching outfits and the best on VT Intel. If you are only going to be there a few days, I’d skip the training and follow the advice of others and get up to stowe or camel’s hump for some hikes. SO much better for the soul.
John is a great coach (haven’t looked him up recently to see if he still works under QT2)… John is currently very much into the ski scene, and you will probably find him skinning up Stowe in the early mornings, in a few weeks. He might be still coaching triathlon but stopped doing triathlons/Ironmans and isn’t doing anything local with group training anymore. He used to run a group open water swim in the Waterbury reservoir on Monday evenings several years ago. That’s where we met him in 2015. Very nice guy!
If it was me visiting Burlington and couldn’t get away for a hike, I would probably run on the Burlington bike path that runs along Lake Champlain. Go earlier than later to avoid all the pedestrian traffic and cruiser bikes.
Hey Tim
I second what several fine folks ahead of me in this thread have said: enjoy the terrain here. You can swim hard anywhere. You’ll be close to some amazing mountains. Could do a Camels Hump hike or Mt Mansfield hike (go up the Long Trail). There’s some amazing gravel and mtb riding as well. Bring your gravel bike or rent one from AJs in Stowe. Look up routes in Strava for “Stowe Gravel Worldsâ€. Ride that route one day and do a big hike on the other. Just my 2 cents. Enjoy Vermont!
This is my first post in many years lol! Someone forwarded me this thread.
Anyhow take it easy
John Spinney
Btw, John Spinney just left QT2 and has set up his own coaching practice. Would be great if people showed him some love on the socials.