Just offered a job in Sarasota FL. How is the scene around there? Training? Roads? Pools? Clubs? Bike Shops? It’s a job with good pay and plenty of time off to train for IM.
Sarasota is a great place to be a triathlete.
Besides a climate that lets you train outdoors year 'round:
Sarasota Storm Tri Club & Manasota Track Club are active, friendly and vibrant organizations.
Several great LBS’s that sponsor weekly group rides (Village Bikes, Tempo Cyclery, Ryder Bikes, Real Bikes).
Some great running stores - New Balance, Fit2Run & Fleet Feet
Masters swim clubs at both the YMCA and Arlington Park County pools (both are outdoor 50M pools)
Great OW swimming at the beach on Siesta Key. Weekly group OWS most of the year.
Lots of local races almost year 'round. Between May and October you can find a race within easly driving distance almost every weekend.
Relatively flat (except for the Ringling Bridge over the bay), but the hills around Clermont are a only couple of hours away. Lots of folks will carpool up there on the weekends to ride.
Mark
Thanks for your reply Mark. I’d be moving from MA which would be a nice change from being inside 4-5 months a year. But with the being said, I do not know I could be away from hills.
Go I think 1:15 up the road to Clermont (maybe closer to 1.5 hours) for some hills. Could be a good thing to do once a month. Yes I was shocked at the elevation in Clermont because it was in pancake, middle of Florida. Is it mountains, no? But it’s good climbing if you need that work.
Was there for a week in a half and rented a bike from local bike store. Have to say I enjoyed it there very much and probably looking to retire there if I can talk my wife into it. There is a huge statue in their harbor of a GI holding and kissing his girlfriend. It used to be around the block from my house. Sort of like a Oman
I know that when I am on my trainer every weekend for 3-5 hours I would love to be there. I travel a lot and usually end up in FL and swimming in outside pools is nice! Except last time I was the only one at the pool, no life guard on duty, it was 530AM and until the sun came up all I could think about was that there was a snake in the pool.
My one question is, are there good roads to ride on? I lived in Daytona Beach area for two years ago, and routinely am in FL for work (Pilot). There are a lot of lights… A lot.
East of Sarasota (I-75) is wide open country with decent roads and minimal traffic. The roads around Lakewood Ranch are new, wide and well lit if your ride goes late. If you like group rides, there are almost daily rides during the week and plenty of weekend groups to work with. Check out the course for the Tour de Cure- this may give you some idea of 50-100 mile ride options.
Great place. Top masters swim club has been discussed. I connected with the Sarasota Manatee Bike club for group rides on several occasions, quite successfully. If you are a visitor, get your bike rental reservation in early as they are gobbled up fast in the prime weeks.
I guess the other point is to remember it is Florida and you need to be careful out on the roads due to the age of many drivers.
I would go over the bridge into siesta key get to the around about in town and go right for miles or until my wife called to come home. Ate at a half decent pizza place there called “Patel"lini’s”. Best pizza I found in Florida. Not saying much but was the best. There were two good Vegan / Vegitarian places we ate at there also. Sorry I don’t remember the names of restaraunts or streets. Oh yeah there was a chocalate place that made this chocalate bark stuff that was featured on Elllen or Oprah. Yah I am all about food after swimming /biking / riding ;0)
I’m in the same line of work and also end up in Florida a lot this time of year. I was in Sarasota for a week a few years back and found the riding to be good, but I basically just rode back and forth on longboat key and didn’t explore a whole lot. You can get some decent long stretches without lights on longboat. I don’t remember the name of the pool I went to, but it was right by the hospital. It is 50m but anytime I went there it was set up short course, and whatever they put in the water made be feel like I had been rolling around in pink fiberglass insulation when I crawled into bed that night, but that could have been a one-time screwup with chemicals I guess. It doesn’t rank at the top of the list of ‘training camps’ my job has taken me to like Scottsdale, Vegas, Maui, San Francisco etc., but its certainly better than a lot of places I go where you can’t find a decent pool and risk death everytime you go out for a run/ride with no shoulders/bike lanes/sidewalks etc.
Where are most of the rides. I only know the east coast of FL and from what I remember it’s stop light after stop light. Are there roads to ride on that are safe with minimal lights?
Great place to ride and train during the winter. Touch base with village bikes or Ryder for group ride info and routes.