Race Coverage

Okay Races Are Better Than a Good Day at the Office...

Thursday, 04 April 2024 00:10

By Mitchell Clayton

Northwoods Race Report - My first race of the year was the Buzz Ryan Sprint Triathlon in mid-July, but before that I hadn’t done a multisport race since August of 2021. I decided to get back into racing triathlons this year with the goal of enjoying the process, not getting injured, and getting fit enough to begin “real” training in September, hopefully setting myself up for a big 2024 season. As part of this return-to-tri year, I registered far in advance for the Northwoods Sprint Tri, which took place in the small town of Nevis this past Saturday.

My wife, Vessa, and I live in Rochester. It’s a good city for us, but not exactly close to Nevis. We woke up at 12:45 on Saturday morning and made the 4.5 hour drive up north. We got to the venue and I immediately thought to myself, “This is why I do triathlons”. The transition area, the...

beach, and the whole atmosphere had a grassroots feel, but was executed very professionally. I love small, local races that take pride in putting on top-notch races. I set up transition, “warmed up” with a half mile jog, and got ready to start my 60th multisport race.

Swim: The swim was a quarter mile. Paces were artificially slow in the results because the timing mat was up the small hill near the entrance to transition. I was one of only three or four people in the first wave to not wear a wetsuit because of the short course. I came out of the water a little behind where I was expecting to since everyone else had buoyancy and hydrodynamics on their side, but I was 2nd out of T1 because of my non-wetsuit choice.

Bike: I got my first tri bike in the fall of 2012, a slightly too small Kestrel Talon, and this year I upgraded to a Canyon Speedmax that fits like a charm. The bike is fast, but I’m not! After exiting T1 I could see Brooks Grossinger about 100 yards up the road. I slipped my shoes on, settled into the most aero position I could, and tried to push the pedals as hard as I could. Key word, “tried”. I’m just not fit enough right now to have a good bike segment, having only cycled for 10 weeks in the past two years, but I went decently fast for the watts I managed to push, so the efficiency is there and is something I can build off.

Run: Well, deciding to sit in a car for 4.5 hours on race morning saved a little money but came back to bite me on the run. Just like the bike, my fitness is not great but improving, and just after exiting T2 my hips and glutes locked up. I managed to shuffle through the out-and-back course, which is on a nicely shaded path. I felt better in the last half mile, pushed slightly harder, but really only had one gear and was unable to go with the three people who passed me.

How does the saying go? An okay race is better than a good day in the office? That sounds right to me… I’m happy to be back racing, and Northwoods is a fantastic event that everyone should register for in the future.

ED. Mitch finished 8th overall.