Athlete Race Recap: XTERRA New Jersey

Carolyn Classen kicked off her multisport season with XTERRA New Jersey in Hewitt, New Jersey on Sunday, April 2, 2024!

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While Carolyn really does love “traditional” triathlons that take place on asphalt/roads, she has been really enjoying having some off-road adventures in her training and she decided to take on the challenge of an off-road triathlon to kick off her multisport season!

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Since this is an early season triathlon, the water temperature was pretty cold.  Carolyn faced the Discomfort Dragon and had a really solid swim.  The bike course was pretty technical and had a lot of rock gardens, steep inclines, and steep descents.  On the second loop, Carolyn had a near-death experience and somehow escaped not only alive, but uninjured.  (I cannot begin to tell you all how delighted I am that Carolyn did not die and was not injured.)  She managed to have a steady effort throughout all three loops, which set her up well for the run.  

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The run course was also pretty technical, but Carolyn managed it well.  There was an aid station on the run course, but it didn’t have any supplies left by the time she arrived.  This wasn’t a problem for Carolyn, as she had (very wisely!) brought her own hydration vest and fuel.  As a small race on trails, there was a lot of solitude throughout this race, but Carolyn found that she really enjoyed it.

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Carolyn finished as the 12th overall female and as the 2nd place female in the 60-54 age group.  Congratulations, Carolyn! 

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