FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Sometimes you just have to get gritty and bear it. At least, that’s the attitude that sped Mark McLewee to a third place finish during the XTERRA Smith Lake Triathlon, a tough test of triathletes’ strength over Memorial weekend. McLewee pulled off a time of 2:11:29 using a Specialized Stumpjumper mountain bike and Saucony ProGrid 3 shoes (not to mention a super slick wet suit that staved off the cool of the lake).
“I don’t think I had anything that gave me a particular advantage. If you look around, there are people with all different types of equipment, different levels of investment you could call it,” said McLewee, who also placed first in the 25 to 29 age category.
“If you had a decent mountain bike that’s really all you need. You can get as expensive as you want equipment wise, but in terms of equipment a bike and a new pair of running shoes are really all you need in this sport,” added McLewee, who swam when he was younger.
As an adult, the appeal of mountain biking led to the variety of triathlons like XTERRA. This was McLewee’s sixth race with the organization that hosts events around the country in an effort to bring more attention to the sport.
“My first priority was to have fun and just start out nice and easy on the swim, and then my strongest leg is mountain biking. So, I can go as hard as possible on the mountain bike and then just see if I can hold on during the run,” said McLewee, who praised the camaraderie of the XTERRA circuit versus events like the road triathlon.
This supportive environment is something that many regulars appreciate, especially as they travel the country participating in states like California, Florida, Texas and Nevada. For those who want a slice of the sport in faraway places, XTERRA features triathlons in exotic places like South Africa, the Philippines and New Zealand.
Nearly 100 Soldiers and civilians competed in the 5th Annual Smith Lake Triathlon, Sunday.
According to Derek Weller, recreation specialist for outdoor recreation, Fort Bragg Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation, the race featured a 1,000-meter lake swim followed by an 18-mile bike ride and a 4-mile run.
“Since we had our recent tornado last month we have made a couple small alterations to our course. One of the changes this year was a shortened bike course through our expert trail and so we routed them all the way back to the transition area " it’s a two lap format instead of just a single lap format in years past,” said Weller.
Ian Smith, a recreational triathlon athlete from Charlotte, N.C. took his second overall win with a time of 2:02:23 (and also placed first in the 40 to 44 age category). Smith’s competitive spirit motivated him to stay tough and pace his heart rate. When asked about his thoughts on finishing first, Smith said his friends provided incentive to try hard because embarrassment wasn’t an option.
“Definitely if you come out here and put effort into it, a good result is always positive. I was just glad that I was able to execute parts of the race like I intended. You can’t be unhappy about placing first,” he laughed.
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