Blog

Natchaug Epic Gravel Race
Thompson, CT
March 26, 2023

I was excited to get out for my first race of the year. And the weather even cooperated, with temps close to 60 degrees. 65 miles and 4000 feet of climbing. I was surprised by the size of the event - 800 racers. I knew it would be a long day, so I lined up at the back and tried to start slowly. That ended up being a bit of a mistake because there was a narrow, muddy, rutted downhill about 10 minutes after the start. I wish someone would have told me about that.

The race had 5 timed sections that determined your overall placing. I wasn't really racing or feeling competitive this day, but it seems like a good system. The ride was 64% paved and it really felt like an even amount of time both on and off road. The food stops were a mixed bag. At a few, they said, "Sorry, we're out of food". But I hit the motherload at mile 50 - all the warm Cider Doughnuts you could grab, even a little coffee. All said, it was a pretty perfect day for me. I paced myself well and saved some energy for the big climbs at the end. Made a couple of new friends. The Kona Super Jake performed well. I even heard the epic sound of spring - Spring Peeper frogs in the ponds and woods.