Clubs Prep for Summer

By Jim Gazzale

It’s no secret that our corner of Upstate New York is a hotbed for multisport athletes. With the pandemic halting many organized triathlon and duathlon events locally, the four largest clubs in the area are certainly excited to reconvene their membership, whether that be through weekly open water swim, bike and run training, social events – and especially racing!

The Capital District Triathlon Club, Bethlehem Triathlon Club, Saratoga Triathlon Club, and the newly rebranded Adirondack Multi-Sport Club each have a wish list of activities and events planned for 2021. As easing of Covid-related restrictions continues, club presidents are hopeful this year brings a return to normal for the clubs, and the athletes they serve.

For Capital District Triathlon Club, we’re putting the finishing touches on our weekly swim schedule which is traditionally held on Tuesday nights at Crystal Lake in Averill Park. The first Tuesday in June is the day we welcome athletes back to the beach. However, if restrictions and of course the weather cooperate, we may move it up a week and hit the water before Memorial Day.

CDTC was the only local club to host weekly swim training last summer. In a normal year more than 100 athletes most weeks trained at the lake. All the area clubs have an agreement where BTC, STC, and Adirondack Multi members pay the CDTC member rate of $10 per week to swim at Crystal Lake. In previous years we’ve also welcomed guests.

In 2020, state guidelines unfortunately capped CDTC’s attendance to 50 people, forcing us to only allow members each week. Each week we hosted at the restricted capacity in a socially distanced manner that kept everyone comfortable and most importantly, safe.

CDTC planned out numerous social events that never came to be. In an effort to take those ideas into 2021, we’ve started a weekly beer run. Each Thursday members meet outside of a local brewery for a 5K run followed by a drink or two. The weekly run has been spearheaded by board member Theresa Newton. We’ve made stops in Delmar, Clifton Park, Albany and Guilderland so far this spring. It’s been a popular event for the club.

After a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Crystal Lake Sprint Triathlon is scheduled to return on Saturday, August 21. Race director Lee Hilt has been in coordination with local officials to prepare for its return. Registration opened on April 1 and will continue into August. For updates, visit cdtriclub.com. 

Jeremy Davis, president of the Saratoga Triathlon Club, says they’re planning weekly training swims at Moreau Lake State Park beginning in June, within state requirements for outdoor gatherings.

With reopening in the works, Jeremy and STC are confirming their other annual events, “This includes meetings, pot lucks, and parties outdoors in state parks. There are still restrictions so it’s harder to plan but we’re optimistic for the summer.” To learn more, go to: saratogatriclub.com.

Two other area clubs, Bethlehem Triathlon and Adirondack Multi-Sport, are in the midst of changes in preparation for the season. 

At Bethlehem Triathlon Club, new president Jeff Andritz is also awaiting guidance from the state before cementing plans for his club’s weekly open water swim sessions. “We’ve been at Warner’s Lake since the club formed, but we are hoping to move to Lawsons Lake just outside Clarksville,” Jeff said. “I’ve been in touch with the park director, but we need to establish Covid protocol with the Albany County Director of Recreation.” 

Those plans are currently in the works and the club is hopeful it will have an open water swim season after electing to cancel it in 2020. For more info, check out: bethlehemtriclub.com.

For Adirondack Multi-Sport Club, a bit more of an undertaking is taking shape in Glens Falls, where they have undergone a total rebranding. Club president, Greg Hewlett, says the club has transitioned from triathlon-specific to a general multi-sport group that covers mountain biking and Nordic skiing, and provides added support for single- and multi-sport athletes. 

Greg says there isn’t a lack of interest in living an active lifestyle and that catering only to triathletes, or at least giving off that impression, was proving to be a detriment to the club. “We are in a small area so being exclusionary benefitted very few. Most of us train in small groups and see the club as a social connection to like-minded people, but not exclusively triathletes,” Greg said. 

He adds that the change has been an instant boon for the club, “It has been liberating. We have found bike shops were more open to sharing their group rides and we now have a partnership with a private gym to do winter workouts.” For more details, visit: adirondackmultisport.com.

Welcoming athletes outside the umbrella of triathlon has brought in new members and is allowing them to think outside the box with different events. For instance, Adirondack Multi-Sport is planning a mountain biking, running and shooting event this year with the Saratoga Biathlon Club. For details activities and events, go to: adirondackmultisport.com.

For triathletes and other outdoor sports enthusiasts, there’s plenty to look forward to this summer, so join or renew your membership in our tri/multisport clubs. With open water swimming, outdoor events and gatherings, training sessions and races, things are shaping up to feel as normal as possible. As the state is reopening, there’s a real sense of hope amongst the multisport community – something many haven’t felt in more than a year!

Jim Gazzale (gazzaljp@gmail.com) of Troy, is president of the Capital District Triathlon Club and owner of SENS Fitness, an online nutrition and endurance coaching company. His signature “Wine and Weight Loss” program helps men and women lose weight and get into race shape while drinking wine and eating whatever they want.