Andy ready to swim.
By Andy Smith
This long May weekend Leslie and I drove to Nanaimo and stayed overnight to see another part of the Island and also so I could compete in a local triathlon at Westwood Lake, on the outskirts of town. The Westwood triathlon is the first triathlon of the season and attracts a decent crowd since it’s part of the BC Dynamic series. There is a Sprint and a Standard distance race and I chose the longer Standard event which is 1500m swim, 38.5k bike, and 10.4k trail run around Westwood Lake Park. The swim and run are two laps and the bike course is an out and back on quiet, hilly roads outside Nanaimo. It is a very scenic area with forested hills on one side and the ocean and snow capped mountains of the mainland across the Strait of Georgia on the other side.
Andy on the run
Thought I would tell you about the race, since it was quite entertaining and a number of STARR members were asking about it. Most of you know I am not a good swimmer so I was shooting for about 35 minutes swim split…depending how many wrong turns I took. I told Leslie to look for me “at the back”. Unfortunately I have trouble swimming in a straight line which often adds considerable distance to my race. Maybe I should have asked Leslie to look for me off to one side? I started the swim leg near the back of the pack to avoid getting “run” over. After a few hundred yards hyperventilating I settled down and even managed to “race” some lady swimmers (they were probably having a bad day!). It took me 500 m before I could focus on my ”technique” and I even started to pass a few people. I only veered off course once…which I discovered when I bumped into an unmarked buoy that was not on the race course. The ladies dropped me as I swam back towards the correct buoy😖. Predictably I finished the swim in the bottom quarter of the field, but surprisingly faster than my 35 minute target!. I guess all those laps in the SEAPARC pool are starting to pay off!. I usually feel woozy exiting the water after the swim leg and today was no exception. Imagine my transition - balancing on one foot trying to get bike shoes on…then running in bike shoes …then mounting my bike….all while experiencing major vertigo! It was not a fast transition.
Andy on the bike
After a few kms on the bike my vertigo disappeared (phew!) and I started to push the pace, making inroads on the back markers. Cycling on the Island is more technical than Southern Ontario due to the hilly topography. Local knowledge helps because you know what is around the next corner. Otherwise its easy to “overcook it” into an innocent looking corner only to discover its actually a hairpin or there is a 15 degree climb on the other side (and you are in a big chainring). There were a few hair-raising moments resulting in a dropped chain on one unexpected climb. However I had a strong ride, catching many competitors on the uphills (and I passed those ladies!) ...but getting off the bike I got dizzy again… d’oh! There I was in transition for the second time…balancing on one leg, this time trying to take my cycling shoes off and get my runners on…with vertigo. I am sure it was entertaining for the spectators…
Somehow, I managed to get through transition quickly - 45 seconds of hopping I guess. I have been running well this winter and expected the running leg of the triathlon to be my strongest, but it took me several km’s before I stopped feeling woozy…and its a rolling running trail... with roots and everything…Not running very fast. The running stage is two laps around the Westwood lake hiking trail, with two “shortcuts” to make the distance correct (10.4km is the correct distance?). The shortcuts are single-track paths including one nasty uphill (15 degrees? Maybe 20?) that even the elite athletes had to scramble up at walking pace. The pack spread out quickly. The elite athletes passed me, completing their second lap, as I was finishing my first. (That’s how I know they walked the hill😉).
My second lap of the run was much faster than the first, but with the pack spread out….no one to chase and no one chasing me…. There was no point going into “beast mode”. Nonetheless I managed to pass more competitors, claw back more time, and finish the race in the top quarter of the field (and third in my age group). I was happy with that result. This was my first open water swim this year (thankfully the wetsuit still fits)! The event was well organized and everyone was friendly. There were a number of competitors from Toronto and a team of 4 from University of Oregon (yes, they ran fast!). Leslie Ann was cheering me on all day as head cheerleader and photographer. I included a few photos she took (and before you ask...yes everyone wore a pink swim cap in the standard distance race).