Elizabeth Collings reports back on a triumphant triathlon race MONDAY’S RACE was more than just a pleasant surprise: It was a breeze. By Elizabeth Collings News Reporter Not, of course, a breeze in the ranks of, say, winning my age group (that honor goes to North Vancouver’s Lestie Diver, another first-time triathlete), but a breeze in comparison to what 1 had anti- cipated. After more than three months of training in each event and then preparing fur the race. I was ex- pecting to encounter at Jeast some difficulties in the race itself. Instead, § had a blast. Fram the second the volunteer shouted “Gol’* in the Ron An- drews pool, my pre-race jitters and anxieties miraculously vanish- ed. Sure, | had a few setbacks like the 62" gentleman ahead of me in the water who, after deciding to do breaststroke for the entire 800 metres, had a leg span that seem- ed to block the entire lane. But after ! got around him, it wus smooth swimming, and before I knew it, it was time to get out of the water and onto che bike. My worst fears of first being unable to locate my bike in the sea Of bikes and then being unabie to connect with my clipless pedals on the slight uphill start were ithe ROR gt aes ht, “SPRINTING ACROSS the finish line, News reporter Liz Collings finishes the North Shore Spring Triathion with a time of 4:16:05. BASEBALL & SOFTBALL BATS ARE Bde sanecarsa meric eurtinon NORTH SHORE SPRING TRIATHLON Juckily unfounded: the bike and the pedals were just where § lef: then. The i8-kilometre cycle. which followed a three-loop course along Mount Seymour Parkway, was thoroughly enjoyable despite a sprinkling of rain. As 1 cycled back to the transi- von area, | was already looking forward .o the run. which | con- sider to be my best event. The five-kilometre run course was admittedly tough. After the bike, my legs felt robotic. but ence | loosened up I picked up the pace, and then, on the last one- kilometre loop through the trails, I pressed hard to the finish line, passing some men who had earlier overtaken me. As my family and friends greeted me at the finish line, they asked the inevitable, "What next?"” Well, it just so happens I’ve pickect up sume entry forms for a tew ather triathlons this summer that are looking pretty good. After all, this triathlon stuff could get to be addictive. eee IT WAS nice to see so many fa- miliay faces from the recCentre Ror Andrews’ triathlon clinics participating in the North Shore Spring Triathlon and, in some cases, winning. A few names from that crowd include: em the boys’ 13-15 age group, a speedy Jeff Bolten) won top honors, finishing the 225-inetre swim, six-kiHomeire bike and 1.5- kilometre run in 20:57; *in my 25-29 age group, Lestie Diver put in an extremely strong performance, winning her first- ever triathlon with a time of 1:12:44 (My time for the course was 1:16:05 and although | don't know ‘where I sit in my 25-29-year age group, I do know that third place was claimed by Karen Blackwood with a time of 1:14:58); Competitive Heat Womea ist Tracy Mitchell 2nd) Carol Marlowe-Clark 3rd Christine Durham Men Ist Paul Granger 2nd Greg Titnewelt Coq 3rd Andrew Tuovinen Van The top three results in each age group will be published in an upcoming issue of the News. Van Van Bboy NV. Wednesday. May 22, 1531 - North Shore News ~ 73 NEWS photos Paul NcGrath VANCOUVER RACER Jin Kim cools down at the finish line while a volunteer detaches the stub from his race number. ein the women’s 30-34, Denise Duchene of North Vancouver won a bronze with 1:12:46; ein the men’s 30-34, Roger Tee- ple won a silver medal with 1:02:33; ein the women’s 45-49, my swim coach Judy Aspinail won a gold medal with 1:30:32; *in the women’s 50-plus, the soie participant, Naney Jones, put ina solid effort with 1:43:25; ein the competitive heat, clinic leader Paul Granger of North Vancouver came from behind after the swim to win first place with 54:14, NEWS REPORTER Liz Collings tries to get up up to race pace a as she sets off ov the first loop of the three-lcop, 18-kiiometre bike course along Mount Seymour Parkway.