In Triathlon, there's self and a few hundred others

Correspondent

OCEANFRONT

Commitment and stamina keep a triathlete on course; motivation drives him or her forward.

Nancy Hodges' motivation to run in the Sandman Triathlon Sunday is self-spirited.

"I'm not terribly competitive with anybody else," said the Birdneck resident. "It's more myself."

Hodges, 52, will be among 265 "sandwomen" in a field of 730 participants in this year's Sandman Triathlon.

"For me, marathons and triathlons... the race is anticlimactic," Hodges said. "The discipline of the training forces me to structure my life and my day."

A six-mile run in the morning on the Boardwalk or in First Landing State Park; a 2,500-yard swim at a recreation center pool the next day; a long-distance bicycle ride with friends on another day - Hodges loves the workout.

"Many women see completing a triathlon as an obvious extension of their current exercise programs," said Betty Virok, who won the Sandman Triathlon in 1989 and has been the race director for 12 years.

"Others see it as a challenge to prove to themselves that they have the commitment and the stamina to train for and successfully complete a race. Other women go into the sport with nothing more than a desire to try something new and meet new people with similar interests in fitness."

Hodges began participating in organized running events when the first Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon was held in Virginia Beach eight years ago. She's a mother of two, a Pilates instructor and a lifeguard at the Oceanfront. This will be her third time entering the Sandman Triathlon.

The event was first held in 1983. It was originally twice the distance that it is now. Until 1993, the race consisted of a 2-kilometer swim, 24-mile bike and a 10-kilometer run. The swim was an out-and-back swim until 1989.

"I can say from personal experience, the resort strip looks very small when you are 0.6 miles off-shore," said Virok, 46, a Fairfield resident.

In 1990, the 2-kilometer swim paralleled the beach. By 1992, the entry numbers had fallen from 600 to less than 300. The race was then shortened to a sprint distance race consisting of a 1-kilometer swim, 14-mile bike and a 5-kilometer run. In 2004, 725 people entered for a sold-out event and continue to do so each year.

The number of women who participate in the Sandman Triathlon has increased.

"It isn't until you get to ages of 30 and over that the men in an age group outnumber the women," said Virok.

The Open Division, which is comprised of those athletes competing for overall prize money, is nearly even with 48 percent women and 52 percent men.

"It is refreshing to see so many more women getting involved in a sport that can be as rewarding as it is challenging," Virok said.

Cash prizes totaling $1,200 will be awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners in both the men's and women's divisions. Trophies will be awarded for the first-, second- and third-place finishers in various age groups.

Helen Hagan-Ritz of Madison, Va., and Sam Brown of Virginia Beach, have participated in the Sandman Triathlon every year since it began and will again Sunday.

Stacy Parker, stacyparker@cox.net