Repeat winners

JODI SNYDER / For the Frontiersman

BIG LAKE -- The 2004 Big Lake Triathlon began with a brisk morning swim along the North Shore, when sixty swimmers plunged into the lake at the countdown of Mat-Su Borough Mayor Tim Anderson's official "3-2-1 -- Go" shotgun start.

Orange capped and numbered heads bobbed between the buoys as entrants swam about 450 meters out into the lake, turned around and swam back while a volunteer dive team from Big Lake Fire and Rescue waited nearby in case any swimmers had problems.

"No one needed assistance," race director Sammye Pokryfki said. "Everyone who started the race finished, and no one was disqualified."

Swimmers were encouraged to wear wetsuits, but many wore swimsuits instead, enjoying the warmer than usual lake water. After weeks of hot, dry weather, the athletes got a slight reprieve with hazy cloud cover and a light breeze on race day.

Jens Beck of Anchorage was first out of the water in just over nine minutes, seamlessly transitioning to his bicycle. Beck continued to build up a strong lead throughout the race, winning triathlon with a time of 57:07, about five minutes ahead of second place finisher Andy Duenow.

As swimmers left the lake they quickly transitioned to bicycles, leaving the North Shore and traveling 12 miles along Big Lake Road to the Parks Highway to Johnson Road, and finally onto Hollywood Road before turning into the runners staging area at East Lake Mall. The final leg of the event was a brisk 5K run, which headed down Big Lake Road a mile and half before turning back again to finish in front of the Big Lake Chamber of Commerce cabin.

First out of the water, first off the bike, and first through the finish shoot, Beck was pleased with his race and the efforts of the organizers.

"The course was awesome," Beck said after winning the triathlon. "The weather was a little warm, but I'd take this anytime over a cold or rainy day."

Beck said the race was even better than last year's event, which he also won.

"The swim was phenomenal," he said. "I was a bit nervous about the bike trail, but they did a great job sweeping the gravel. There were a few troubling spots, but it all worked out. The run is always fun, because it's up and back, and you get to see everyone and high five them as you head back in," he said. "It's just a great race."

Second-place finisher Andy Duenow is Beck's training partner.

"I told him my goal this year was to finish second behind him in every race," laughed Duenow, who repeated his 2003 second place finish.

Duenow said while he and Beck target triathlons, they also participate in some bike club races as a fun way to train.

The first woman finisher, who completed the race in fourth position overall, was Lori Deschamps of Anchorage. Deschamps was also last year's top female. Recovering from a nasty break of her left wrist, which happened back in January, Deschamps is still nursing the injury. She said the most difficult part of the race was the biking, especially with a cast on her forearm, and traveling on the bike path with the injury made her a little nervous.

"You always try to be cautious," she said. "With all the driveways that you have to cross, but during this race, I was even more cautious."

Pokryfki shared the top athlete's views that the event was a big success.

"It was a really friendly race," she said. "Thanks to the numerous volunteers that worked to make it happen.

"We truly could not put on this triathlon without these volunteers," said Pokryfki. "There are too many to name individually, but they are so important. Not only do they make this event possible, they also give it a great personality."

Toward the back of the pack, a team effort was being made by husband and wife Zach and Sarah Layman, and Sarah's sister, Kate Triplett.

"We did it just to do it," said Sarah Layman. "I did the Gold Nugget Triathlon and really enjoyed it. I like to swim, that's sort of my forte, and Katie enjoys biking. We decided to do it as a team, and then we sort of told Zach he would be running. He really didn't have a choice. It was really neat to combine our efforts and enter as a team."

The group trained a little for the event, but really just wanted to finish. Triplett, who did the biking leg, spent about two weeks biking, building up to the 12 mile distance, and then went out on the course and did a trial run a few days prior to the race. Sarah Layman said she didn't get to do much training for the race, and it was her first time swimming in a race that took place in a lake.

"The choppiness really surprised me," she said. "It was really something to contend with."

Sarah Layman said the team was really pleased with their results. They ended up finishing back in the but took second in coed team entries.

"We really entered just to finish, but afterward we were talking about how we'd like to do it again, next time training a little more, and trying to be a little more competitive"

While 60 people entered the lake at the start of the race, the results list only 59 official finishers.

"We had a bandit. One guy ran the whole race but was not registered," Pokryfki said. "We spotted him pretty early, but didn't bother trying to pull him out of the race."

Awards were presented the top three male and female solo finishers, and the top teams in the female and coed divisions.

Proceeds from the Big Lake Triathlon support Big Lake Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Mat-Su, two nonprofit organizations that promote community-building activities in Big Lake and the Mat-Su Borough.