Nov. 14, 2008 — DeWayne Smith was cruising along last weekend, comfortable with his place in the Foster Grant Iron Man 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, Fla..
The St. Croix native was taking part in his first championship and held no illusions about winning, but he wanted to record a personal best and he was well on his way.
Then his hamstring gave out.
"It's actually an age-old injury I sustained back in college," said Smith, who ran track at West Virginia's Concord College, from which he graduated in 2004. "Sometimes if I push a little too hard or if conditions are just right, it'll get a little twingy on me. I felt like it was talking to me then. In Clearwater it yelled at me. I just ignored it."
He gutted it out and finished the race – a 1.2-mile swim followed by a 56-mile bike ride and capped off with a 13.1 mile run. But he didn't set that personal best.
"I wasn't up to my usual potential," he said. "But just being there was a huge honor for me, and getting to represent the Virgin Islands – I think I had the largest flag crossing the finish line. I definitely had a great experience."
Smith is home again, but he's not resting the hamstring. He's getting ready for St. Croix's Caribbean Classic Triathlon, which will take place Sunday morning at the Buccaneer Hotel.
"I'm still going to race this weekend, it's the last race the year. I love racing the distance … This was my first year, I hope to continue to improve and get better."
Smith won't be alone. The Caribbean Classic draws a field from all over the region and from around the world.
Some of the people he'll compete against are actually his house guests while they prep for the race. They are Reggie Douglas and James Weekes, both from the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The Caribbean Classic Triathlon will begin at 7 a.m. at the Buccaneer. The CCT is a slightly shorter race than the Iron Man. It starts with a 1,500-meter ocean swim just off the Buccaneer's Mermaid restaurant. The racers then run out of the sea and jump on bikes for a 25-mile ride that leaves the resort grounds for two laps around the east end of the island, over Lowry Hill, before re-entering the Buccaneer grounds for a 6.2-mile run looping over the resort's jogging trail and golf course.
The CCT is sponsored by Project St. Croix.
Smith is a professional trainer working at The Rehabilitation Center at Beeston Hill. The schedule allows him to fit in his training regimen around work. But with the St. Croix race coming so close on the heels of the championship, he hasn't been able to do any special training for it.
"This is going to be a straight recover and race again," he said. "The fitness level is there. The most important thing now is to recover and be ready to go on Sunday."
Smith is grateful to his sponsors, who have made it possible for him to pursue his athletic dream. They include the law firm Colianni & Colianni, Joel Holt, Triangle Construction, Sarah and Joe Zeppuhar, Plaza Extra, Josephine and Jim Bell, Dr. Alicia Lewit and Dr. Gary Jett.
"Without their support, I would have never been able to live the experience," Smith said.
Back Talk
Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name and city and state/country or island where you reside.
