The 50-metre pool at the Prince George Aquatic Centre felt like a torture chamber for Cam McNamara and Chris Pendray as they headed for the finish of Sunday's Integris Prince George Iceman.
After skiing for eight kilometres, running for 15 km and skating another five km, the two leaders of the men's solo event were feeling the protests from their cramping legs during the 800-metre swim segment.
Pendray, a 27-year-old from Smithers, was on his second of 16 lengths of the pool when McNamara, the defending champion, jumped into the water. But with 100 metres left and McNamara within a few metres, Pendray let him go ahead into the final two lengths while he treaded water in the deep end trying to relieve his pain.
It turned out McNamara's lead was shortlived. Pendray's final push for the wall got him there a few seconds ahead of McNamara but he stopped in the pool, thinking the race was over, while McNamara dragged himself on aching legs out of the water to the finish table to trigger the sensor and stop the clock.
No longer able to stand, his calf muscles gripped in agonizing pain, the 33-year-old McNamara used his arms to push himself off the pool deck to out of the way of the other finishers, knowing he had his second Iceman win cinched.
"It was crazy, I'd given up hope of catching him in the end and the last couple hundred metres I just gave it everything I had and slowly reeled him in," said McNamara. "I was cramping up on the last 50 metres and just nipped him at the end. He didn't know you have to get out and swipe your chip, I feel bad about that one.
"It feels really good right now but that was a hard two hours. The ski was slow out there and I started suffering early on. I fell on my second lap when somebody fell in front of me and the pack pulled away from us there. I thought I could get him on the slate, because we've been skating together (in practice), but he was better in the skate, so I started getting worried there. In my head I just had to keep strong (in the five km run) and get to the pool within a minute of him."
McNamara finished in one hour 55 minutes 13 seconds, four second ahead of Pendray. Mike Buchanan a 51-year-old grandmaster, was third (1:59:13)
Pendray was on the far side of the pool ladder when he touched the wall as McNamara approached on the inside lane. Had Pendray known the course, he likely would have had enough time to get out of the water first.
"I didn't know where the end was and I saw him get out there running and I was like, on, I guess better get out and do the same," said Pendray. "I was struggling with cramps so I let him go ahead and I was hoping I could catch him but wasn't sure at that point."
The big dump that buried the city under 15 centimetres of snow Friday slowed conditions on the ski trails at Otway Nordic Centre, and that made the course more forgiving on the slopes and corners, which had been more treacherous earlier last week. Other than the northerly wind which gusted to 45 km per hour, sunshine and above-freezing temperatures made for nearly ideal conditions for the 515 competitors (48 soloists, 467 team contestants) and race volunteers.
Cara McCulloch, a 26-year-old UNBC student, won the Icewoman title in 2:14:00, the second time she's competed in the race. Lindsay Vandermeer was second in the women's solo race (2:16:14) while Sarah Champagne was third (2:18:49)
"The wind was hard because I was running by myself and it was tough running into it but it was gorgeous out there and everyone was happy," said McCulloch, a former Prince George Triathlon champion who moved from Smithers to join the Northern Medical Program. "It's a fun community event so it's nice to get out and support it. I like the run and the ski, the skate is my weakest event, but it was good though. Conditions were way better than what I was expecting. You just have to go a sustainable pace for each section because they're also unique. It's not long, like a half-Ironman, so you can go pretty fast."
Among the 102 teams were 18 community schools relay teams representing local elementary schools. The school and junior teams skied four km, had two runners on the 10 km route and swam 400m.
Once Upon a Dream Team defended the junior team title it won last year, winning in 1:37:25 . Dressed in a green tutu, skier/five km runner Jordan Bax, 15, a ski racer with the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club, gave his team a healthy lead and by the time Sylvia Masich, 15, began her three km skate, she was all alone on the Exhibition Park ice oval.
"The ice was nice but the wind was nasty," said Masich, a Prince George Blizzard Speed Skating Club racer. "I didn't get time to do a warm-up, which wasn't a good idea."
Robyn Barwise, 15, who ran two five km segments, tagged 14-year-old swimmer Rya Kish, who had a calm pool to herself. "It makes it a lot easier when you don't have to worry about other people," said Kish, who competes with the Prince George Barracudas Swim Club.
The Heritage Snow Hawks captured the school team title in 2:18:17.
On the Double won the men's team title (1:52:07), CSFS Spirit took home the women's team crown (2;:00:22) and Arahakan won top mixed team honours (2:11:34).
Dick Voneugen, 84, was on hand Sunday to start the race, blowing into logging truck air horn he's used for decades to signal the start of race. After two years of above-average warmth which rendered the ice oval unusable and extreme cold three years ago which forced the race to be cancelled, Voneugen was relieved the weather gods co-operated on Sunday.
"The weather is perfect, there's some warmth in that sun," said Voneugen, who competed in the team event for years until his back ailments forced him to drop out.
Voneugen's still involved as an Iceman team manager and rounded up an all-star senior squad (skier Rudy Kamstra, 10 km runner Mike Warr, skater Robin Draper, five km runner Larry Rowe and swimmer Frank Blues) known as Team 338, the number which coincided with their combined ages.
They won the grandmasters men's title in 2:28:43.
The Iceman has been part of the local scene for 30 years and for 28 of those years, Renate Dorschner and Karen Peterson have been volunteering their services at the Otway transition area, where racers trade their skis and boots for running shoes.
"We have a good time at it, it's just a lot of fun and we just love the community spirit," said Dorschner. "I remember the year we had about 80 soloists and they decided to mass start the women ahead of the men, and the men caught the women and they all came in (to the transition area) together. It was a war zone, but other than that, it's just hectic."
For complete results, go to strideandglide.ca.
