In multi-sport racing, there’s no place like home.
Nancy Smith has competed in numerous triathlon/Ironman events around the world but the one which might bring the biggest smile to her face could be a competition just down the road from her residence in New Britain.
It’s the Steelman, the multi-sport event contested in and around scenic Lake Nockamixon in Upper Bucks.
Smith, who is turning 70 this year, has won her age group in this age group so many times that she lost track after about 10 victories.
So it’s pretty easy to figure out where she will be this Sunday when the 22nd annual Steelman, the Pennsylvania state championship venue, convenes a couple miles south of Quakertown.
Smith and Steelman are the perfect match. The race has a great course and Smith finds the conditions to her liking.
Nothing beats the 70 degree-plus pristine waters of Nockamixon for the 0.9-mile swim leg, the smoothly paved surface of Rt. 563 for the 24.9-mile bike segment (which is closed to automobile traffic) and the scenic 6.2-mile trail run along the lake’s edge.
“I think the venue is one of the drawing points,” she said in a telephone interview. “It’s beautiful. You’ve got Haycock Mountain behind you, the park setting, the lake is beautiful – mostly clean and clear.
“You get onto the bike course, it’s challenging but it’s rolling. You can really muster up some hills and get up some momentum to get up the next one.”
An estimated field of well over 1,000 athletes will be on hand to participate in either the aforementioned Olympic-distance event, the sprint triathlon and the aquabike competitions. A testament to Steelman’s popularity: It’s been sold out for quite some time.
“They do a good job of cleaning the roads before the race,” Smith pointed out. “So you don’t have debris all over the place. The fact that the course is closed makes it so much better for passing people and you don’t have to worry about oncoming traffic.”
As for the out-and-back running course, Smith likes the fact that it’s “mostly shaded.” That can be a big deal as the temperature starts to climb.
“You can see people going out and coming back,” she said. “You kind of know where you stand and who you are up against.”
Smith gives credit to race director Dave Michener for his fine work in assembling this special day.
“He’s been doing a great job with this race,” she said. “Dave is an athlete himself and he’s really taken the bull by the horns. He cares about the athletes. He caters to them and he’s thorough with the pre-race meetings online.”
Getting back to the aforementioned 10 victories, those just happened to come in 10 Steelman races, so you might say Smith’s winning percentage is rather high.
Because the USAT ranks athletes starting on Jan. 1 of their birth year, she’s already in the 70s crowd.
She was ranked third in the United States in the 65-69 age group (for 70.3-mile half-Ironman racing), so when she flipped the page on the big 70, ladies of that division heeded the warning flags. On her way out the 60s door she placed third in the 70.3-mile championships in Spain last year.
“I’m moving up,” she said, “and I don’t know what’s going to happen now. There are some fast ones out there but I’m going to keep trying.”
Smith has already qualified for next year’s Ironman World Championships which happen to be in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Again, just an hour or so plane flight from home rather than having to travel around the world.
She’s already competed in the famous World Ironman Championships in Hawaii, so she definitely has the stamina. Steelman addes the element of speed to her attributes.
Going up against the world’s best is part of what keeps her going.
“It’s about exploring new places,” she said. “Spain was a very difficult course. The bike segment was unbelievable. To experience new countries and to be able to race there, it’s a great experience. That’s what keeps me going.”
Do female athletes walk up to Smith and tell her she’s an inspiration for other competitors?
“Yes, but I’ve also gotten some ‘oh, no, she’s here!’ stuff,” Smith said with a chuckle. “And ‘I don’t have a chance. When are you going to move into a different age group?’ I get all that, too.”
Smith has her eye on the top prize in her age group in the world. That would be something if Bucks County had a world champion in one of the planet’s toughest competitions.
“I think I have a shot at it now that I’m in a different age group,” she said. “A lot of the people I see time and again. You know what you’re up against.
“I’m anxious to see how it all pans out.”
>Sunday
22nd annual Steelman Triathlon, 8 a.m., Lake Nockamixon-Quakertown (sold out). Contact www.steelmanracing.com
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