Classy Smith’s still putting in the miles

When Karen Smith entered her first triathlon in Guelph, Canada, 20 years ago she could not have envisaged the impact it would have on her life. 

Now 45 years old, Smith has been one of Bermuda’s most decorated triathletes.

In her early years, Smith competed over the sprint and Olympic distances and represented Bermuda at two Commonwealth Games (2002 and 2006) and three world championships (2001, 05 and 06).

Until the emergence of Flora Duffy, Smith was virtually unbeatable on the local scene, amassing numerous National Olympic and Sprint Championships wins as well as Bank of Bermuda Foundation Triathlon titles. Her dominance led to her being recognized multiple times as Bermuda’s triathlete of the year. 

Despite an excellent 16th-place finish in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Smith found it difficult to emulate her local success when competing internationally, although her performances were respectable. 

However, in those early years the Lifesport-coached triathlete showed that she had the endurance and mental toughness (a key ingredient when the mental demons tell you to stop after so many hours of pain) that is needed to compete over longer distances. 

As her coach then, I witnessed her pushing herself well beyond most people’s pain threshold and on at least two occasions she ended up at the hospital.

Her move to the Ironman and Half Ironman was a logical progression and one which immediately proved well founded.

Smith has had a string of successes establishing herself as one of the world’s best amateur long-distance triathletes in her age group and arguably in all age groups, often winning her age group and even finishing as the top amateur and ahead of many professionals.

In 2008 Smith made a big breakthrough by finishing second in the very competitive 35-39 age group at the Half Ironman World Championships in a very fast 4hrs 32 mins. 

Undoubtedly, her biggest success was her podium finish in her age group (third) in 2010 at the ultimate long distance race, the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, completing the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run in a remarkable 10 hrs 16 mins with a 3hr 26 min run. 

In 2011, she won her age group at the prestigious Ironman UK where she was eighth overall and in 2012 she was second at the International Triathlon Union’s Long Distance World Championships. 

Smith started the 2014 season with a bang as she demolished the opposition in her age group at the Los Cabos Ironman, 1 hr and 7 mins ahead of the second place finisher, and finishing 18th female overall in a very fast 10 hr 22 mins.

Success has not come without sacrifice and balancing a brutal training regime with looking after two kids and holding down a job. 

Husband Aaron, himself an accomplished triathlete and golfer, is a successful businessman and is involved with local and international events and both kids are accomplished athletes (15-year-old Tyler is already one of the island’s best male triathletes and a very exciting junior prospect) so it is a family juggling act.

A typical hard training week for Smith comprises six miles of swimming, 120-150 miles of cycling and 20-25 miles of running so she is often up early in the morning to train.

A recent session involved two hours of cycling with 4 x 10 minute intervals at over race pace followed immediately by 20 x 400m sprint run repeats on the track. 

For Smith it’s the variety of the sport that she likes best.

“On any given day I get to be a swimmer, cyclist or runner but at the end of the day I am a triathlete,” she said. “I love the training.” 

Although she trains with Winners Edge bike team, her sponsors, and attends MAAC workouts, her only gripe is that triathlon is not a team sport…and the amount of equipment that she has to pack when travelling!

“Finishing an Ironman is always a super-extraordinary feeling,“says Smith. 

One suspects she will be crossing the finishing line at many more Ironmans. n